Flight Instruction

Oh the places you will go! - Dr Seuss

2012-01-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

I often try to challenge myself with different things in aviation. I almost never turn down a flight , I enjoy reading other's perspectives on manuevers, going to airshows, seminars, new ratings, it's endless .... There has never been a time that I have not enjoyed learning something about flying. It might be that I learned what not to do. Even when I fail at it, its so much fun :)
Moving to Wyoming I came with my Florida/New Jersey/California filter of what flying is about. I was excited to learn something new, I don't even know what I don't know and that is fun for me! We live in a small city now, very small to me, the aviation opportunities are less than a hand full.
I met some great pilots in less than a month! I even went flying, I am confident I will continue my passion here too. Will it be easy? No I don't have extra money to rent a plane but I will rent a plane if only now and again. I plan on enjoying it A LOT! There are no opportunites to instruct so that is out, for now. Things can change and often do.

The pictures are from a recent flight I took in a Super Cub - so much fun and beauty. I saw rivers, canyons, herds of elk running, snow, Big Horn mountains and best of all made a friend that shares my interest in flying.

(this picture looks fake to me, but it isn't I took it)

ask for flight following

2011-08-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Morse Code

2011-07-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

I just found out that the @ (at symbol) was added to the Morse Code language. Its news to me but in this article it says was added in 2004 - awkward....................
Either way I love that I learned about it. With so much to learn and do when you go flying I find it fun to turn up the volume and to ID a VOR using the Morse Code, seems very pilot-y to me. I have never learned the entire code, I rationalize I can just glance down to the sectional and see what it should be. Flying with so many pilots, I have found that there a lot that do the code, I think its a neat skill.

@ = . - -.-.

Learn Morse Code http://www.learnmorsecode.com/

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's day to all the dads out there!

Open House - this weekend! don't miss it

2011-05-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

SAN MARTIN AIRPORT OPEN HOUSE- INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT SPECIAL
$99.00 for your first flight!

Have you always wanted to see what it's like to fly a small plane?
Maybe you are looking for the perfect gift for someone who has an interest in aviation.
Or perhaps you started learning some time ago and never had the opportunity to restart your flight training.
How about enjoying a flight above southern Santa Clara county and seeing it from above for the first time?

Magnum Aviation can help you with any of these missions. To thank you for stopping by our booth during the open house, we are offering a discounted promotion for an introductory flight with one of our flight instructors.

PROMOTION DETAILS
- introductory class session on what to expect in the airplane
- 45 minutes flying in the local area
- logbook record of your aviation adventure

The time you spend in one of our airplanes will be a great memory and can count toward your training requirements if you decide to start on the path to earning a pilot certificate.

This promotion is valid during the months of May and June 2011. Weather, aircraft and instructor availability permitting - we will accommodate as many potential pilots as possible during the open house or any other day to fit your schedule. Please contact any of our staff members or flight instructors for more details and to schedule your flight.

How I flew to KLGB using the VFR transition routes

2011-03-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

I recently to flew Long Beach, CA (KLGB) from my home airport of San Martin, CA (E16) under VFR rules. A couple of months I had done the same flight with another pilot so it was fresh in my mind. I try to always do as much planning as I can on the ground, that way when plans change in the air I can know my options.

click to see the options

Flight Planning at SkyVector.com

Trip One: The other pilot and I did our research and pre-flight planning independently and then as a crew before the day we flew. The plan was that one of us would fly and the other would not, but would handle the radio. It makes so much sense to fly with two pilots for safety and redundancy. Some of what we did included checking the LAX Class B VFR transition routes, email a friend of mine that flies a helicopter to get his suggestions, and finally check what the Internet has to say.
The first leg to LGB went without a hitch after leaving San Martin, we got flight following and while we had asked for the shoreline route they suggested we do the mini-route, no problemo!, two pilots makes it easier.
Leaving LGB was different. After a quick fuel stop, we got the current ATIS, called Clearance Delivery and then received Ground Clearance to the runway. When we received our clearance for takeoff (but no squawk code) for our soon to be flight through the LAX Class B. Shortly after takeoff and North of LGB, the controller told us that we were to squawk VFR and to have a good day! Nice, right:?! Had we just been released inches south of the LAX Class B airspace? Yep! Immediately we turned West to stay clear of all the surrounding airspace while we figured it what altitude and direction to maintain until we asked/received Class B clearance through LAX. ..... WHEW...it was a lot easier because there were two pilots whose responsibilities were split one to fly (pilot flying) and the other to communicate/figure out the airspace stuff (pilot not-flying).

