Born Without Wings…

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.