Executive Flyers May 2004 Newsletter
Congratulations to:
Will Gibler
and Sean Vassar
for soloing; Tom Duvall for passing his ATP checkride and Jason Paulson and Will Phelps for winning the monthly drawing of an hour of instruction or a month’s dues.
Ground Schools
The private pilot ground school just started and will be taught each Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 for about 10 weeks. The cost for the ground school is $150 for members and $200 for non members, plus supplies. If you already have your private license, you may audit the course for half price to brush up on your aeronautical knowledge.
The next instrument ground school will start when we have enough students signed up. Please call the office at (916) 427-1888 for more information or to sign up for the courses.
Heels on the floor
Please make sure that you keep your heels on the floor of the planes on takeoff or landing. We have been getting a lot of flat spots on the tires lately. The most likely reason is that the pilot is on the brakes on takeoff or landing. If you need the brakes, make sure that you use full rudder first.
Tour a B-17 and B-24
The “Wings of Freedom Tour” will bring a B-17 Flying Fortress and a B-24 Liberator to McClellan airport on May 20th to May 23rd. The planes will be available for walkthrough tours for a donation of $8 for adults and $4 for children under 12. You can call (916) 455-4412 for information or visit http://www.collingsfoundation.org on the internet. If you would like to fly in the planes, the tax-deductible donation is $400 per person per flight. Call (978) 562-9182 for flight reservations.
The joy of flight
All pilots know the joy of flight: the different view of the world or the sunset seen above the clouds. You can share this feeling with a friend by giving them a gift certificate from Executive Flyers for an introductory flight. The cost is $49 for a 30 to 40 minute flight in a Cessna 152 or $64 in a Cessna 172. They will fly with an instructor and can do as much or as little flying as they desire. This is a great way to introduce other people to the thrill of flying. You can order a gift certificate by calling or emailing the office. As an additional gift, you might consider getting the prospective pilot a log book to record the first flight. If they might be interested in a career in aviation, have them mention that to the instructor and we’ll see that they get the appropriate information.
Birds and things
The birds are still nesting and the house finches are building theirs inside the engine compartments. They use a lot of flammable material for their nests, so there is a danger of a fire on the engine if the nests aren’t removed. They like to build down between the cylinders, so make sure that the ignition is off and then reach inside the cowling to check. Watch out for the circling flocks of white pelicans around the airport and over the Yolo bypass and delta. They have about an eight foot (!) wing span and usually travel in flocks, so are easy to spot.
Density Altitude
As we get into the warmer days of summer, the density altitude, which is the altitude at which the airplane acts as if it is flying, will increase dramatically. On a 100 degree day, the density altitude at Executive Airport exceeds 3000 feet! The airplane acts as if it is taking off on a normal temperature day at a 3000 foot MSL airport. If you do go to the mountains, the density altitude can exceed the operating altitude of the plane, on a hot day. Check density altitude before takeoff at any field.
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last modified May 8, 2004 by Ed Callaway