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March 2008 Volume 2, Issue 3 |
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 Welcome
to Reach For The Sky, EAA's monthly
e-newsletter written and created for people who
are interested in learning how to fly. This
month Certified Flight Instructor Steve Krog
provides his second installment on airplane
stalls explaining how to practice and perform a
power on stall. Also get an inside look at how
Steve got his start in aviation in this month's
"Personal View." Also included this
month are Q&As, learning the language of
flight with our aviation glossary, and our
monthly poll question. Feel free to forward your
copy to someone who might like to receive the
newsletter. And remember, you don’t need to be an EAA member
to subscribe.
Note: If you're a
pilot just starting out and would like to share
your story, or if you have a question about flight-training,
drop us an e-mail at LearnToFly@eaa.org.
In
this issue ...
- Understanding
Stalls - Part 2, by Steve Krog, CFI,
Editor
- What you're
asking: Questions for your instructor
- A Personal
View: Love of flight and how I got my
start
- Aviation
glossary: Learning the language of
flight
- This
month's poll: What pilot certificate are
you aiming for (eventually)?
Understanding
Stalls, Part 2
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 was reading last month's Q & A and
saw the question about the 12-year-old
son learning to fly. My son is 13 and
has been counting the days until he's 16
and can solo since we started his
"flight school fund" two years
ago. I had assumed that we wouldn't
start his lessons until he was 15 (and
saved enough to pay for the training!)
but from your response, it seems that
there are other options that we should
consider.
We
live in Duluth, Georgia, and I know
there's an EAA chapter in Lawrenceville,
which is just a few miles away, but I'm
not sure how to begin the
process/discussion. Do I just show up
and start talking to someone? Can anyone
train an under-age pilot wannabe or do
they have to have special training or
certification(s)? And is flight school
pay-as-you-go or do you have to pay for
it all upfront?
A.
EAA Chapter 690 is located near
Lawrenceville. The President of the
chapter is Deb Huffman and her phone
number is 770-483-0245. Give her a call.
I'm sure she will be able to help you
out. As I recall, this chapter is quite
active in promoting aviation to young
individuals.
Flight
training can begin at an earlier age.
One option you and your son might
explore is glider flying. One can solo a
glider at age 15 and obtain a glider
private pilot license at 16. Glider
flying is also excellent training in
preparation for flying powered aircraft.
I have
started students as young as 12 but I
slow the progress of flight training so
that they reach the skill level for solo
to coincide with their 16th birthday.
Q.
How does one remember all of the
different classes of airspace?
A. First,
refer back to the Q & A section of
the February issue of Reach For The Sky.
Additionally, Bob Arthurs offered this
suggestion. When addressing Class B,
think of busy; Class C, of crowded;
Class D, think of dense; Class E,
think of enroute; and Class G, go
for it. With those I have instructed
over the years, this provides a little
more "sticking" power for the
memory. More
questions
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A Personal
View - Love of flight and how I got my start |
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Steve Krog
I love to fly! I
love being around airplanes. I love spending
time at the airport talking about airplanes and
flying. I especially like sharing this love of
flight with others young and old.
Flight in a small
airplane late on a summer afternoon is something
that must be experienced first hand to be
believed. It cannot be explained in mere words.
Door open, the 65 hp Continental barking as you
fly low over the tree tops, warm breezes in your
face, the smell of freshly cut alfalfa/clover
penetrating your nostrils and air as smooth as
glass; can you picture anything else more
peaceful and serene? Read
more
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stall
- an
aerodynamic condition that has nothing to do
with engine operation. It occurs when
lift-producing airflow over the wings is
disrupted or lost because the angle of the wings
to the airflow (angle of attack) is too high.
Student pilots are trained in stall prevention,
recognition and recovery.
center of gravity (CG)
- the longitudinal and lateral point in an
aircraft where it is stable; the static balance
point.
flight envelope
- an aircraft's performance limits, specifically
the curves of speed plotted against other
variables to indicate the limits of speed,
altitude, and acceleration that a particular
aircraft cannot safely exceed.
more
glossary terms >>
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Last
month's poll: We
asked, "What type of flying will you do
when you receive your pilot certificate?" A
vast majority of you voted "Scenic flights
with friends" with 56 percent of the votes.
Coming in second was "Vacation travel"
with 15 percent of the votes, closely followed
by "Missionary" with 14 percent.
"Other" came in fourth with 9 percent
of the votes, while last place went to
"Business" with 5 percent of the total
votes.
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Looking ahead:
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
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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/
See
'Oshkosh: The Spirit of Aviation'
 Oshkosh:
The Spirit of Aviation 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!
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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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