Congratulations Michael on First time Pass CFI

Aviator College would like to congraulate Michael on his CFI Checkride. Way to go Michael

Distributed by IntelBuilder Social Media Platform

Why FAA Safetfy Regulations are Important to Know During Flight Training

If you are aspiring to be a pilot, it is important during your flight training to pay attention to safety regulations and directives passed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Being a pilot can be a dangerous job and if operating aircraft is your dream, be sure to consider all of the factors involved.

Window Inspections

As recently as July 9, Bloomberg Businessweek reported that the Federal Aviation Administration said US operators of Boeing Co. 757, 767, and 777 aircraft must inspect or replace the forward-facing cockpit windows. There is a risk of fire caused by loose electrical connections used to heat the window to prevent ice from forming.

In the past two decades, there were only 11 reports of fire or flames. The most recent incident was on May 16 when a United Airlines 757 was forced to make an emergency landing at Washington Dulles International Airport.

The airworthiness directive is assigning operators to being with inspections within 500 flight hours, or simply install a new, redesigned window. The FAA announced the intentions for the Boeing 747’s later this year. Although there have not been any reported fires, the windows are very similar.

The directive covers 1,212 US aircraft and will cost carriers about $103,020. The directive is in effect today, July 13.

Recent Aircraft Accident

According to the Aviation Safety Network the most recent fatal accident involving a Boeing aircraft, occurred in India. A Boeing 737-800 passenger plane operated by Air India Express, was destroyed when it crashed while landing at Mangalore-Bajpe Airport.

Preliminary reports suggest that the airplane overran the runway and slid down a wooded valley, bursting into flames. There were 160 passengers and six crew members on board. Only eight occupants survived the accident.

Flight Training Safety

Safety is likely the most important aspect of flight training you will take away from flight training school. Websites like the Aviation Safety Network and the FAA can help you stay up to date with passing regulations and accident occurrences during your flight training.

What Kind of Professional Pilot Program to Look for in Flight Training

Becoming a pilot is a serious career commitment. The airline industry holds very high standards for their professional pilots so it is very important to choose a flight training program that will educate you with a structured, effective curriculum.

Find an intensive and challenging flight training program that will provide what the airline industry demands of future professional pilots.

Professional Pilot Programs

There are important factors to look for when choosing a flight training school. Some of these include academic training in an organized environment, valuable ground and flight training, and a superior campus with housing facilities.

In terms of how long your professional pilot program training will last, quality flight training schools provide a minimum of 520 hours of instruction, and require at least 250 hours of actual flight. If you are training to be a professional pilot, at least 200 of those hours will be logged in a multi-engine aircraft. A good school will not log any of your flight hours in a flight simulator, or flight training device.

Aircraft & Maintenance

Generally a large fleet of aircraft is also an important factor to consider when searching for a good flight training school for you. Aviator College has a fleet of 14 multi-engine and 12 single engine aircraft.

The aircraft primarily used during training are the Beechcraft BE-76 and the Cessna 172 Skyhawk. The fleet also includes a Piper Arrow and a J-3 Cub. All aircraft are equipped for VFR and IFR flight (with the exception of the J-3 Cub, which is VFR Day only).

The aircraft are maintained in the maintenance facilities in St. Lucie County International Airport. Aviator has its own in-house maintenance facility as well, it is a 13,000 square foot environmentally approved hangar open six days a week. All maintenance technicians hold Airplane and Powerplant Certificates or better.

How the Mobile Boarding Pass is Changing the Airline Industry

Several airlines are now adopting mobile boarding passes. American Airlines has given passengers the option of having boarding passes sent directly to a mobile device on select flights since November 2008.

Mobile boarding passes were introduced as a partnership with TSA and are currently available for American Airlines and American Eagle flights from 42 airports including Atlanta, Charlotte, Detroit, Denver, Las Vegas, New York LaGuardia, Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle.

American recently added its mobile boarding pass functionality at Reagan Washington National, San Jose International, Colorado Springs, and London Heathrow airports.

How does it work?

The mobile boarding pass has a barcode that can be scanned at security checkpoints and American’s gates. Passengers have the ability to scan their smartphone screens when going through security and boarding the aircraft.

