Tailwheel
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First Solo Flight – Jason Gordon
Jan 23 2017Solo Date: January 1, 2017
Aircraft: Citabria 7ECA
Instructor: Jason Brown
Location: San Jose, CA (KRHV)
“My solo was 3 takeoffs and 3 landings at KRHV. I’ve wanted to fly since I was about 9 years old when a Delta pilot let me into the cockpit during a flight to Hawaii & let me keep the flight plan when we landed. I’ve been chipping away at my private pilots license since 2011 & love the freedom that flying gives you. Not just flying over busy freeways to get somewhere faster but the way it takes all of your attention and focus away from work, bills, and everything else that can consume your mind and forces you to be present in the moment. My goal getting started was to be able to travel more quickly and easily but since joining the aviation community am now planning to join the CAP and considering becoming a CFI so I can share my love of aviation with others.” ~ Jason
Happy 70th Birthday – Champ N2791E
Nov 10 2016AeroDynamic prides itself on training in historic taildraggers. Sadly, it’s rare for a flight school to have tailwheel aircraft anymore, let alone one built in 1946 that still requires handpropping (no electrical system :-o). We are honored to preserve the legacy left by Amelia Reid and later carried on by one of her instructors, Zdravko Podoliski. After 56 years in business and training many aviators and aviatrix, Josh & Jen, two of Zdravko’s pupils, hope to keep the history alive and flying for years to come. Thanks to all of you who support us!
Happy 70th birthday, Champ Two-Seven-Niner-One-Echo. May you teach many more students, give many more first solo flights and keep the dirty side down (most of the time).
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- Ready for the next passenger
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- Cheers to you!
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- I hope I look this good at 70!
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- In the runup with taildraggers
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- Downwind at KRHV
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- Hauling rides
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- Awesome cake by Eric’s wife
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- Jen & Logan up for CFI training
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- Let’s get this party started
First Solo – Hajime Sammoto
Oct 13 2016Solo Date: October 7, 2016
Aircraft: Citabria 7ECA
Instructor: Batelle Rachmian
Location: San Jose, CA (KRHV)
As a historic flight school, we love our traditions, especially when they involve tailwheel aircraft! Flight Instructor Batelle cuts the tails off her tailwheel student’s shirt after his first solo flight in a Citabria. Hajime hails from Japan and has been training with us since late August for his Private Pilot Certificate. Jumping the hurdles of becoming proficient in English and Aviation languages, he progressed quickly and now moves on to the cross-country and checkride prep phase of training. Congrats to Hajime for taming the taildragger and Batelle for all her hard work!
“In American aviation lore, the traditional removal of a new pilot’s shirt tail is a sign of the instructor’s new confidence in his student after successful completion of the first solo flight. In the days of tandem trainers, the student sat in the front seat, with the instructor behind. As there were often no radios in these early days of aviation, the instructor would tug on the student pilot’s shirttail to get his attention, and then yell in his ear. A successful first solo flight is an indication that the student can fly without the instructor (“instructor-less” flight). Hence, there is no longer a need for the shirt tail, and it is cut off by the (often) proud instructor, and sometimes displayed as a trophy.” – Rod Machado (who also trained with us!)
First Solo – Adam Lantos
Jun 25 2016Solo Date: June 11, 2016
Aircraft: Citabria 7ECA
Instructor: David Pease
Location: San Jose, CA (KRHV)
Like many of us, Adam’s interest in planes started when he was just a kid. And like so many of us, his addiction hit when another AeroDynamic pilot took him for a glider flight and Citabria flight. This led him to an introductory flight in the Cessna and Citabria, but he felt (ahem…correctly) that tailwheel was much more fun.
For right now Adam doesn’t have serious plans for a career in aviation; he just wants the experience of learning a new skill and mastering it. He feels flying the Citabria demands precision and discipline, but also rewards him with a feeling of accomplishment and a stronger pair of legs 🙂
Once the hard work of earning his Private Pilot’s License is out of the way, Adam plans to explore, have the perspective from above (watching all the little people stuck in traffic), and go to various places. Eventually he plans to continue his training to include some basic aerobatics, mountain flying lessons, and maybe take up IFR when he decides to venture out of California and travel farther afield.
From all of us aviation addicts – way to go and keep up the hard work, Adam!
Airplane Camping – Columbia, CA
May 19 2016A gaggle of aviation enthusiasts take to the sky for airplane camping!
AeroDynamic family members departed Reid-Hillview airport on a partly cloudy Saturday for a night of camping, grilling, and stargazing on the grass runway at Columbia Airport (O22). This AeroDynamic tradition started a few years ago with a bunch of adventurous pilots who wanted to fly for more than just the $100 hamburger.
