Getting teens flying: Program for at-risk youngsters expanding
Back when he taught ROTC at an inner-city Jacksonville, Florida, high school, retired Marine Corps Col. Jack Howell took over one of the school's fledgling, ineffective, foundering magnet programs that wasn't exactly getting much in the way of attention or support from financially strapped parents and turned it around. He taught students (who passed his rigorous entry examination) the basics of aviation, and got them time in a trainer.
"After I did this for 10 years in Jacksonville I got burnout," Howell says, "and we created Teens-in-Flight." Teens-in-Flight (www.teens-in-flight.com) is aimed toward kids who come from a low-income or high-risk background, or whose parents were killed or wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan. "This helps in the healing process," he explains. "At the military funeral an officer makes a speech and then walks away. Nobody was doing anything for the kids that survived their parents' death in combat, and the trauma associated with that or a wounded parent who's no longer 100 percent."
Learning flying would certainly give them something else to concentrate on, and at the same time they could prepare for a career. The kids are required to be 13 or older, have a recommendation from their principal or superintendent, undergo drug screening, an oral interview, and write 1,000 words on "Why I want to fly."
"We give them a stiff entry," Howell says. "I run it like a military program. It's serious business. I tell them 'You're supposed to come in at 3 o'clock and if you come in at 3:01, by God, go home.' Attention to detail is required in the cockpit. You don't get a second chance." He gets results: The students are required to score 90 or higher three times on the practice test before taking the real FAA exam. Of his original 16 kids, all have completed ground school and have logged flight time.
Michael Naughton, 16, a cancer survivor who comes from a lower-income family, entered the program a year ago, at age 15. "It's definitely a cool experience," he says. "I never thought I could be in aviation because it's a tough thing to get into, but the opportunity presented itself and I got a hold of it."
Howell is concentrating on expanding Teens-in-Flight around the military bases in Florida, Colorado, and Texas. "Between myself and my vice president Steve Price, we put 20 to 30 percent of our own cash into this thing," he says. --Phil Scott
The Frugal Student
Money-saving tips
Flying costs money, but there are steps you can take that will save you money as you earn your pilot certificate. E-mail your ideas to [email protected]. Or, see the AOPA Flight Training page on Facebook.
- Stay with one airplane. Don't switch between high- and low-wing, or even among the same make and model. Get to know one trainer's avionics and flying characteristics.
- Grounded? Use that time to chair-fly, study, or view training DVDs or videos.
- Make every minute count. If it takes you 15 minutes to travel to the practice area and 15 minutes to get back, there's half your Hobbs hour spent "commuting." Plan your maneuvers accordingly to get the most for your money.
--Submitted by Ben Inglis
Abeam the numbers
40,000+ - Cessna 172s produced through the end of 2008, making it the most popular light trainer ever.
115 - Flight schools that offer light sport aircraft training, according to www.bydanjohnson.com
6 - The period of currency for sectional charts, in months.
What It Looks Like - Behind the panel
By Mark Twombly
There's an old saying that claims there are two things you don't want to see being made: sausage and law. You can add a third item to that list: An avionics upgrade.
The panel in a modern general aviation aircraft is resplendent with an array of colorful electronic displays and computer-controlled devices that give pilots an astounding amount of information. Today's highly versatile avionics unquestionably make flying easier and safer than at any time in the past.
Moreover, state-of-the-art avionics weigh much less and take up much less space than the heavy, voluminous, single-purpose instruments, radios, and navigation devices of old. Other than having to write the check, what's not to like about upgrading the panel of an airplane? The answer, as is evident in the accompanying photo, is installation.
If you've never been to an avionics shop and seen what's behind the panel of a well-equipped airplane, you're in for a shock. It will make you wonder how anyone can make heads or tails of the jumble of wiring, connectors, electrical buses, pulleys, and cables that are stuffed into the way-small space behind the panel.
Thanks to the ingenious portable navigation radios that have become almost indispensable in the cockpit, we could be forgiven for thinking that installing modern avionics is as easy as slipping the new box into a tray in the panel and, poof, you're done. That's hardly the case, however.
The tangled truth behind upgrading the typical decades-old general aviation airplane is that it takes avionics installers a lot of time, research, and meticulous work to upgrade a panel. The old devices and associated wiring must be removed, existing avionics may have to be moved around the panel to accommodate the new stuff, and the new stuff has to be slotted into metal trays that must be installed. It is slow, exacting work, and when it's all done it usually requires an extensive troubleshooting period to sort out all the bugs.
