Airmanship
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Our Chief Instructor, Jen Watson, earns “Master CFI”
Jan 24 2020AeroDynamic’s Chief Flight Instructor, Jen Watson, has been awarded Master CFI accreditation by the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI). This distinction is held by only an average of 300 flight instructors per year!
“The NAFI Master Flight Instructor designation is a national accreditation for aviation educators that is based on a system of advanced professional standards and peer review. The designation is granted by NAFI and has two levels: the NAFI Associate Master Flight Instructor, and the NAFI Master Flight Instructor or Master Ground Instructor. These accreditation’s publicly recognize aviation educators who demonstrate an ongoing commitment to excellence, professional growth, and service to the aviation community, and they set professional standards to which all professional aviation instructors and educators can aspire.
Both levels of the accreditation process focus primarily on the individual’s training activity and evaluation of pilots as well as his or her experience—the foundations of what an instructor is able to pass along to his or her students. They emphasize active instruction and pilot evaluation, not simply taking courses or the tenure of an individual’s instructor certificate. They are not honorary awards that recognize long-time service; rather, they are recognition for the individual who continues to practice aviation education at the highest level.
Accreditation requires a rigorous process of on-going professional activity. Like a flight instructor certificate, NAFI Master Instructor accreditation’s must be renewed every 24 months to assure a dedication to continuous involvement.”
Three teenage pilots take to the sky!
Aug 01 2018One of our recent graduate’s mom snapped this photo of three 17-year-old Aerodynamic students (2 newly licensed private pilots and 1 student pilot) departing out of Monterey airport. Adam Shapiro is in the left seat, Katrina Espinoza is in the right (his safety pilot) and Sophia Taylor-Home is in the back seat. If you look closely, you can actually see clear silhouettes of 3 people inside the plane.
Adam earned his Private Pilot with us in Monterey back in December 2017. Katrina earned her license at our Reid-Hillview location in June 2018 thanks to a generous scholarship from AOPA (she won their High School scholarship in 2016 for $5000) and another scholarship from the 99s in 2018. Sophia is a current student pilot working hard to get to solo.
We are so proud of you all! This next generation of pilots work hard for their successes and prove you are never too young or too old to go after your dreams. We wish you all the best in your aviation careers!
Vote in AOPA’s 2016 Flight Training Poll
May 23 2016You trusted us to help you achieve your dream of flying. Now we’d like you to tell us about your flight training experience. We are participating in the AOPA Flight Training Poll and your feedback will help shape the flight training experience for future students.
The AOPA Flight Training Poll is based on extensive research into the optimal flight training experience. Your participation will give you the opportunity to tell us about your experience with us so that we can see how we stack up to the industry. We want to hear it all – the Good, the Bad and the AWESOME!
BONUS! Enter the 2016 Flight Training Poll Sweepstakes!
By participating in the Flight Training Poll, you will be eligible to enter to win on of the sweepstakes prizes provided by Jeppesen, Sport’s, Pilot Workshops and Aircraft Spruce.*
- An Aircraft Spruce $150 Gift Card
- Your choice of a Jeppesen Part 61 Private Pilot or Instrument Pilot Kit
- A Pilot Workshops Real World VFR online course
- Your choice of a Sporty’s Learn to Fly or Instrument Rating online course (two of these will be awarded)
*NO PURCHASE OR REGISTRATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS SWEEPSTAKES. A PURCHASE OR REGISTRATION WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
Participation in the poll is not required to enter the sweepstakes. If you don’t want to submit valuable feedback to help the aviation industry and would like to just enter the sweepstakes, you can do so here.
Checkride Pass!!! – Congrats
Oct 24 2014Congratulations to Artur Pilipenko for passing his Private Pilot checkride today with DPE Scott Rohlfing! Thanks to all the flight instructors that helped make this possible .. Patrick C., Mark G., Jennifer D., Zdravko P. and more! Another tailwheel pilot is amongst us and we couldn’t be more ecstatic, best of luck and happy landings Artur !!!
