A day in flight school: The U.S. Aviation Academy at North Texas Regional Airport/Perrin Field (KGYI), Sherman/Denison, Texas

GRAYSON COUNTY, TX - Commercial pilots are in high demand right now, and the U.S. Aviation Academy in Grayson County is helping by training flight students and supplying airlines around the world with pilots. News 12 spent the morning at the academy, and took to the skies for a first hand look at flight training. 

Before flying up up and away, new pilots at the U.S. Aviation Academy start their training in a flight simulator.

News 12 spent Wednesday morning at the flight school at NTRA's Perrin Field, where our instructor, Ashley Borowski-- --showed me the basics of flying in the simulator.

"It's very unique in that it has full motion--it gives us a little more detail, makes it feel more like a real airplane," said vice president and general manager of the academy, Ray Heyde.

It can simulate different locations and climates like the Vegas Strip! News 12 chief photographer Craig Luthe also tried it -- landing in Aspen Colorado.

The Academy's Executive VP Mark Taylor says students come from across the globe to train here, representing 26 different countries.

"We also have an air force contract that enables us to reach out, so far our last group was from Poland," said Taylor.

He says the Academy has been in Grayson County for almost two years, and now generates about $7 million for the local economy.

Heyde says anyone can get their pilot's license through the program, which typically takes 11 months.

"I've never seen a person that wanted to fly, that could not be trained to fly," said Heyde.

After pre flight checks with Ashley, we tested that theory! After we were cleared for take off we soared over Sherman, Denison, and Lake Texoma.

Taylor says anyone interested in flight lessons can contact the U.S. Aviation Academy. 

Story and video:    http://www.kxii.com

New Orleans flight instructor targets business travelers with small aircraft booking service

The recent addition of direct flights from New Orleans to Austin and San Diego has made traveling to those cities less burdensome for local businesspeople. But for those who regularly travel to regional cities like Shreveport and Jackson, Miss., easy options are limited.

A round-trip drive from New Orleans to Shreveport takes around 10 hours, and chartering a small private jet for the trip can cost upward of $5,000, not including possible fuel surcharges and airport fees.

David Cusimano, 36, started Day Flier to make life easier for the New Orleans businessperson who would rather not waste a day traveling by car or shell out thousands of dollars for a two-hour business meeting.

By consolidating the offerings of small aircraft operators, Day Flier acts as a kind of Travelocity.com for light aircraft flights that lie outside the major airline industry.  

"Private air charter companies like Beech and Cirrus exist in a pretty fragmented market, which can make it tough to book flights quickly or compare prices," Cusimano said in a phone interview. "Day Flier puts all the available options and information in one place."

A New Orleans native, Cusimano used to run a flight school called Gulf Coast Aviation, based out of New Orleans Lakefront Airport. A few years ago he helped found a small air charter company by the same name.

Booking the company's four-seat Cirrus SR22 for an hour costs around $500, Cusimano said, far more than the cost of a road trip to Shreveport. But many busy local businesspeople preferred the extra cost to the lost day of travel. He created Day Flier to meet the demand.

When booking a flight online, the site compares the total travel time of Day Flier charters with those of a car or a commercial plane. For now, operators help expedite the online booking process over the phone. Within six months, Cusimano said, the company intends to launch an "instant-booking" option, allowing people to book flights as easily as they might on major travel websites.

"We're trying to highlight the value of your time," Cusimano said.

Day Flier officially launched on Monday (March 10.) It is now available in the New Orleans and Houston markets, but Cusimano plans to expand the service to 10 other cities by the end of the 2014.  

Story and comments/reaction:  http://www.nola.com

CTC Aviation expands Diamond Aircraft fleet

World leading airline pilot training company, CTC Aviation has announced that it will equip its newest flight training centre in Phoenix, Arizona in the United States, with a fleet of brand new, Garmin1000 glass cockpit-equipped, Diamond Aircraft with Austro engines.

This investment in state-of-the-art technology will see CTC Aviation’s international training fleet grow to a total of 56 aircraft distributed between the company’s Crew Training Centres in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the USA. The order includes single-engine DA40 and twin-engine DA42 (NG) aircraft.

The first two DA40 aircraft will be delivered to CTC Aviation’s Phoenix (USA) facilities during March 2014. A further five DA40’s and three DA42’s are scheduled to arrive before the end of 2014.

"We were one of the first flight training providers to select the DA42 aircraft and have been operating a fleet of Diamond single- and twin-engine aircraft out of our New Zealand flight training facilities for almost ten years. We have found their safety record, efficiency and economics, state-of-the-art avionics and outstanding flight characteristics to be unbeatable," commented Rob Clarke, Group CEO of CTC Aviation.

"CTC Aviation’s philosophy is to deliver airline-focussed training to our cadets so that our CTC Partner Airlines receive new entrant pilots that are fully prepared for the airline environment and today’s new generation jet aircraft.

"We are committed to investing wisely in technology and selecting training resources that befit our specific needs. In this particular field of our business - our cadet airline pilot training activity - our need is to ensure that the transition through the various phases of flight and simulator training - whether as part of the traditional Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) or the new Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL) route - is as safe and seamless as possible. Diamond Aircraft offers the most complete solution: A modern fleet of piston aircraft with the best flight training performance characteristics and safety record in the industry."

