Tag Archives: flight training

Episode 226 – Flight Instruction with Jason Blair

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Jason Blair, Executive Director, National Association of Flight Instructors

Guest Jason Blair is the Executive Director of the National Association of Flight Instructors.

Jason starting his flying experience at the age of 15, soloing at 16, and getting his private pilot’s certificate at 17. While he pursued both undergraduate and master’s degrees from Western Michigan University, he continued his flight training at local FBOs, obtaining his commercial and instructor certificates. He now serves as the Executive Director of the National Association of Flight Instructors, is an active CFI with over 2000 hours of instruction given, NAFI Master Flight Instructor, and an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner for both part 61 and part 141 training providers. He flies general aviation aircraft for much of his personal and business travel. He actively represents NAFI and the flight instruction community in a number of capacities including on the FAA’s Runway Safety Council, the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee, the TSA Aviation Safety Advisory Council, NATA’s Flight Training Committee, and others.

We talk to Jason about the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI), its mission and objectives. Our conversation touches on the NAFI education foundation, how to pick a flight instructor who is a good match and how not to, if there are enough flight instructors to handle the number of pilots we expect to need, and other topics. You can follow Jason on Twitter as @skykid_jeb.

The week’s aviation news:

David’s Aircraft of the Week is the Boeing C-32B, also known as the Boeing 757.

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Qantas dominated the aviation news in Australia this week as a so called “rebel group” of investors headed by former CEO Geoff Dixon and advertising guru John Singleton were said to be plotting to make a takeover bid for the board, removing Allan Joyce. They are apparently uphappy with the current direction of the board, particularly with regard to the recent tie up with Emirates. Dixon currently works of the board of Tourism Australia, and Singleton’s company has advertising contracts with both organisations.

As a result of these rumour/moves, Joyce has pulled out of the Tourism Australia deal that Qantas has held for decades, taking $A40million in funding with him. Not long after that, Virgin Australia’s chief John Borghetti was said to have been in talks with Dixon – the man he would have replaced at Qantas had Joyce not been given the job – about Virgin filling the gap left by Qantas at Tourism Australia.

It’s a big and very complex story that will no doubt fester along for months to come.

In other news, the final RAAF AP3-C Orion has returned home from operations in the Middle East, bringing to an end a decade of service in that region. Also, November 30th saw the final day of C130H operations with at least one airframe rumoured to be housed at the Air Force Museum in Melbourne.

Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

Landing Hamburg Aeroport

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

This week we have a special guest on Across The Pond that specialises in futuristic aircraft designs that not only stretch the imagination beyond our normal aviation boundaries, but expands our vision of what is possible.

From Octuri, our guest explains his vision and drivers to design possible concept craft of the air, not just through dreamy ideas, but based upon clear design principles as well as aerospace physics.

Over a hundred years ago there were probably people looking at the equivalent drawings of the Wright Brothers, cynically suggesting they will never happen in their lifetime. Will we ever see these in ours?

Look for Yelkin Octuri on Facebook. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Ditched Curtiss C-46 near Normans Cay in the Bahamas by Bjorn MoermanListener Bjorn Moerman is a Belgian Airbus A380 captain flying out of Dubai with a passion for photography. His wife also holds a flying license and they regularly rent a single engine for flying holidays. Recently they rented a G1000 C172-SP in Florida and went island hopping to the Bahamas. This image is of a ditched Curtiss C-46 near Normans Cay in the Bahamas. It won a price with National Geography earlier this year.

Mentions:

Twitter lists:

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Episode 207 – Getting Ready for AirVenture

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Boeing patent
Rich Bergmann is a Senior Executive with Accenture and gives us some observations from Farnborough, airline strategies, and what’s happening with the defense segment. We talk about new commercial airliners from Russia and China, and maintenance strategies for commercial operators. Also, global capacity constraints in view of the order backlog, and even what it takes to be considered for an aviation consulting position.

Rob is already at Oshkosh for AirVenture and is joined by Benet Wilson, Scott Spangler, and Peter Moll, the Director of Wittman Regional Airport. In particular, we talk with Peter about airport preparations for AirVenture. Visit Wittman Regional Airport on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

The week’s aviation news:

CAC CA-15

David’s Aircraft of the Week is the CAC CA-15, also known unofficially as the CAC Kangaroo.

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Steve calls in from work to discuss Qantas dumping their Blackberrys for iPhones, Emirates being the third largest employer of Australians of any airline, Etihad getting approval to increase their ownship of Virgin Australia to 10% and the RAAF getting some of their aircraft repainted. All this and investment properties on this week’s AusDesk.

Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124. Australia Desk archives can be found at www.australiadesk.net.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

This week on Across The Pond we welcome back pilot and Journalist David Cenciotti, David often publishes really exciting and leading edge aviation articles on his Website (TheAviationist.com) and although at Farnborough we didn’t get the chance to cath up with him then so we talk to him this week about recent V22 incidents, the Turkish F4 that was shot down over Syria and the Spartan Gunship. David also shares his views on some of the aircraft highlights from Farnborough including an amusing story about the Yak130.

You can find David on Twitter as @Cencio4
and his website which is really worth visiting and then tracking is http://www.TheAviationist.com.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Episode 199 – Airshow Interviews

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Geico Skytypers

David brings us some of his interviews from the May 11-13, 2012 Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst air show which returned after a four year hiatus. He spoke with:

Col. Chris Patterson from the 621st Contingency Response Wing

Jim Record, #7 form the Geico Skytypers

Martin Sheehan, Jeffrey Daniel, and Morten Stoverud from the Northeast Raiders

The week’s aviation news:

David’s Aircraft of the Week: the Sud Aviation Caravelle. See

In this week’s Australia Desk report:

Recorded live at the Qantas Maintenance Base at Melbourne Airport (on the back of the PCDU Mobile) after our tour of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (ZA003). Qantas announces the closure of Melbourne heavy maintenance operations with nearly 500 jobs lost, Qantas also announces that they will split into separate domestic & international divisions, GippsAero have the first flight of their new GA10 Airvan, Grant has an interesting theory on Qantas Group B787 usage as the first 15 airframes are all going to Jetstar.

Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

On Across The Pond this week Pieter talks to Richard Cooke a PPL (H) license holder. He has held a JAR PPL(H) since 2010 on the R22 and is also rated on the R44.With time in the seat of a S300 and B206 as well, Richard tells us about his flying experience. With a father who was a QHI flying the Lynx in the Army Air Corps, it was not a surprise that Richard became very passionate about helicopters too. Listen in to what’s involved in becoming a helicopter pilot.

Richard can be found on twitter as @rotorrich and Helicentre Aviation as @flyhelicentre. Helicentre Aviations’s website is www.flyheli.co.uk and the scholarship website is www.helicopterscholarships.com.

Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, and also on Facebook at XTPMedia.

Mentioned this episode:

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.

Episode 195 – Kelly Murphy

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Paul Filmer CRJ200LR

Guest Kelly Murphy is a founder of Emerald Media, which handles public relations, media services, and all the editorial aspects of producing publications for aviation clients. Kelly runs the group’s publishing activities and that includes newsletters, magazine, brochures, and presentations. She is the editor of Regional Horizons, the magazine of the US Regional Airline Association, and Saab Aircraft Leasing’s Saab Market Report and Saab Aerotech’s Support Solutions. Kelly is a member of the Aero Club of Washington, a private pilot license holder and occasionally flies a Cessna 172 for her family’s aerial photography business. She’s the former editor of Professional Pilot magazine, Water Flying magazine and Commuter/Regional Airline News (US).

We talk about last week’s World Airline Training Show in Florida and where the next generation of pilots is going to come from, and the special supplement produced for the Women in Aviation Conference in Dallas. The RAA 37th Annual Convention is coming up in in Minneapolis next month and comments for the NPRM closed on Monday, April 30, 2012.

The week’s aviation news:

In this week’s Australia Desk report: Tiger Airways ditches $1 fares but is looking toward better use of technology for check-in, Australian Government introduces a National Airline Customer Advocate, Avalon Airport in Victoria to allow greater GA utilisation….but check out those user fees!…Virgin Australia shows off its latest A330s, Australian Government refuses to fully fund a trip for the 70 remaining veterans of Bomber Command from WW2 to attend the opening of the official memorial in London.

Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

This week on Across the Pond, Pieter talks to heavyweight airline executive Tim Gresty from Cognitio about the challenges of the low cost airlines versus the full fare carriers and what impact the new High Speed Rail Link in the UK will have on the regional airline sector. Tim gives us a real insight into what senior airline executives think about these challenges as well as enlightening us to some fascinating views on airline performance. Tim and his business have worked with British Airways, Air France/KLM, Hapag Lloyd, Etihad and Air Belin as well as working in some very interesting markets such as Mauritius, Iran and South Africa.

Find Pieter Johnson on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, and also on Facebook at XTPMedia.

