It’s Great To Be A Pilot

In early November, Suzanne Stites became a private pilot. It was the culmination of her work and dedication and she couldn’t be happier. For Suzanne, aviation was something that she, “always wanted to learn,” and it was mostly a matter of setting the time to work. She had some experience from previous years, but never began an outlined training program. However, all that changed in May of this year when she enrolled in the private pilot course at American Flyers. Within two and a half weeks, she had completed most of her allotted flight and ground school time. As she finished her time requirements, she noticed that her flying skills had allowed her to, “think differently,” and in a more dynamic manner, this owing to the highly fluid environment of controlling an aircraft in flight.

Suzanne’s hard work paid off when she successfully completed her private pilot flight test. She called it a great, “sense of accomplishment,” and that her check ride was, “just another lesson where everything came together.” Congratulations on a job well done!

A&P Aspires to Aviate

Mechanic intern Travis Ring’s schedule has become much more complicated, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. After A&P school, Travis was recruited into the American Flyers internship program for mechanics, which allows them to work as an A&P while earning their pilot certification.

Travis has been around aviation for his entire life. As a boy growing up in Reno, Nevada, he and his father were at the Reno Air Races almost every year to experience the sights and sounds of horsepower in flight. His father instilled a love of aviation that has carried Travis across the country to “live out Dad’s passion.”

In fact, Travis inherited his mechanical skill from his father. Travis would spend hours helping his dad maintain vehicles of all sizes, so it was natural for him to step up to working on something more exciting. In February 2007, Travis enrolled at Red Stone in Broomfield, CO to earn his A&P. During his 18-month program, he also worked for Sky West Airlines in Denver as a gate supervisor. He was nominated for the ‘Outstanding Student Award’ and was set to work as a mechanic for Sky West when a recruiter came to his school. It was here that Travis first heard of the internship offered by American Flyers; he knew had found his calling. Here now was his chance to, “get to use the plane” instead of fixing them.

After a brief training period in Santa Monica, Travis relocated to West Chicago’s Du Page Airport, which is now his home – almost literally. When he is not performing the duties of a flight school mechanic, he is hard at work learning to fly. Currently, his private pilot training is well under way, and Travis couldn’t be happier. “I’m just more and more in love” with aviation, and “[I’m] learning so much.” Looking ahead, Travis would like to stay working as an A&P and is hoping to one day have a chance to get into restoration of old aircraft.

Destinations

With winter having wrapped us in its wonderful, yet not so warm embrace, outdoor fun is waiting. What better way to welcome winter than with a family outing to the wide and wild slopes?

This season, treat the family to a holiday get-away that is not too far away at Cascade Mountain. Located in Portage, Wisconsin, this full-service ski retreat is easily accessible by car or train from nearby Portage Municipal Airport (C47).

Cascade Mountain offers a variety of packages for individuals as well as groups that incorporate lodging, lift usage, equipment rental, length of stay and more. Additionally, there is a sports shop on-site that carries all brands and types of equipment and accessories. Before you hit the slopes, stop by and see one of the instructors to brush up on your skills, or to learn the basics if it’s your first time.

Activities on the mountain include skiing and snow boarding, as well as snow tubing, which is great for beginners. After a day on the slopes, relax in the lodge area or head out to one of the many attractions in the Wisconsin Dells, which is only 20 minutes away.

Just because the air is cold and the days short, it doesn’t mean outdoor fun has to stop! For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.cascademountain.com.

Could You Fly in 1935?

For those who may have experienced some anxiety over an FAA written exam, see how you would have fared with the 1935 version given by the CAA (Civil Aeronautics Authority). These questions were originally from an aviation magazine published in 1935, and were not multiple choice, as we are used to today, but short answers based on 1930’s regulations.

They are just some of those asked of applicants for a private pilot's license by the Department of Commerce, (parent agency of the CAA until 1938). You needed to correctly answer these, and many more to have qualified in 1935.

