Saturday May 18, 2013  

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Learn to Fly Day and Open House at the Flying W Airport – N14

Medford, NJ

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Learn More About Flying Today!

“When April steps aside for May,
Like diamonds all the rain-drops glisten;
Fresh violets open every day:
To some new bird each hour we listen.”
-  Lucy Larcom

He who would learn to fly one day 
must first learn to stand and walk
and run and climb and dance;
one cannot fly into flying.
-Friedrich Nietzsche

Sign Up HERE

for OUR May 18th “Learn to Fly Day and Flying W Airport Open House”

or read more about our event below.

This time of year is filled with ancient rituals.

Rituals that ensure the survival of the natural world including the building of Bird Nests. 

Being of like mind, spring renews the passion of flight and brings a draw to the outside world, the airport.  We the human flyer and our little feathered friend feel the spring urge to come to the airport.  We bring our urge to fly and build a seasonal home as the year springs forth.  Ours, in the aircraft we decide to fly.  For our feathered friends, a place to call home and raise a family.  

Unfortantely, we both cannot call the aircraft our home. 

Hence, we, the human, must preflight the aircraft with great care to prevent our feathered friends from making our their home, our aircraft.   

Ahh, the saga of the “nesting birds“ !  Hopefully we will have no Angry Birds  at the airport.

Ancient Myths and Legends of Flight

According to this article,  man-kind history was a dream to soar through the sky like a bird.  When April steps aside for May, May has become the seasonal month in the aviation community to believe in the impossible dream of taking flight. 

In a cooperative effort set in motion by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) of pilots, companies, governments, and organizations in countries around the world to raise interest in flying and encourage current pilots to get others involved in aviation, created International Learn to Fly Day.

International Learn to Fly Day is celebrated yearly on the third Saturday of May.  

Learn to Fly Day and Open House at the Flying W Airport

Please join us for our Learn to Fly Day and Open House at the Flying W Airport, May 18th from 10 AM to 4 PM.  Please visit our “Event Link” to Register for our our Learn to Fly Day and Open House at the Flying W Airport Event. 

This is your chance to learn more about your local airport.  We invite you to ask questions about our airport, our aircraft, our flight school, learning to fly an aircraft or a helicopter.  This is your day to learn more about us, our passion, our community.

Come early and join our aviation community for breakfast at the Runway Café.  Come later and enjoy lunch.  The Café has a great view of the taxiway and runway, and is open from 8 AM to 4 PM.

Freeflight Aviation will display some of our favorite aircraft.  Our feature aircraft for this event will be our Diamond DA20 and Diamond DA40 Aircraft.  Freeflight offers flight training in a Diamond DA20 and DA40.  Through one of our flight school members, we offer a flight time share program in a G1000 Diamond DA40.

And, best of all, one of our previous flight school members purchased a DA40, for flight enjoyment.  It’s an aircraft his family enjoys, and is often used to take family vacations.

Our local Diamond Distributer may provide us with additional Aircraft for display, and explain some of the Diamond Aircraft programs for leasing back an aircraft with a flight school, and the Diamond Share Program.

The Diamond Aircraft are known for their safety record and their modern glass panel of avonics.  Additional information on these systems can be found on the Diamond Aircraft and GlassPilot websites.

Our local EAA Chapter, 1348, will offer Young Eagle Flights to young adults, ages 8-17.  These flights are offered on a first come bases, so, please come early, if you are interested in a flight around the patch (our beautiful airport). 

We encourage young adults interested in a career path with aviation to visit the Young Eagle website and take the Sporty’s Online Fly Course.  If this course is completed, the young adult will be sent a certificate for a first flight lesson at any participating flight school, including Freeflight Aviation.

Freeflight would like to offer you the chance to take a 1/2 hour or 1 hour Discovery Flight.  When you Register for our International Learn to Fly Day Event at the Flying W Airport, you can purchase one of these flights. 

You can also purchase our Discovery Flight Package, and use it for another day.  It’s up to you.

A $99.00 Coupon for a 1/2 hour Discovery Flight Package is available on our Freeflight Meetup Group Event Page.

We hope to see you May 18th.   

Please come for a visit and enjoy the day at the Flying W Airport! 

YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO VISIT WITH US AND OUR LOCAL AIRPORT ANYTIME.

Visit us on Twitter or Facebooks.

It has returned, at least according to the calendar.