Mentions:

Links from Listener Email:

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 193 – Just the Geeks

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1489379

This week our scheduled guest was called away at the last minute, so the Geeks go it alone to talk about some of the recent aviation news and discuss a lot of interesting listener mail. Of course, we also have David’s This Week in Aviation history segment, Steve and Grant’s Australia News Desk, and Pieter’s Across the Pond Segment.

The week’s aviation news:

David’s aircraft of the Week: the Rockwell Space Transportation Systems OV-103, otherwise known as the Space Shuttle Discovery.

In this week’s Australia Desk report: Steve has a new get rich quick idea as Qantas operates an A330 from Sydney to Adelaide on April 13th partially powered by biofuel, Qantas A380 VH-OQA takes to the skies after 18 months of repairs following its infamous incident above Indonesia in 2010.

Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

This week on Across the Pond, Pieter talks to Frenchez Pietersz from Aviation Platform about airline news from the Benelux countries of Europe, that’s Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. With so much to cover we focused this week’s talk on Belgium and Holland, how the KLM Air France merger is developing, and how Lufthansa is challenging them with flights from Brussels.

You can dind Aviation Platform on Twitter as @AviPlatform, on Facebook, and on LinkedIn. Find Pieter Johnson on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on his blog Alpha Tango Papa, and also on Facebook at XTPMedia.

Links from Listener Email:

Permission to use the post photograph has been obtained from the photographer.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 181 – Craig Fuller from AOPA

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Craig Fuller in the 1998 Aviat Aircraft Inc A-1A

Guest Craig Fuller is President and CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). We talk about the U.S. Government proposal to charge $100 per flight for flights in controlled airspace, Representative Mike Pompeo’s America Flies petition, NextGen Air Traffic Control, EU ETS, and other topics.

The week’s aviation news:

David’s Aircraft of the Week is the O2U Corsair.

In this week’s Australia Desk report: Reality TV pilot in trouble with CASA, Australian registered Beechcraft Debonaires & Bonanzas affected by a serious airworthiness directive, Miranda Kerr is the latest celebrity promoter for Qantas, ex Qantas bean counter suggests a “fat tax” for larger airline passengers.

Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

This week on Across the Pond, Pieter Johnson talks to Pele Johnson, a frequent business traveller across the Atlantic. Pele often gets the chance to travel business or first class and so we ask him what its like (because not many of us get to do this) and which of the two major British carriers he prefers to fly with. He’s a photographer and a talented guitar player. Maybe you have heard him play. Listen in and find out.

You can find Pele on Twitter as @denhelderstudio, on the web at www.denhelderphotography.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/denhelderphotography. Pieter can be found on Twitter as @Nascothornet or at the XTP Media’s Facebook Page.

Mentioned in the episode:

Other listener submissions:

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 171 – A Playground for Pilots

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Mark Jones is an experimental test pilot and statistical consultant to aerospace leaders, and a part-time T-6 instructor pilot in the USAF Reserves. Mark has flown a wide variety of military aircraft and just recently separated from active duty in the regular Air Force as chief C-17 test pilot. He’s also a regular contributor at PlaneConversations.com, and Mark is a husband and father.

We talk about some of the flying Mark has done and how he got into the Air Force Academy. Also, flying the C-17 Globemaster III and training pilots in the T-6. Mark relates the details behind the July 2010 crash of a C-17 on Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska and talks about how the military conducts accident investigations. hear his thoughts on the AF447 accident, ejection seats, and NextGen ATC.

The week’s aviation news:

This week’s Australia Desk report, recorded before the Government tribunal terminated the protected industrial action by the unions, covers the grounding of Qantas by it’s board. Ben Sandilands (@planetalking on Twitter) contributes.

Find the boys down under at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

This week on Across the Pond, Pieter talks to Matt Falcus about the USA Airport Spotting Guide. Learn where the best spots for photographing aircraft in the USA are situated and what hotel room allows you to watch endless arrivals and departures. Matt can be found on Twitter @Airportspotting and at www.destinworld.com and www.airportspotting.com.

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 169.5 – 2011 AOPA Aviation Summit, Part 1

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AOPA Aviation Summit 2011 - Terrafugia Transition

This Special Edition of the Airplane Geeks podcast is the first of two parts with interviews from the 2011 AOPA Aviation Summit. This three-day event was held 22-24 September 2011 in Hartford, Connecticut. Max recorded brief interviews with exhibitors, speakers, and participants.