Note: The answers were not published, the FAA may not even know some of these…

• May an unlicensed pilot in an unlicensed ship carry paying passengers from one state to another?
• Is it necessary for an airplane bearing an advertisement to be licensed if flown between states?
• What is the minimum altitude in flying over a football game?
• May acrobatics be performed with passengers for hire?
• May acrobatics be performed with passengers for hire?
• How is the effect of propeller torque counteracted in the rigging of an airplane?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of dihedral in an airplane?
• State the possible causes for the following: Nose heaviness, left wing heaviness, excessive vibration?
• Name three causes for a loss of oil pressure?
• Name four reasons for an air-cooled motor to overheat, given that the lubrication system functions perfectly?
• Name the four basic types of clouds.
• Why is it dangerous to fly close to thunderheads?
• Your compass course is 274 degrees; the deviation is 4 degrees west, the variation 3 degrees west. What is your true course?
• How would you know if the wind shifted while you were flying a compass course from one town to another?
• What method is used to protect the inside of steel tubing in a fuselage against rust?
• How do you "track" a propeller?
• Define stagger wire, thimble, turtleback, walking beam, routed spar.
• What is the rule regarding overtaking aircraft?
• What day markings are required on airship mooring cables?
• What is the international radio distress signal?
• How many coats of dope should be applied to the fabric of a newly covered wing?
• What are convection currents?

Source: http://www.aerofiles.com/caa-test.html

Winter Field Conditions
By David Menconi, Chief Flight Instructor

Field conditions vary greatly during the winter months. Conditions can be clear, snow packed, or icy. When operating at a controlled airport, reports of field conditions can be passed along to Flight Service and be included in your weather briefing. At uncontrolled fields, field conditions are more difficult to receive and vary widely based on the person you may have called at the destination airport. Another point of concern is that winter weather changes quickly and therefore, the information you received prior to departure may not be what you encounter when you arrive.

Keeping this in mind here are a few tips concerning winter field conditions:

	Have a controlled airport planned as an alternate even if the ceiling and/or visibility do not require one. It should be an airport that has services and equipment that will give you the field conditions necessary for a safe operation.
	Obtain field condition reports from Flight Service prior to your flight and check periodically en route to determine if anything has changed.
	On arrival get pilot reports on braking action and set a margin of safety to reflect those conditions.
	At uncontrolled fields, overfly the airport to identify snowdrifts and receive a landing advisory and field condition report from the UNICOM operator.

Wintertime field conditions can affect your takeoff and landing performance significantly. The performance charts that are in the Pilot Operating Handbook or flight manual are based on a level, dry, clean runway. What amount of distance needs to be added for ice, snow, or slush on a runway and what is the difference in the takeoff distance if there is 1/2 inch of snow or slush vs. 3/4 inch of snow or slush? Some flight manuals include a snow or slush factor that can be used to determine performance for snow or slush. Amounts of more than 1/4 inch can result in a significant increase in takeoff distance and in some cases takeoff is prohibited if there is more than 1/2 inch. Pilots that operate airplanes with limited excess horsepower should use their most conservative judgment when dealing with snow and slush on a departure runway. Too much and the airplane’s acceleration may be affected to a point that the ability to accelerate to liftoff speed could be jeopardized.

Ask the Pilot Professor
By Dr. Michael Bliss

Q. Do I need to be concerned about light frost on the wings of my airplane?

A. We are all aware of the effect that ice can have on an airplane. However, the effect of frost can be more subtle but equally of concern. When frost is encountered during a preflight inspection the issue is not extra weight, but the disruption of airflow that can occur over the wings because of the no longer smooth surface. This should be of concern not only when frost is encountered on the wings but even more so if frost is found on the control surfaces of the wing and/or empennage.

The presence of frost can cause an increase in stall speed and also require additional speed to become airborne.

The cold winter temperatures that cause frost to form may also tempt pilots to rush the preflight and perhaps not give proper attention to frost on the aircraft. It should be a hard and fast rule to always remove all frost prior to takeoff. This can be done by moving the airplane into a heated hanger or treating it with a solution of deicing liquid. Safety is always worth the extra time and effort.

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