Once on the ground @ E16 I could not help but think that I should have received a squawk code at LGB before takeoff. I was upset that I didn't ask for a code and felt like it would have been super easy and not a bit hectic for what seemed to be 5 min in a congested airspace but probably only seconds.

Trip two: Now on this trip I had some recent experience into KLGB but I was flying alone with sorta one passenger a 6yr old. I was determined to have even a smoother flight this time, re-checked the VFR transition routes and remembered the de-brief we had on the first flight. The mini-route seemed to be So-Cal approach preferred way. I looked up on aopa.org to see if they had anything http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/air_traffic/lax-vfr.html, it was helpful but dated 2005. Policies change so I was still looking for some current information. After a little bit more of searching the Internet, I found a phone number for LAX and I got the all the info. It was awesome! The controller said to do what is basically on the mini-route transition route. From San Martin I flew SSE so my route would take me to the Gorman Pass, a low point over the mountains, that would allow me time to descend to 2500' and try to get KLGB ATIS once over the mountains.

have SMO-VOR tuned and ID 110.8 on the 128R
before reaching KVNY be at 2500' @ VKNY contact them for a transition thru their space 119.0
next to expect was KSMO 120.1 - they would give me the Class B clearance
KLAX 119.8 would confirm you are on the 128R from SMO (basically a straight line from SMO to the NE edge of LAX rnway 24R)
then KHHR 121.1
then KLGB tower 119.4I

this all happens in short distance so I had all the info written down

I landed no problem and taxied to AirFLite http://www.airnav.com/airport/KLGB/AIRFLITE, the service is great there and I can't say enough good things about them!

Now the departure from KLGB. The controller I had spoken to before had told me that LGB never coordinates the Class B transition so it was not unusual that I did not recieve a squawk code. That made me feel better, because I had felt I should have asked for a squawk code and forgot to. What he did say was to get a frequency change from LGB when possible , contact KHHR and ask for the transition Northbound on the mini route and do the reverse . Easy enough, I got this. So I take off then ask LGB for a frequency change to KHHR. Fine I get the frequency change ask KHHR for the transition and voile' the gentleman advises me that the Goodyear blimp is over the LAX and LAX twr is not accepting Class B transitions to squawk VFR and have a nice day! This time I am a tiny bit smarter and I have the autopilot is flying. I stop my ascent to check the airspace between me and KFUL I'm OK and head east. I continue to climb to be over KFUL's airspace, by the time I reach it. In the meantime I find the appropriate SoCal frequency and I am all set for VFR flight following back home to E16.

LAX TAC with Transition Routes

This may not be the way you choose to fly to KLGB but it's how I did it.

2011-03-08T15:26:00.000-08:00

Our local 99s chapter hosts this Pasta night each year, it is a great way to be part of the aviation community and yet another chance to talk about flying :)

Join us for a fun-filled evening of planes, pasta, and prizes!

Thursday, March 17, 2011
Doors open at 6 PM -
Come early for Raffle Preview and Hangar Flying

Santa Clara Elks Lodge
1680 Martin Avenue, Santa Clara CA

Cost: Pasta Dinner - $25 per person

Raffle & Silent Auction

A wide selection of aviation-related and other unique items!
We always have a lot of prizes and a lot of fun!

A Catered Event

Featuring chicken, choice of pastas, salad, garlic bread
Home-baked desserts provided by Santa Clara Valley 99s
No-host Bar

This annual event is a fundraiser to help support the prestigious San Jose State University Precision Flying Team and other worthy aviation education activities.

Everybody is welcome!

Please RSVP
To reserve your dinner, contact Mayetta Behringer at 408.264.0229 or RSVP by email. You can pay for dinner and raffle tickets at the door.

How to read wind shear in a TAF

2011-02-26T16:37:00.000-08:00

Wind shear - winds in an area blowing in different directions, or at different speeds, or both. This creates turbulence in a rolling motion. In the TAFs forecasters will issue a WS alert with the height it is expected along with its wind direction and speed. For WS that is expected for altitudes above 2000AGL

FM0800 07012KT 2SM -RA BR BKN008 OVC15 WS020/13045KT

WS020/13045KT is the Wind Shear part it reads @ 2000' the winds will be at 130 (a difference of 60 from the surface winds from 070) and 45 KTS ( a difference of 33 from the surface winds that are at 12KTs).

Class is full but...

2011-02-17T13:49:00.001-08:00

Charle's Class is full but please contact him if you want to be on a waitlist for this ground school or sign up for when the next one starts in May!

Private Pilot Ground school starting soon!

2011-02-01T11:24:00.000-08:00

Realize your dream of flying

Start by taking a ground school at Magnum Aviation with Charles Jackson this March 8th, the course is 12 weeks long and meets every Tues 6-9, the cost is $80.