 
Calm winds brought an early Spring Season to Freeflight. On Saturday March 9, our Women of Aviation Week Fly It Forward event flowed smoothly just like a light breeze over the runway. Freeflight pilots eagerly awaited as early morning came, with their aircraft lined up along the taxiway wooden fence line outside of flight operations area.

Jan, Tyler, and Bryan provided flights to 12 excited women, in three of our cherished aircraft, the Diamond DA40, the Cessna 172, and the Piper Archer. These women passengers, upon returning from their flight, were full of smiles and a grand experience to be shared with their friends and families.

Marla and Tyler

Sandy, Jan, Charlene

Nancy and Jan

Freeflight’s next event especially for the public will be held in May.  If you want to learn more about aviation, airports, flying small airplanes, please join us for Aviation’s “International Learn to Fly Day.”   Our event is presently listed on our Freeflight Aviation and the Neighborhood Meetup Group, but will be updated as May approaches.

Spring may roar like a lion, but we, like the lamb, will calmly and slowly be adding additional aircraft to our fleet during this season.

Our refurbished piper warrior, a PA28 – 151 (now 161) has appeared on the ramp.  It’s newly painted surfaces, completed by Leading Edge Aircraft Maintenance – Freeflight’s maintenance shop, are just breath taking.  The interior, new, and the rebuilt engine is a package worth viewing.  Please, renters, treat our beautiful baby with much care.

Photos taken by Dave Bourne - of Daisy Photography

Long in the making, a complex will soon be added to our fleet, the piper archer, PA-28R-200. The aircraft is in our shop for an annual. Flight rules, flight instructor check-outs, check out in type sheets, must be completed, prior to this aircraft becoming available for rent.

This aircraft, a 200-hp (149-kW) version powered by a Lycoming IO-360-C1C was offered as an option beginning in 1969 and designated the PA-28R-200.

Our Freeflight Group has enjoyed another morning Breakfast at the Runway Café.

Our next Breakfast at the Runway Café is scheduled for April 20 – 9 AM. 

Breakfast the Runway Cafe

Minnie and Mickey had been traveling around the United States.  

Minnie has been more places then Mickey.  From N14 – The Flying W Airport – NJ, Al took Minnie to PHL – Northeast Philadelphia, PA and gave her a flight in the Channel 3 Helicopter.   Mickey, having spent most of the winter in the Singh family, recently departed from TER – Teterboro Airport – NJ on Thursday March 14^th and flew to PBI -West Palm Beach in N220GS, a Lear 35. 

Minnie and Mickey have been keeping in touch with us, and many of their pilots have been sending us updates and photographs of their travels.  Please see our facebook page for Minnie’s and Mickey’s adventures.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Check out this love story…

When You Fall in Love with a Pilot from Katie.

A Video…Fly to your Heart

Freeflight’s “Let’s get to know each other Breakfast” at the Flying W Airport’s Runway Cafe. 

Come see the heart of our operation, our members,  the students, the pilots, the instructors, our airport community.  February’s breakfast is on the 16th starting at 9 AM.   We sure hope you can come visit us, talk aircraft, and meet some of our pilots and students.

January’s Breakfast at the Flying W Airport’s Runway Cafe

Ramp Check and other Aviation Legal Matters and EAA Chapter 1348 Monthly Meeting

Wayne Mauro, a NJ attorney, will present a seminar on Ramp Checks & other Aviation Legal Matters on Monday evening, February 25th @ 7pm at the Runway Cafe at Flying W Airport during the EAA NJ Chapter 1348 Monthly Meeting.   Organized by Freeflight Aviation and the local EAA Chapter 1348.

airplanes of love from Bartlomiej Otlowski on Vimeo.

A New Year!

In the pursuit of being awakened.

What makes you come alive?

Our Centering in the Universe is FLIGHT.

This is our Fun, our Friends, our Freedom, our PASSION!

So as the year comes to an end and a new beginning, we invite you to join our world.

Our operation is built on the premise that flying small airplanes is first and foremost FUN. 

As a Flight School and Social Club for the general aviator, we invite to start your flight training with us, to obtain your private pilot certificate.

Our goal is to share our experiences and provide an atmosphere of informative, fun, flight training.  

Aviation helps you grow as a person and changes your life .  

Friends and Family

The second week of December, we enjoyed lunch at our local Flying W Airport’s Runway Cafe.  Breakfast started around 9 AM and continued into lunch time.  People came and people went.  What a wonderful way to spend the upcoming holidays.

