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AUGUST 2008 Volume 2, Issue 8 |
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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. Last
month Certificated Flight Instructor Steve Krog
walked us through the basics of takeoff and
landings, and in this issue he gets into more
detail, explaining the differences between
tricycle gear and tail wheel. In this month's
"A Personal View," Steve explains how
his passion for aviation transformed him from a
young farm boy who hung out at a local airport
to a Certificated Flight Instructor. We
encourage you to forward this edition to someone
who might like to receive it. 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 ...
- Tips on
Takeoffs, Landings and the Traffic Pattern,
by Steve Krog, CFI, Editor
- What You're
Asking: Questions for your instructor
- A Personal
View: Why Do You Want to Fly?, by Steve
Krog
- Aviation
Glossary: Learning the language of
flight
- This
Month's Poll: What was your favorite
part of AirVenture 2008?
 Tips
on Takeoffs, Landings, and the Traffic Pattern
By Steve Krog
Most students
feel that mastering takeoffs and landings is the
most important part of learning to fly. However,
before good takeoffs and landings can be made, a
student must first learn how to correctly
maneuver the airplane. Then, and only then, will
the student be able to make consistently good
takeoffs and landings. This month we'll take a
look at both the procedures and common errors
beginning students frequently make. 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:
Who was the winner of the $5,000 Learn
to Fly package given away at
AirVenture's Learn to Fly Discovery
Center this year?
A:
Michael Surls, EAA 306048, of
Marshall, Michigan. You can read about
it here.
Q:
Have you seen an increase in the number
of students working towards their Sport
Pilot Certificate?
A:
Yes, definitely. Two years ago I
worked with my first sport pilot
student. Last year I trained four sport
pilots. Currently, our student pilot
make up is about four Sport Pilot
students of every ten. However, I also
have a "wait list" of 12
individuals wanting to begin lessons.
Ten of them want to be sport pilots.
Though Sport Pilot has existed for about
four years, it's really caught on in the
last 6-8 months, at least in
Southeastern Wisconsin.
Q:
On average, how many students do you
typically train at a time?
A:
Cub Air Flight is a rather small
flight school. Currently we have 18
active students and 12 more on the
"wait list." In addition to
myself I have one other full-time
instructor and am making arrangements to
add another part-time.
More
questions
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A Personal
View - Why do you want to fly? |
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| By
Steve Krog
 I ask that
question of virtually every prospective student
who comes to me for flight training. Responses
are many and varied: "My father is a
pilot." My uncle was a pilot." "A
friend took me up flying and got me
interested." "It's something I've
always wanted to do." The reasons go on and
on.
Nearly every
student then asks me why I fly and how I became
so 'bitten" by the aviation bug. My canned
response is usually, "Because I love it and
always have since I was old enough to know what
an airplane was." But the true answer to
this question deserves more thought. Read
more
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back pressure - The
pressure caused by the exhaust system of a
reciprocating engine that opposes the evacuation
of the burned gases from the cylinders of a
reciprocating engine.
head wind - A
wind that is blowing in the opposite direction
the aircraft is flying, thereby impeding its
forward airspeed.
jet A - A
kerosene-type turbine engine fuel similar to the
military JP-5. It has very low vapor pressure
and a relatively high flash point.
knock - A
loud knocking or banging noise that is made
inside a reciprocating engine cylinder during
the compression stroke. The knock is an
explosion rather than a smooth burning process,
and is caused by the almost instantaneous
release of heat energy from fuel in an aircraft
engine caused by the fuel air mixture reaching
its critical pressure and temperature.
more
glossary terms >>
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Last
month's poll: We
asked, "What are your other recreational
pastimes?" The top responses were
"Motorcycling" with 29 percent of the
votes, "Other" with 22 percent, and
"Boating" with 17 percent of the
votes. "Camping" was next in line with
14 percent and "Hiking/Biking" and
"Golf" tied with 9 percent of the 234
total responses. Got an idea for a new
aviation-related poll question? Send an e-mail
to dheimos@eaa.org
and you might see it in an upcoming edition of Reach
for the Sky.
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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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