Pilots Progress

Saving Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:06:00 +0000

Now that everyone is CPR and AED certified we head out into the wilderness for next weeks advanced first aid and survival training. This training equips the students with the necessary skills to survive after a crash or take care of people in very remote places often improvising medical care.

Mission Aviation Fellowship

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:18:00 +0000

While the weather transitions into spring, we took the opportunity to make a road trip to MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) headquarters in Nampa Idaho. The folks at Mcdonalds had a hard time understanding how 22 Pilots could be making a road trip... Nevertheless, we had a good time meeting MAF missionaries and exposing the students to one of the potential mission aviation organizations they could serve with. Up next,Wilderness First Aid and survival training for that undesirable off airport "landing"...

A&P Program

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:12:00 +0000

Down the airport a few hangars, we are almost finished with renovating an old WWII hangar to be used for our maintenance training facility. It has come a very long ways from where it started and will house the training for years 2 and 3 of the students Airframe and Powerplant training. I will try and get some before pictures when it is finished for comparison.

Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:09:00 +0000

Just amazing to see somtimes

Sick

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:08:00 +0000

It is no fun to be sick

Number 3 on the way

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:04:00 +0000

Hopefully she will sleep just as well...

Back to the Crank

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:30:00 +0000

We are starting off on a new semester. All of my students completed their Private Pilot license and all on the first attempt. In this new semester, we will transition to flying faster more complex aircraft like what is being used in mission work overseas. We will be getting into mountainous terrain and develop more precise control of the aircraft.

Meanwhile at work

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:58:00 +0000

At the moment I have a few more days before Christmas to prepare for the next semester by flying the higher performance aircraft and writing lectures for the upcoming classes.

I have also become the resident logo guy as we look to refresh our image

Occasionally, I get to see my favorite visitors

Then it is back to the skies for lessons surrounded by some fantastic scenery

Quick recap of November into December

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:43:00 +0000

During the month, I did as much flying as possible with countless more hours on the ground reviewing procedures and prepping students for their big tests. The time spent away from work was equally exciting spent with the family doing Pumpkin Chunkin,

building gingerbread houses,

swimming lessons

making snowmen,

snow angels

cookies,

and playing in the snow together.

November went fast

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:25:00 +0000

Between getting the students finished with Private Pilot and Thanksgiving, November was a real blur.

Students

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:36:00 +0000

Sometimes they challenge me

But I win in the end

and yes, it is still that stressful

Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:21:00 +0000

Knobs and buttons

Clouds

Rain

The view from my terrestrial office

Night Flying

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:14:00 +0000

Artsy night flying pictures:

Flying at night is dark, scary and wonderfully different

Some of the aforementioned scenery

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:02:00 +0000

Potholes

road map for the sky

a farmers topographic experiment, nicely done :)

"big" airports (KGEG)

Over downtown

Cross Country

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:54:00 +0000

October is when we leave the familiar safety of the traffic pattern and local Spokane area for exciting and far off places. The students learn the basics of navigation and test their skills flying to many other airports. It is an exciting time and a nice change of scenery out my office window.

Guard Mantis on Duty

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 02:23:00 +0000

But you are still welcome

Baby Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:44:00 +0000

My students have all taken their first flights. Now I taught my boy to take his first steps. The power of chocolate!

Formation Flying

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:40:00 +0000

While not officially part of the program, every once in a while we get to fly close to other planes. In the real plane, it only happens in the traffic pattern when we are landing or taking off at the same time as another plane. When we want to pretend that we are the Blue Angels, we have to get out the remote controls. (Yes, we even fly pretend airplanes on the weekends)

Concentration

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 04:17:00 +0000

On to the next phase of flight instruction. Now that the students have flown solo, we are moving from the science of flying to the art. Functionally, that means that the flying we get to do now is a little more interesting. More on that later...

Beautiful mornings

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:42:00 +0000

The solo shirts are filling the wall and the class is making excellent progress.

Birthday flight

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:37:00 +0000

Leslie and I went for a short sunset flight for her birthday. She flew beautifully!

Gentry knows what he likes

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:36:00 +0000

Meanwhile...

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:35:00 +0000

> We just returned from a wonderful wedding weekend in the Midwest. Aside from the wedding, we enjoyed climbing ropes, exploring tunnels and the serious consumption of frozen custard.

Solo flight...

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 16:17:00 +0000

yeah, it is that stressful

First Solo!

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Hawk) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 04:22:00 +0000

I had the privileged of kicking two out of the nest this morning. That might be close to a record for a guy that has only had his CFI for less than a month. They flew beautifully and when they returned to earth with the plane intact I kept with tradition and removed their shirt tails.

Back in the day, instructors would sit behind the student in the airplane. Due to the lack of intercoms, the instructor would pull on the students shirt tail to get their attention and direct them where to fly. When the time came, the instructor would cut off the students shirt tail symbolizing the students readiness to fly on their own.