Flying …. What Now?

Freeflight Aviation is presently closed due to the Corona-19 virus for Dual Flight Training and Discovery Flights. Once the State of NJ starts to reopen, we hope to reopen under their requirements.

Flight Instructor To Offer Online Ground School

Bob McCabe plans to offer the PRIVATE PILOT GROUND SCHOOL online in a live videoconference format. Using a computer, tablet or phone, you will be able to join a group training meeting where you can see a small image of every other student and the PowerPoint presentation slides on one screen. If you have a webcam connected or built into your computer/tablet/phone your image will be visible to other students. If you don’t have a webcam, you will be able to see the PowerPoint slides and hear the audio and see other students, but your image will not appear on anyone’s screen. You will also have the option to turn your webcam off if you don’t want to be visible to other students. You will be able to ask questions during class just as you would in person.

Bob would like to start the course in the next 1-2 weeks (early May) as soon as he confirms that there is sufficient interest, and that everyone has had time to purchase and receive the textbook. Bob will go over the optional FAA Written Exam Study Guide materials during the first session, which you can then order online.

Normally, class would be held once a week for 3.5 hours, but BOb has realized this may be too long for a video session. Bob would like to propose two training sessions a week, each of 2.5 hours duration. This will allow us to complete the normal 14 week course in 10 weeks. Breaks will be taken every hour. After our first session, we can decide if we want to further adjust the session duration.

If interested, please contact Freeflight Aviation or the contact information on the below flyer link!

For a flyer and ground school application please see our link about Bob McCabe Class. This is the flyer from the original planned April 2020 class. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1esc8iTqnAXhLd2qb3ZLE8Aw6XmI3LSlU?usp=sharing

Flying a Small Plane During the Covid – 19 Outbreak

We have been looking for a few good articles on sharing and cleaning aircraft surfaces. We are trying to address how to reopen so we can all continue our flight training due to the Corona Virus. The Plane and Pilot Article has some great recommendations.

• If you are sharing an aircraft, it is important to safeguard yourself against the virus, but the article highly recommend not sharing the aircraft.
• If you do share the aircraft, know your flying partner
• Don’t EVER use another pilot’s headset.
• Wipe surfaces down with with sanitizing wipes.
• It is a smart idea to wear face masks, protective eyewear, and disposable gloves during dual flights. These items can be effective when pilots are required to sit in close quarters with other pilots or when they are carrying passengers.  Information from OSHA on Face Masks.
• A “clean set of clothes” is recommended if flying together.
• Clean the aircraft after before and after flying.
• Dispose all items such as cleaning cloths, gloves, and faces masks in a safe manner.

Flying together?

We recommend for anyone flying together to discuss these Covid 19 symptoms questions listed below before flying together.

• Have you had a fever or better yet, each check your temperature with a thermometer before arriving at the airport or before flying with each together. Illness as defined by the CDC 42 CFR Parts 70/71 is when a person displays a body temperature with a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater and at least one additional symptom as defined by the CDC. See the CDC Symptom Definitions
• Repeated shaking with chills?
• Do you have a cough?
• Shortness of breath of difficulty in breathing?
• An unusual continuous headache for greater then 24 hours?
• Diarrhea?
• Muscle Pain?
• Sore Throat?
• New Loss of Taste or Smell?
• Have you been in contact with anyone who has the Covid-19 virus within the last 14 days?
• For more information please visit the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/ and/or OSHA Covid-19 Website: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/controlprevention.html#health
• Guide for pre and post cleaning of aircraft from AOPA-UK: https://www.aopa.co.uk/covid-19-information/guide-for-disinfection-of-ga-aircraft.html
• Guidance from AOPA : https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/april/08/aircraft-maintenance-disinfecting-aircraft-to-protect-against-covid-19

Additional Comments and Recommendations

• Social distancing of six feet is the preferred method for preventing the spread of the coronavirus, that is not possible inside the cockpit, but please practice social distancing when able.
• The most important action taken to mitigate the risk of transmission of a communicable disease is frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizers with 60% (or more) alcohol content. Please realize that alcohol is flammable. Let your hands dry before smoking, etc.
• If two healthy, non-symptomatic individuals take proper precautions like washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, sanitizing and disinfecting all surfaces, and maintaining what distance you can in the aircraft, you may reduce the risk of infection.  All surfaces includes NAV/COMs, mic buttons, flight instruments, yokes, seats, door handles, etc.
• Standard cleaning products – particularly those traditionally used as commercial and/or household disinfectants – can be damaging to the interior of your aircraft. Cirrus Aircraft does not recommend the use of jellied alcohol (hand sanitizer), any alcohol or ammonia-based cleaners or other commercially available disinfectants for the cleaning of any of the surfaces found in your aircraft. See Recommendations by Cirrus Aircraft or NBAA
• If they have a foam mic cover, it should be taken off the mic and rinsed in a 10 percent Clorox solution and dried thoroughly before reinstalling.” It is also recommended to clean the underlying microphone with a disinfectant wipe, and any touch screens, too.
• Dr. Brent Blue, a senior medical examiner said if pilots “are sick for any reason, they need to do a self-analysis of their readiness to fly.” (AOPA offers a free Medical Self-Assessment online course to help pilots better understand how to assess their fitness for flight.)

Instrument Panel and Electronic Display Screens Cleaning

With the display screen powered OFF, use a clean, lint-free cloth dampened with Optimax solution and wipe the screen and/or instrument panel in one direction, moving from the top of the display to the bottom. Gently wipe with a clean cotton cloth to dry. Do not use cleaners containing ammonia as this can harm the anti-reflective coating. Recommended by Cirrus Aircraft.

A soft piece of microfiber cloth can be used to clean your display. Avoid paper tissues at all cost! Using those on your screen would be just like scrubbing sandpaper on it and may scratch it permanently. This also applies to aircraft windows. Checkout this video on how to properly clean aircraft windows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYluZmjc72o

Amazon.com has a really cheap and effective Monster-branded alcohol free LCD cleaner, which even includes a high-tech reusable MicroFiber cloth.

Tips on cleaning from Garmin: Service Advisory 2051: Cleaning/Disinfecting Guidance

For additional information, please see this AOPA Article: Tips on cleaning your Avionics.

FLYING W AIRPORT RULES in the day of Covid – 19