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American Flyers • Pompano Airpark • 801 NE 10th Street • Pompano Beach, FL 33060 • 954-785-1450 |
Destinations…
Westgate River Ranch Resort in River Ranch, Florida is an honest-to-goodness Dude Ranch and has just about anything you could want to do… Golf course, heated swimming pools, horseback riding, hay rides, kid's club, petting zoo, SaturdayRodeo, trap and skeet range… and a private runway to boot!
Westgate River Ranch Resort is the perfect getaway for a flying family. Not only will everyone have plenty of activities to keep entertained, but you'll have the novelty of the western atmosphere to enjoy.
River Ranch's private airport is on the Miami Sectional Chart, located 3 miles east of restricted area 2901-C. The coordinates are: 27° 46 minutes, 81° 12 minutes, 170° radial of Orlando, 105° radial of Lakeland, 280° radial of Vero Beach.
You can do it all at the Westgate River Ranch Resort… and without a car! For reservations call 866-927-2624. |
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Officer Earns Private Pilot Certificate
Air Force Officer Troy Gryga earned his Private Pilot certificate on a recent Friday afternoon and by following Monday morning he was reporting to Randolph Air Force Base for Navigator training. The aircraft he is training in is the T-43, a modified B-737.
Troy has been in the military for 6 years and plans on remaining with them indefinitely. He loves the work and the camaraderie he enjoys with his fellow servicemen. His face is alive with enthusiasm and confidence when he talks about the Air Force and one is left with no doubt to the success of his future.
When he was 14 years old, Troy had the opportunity to take a Young Eagles flight in a Van's RV-6 experimental aircraft. He was hooked for life! Troy earned a degree in aviation from SIU and he sells jet engines when he's not in active duty. He and his father are building an RV-6A, a two-seat, single-engine, tricycle gear aircraft. They figure it will take 2 years to build and they're both looking forward to the day they can soar the sky together. |
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| Keith Ovitt Has His Intentions Set on His Dream
Imagine landing your airplane gently onto the glassy water of a lake, taxiing up to your dock, tying the dock lines, grabbing your overnight bag and walking the short distance to your front door. Keith Ovitt has wanted to fly a seaplane for a long time. To tie it up at the dock in front of his lake house is the caveat.
Keith has taken a two-week break from his flight training schedule to go to the Glasair Aviation factory in Arlington, Washington where he is building his airplane, the Glasair Sportsman 2+2, a single-engine, 4-seat airplane similar to a C-182. After the airplane is complete, Keith will have to fulfill the FAA requirements for airworthiness certification.
The Ovitt family includes 16 year old Keegan, 19 year old Kalie and wife Vicki. The kids enjoy bringing their friends to the lake house for boating, skiing and general hanging out. Vicki and Keith enjoy entertaining and relaxing. The new airplane will bring an exciting element to their experience this summer. |
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It takes someone with a vision of the possibilities to attain new levels of experience. Someone with the courage to live his dreams.
Les Brown |
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Did You Know…
Harriet Quimby became the first licensed woman aviator in the United States on August 11, 1911. On April 16, 1912 she became the first woman to fly across the English Channel in a monoplane she borrowed from Louis Bleriot.
Quimby, a journalist and screenwriter, attended the Belmont Park International Aviation Tournament on Long Island and met John Moisant and his sister, Matilde. Quimby convinced John's brother Alfred to teach her to fly. Matilde became the second woman to earn a U.S. Pilot license shortly after. Quimby designed a purple satin flight suit she wore whenever she flew.
Credits - © 2002 National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution (SI Neg. 87-9386)
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What You Need to Know About Weather Forecasts
Q: Why did the woman go outdoors with her purse open?
A: Because she expected some change in the weather.
Though we can be sure there will be change in the weather, it's the "when, where, and how" that we leave up to the professionals. Even then, the accuracy of a meteorological forecast wanes as the range of the forecast lengthens. Constantly changing weather necessitates meteorologists constantly updating their forecasts, and since you probably can't be ,on the phone with FSS or online with DUATS constantly we have some knowledge tools to help you beat the odds at gauging the weather.
