7ECA
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First Solo Flight – Eric Jones
Feb 11 2017Solo Date: February 5, 2017
Aircraft: Citabria 7ECA
Instructor: Batelle, Jason, Grainne & Jen
Location: San Jose, CA (KRHV)
Traveling all the way from Arizona, Eric Jones made a commitment to himself that his first solo flight would be in a taildragger…and he did it! Using his first vacation in years, student pilot and aircraft fueler from Phoenix flew with quite a few of AeroDynamic’s tailwheel instructors and was able to solo just before departing for home. We are so honored he made the trip here to fly with us and accomplished what he set out to do – tailwheel endorsement and first solo flight. Way to be awesome, Eric! We wish you lots of luck with finishing your pilot’s license and hope you come back someday soon to do some more taildragging with us.
New Private Pilot – Edan Ben-Moshe
Jan 31 2017Date: January 28, 2017
Instructor: Jen Delp-Mallet
Certification: Private Pilot
After soloing a taildragger with us at 16 years old, Edan earned his Private Pilot License in a Citabria at 17! Talk about bragging rights. Shortly after holding up his temporary airmen certificate, Edan took to the skies with his first passenger, his dad, a Private Pilot who earned his instrument rating with AeroDynamic’s chief instructor Jen. We hope to see the family traditions continue. Edan plans to attend aviation college after graduating high school this summer and continue on with a professional pilot career. We are so honored to have been part of his journey and can’t wait to see all he will accomplish. The biggest hurdle may be getting his dad to be a tailwheel pilot, too…
Examiner: Scott Rohlfing
Aircraft: Citabria N1806G
Checkride Location:
San Jose, CA (KRHV)
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 – Edan Ben Moshe
Aug 25 2016Solo Date: August 23, 2016
Aircraft: Citabria 7ECA
Instructor: Jen Delp-Mallet
Location: San Jose, CA (KRHV)
Living the dream! At only 16 years old, Edan became one of the elite young solo pilots, and he did it right…in a taildragger! 
Edan’s father, who received his instrument rating with Jen Delp-Mallet in his Diamond Star DA40, and his mother watched and snapped photos from Row P with his proud instructor as Edan took to the evening sky off runway 31R at Reid-Hillview airport. Winds were mostly down the runway at 10 knots, sunset approaching on the horizon, and light traffic in the pattern. Edan’s first comment to his instructor? “I didn’t know the tail would be so light without you back there,” followed by “and I kept looking at the backseat, like there’s really no one there?!”
Edan turns 17 in a few months, so we wish him luck with finishing up his Private Pilot’s license just after his birthday. As long as he does school and flight training homework on time, he should meet this goal and be on to borrowing Dad’s plane in no time. 😉
First Solo – Craig Reid
May 25 2016Solo Date: May 24, 2016
Aircraft: Citabria 7ECA
Instructor: Jason Brown & Batelle Rachmian
Location: San Jose, CA (KRHV)
Craig completed his first solo flight today in Citabria 9091L. He flew the pattern at Reid-Hillview (KRHV) with his instructor supervising from below, landing on runway 31R.
Craig used to be afraid of G forces but now loves the feeling. He is a geological engineer and starting flying so that he can go places more quickly. He wants to “go see geology where you can’t normally get to.”
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.
ATC Communications
Feb 23 2016AeroDynamic Aviation gives a big thank you to our CFI Jason Brown for organizing an event designed to keep up communications between our busy Reid-Hillview air traffic controllers and the students, pilots and instructors they work with daily. Last Saturday and Sunday Jason, Jen, Josh, Batelle and Geoff (AeroDynamic pilots) took more than 10 local controllers up for flights around Southeast San Jose.
While the controllers learned to pilot the aircraft (J3 Cub, Champ, Citabria and SportStar) and work the radios from the other side of the glass, their instructors showed them some of the well-known VFR checkpoints and how difficult it can be to spot other aircraft, especially when “number 5” in the pattern with dual runways. We are very appreciative of all they do to handle the high volume at our busy airport! Thanks for being part of our family for a day and seeing how the other side works 🙂
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!!!
First Solo – Eric Middleton
Feb 13 2016Tailwheel private pilot student Eric Middleton soloed Citabria 9091L on January 28th at KRHV (Reid-Hillview airport) while instructor Tom Morley supervised. It’s an incredible achievement to take those first solo steps, especially in a taildragger. Well done, Eric and Tom!
Solo date: January 28, 2016
Tailwheel Instructor: Tom Morley
First Solo – Alessandro Tognaccini
Nov 15 2015
Alessandro and N9091L
Congratulation to Alessandro on soloing one of our beloved Citabrias! He’s enjoying the experience of learning on a traditional tailwheel aircraft and can’t wait to earn his Private Pilot license.
Thank you to Tom Morley for all of your great instruction!