Training Notes and News

A Texas-based flight school, U.S. Aviation Group, through its affiliate U.S. Flight Academy, will train its first class of flight students from the People's Republic of China.

A group of 24 to 27 students was expected late this year at the Denton, Texas, flight school. All are ages 19 to 22 and are preparing for a career in commercial aviation. Their training will require a year and give the students a commercial certificate with multiengine and instrument ratings. They will also have taken the ATP knowledge test and received 10 hours in a Hawker Beechcraft King Air, with another 10 hours in a King Air simulator. The first month will be spent studying English as it relates to aviation.

A new group of 25 students will start the program every four to six weeks. There will be 300 students on site by the end of this year, requiring USAG to purchase an apartment house in Denton.

Students will spend most of their flying hours in Cessna 152s and 172s. The school has increased its fleet to 15 aircraft to accommodate the influx of new students. For the past two years the school has trained students from India and will continue that program. -Alton K. Marsh

Flight school fulfills senior citizens' dreams of flight

Three senior citizens, all residents of a nursing home in Lakeport, California, got to fulfill their lifelong dreams of flying, thanks to the efforts of the nursing home staff and a local flight school. Three residents of Orchard Shores Assisted Living Center were treated to scenic rides with flight instructors from Solo Flight School (http://707ucanfly.com/) at Lampson Field, followed by a special luncheon, according to Lake County News Reports. After the flights, each participant received a logbook and a certificate of achievement. The residents who were taken aloft had responded to a survey asking what they would do with the rest of their lives if time, money, and health were not factors. They each replied that they had a lifelong dream to fly.

Diamond delivers 1,000th DA20

Diamond Aircraft (www.diamondaircraft.com) observed a milestone in September when it delivered its 1,000th two-seat DA20 to Maylan Flight Academy in London, Ontario. The company said its two-seat aircraft collectively have logged more than 2 million hours of flight time and that the DA20 has one of the best safety records in the industry. Doss Aviation, which conducts an initial flight screening program for the U.S. Air Force, operates the largest single DA20 fleet, with 44 aircraft, Diamond said.

Sporty's announces winner

AOPA member Jeff Hux received a voice mail on September 10 that any pilot would appreciate. The call from Michael Wolf, president of Sporty's Pilot Shop (www.sportys.com), told Hux that he is the winner of the 2008 Sporty's Sweepstakes. The prize is a new Cessna 172SP with a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit and Bose noise-cancelling headsets. Hux, a farmer in Sikeston, Missouri, started flying in 1991. Sporty's 2009 sweeps prize will be another new 172SP, but with the Garmin synthetic vision technology added to the G1000's capabilities. The drawing is scheduled for May 16, 2009, at Sporty's annual fly-in. -Mike Collins

SCHOOL NEWS

Liberty offers helicopter, A programs

The School of Aeronautics at Liberty University (www.liberty.edu/aviation) in Lynchburg, Virginia, has added new helicopter training and aviation maintenance programs. The helicopter program became available for the fall 2008 semester and will benefit students who are considering missionary aviation as well as those interested in working in the helicopter industry, according to Dean Dave Young. The aviation maintenance technician school will be launched in January 2009 and will especially benefit students on the mission aviation track, as most mission organizations require pilots to be mechanics as well, the school said.

Eastern Kentucky program changes airports

The aviation program at Eastern Kentucky University (www.eku.edu) has moved from Mount Sterling-Montgomery County Airport to Madison Airport in Richmond, the college announced in September. The program also gained the use of two Diamond DA20 training aircraft through an agreement with a fixed-base operator at Madison County. Officials with the university's College of Business and Technology hailed the move, saying it will help the program improve, and is more convenient for students and faculty.

Kansas State grad takes message to students

This Kansas State University (www.ksu.edu) aviation graduate did not head off to become a flight instructor in anticipation of joining the airlines.

Nathan Gorrell flies one of the college's Cessna 172s throughout the country to represent K-State at various aviation functions and to recruit students to the college's aviation program. Gorrell, 25, graduated in 2008 and is pursuing a second bachelor's degree in aviation maintenance while working toward an airframe and powerplant certificate. He has accumulated more than 1,300 hours of flight time. "It is exciting to meet new people to let them know about our great programs," he says.

What's in 'AOPA Pilot'?

Here's what you're missing if you don't read AOPA Pilot, the association's flagship magazine published each month for certificated pilots:

• A Date with the Cannibal Queen: Novelist Stephen Coonts gets one last dance with his beloved biplane.

• Night Flying: AOPA members share some spots that are tough to find, even though brightly lit.

• Clouds on Deck: Thinking about an accelerated instrument program? Bring your A game, because this is no vacation.

Are you ready to read about more advanced subjects such as these? Just as pilots upgrade to more advanced certificates, it might be time to upgrade your magazine. You can convert your paid membership to AOPA Pilot at any time by calling AOPA toll-free (800-USA-AOPA).

What It Looks Like: Airworthiness certificate

You know the airworthiness certificate that, along with the aircraft registration, is stuffed into a clear plastic pocket located on a side panel somewhere in the cockpit? Well, here's a surprise-turns out the FAA has no formal definition for the word airworthiness. It's true. Says so right in Chapter One of FAA Order 8130.2F, Airworthiness Certification of Aircraft and Related Products. But the FAA covers itself by stating that even though it can't define the word, "a clear understanding of its meaning is essential for use in the agency's airworthiness certification program."