Contact Charles at 408 842-2177 or cjackson@garlic.com

How to plan your descent to a landing (if you are going less than 120kts)

2011-01-24T18:51:00.000-08:00

How many miles out should you descend?
First how many 1000s of feet you do you need to lose? mulitply that 1000 number by 3 and that is how many miles you should start your gradual descent.

or example you are at 6500 feet and need to descend to pattern alt 1500 feet you need to loose 5000 feet mulitply 5 x 3 = 15 miles out you need to descend

At what rate should you descend?

Take half your groundspeed and mulitply by 10.

you are flying at 100kts, half is 50 x 10 = 500fpm

ILS sensitivity

2011-01-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

Why is the ILS needle is so sensitive?

Localizer course narrows as you get closer to the runway, at the OM approx 300' is the lateral displacement from centerline/per dot deflection to the MM which is 100' per dot to intersection at touchdown
Glide path full deflection (too high to too low) at 10nm is approx 1500' narrowing to feet at touchdown.

More info at FAA-H-8083-15A Chapter 7-38 , AIM 1-1-9 and beyond!

Reading the Aeronautical Information Manual

2011-01-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

Sure .... you say you would have acid poured in your eyeballs than read a government publication but the truth is it is I highly recommend reading this amazing free resource. Please oh please read it, I am not saying you have to memorize it, just read it. I guarantee you have some question now that can be answered in it.

What is the AIM? It is the Aeronautical Informational Manual and it contains basic flight information and ATC procedures required to fly in the US, it also contains items of interest to pilots. Stuff affecting safety, the pilot/controller glossary,info on safety and how to report accidents and hazards, stuff about charts, services available to us, etc.

Before my having my daughter when I was an instructor I used to read it every Jan! Yes I did have a lot of time on my hands, mostly I read it on the jumpseat (stewardess jumpseat that is) or on airport delays so it was easy then. Truth is since 2004 I have not, sure I am always looking up stuff in it, but read it front to back, no.

Except this year, I have decided to read it 30 min a day and will blog what I learned from it. Something like a New Year's resolution.

What I learned about flying in 2010

2011-01-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!

Here are 3 examples of what I learned in 2010. There were so many lessons, but I tried to hit the major ones for me. Sometimes the lessons are that I will NEVER do "that" again.

These, however, are the positive lessons I learned.

"Do or do not there is no try" - yoda (yes I am a Star Wars dork) I learned not to make excuses about the time I have able from a student (now pilot) who is a mother of 3 small children. How in the world she was able to study, come to lessons and give her best with all the responsibilities she has at home, I don't know?! Oh did mention her family was moving out of the country too? Often I say to myself there is no time to study, but I do have 30 min every day, it is just a matter of making a commitment.
You can sabotage your progress. I flew with another person this year that I believe is one of the best student pilots I have ever flown with. He was a flight instructor's dream student always prepared, safe and excited about learning. The only snag was he was really hard on himself, I completely identify with that. When anyone wants to do their best, they are disappointed when it doesn't go well. That can slow down the process, unnecessarily. I am definitely working on that in 2011.
All things are possible if you persevere . There are so many plateaus in learning how to fly it is my favorite parts of teaching. To see pilots overcome hurdles and become better pilots/people for it. It is VERY easy to quit and make excuses, might it takes a special person to be positive about their challenges and grow from it! On a selfish note, when I have a flying type obstacle and overcome it, it is rewarding to think I calmly handled the situation and it turned out great. That is the goal right?!

My favorite flying magazine, Flight Training has a motto - a good pilot is alway learning-

I'll second that.

The gift of learning how to fly

2010-12-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

The gift of flying lessons

Where do you start? Is this is for someone you know who needs a nudge? or it is for yourself? Either way an introductory flight is where you should start. An introductory flight it is really just an interview of our facility, our planes and our staff. You will can get your questions answered about the process of becoming a pilot.

Magnum Aviation is located in San Martin, CA. Take the San Martin exit off of 101, 13025 Murphy Ave, San Martin or call us 408-683-4102.

Yes we do have gift certificates!

Does the Magnetic Compass have an inspection?

2010-11-22T11:47:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite parts of being a flight instructor is all that I learn when I go flying or just hang out with other pilots. The other day someone asked me how often does the Magnetic Compass need to be inspected and I had no idea. After trying to find the answer online, I didn't get what I was looking for until....I asked a mechaninc. He referenced me to Part 23 (airworthiness standards) and it says that when flying under Part 91

§ 23.1547 Magnetic direction indicator.

(a) A placard meeting the requirements of this section must be installed on or near the magnetic direction indicator.