Artur Pilipenko with DPE Scott Rohfling after a successful checkride in N1806G!
FAA Computer Testing Supplement Update (From Gleim)
Feb 09 2014Gleim Pilot community,
As you may know, some of the figures on the FAA Knowledge Tests have been used without revision for decades and therefore look outdated. Fortunately for future students, the FAA is in the process of updating these figures. Gleim applauds this refinement, and we want to disseminate what we know about the FAA’s progress so that you and your colleagues can be more effective in preparing and passing the FAA Pilot Knowledge Tests.
The FAA originally planned to release and begin testing with improved color figures for most of the Knowledge Tests on February 10, 2014. However, the FAA announced last week that only 2 new FAA Computer Testing Supplements are going to be effective on Monday, February 10th: (1) Sport Pilot, Recreational Pilot, and Private Pilot, and (2) Addendum A Computer Testing Supplement for Instrument.
How have the figures changed?
The FAA made every effort to keep the figures largely the same, with changes only for readability/enhanced aesthetics. Unfortunately, the Sport Pilot, Recreational Pilot, and Private Pilot Computer Testing Supplement was not easy for the FAA to update into color. For example, some figures are excerpts from Sectional Charts showing geographical areas with new landmarks. In some cases, airports have been renamed or even closed. Moreover, some Airport Facility Directory pages have changed due to alterations at the respective airports over the years, such as lengthened runways or additional taxiways. In addition to these aesthetic changes, all of the Sport Pilot figure numbers have changed because Sport Pilot now shares the same Computer Testing Supplement with Private.
What does this mean?
Some of the figure changes mandated edits to the associated questions so accuracy and viability could be maintained. However, if we look at the big picture of how those changes will affect students, the impact is minimal. For example, the symbols for airports and Class C airspace are the same. Frequencies may have changed, but their placement on a sectional chart has not changed. In one instance, Dallas Red Bird airport has become Dallas Executive airport. In this case, a student confident in his/her ability to read a Sectional Chart would simply note that the airport is now referred to as “Dallas Executive” instead of “Dallas Red Bird.” In this manner, almost all of the changes are not the kind that will trip up a Gleim student who has studied according to our plan.
What does Addendum A mean for Instrument?
Addendum A for Instrument consists of 105 new figures (Figures 155 – 253). Five of the figures are similar (for example, they may have the same approach or airport facility directory) to the current Instrument Computer Testing Supplement. There are no FAA-released questions associated with these 105 new figures. So, an Instrument student may encounter a question associated with the new figures, but the question will not test a new topic. Rather, a new question of this kind could be considered a parallel question to a current question in the Gleim materials. In other words, if a student understands how to answer a glide slope question for ILS RWY 12L at Des Moines INTL (DSM) (Figure 118), then (s)he should be able to answer a similar glide slope question for ILS or LOC RWY 36 OSHKOSH/WITTMAN RGNL (OSH) (Figure 252).
Is Gleim providing an update to its courses and books?
YES! Our online courses (OGS and Test Prep Online) will be updated by mid-February, and PDF updates for our books are already available at http://www.gleim.com/updates.
Where can I find the new FAA Computer Testing Supplements?
Following are clickable links for each new Computer Testing Supplement that will be testable beginning February 10.
Title: Instrument Rating Addendum A
URL:
Total Pages: 107
File Size: 21.04MB
Title: Sport, Recreational, and Private Pilot
URL:
Total Pages: 118
File Size: 35.44MB
——————————-
Garrett Gleim
Vice President
Gleim Publications, Inc
Phone: 352.375.0772
Fax: 352.375.6940
garrett@gleim.com
News: Formation Flying Class April 19/20/21
Apr 01 2013
We are planning a formation flying class for the weekend of April 19/20/21.
If you have ever wondered about what it takes, here is your chance.
Fly formation with your friends, arrive at fly-ins in style, improve your skills and become a smoother pilot.