The FAA says that in order for an aircraft to be considered "airworthy," it must conform to its type certificate. The FAA states, "conformity to type design is considered attained when the aircraft configuration and the components installed are consistent with the drawings, specifications, and other data that are part of the type certificate, which includes any supplemental type certificate (STC) and field-approved alterations incorporated into the aircraft;" and it must be in a condition for safe operation-"the condition of the aircraft relative to wear and deterioration, for example, skin corrosion, window delamination/crazing, fluid leaks, and tire wear."

So who is responsible for ensuring that the airplane is in airworthy condition? That would be you, the pilot in command. Federal Aviation Regulation 91.7, Civil Aircraft Airworthiness, states that the PIC "is responsible for determining whether that aircraft is in condition for safe flight." The PIC "shall discontinue the flight when unairworthy mechanical, electrical, or structural conditions occur."

Who is responsible for ensuring that the airplane is maintained in airworthy condition? According to FAR 91.403-Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, and Alterations-it is not the PIC but rather the owner or operator.

You are responsible for determining what is "in condition for safe flight." That's what a good preflight inspection is all about. - Mark Twombly

Final Exam

Final Exam is composed of questions similar to those a student may expect on the private pilot knowledge test. Answers are researched by members of the AOPA Pilot Information Center staff and may be found on page 21.

1. When the term light and variable is used in reference to a winds aloft forecast, the coded group and windspeed is
   1. 0000 and less than 7 knots
   2. 9900 and less than 5 knots.
   3. 9999 and less than 10 knots.
2. When taxiing with strong quartering tailwinds, which aileron positions should be used?
   1. Aileron down on the downwind side.
   2. Ailerons neutral.
   3. Aileron down on the side from which the wind is blowing.
3. The most frequent type of ground or surface-based temperature inversion is that which is produced by
   1. terrestrial radiation on a clear, relatively still night.
   2. warm air being lifted rapidly aloft in the vicinity of mountainous terrain.
   3. the movement of colder air under warm air, or the movement of warm air over cold air.
4. What situation is most conducive to the formation of radiation fog?
   1. Warm, moist air over low, flatland areas on clear, calm nights.
   2. Moist, tropical air moving over cold, offshore water.
   3. The movement of cold air over much warmer water.
5. An aircraft is loaded 110 pounds over maximum certificated gross weight. If fuel (gasoline) is drained to bring the aircraft weight within limits, how much fuel should be drained?
   1. 15.7 gallons
   2. 16.2 gallons
   3. 18.4 gallons
6. The basic purpose of adjusting the fuel/air mixture at altitude is to
   1. decrease the amount of fuel in the mixture in order to compensate for increased air density.
   2. decrease the fuel flow in order to compensate for decreased air density.
   3. increase the amount of fuel in the mixture to compensate for the decrease in pressure and density of the air.
7. The lateral dimensions of Class D airspace are based on
   1. the number of airports that lie within the Class D airspace.
   2. five statute miles from the geographical center of the primary airport.
   3. the instrument procedures for which the controlled airspace is established.
8. Unless otherwise specified, Federal Airways include that Class E airspace extending upward from
   1. 700 feet above the surface up to and including 17,999 feet msl.
   2. 1,200 feet above the surface up to and including 17,999 feet msl.
   3. the surface up to and including 18,000 feet msl.

Final Exam answers

1. The correct answer is B. The numbers can be broken down into two sections where the first two digits indicate the wind direction and the second two provide wind speed. If the first two numbers are "99," then the wind is calm or light and variable. The "00" for the second two digits indicates that the wind speed is less than five knots.

2. The correct answer is C. When taxiing with a quartering tailwind the upwind aileron should be in a down position to let the wind flow over the wing and prevent lifting action. During a quartering headwind, move the upwind aileron into the up position. Ailerons can remain in the neutral position in a no-wind situation.

3. The correct answer is A. A temperature inversion often develops near the ground on clear, cool nights when the wind is light. The ground loses heat and cools the air near the ground while the temperature a few hundred feet above changes very little. This results in warmer air at higher altitudes and cooler air near the ground.

4. The correct answer is A. Radiation fog is likely to form at night and in the early morning as air begins to cool, when the temperature and dew point are only a few degrees apart and wind is calm. Advection fog occurs as warmer, moist air comes in contact with the ocean's surface, causing the air temperature to decrease and water vapor to condense.

5. The correct answer is C. One gallon of aviation fuel weighs approximately six pounds. If the aircraft is 110 pounds over maximum gross weight, 18.4 gallons should be drained prior to the flight. This action, of course, will decrease aircraft endurance and must be taken into account during preflight planning.

6. The correct answer is B. As altitude increases, the density of the air in the carburetor decreases, while the density of the fuel remains the same. Leaning the mixture decreases fuel flow, which compensates for the decreased air density at higher altitudes. An engine does not run efficiently on either too much or too little fuel. Leaning the mixture ensures smooth engine performance as altitude is gained, and saves money as less fuel is used.

7. The correct answer is C. The dimensions of Class D airspace will vary from airport to airport and are individually tailored. When instrument approach procedures are published, the airspace will normally be designed to contain those procedures. Class D areas typically contain one primary towered airport, extend up to 2,500 feet agl, but have no absolute lateral dimensions.

8. The correct answer is B. Airways usually start at 1,200 feet above ground level (agl) and extend upward to an altitude of 17,999 feet mean sea level (msl). In certain locations, federal airways may begin above 1,200 feet agl; in these cases, the base altitude is normally indicated on sectional charts.

AOPA members can discuss these or any aviation questions with Pilot Information Center staff by calling 800-USA-AOPA or sending an e-mail [email protected].