When basic training came second. Military student pilots during World War II received primary training in open-cockpit airplanes, followed by 10 weeks of basic training in the Vultee BT-13—or the BT-15, powered like this one by a 440-horsepower Wright R-975 instead of a 450-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-985. An instructor would have this view of a late-afternoon training flight. Before soloing, a student had to identify and touch 33 switches and controls in the front cockpit—blindfolded! Successful completion earned advanced training in a North American AT-6.
WHAT: Vultee BT-15 Valiant
WHERE: Lancaster, Texas
PHOTOGRAPHER: Mike Fizer
FAA to release easier-to-read notams
Pilots can now report conditions
The FAA Safety Team is advising pilots of several changes to the format of notices to airmen and the contractions used in notams. The revisions, which took effect October 1, were “designed to harmonize the U.S. system” with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards “and make notams more easily read,” the FAA said.
The most significant changes will affect notams about field conditions (FICON notams), the FAA said. During periods when field conditions are not being reported, a FICON notam may be originated for a pilot-reported condition, with the words “pilot reported” preceding FICON. The notam’s expiration time must not exceed 12 hours.
The FAA notice detailing the changes contains a list of reportable surface contaminants and explains the presentation of items, including the notam’s effective time and expiration, and units of measurement used (for example, when a measurement in feet is given, “500” will change to “500FT”; when a measurement in miles is given, “5” will change to “5NM”).
The new format will add runway lengths and declared distances to information about runways with displaced thresholds so pilots will not have to calculate the new distances.
Changes also have been made to the presentation of altitudes, with affected altitudes shown between lower and upper limits. For example, “1000/BLW” will change to “SFC—1000FT.”
Newly included in notam content will be information affecting Traffic Information Service and Flight Information Service broadcasts (TIS-B and FIS-B). TIS-B information augments automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data in equipped aircraft. FIS-B broadcasts weather and operational information.
AOPA urges members to review the changes (www.faasafety.gov/spans/noticeViewaspx?nid=4908).
George Mason University starts flight training program
Aviation Adventures to provide aircraft
As the economy has faltered over the past few years and airline jobs became hard to obtain, many colleges and universities across the country cut costly aviation programs. Others saw opportunity and an impending pilot shortage and went the opposite direction, starting or expanding programs. George Mason University in Virginia, in partnership with the flight school Aviation Adventures, is the latest.
Although the program is now only a minor leading to a private pilot certificate, Aviation Adventures owner Bob Hepp hopes to see it expand in the future. “We would like it to grow to a major with an independent program,” he said.
The minor is available through the school’s engineering program. The university conducts the ground school, and students can flight train at any of Aviation Adventures’ three locations. “They can train in a Cessna 152, Skycatcher, legacy 172, or a Diamond DA20,” he said. The lab fee pays for the airplane up to a certain hour limit that Hepp said he thinks will allow students to finish the certificate.
The partnership started because of the work of one of the school’s instructors. Conor Dancy was instructing while finishing his degree at GMU. He was involved in an aviation club at the school, which gave the group an avenue to approach the administration about a more robust program.
GMU’s interest is simple, Hepp says. “The provost is strongly behind it. They looked at the employment potential of student graduates.”
Flight Training award winners named
You told us about your flight training experiences and now the results are in
AOPA honored 12 top flight training professionals and 11 flight schools as the big winners in its annual AOPA Flight Training Excellence Awards. The top winner in each category was announced at AOPA Aviation Summit.
The top winners are Conor Dancy of Aviation Adventures in Manassas, Virginia, for Best Flight Instructor, and the San Carlos Flight Center in San Carlos, California, as Best Flight School (it is owned by Dan Dyer).
The awards were selected from 3,375 respondents who reviewed their flight training experience through an online poll. The process yielded an evaluation of 508 different flight schools and 956 individual flight instructors.
“It was clear from the customer reviews that every one of these schools and instructors are operating at an outstanding level of quality and service,” said Shannon Yeager, vice president of AOPA’s Center to Advance the Pilot Community.
To select the award winners, AOPA invited those who have taken flight training within the past 24 months to complete the Flight Training Excellence Poll. Each participant could nominate no more than one flight school and one flight instructor.
The online poll was conducted from April 10 to August 9, in a process that contains several safeguards to ensure fair competition. It consisted of 39 survey questions designed to measure the overall performance of a flight school or flight instructor through the customer’s eyes. The results were scored and averaged. Four questions that required free response answers were scored by AOPA employee-panelists who were unaware of the identity of the school or instructor.
AOPA also released an honor roll of 87 flight schools and 69 flight instructors, all of which demonstrated a high standard of accomplishment by achieving an average score of 70 percent or more. Find them online. You can read more about the winners in an upcoming issue of Flight Training.
Polk State College to offer aerospace sciences degree
First of its kind in the state
Florida’s Polk State College announced September 18 that it will offer a new bachelor of science degree in aerospace sciences in fall 2014. The college, with campuses in Bartow, Lake Wales, Lakeland, and Winter Haven, says it is the first public college or university in the state to offer that degree.
