News - CWF Flying Club

FMFA Aircraft Weight and Balanace Computations

May 6, 2008

The FMFA Aircraft Weight and Balance Worksheets (XLS) can be found under Miscellaneous Documents in the Library Section of the website. This Microsoft Excel workbook contains a worksheet for each of the club's aircraft with the current empty weight and balance pre-stored by tail number. One only has to plug in the weight of the pilot and passengers, the weight of the baggage, etc. The computations are automatically computed for you and graphically shown in reference to the plane's weight and balance envelope (allowable limits).

- Bob Carpenter, FMFA Chief Instructor

GPS and Arrow Information CD-Rom For Checkout

May 6, 2008

Mike Bevan, Safety and Security Officer, has been kind enough to burn a number of CD-Roms containing the GX60 and G430 PC Simulators, as well as PDF docs containing the Arrow equipment user's manuals. Pls ckout from Nick Yokanovich (in his right-side upper desk drawer) for a maximum period of 3 days.

- Bob Carpenter, FMFA Chief Instructor

Fuel Surcharge and Instructor Rate Change

April 30, 2008

Two things are changing as of May 1, 2008

  1. AVGas prices are continuing to rise, and the club cannot absorb the additional cost and afford to operate, we must be in the black by the end of the fiscal year, (Sept 30, 2008) to stay in business. We are several thousand dollars financially behind where we were last year and this is mostly caused by increases in fuel costs.

    2. We have already increased the rental rate last March 1 to break even with the fuel cost of $4.24 per gal. The fuel cost at Tipton is now $4.74 per gal., to keep from constantly changing the rental cost of the aircraft, a fuel surcharge is being added to the cost of the aircraft rental. To break even with the fuel increases, a $2.00 per hr increase is needed for each 25cents increase in fuel. If the fuel increases more then we will change the surcharge as needed, if and when the fuel decreases then the surcharge will decrease also.

    As of May 1, a surcharge of $4.00 will be added to the T-41s, 172, and Arrow, the 152s will be less because of low fuel burn.

  2. Looking at the cost of instruction in the area, most schools are charging $35 to $45 per hr., to keep good quality instructors in the club to fly with the students and not have them move to other organizations, the rate for instruction will be increased from $25 per hr. to $30 per hr.

I understand that this is a lot to be added on at this time but if we want to function as a non-profit club we cannot charge the very high rates for the aircraft and instructors as other businesses do, but we do need to break even on the rising cost to operate. Hopefully we will see a relief in the next few months on the fuel cost.

-Jim Spore, Manager

Safety Course for this Quarter (Mar-Jun08)

The course you need to take by the next safety mtg (June) is AOPA's "Airport Watch" video. See here for more information about AOPA's program.

The course you should have taken by the March safety meeting was Inflight Icing.

Please send me a note when you have completed them. Do not send any completions certificates, however !!!!

Cheers, Nick.

ESN Class D and Class E Airspace

There are men and equipment near Rwys 4/22, 15/33. As part of your FMFA-required FSS Weather Briefing prior to every FMFA flight, check for Rwys 4/22, 15/33 restrictions UFN.

Effective 14Feb08 Class D Airspace Extends 4NMR ESN NDB from SFC to 2600' MSL while Ctrl Twr in operation {See Current Wash Tri-Area TAC and Wash Sec Charts for Class D and related Class E to surface depiction}

The ESN Control Tower operates from 6am to 10pm local 24/7/365.

Twr freq of 118.525 reverts to a CTAF freq after 10pm until 6am. ATIS freq of 124.475 reverts to AWOS after 10pm until 6am. Grd Ctrl/Cl Del freq of 119.075 not applicable after 10 pm until 6am.


-- Carpenter updtd 03/16/08

SAFETY COURSE FOR THIS QUARTER

The course you need to take by the next safety meeting (March) is Inflight Icing. As Mike Bevan said during the December safety meeting, this is a course you want to do now, so please don't wait until March to do it. Everyone who has commented about this course has said it is a good one, and worth the small amount of time to take it.


Click here for the course

Please send me a note when you have completed it. DO NOT SEND ME YOUR COMPLETION CERTIFICATE, HOWEVER !