In Part 1, you’ll hear from:

Donald Purdy, ASRS Expert Analyst and CALLBACK Editor from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System.

Nadia Marcinko, Founder/CEO of Aviloop, the daily aviation deal website at www.aviloop.com.

Chris Donald from Big South Fork Airpark, www.BigSouthForkAirpark.com.

Ronald Jarmon from Island Air Express, a Panama City, Florida Flight School.

Carl Dietrich, CEO/CTO of Terrafugia, makers of the Transition roadable airplane. www.terrafugia.com.

Randy Gawenda, Sales Representative, Frasca International, makers of flight simulators. www.frasca.com.

Clay Murphy, a pilot and user of ForeFlight, and then Jason Miller,Co-Founder and Principal Developer at ForeFlight.

LtCol Tony Vallillo and Major Stephen Rocketto from the Civil Air Patrol, Connecticut Wing and Thames River Composite Squadron, Groton, Connecticut respectively.

Lynda Meeks from Girls With Wings, encouraging girls to become interested in aviation.

Eileen Minogue, Director of Operations , Patient Airlift Services, part of The Air Care Alliance and working with the Wounded Warrier Project.

Alexander Tock from King Schools. tock172 on Instagram

Stephen Marshall, General Aviation Sales/Marketing Director, Amsafe seatbely airbags

Follow the Airplane Geeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 160 – Max Trescott’s Trends Aloft

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DARPA Falcon

Guest Max Trescott is an author, he was the 2008 CFI of the Year, and blogs at Trends Aloft. We talk about how you can be an advocate for the aviation industry and the general Aviation Cacus in Washington. Also, California legislation affecting costs to flight schools, student pilots dropping out, and “outsourced” airline pilots. Max tells us how you explain GA to those who are only exposed to commercial aviation, and why we need it. Follow Max on Twitter at @MaxTrescott, and visit his business site at G1000book.com for his books, CD’s, and iPhone GPS guides.

The week’s aviation news:

This week in Across the Pond, Pieter Johnson talks to Steve, an A320 pilot for a major European airline about his six monthly simulator proficiency checks. You can find Steve on Twitter @Thermalhound and Pieter @Nascothornet.

On this week’s Australia Desk report Steve notes that Tiger Airways is back in the air, Strategic Airlines to commence HNL flights from MEL and BNE, Virgin Aus pilots get pay rise, and a cameo from Southwest flight attendant Bruce Campbell, recorded at LAX. Find Steve and Grant on the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

Mentions:

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.

Episode 147 – Todd McClamroch’s Flight Blog

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QF-4E phantom of 82d Aerial Target Sqd Part of USAF Heritage Flight

Todd McClamroch from My Flight Blog.com is our guest this episode. Todd’s site is one of the longest running General Aviation blogs around, and has been featured in the press including Wall Street Journal, AOPA Pilot and AOPA Flight Training Magazine. We talk about reasons for the high dropout rate among student pilots, including the lack of inclusion in pilot communities, the role of the CFI and mentors in helping students complete their flight training, and the the value of events for students. You can follow Todd on Twitter at @MyFlightBlog.

Be sure to see Max, Rob, Dan, and David at the Become a Pilot Family Day and Fly-In June 18, 2011, 10 a.m. – 3p.m., at the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center next to Dulles International Airport. The Geeks will be joining Milford and Charlie from FlightTime Radio, along with some other aviation podcasters as they broadcast their show live.

Normally, FlightTime Radio runs for an hour, but we’re going to buy a second hour of air time for this event. You can help by making a small donation to buy another hour of time for aviation greatness on the radio station. See http://www.airplanegeeks.com/send-the-airplane-geeks-to-washington/ for more information.

The week’s aviation news:

Steve Visscher and Grant McHerron from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast provide an interesting Australia Desk Report with Stephen Force from the Airspeed podcast. Be sure to check out the Acrocamp site to follow the progress of that documentary film. The Plane Crazy Down Under podcast is on Twitter at @pcdu, Steve at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment, Pieter Johnson talks with Diego López-Salazar from the Spanish aviation podcast AeroPodcast about the strength of Spanish airlines and if the threat of striking airport workers has finally subisided in Spain. Find Pieter on Twitter at @Nascothornet and Diego at
@dlopezsalazar.

Mentions:

Follow the @AirplaneGeeks on Twitter and on Facebook, send us email at thegeeks@airplanegeeks.com, or leave a message on our listener line: (361) GEEKS01.

Opening and closing music is provided by Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at http://www.brotherloverocks.com/.