(b) The placard must show the calibration of the instrument in level flight with the engines operating.

(c) The placard must state whether the calibration was made with radio receivers on or off.

(d) Each calibration reading must be in terms of magnetic headings in not more than 30 degree increments.

(e) If a magnetic nonstabilized direction indicator can have a deviation of more than 10 degrees caused by the operation of electrical equipment, the placard must state which electrical loads, or combination of loads, would cause a deviation of more than 10 degrees when turned on.

---------------------------
There is no required time to recheck the correction though it is strongly suggested that it be recalibrated after installation of new equipment.

I am very grateful to work somewhere where the mechanics are both good at their job and helpful when I ask my questions.

E16 local airport frequencies at a glance

2010-10-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

To state the obvious a current sectional/Airport Facility Directory is the best resource to use when looking up airport info.

Blah blah blah here is what I need 90% of the time while flying around the area, the areas left blank you can fill with info for your airport!

The Hudson Miracle Approach plate

2010-10-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

So creative!

Antique Airplane Display

2010-09-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, September 25, Magnum Aviation is sponsoring an Antique and Classic Airplane Display from 9 am to 3 pm. All are welcome to drop by!

(well, not this one.... but others)

"position and hold" will now be" line up and wait"

2010-09-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

The other day at work the air traffic controller told me to "position and hold runway 31 left", which means that I can position on the runway centerline and be at the ready to hear the next instruction which will be that I am cleared for takeoff. I prepare for the next clearance to happen in a short amount of time because it the 'position and hold" instruction is used when the controllers are trying to expedite takeoffs and landings. While I wait I make sure that I have completed my pre-takeoff checklist , my 30-second review http://right-rudder.blogspot.com/2007/06/30-second-review.html and think about my departure altitude, direction, etc.

I did one loop in the pattern , landed and when radio traffic pattern permitted I asked about the upcoming
change in that wording of "positon and hold" to "line and wait". Yuck! I hate the change only because I know the other way :) not a good reason, really. Anyway even though the change is due to happen Sept 30 the controller said it may actually happen later, kinda interesting I think.

It will be an adjustment but like flying there is always change and the ability to adapt is necessary.I took a course on the change but it included lots of other great runway marking information and to avoid runway incursions at https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/course_content.aspx?cID=155

Why we practice Stalls (and recovery)

2010-08-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

The basics matter � Flight Training

Practicing stalls, imminent or full and their recovery is often not every new students favorite thing to do. It can seem like a pointless excercise early in .the training. Soon you will see the point where you understand the whole picture and how , at key points in your flight, you can be starting to get slow and close to stall.

I just read the above article from Ian Twombly where he highlights the exact reasons practicing stalls will help you not approach a configuration that takes you close to stall.

_________________________________________________________________________________
Airplane Flying Handbook http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/airplane_handbook/media/faa-h-8083-3a-3of7.pdf
AOPA interactive course http://flash.aopa.org/asf/aerodynamics/swf/flash.cfm?

All your questions on how to start flying are answered right here

2010-07-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Call Magnum Aviation 408-683-4102 to start!

What do I do after I get my license?

2010-07-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

There are so many fun things to do once you have your license, like participating Air Races/Rallys, this video of team 5 in the 2010 Air Race Classic and one pilot in this team is a friend of mine, from N07! In 2000 I flew a small race and it is one of my happiest memories of flying (came in fourth, and yes there were more than 4 racers :))

Click here to view this video

The local one here The Hayward Air Rally (the winner this year is an E16 pilot).

AWOS at E16

2010-06-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

Oh happy day!

E16 officially has an AWOS 118.35

408-918-7724

What is an AWOS?

http://www.allweatherinc.com/aviation/awos_dom.html

The AIM Chapter 7 weather services as more on the subject http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim/Chap7/aim0701.html

Just another part of you GA weather decision making tools http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/media/ga_weather_decision_making.pdf

TFR and Notam search - updated

2010-06-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago (or longer) how to search for NOTAMs changed in appearance on the FAA website. I combined both the TFR and Notam search in one youtube video.

Below is a link to a list of the abbreviations, but if you are in doubt you can always call 1-800-Wx-brief they can help you decifer

https://www.notams.jcs.mil/downloads/contractions.pdf

NOTAM is an abbreviation for Notice To AirMen. The Aeronautical Information Manual in Chapter 5-1-3 defines it as

Time-critical aeronautical information which is of either a temporary nature or not sufficiently known advance to permit publication on aeronautical charts or in other operational publications receives immediate dissemination via the National NOTAM System.

It goes on to say that it is information that could affect your decision to fly