Cheers,
Nick

2008 Spring Ground School Schedule

Instrument Ground School- The class scheduled to begin Monday, Jan 14, has been postponed until mid-March. Dates TBD.

Private Ground School - POC Mike Bevan. Tuition is $150. The materials for Private Ground School vary depending on what the student already has, to a maximum of $83 for the classroom materials (plotter, E6B, Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Gleim PVT Test Prep, FAR/AIM, and a logbook for end-of-course endorsement). Additional items may be required for flying lessons (Jepp syllabus - $20; student record - $6; PTS for PVT ASEL - $6). All classes begin at 6pm at Tipton Ops Building Annex (old Tipton Arpt Firehouse)

  1. 04/01/08 (Tue) Intro & Pilot Document, Ch 1 Aircraft Structure
  2. 04/03/08 (Thu) Ch 2 Princ of Flt, Ch 3 Aerodynamics of Flte
  3. 04/08/08 (Tue) Ch 4 Flt Controls, Ch 5 Aircraft Systemse
  4. 04/10/08 (Thu) Ch 6 Flt Instruments, Ch 7 Flt Manuals & Other Docse
  5. 04/15/08 (Tue) Stage 1 Exam & Reviewe
  6. 04/18/08 (Fri) Ch 8 Wgt & Bal, Ch 9 Aircraft Performancee
  7. 04/22/08 (Tue) Ch 10 Weather Theory, FAR Exercises Duee
  8. 04/24/08 (Thu) Ch 11 Weather Reports, Forecasts and Chartse
  9. 04/29/08 (Tue) Stage II Exam & Revewe
  10. 05/01/08 (Thu) Ch 12 Arpt Ops, Ch 13 Airspacee
  11. 05/06/08 (Tue) Ch 14 Navigation 20e
  12. 05/08/08 (Thu) Ch 14 Navigation (Continued)e
  13. 05/13/08 (Tue) Ch 15 Aeromedical Factors, Ch 16 ADMe
  14. 05/16/08 (Fri) Stage III Exam & Review for Finale
  15. 05/20/08 (Tue) Practice FAA Exame
  16. 05/22/08 (Thu) Practice FAA Exame
GPS Ground School - POC Bob Carpenter. Tuition is $40. All Classes at 6PM at the old Tipton Firehouse (updtd 2/7/08).
  1. 03/17/08 (Mon) GNS 430 & GX60 GPS Introductory Opse
  2. 03/21/08 (Fri) GNS 430 & GX60 GPS Approach Procedurese
Instructor Standardization Meeting- (Open to FAA, FMFA Management and Instructors Only) - POC Bob Carpenter. Begins at 6PM at the old Tipton Firehouse (updtd 2/7/08). 03/24/08 (Mon) FMFA Instructor Std Meeting

Required courses for spring, summer and fall quarter safety activity

  • The assignment between the September and December meetings is to take "Navigating the New DC ADIZ" which is available here
  • The assignment between the December and March meetings is to take "Inflight Icing" which is available here
  • Click here for a PDF file depiction of the ADIZ/FRZ effective on 30Aug07, as well as its associated West, East, South Sector POTOMAC ATC Freqs. [ Correction to PDF file is that East ATC Freq has changed from 126.75MHz to 132.775MHz, effective 15Nov07. ]

When you have finished the courses send/leave Nick a note that you have done so. DO NOT SEND HIM THE COURSE COMPLETION CERTIFICATES - HE DOES NOT WANT TO BE INUNDATED WITH THEM !

Telephone Numbers for Potomac TRACON and FSS

Both toll free and local selected POTOMAC Sector as well as FSS toll free numbers are given:
(Shenandoah Sector) [IAD] POTOMAC TRACON 866-709-4993 540-349-4097
(Mt Vernon Sector) [DCA and ADW] POTOMAC TRACON 866-599-3874 540-349-0493
(James River Sector) [RIC and CHO] POTOMAC TRACON 866-640-4124 540-349-9697
(Chesapeake Sector) [BWI-FME-ANP-W18] POTOMAC TRACON 866-429-5882 540-349-8478