The announcement represents an expansion of the college’s fledgling aerospace department, which launched in January with an associate of science degree in professional pilot science, followed in August by an associate of science degree in aerospace administration—termed a “business degree with an aviation focus.” The professional pilot science program has produced two private pilots.
The new degree will include concentrations in both professional pilot science and aerospace administration. It will be open to anyone with at least a two-year degree from a regionally accredited school or college, and at least a 2.0 grade point average.
Clearance on request
Pick up your clearance at your own pace
Copying down and relaying back the correct clearance is one of the hardest skills for new instrument students, and for all pilots flying in and out of Class B and Class C airports. Take away some of the stress by getting the clearance ahead of time, either on a handheld radio or by using the aircraft battery (radio and master switch on, but engine not running). No special procedures are required, but if you want to inform the controller that you won’t immediately be ready to taxi, advise him of your expected delay. This allows you to focus solely on getting the clearance right without worrying about the time clicking away on the Hobbs meter.
Flight Training scholarship winners announced
Eight recipients honored at Summit
AOPA awarded the winners of its 2013 Flight Training Scholarships at AOPA Aviation Summit in Fort Worth, Texas, in October. The scholarships are awarded to student pilots working toward an initial sport, recreational, or private pilot certificate. Each of the eight recipients received a $5,000 scholarship.
Jimmie Allen Flying Club Scholarship
Ashley Collins, a college freshman from Silverton, Oregon, is the recipient of the Jimmie Allen Flying Club Scholarship. She took her first flight in February 2013 and by August had logged more than 40 hours toward her private pilot certificate in a Cessna 150. She is also working toward certification as an airframe and powerplant mechanic. Her dream is “to one day be a pilot who knows everything possible about all aspects of aviation, including mechanics, and to be in the sky and feel at peace with everything.”
Erral Lea Plymate Memorial Scholarship
Tyler Stidham of Wheelersburg, Ohio, is the 2013 recipient of the Erral Lea Plymate Memorial Scholarship. A high school senior, Stidham soloed on his sixteenth birthday and is working toward his private pilot certificate in a Cessna 172. “I want to take kids flying and teach the community about all the wonderful aspects of aviation,” he said. “I take kids to my local airport and show them around; thus far I have taken two school groups out to the airport.”
Gina Santori Flight Training Scholarship
Diana Sauder of Owasso, Oklahoma, is the 2013 recipient of the Gina Santori Flight Training Scholarship. A frequent volunteer for projects in her general aviation community—even before she began flight training—Sauder, 41, works full time while attending Tulsa Community College for an associate’s degree in aviation science technology.
Richard Santori Memorial Scholarship
Keaton Meltvedt of Summerville, Oregon, the 2013 recipient of the Richard Santori Memorial Scholarship, has wanted to be a helicopter pilot since an introductory ride at age 13. Now a high school graduate and “fully engaged” in flight training in Robinson R22 and R44 aircraft, one of his night cross-country training flights became a real-life rescue mission. During that flight he spotted a fire approaching nearby homes. “My instructor called 911 while I circled the homes attempting to wake the residents and alert them of the danger. Fire departments responded, and were able to extinguish the fire,” he recalled.
Morton Bass Flight Training Scholarship
Nick Minx of San Diego, California, is the 2013 recipient of the Morton Bass Flight Training Scholarship. Minx envisions a long-term goal of working in general aviation as a member of his police department’s Air Support Unit.
“My parents raised me to believe we should have a mind-set of service or putting others first,” he said. “I think this led to my desire to serve my community by becoming a police officer.” Minx also prizes volunteering, noting that his goal of taking riders on introductory flights and flying pet-rescue missions honors the volunteer pilots who made aviation accessible to him.
Lou Torres Flight Training Scholarships
Ever since he was a child peering over an Air Force base fence and attending aviation events with his father, retiree Sam Duncan of Yellville, Arkansas, has wanted to fly. Now his goal may be in sight as he is a 2013 recipient of a Lou Torres Flight Training Scholarship. A photographer and filmmaker who has taught at a small college, he also is helping a local high school science teacher develop a program to promote interest in aviation.
Ryan McFarland of Fort Worth, Texas, is also a 2013 recipient of a Lou Torres Flight Training Scholarship. His goal is to earn his private pilot certificate by spring 2014. An introductory flight invitation from the pilot of a medical transport helicopter provided McFarland with the inspiration to enter aviation. “I was so thankful to the pilot and crew for being so welcoming and for sharing their passion for flying.All they asked was that I pay it forward in the future and take someone on their first flight after I get my license,” he said.
Ceci Stratford Flight Training Scholarship
The Ceci Stratford Flight Training Scholarship for 2013 is awarded to Rodney McKnight, a member of the U.S. Marine Corps and helicopter mechanic who completed online ground school while deployed overseas. McKnight is from New Orleans; after Hurricane Katrina dealt his family a severe financial blow, he wanted to do something to help.
“Among others, that was one reason I joined the military,” he said, explaining his determination to see his little brother be able to participate in after-school activities. “This scholarship will not only grant me the opportunity to continue my flight training, but also inspire other young aviator enthusiasts to pursue their dreams of becoming pilots no matter what the circumstances may be,” he said.
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