californiaflightschool.com Blog

The AOPA Air Safety Foundation has a report about a Lancair LC41 pilot that had a wish.
Since under part 91 of the regulations instrument approaches can be attempted even though the reported official weather shows clearly that the conditions are below minimums, this pilot wished to attempt the approach anyway.

When this first try did not succeed and the pilot now  had clear, factual and first hand evidence that the conditions were indeed making it impossible to get into the airport, the pilot wished to try again.

Even though there was, just a few short miles away, an alternate airport that was comfortably above weather minimums for an approach, the pilot got his final wish and got to shoot another approach to the impossible weather minimums he himself had just verified.

The one good thing is that he did not take another innocent person along with him.
http://www.aopa.org/asf/epilot_acc/sea08fa078.html?WT.mc_id=100305epilot&WT.mc_sect=sap
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20080222X00228&key=1

That same month, same year, same basic kind of airplane, a Lancair ES pilot decided to go another route, and without an instrument rating (!) filed a IFR flight plan and went ahead to kill himself and two others.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20080212X00177&key=1

CBS News reported about a JFK ground controller allowing a child to make some radio calls in the tower cab.

Aside from the usual nonsense and media stir that this creates, the air traffic controllers probably had the right thing in mind.
Get our young people interested in this great job, in aviation and in the awesome responsibility and skill our air traffic controllers have.

Now it can be argued if this was cool to be doing at a busy place like JFK but certainly this should be a program at tower controlled airports all around the country.
We trust our air traffic controllers with our lives every day, and no pilot would ever step on them or their profession, so we believe that using their own good judgment they could make a youth program work quite well (ground position, clearance maybe?) at off peak hours.

Always remember that the air traffic controller that may save your life in a critical situation one day may well be one of these kids that were pulled into the profession by getting a first hand view and a turn at the mike.

A report in the Seattle Times writes about a pilot of a Turkish Airline that has been flying for them for over a decade without a valid pilot certificate (pilot license as they wrote it).

This pilot reportedly had more than 10,000 flight hours working for several airlines in Great Britain and central Europe.

He must have been pretty good at his job as airline pilots undergo constant recurrent training and tests. The same cannot be said for the pre-hire screening and background checks of the airlines he flew for.
We wonder if the head of the flight department will have to answer a few interesting questions as well.

Our Youth Aviation Program has been updated.
We are getting many requests for this summer season, please get your reservations in early.

Our Youth Aviation Program (YAP) is most active during school holidays, especially during the summer (our Youth Aviation Camp YAC).

Outside the school vacation we offer individual activities that can be group activities depending on how many young people have joined up at a time. These activities range from:

– individual classes on aviation topics, like aviation weather or aerodynamics for young aviators

– a visit to an aviation facility like a maintenance hangar, or air traffic control tower

– individual training classes (flights and ground instruction)

http://www.californiaflightschool.com/html/youthaviationprogram.html

The list of free aviation seminars for Van Nuys / Los Angeles has been updated:

http://www.californiaflightschool.com/html/aviationseminars.php

March 2010

March 7, 2010 Sunday Morning 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Topic: Avoiding Wire Strikes

Video and discussion of how to locate and avoid wires, towers and structures, and more!

Speaker: Richard Mend, CFI-AIM-ATP

Location: Whiteman Airport

Fee: There is no fee for this event

March 9, 2010 Tuesday Evening 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Topic: Landing Characteristics of Different Make & Model Airplanes

Video and discussion of approach and touchdown techniques, flap designs, tail types of different make and model airplanes, and more! CFI’s, do not miss this seminar!!!

Speaker: Jeff Kertes, CFI-AIM-ATP KVNY

Location: Van Nuys Flyaway Community Meeting Room

Fee: There is no fee for this event

March 13, 2010 Saturday Morning 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Topic: Spatial Disorientation

Video and discussion of spatial disorientation and vertigo, their causes and prevention, and more!

Speaker: Richard Mend, CFI-AIM-ATP

Location: Whiteman Airport

Fee: There is no fee for this event

March 14, 2010 Sunday Morning 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Topic: What Every Pilot Should Know About Fuel Management

Video and discussion of fuel planning and various aircraft fuel systems. Video of actual airplane crash, and more!