(Washington Hub Dedicated to ADIZ Opns) FSS 866-225-7410
[Wash Hub has pre-stored flight plans for all FMFA aircraft. When calling just give them the tail number and "changes" (time off, exit/entrance pt, time enroute, pilot name, SOB, fuel onboard)]
(Nation-Wide) FSS 800-WX-BRIEF (800-992-7433)
(Transcribed Weather) FSS 877 484 2799
(General FSS Info) http://www.AFFS.com

-- Carpenter

Tipton Airport VFR EGRESS and ACCESS SOP

Here is a chart of proposed VFR Tipton EGRESS and ACCESS routes.
Request aircraft approaching the airport from the east pass south of the drag strip 152 degrees at 4 nm from the airport and aircraft approaching from the west pass south of Laurel Racetrack 298 degrees at 3.7 nm from the airport. Aircraft departing the airport requested to pass north of these points.

--Carpenter


Proper Footwork & Landing Techniques

  1. PROPER FOOTWORK. LAND ALL OF THE FMFA AIRCRAFT WITH YOUR HEELS ON THE FLOOR AND THE "BALLS" OF YOUR FEET ON THE LARGE PART OF THE LOWER PORTION OF THE RUDDER PEDALS. PHYSICALLY LIFT YOUR FEET UP ONTO THE TOE BRAKES TO APPLY BRAKING (SPARINGLY).
    When you see bald spots on tires during preflight or postflight inspections, it is from having brakes applied during touchdown (most of the time involuntarily, read on below). To prevent applying braking during the touchdown phase of landing, pilots are encouraged keep the HEELS on the floor. Only after the touchdown is complete should the toe brakes be applied. Using this technique will reduce the probability of flat and bald spots into the cord of the tire and possibility of a blowout. If you insist on landing the aircraft with any part of our foot on the toe brakes sooner or later you will inadvertently apply braking (Your calf muscles will involuntarily tense up and you will involuntarily apply the brakes, it is that simple. You may do it only one flight out 100 but that one incident can result in flat spots, bald tires and/or blowouts.)
  2. PROPER LANDING TECHNIQUE. LAND WITH THE AIRCRAFT PITCH ATTITUDE AT 3-5 DEGREES UP ON THE MAIN WHEELS ONLY -- PLEASE SPARE THE NOSEWHEEL WHICH IS NOT BUILT FOR THE LARGE IMPACT FORCES OF INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND (AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR IS BUILT TO WITHSTAND THESE FORCES).
    A rash of deflated nose struts is being observed with the T41-C aircraft. O-ring seals in the strut are easily damaged by HARD landings on the nose wheel. The nose "fork" on N788FM, a C152, encountered such high forces that it fractured. Please land with a pitch attitude of 3-5 degrees up -- slamming the nose into the runway on only one landing can destroy the integrity of T41C and C152 nosestruts. PLEASE, PLEASE, be gentle on ALL of our aircraft nosewheel struts while landing -- these incidents add up to many, many thousands of dollars of maintenance costs and many hundreds of hours of aircraft downtime (resulting in lost revenue).

-- Carpenter

New Instructor Awards Program

Incentive for FMFA instructors to get as many students and fly as many hours as possible each month !!!!

Instructor Activity = B/A + (A)x(F) + C + 2D + 4E
  1. A = Number of Students Flown during period
  2. B = Total Aircraft Hours Flown during period
  3. C = Number of Students Achieving First ASEL Solo during period
  4. D = Number of Students Achieving ATP ASEL, COM ASEL, CFI-A or CFII-A during period
  5. E = Number of Students Achieving PRIVATE ASEL or INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE during period
  6. F = 0.75 for Chief Instructor, 1.00 for all other CFIs
Periods of Activity = {Calendar Month, Calendar Quarter, Calendar Year}

Awards:


  • Instructor of month receives $30 off Sporty's Pilot Shop order + Picture on FMFA wall
  • Instructor of quarter receives $100 off Sporty's Pilot Shop order plus his/her name on Plaque*
  • Instructor of year receives $250 Gift off Sporty's Pilot Shop order plus his/her name on Plaque*
  • *Plaque to hang in FMFA Clubhouse