Executive Flyers January 2005 Newsletter
Congratulations to:
Matt Nalepa 
for soloing; Karl Schwendinger for passing his certified flight instructor – instrument and instrument ground instructor written exams; Dayle Imperato for passing her private pilot written exam with an unbeatable 100% and Scott Hoisington and Jamie Sayad for winning the monthly drawing of an hour of instruction or a month’s dues.
Happy New Year
We're into our 25th year in business and hope that it will be a good one for all of you as well as for Executive Flyers. Things are going on as usual – students soloing, taking flight tests and becoming pilots. Instructors teaching and going on to the airlines. Deena and Ed and Al pushing mounds of paperwork, to keep the business going. Come on out to the club and chat or fly or buy that certain item that you've been putting off until after the holidays. Whatever you do, remember when you fly that you should “aviate”, then “navigate” and finally “communicate.”
Ice on the wings
There have been several bad crashes in the U.S. lately because planes took off with ice on their wings. Even frost is enough to spoil the lift of the wing and it shows up on these cold mornings. Use hot water or wait for the sun to take it off before flying.
Treat yourself
We overstocked with Christmas presents and some came in after Christmas, so if you have a gift certificate or “mad money”, stop by the store and check things out. you've stocking all the sectionals for the United States, Alaska and Hawaii now as well as the instrument enroute and approach charts. Deena got some altimeter and attitude indicator clocks in after Christmas which you might like. We have a lot of books about flying which aren't the same old text books that you used in your flight courses – histories, biographies and just fun books about flying.
Private Ground School
The private ground school starts tomorrow (January 5th) and will be taught every Monday and Wednesday evening from 6:30-8:30. This is an excellent way for students to prepare for the private pilot written exam and a great way for private pilots to refresh their knowledge of the material. The cost for the ground school is $150 for members and $200 for non-members, plus the books and supplies. If you are already a private pilot, you can audit the course for half price. You should call the office to sign up for the course. If you attend the course, please be prepared to spend at least one hour of work at home for each hour of class, in order to pass the written exam.
Winter Flying
Weather is probably the major hazard when flying in the winter. It can change rapidly and go from clear weather to below minimums in minutes. If you are flying over the mountains, be sure to take survival clothing, food and water. It may be 50 degrees in Sacramento, but if you land off-airport in three feet of snow wearing light clothing, it will not be fun. Check the Airport and Facility directory for your destination airport, as many mountain fields are closed by NOTAM in the winter. Ducks and geese fly just along the tops of the fog, so instrument pilots need to watch closely when climbing out of or descending into a cloud deck. VFR pilots should also keep a close watch for birds and try to go above them if possible. Watch out for carburetor ice just after starting the engine and when running at low power settings. Use full carburetor heat if you get a rough engine. File a flight plan for any cross country flight.
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last modified January 6, 2005 by Ed Callaway