David Dill completes Private Pilot License
Today David Dill, a Grand Canyon River Guide and Backcountry Ski Guide of Buena Vista Colorado received his Private Pilot License in Airplane Single Engine Land. He took the checkride earlier today in Rifle Colorado in N542DC - a Diamond DA-20-C1 Katana Evolution. Congratulations David!
Pilot Training and Hiring - British Airways – 800 Pilots During the Next 5 Years, Renewed Interest in Ab Initio
From flightglobal.com
Boeing forecasts a need for 466,650 new pilots and 596,500 maintenance personnel to enter the industry over the next 20 years. According to a crew assessment forecast from Boeing, airlines will need an average of 23,300 new pilots and 30,000 new maintenance personnel per year from 2010 to 2029.
However, there is “no clear, long-term industry standard on how the next pilot generation will be trained to command the large fleet in the manufacturers' orderbooks“, Flight International emphasizes.
British Airways changed its pilot recruitment strategy last August after it foresaw a potential flightcrew shortage. The UK carrier wants to employ about 800 pilots during the next five years. While it needs about 100 new employees per year to maintain its approximately 3,200-strong cockpit workforce, BA wants to employ 150 flightcrew members every year for growth. Half of these recruits should come via direct entry from other airlines and the military, while the other half will be career starters from ab initio level. This is BA's biggest pilot recruitment initiative in more than a decade.
The main difference lies in the renewed interest in ab initio students. BA employed fresh air transport pilot licence (ATPL) holders before, but those graduates had undertaken and financed their training independently and were hired from the open market after qualification.
Airlines, including BA, previously pre-financed the training of a limited number of ab initio students after they had undergone an initial selection process, with the young pilots repaying the fees later during employment. This changed, however, with the aviation downturn after 9/11 and the concurrent rise of budget carriers such as EasyJet and Ryanair, which had always drawn cockpit personnel from the open pilot market. Petteford points out that the shift to this "retail" training model has moved control over cadet enrolment numbers from airlines to individuals.
BA still does not pay for the flight training in three selected academies, but now helps its students secure the required funding by guaranteeing a bank loan. Access to credit has become a main hurdle for pilot aspirants because of the financial crises since 2008, threatening to turn the profession into a career option mainly for children from sufficiently affluent backgrounds. BA worked with banks to devise a loan scheme because it feared the pool of applicants made of the right stuff was becoming too limited.
BA sister carrier Iberia is also recruiting a large number of flightcrew, although this will only be for its planned low-cost subsidiary Iberia Express, due to begin operations with four Airbus A320s at the end of March, which will gradually take over the parent's short- and medium-haul network. While 125 pilots are needed for the start-up phase, this is set to increase as the new airline is scheduled to have 13 aircraft by year-end and 40 by 2015. Iberia has traditionally recruited qualified pilots from a military or civilian background.
A number of flightcrew will transfer to Iberia Express from the parent carrier, which will concentrate exclusively on long-haul flights. The latter's approximately 1,500-strong cockpit workforce will gradually move up the ranks and convert to the A330/A340 fleet as senior flightcrew members retire. However, Iberia has no plans to recruit new pilots for the mainline operations. Whether it will be possible for Iberia Express flightcrew to transfer to the parent carrier is as yet unclear. Lufthansa expects to take on about 300 new pilots this year. The German airline mainly recruits ab initio cadets who learn their trade at the in-house training campuses in Bremen and Goodyear, Arizona. Only if demand exceeds the available supply of career starters does the airline fall back on direct-entry pilots.
Aviation Training - Pilot Demand Rising
Here's an interesting piece from Baltic Aviation:
CAE Inc. is stepping up its business with Asia. It has sold five full-flight simulators and other training equipment together worth $65 million at list prices to Asian clients.
Citing estimates that Asia region would need at least 72,000 pilots in the next 20 years, Cebu Air Inc. (CEI) president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei signed with the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) an agreement for the establishment of a world-class, $50-million pilot training academy.