Bernhard Gruber, Sales Director Diamond Aircraft adds: "CTC Aviation has been a very valuable and important ATO customer for Diamond Aircraft over the past years, operating a huge fleet of single- and multi-engine aircraft. Being part of their expansion makes us proud to be able to contribute to their success with our complete training solutions. The commitment to quality and safety, and the success of the student, is to the benefit of the airline he or she will ultimately be flying for and is what unites CTC Aviation and Diamond in our target to support the aviation industry with the right approach in order to meet the global pilot demand ahead of the whole industry. We believe in their strategy and will support them in their continuous growth with our full forces, and we are looking forward to seeing the New Generation Diamonds flying on jet fuel as well in Phoenix, Arizona."

CTC Aviation annually trains approximately 2,000 new and experienced pilots for 50 major airlines globally. Its world-renowned cadet pilot training programme "CTC WINGS" currently trains 300 new pilots annually for the CTC Partner Airlines which include easyJet, British Airways, Qatar Airways, Dragonair and the Jetstar Group. The company recently announced its expansion into the United States and their latest Crew Training Centre in Phoenix, Arizona (US) has capacity for up to a further 200 trainee airline pilots per annum. This Diamond Aircraft order forms part of the US$7 million investment CTC Aviation is making to equip their new facility in readiness for the first trainees who are due to commence training in April 2014.

Source:   http://www.voxy.co.nz

Aviation charter school set to land near Detroit Metropolitan Airport

A grass-roots organization in Taylor is preparing to launch a middle school for 235 students near Detroit Metropolitan Airport that will emphasize a science, technology, engineering and math curriculum based on the aviation and aerospace industries.

If the proposed Taylor Academy of Aviation and Aerospace -- or TA3 for short -- grows as expected, the school most likely will expand into high school grades -- similar to West Michigan Aviation Academy in Grand Rapids, said Lorilyn Coggins, president of American Charter Education Services Inc. in Fenton.

"We really do want to replicate what they're doing in curriculum and program activities," Coggins said.

Coggins said she has been working with Detroit-area supporters for the past 18 months to launch the academy, proposed to be built on a 2.5-acre vacant and improved parcel owned by businessman Djamel Tiguert near the southwest corner of Goddard and Telegraph roads.

"This project is ready to go for 2014 opening," said Coggins, who has been involved in the formation of 10 charter schools during the past 19 years. "If we have a green light by first of April, the modular classrooms could be in place and installed in time for a fall 2014 opening."

The academy would be using two modular buildings similar to the units used for The Dearborn Academy in Dearborn.

The school, which would employ about 15 full- and part-time staff members initially, is less than three miles from Metro Airport in Romulus.

Metro could serve as a training opportunity for field trips, Coggins said. In addition, school organizers envision the construction of a civilian airstrip for the academy in Belleville that students could use as the program grows.

The group -- made up of Tiguert, businesspeople from Taylor and two aircraft pilots -- has asked Bay Mills Community College in the Upper Peninsula town of Brimley to issue a charter to form TA3.

If it issues a charter, the college would appoint a board of Taylor-area residents to oversee administration of the academy and enter into contracts to launch the school.

Bay Mills is also the authorizer for West Michigan Aviation Academy. "We are hoping since they authorized West Michigan, we can have our foot in the door, since we are replicating one of their existing schools," Coggins said.

The Taylor group already has cleared some hurdles. It received a federal planning grant from the Michigan Department of Education to create the academy, and it will be eligible for two years of federal implementation grant money administered by the state.

That money can be used for expenses such as educational furniture and books, provided the school receives a charter.

Coggins said the group already has proposed arrangements with the company that would lease the modular classrooms and a company that would become the employer of record to fund salaries for the school's staff until state per-pupil payments could be made after October.

Coggins' company, established in 2009, would act as the back-office support to help the school meet its reporting requirements to the board and perform professional development of staff.

"We learned a little bit by what West Michigan did," said Coggins, who has visited WMAA with members of the Taylor group.

"They opened with a ninth grade, and it's a little more difficult if you bring in ninth-graders and you haven't trained them up. So we are going to open with grades six through eight to instill in the kids the motivation to be the best that they can be." 

http://www.crainsdetroit.com

Aviation Students Build Airplane

 It took more than three years, 50 students and countless hours in the classroom, but it's finally done. The aviation class's Piper Cub airplane is hanging in the Bismarck Public Schools Career Academy atrium. 

The class has already started another airplane project. Once students are finished building the Van's R-12 plane, instead of hanging it somewhere in the building, they're going to fly it.

First year aviation students learn the basics of flying, the importance of flight patterns and study computer simulations.

Students Trey Iszler and James Schultz are happy to be doing more than the basics.

"Just thinking about building the plane. Being in aviation class, that's what makes me get up in the morning and actually want to come to be an early bird, every day," says Schultz.

"I joined the first year at the beginning of the year. I didn't know if I wanted to go on to the second year. And after the first year and seeing this is kind of really enjoyable. I absolutely love it," says Iszler.

The boys also worked on the wooden plane, but say it's not as fun as building this one. They had to cut out the wooden pieces, then glue, drill and fasten them together. It sounds simple, but it took months.

The pieces of the metal Vans Airplane are cut out when they arrive, and while the students still have to polish, drill and fasten them together, it takes less time.

"The learning that's gonna take place, it might seem like you're having a bunch of fun, and it is. It is fun. But you're learning at the same time. And you having something that you're proud of when you leave and say, 'You know what? I made that,'" says Career Academy director Dan Hoerauf

This plane isn't for show.