There will be a ground school on the Friday late afternoon, then flying sessions on Saturday and Sunday.
The syllabus will cover a complete ten flight course designed to teach you all you need to qualify for the Formation Flight Inc Wingman Card. However you can come only for the ground school ($200), and you can fly as many or as few flights as you like. All you pay is for the instructor ($65 per hr) and airplane ($105 – $119).
This class is limited to four participants only.
New Avionics Bus and Master Switch for Cessna 637 (plus a couple of other improvements)
Sep 14 2012We recently did a number of improvements to N61637, our 1975 Cessna 172M.
Cessna 61637
The most immediately noticeable to pilots is the installation of an avionics master switch. This may sound a simple thing, but it is not. To do it, the electric bus had to be split in two and all avionics connected to the second one, behind the new switch. Many hours of work, hanging upside down under the panel, was needed.
Pilots now just need to turn the avionics master on and off, it is no longer necessary or even recomended to turn each radio on and off separately.
Please remember, NEVER turn the avionics master on before the engine is started, and ALWAYS turn it off before the engine is shut down! See also the article on alternator problems.
In addition to the avionic work, we took the opportunity to rebuild the nosewheel strut assembly and also to install a new flap motor.
A big “Thank you” to Victory Aero for doing the work so quickly.
As always, do remember to check the AeroDynamic Aviation web site regularly. We recently added more Pilot Operating Handbooks to our “Useful Documents” section
News: FAA Clarifies Instrument Currency Requirements
Jan 27 2012
Clarification: IFR Currency Requirements
Notice Number: NOTC3489
Technical Amendment to IFR Currency Requirements
Read also 61.57(c) – Click on FAA Logo to go to complete text of 14CFR61.57 (Op Ed)
14 CFR 61.57 (d) describes the requirements for an instrument proficiency check (IPC), and includes a description of when an IPC is necessary. While certain exceptions apply, a pilot may reestablish instrument currency that has been lapsed for more than 6 months only through obtaining an IPC. On December 16, 2011, the FAA issued a technical correction to section 61.57 (d) in order to clarify the meaning of the regulation. This clarification was simply just that, a clarification, and no change to the application of the rule was intended. As the FAA explained in that technical correction (emphasis added):
The revised language makes it clear that a pilot who has failed to maintain instrument currency for more than six calendar months may not serve as pilot in command under IFR or in weather conditions less than the minimums prescribed for VFR until completing an instrument proficiency check. A pilot whose instrument currency has been lapsed for less than six months may continue to reestablish instrument currency by performing the tasks and maneuvers required in paragraph (c).
Notwithstanding the exceptions on 61.57 (e), the following timeline illustrates the correct application of 61.57 (d):
January 31, 2012: A pilot is no longer instrument current because they no longer meet the recent experience requirements found in 61.57 (c). This pilot may no longer act as pilot-in-command (PIC) of an aircraft operating under IFR or in weather conditions less than the minimums prescribed for VFR.
February 1, 2012 to July 31, 2012: The pilot has between these dates in order to obtain the recent experience requirements found in 61.57 (c). This experience may be obtained through instruction, the use of a safety pilot, or through a simulator / training device.
August 1, 2012: If by this date the pilot had not regained instrument currency, the only method by which a pilot may become instrument current again is by obtaining an IPC.
The FAA has become aware of some recent blogs, emails, and website comments that contain confusion about the technical correction and the current meaning of the rule. This FAAST Blast will hopefully alleviate that confusion. For additional information, please review the latest technical correction to 61.57 at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-12-16/pdf/2011-32333.pdf
New Multi Engine Pilot: Brian Hsu
Oct 22 2011
Our own Brian Hsu has been working hard! Brian added his Multi Engine Instrument Commercial rating to his pilot license. Brian took his flying lessons with AeroDynamic CFI Sergey Sinyachkin in the Beech Duchess and aced his flight test with Examiner Sherry Diamond.
Congratulations and well done to Brian and Sergey.