Breakfast at the Runway Cafe

Additional photographs can be found on our Facebook Page.

Upcoming Events

January 10:   FAA Safety Seminar at the Flying W Airport – “Can you talk the talk”?  Starting at 7 PM.

January 19:  Freeflight’s Breakfast at the Flying W Airport’s Runway Cafe and Seminar on Upset Recovery and Spin Training by Robert Mcguigan.  Enjoy the seminar, and you are invited to take additional training in Robert’s Aerobat C152.   Starts at 9 AM.

January 25, 26, 27:  AirPigz National Air And Space Museum MeetUp January 25-27, 2013 (Washington DC)  Freeflight’s meetup to drive or fly.  Our own group, or join up with Air Pigz.  It’s your choice.

Construction of a Light Aircraft.

A Piper Club

We Invite the Public

To talk to our Pilots and Flight Instructors.  For anyone interested on Learning more about Flying, we invite you to join Freeflight Aviation and our Members for Breakfast Saturday December 15 at the Flying W Airport’s Runway Café for Lunch/Brunch from 9 AM – 11:00 PM. 

Let Us Celebrate

Our Family of Local Pilots, Students, and Customers, are invited to the Annual Holiday Christmas Party, organised by the Flying W Airport’s Manager, Mindy Redner.  This year’s party will be on December 8th, starting at 7 PM.  Cost is $25.00 per person.  Tickets are only being sold at the Flying W Flight Operation desk this year.  Please purchase your tickets as soon as possible.  Mindy needs to make the final arrangements for the party several days in advance.

Flying Auto Gyros

When Freeflight Aviation pilots want to fly somewhere they don’t let a little thing like Frankenstorm stop them.

On the Saturday before Hurricane Sandy stopped by for a visit, 5 different planes carrying 13 people went on an adventure to Bay Bridge Airport in Maryland (W29). 

Besides the great flight of about an hour, there was the fun of flying the pattern along side theBayBridge. 

Once there we were greeted by Terri Rose who manages Chesapeake Sport Pilot & Auto Gyro USA, the real reason for our trip.  Some of us were going to try our hand at flying an Autogyro. What’s an Autogyro you might ask?  It’s not an airplane but it’s not quite a helicopter either. It has flying chracteristics of both.  CFI Bob Snyder took  seven of us on a demo flight.  Tyler Singh, Marianna Catrullo, Gary Growney, Chris Colacci, Dan Dellarova, Eugene Timashev & myself,  all agreed it was an awesome experience.  An Autogyro endorsement is possible after about 7-10 hours of dual training. 

If you’re looking for a place to fly and want to try something new,  head on down to Bay Bridge.  Say hello to Terri and Bob if you are there.

Jan Greenberg

Our New Home

Freeflight Aviation has recently moved to the Flight Operations Building of the          
Flying W Airport.   We have a community room, an office, and a classroom now for our flight lessons.   The Flying W Airport’s Fly-It Simulator is across the hall from our classroom. 

Log onto My FBO Here.

Our New Neighborhood 

The Runway Café.

A great place to stop for an 8 AM breakfast or early afternoon lunch. 
The Runway Café offers breakfast and lunch from 8 AM to 4 PM. 
They are presently on winter time hours. 
Please call the Flying W Airport Flight Operations for their hours of operations. 

The Runway Cafe – After Hours

Flight Operations

Need Fuel – Stop Here
Need a Motel Room – Stop Here
Need a Chart – Stop Here
Let them fulfill your needs.
Give them a call at 609-265-7673,
Winter Hours: 8 AM – 5 PM, 
Need something after 5 PM, please call during business hours to make arrangements for after hour requests.

Additions to our Fleet.

We have added a Cessna C152, N25480 a Cessna C172, N738YT and a Piper Archer, N8126X to our fleet this summer.  Our Diamond DA20, N208DB has just gotten a new engine.   We are here for Flight Training.  Are you ready to Learn to Fly?

C172 – N738YT

More News

Freeflight Aviation’s Annual Lobster Fest

We had a nice attendance for our August Lobster Fest beside the Flying W Aiport’s Pool.  Jane, for the Runway Café and her husband, Jason, presented us with this plate in memory of our Annual Lobster Fest.   Thank you!

Annual Lobster Fest Memory Plate

Atlantic City Airshow

Freeflight Aviation and several of our members attended the Annual Atlantic City – Thunder Over the Boardwalk in August.  We had a great breakfast, enjoyed a great view from the Mall along the Pier’s second floor deck, and stopped for dinner before returning back to our homes.