"So, this one's gonna fly. When this one's done it'll be out at the airport," says aviation teacher Mike McHugh.

The Eagle's Nest organization is paying for the plane, but that's not all they're doing.

"In the end, they actually help, provide our students with some flight training in the aircraft that they built," says McHugh.

Students will receive 20 hours of free flight training.

The aviation class is aiming to have the plane finished by next year.

Story, photo, video:   http://www.kmot.com

Mike Paulson: Fargo Jet Center

Fargo Jet Center flight school manager receives national award


FARGO - Mike Paulson, flight school manager at Fargo Jet Center, has been selected as the recipient of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) Excellence In Pilot Training award.

NATA annually recognizes individuals, offices, and organizations that have helped improve the general aviation community by demonstrating excellence in their field and the highest level of customer service.

“Mike’s enthusiasm towards aviation is magnetic,” says Darren Hall, vice president of marketing for Fargo Jet Center. “He truly exemplifies excellence in pilot training through his longstanding and continued passion for sharing and teaching the wonder of flight with others,” adds Hall.

Professionalism, dedication and excellence are just a few of the words to describe Paulson. His passion for aviation was acknowledged at an early age when he soloed in 1973 at the age of sixteen in Fargo. His longstanding career in aviation as a flight instructor is very unique; he truly loves teaching others to fly. Over the past 30 years, he has had many opportunities to take on virtually any pilot position, but has chosen to teach flight at all levels and continues today with the same passion and smile that’s been with him from the beginning.

During his career, Paulson has logged more than 18,500 total hour’s flight time of which 11,000 are logged as flight instruction hours given. His training, certifications and special designations include: Airline Transport Pilot, Airplane Single Engine Land and Sea, Multi Engine Land and Sea, Designated Check Airman, Advanced Ground Instructor, FAA Gold Seal Instructor, National Association of Flight Instructors- Master Certified Flight Instructor, FAA Designated Pilot Examiner authorized for Private through ATP and CFI, FAASTeam Representative for North Dakota – Fargo area. He has also taught aviation classes at North Dakota State University for the past 23 years.

Story and photo:  http://www.prairiebizmag.com

Fargo Jet Center:   http://www.fargojet.com

New simulator adds realism for Rocky Mountain College student aviators

Derek Shattenberger sat at the controls of a Piper Archer on Friday, flying the aircraft over the Pennsylvania countryside, heading for Erie International Airport.

Shattenberger was flying blind, using his instruments to guide him through the clouds. He also experienced turbulence, but that didn’t stop him from landing his single-engine aircraft without a hitch.

Except that Shattenberger, 19, a sophomore at Rocky Mountain College, never left Billings during the flight, or, for that matter, the school’s Aviation Hall. He sat inside the cockpit of the Redbird MCX flight simulator acquired by Rocky’s Aviation Department in early December.

His simulator session finished, Shattenberger said he finds the new simulator much different from the others he’s flown at the college.

“It’s a lot more realistic and there’s a lot more movement,” he said. “It’s pretty close to what you experience out there.”

Shattenberger, who is from Brookville, Pa., hopes someday to fly corporate aircraft out of an airport near Pittsburgh. He was glad for the chance to simulate flying in his home state, which gave him the chance to fly nearer sea level.

Shattenberger is one of just over 100 students in Rocky’s aviation program. Eighty percent major in aeronautical science, to be a professional pilot, and 20 percent choose aviation management, said Dan Hargrove, director of the department.

The new full-motion simulator puts the pilot in changing weather conditions and a range of emergency situations. At just over $100,000, the simulator is “quite economical” compared with a plane that would cost $300,000, Hargrove said.

“It’s cutting-edge technology made to be affordable for small colleges,” he said.

The simulator easily fits inside the Aviation Center. An observer standing outside the simulator can see it move slightly as it simulates flight. They can also watch a computer screen outside the simulator that shows the plane in flight.

The Redbird better emulates the college’s Piper Archer and multi-engine Beechcraft Baron than other simulators by having the right weights, speed and performance, Hargrove said.

It also is extremely realistic in its ability to duplicate the conditions of flying in any geographic part of the country, he said. For instance, a student could hop in the simulator, fly from Billings to Bozeman, and mirror an actual plane ride.

“So if a pilot makes a left turn instead of a right one, there’s consequences for that,” Hargrove said. “The FAA calls it intensity, and the intensity associated with the simulator is unmatched for this level of simulator.”

Chris Gartner, a senior in the program and a student flight instructor, agrees.

“I think with the Redbird, that gap you had between the simulator and the real environment closed so much with the taxiway, the airport environment and the way we’re able to simulate weather conditions,” he said.

It also more accurately portrays what happens when an engine cuts out or the electrical system malfunctions or when a pilot has to fly for a prolonged period through turbulence, said Tom Nelson, director of safety and flight simulator manager.

“Turbulence in real life in real time is physically draining, mentally straining,” Nelson said.

Giving a student pilot that realistic experience in a safe place is quite valuable, he said. So is letting students feel what it’s like to fly with ice on the plane’s wings.

“We can’t risk the safety of people in an airplane to go in actual conditions, but we can do exactly that in the simulator and do it safely and they get learning associated with that type of event,” he said.

Gartner said in the past couple of weeks he has programmed difficulties into flights for some of his students.

