Wow, a lot of flying has been going on here at SMAT. Usually things slow down in November as the weather gets worse, but several students have been getting licenses and ratings in the past two weeks. Jeremiah and Peter were both in my instrument ground school class in the spring and now have their IFR rating after passing a check ride last week. Steve has been a very dedicated student and now has his private pilot license after starting flight training just two months ago. Dave was in maintenance class with me and I helped him get his commercial license last week. He is now on his way back to Texas to obtain a flight instructor license and work with a mission. Eric is another student I have been flying with over the past few weeks and I signed him off to take his commercial check ride. He passed his flight exam with ease flying the 172RG.



Students from outside the country have been flying here also. Ester from Papa New Guinea recently soloed for the first time. She wants to return to her country and use aviation to help her people. Cleo is from Kenya and I have had the privilege of helping him get his Kenyan license transferred to a U.S. license. It is great to play just a small role in the training of these individuals.



As the days have been getting shorter here, I find myself doing a lot more night flying which I enjoy. I have also been doing lots of tail wheel flying which is a good experience for both student and instructor. The Lowell airport is a favorite location to fly into because it has short, narrow runways and tall trees on all sides. This adds to the challenge and is similar to the type of airstrips that the many mission students can expect to see in remote locations.



On the maintenance front, one of our Cessna 172's is undergoing an engine change. After the 2000+ hour life of an engine it is time to put a new one in and send the old one out to be rebuilt. I have had the chance to play a role in this change when I have not been flying.



Looking forward to Thanksgiving and being home soon!

JMG

More from the Virginia trip to the Shenandoah valley.

JMG

Below are several photos from a trip to Virginia last week.

JMG

H1N1 has hit the area hard in the last week. Almost every school in the area has been closed this week due to widespread illness. Last night was like a ghost town here as everyone is worried about getting sick. I've been feeling well for the most part but that may not last.

Flying here over the last few weeks has been very good. Steve should have his private pilots license by the end of next week. Eric should have his commercial license in the same time period. Several people are also very close to their instrument rating and they should be ready for their tests in the next two weeks.

Fall colors have hit their peak and are great right now! Flying with some friends last Saturday was a nice change of pace from the teaching routine as it gave me a chance to really enjoy the infinite number of colors in the trees right now. I spent Monday and Tuesday of this last week on a long trip to Virginia. What would have been a 10-12 hour drive was a direct 3 hour flight from Michigan. I was ready to fly in poor weather but I could not find a cloud for the entire trip. I had the chance to fly over the Appalachian mountains which made the flight one of the best I have had in a long time. At the highest elevations I could see snow on top of several of the peaks. I have never been into the Shenandoah valley before and it was beautiful. I want to add some photos but right now my computer is not cooperating.

Winter is waiting just around the corner and next week I'll need to take my convertible mustang and switch to something that is more equipped for winter.


JMG

Sam and I from A&P maintenance class. Flying an aerobatic airplane at Lee Bottom.

It is not even the first of October yet and already it feels and looks very much like fall here. It is only about 50F here today and the leaves are really starting to change color. Gusty winds to well over 40mph have me on the ground today but that has given me a chance to catch up on some cleaning and paperwork.



In the mail today I got a nice surprise. I am now the happy holder of Airframe and Power plant certificate number 3414684. My new certificate showed up from the FAA. For over a month I have had a paper certificate but I now have the official license.



I have been jogging enough that I think I need a new pair of shoes. Time to go shopping.



JMG

A big congratulations to Steve Schmidtfranz on flying solo in an airplane for the first time! It has been a busy September of flight training at SMAT and with only six days of flight training Steve took to the sky alone. He was able to takeoff, fly the airport traffic pattern and land several times without any trouble. You too could experience the satisfaction of flying an airplane by yourself. It takes focus and dedication, but I firmly believe that almost anyone can do it. Video of the flight should be available soon.

POWER PLANT final is passed! Class is over, graduation tomorrow and my rebuilt engine is running!