Environmental Tectonics Corporation (OTCQB: ETCC) ("ETC" or the "Company") today reported net sales for the 2012 third fiscal quarter of $17.3 million, an increase of $1.1 million, or 6.9% over net sales of $16.2 million in the 2011 third fiscal quarter
The integrated airport meteorological instrument system (AMIS), which is currently operational at eight airports in the India, will be extended to another 46 airports as part of the IMD's modernization program.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director General, Dr Harold Demuren, has said Nigeria has the highest safety standard. He also mentioned that was the reason Nigeria has not had any major accident recently, adding that no aircraft can fly in this country today without maintenance and safety record.
Pilot Training College, which has bases in Waterford and Dublin, has won a €12 million contract, the biggest in its history, RTE Ireland reported on 20 January.
Sheridan College and the Brampton Flying Club announced a new partnership. It will allow students to earn a business degree and their commercial pilot's license in the same four years.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) had purchased a brand-new Airbus A320 full flight simulator.
Cabair International’s flight crew selection team is touring across the UK in 2012 looking for new pilots to join the class of 2012. Cabair will be scouting for at least 100 new recruits to train to be qualified as commercial pilots to the highest JAA accredited standards.
IATA has signed a deal with Etihad Airways for a training partnership to roll out training courses for the travel sector in the region. The agreement took place at the IATA-AACO Aeropolitical Affairs Forum in Abu Dhabi. Courses will include the Airline Customer Service program, but will extend to fields in aviation, cargo, travel and tourism, including courses for travel agents.
India's aviation regulator plans to review the massive fleet expansion plans of IndiGo, the country's No.2 airline, after the safety audit found a shortage of trained staff and alleged operational discrepancies, a report by the regulator shows.
At Singapore Airshow, happening on 14-19 February, Aviation Training & Services are discussed on Thursday, 16 February at Southeast Asia Business Forum. 5th International Conference “Air Transport Safety“ conference, held in Moscow, Renaissance Hotel, discusses particularities of training flight personnel for modern aircraft. Aviation Professionals conference, held on February 21, Moscow, will expand the topic on the cooperation of the state and the private sector as well as modern technologies of training.
Mountain Flying Basics - getting maximum lift from the wing
As an instructor as well as a student of aviation and all things flight I am always interested in learning as much about aerodynamics as I possibly can, especially when it will help my flying.
One of the airplanes we operate here at Alpine Flight Training in Eagle Colorado is a Cessna Cardinal, the other is a Diamond DA20. The Cardinal has a significant load capability, but when heavily loaded the performance quickly diminishes. One of the challenges of flying the Cardinal is to accurately predict your climb performance prior to departure and then maximize that climb in flight, especially when more heavily loaded.
In talking to an aerodynamics guru I recently learned that generally speaking, ailerons are designed in a manner that when they are fully deflected in the down position the wing is in it's maximum lift configuration. While that fact is interesting about the aileron, what it also means is that if your plane's POH isn't specific about maximum lift flap setting, and easy way to determine this is to place the aileron in the fully deflected position and then lower the flap to match that angle. In the Cardinal, it turns out that maximum lift is a little less than the 10 degrees of flaps settings suggested by the POH for takeoff. As a result, I'll generally takeoff with 10 degrees, then retract the flaps slightly to maximize the climb.
Mountain Flying Basics - Altitude for Pass Crossing
One of the frequent topics that comes up during our mountain flying courses is what is the correct elevation for pass crossing. I'll attempt to make the answer as straight forward as possible however there are several considerations.
The first thing to remember is that we should always keep our airplane in a position to turn towards lower terrain. Now as you approach the pass, many valleys narrow - each one will be different, but the basic premise of pass crossing is that you shouldn't cross the pass until you are at an altitude that is sufficient to allow power off glide to the pass or ridge from your position, at the same time you should not put the airplane in a position where it cannot turn towards lower terrain. So as you approach the pass or ridge, if you arrive at a point where you must turn away from the pass in order to (1) keep the plane in a position to turn towards lower terrain, then you would do exactly that and turn away from the pass because you are (2) not at an altitude that is sufficient to allow a power off glide to the ridge. As you come around again after a circle to gain some altitude you can now see you are high enough to glide to the ridge top, then you can continue up the valley to cross the pass. As you cross the pass, do so at a 45 degree angle if it allows so that you have the option of reversing course back to the side of the pass you came from.
