Destinations
For an escape from the ordinary plan a flight to Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York and enjoy Sunday Brunch at the 56th Fighter Group.

Step back into the WWII era when you enter this replica of a 1917 French Allied Headquarters Farmhouse on the site where the P-47 fighter aircraft was built during the war. The romantic ambiance is fueled by seven fireplaces, rustic timbered ceilings and military memorabilia. Enjoy the view of the runway while dining in the cozy dining rooms.

If you are looking for something different plan on visiting the 56th Fighter Group and enjoying a delicious meal in a relaxing and romantic setting.

Aircraft Owner Earns Instrument Rating
When Paul Richards worked on getting his Private Pilot certificate it took several years. Finally he made a decision and got it done. Enjoying flying recreationally, Paul bought a Bonanza Debonair with 3 other pilots about 6 years ago and he's had a lot of fun flying VFR to Florida and other destinations. As much as he has enjoyed flying VFR, he knew he wasn't using his high performance aircraft the way it should be used so he decided to get his Instrument rating.

Paul was looking for an accelerated format, convinced from his previous experienced that intensive training is better thandragging it out. The 5-day Instrument Course sounded fabulous to him. "Even a 10-day Instrument course means taking almost 2 weeks off," he said. Paul used the software, yoke and manual and did all of the initial training on his own in the 2-3 months prior to his check ride. He commented, "The coordination of the manual and the lessons in the syllabus was excellent." Paul also did the I:Pass instrument written course as a refresher the month before he went to Morristown (MMU).

When Paul arrived at Morristown on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving he knew the instrument procedures and had practiced them both on his computer and in his Bonanza with a check pilot friend. Weather kept him from using his Bonanza for the check ride, which he now sees as a benefit. The American Flyers C-172 was the same aircraft he'd been practicing approaches and maneuvers on. The five days at American Flyers was spent shining him up for the check ride and making sure he had the required hours logged. He took the check ride on Sunday afternoon and passed with flying colors. The ease of practicing at his own pace and needing to set only five days aside made getting his Instrument rating an enjoyable and effective experience.

Intern Graduates to New Role as Instructor
When Matt Ketter was offered an opportunity to join the American Flyers Mechanic Internship Program he hesitated. A couple of days later he was listening to a pair of recruiters from another company. The first speaker talked of making tons of money with their company doing a somewhat risky job. Students started signing up like crazy. The second speaker told them if they had a dream, they should follow it. That advice stuck with Matt. He called up Rick and asked if he could still join the American Flyers team, because his dream was to be a pilot.

Soon Matt was headed out to the east coast for six weeks of training on the specifics of the Skyhawk. During his 5th week he learned that he would be needed at the West Chicago location, and was soon packed and on his way to DuPage Airport. Moments after he arrived he jumped right in and started working. Matt hadn't anticipated how much responsibility he would hold. His responsibilities included managing the shop and hangar; making sure that the airplanes were safe to fly; performing inspections and ordering parts in a timely manner; and studying and training for his pilot certificates and ratings. The independence he was given was balanced by the responsibility he had to take.

As he became accustomed to the routines of his new life, Matt quickly learned how to prioritize his responsibilities and manage his time. His position as an intern mechanic for American Flyers gave him some unique travel opportunities, like flying to Florida a couple of times and out to Morristown, NJ. Flying in different kinds of weather and terrain environments bumped up his experience level, preparing him for the unknown opportunities in his future.

It was a year and a half ago that he arrived at DuPage, and now Matt is finishing up his instructor training. Soon he'll be teaching full time and earning the experience he'll need for his wide open future in aviation. He's not sure exactly what he wants to do but being part of very large airline doesn't appeal to him much. He's thinking about mission or bush flying, or maybe a position as a corporate pilot. Whatever opportunities do come his way, he is sure his experience in the internship program will serve him well.

Did You Know…
In 1870, the United States was attempting to recover from the most devastating war in the history of the country. The Civil War remained fresh in the minds of the U.S. citizens, especially in the ruins of the Confederacy, where reconstruction was drawing to a close. Ulysses S. Grant was President and most of the country's population was concentrated in the northeast from Chicago to New York.

During the 1870's, American Indians were still creating havoc in parts of the country and cowboys wore guns in the wild west. The country was beginning to expand to the west and it was becoming more united in the east.

