Prez Sez
Are you current? Have you taken advantage of the nice weather yet to do a little flying? May looks like it will be a great month to do some flying. A lot of you have already told me about your plans for this year's trips and it looks like we will have a great year. Some people are planning to go to the air shows around the area. This is always a fun time especially if there are a few planes going. Some people are talking about going to Canada fishing for a few days, others are looking at a golf trip for a day or two. The choices are limitless. Being a pilot allows you many choices take a plane and have some fun.
As you are all aware the price of gas has gone up at the pumps; this is also true for the aircraft. In the last few months we have seen a consistent rise in fuel costs and there is no relief in sight. I do not expect it will go up a great deal more but rather level off over the summer. The chance of a significant decrease seems unlikely given the political and economic climate of the day. As a result we were forced to raise the cost of all aircraft $10.00 per hour starting May 1st to cover this increase in fuel.
We also increased the cost of instruction by $4.00 per hour. Good instruction is hard to find and even harder to keep. Our instructors are experienced and they are some of the best in the Chicago area.
Student Pilots: the summer season is upon us and you are all working to do your solo flights and get the requirements for your private licenses completed. This is a big step in your training and requires a lot of things to fall into place at the right time. The biggest variable is the weather. Not only are ceilings and visibility a concern, but we also have to contend with the wind. Although these variables are out of your control, you should watch the weather and schedule an airplane when it looks promising. Mornings and late afternoon are sometimes the best time for flying, especially since it stays light so late. Even if the forecast is for bad weather, get on the schedule! The weathermen have not been very good on their forecasting. The morning may be bad but by late afternoon the sun is out and it is beautiful. Work with your instructor on weather prediction; it will speed your training along. On a similar note, the Front Desk cannot dispatch an airplane for solo flight unless all the required paper work and endorsements are in place. Be sure that you have reviewed the flight with your instructor and have the proper endorsements in your log book. You should also check with the Front Desk to see if your instructor or another instructor will be here to sign you out when you are ready to solo. This is especially important on a busy day when the weather is perfect for flying.
The A&M Aviation, Inc. Open House and Clow's 9th Annual Cavalcade of Planes will be held June 7th and 8th at the airport. We are expecting a very good turn out this year and we will have many new planes on display. There will also be plane and helicopter rides. The Cavalcade continues to grow each year, we expect this year to be even better than last year. Mark your calendar and we hope to see you on the ramp.
Happy Flying,
JIM
Other News
Accelerated IFR Rating
We also offer an accelerated IFR course that allows you to fly approximately 25 hours of instrument flight and receive 15 hours of ground over a five day period. Students and their instructor will file and fly to airports of interest anywhere in the US; cross-country flight to Florida, Canada, the Rockies or the East Coast are encouraged. Take five days and complete that instrument rating or get comfortable flying IFR again. Give us a call to schedule. Flexibility is the name of the game and a program can be tailored to meet your needs.
Summer is almost here and the next few months we will have daylight well into the evening. The evening is a great time to fly. Schedule those 6PM and 8PM slots; they are great during the week. The winds start to subside, the sun starts to go down and the temperature cools off a bit. Get checked out in the Cessna 182s or the C-210, these are usually available and are great trip airplanes. They can be booked for multiple day trips.
We have many fine aircraft at A&M Aviation; there is a Cessna Turbo 182, Centurion Turbo 210 and Glass Panel Cessna 172. We have a fleet of new Cessna 172’s with GPS, and our two seat fun aircraft; the Champ and the C-152. Our fleet is diverse and designed to meet our pilot’s different needs. Get checked out in something new this month.
Bonus Depreciation is Back for 2008
This year the congress passed the economic stimulus package which included a 50% depreciation the first year for new and used aircraft purchased in 2008. This will last until the end of 2008. If you are interested in purchasing an aircraft this is a great time to move ahead. This type of tax savings can reduce your taxes significantly in 2008. If you have any questions please give me a call.
Sale and Leaseback Opportunities
Aircraft for Sale and Leaseback exist at A&M; this is usually the result of an owner moving up to something bigger or newer. Since these aircraft are already on line they have an established history and income. If anyone is interested in a leaseback opportunity on one of these Cessna 172 aircraft let me know. If you would be interested in a new plane we can also help you.
On May 21st we are hosting a seminar on how to set up an aircraft corporation, address aircraft tax situations, and aircraft purchasing. We will address the do’s and don’ts that can get the unaware pilot into trouble whether it is purchasing and aircraft or just using your friend’s aircraft. Hope to see you there.
We will be closed Memorial Day, Monday, May 26th.
After-Hours Procedures
NEW LOCK BOX is located next to the front door for aircraft keys when you come back and the office is closed. Leave the book in the plane and place the keys in the lock box.
Dinner Flyouts
Dinner flyouts are scheduled on the third Saturday of each month through October. For our next flyout May 17th, we will plan for one of our favorites: Watertown, Wisconsin and the grill your own steak restaurant. We will plan a 4:00PM departure. We have finalized the rest of our dinner flights, but we're always open to modifications if the weather or people's tastes dictate, so if anyone found a good spot let me know and we will include it this year or next. Our summer trip will be to Gaston's, June 6 - 8, and the winter trip will be to the Bahamas November 8 - 10. If you can't make the trip to Gaston's, be sure to stop by the airport for the Cavalcade of Planes that same weekend! If you are interested in either or both trips, let us know! And don’t forget our ever popular Mackinac trip scheduled for September 13th and 14th this year.