If you'll be flying an airplane that recently has had a panel upgrade, by all means take a moment to admire its functional beauty--and thank the person who paid for it all if it is not you. But before you fly, do a careful preflight check of everything on the panel--instruments and avionics. As you can imagine, it would be easy to get a few wires crossed up when you're faced with the kind of rebuilding task portrayed in the photo. The time to notice that something on the panel isn't working correctly, or at all, is when the airplane is still on the ground.
What's in 'AOPA Pilot'?
Here's what you're missing if you don't read AOPA Pilot, the association's flagship magazine published monthly for certificated pilots.
- Dream machine: Take a ride on the Lockwood-designed AirCam for an incredible bird's eye view and serious sensory overload.
- Environmental air force: General aviation pilots are helping to protect Mother Earth by tracking wildlife and more.
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).
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 71.
1. In addition to other preflight actions for a VFR flight away from the vicinity of the departure airport, regulations specifically require the pilot in command to
A) review traffic control light signal procedures.
B) check the accuracy of the navigation equipment and the emergency locator transmitter (ELT).
C) determine runway lengths at airports of intended use and the aircraft's takeoff and landing distance data.
2. During the preflight inspection who is responsible for determining the aircraft is safe for flight?
A) The pilot in command.
B) The certificated mechanic who performed the annual inspection.
C) The owner or operator.
3. During flight, when are the indications of a magnetic compass accurate?
A) Only in straight-and-level unaccelerated flight.
B) As long as the airspeed is constant.
C) During turns if the bank does not exceed 18 degrees.
4. With respect to the certification of airmen, which is a category of aircraft?
A) Gyroplane, helicopter, airship, free balloon.
B) Airplane, rotorcraft, glider, lighter-than-air.
C) Single-engine land and sea, multiengine land and sea.
5. With respect to the certification of airmen, which is a class of aircraft?
A) Airplane, rotorcraft, glider, lighter-than-air.
B) Single-engine land and sea, multiengine land and sea.
C) Lighter-than-air, airship, hot air balloon, gas balloon.
6. Prior to starting each maneuver, pilots should
A) check altitude, airspeed, and heading indications.
B) visually scan the entire area for collision avoidance.
C) announce their intentions on the nearest CTAF.
7. The most effective method of scanning for other aircraft for collision avoidance during nighttime hours is to use
A) regularly spaced concentration on the 3-, 9-, and 12-o'clock positions.
B) a series of short, regularly spaced eye movements to search each 30-degree sector.
C) peripheral vision by scanning small sectors and utilizing off-center viewing.
Final Exam answers
1. The correct answer is C. FAR 91.103 lists what actions a pilot must take before beginning any flight. Pilots must become familiar with runway lengths at the airports of intended use. For a flight under IFR or not in the vicinity of an airport, each pilot in command shall become familiar with weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, and alternatives available.
2. The correct answer is A. The pilot in command is responsible for determining that the aircraft is safe and airworthy before a flight, as laid out in FAR 91.7(b). An owner is responsible for having maintenance performed and a mechanic is responsible for performing that maintenance.
3. The correct answer is A. The magnetic compass is only accurate in straight-and-level unaccelerated flight. The magnetic compass is susceptible to acceleration and deceleration errors. In the northern hemisphere, the compass swings towards north during acceleration, and towards the south during deceleration. Magnetic compass turning errors are most apparent when turning to or from a heading of north or south.
4. The correct answer is B. For the purpose of pilot certification, airplane, rotorcraft, glider, and lighter-than-air are categories of aircraft. Gyroplane and helicopter are classes of the rotorcraft category. Airship and free balloon are classes of the lighter-than-air category. Single-engine land and sea and multiengine land and sea are classes in the airplane category.
5. The correct answer is B. Airplane classes for the certification of airmen are single-engine land and sea and multiengine land and sea. Answer A is incorrect because it describes aircraft categories. Answer C is incorrect because airships, hot air balloons, and gas balloons are all classes of the lighter-than-air aircraft category.
6. The correct answer is B. The pilot in command is responsible to see and avoid traffic. Announcing intentions on a CTAF frequency is appropriate, but only for operations at a non-towered airport. While checking altitude, airspeed, and heading is good advice, it doesn't apply to all maneuvers, such as taxiing onto the runway for takeoff.
7. The correct answer is C. At night, it is best to use your peripheral vision by scanning small sectors and utilizing off-center viewing. Viewing in 90-degree sectors is not an efficient scanning technique. Short regularly spaced eye movements looking at 30-degree sectors is a daytime scanning technique.
