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April 2008 Volume 2, Issue 4 |
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 Welcome
to EAA's monthly e-newsletter
written and created for people who are
interested in learning how to fly. Feel
free to forward your copy to someone who might
like to receive it. And remember,
you don't need to be an EAA member to subscribe.
In
this issue ...
- Ground
Reference Maneuvers, by Steve Krog, CFI,
Editor
- What You're
Asking: Questions for your instructor
- A Personal
View: Motion sickness preventing you
from flying?
- Aviation
Glossary: Grow your aviation vocabulary
- This
Month's Poll: Do you plan to attend EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2008?
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.
Ground
Reference Maneuvers, Part 1
By Steve Krog
Ground reference
maneuvers are practiced and performed to develop
the pilot's ability to control the airplane and
to recognize and correct for the effect of wind.
They aid the pilot in analyzing wind's effects
while simultaneously dividing the pilot's
attention in preparation for accurate and safe
maneuvering of the airplane. 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
Q.
I am 12 years old. When should I
start learning to fly if I want to get
my certificate when I turn 16?
A. You are to be commended for your
strong interest in learning to fly. You
can begin flying lessons at any age
provided you can adequately reach and
operate the controls of the aircraft.
I've started training students that are
your age and even younger. One avenue
you might consider is pursuing a private
pilot glider rating. You can solo a
glider at age 14 and earn your rating at
age 16. Another suggestion would be to
begin taking lessons in powered aircraft
on an every-other-week schedule. Flying
more often than that would prepare you
for soloing well before your 16th
birthday. Waiting around for a long
period of time until you're old enough
to solo may be boring!
Q.
I am - or was - a private pilot but
haven't flown in more than 10 years. At
that time I was flying a Cessna 172.
What would I have to do to get current
and fly as a sport pilot?
A. First, I assume that you were never
denied on a flight physical and just let
your third-class medical certificate
expire when you discontinued flying. If
that is indeed the case, you won't have
to obtain another medical certificate to
fly as a sport pilot provided you have a
valid driver's license.
That
said, it will take about six to 10 hours
of dual instruction to get you current
in a light-sport aircraft, depending
upon your experience. You can expect to
spend an equal amount of time in ground
school getting current and up to speed
on regulations and airspace
requirements/limitations. More
questions
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A Personal
View - Motion sickness preventing you from flying? |
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 By
Steve Krog
A number of
people with a desire for learning to fly have
approached me expressing this interest, but they
have one burning concern - motion sickness. They
are somewhat prone to motion sickness and, as a
result, have denied themselves the wonderful
experience and challenge of learning to fly. Can
anything be done to overcome motion sickness?
Yes, definitely! Read
more
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flap
- a
movable, usually hinged airfoil set in the
trailing edge of an aircraft wing, designed to
increase lift or drag by changing the camber of
the wing or used to slow an aircraft during
landing by increasing lift.
solo -
after typically 12-20 hours of initial flight
training, qualified student pilots are permitted
to undertake some flights to build experience
and confidence without a flight instructor on
board. A first solo requires a written
endorsement by the student's flight instructor
(and a third-class medical certificate) if
training for the private pilot certificate. The
first solo is a major event for any pilot and
traditionally includes three takeoffs and
landings at the student's home airport.
more
glossary terms >>
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Last
month's poll: We
asked, "What pilot certificate are you
aiming for?" A majority of you voted
"Sport Pilot" with one-third of the
535 votes. "Private Pilot" came in a
close second with 28 percent of the votes. Third
place went to "Airline Transport
Pilot" with 20 percent of the votes,
followed by "Commercial Pilot" with 13
percent. "Recreational Pilot" was the
least popular answer with only 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/
To get a feel for what
makes EAA AirVenture the World's Greatest Aviation
Celebration, see Oshkosh: The Spirit of Aviation at www.eaa.org/spiritmovie/,
a 17-minute video narrated by actor Harrison Ford. Watch
it today, and we'll see you this summer!
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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
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 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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