“I did a flight in the Livermore area, ran him through multiple approaches in bad weather and turbulence, and he was mentally done in by the time we were done,” he said.

Unlike the other simulators, the Redbird has a dual set of controls, which allows either pilot in the simulator to fly the aircraft, Hargrove said. In a real-life situation, if something happened to one pilot, the other one would have to be able to take over.

Nelson teaches the senior capstone course on crew resource management, where pilots learn how to operate as a crew. With the new simulator, two pilots can sit in the cockpit and Nelson can sit across the room, programming in the pilots’ troubles.

In that situation, they have to rely on each other, Nelson.

“They can’t rely on me anymore, they have to work through it on their own,” he said. “So it’s kind of the removal of the security blanket.”

Story, video and photo:   http://billingsgazette.com

Vertical Limit Aviation: New helicopter school ready for liftoff

Photo by Melody Parra 

Vertical Limit Aviation Vertical Limit Aviation shares hangar space with Francis Aviation at the Doña Ana County International Jetport, 25 minutes from Downtown El Paso. 

SANTA TERESA, N.M. – Albuquerque-based Vertical Limit Aviation has opened a helicopter flight school here, which will offer helicopter flying lessons, tours and aerial photography.

The school, headed by Army spouse Deb Rothchild, is the only one in the El Paso region. Company executives say there is a large market here that has gone mostly untapped.

Just the second opened by Vertical Limit Aviation, the flight school officially launches this week at Doña Ana County International Jetport in Santa Teresa, 25 minutes from Downtown El Paso, where it shares hangar space with Francis Aviation.

For now, the company offers helicopter flight training here and, for those who just want a ride, aerial tours.

But the company hopes to offer a helicopter-for-hire service in the future, including charter flights for business executives. It also has a helicopter fitted with a high-definition broadcast camera that news organizations and law enforcement agencies can charter.

The company also offers training for Army helicopter pilots stationed at Fort Bliss who want to get their civilian pilot certificates so they can fly civilian aircraft or even transition to a civilian job. Qualifying veterans can use their post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to help pay for helicopter flight training, owner Doug Christian said.

Vertical Limit Aviation’s El Paso operation is headed by Rothchild, whose husband was stationed at Fort Bliss more than a year ago.

Rothchild, a certified flight instructor, will teach the classes and said there are some unique skills she will be able to teach students here in the desert, where all flights start at about 4,000 feet above sea level.

“The heat and the altitude, those are skills that are really important for pilots to be able to negotiate,” she said.

Flying family

Rothchild’s grandfather, a bomber pilot in World War II, was stationed at Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso. Her father, who also served in the military, was stationed at White Sands Missile Range before being transferred to Alaska where Rothchild was born.

Her parents were bush pilots and owned a Cherokee 140, and Rothchild grew up flying. She started working in commercial fishing when she was 15 and, later, worked as a wildland firefighter.

“That’s where I found helicopters. I got my first ride in a helicopter, and I absolutely fell in love with it,” she said.

Rothchild decided she was going to be a pilot someday, but flight school is expensive. Getting a private pilot rating, essentially a driver’s license for flying helicopters, generally takes 60 hours of flight time at a cost of between $15,000 and $20,000.

Then there is the commercial license, instrument rating and flight instructor certification, which are all offered at the school here.

“Typically, because of the price, people don’t get just a private rating for fun. They are looking to be a professional pilot,” Rothchild said.

But with the help of a grant, she was able to complete her flight training and has been flying for six years.

Rothchild will also pilot helicopter tours here, including a romantic “Sunset Champagne Tour.”

“The evening is just gorgeous,” Rothchild said. “You can see the Star on the Mountain and the lights all the way into Juárez.”

Tours start at $180 for up to three people, according to Christian, a former fire fighter who opened the company in his hometown of Albuquerque in 2008.

“It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day,” Christian said of the Champagne tour.

In Albuquerque, he said, the company flies for KOB, the NBC TV station, as well as for law enforcement agencies in Torrance County and Valencia County.

Story and photo gallery:   http://www.elpasoinc.com

Hub City Aviation: Flight simulator trains student pilots

Before pilots soar through the skies, they hone their skills as students in training school.

Hub City Aviation offers a flight simulator for a life-like flying experience.

The Redbird Simulator mimics a Cessna Aircraft cockpit with computer-generated images that replicate the pilot's view.

The entire structure moves in imitation of an aircraft's motion.

The simulator actually costs about the same as two real training aircrafts but Chief Flight Instructor, Louie Hilliard, said the tool is invaluable for training.

Hilliard said using the Instructor Station he can cause emergencies and obstacles, like broken circuits or severe weather, and analyze how the student pilot reacts.

Fox 34's Brittany Price takes the Redbird Simulator for a first-time test run.

Story and video:  http://www.myfoxlubbock.com

Pavco Flight Center celebrates more than 30 years as a family in flight

 Pavco Flight Center, located at the Tacoma Narrows Airport, is a family run business that folds customers into its family. The company has trained pilots and serviced planes in Gig Harbor since 1982.

Owner Mike Pickett is retired from the Air Force; his wife, Stephanie, runs the books; and his oldest son, Matt, is the head of maintenance.

Then there are the regulars. Those who come in to log flight time and to share stories.

“I like coming to work here,” Mike Pickett said. “All my customers have become friends.”

Pavco is a fixed-base operator. It provides space for jets and charters, rents airplanes, services and fuels planes and trains pilots.

