Archive

for March, 2011

New LED lights on Cessna 61637

Mar 30 2011

The more observant amongst you may have noticed the new look landing and taxi lights on Cessna 61637.

Cessna 61637 gets new landing lights the Teledyne ALPHABEAM

ALPHABEAM

We installed Teledyne ALPHABEAM LED lamps. While they cost $325 each – which is over 15 times more than ordinary incancescent lamps, they supposedly last a hundred times longer. So an investment now should pay off in the longer run. Less downtime due to burned out bulbs, fewer maintenance hours, and fewer cancelled flights.

The lamps give out 170,000 mean candlepower, but draw less that half the current, so load on the electrical system is reduced and heating up should be less too.

If this is successful, we’ll aim to migrate to LED lighting for all our planes, but we’ll have to move slowly as it is not cheap!

For more, click on the picture above to go to Teledyne’s web site.

Comments and observations would be very welcome.

Going Solo: Loren McKechnie

Mar 27 2011

Congratulations to Loren McKechnie who braved rain and winds on a wet day in Salinas to solo his favorite trusty Cessna 172, 968RC while his CFI Tom Conklin watched white-knuckled from the ground.

Well done Loren and Tom!

New Pilot: Joe Rogers

Mar 24 2011
Citabria 53893

Citabria 53893

On Tuesday Joe Rogers became the latest member of the ranks of certifed Private Pilots by passing the checkride with Examiner Sherry Diamond in Citabria 53893.

Well done Joe and AeroDynamic CFI Erik Schmidt!

New Pilot: Jeff Benzing

Mar 23 2011
Citabria 5032G
Citabria 5032G

Congratulations to Jeff Benzing who earned his Private Pilot ticket with examiner Dave Morss in Citabria 5032G.

Well done Jeff and AeroDynamic CFI Jim Grant.

Certified Gyroplane Instructor

Mar 21 2011

Not satisfied with just getting his Commercial Gyroplane license, AeroDynamic CFI Sergey Sinyachkin also earned his Gyroplane CFI! Here he is with both his new certificates.

Gyroplane CFI

Gyroplane CFI

Congratulations Sergey!

New Gyroplane Pilot Sergey Sinyachkin – pictures

Mar 19 2011

 

We now have pictures! Check out the aircraft and the newly minted pilot. Well done Sergey.

Sergey trained at Ron’s Gyros in Searcy, Arkansas.

New Commercial Gyroplane Pilot: Sergey Sinyachkin

Mar 14 2011

Sergey

Continuing on his quest to earn every possible category and class rating, our intrepid CFI Sergey Sinyachkin has earned his Gyroplane Commercial rating. Sergey already has Commercial and Instructor ratings in airplanes, gliders, baloons and helicopters.

Gyroplane

What on earth is a Gyroplane you might ask? It is a rotorcraft, like a helicopter, exept the rotor is not powered by a motor, but turns due to airflow in flight. So it cannot hover like a helicopter, but can fly pretty slowly, and can  settle straight down onto a tiny landing spot.

Congratulations Sergey!

Check out the Youtube video below:

Going Solo: Guillaume De Zwirek

Mar 13 2011

Another fledgling leaves the nest! Congratulations to Guillaume De Zwirek who successfully soloed SportStar 712MF under Adam’s watchful eye. Well done Guillaume and Adam.

New Multi Engine Pilot – Jenny Koenig

Mar 11 2011

Jenny Koenig Multi Engine Pilot

Congratulations to Jenny Koenig! Not content with just flying single engine airplanes, she added the multi-engine rating to her Commercial Pilot license in a Beech Duchess. Well done Jenny!

Jenny Koenig

Jenny Koenig

Going Solo: Maggie Gales

Mar 11 2011
Maggie Gales

Maggie flies solo!

We have a brand new fledgling amongst us! Congratulations to Maggie Gales who soloed Citabria 1806G.  Well done Maggie, and also her instructors Mark and Tristan.

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