A & M Aviation

130 S. Clow International Pkwy, Suite B
Bolingbrook, IL 60490

(630) 759-1555

Hours: 8AM - 5PM 7 days a week
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Newsletter

X-Country Crier

We publish a newsletter for the benefit of our flying club members, renters and students to keep them informed of what's going on at A & M Aviation! Below is the June 2011 newsletter.

Objectives


 

Prez Sez

The 12th Annual Open House and Cavalcade of Planes was held on June 4th and 5th, 10am to 4pm and was a resounding success.  We were blessed with two good days of weather, and early indications are that we shattered the previous attendance record.  We also announced the winner of the Flight Training Grant Program.

• Restaurant open at 7am.
• Beer Garden from 11am - 5pm.
• T-6 will be giving rides.
• Planes arriving in pattern for display starting at 9am.
• Open for public display from 10am - 4pm.
• Museum opens at 10am.
• Food & refreshments starting at 11am.
• Parachute club jumps throughout both days.
• Static airplanes on display -- Diamond, Cessna, Piper, Beechcraft, Cirrus.
• Plane Rides in a Cessna Skylane.
• NEW Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) on display.
• Surprise "War Birds" arriving throughout the day, including a flyby of a B-2 Stealth Bomber.
• Display of used planes.
• Vendor tents, and much more!

Facebook
has become a new means of communication for A&M Aviation. Besides posting what is happening with student, check rides, office staff, and instructors we are posting things that happen between newsletters. These include alerting students of good days to solo, what’s happening at the airport, and interesting items that pop up between newsletters.

Join us on Facebook and become a friend, keep up with A&M Aviation and Clow International Airport

Training

For everyone who is currently doing flight training you to can minimize your expense while maximizing the excitement of flight training. First, be sure you fully understand what you are going to do in the plane. By that I mean you should be able to go through the maneuvers in your mind. They should make sense to you and you should be up there to practice the maneuver. Take a little extra time with your instructor to review the maneuvers and any questions you have about the flight. Students need to consider the time necessary to complete the rating and how best to minimize that time. Flying consistently once or twice a week has always shown to result in the lowest total time for a rating. If you fly once a month you are constantly relearning for part of the lesson and invariably it will take longer to complete your rating. This is true whether it be private, instrument or commercial.

Upcoming Events

If anyone is interested in flying up to the Oshkosh Air Show this year we can put together a few day trips. Last year I flew up one morning spent the day and flew home that evening. The air traffic was not bad, and the organization on the ground was great. It was really easy to fly in; I would suggest arriving there before 9:00AM. This would be a good cross-country to go on with your instructor.

Also in preparation for Oshkosh, come on our June Dinner Flyout.  We'll launch at 4PM June 18th for Oshkosh, more than a month before the show.  We'll fly the approach from the NOTAM so you get to see what it is like, and then have a wonderful dinner at Friar Tuck's restaurant on the field. 

Safety Tip

As the weather heats up and we get those hot summer days we need to be aware of the effects of density altitude. Density altitude is a measure of air density, which is used as a determining criteria for the performance capabilities of an aircraft. Since an increase in density altitude will reduce aircraft performance we need to take this into account. As a result of being close to sea level in the Chicago area this is not something we consider very often, however, working out of a short runway like Clow we should expect some differences from those cool spring days of a few weeks ago. Be sure to complete a weight and balance to ensure you are not overweight, and check your takeoff and landing distance to see that it has not increased significantly. Be careful on take off so as to use the complete runway and on landing to be on the ground before midfield. Also review the operating manual to become familiar with the proper leaning techniques for the aircraft. This will keep the mags from fouling.

Miscellany

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 remember it stays light till 8PM. 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. These include a checkout sheet for the airplane, various endorsements from your instructor for the flight you are taking, and an instructor sign off before the flight. 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.


 

Remember, TIME SPENT FLYING IS NOT SUBTRACTED FROM YOUR LIFESPAN!

Happy Flying,
from JIM