On this trip, 4 taildraggers and 3 Cessna 172s flew in to the grass and paved runways at this 2120′ MSL elevation airport at the base of the Sierra Mountains.
A few of us later hopped in the taildraggers for some showing off…ahem, landing practice…on the grass runway.
With everyone contributing a little something, we grilled chicken, cooked broccoli-cheese rice, and shared wine, beer, cheese, crackers, and chocolate (thanks, Mary). Totally stuffed, we sat around the campfire telling tall pilot tales and heckling each other. Once dark settled in, we walked out to the now-quiet grass runway 29-11 and laid down to stargaze (ok, maybe we did some plane spotting, too).
Instructors, students, and friends woke to the loud squawking of roosters and loud roar of low-flying aircraft – one of which you would expect when your tent is pitched a few hundred feet from a runway. 
Breakfast and coffee happened, then a few of us climbed in our planes for aerobatics, grass landing practice, or sightseeing. After packing up camp, some of us flew out while others walked into the quaint town of Columbia, where you can pan for gold, get a horse-drawn carriage ride, or see a play in this historic town.
Please join us on our next airplane camping adventure (to be announced soon). All are welcome – your plane or ours, with an instructor or solo – and bring family, kids, pets and friends!
New Private Pilot – Shenghao Huang
Apr 16 2016Date: April 7, 2016
Instructor: David Pease
Location: San Jose, CA (KRHV)
Certification: Private Pilot, Tailwheel
After waiting out strong winds and changing weather conditions, Shenghao completed his Private Pilot checkride with examiner Scott Rohlfing in Citabria N1806G. Instructor David Pease worked tirelessly to finish his training and couldn’t be more proud. A huge congrats from all of us!
New Aerobatic Video!
Mar 11 2016Interested in Aerobatics?
See what an Intro to Aerobatics flight and Competition Aerobatic Training will entail in this video. We include a flight within an aerobatic box of the IAC 2015 Sportsman Sequence flown in a 150-hp Bellanca Decathlon. For more information, visit our Intro to Aerobatics webpage or Aerobatic Training webpage.
To learn more about competition aerobatics, visit the
International Aerobatic Club’s (IAC) website.
Here are samples of Aresti symbols and judge’s sheets used for the 2015 Sportsman sequence
New Instrument-Rated Taildragger Pilot!
Mar 04 2016Date: Feb 27, 2016
Certification: Instrument Rating, Citabria 7GCAA
Location: Salinas, CA
Jim Shumaker, president of the EAA chapter in Salinas and many more such accomplishments, once trained with Amelia Reid herself. He challenges himself regularly with aerobatics and backcountry flying, but more recently he earned his instrument rating in his own Citabria 7GCAA!
With a panel consisting of 6-pack analog instruments and VOR/DME, Jim mastered the challenges of flying in the clouds with a stick and rudder airplane. Jim trained with Chief Instructor, Jen Delp-Mallet, out of his home airport in Salinas, CA. She couldn’t be more proud of his hard work and dedication to mastering this rating. Congrats!!!
Jen’s Decathlon with Jim’s GCAA
New Private Pilot – Suhas Joshi
Feb 26 2016Date: Feb 24, 2016
Certification: Private Pilot, Tailwheel
Location: Reid-Hillview, San Jose, California
“Thanks to the amazing staff at Aerodynamic Aviation for helping me achieve a life goal. Special thanks to CFIs Jason Brown, Tom Morley and Chief Instructor Jen Delp-Mallet for helping me sharpen my flying skills. Next goal – IFR!” ~ Suhas
It’s an incredible thing to be able to help someone achieve their dreams. AeroDynamic is exceptionally proud of all the hard work Suhas put into becoming not just a Private Pilot, but an extremely qualified one. It has been a joy to have him as part of the family and we can’t wait to see what he does with his flying. Way to earn your wings in a taildragger! Congrats to Suhas and his instructors.
New Private Pilot – Julio McWilliams
Feb 23 2016Date: Feb 23, 2016
Certification: Private Pilot, Tailwheel
Location: Reid-Hillview, San Jose, California.
On a beautiful winter’s day in California, student pilot Julio MacWilliams became a Private Pilot. He passed his checkride in Citabria N1806G with DPE Scott Rohlfing. A huge congratulations to Julio and his instructors – Grainne, Tom and Jim. His next goal is a checkout in the Cessna 170. Way to fly a taildragger, Julio!!!