While forecasts of GOOD weather are likely to be correct for up to twelve hours, a forecast of BAD weather is NOT likely to be correct for the same period of time. Ceiling and visibility forecasts are not reliable beyond two to three hours. In other words, a twelve hour forecast of good weather has a reliability factor of about 80 percent, whereas a twelve hour forecast of bad weather is only about 50 percent reliable.
In cases where distinct weather systems are involved, such as fronts, precipitation, etc., there is a tendency to forecast too little bad weather.
Errors in forecasting the time of a specific weather occurrence are more prevalent than errors in forecasting the occurrence itself.
Some high reliability forecasts, that are usually about 75 percent correct are:
- Passage of fast moving cold fronts within plus or minus two hours
- Passage of slow moving warm fronts within plus or minus five hours
- Rapidly lowering ceilings in pre-warm front conditions are accurate to within plus or minus 200 feet, to within a time accuracy of plus or minus four hours
- In areas where radar is available, the forecast of thunderstorms is accurate to within one to two hours.
Some very low reliability forecasts are:
- Location of severe turbulence
- The location and occurrence of heavy icing
- The location and occurrence of tornados
- Ceilings of 100 feet or less
- Thunderstorms before they are formed.
Whether you are planning a cross country flight or a BBQ in your back yard, these tips will help you better prepare for the surprises that often accompany the daily weather. |
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Two Thumbs Up
At airports where departure procedures are standard, there is a good rule of thumb to follow as to how high to climb after takeoff before making any turns. The circle-to-land MDA for any runway will provide at least 300 feet of obstacle clearance for a distance of 1.3 nautical miles from the end of the specified runway for category A aircraft. If the pilot climbs to this altitude before proceeding on course, he will be safe. |
Laugh Out Loud…
For months after California's Northridge earthquake of 1994, aftershocks rocked the San Fernando Valley and Van Nuys Airport. One morning about three weeks after the initial quake there was a particularly sharp aftershock.
Moments later on Van Nuys' ground control frequency: "Uh, four-three-kilo would like to file a pilot report for moderate turbulence on the east taxiway…"
Http://www.aviation-humor.com/cms/view.php?id=76 |
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"BOB'S ROBIN" …was a P-40E of the 9th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group. It was flown by Captain Bob Vaught, who became an ace in 1942-43 while battling the Japanese over Darwin. The P-40 was the mount of the famed Flying Tigers, and was America's premier fighter at the beginning of World War II. While not the best fighter of World War II, it was prolific and reliable. It served on all fronts, in all theaters, from the beginning of the war until the end. It was flown by virtually all of the allied air forces. World-renowned aviation artist, Lou Drendel, created the "Flyers Series" of paintings for American Flyers celebrating famous aviators and famous aircraft. To see more of Mr. Drendel's series, visit theAmerican Flyers Art Gallery in our online Library at http://www.americanflyers.net/ aviationlibrary/libraryp2.htm#. |
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How to Clear a Fouled Spark Plug
By Rick Freidinger, Director of Maintenance
A rough drop on one mag can be caused by many things, but one of the most common is a fouled spark plug. To avoid missing a flight because of a rough mag drop I recommend that you try the following procedure to clear up a fouled plug. Warm the engine up until your oil temperature is in the green. With your brakes set and holding, run your engine up to approximately 2000 RPM, then slowly lean your mixture until the engine starts to run rough, increase the mixture until the engine just smoothes out. Run the engine at this setting for about one minute. Return your mixture to full rich and reduce your RPM to 1700 RPM and recheck your mags. If your drop is normal go out and enjoy your flight. If you still have a bad drop you can try this procedure one more time, but if that doesn't fix the problems it is best to contact your mechanic and let him check things out. |
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Proposed Rule Change
By David Menconi, Chief Flight Instructor
The FAA has released a proposed rule change that will make a couple significant changes to Part 61, which is the regulation that deals with the certification of pilots, flight instructors, and ground instructors. Some key changes deal with:
- Establishing procedures that will allow the use of night vision goggles
- Revise duration of student pilot certificate to correspond with 3rd Class medical (36 mos. for students under 40).