Pilot training is a source of pride for Pickett. One pupil went on to NASA after they spent time at Pavco in high school. Several other students have gone on to fly for commercial airlines such as Horizon.

“We put out pretty good pilots,” Pickett said.

Pavco also has a flight simulator that saves expensive fuel and enables one-on-one time on the ground. If a mistake happens, the simulation can be paused in order to discuss the mistake, Pickett said.

Pickett said he’s blessed with the family aspect. He has three children and seven grandchildren. Photos of his family line the window in his office, and it looks out on an airplane hanger.

Through Pavco, he sees his family often, sometimes daily. His wife organizes student accounts, tracks parts and keeps the books.

“God bless her,” Pickett said of Stephanie. “I wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t doing this.”

Business declined with the economy, he said. On top of that, there’s a tangle of federal regulations that make things difficult. Some people who want to be trained can’t afford to rack up flight time.

In response, Pavco has dropped from 15 pilots on staff to three in the past five years.

Pickett said Pavco offers the freedom to fly. Have someone visiting from out of town? A plane can cover all parts of the state in hours. Doing business in eastern Washington? A flight can avoid bad roads and traffic.

On top of the ease of travel, it’s also a good time.

“We have a lot of fun out here,” Pickett said.

Story and photo:   http://www.gateline.com

Pilgrim Aviation Flight School expansion

PLYMOUTH – Pilgrim Aviation Flight School, with an authorized Cessna Pilot Center headquartered at Plymouth Municipal Airport (PYM) and additional flight training operations at Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK), has added a new base of operation at 2 Westcoat Drive at Taunton Municipal Airport (TAN). Pilgrim provides flight training, airplane rentals, scenic flights and FBO services. With its company-owned fleet of 11 aircraft, including a 2013 Cessna Skycatcher Light Sport airplane, a RedBird LD flight simulator and a Piper Cherokee equipped with hand controls for mobility impaired pilots, the flight school is equipped to meet the needs of a greater cross-section of the aviation community.

A free 15-week Private Pilot Ground School will be offered Thursday nights and an official grand opening event is being planned this spring at the airport in Taunton. Students who want to pursue a pilot’s license can enroll and start training immediately. Those who already have a license can also rent the school’s airplanes.

To learn more, call Joseph Ricci at Pilgrim Aviation, 246 South Meadow Road, Plymouth, 508-823-7776 or 508-747-7776, or email pilgrimaviation@gmail.com or visit www.flypilgrim.com.

Source: http://www.wickedlocal.com

Fraud detectives probe collapse of flight school that cost parents €5m

 

Richard Kealy training to be a pilot in Florida

The Garda Fraud Squad is probing the collapse of the Pilot Training College that left parents around €5m out of pocket.  

The collapse of the Pilot Training College of Ireland (PTC) in July 2012, following a dispute with the Florida Institute of Technology, left hundreds of students in limbo after paying €85,000 up front.

Many were forced to abandon their flight training completely.

The students' parents hope to recoup some money once the liquidation of the company has been completed.

However, they have been warned by solicitors that they stand little chance of getting anything back.

A proposed joint Oireachtas hearing on the issue was dropped without explanation, according to parent Martina Kealy from Castleknock in Dublin, who lost €73,000.

Ms Kealy and her husband Brian remortgaged the family home to pay for son Richard's two-year training course.

When the Waterford college collapsed, they were left with no option but to remortgage the house for a second time to allow him to continue with his studies, this time in Cork.

Ms Kealy said: "My husband has a good job but his salary doesn't cover two remortgages so I now I work too."

Ms Kealy also revealed how one woman used up her life-savings to pay for her nephew's course.

INQUIRY

With no prospect of completing his flight training, the woman's nephew decided to emigrate.

"These are the people I am most worried about," she added.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) gave the PTC its flight training license but denies any responsibility towards the students.

However, Ms Kealy claimed it was the IAA's withdrawal of approval for PTC as a flight training organisation, on the basis of their financial position, in July 2012, which effectively ended PTC's training role.

"In our view there were many failings on the part of the IAA in their oversight of PTC," she said.

"We had great hopes when the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communication in October 2012 decided in public session to undertake a 'forensic inquiry' into the demise of PTC.

Source:  http://www.independent.ie

Clearwater High to get aerospace academy in January

With the opening of a new aviation academy, students at Clearwater High School soon will be able to graduate with a pilot’s license – and a jump into the growing field of aviation and aerospace.

The Clearwater Aeronautical Space Academy, or CASA, will have a soft launch in January, with one class available to interested students. The first course will be on unmanned aircraft. A full schedule of classes will be available in the 2014/15 school year.

“We’re really excited,” said Principal Keith Mastorides.

The new academy fits into Clearwater High’s wall-to-wall academy concept, which began last year. Mastorides describes the idea as a “new way of thinking” in which all students at the school take classes in career-themed areas, such as business and international studies, science and echnology, fine arts, and sports and hospitality.

Students are able to earn industry certifications, potentially giving them an edge in college or a path directly to work.

With the aviation and aerospace academy, students can take classes in engineering, space flight, piloting, aviation maintenance, and aeronautical science. Students, through dual-enrollment, can earn up to 30 college credits.

See more about the program here. And look for a story about it in the Times this weekend.