Member News

Solos

Steve’s student Katie in the C152, Chuck and Bob Jr.’s student Rob in the C152, and Bob’s student Greg in the Arrow.

Steve and Katie

Bob Jr and Rob

Greg and Bob

 Solo Cross Countries

Gene’s student Jack flew to Cape May in C172. 

Jack’s First Fly in May 2012. 

New Private Pilot

Nick’s student Andrew got his rating in our C152.

Nick’s Student Andrew.

Upcoming Fly-Out to W29
Bay Bridge Airport, Maryland to learn about AutoGyros.

 
We welcome our Freeflight Aviation Members along with any other Pilots, Flight Instructors, and their Students to come join us October 27 to learn and/or fly an AutoGyro.
To Learn More and Sign up for this Fly-Out, please visit our Bay Bridge Fly-Out Event Post. 
We must know who is attending by Monday, October 15th.

But Destined to Fly.

Ideals are like stars: you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you reach your destiny.
Carl Schurz

First there was Tyler, then Mick, Marianna, now Evgeniy, and we are waiting for …..
All have made their Journey to become private pilots.
Some journeys were destined to be longer, others much shorter.
To some, flight was natural, for others, it was their desire that made them the pilot they became today.

They battled the evils of maintenance, weather, and personal challenges.

Repairs, causing ground aircraft.
A worn propeller sent out to be refurbished.
The six week down time, due to the propeller shop.
Plus, another delay in the propeller refurbishment : (
Periodic inspections, 50, 100, annuals.

Long drives,
Crowed highways,
Waiting Families.

And weather.
Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad,
and there’s nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella.
~ Part of a saying from Terri Guillemets ~

Our students endured.
Fought their battles.
Became Pilots.

Congratulations!
Members and friends, please join us for dinner, Saturday, July 7th, at Pirone’s for a celebration dinner.
6-7 PM at the Bar.
7 PM for Dinner.
Please R.S.V.P. if you plan to attend.
We would like a head count to make an early reservation.

And Freeflight will have more to come.

Airplane Chat

Let’s inspect the aircraft brakes, tires, and struts.

When inspecting brakes, make sure you check all the brake pads. Brake Pad thickness for our aircraft, the C152, C172, Piper Warrior, Piper Archer, Diamond DA20 and DA40 should be no less then a nickel thick.  Any thinner, the brake pad needs to be replaced.

Check each tire for wear and flat spots, even if it is new. This involves rolling the airplane forward or backward a bit, but it’s better than blowing a tire on takeoff or landing. (Wheel pants make this task more difficult, but don’t bypass it.) Flat spots can happen when someone has landed with the brakes on.  Yes, one landing can cause a flat spot on a tire.  Airplanes with tires that have excessive sidewall cracks or bald spots with cord showing should not be flown.

Leaking oleo struts will usually be dark, low, and oily.  Assure that oleo struts are not over- or under-inflated.

Have questions; always ask your flight instructor or a mechanic.

Now give me a brake, and don’t take them for granted anymore.

Aircraft Oil, Engine, and Exhaust System

When removing the oil dip stick, check for proper oil level, look at the oil’s color, and look at the engine’s overall condition while you are standing next to the engine.  The air filters and  intakes should be open and free of excess oil, grease, dirt, bugs, and other items?  Dripping oil?  Some aircraft may drip oil from the crankcase breather on shutdown.  Excessive soot and oil behind the exhaust pipes could indicate problems.

Take a look at the exhaust pipe. Normally it’s a dull gray or brown in color.  If it’s wet with oil, the compression rings in one of the cylinders may be worn.  If there is a heavy black build-up in the area, the mixture may not be adjusted correctly.

Everything looks good, except you need a quart of oil for the engine.  Make sure you have read the Oil Drip stick properly.  Wipe the stick off and reinserting it into the engine for a good measurement.  A cold engine is the best time to take an accurate oil measurement.  Add the required oil amount, per the aircraft POH.  Please do not over fill or it may blow out all over the aircraft’s belly. Replace the oil dip stick and tighten.  Please do not over tighten, or the next pilot will have difficulty checking the oil level during their preflight.  Always us a funnel to add oil to the engine.

Learn more about Aircraft Oil.

Yes, we and our engines love that Black Gold, give me more of that Black Gold.

GET YOUR “FREE” TICKETS BY CLICKING HERE OR HERE!

