Kentucky flight school hosts record-setting Wings Weekend

A regional "Wings Weekend" sponsored by Kentucky flight school Aero-Tech, Inc., at Bowman Field in Louisville last weekend helped more than 70 local pilots earn their FAA proficiency "Wings" awards and presented ASF Seminar-in-a-Box safety programs to 300. The large event also helped the flight school raise the local aviation community's awareness of services offered at the field.

ASF safety programs shown by local instructors included "Ups and Downs of Takeoffs and Landings," "Fuel Awareness," "GPS for VFR Pilots," "Collision Avoidance," "Weather Strategies," "Weather Tactics," and "Airspace Refresher."

"It was the ASF seminars that were the stars of the show," said Aero-Tech flight school manager Arlynn McMahon. "The ASF Seminars-in-a-Box gave our instructors the confidence to be in front of a large audience and look like the professionals they are. We looked good!"

McMahon added that she believed the school will continue to benefit from the instructor's exposure with ASF Seminars-in-a-Box. "Pilots in the community now feel like they know us, and they can look up to our instructors as gurus on aviation."

In addition to the 70-plus pilots who actually earned their FAA "Wings" awards during the weekend, more than 270 hours of Wings flight instruction was flown, and the flight school signed up 10 new student pilots. The school also took a deposit on a factory-new Cessna 182.

The event also featured a static display of vintage aircraft, presentations by local FAA officials, avionics updates, Civil Air Patrol seminars, and lectures by local aviation historian Charlie Arrington. New aircraft were on display, with the latest in cockpit technology. The flight school also offered a flying companion seminar and Be A Pilot introductory flights for prospective pilots.

ASF Seminar-in-a-Box programs are available to any flying club, aviation safety counselor, or CFI and include the program, handouts, door prizes, and Wings participation cards. For more information on ASF Seminar-in-a-Box programs, see the Web site.

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