Source:  http://www.tampabay.com

Behala gets new pilot school

KOLKATA: Nearly three decades after the last student qualified for a pilot's license from the flight training institute in Behala, a new private institute has taken wings, rekindling hopes of those aspiring to fly.

Sitaram Yechury, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Civil Aviation, flagged off the flight training institute by Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd, a non-scheduled operator that has helicopter operations in north India and fixed wing services in Bhubaneswar. The institute will train around 30 students at a time and charge Rs 25-30 lakh for the 18-month course that includes 350 hours of ground training and 200 hours of flight training.

While the state government-run Flying Training Institute has been non-functional for over two decades, another private player's bid to operate an institute encountered turbulence and was grounded in a couple of years. Camellia Aviation was undone by a revised regulation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation that made training in twin engine aircraft mandatory for commercial pilot's license. Camellia tried to pull a fast one by purchasing a scrap. It had hoped to meet the DGCA norm in letter when it purchased the rusting junk that had been a plane a couple of years earlier and used to dump arms in Purulia. But the aviation watchdog acted tough and grounded the institute.

Now, Trans Bharat Aviation Training Institute plans to fill the void, not just in Kolkata but the entire east. "There is no flight training facility in the entire region. That is indeed sad given that the Behala Flying Club has produced so many sterling pilots in the past. MLA group chairman Madan Lal Agarwal approached me nearly four years ago, expressing his intent to start an institute and has been remarkably resilient in the quest. I am glad the institute has finally taken shape," Yechuri said. The institute has received a go-ahead by DGCA.

Apart from three two-seater single-engine Cessna planes, Trans Bharat deputy director wing commander (retired) Subir Sen said the company would fly down a Piper Seneca multi-engine aircraft from Delhi when required. He though, acknowledged that rising fuel costs and hiring and retaining chief pilot instructor, pilot instructor in-charge and quality manager was a challenge.

Yechury endorsed Agarwal's plan to apply for a helicopter pilot training course, pointing out that several accidents involving VIPs had occurred due to lack of proper training. Trans Bharat, which has helicopters operating in north India and the northeast, plans to introduce a helicopter service from Kolkata to Gangasagar during the fair in January.

Source:   http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

New helicopter program takes to the air at Big Bend Community College ... Could start winter quarter class with enough interest

 

Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald

 Flight training Devin Gooch (left) and Nick Henderson are the instructors for the almost brand-new helicopter flight training class at Big Bend Community College.

MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College and Inland Helicopters of Spokane are working together to offer a new program to train helicopter pilots. If there's enough interest, instructors are willing to start a class during winter quarter, Devin Gooch said, who's one of the two instructors. 

 The program was established in the spring, with classes during summer quarter. It's a two-year program, and students graduate with an associate's degree in flight science along with helicopter ratings, Gooch said. "It's very similar to the fixed-wing side of the house."

Students do not need to have fixed-wing experience or certification to fly helicopters, Gooch said. "I have point-nine hours in a fixed wing aircraft," he said. He flew one time, and "I didn't really care for it."

Students do, however, have to pay for helicopter rental, Gooch said, along with school tuition.

Students qualify for private pilot, instructor and community ratings, and flight instructor certification, he said. Students graduate from the BBCC program with 200 flight hours. That's what's required for the helicopters flown in the program, he said.

Gooch said he served in the U.S. Army from 2005 to 2008 in the medical corps, and saw choppers in action. "You get to see them do some cool stuff."

He was intrigued by the possibility of flying them himself, he said, and used his military education benefits for the training.

"Everything" about flying is cool, he said. "Flying is cool in general. Flying anything is cool. But helicopters are a little bit unique."

Helicopters can land in tight spaces, take off and land vertically, and the view from the pilot's seat is amazing, Gooch said. "You can see everything in a helicopter." But "probably the coolest thing about a helicopter is the ability to hover."

It's a unique flying experience. "They're a very dynamic machine to fly," Gooch said. Pilots are constantly adjusting as they fly. But "once you get the hang of it, it's completely intuitive," he said. For an experienced pilot, "it just does what you want without much thought. Pretty cool."

The small - currently 10 students - program at BBCC is using two piston-engine helicopters, and is in the process of getting a turbojet chopper, Gooch said. "That's on the horizon, but it just hasn't quite come to fruition."

Turbo certification requires at least 1,000 hours flight time, he said, so many pilots work as flight instructors to earn the extra hours. Once they build up those hours, there are job opportunities out there, Gooch said, especially as pilots who started their careers during the 1960s and 1970s start to retire. "There is a pilot shortage, for sure."

Commercial applications range from transport to fire fighting to emergency medicine to tourist flights, Gooch said, and more besides.

The BBCC program is the only one in eastern Washington that qualifies as Part 141-certified, Danielle Leigh, the administrative assistant, said. That allows military veterans to use educational benefits, Leigh said.

People who want more information about the program can contact instructors through the college, 509-793-2222. They can download the application from the college website, Leigh said, or leave a message on the Inland Helicopter website or Facebook page.

Source:  http://www.columbiabasinherald.com

Assam Flying Club to approach North Eastern Council for funds

 GUWAHATI, Oct 20 – The Assam Flying Club is planning to seek financial assistance from the North Eastern Council (NEC) to bring the Club back on the rails. However, it will take some time before the Club resumes training as several other issues will have to be dealt with before that.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, Bikrom Singha Lahkar, who has recently been appointed the secretary of the Club, said that at present the Club has two aircraft, one Cessna and one Pushpak. However, the Pushpak is not in a serviceable condition and the Cessna would have to be repaired to start training with the same.