Following the Civil War, the Army began a process of systematic reduction as the budget was slashed from about $80 million in 1869 to $57 million in 1870 to $40 million in 1871. During this time, the size of the Army was reduced to discharging "indifferent soldiers," and raising the qualifying standards for recruits.

It was in this environment that a Joint Resolution was unceremoniously passed on February 2, 1870, and signed by President Grant on February 9th, authorizing "the Secretary of War to take observations at military stations and to warn of storms on the Great Lakes and on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts." With this modest beginning, an agency was born under the Signal Service which would become one of the more popular and well known federal agencies. Later names of this agency would be "Weather Bureau" and "National Weather Service."

Source: www.weather.gov

Laugh Out Loud
When I grow up I want to be a pilot because it's a fun job and easy to do. That's why there are so many pilots flying around these days.

Pilots don't need much school. They just have to learn to read numbers so they can read their instruments.

I guess they should be able to read a road map, too. Pilots should be brave so they won't get scared if it's foggy and they can't see.

Pilots have to have good eyes to see through the clouds, and they can't be afraid of thunder or lightning because they are much closer to them than we are.

The salary pilots make is another thing I like. They make more money than they know what to do with. This is because most people think that flying a plane is dangerous, except pilots don't because they know how easy it is.

I hope I don't get airsick because I get carsick and if I get airsick, I couldn't be a pilot and then I would have to go to work.

- Purported to have been written by a fifth grade student at Jefferson School, Beaufort, SC. It was first published in the South Carolina Aviation News.

Source: www.skygod.com

Real World Flight Training
by David Menconi, National Chief Flight Instructor

Learning to accomplish a specific task involves a number of elements. We first have acquire the knowledge that will be needed in order to accomplish the task. Next, we have to develop the stick and rudder skills so we can accurately control the airplane. Normally this requires an Instructor to teach and explain the knowledge elements, demonstrate the physical skills necessary to accomplish the task, and then practice, practice, and practice the task under the guidance of the Instructor. The Instructor will then evaluate and critique the performance so we can learn about what we did right and what we did wrong.

Does this kind of training prepare you to operate your airplane in the real world? In the real world we need to be able to access risk, make decisions, determine options and deal with a variety of factors in order to apply this knowledge and skill safely. Take for instant the short field landing. In the real world you need to have the knowledge and skill to determine if a short field landing can safely be completed when the runway surface is covered with some ice and/or snow, when the wind is strong and gusty, or when there are obstacles on the approach end. Is the runway that seemed plenty long, now not long enough?

Incorporating realistic scenarios in your flight training will prepare you well for the decisions you will need to make when flying in the real world.

How to Keep Your Windows Clean
By Rick Freidinger, Director of Maintenance

Volumes could be written about the importance of and proper procedure for keeping your aircraft clean. The one area that I feel is most critical when it comes to cleanliness is the windows and most specifically the windshield. Most general aviation aircraft windshields are made of an acrylic material commonly referred to as Plexiglas. What we call it is not as important as how we care for it is. Two things to consider when cleaning your windows are the "solution" and "rags" that you use. Never use household window cleaners that contain ammonia on your aircraft windows. Over a period of time ammonia will cause your windshield to discolor or "fog" over. There are numerous commercial aircraft cleaners and I highly recommend using one of these product. If you do not have a cleaner made specifically for aircraft windows use plain water, never wipe a dry window with a dry cloth. The best "rag" to use when cleaning your windshield is a soft cotton cloth that has been checked to assure there are no metal or hard objects stuck in it. While there are several man-made wipes that can be used on aircraft windows avoid using paper products. Paper products can cause minor scratching that over a period of time will accumulate and affect visibility. The last thing to keep in mind when cleaning your windshield is to wipe it with vertical strokes, never wipe in a circular motion. The reason for this is that if you do cause any minor scratches a vertical scratch will not affect visibility nearly as much as circular scratches will.

Ask the Pilot Professor
By Dr. Michael Bliss

Q: Have you ever dreamed about being an astronaut and flying in space?

A: Is there any pilot who hasn't? NASA has recently announced they are recruiting their next class of astronauts for 2009. If this has been a dream of yours why not give it a shot. Here are the requirements. You must meet NASA's physical standards and possess at least a bachelor's degree in engineering, math, or science with at least three years of experience in one of these fields. In addition, teachers are encouraged to apply. Candidates who are selected for the program must undergo two years of training and evaluation at Johnson Space Center in Houston. At the conclusion of the program NASA decides who gets to fly on the shuttle. A number of people will be selected, why not you?

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