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February 2008 Volume 2, Issue 2 |
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 Welcome
to the sixth issue of Reach For The Sky,
EAA’s monthly e-newsletter written and created
for people like you who are interested in
learning how to fly. Our mailing list now
exceeds 5,700 people, so thanks for subscribing,
and feel free to forward your copy to someone
who might like to receive the newsletter.
Remember, you don’t need to be an EAA member
to subscribe.
In
this issue ...
,
by Steve Krog, CFI, Editor
What you’re
asking:
Questions for your instructor
A Personal View:
My dream came true!
Aviation
Glossary:
Learning the language of flight
This month’s
poll:
What type of flying will you do when you receive
your pilot certificate?
Got a question
about flight-training? Drop us an e-mail
at LearnToFly@EAA.org.
Understanding
Stalls
By Steve Krog
If you mention an
airplane stall to someone who does not
understand airplane flight, they immediately
assume the engine has quit and the airplane
falls from the sky. Unfortunately, the naïve
media enhances this fallacy whenever reporting
airplane incidents. Mention stalls to a
beginning student, or even some low-time pilots
and they get glassy-eyed and feel a pit growing
in their stomach. However, stalls need not be
feared. They are nothing more than a set of
maneuvers we practice to understand the flight
characteristics of the airplane we are flying.
Read
more
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Q&A:
What you're asking
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Common
questions for the instructor from beginning flight students
By Steve Krog
Q:
I received my first issue of your
newsletter and am very excited about
finding out more about learning to fly.
I've always thought about taking lessons
but I've held back because of my fear of
heights. Is this an obstacle?
A. I,
too, had a fear of heights when I first
began flight lessons. However, within
about three hours I came to have a
better understanding about lift and how
the wing provided it. I also had a very
good instructor that was willing to work
with me at my own comfortable pace. To
this day I still have a fear of heights
when I'm standing on a ladder but it
does not affect me in any way when I'm
in an airplane. Don't let your perceived
fear of heights prevent you from
enjoying the great pleasure of flying.
Q.
I have received several estimates from
instructors stating that the cost to get
a sport pilot license would run about
$2,800-$3,500 or so. Is there a cheaper
alternate to this procedure? I realize
airtime is probably a given, but I'm
looking for a price break if at all
possible. Any ideas?
A.
Congratulations on your interest in
learning to fly! The price range you
were quoted is about average. The sport
pilot students that I've taught have
been ready to take the sport pilot
checkride somewhere in the range of
30-35 hours (depending on frequency of
flight). Add to that the books and
materials needed to study and take the
FAA written test (about $75) and the
cost of the checkride ($175) and you
fall about in the middle of the price
range you were quoted. The average cost
for obtaining a private pilot license is
about another $2,000 more because of the
additional training required.
We'd all
like to see flight training offered at a
much less cost. However, with fuel,
insurance, etc., it's hard to do it much
more economically. At least the sport
pilot option offers a new student an
economical route to experience flight.
More
questions
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A Personal
View - My dream came true! |
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Kandace Rawling
I had never been
in a Cub, but it was love at first flight. There
is some intangible quality about flying a J-3
Cub. As I flew it I soon came to feel that this
airplane was a part of me. It does exactly what
is asked of it, no more no less. But it also
challenges you to keep on top of your game.
I guess one could
say my connection with aviation was there from
the beginning, growing up on Airport Avenue.
Airplanes were constantly flying overhead on
their way to and from the small airport in my
hometown. Like many pilots, I began building
models both static and flying and, though they
brought a lot of enjoyment, the models got to do
the flying, not me!
Read
more
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Class A Airspace -
airspace between 18,000 and 60,000 feet MSL
(Mean Seal Level) over the contiguous United
States. IFR clearances are required for all
aircraft operating in Class A airspace.
Class B Airspace
- airspace area around the busiest U.S. hub
airports (i.e. Chicago O'Hare), typically to a
radius of 20 nautical miles and up to 10,000
feet AGL (Above Ground Level). Operations within
Class B airspace require an ATC clearance (Air
Traffic Control) and at least a Private Pilot
certificate (local waivers are available), radio
communications, and an altitude-reporting
transponder (Mode C).
Class C Airspace -
airspace area around busy U.S. airports (other
than Class B). Radio contact with approach
control is mandatory for all traffic. Typically
it includes an area from the surface to 1,200
feet AGL out to 5 miles and from 1,200 to 4,000
feet AGL to 10 miles from the airport.
Class D Airspace
- airspace around an airport with an operating
control tower; typically to a radius of 5 miles
and from the surface to 2,500 feet AGL. Radio
contact with the control tower is required prior
to entry.
Class E Airspace
- general controlled airspace comprising control
areas, transition areas, Victor airways, the
Continental Control Area, etc.
Class G Airspace -
uncontrolled airspace, generally the airspace
from the surface up to 700 feet or 1,200 feet
AGL in most of the U.S., but up to as high as
14,500 feet in some remote Western mountainous
and sparsely populated areas.
more
glossary terms >>
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Looking ahead:
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
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See
'Oshkosh: The Spirit of Aviation'
There are two types of pilots (or would-be pilots); those
who have been to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and those who
dream of attending someday. Whichever best describes you,
you're invited to watch a wonderful new video, Oshkosh:
The Spirit of Aviation, which is now available for
viewing or downloading at www.eaa.org/spiritmovie/.
The 17-plus minute video is narrated by actor Harrison
Ford, an EAA member, pilot, and chairman of the EAA Young
Eagles program. It shows but a glimpse of what makes the
annual Wisconsin event "The World's Greatest Aviation
Celebration." Watch
it today!
Buy
Tickets in Advance and Save
Those of you planning to attend EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
2008, July 28-Aug. 3 can purchase your tickets in advance
through the AirVenture website. And you'll save money in
the process. For all the details, visit www.airventure.org/tickets/
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Join the EAA
Facebook group
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 We
invite you to join the official EAA Facebook group, “EAA - The Spirit of Aviation.” Whether you’re an EAA member
or not, joining the group allows you to share pictures and
video, send personal messages, discover others who share
your passion for aviation, and participate in lively
discussions on what's happening in the organization. Visit the Young
Eagles website for instructions on how to sign up.
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A moment to
join, a lifetime to fly
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 If
you’re preparing to become a pilot, the EAA
community is here for you. Membership gives you
access to the collective passion, knowledge,
experience, and support of 170,000 members
worldwide. You'll get to participate in EAA
events, connect with fellow members, and have
access to the tools and resources to get you
airborne. Join the fun by visiting http://www.eaa.org/membership/benefits.asp
today.
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Reach for the Sky - EAA's Guide to Learning
to Fly and Light-Sport Aircraft
|
 EAA’s
guide to learning to fly and light-sport aircraft
is a resource to help anyone take the first
steps toward becoming a pilot. Whether you want to
have fun in a powered parachute or one day want to
command a Mars mission, Reach for the Sky is a
great place to start. It is
available
as a PDF
that will take a few minutes to download with a
high-speed connection.
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