Lahkar said that after a thorough check up of the engine of the Cessna, the company was informed about the present condition of the LYCO series engine of the aircraft and necessary steps would be taken to repair the same after receiving suggestions from the French company. He said that according to preliminary assessment, about Rs 30 lakh would be required to repair the aircraft and to bring the Club back on the rails.

At present, the Assam Flying Club has only one employee, who is an accountant, and a number of persons, both technical and non-technical, will have to be appointed to resume functioning of the Club. Lahkar said that they would be able to bring test pilots from other flying clubs of the country after the Cessna aircraft is repaired. But to resume training, at least one flying instructor in charge and one assistant flying instructor along with a maintenance engineer would have to be appointed.

It is a fact that a Club cannot function with only one aircraft and Lahkar said that the Aero Club of India had allotted two aircraft for the Assam Flying Club way back in 2008, which were not brought to the State due to reasons best known to the people at the helm of affairs. Efforts would be made to persuade the Aero Club of India to re-allot the aircraft.

http://www.assamtribune.com

Breedlove's Finney glider school opened June 1, 1942

Supplementing Aulyne King Breedlove’s interview in 1957 to Sylvan Dunn of Southwest Collections/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech University, are the archived newspapers of the Plainview Evening Herald on microfilm. These microfilm rolls of the Herald are also located at Southwest Collections, with another set entrusted to Unger Memorial Library in Plainview.

The first mention of a glider school being located at Plainview in the Herald was on Friday, May 22, 1942. The article stated that plans for an Army Air Corps Primary Training school at Plainview had been on-going for the past two weeks and were finalized May 21. The school was scheduled to open June 1, 1942.

Clent Breedlove, veteran pilot and former manager of the Lubbock Municipal Airport, was to be in charge of the glider school as a civilian contractor and director.

The Herald went on to say that school would provide a 30-day course in special phases of flying, using light planes. At peak capacity, the school was expected to handle 160 students per month, with 40 graduating each week after the first month.

The contract glider school would have from three to six regular Army officers posted at the airfield along with from three to six civil service employees and from 25 to 30 pilot instructors.

As for the students, they would be enlisted men who previously had some primary training. At Finney Field, they would receive 30 hours of flight training and 60 hours of ground school.

As for their quarters, both the officers and men were to be housed at the Hilton Hotel in Plainview, and special provisions were going to be made for their room and board. Army jeeps and transport trucks would shuttle them back and forth from the airfield.

The Plainview Municipal Airport was to be the main base of operations, and the planes would be kept there as well, said the Herald.

In a recent interview, Doug McDonough, current editor of the Plainview Herald, explained that in 1942 the Plainview Municipal Airport was located north of Plainview at Finney Field, just to the west of the Amarillo Highway, US-87.

In addition to the main base at Finney Field, there would be three other airfields in the area that were contracted for glider training.

A 309-acre tract 9 miles southwest of the airport was one site. The second airfield was 160 acres in size and was to be located 6 miles northwest of Finney Field. The last airfield was also 160 acres and would be located 8 miles northeast of the airport. These would be the auxiliary airfields.

The article went on to say that the glider school at Finney Field was one of two in Texas and among 19 that were to be established in the United States by June 1. Big Spring was host to the other Texas glider school. The Plainview glider school at Finney Field was to be the third largest out of the 19, according to the Herald.

Charles Day said in a recent interview that there actually were only 18 contract glider schools in the United States during WWII. The discrepancy in the number of contract glider schools may be attributable to a change in plans by the government, or simply a misquote by the Herald in 1942. Day also noted that although the Army planned to have these contract schools open by June 1, not all of them met the deadline. Day is the secretary of the National WWII Glider Pilots Association and resides in Wisconsin.

Capt. G.A. Gilbert of the West Coast Air Corps Training Center was sent from Albuquerque, N.M., to Plainview to take temporary charge of the airfield and receive the planes which would be used in training. Capt. Gilbert was to be in charge of the airfield until the regular Army officers from the WCACTC arrived to take over command duties.

Although the training at Finney Field was expected to be tied in with glider training elsewhere in the nation, no gliders or sailplanes were to be located there. Instead, only light planes were going to be used at Plainview for training.

The Army would furnish the planes, said the Herald, and Breedlove was to be responsible for their maintenance and fueling. Breedlove’s contract would be for 90 days, stated the article.

The Herald also showed an article originally published on May 21 in Santa Ana, Calif., which gave many details about the glider program on a national level.

The Army Air Corps planned to train 3,000 glider pilots who would participate in commando raids. The gliders would be towed by American Flying Fortresses and other powerful aircraft. Each glider would have a complement of 15 men armed with rifles, machine guns and even light cannon.

The article stated that the number of gliders that each Flying Fortress could tow was a military secret. However, the article stated that transport planes in the German Luftwaffe towed anywhere from three to six gliders each, and that the Flying Fortress was a much more powerful plane than the German transport planes.

Regarding the capacity and specifications of the Army gliders in May 1942, Day believes that some of the information about gliders in the article from Santa Ana picked up by the Herald is possibly pure conjecture on the part of the reporter.

Day commented that “there were only two XCG-4 gliders delivered to Wright Field, the second of which was being flight tested in the middle of May to the middle of June, 1942 at Clinton County Army Air Field, Wilmington, Ohio.

