Executive Flyers January 2008 Newsletter
(916) 427-1888
Holiday Wishes
The staff at Executive Flyers wishes you a very Happy New Year.
Congratulations to:
Sophia Crawford 
for soloing; Marko Milicevic for passing his commercial checkride; Ernesto Martinez for passing his private pilot checkride and Terry Mitchell and Stuart Parker for winning the monthly drawing of a month's dues or an hour of instruction.
GPS course
The Garmin GPS course originally scheduled for December has been moved to Saturday, January 5th in the main conference room from 0900 to 1300. The course will cover VFR and IFR usage of the Garmin 430, 530 and G1000 equipment as well as the new WAAS upgrade which gives the instrument pilot the ability to fly an approach with a glide slope to many smaller airports. The cost of the course is $40 and there is still space available. Please call the office at 916-427-1888 to get on the schedule.
Holiday office hours
The office will close mid-morning on New Year's Eve and reopen the day after New Years. If you wish to fly during the time that the office is closed, be sure to schedule well in advance so that the keys will be left out in the key box for you. We won't have room to leave headsets out. If you don't remember the code for the box, call the office and they'll be glad to tell you.
Birds vs. airplanes
Keep a sharp eye out for ducks and geese around Executive Airport and especially in the flyway between Sacramento and Davis. There are some very large flocks this year and a bird strike is no fun for either participant. If you are on a collision course with any birds, go over them if possible as they tend to dive when threatened. Keep your taxi or landing light on when in areas where there are birds and curtail your night flying in those areas. If you are acting as a safety pilot for an instrument pilot who is under the hood in VFR conditions, make sure to keep you outside scan going and don't get too involved with the instruments. If you have a bird strike remember to fly the plane first and do everything else you need to do second.
Capitol Airshow coming in March
The following is from the December issue of "Airmail," the Sacramento County Airport newsletter:
"The California Capital Airshow at Mather Airport March 15-16 is the first civilian show on the 2008 schedule for the United States Navy Blue Angels. The renowned flight demonstration team last performed at the inaugural California Capital Airshow in 2006, thrilling crowds with formation and solo high-performance maneuvers in addition to ground ceremonies.
The California Capital Airshow is accepting applications for its 2008 scholarship program. The scholarship has been created to encourage young people in the Sacramento region to pursue careers in aviation, aeronautics, or aerospace related fields. Individuals eligible to apply include high school seniors and college students or returning students who have at least two years of academic college level work yet to complete. Sixteen scholarships were awarded in 2007, ranging between $500.00 and $2,000.00 each. Approximately $20,000.00 in scholarships will be awarded in 2008. Applications and more information can be found at http://web.scc.losrios.edu/airshow/ THIS IS THE CORRECT LINK NOW. The deadline to submit applications is February 1, 2008. Scholarships will be awarded during California Capital Airshow Week, March 10 - 16, 2008." If you know of a high school senior or college student who might be interested in a scholarship for an aviation career, please pass this on to them.
Safety Program - "Mistakes Pilots Make: Top Five Accident Causes"
FAA safety program on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 7:00 pm. Holiday Inn Sacramento Northeast, 5321 Date Ave, Sacramento CA 95841. Sign up to attend at FAASafety.gov. Select number AFS017055 on the web page.
Seaplane training and more
Norcal Aviation at Calaveras Airport (4 miles SE of San Andreas, California) is a great place to go if you want to get a seaplane rating. Ned Snyder is the new owner, Terry Campbell and Ray Arcenaux are instructors and Terry does the checkrides.
They offer private and commercial, and advanced mountain seaplane training.
Their website is www.norcalaviation.com or call 209-736-4554 for more information.
Sierra Seaplanes run by Terry Campbell, offers multi-engine seaplane training as well. Call (209) 743-2198 for more information.
Calaveras (CPU) is a hidden gem. There are a lot of great things to do for you and the family. It makes a great fly-in getaway. Check out the following nearby things to do:
River rafting, golfing and cave exploring.
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