Customers who choose to check bags can even use the mobile pass by scanning their smartphone screens at American’s self-service kiosks, ticket counters, or even curbside check-in facilities.

According to the American Airlines website, a mobile boarding pass is available to eligible travelers only. Travelers must be on eligible itineraries with only one passenger listed on the record locator.

How to use the mobile boarding pass

Here is a 4-step process explained on the American Airlines website, describing how to use the mobile boarding pass option:

Check in on AA.com and choose the “Email for use on Cell phone or other Mobile Device” option. Include the email address for your web-enabled phone.

Check your email from your mobile device and follow the link on the email to retrieve your mobile boarding pass.

Save the boarding pass to your device by clicking the “Save Boarding Pass” button below the barcode to save it to your phone for easy access at the security checkpoint.

Proceed to security and make sure the entire barcode is visible on your smartphone screen. Be sure the backlight setting is on the brightest level possible.

If there are any issues, you still have the option to print a paper copy of your boarding pass at the self-service kiosks.

Who is using the mobile boarding pass?

Trinity mobile, a leading company behind the mobile boarding pass option, announced in March 2010 that there has been a 1200% increase in usage from 2008 to 2009. There were 50,000 travelers using the mobile boarding pass in 2008, and that number exploded to 600,000 by 2009.

2010 is expected to distribute over 2 billion mobile boarding passes, exceeding 15 billion by 2014.

Aviation is a world leader in technology, and is growing at an exponential rate.
Who knows what they'll come up with next?

What You Learn About Flying in Thunderstorms at Flight Training School

During flight training, you will learn why it is important toavoid thunderstorms during flight. There are several dangers involved,each of which can have a different effect on aircrafts. Flighttraining will educate you about the dangers of thunderstorms, aswell as teach you precautionary maneuvers.

Thunderstorm dangers

Thunderstorms are common, noticeable, and dangerous. The are a part of our atmosphere all over the globe. With deadly lightning, hurricanes, and high winds that can even result in tornadoes, thunderstorms can be the biggest weather-related danger known to mankind. So what dangers do pilots know to avoid when flying aircrafts during thunderstorms?

Here are a few of the known dangers that accompany thunderstorms.

Updrafts and Downdrafts

Updrafts and Downdrafts are the vertical movements of air due to difference in temperature. If a pocket of air is warmer than the surrounding air, it will move up to find air warmer or less dense. Cold air will move down to find balance as well. Movement of large volumes of air can create large thunderstorm causing clouds.

Turbulence

Turbulence can be invisible, so pilots must use their instruments, radars, and intuition to be able to detect levels of turbulence. By using their radars, they can detect the levels of moisture in the air. Generally, pilots choose to go for the gap in between storm clouds. It is even more dangerous at night because you can’t see clouds at all.

Wind shear

Wind shear is defined as short quick changes in wind direction. This phenomenon can significantly affect take-off and landing of an aircraft by causing loss of control of the aircraft. Wind shear has caused many accidents involving fatalities in the US.

Hailstones

Hailstones can heavily damage airplanes. Hailstones are capable of breaking windshields and damaging turbine blades in jet engines.

On April 4, 1977, a Southern Airways DC-9 crashed in New Hope, GA. Both engines of the plane ingested hail and lost thrust (forward movement powered by the engine). The plane crashed into a road and caught on fire. 62 of 85 people on board were killed as well as eight people on the ground.

Rain

Rain has been known to be heavy enough to drown jet engines. Once an engine fails, pilots have been trained during flight training on how to make an emergency landing. The plane will glide for miles before the pilot is forced to touch ground.

Lightning

Lightning can temporarily blind pilots, or even hit airplanes. However, aircrafts are mostly protected from electrical damage because the majority of aircrafts are made of aluminum, which can be a good electrical conductor.

The only crash in the last 50 years known to happen because of lightning was on December 8, 1963. A lightning bolt hit the Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707 that was holding over Elkton, Md. The lightning caused a spark that ignited fuel vapor, causing an explosion that caused the plane to crash, killing all 81 people aboard.