“The second glider, with a dorsal fin, was not approved for production until around June 22, 1942,” stated Day.

“All the information concerning gliders and what they would do or carry was classified ‘Secret’ and was possibly sometimes exaggerated, or was stated in a misleading way by the Army and by any newspaper articles written about U.S. tugs and U.S. combat gliders,” said Day.

More information about the glider pilots of WWII can be found online at the National WWII Glider Pilots website at www.ww2gp.org.

Readers are also asked to visit the Silent Wings Museum website at www.silentwingsmuseum.org and www.breedlove-cptp.org for more details about the glider program of WWII.

Anyone with information about the Plainview Pre-Glider School at Finney Field should contact John McCullough at 806-793-4448 or email johnmc@breedlove-cptp.org.

Original article:   http://www.myplainview.com

Private Pilot Ground School course begins October 1: Kilgore College, Texas

Kilgore College will offer a course this fall for people interested in becoming a pilot.

An information session is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, in the Bert E. Woodruff Adult Education Center, 220 N. Henderson in Kilgore

The information session will give prospective students an opportunity to meet the instructor, review course materials and have questions answered.

The 16-week course, “Private Pilot Ground School,” is the basic ground school for the Federal Aviation Administration Private Pilot Certificate that provides the necessary aeronautical knowledge used for private pilot certification.

Topics will include principles of flight, radio procedures, weather, navigation, aerodynamics and Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

David Skidmore, Federal Aviation Administration Certified Flight Instructor and FAA Support Specialist at the Gregg County Regional Airport, will teach the class which is set for 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday evenings from Oct. 1 through Feb. 4, on the Kilgore campus.

Cost of the course is $525.

PowerPoint and assignments will be available online to students.

A book and supply list will be provided at registration.

For more information, call Trudie Jackson at (903) 983-8661 or e-mail her: tjackson@kilgore.edu.

Read more: The Gilmer Mirror - Private Pilot Ground School course begins Oct 1

Serious aerospace internships recruiting high school interns

 

By GLENN FARLEY / KING 5 News Aviation Specialist 
Posted on August 16, 2013 at 6:17 PM
Updated yesterday at 6:49 PM

BELLEVUE, Wash. - Planetary Resources is a company that wants to mine asteroids in space.  It's a start-up working out of a small office park in the same city that was once home to a tiny Microsoft.  Commercial space is growing and people here like to think they could grow into a Microsoft-sized mining giant of the extra terrestrial world in the decades ahead.

It's all about looking upward and forward, and there are interns along for the ride.  As competition for the smart minds of the future gets tougher and tougher, companies like Planetary Resources and Boeing are looking for younger people who show promise as full time employees when they leave college in the years ahead.

Aviation High School in the Highline School District is providing six interns to Planetary Resources and four of the nine working at Boeing. That's unusual, as aerospace and engineering interns are more traditionally college-aged, not 16 to 18 year olds in high school.

"We know it's very good for them, but it's very good for us as well,” said Ray Ramadorai, an engineer who is heavily involved in the internship program at Planetary Resources, which also swells with college interns over the summer.

One of the interns back for his second summer recently graduated from Aviation High School.  Jake Hecla says it's one of the factors he believes got him a slot at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) this fall. At Planetary Resources he's been involved with protecting electronics in space from the effects of radiation.  He could see himself coming back to Planetary Resources in the future.

"It's much better than a 30 minute job interview,” said Chris Lewicki, Planetary Resources president and chief engineer. "If we can bring someone to the company, spend 10 weeks with them, spend 10 months with them, it's the best job interview you can have."

 Katie McConville is heading into her senior year at Aviation High School.  She interned at Planetary Resources between her sophomore and junior year as a 16 year old and plans to continue her internship part time during the school year.

"It's actually a taste of what the actual job would be,” McConville said.

The internship program at Planetary Resources and Boeing are both paid.

Story and Video:   http://www.king5.com

Aviation Ground School course at Red Bluff Municipal Airport (KRBL), California

Local Certified Flight Instructor Irwin Fust will be conducting an Aviation Ground School course for those interested in pursuing a Sport Pilot or Private Pilot license in the future.

The next class begins on Thursday, Sept. 12 and runs for 11 consecutive 6-9 p.m. Thursdays. The ground school will take place at the Terminal Building at Red Bluff Municipal Airport. The total cost of the 11 classes is $280, which includes all required books and supplies.

The course will include flight instruction on the class's three screen, level one Flight Simulator and an introductory instructional flight in the school's two place training aircraft. The ground school course will cover all of the topics necessary to take and pass the FAA written knowledge test, which is required before completing flight training.

The course will cover all of the elements necessary to acquire the knowledge for the test: airplanes and aerodynamics, aircraft engines, instruments and systems, federal airspace, airports, Air Traffic Control and federal aviation regulations, airplane performance and weight and balance, aviation weather and weather services, navigation charts, navigation systems and cross country flight planning.

The information taught in the course is necessary in understanding how airplanes fly and how to safely fly in American airspace. It is required knowledge for those seeking pilot's licenses. But, the course also appeals to anyone who wants to understand the concepts of flight.

Call Fust at (530) 351-8203 by Sept. 1 to reserve a place in the class. The number of student slots are limited. You can call the same number for information or you can send an email to ifust@digitalpath.net.

Source:    http://www.redbluffdailynews.com