- Establishing procedures that will remove the expiration date on Flight Instructor Certificates. Rule still requires renewal every 2 years but will be documented by logbook endorsement much like the current Flight Review.
- Increases the requirements for Instrument rating recent experience by requiring:
- Both precision and non-precision approaches.
- Holds at various types of fixes
- Reestablishes minimum amounts of Instrument flight time.
- Establishes different requirements if the recent experience is acquired solely in a flight simulation device or with a combination of aircraft and simulator. – Adds a requirement of wearing a view limiting device (hood, foggles, etc.) when logging instrument training or instrument flight time in the aircraft or flight simulation device.
The complete proposed rule change can be viewed at: http://dms.dot.gov/search/document.cfm?documentid=450179& docketid=26661.
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Words of Wisdom…
Both optimists and pessimists contribute to the society. The optimist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist the parachute.
– George Bernard Shaw Source: http://www.skygod.com
Every year aircraft manufacturers try to add something to their latest models. If they can't add it to the instrument rack, the speed, the handling, or the load carrying capacity, they do the next best thing… they add a bit to the price! Any attempt to stretch fuel is guaranteed to increase headwinds.
Source: http://www.aviationhumor.com/cms/view.php?id=84 |
Calendar
Ground Schools & Events
| Private |
May 4 |
Jun 1 |
Jul 6 |
| Instrument |
May 25 |
Jun 22 |
Jul 27 |
| Commercial |
May 11 |
Jun 8 |
Jul 13 |
| CFI Revalidation |
May 19 |
Jun 16 |
Jul 21 |
| CFIA & FOI |
May 25 |
Jun 22 |
Jul 27 |
| CFII |
May 12 |
Jun 9 |
Jul 14 |
| ATP |
May 5 |
Jun 2 |
Jul 7 |
| BBQ/Seminar |
May 5 |
Jun 2 |
Jul 7 |
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“You’re Invited … ” |
Written Classes
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Free BBQ & Seminar
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IntroFlight
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Congratulations Antoine Knowles, Edigio Perfetti, Lee Buchanan, Stephen Major, Carlos Serrano, Robert Anglade, Dennis Simmons, Steven Bishop, Paul Cohn, Paul Boritzer & Teodoro Capriles on Completing Your Private Written Class
Congratulations
Francis Vanderbecken & Alfredo Arias on Completing Your Instrument Written Class
How About You?
If you are about to tackle your Private or Instrument written there isn’t a better, more enjoyable and guaranteed class available. Plus the class includes two free hours of simulator! |
“Great Food and Fantastic Seminar”
If you haven’t heard yet, there’s a gathering of Pompano Beach area pilots once a month in our hangar. Free food, hangar flying and informative seminar. You and your friends are invited. No cost or obligation to attend.
- Next Scheduled BBQ’s
- Saturday, May 5th
- Saturday, June 2nd
- Saturday, July 7th
“Bring a Friend” |
Get Involved… Introduce Friends to Flying
Sandra Mulligan, a Commercial/ Instrument client, wanted to introduce his neighbor, April Burke, to flying. Sandra brought April to American Flyers for an “IntroFlight” as well as the two hours of free simulator. They both took advantage of our free lunch / seminar and enjoyed a great day at the Airport.
How About You?
If you have a friend or acquaintance who might be interested…send them in or better yet, bring them! Plus the IntroFlight includes two free hours of simulator!
IntroFlight:
$99.00
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| COURSE |
MAY |
JUN |
JUL |
FEE |
| Private Written |
4 |
1 |
6 |
$295* |
| Instrument Written |
25 |
22 |
27 |
$295* |
| Commercial Written |
11 |
8 |
13 |
$295* |
| *Exam fee and manuals not included |
| 954-785-1450 |
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Click here for a more detailed map |
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FREE Simulator … you can enjoy two hours of VFR or IFR simulator instruction, free, by attending either one of our weekend classes or taking an “IntroFlight”.
954-785-1450
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