Have you dreamed of taking off into the blue skies above? 
The wild blue yonder?
Just for a moment?
Forever?

May 19th (Rain Date May 20th)  is your chance.
Please join Freeflight Aviation for
the 3rd Annual Celebration of “International Learn to Fly Day” across the country.
We’ll answer your questions.
Help Plan your future.
Show you aircraft.
Provide a means of taking flight.
(A New Diamond DA20 with G500 will be on display)
Listen to our song, our music, the HUM of Flight.
It’s our PASSION, it’s our Place, our People.

Visit our home, the Flying W Airport and Resort.
Known for it’s “Aircraft Shaped Swimming Pool”.
Peaceful, relaxing, and fairly quite, it sings our song, the Hum of Flight.
Come early and enjoy breakfast at the Runway Café.
Stay late, and enjoy a meal at the newly opening Pirones Restaurant (opening in early May).

The Diamond DA20

Freeflight Aviation with our EAA Member Friends, will be providing
Young Eagle Flights on May 19th 10 AM to 2 PM. 
First Come, first serve. 
Young Eagles..take an online course with Sportys and get a FREE Introductory Flight.

Too far away to visit our event, visit the International Learn to Fly Website for a location near you.

Are you on Facebooks? 
Thinking about joining us, you can also sign up on our Facebook Event Page .

Please stop back soon. 
We will be slowly adding some great Learn to Fly Toys and Information Links. 
(Stop back again for more upcoming links.)
Link #1: Paper Aircraft Designs for Adults and Children 
Link #2: AOPA’s Let’s Go Flying 
Link #3: Sporty’s Learn to Fly Kit (FREE..must pay $4.95 shipping)

After review, join us May 19th with your Bucket List of Questions.

P.S. Congratulations goes out to Matt, who recently soloed in the Diamond DA20 and to our Flight Instructor Tony, who just got a job with Republic Airlines!

Lawn Sign Fever, getting ready for spring!

Who will be moving in?

Do you see feathers, bird droppings or twigs? You might have a new neighorbood in the wing, tail, or engine of the Aircraft. Our feathered friend has decide to build an Airplane Condo for nesting. An engine is a nice place to stay warm in the spring and start a family. Ofcourse, our feathered friend never throught of taking her family of eggs for a flight in the aircraft or having her well built nest catch on fire. Not only will her eggs get cooked, but you might have well done rings in your cylinder or your feet may become warmer then you ever wanted. Toasted feet, I call that “no fun at all”.

Your best defense against birds nest is a GOOD Preflight Inspection. Since birds are notorious for building nests in aircraft with depris, the best items to look for is, WOW, depris. Birds get alittle excited while building their nests. They may leave their dropping close to their Aircraft Condo’s Entrance. They are tired after a hard day of working, flying back and forth with all those fancy Condo trimings. Clean up after theirselves? Heck No!. Hense, with a little preflight detective work and determination, you should find their Condos. Take a good look in the engine, the wings, and tail or any little opening the birds might try to sneek into for living.

Now us humans do try to plug up holes, with such things as cowl plugs, tail plugs, etc. Remember to remove these plugs before flight, and replace them after flight. Maybe the birds will decide to build their Airplane Condo in another aircraft the just sits on the field and never flys. That way, we will both be happy and can co-exist as neighorbors.

Block Time Now Avialable in the DA-40!

Our regular price is $149.00 per hour. Why not purchase a 20 hour block for $129.00 per hour, and complete your instrument training in a state of the art aircraft, the Diamond DA40. It has a Garmin 430 and 530. It’s a Great Plane for trip taking. Get checked out today. Just give us a call. (If we raise our pricing due to fuel price increases, the block price will also increase)

Multi Engine Instructor

Flight Instructor, Rob Burns recently recieved his Multi-Engine Flight Instructor Rating in the Flying W’s Seneca. Need an MEI, Rob is now available for providing instruction in the Flying W’s Seneca and Arrow.

Sun N Fun

Is just around the corner. From March 27-April 1, Pilots will be enjoying sunny Florida…also known as “Spring Break for Pilots”. Several of our Freeflight Aviation Pilots will be attending Sun n Fun event this year. If you can make it for the week or for a day, it should be a Must Go Event on your list.

International Learn to Fly Day is May 19, 2012

Freeflight and the Flying W Airport will be hosting a “Learn to Fly Day” event on May 19, 2012. We will be posting more information here and on the Learn to Fly Day website soon.