Speaker: Richard Mend, CFI-AIM-ATP

Location: Whiteman Airport

Fee: There is no fee for this event

March 16, 2010 Tuesday Evening 7pm to 9pm

Topic: Airplanes and Aerodynamics

FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test Prep Flaps and Rudder, Aerodynamic Forces, Angle of Attack, Stalls and Spins, Frost, Ground Effect, Aiplane Turn, Airplane Stability, Torque and P-Factor, Load Factor

Speaker: Uwe T. Kerner, CFI/CFII/MEI/AGI/IGI

Location: Van Nuys Airport

Fee: There is a fee for this event

March 18, 2010 Thursday Evening 7pm to 9pm

Topic: Instruments, Engines, Systems

FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test Prep Compass Turning Error, Pitot-Static System, Airspeed Indicator, Altimeter, Types of Altitude, Setting the Altimeter, Altimeter Errors, Gyroscopic Instruments, Engine Temperature, Constant Speed Propeller, Engine Ignition Systems, Carburetor Icing, Carburetor Heat, Fuel/Air Mixture, Abnormal Combustion, Aviation Fuel Practices, Starting the Engine, Electrical System

Speaker: Uwe T. Kerner, CFI/CFII/MEI/AGI/IGI

Location: Van Nuys Airport

Fee: There is a fee for this event

March 20, 2010 Saturday Morning 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Topic: Avoiding Wake Turbulence

Video and discussion of understanding, predicting and avoiding wake turbulence, and what to do if you are caught in it, and more!

Speaker: Richard Mend, CFI-AIM-ATP

Location: Whiteman Airport

Fee: There is no fee for this event

March 21, 2010 Sunday morning 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Topic: Density Altitude

Video and discussion of the physics and dynamics of density altitude, and more!

Speaker: Richard Mend, CFI-AIM-ATP

Location: Whiteman Airport

Fee: There is no fee for this event

March 23, 2010 Tuesday Evening 7pm to 9pm

Topic: Airports, ATC, Airspace

FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test Prep Runway Markings, Beacons and Taxiway Lights, Airport Traffic Patterns, VASI, Wake Turbulence, Collision Avoidance, ATIS and Ground Control, Class D Airspace and Airport Advisory Area, Class C Airspace, Terminal Radar Programs, Transponder Codes, Radio Phraseology, ATC Traffic Advisories, ATC LIght Signals, ELTs and VHF/DF, Land and Hold Short LAHSO

Speaker: Uwe T. Kerner, CFI/CFII/MEI/AGI/IGI

Location: Van Nuys Airport

Fee: There is a fee for this event

March 24, 2010 Wednesday evening 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Topic: VFR Emergencies

Video and discussion of engine failures, lost procedures, crash landings, inflight fires, the impossible turn, and more!

Speaker: Richard Mend, CFI-AIM-ATP

Location: Santa Monica College Bundy Campus, SMO

Fee: There is no fee for this event

March 25, 2010 Thursday Evening 7pm to 9pm

Topic: Federal Aviation Regulations

FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test Prep Part 1, Part 21, Part 39, Part 43, Part 61, Part 71, Part 91, NTSB Part 830

Speaker: Uwe T. Kerner, CFI/CFII/MEI/AGI/IGI

Location: Van Nuys Airport

Fee: There is a fee for this event

March 27, 2010 Saturday Morning 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Topic: Mid-Air Collision and Bird Strike Avoidance

Video and discussion of scanning techniques, blind spot identification, good defensive procedures, and practices proven to aid in the prevention of bird strikes!

CFI’s, don’t miss this seminar! Speaker: Richard Mend, CFI-AIM-ATP

Location: Whiteman Airport

Fee: There is no fee for this event

March 28, 2010 Sunday Morning 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Topic: Surviving Catastrophic System Failure

Discussion of how to keep the A/C under control after losing a vital system or unit, and more!

CFI’s, don’t miss this seminar! Speaker: Richard Mend, CFI-AIM-ATP

Location: Whiteman Airport

Fee: There is no fee for this event

March 30, 2010 Tuesday Evening 7pm to 9pm

Topic: Aircraft Performance

FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test Prep Density Altitude and Computations, Takeoff/Landing Distance, Cruise Power Settings, Crosswind Components

Speaker: Uwe T. Kerner, CFI/CFII/MEI/AGI/IGI

Location: Van Nuys Airport

Fee: There is a fee for this event

Control Tower Tours

are being conducted at KVNY – KWHP – KBUR, and KSMO

call us for reservations!

Discusson regarding accessing the many services of ATCT, including a walking tour.

This is an opportunity for pilots of all levels to increase their understanding of the services of the ATCT Ample time will be provided for discussion and questions.

Speakers: ATCT personnel

LIMITED TO 5 PEOPLE due to FAA security regulations

Advance Reservations and a Photo I.D. required and you MUST be a U.S. CITIZEN

Call us today to arrange to attend our ground school, aviation seminar or for your flight training at (818) 769 1503