In addition to all your aviation curriculum, you will learn basic weather formations and aeronautics. This is important information you will carry with you for the rest of your life. This is what makes flight training school an experience you'll never forget.

What Exactly Does Air Traffic Control Do?

During flight training, you will learn a lot about the dynamics of Air Traffic Control. Air Traffic Control is a regulation service who direct aircraft from the ground by radio and GPS communication. ATC’s main priority is to prevent aircraft collision.

ATC directs and regulates the flow of aircraft traffic and provides information and assistance for pilots when needed. However, ATC is directed by people and can occasionally succumb to human error. To counterpart this, aircrafts now have collision avoidance systems installed to act as a security precaution against ATC observation.

The word of ATC is not necessarily set in stone. Pilots are able to deviate from ATC instructions in the event of an emergency.

Airport Traffic

Traffic tends to build up around airports because in order for an aircraft to land, the runway must be totally clear. This means that whatever aircraft before must have already touched down, slowed, and exited the runway before the waiting aircraft can cross the beginning of the runway.

Landing takes about one to four minutes depending on the aircraft. Airports have time allotted for 30 arrivals per hour. Unless the airport is built with two different arrival runways, then it would have time for 60 arrivals every hour.

If there is congestion on the arrival runway, the aircraft may be delayed. The pilot would be forced to remain holding over a location until given permission to land. Holding can be avoided with the growth of today’s technology. Now that pilots can predict the traffic at their arrival destination, they may choose do delay takeoff from their departure destination or even fly slower.

Weather

Weather conditions can be a major factor in aircraft traffic. Rain or snow on the runway can cause everything to slow down and require more time in between arrivals.

Thunderstorms can be a big factor because aircraft are guided to go around them. However if there are several thunderstorm cells in one area, all aircrafts will be attempting to fit through the same open area between them, causing serious traffic danger.

By training to be a pilot at flight training school, you will learn about regulations, safety, how to operate an aircraft, as well as the importance of Air Traffic Control.

What Flight Training Teaches You About Night Flying

During flight training, you will learn everything from flying under VFR conditions to IFR conditions, and even night flying. Night flying can be jarring, so it is important to have a clear understanding of the rules and regulations of night flying that you learn in flight training school.

Physiologically, human beings are designed to operate at maximum capacity during daylight hours. Night flying can be a trying experience that requires the perfection of a set of skills that aren’t necessarily required during the day.

Almost all flight time logged by the average pilot occurs during the daytime. Due to this fact, revisiting night flying techniques is an important part of safety precautions.

Vision

Most pilots know the basic fundamental physiological requirements of night flying. The most important part is to adapt our eyes for darkness. Anatomically, we have photopic vision for daytime and scotopic vision for nighttime. As for the cones and rods in our retinas, 7 million thicker cones are used for daytime vision and 120 million thinner rods are used for night vision.

Your eyes literally need to change their physiological makeup to adjust for the lack of lighting. Dark adaptation refers to the adjustment your eyes are experiencing that makes them more sensitive to light. Generally, dark adaptation takes 30 minutes in total darkness. However, dim red cockpit lighting can help you achieve dark adaptation in 20 minutes.

Several factors can impair or influence your vision. Some of these may include cabin altitude pressure above 5,000 ft, smoking, exhaust fumes, temperature, humidity, and even a vitamin A deficiency.

*TIP - if a light is being used in the cockpit (a flashlight), close one eye to preserve some level of night vision.

Lighting

Every pilot should carry at least two flashlights, extra batteries, and a penlight for his or her pocket.

Pilots should be sure that all required aircraft lights for night flying are functioning normally. Be sure to double check these during your walk-around.

The position lights (or navigation lights) must be on at all times if operating anytime from sunset to sunrise. These lights include the left wing which is red, the right wing which is green, and the aft or tail which is white. Anti-collision lights (strobe-lighting) are also required for night and day operations both.

Flight training

In order to prepare and learn the skills necessary for night flying, you must work hard during flight training to understand all of the fundamentals. Generally flight simulators are the best supplement to training for night flying. By learning with the night simulation at your flight training school, you will be efficiently equipped for night flying.