Training Notes and News

Flying without sound: Deaf pilot finds no barriers to the sky

Brent Redpath has long dreamed of flying. From his experiences as a young boy traveling by air, he remembers the excitement of takeoff and landing and the thrill of watching airplanes from the window of the airport. Born deaf, Redpath could not hear the jet engines, but the motion of the airplanes inspired him to learn to fly. Now, at age 20, he is doing exactly that.

"I loved watching the movement of the aircraft and I would picture myself behind the wheel taking control," Redpath said. "My dream started from a young age and each exposure I had with airplanes made me more interested in flying."

Redpath started taking lessons in January at Independence State Airport in Oregon. He communicates with his instructor before each flight by writing notes on a dry-erase board, and the two write on a clipboard and use hand signals for in-flight commands.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing students can obtain a pilot certificate with the limitation "Not valid for flying where radio use is required." According to Mark Stern, secretary of the Deaf Pilots Association (www.deafpilots.com), that leaves most of the skies wide open to deaf pilots.

"Since less than 5 percent of all airports in the U.S. are towered, and since the vast majority of airspace is not controlled, there are plenty of places to go flying where radio use is not required," Stern said. At last count, there were about 200 U.S. pilots who had hearing loss that required the radio-use limitation, he said.

Redpath, a student at Western Oregon University, took his time to find an instructor who would best fit his needs. He found one in Wayne Nutsch, who runs a small flight school out of the Independence airport with his wife. Redpath lives about five minutes from the airport; he said he had been eating breakfast at the airport restaurant to watch the airplanes take off and land, and one day he decided to see if the airport offered flight training. He called Nutsch using the video relay service offered by the FCC, and the two scheduled a meeting.

"I brought my girlfriend along to interpret for me as I met with him for the first time," Redpath said. "We talked about ourselves and about how we can work together to communicate. He was very cool and easy-going about my deafness. I was very fortunate."

Stern said deaf student pilots and their instructors must work together and keep an open mind to find their own way to communicate, whether through sign language, lip reading, writing on a whiteboard, or other methods.

"As in any relationship, it is essential for the deaf student pilot to find the right chemistry with a flight instructor who is able and eager to work through any communication needs," Stern said.

Nutsch communicates with Redpath throughout the week via e-mails and text messages. Before each flight, he goes over everything in writing. "We don't start a lesson unless we know clearly what to do," Nutsch said.

Once airborne, Nutsch uses hand signals for any commands that must be made quickly. Redpath said these visual cues help him make adjustments during the final approach for landing, but he will have to rely on them less as he continues to improve. He has learned to recognize stalls-which are signaled by a loud warning horn-by the change in vibrations of the aircraft. When it comes time for Redpath to solo at a controlled airport, Nutsch said they will make arrangements for him to use light signals on takeoff and landing.

Redpath said he plans to become a member of the Deaf Pilots Association and to attend the organization's annual fly-ins. He is majoring in American Sign Language and wants to teach after graduation.

"In addition to teaching, I plan to fly the rest of my life as well!"

-Sarah Brown

The Frugal Student

Money-saving tips

Flying costs money, there's no way around that. But there are steps you can take that will save you money as you earn your pilot certificate. Don't forget to send us your ideas. E-mail them to [email protected].

• Be prepared. Do your homework; review everything from your previous lesson, and make sure you know what's on your schedule. This cuts down the (billable) ground time that a CFI must use to bring you up to speed.
• Think small. The hourly rental for a Cessna 152 will be lower than for a 172, and a light sport aircraft-if available-could be cheaper still.
• Record your lesson. See Andrew Sarangan's article on page 56-retain what you've learned and cut your training time by 10 to 20 percent.

Jeppesen moves into online training

Jeppesen announced it is offering a private pilot training course in an online format (www.jeppesen.com). This is the company's first foray into online pilot certificate training, although it has offered computer-based training on avionics. The course was developed using information from Jeppesen's private pilot textbook, said Kert Thielen, manager of aviation training services and aviation courseware development. Three versions are available: a Part 61 enhanced ground school with maneuvers and knowledge test prep; a Part 61 course with stage exams and flight lessons; and a Part 141 version with stage exams and flight lessons. Online instrument and sport pilot courses are planned. -Ian J. Twombly

What It Looks Like: Oil Filter

By Mark Twombly

Anyone who has changed oil in an aircraft engine equipped only with a screen to filter out dirt, metal, and other contaminants surely believes that the spin-on oil filter is one of the most important advancements ever in internal combustion technology.

In addition to providing much better filtration, a spin-on oil filter turns an otherwise extremely messy task into a routine and relatively easy job. Simply drain the old, black oil from the engine sump, unscrew the filter from its mount, replace it with a new filter, and refill the sump with a fresh supply of new, clean, and green engine oil.

There's an additional task that a conscientious mechanic will perform when changing engine oil, and that is examining the inside of the oil filter.

Spin-on oil filters are relatively simple in design. The aluminum canister houses a perforated metal tube to which a multi-pleated paper element is attached. This paper element is the actual filter in a spin-on oil filter.

Oil from the engine flows into the canister and around the paper filter, and then passes through the filter and the perforations into the central collecting tube. The filtered oil then exits the canister and travels back into the engine oiling system. As the engine is running, the oil makes a continuous loop from engine to filter and back to engine.

After removing the old canister from the engine, the mechanic cuts the top off the canister, and removes the actual filter inside. The next step is to cut a large portion of the paper element away from the central tube. Then, the filter is spread out flat so the outer side-the side through which the oil passes-can be examined for signs of contaminants, especially metal particles.

A thorough inspection involves scouring a healthy portion of the paper element with a magnet to pick up any metal particles.

Any evidence of such contaminants is a briskly flapping warning flag that there may be a serious problem developing within the engine that warrants further investigation.

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.

• Mountain Flying Adventure: Join a group of 25 aircraft as their pilots explore America's backcountry airstrips.
• What a Winner! Meet Karoline Amodeo, the brand-new owner of the 2008 Get Your Glass Sweepstakes Piper Archer.
• When Birds Strike: Everybody's talking about what a bird can do to an airplane. Hear from a pilot who experienced it.

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 67.

1. What is an important airspeed limitation that is not color coded on airspeed indicators?
   1. Never-exceed speed.
   2. Maximum structural cruising speed.
   3. Maneuvering speed.

2. What is absolute altitude?
   1. The altitude read directly from the altimeter.
   2. The vertical distance of the aircraft above the surface.
   3. The height above the standard datum plane.

3. What is true altitude?
   1. The vertical distance of the aircraft above sea level.
   2. The vertical distance of the aircraft above the surface.
   3. The height above the standard datum plane.

4. Altimeter setting is the value to which the barometric pressure scale of the altimeter is set so the altimeter indicates
   1. calibrated altitude at field elevation.
   2. absolute altitude at field elevation.
   3. true altitude at field elevation.

5. When may an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) be tested?
   1. Anytime.
   2. At 15 and 45 minutes past the hour.
   3. During the first five minutes after the hour.

6. Which condition is most favorable to the development of carburetor icing?
   1. Any temperature below freezing and a relative humidity of less than 50 percent.
   2. Temperature between 32 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit and low humidity.
   3. Temperature between 20 and 70 degrees F and high humidity.

7. An above-glideslope indication from a tri-color VASI is
   1. a white light signal.
   2. a green light signal.
   3. an amber light signal.

8. A below-glideslope indication from a tri-color VASI is a
   1. red light signal.
   2. pink light signal.
   3. green light signal.