Tag: Student Pilot

Hot Spots

Hot Spots

Here’s a great reminder about “hot spots” at busy airports. And no I’m not talking about free wi fi in the terminal. As a local flight instructor that has been training primarily out of my Class E airport that underlies Class B airspace, it’s easy for me to forget that a short distance away lies a very bust Class B International airport, complete with tower, lots of runways and lots or airplanes. Not to mention a busy Air National Guard as well (don’t accidentally taxi into their ramp, they tend to great with armed MPs).

This article courtesy of AOPA outlines the importance of referencing your airport diagrams carefully, especially at busy airports and making note of any “hot spots” that may be present. The FAA’s definition of a hot spot is “A runway safety related problem area on an airport that presents increased risk during surface operations.”

Enjoy: http://bit.ly/1udokM5

Spacing

Spacing

We’ve all been in the air on a busy Saturday morning or when the winter weather turns to a nice spring day. It certainly can be frustrating, intimidating and sometimes scary when we’re “bumper to bumper” or nose to tail in the traffic pattern.

I really liked this article put out by AOPA this month in their ‘Training Tips’. It’s called Proper Spacing is Critical and you need to read it. Enjoy!

Proper Spacing is Critical

Face lift for AOPA’s website

Face lift for AOPA’s website

Many of you already are aware that AOPA is beta testing their new site. It certainly is a nice face lift to the original version. The drop down tabs make it easier to navigate or even “pre navigate” a category without actually leaving the page you are on. I’m a big fan of this feature as I get rather impatient when I go to a new page only to have to go back and keep searching for the desired link.

Flight planning tools are well organized and easy to find. Keep in mind that some links will take you into the original website format. I found a few glitches when I did this such as screens not loading, which by the way, they’d like you to squawk any flaws. Overall I think it will make navigating their site more friendly and if nothing else more pleasing to the eye. Have fun and explore.

http://beta.aopa.org/

Just for Flight Instructors

I said this is just for Flight Instructors so stop reading now Private Pilot person! Just kidding, please do read especially if one day you hope to be teaching in the cockpit.

I recently had the experience here in Utah of dealing with the Department of Consumer Affairs. Now this was not a negative experience by all means but a learning experience for me. I hope to pass on this information to help other instructors/future instructors be prepared.

I am a contracted, independent instructor. That means that flight schools, flying clubs, aircraft owners, etc, hire me to teach in their planes. As an instructor, I take my job seriously and therefore professionally as well. Thus I have a LLC entity as my business structure. I also have things that every instructor should have: a specific business email (not a personal one that all my friends have), a website, blog (optional), a dedicated phone number and a business banking account (it’s much harder to write off pilot supplies when you purchase them via your personal account).

Recently the Utah Department of Consumer Affairs sent me a letter thinking I was a flight school that charge tuition and took up front fees. Keep in mind that as I write this, every state may be different on their regulations. They were pleasant to work with and I simply had to fill out an exempt application stating I was not a Part 141 school that accepted payments in advance for training. Here in Utah we have had some shoddy flight schools file bankruptcy and get sued after accepting tens of thousands of students’ loan money and not providing the training they promised.

So in a nut shell, if you are a current CFI or planning on becoming one, check with your local government to see where you would fall under and if you may  need to establish your position in the aviation training community.