Keep in mind I'm not saying we cross the ridge power off - that's simply the means for determining if we are indeed high enough to warrant continuing towards the pass to cross.
Alpine Flight Training offers a variety of mountain flying clinics, ideally suited to all skill levels. Call 970-401-5105 for more information.
Mountain Flying Strategy | Climbing in the Pattern
Earlier today I was hanging out at the funnest place on earth - the Vail Valley Jet Center, and a pilot called the FBO to ask about mountain flying. Well naturally, being the local CFI and being the lobby the phone got passed to me. The VFR pilot on the other end of the line was coming to the area for the first time and wanted to know if climbing in the pattern was something that could be done.
Overall this strategy is a good one, and it's something I've done many times. Simply take off, let the tower know you want to make a lap through the pattern and continue climbing. This is a great way to get to your crossing altitude. Not only does it keep you over friendly terrain, but also keeps you near an ideal landing site. I specifically do this at night quite frequently - I think it's a great strategy for circling over the airfield or city when the lights are below you to gain altitude before departing the area enroute - expecially where there is mountainous terrain.
The only complexity of this strategy really only comes into play if the weather is less than ideal, or the traffic to the airport is heavy. Here's why. You can assume at any given field there are probably a couple instrument approaches, with missed approach procedures. There is also the "go around" flight path to the runway. As you climb in the pattern, you are climbing through airspace that is sometime used for that go around or used for the missed approach. Let's say as a VFR pilot you're in clear airspace directly above the airport, but to the east is a cloud formation and arriving aircraft from the east are on instrument approach. Assuming the arriving aircraft don't see the airport by the missed approach point then they start their go around, then they may pop out of the clouds right where you're circling to climb.
No strategy is perfect, but this an overall good one.
Diamond DA-20 Katana Training Resources
Following is a link to revision 25 of the Airplane Flight Manual for the DA-20 C1 Katana Eclipse
The following is an excellent supplement to the DA-20 AFM. This is a composite guide to training in the DA-20.
Eagle and Vail Valley Aviation Ground School
Alpine Flight Training, with offices at the Vail Valley Jet Center conducts regular Aviation Ground School sessions. If you would like a schedule or would like to join one our upcoming Aviation Ground Schools please e-mail [email protected] or call 970-401-5105. We follow the Jeppessen curriculum for both private pilot and instrument ratings. Classes are generally held in the evening at the Eagle County Airport at the Vail Valley Jet Center in our offices in Hangar 1.
If you are interested in attending our upcoming ground school please call 970-401-5105.
Watch One Six Right On Hulu For Free
Anyone even remotely interested in learning to fly should see this movie. You can watch One Six Right on Hulu for free, click the image below to begin playing.
Aircraft Rental in Vail Eagle Colorado
If you're just visiting Vail, Glenwood Springs, or the Eagle Valley give us a call. We'll set up a flight with one of our instructors to show you mountain flying first hand. One the most popular trips both summer or winter is a flight to Leadville or Telluride. Leadville Is The highest airport in north America and Telluride is the second highest airport. Both flights provide an excellent scenic experience that combines enjoyment and learning.
Alpine Flight Training offers pilot training and aircraft rental in the Vail Valley. Our aircraft is a Diamond DA-20 Eclipse, commonly referred to as a Katana and is the later generation of the tried and true Katana aircraft. The original Diamond DA-20 Katana was equipped with a 90 hp Rotax 912 engine. The Eclipse version we have at Alpine Flight Training is the C1 model equipped with a 125 hp Continental IO-240 that delivers excellent performance especially useful for Mountain Flying. Our Katana Eclipse, with it's larger engine delivers similar takeoff distances as a Cessna 172 SP, but provides superior climb performance, a faster cruise speed, and a fuel burn nearly 1/2 that of the Cessna 172 SP and a slower landing speed. The Katana was originally inspired by european glider design, and also features superior glide performance of 22:1 compared to the 17:1 glide ratio of the Cessna 172 SP as well as excellent visibility through it's bubble canopy design.