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HOLIDAY BONUS FUND Our Holiday Bonus Fund collected $1,100 for West Valley’s hard-working staff; with individual contributions ranging up to $100 apiece. On behalf of the staff we’d like to thank all contributors, and a special thanks, once again, to Ken Okin for suggesting the idea.
Don’t forget to put the January Board Meeting on your calendar – 7:00 pm, January 21. Additional 2003 meetings are scheduled for April 22, July 22, and October 21.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Solo
Private
The Proud CFIs:
NEW MEMBERS
Robert Lundy
SPECIAL CHECKOUT RATE ON 1597H
Cardinal 1597H is now $125 per hour regular, with a $115 per hour Checkout Rate for up to 10 hours dual… save up to $100 on your initial time in this RG.
KEEPING CURRENT WITH SCAPA
If you want to stay current with issues affecting SQL and GA in general, keep an eye on the San Carlos Airport Pilot’s Association (SCAPA) website. You’ll find there information about budget cuts to GA, as well as what we can do about them. Check it out at www.sancarlospilots.org.
SUGGESTION BOX
Do you have a suggestion or a bit of feedback for the club? Send it to whatsup@wvfc.org.
THE FLYER
The Flyer is the monthly newsletter of the West Valley Flying Club. For more information about the club, please call our Palo Alto office at (650) 856-2030, or our San Carlos office at (650) 595-5912. For information about the newsletter, or to submit an article, contact the Editor at whatsup@wvfc.org.
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NEXT BOARD MEETING & 2003 SCHEDULEby Mike Latzky, General Manager
This past year has certainly been a time of change for many of us, both good and bad. Like every New Year, we get to move past whatever was, and into whatever will be. While that isn’t too poetic (can you tell I came from the Bronx?), many good things have happened, and it’s time to reward some of the people who have done good things. After all, no good deed goes unpunished. In that spirit, I want to announce 2 major promotions at the Club.
First, for service above and beyond the call of duty, including more hours than we could count, and more dedication than we have a right to expect, I’m proud to announce that effective January 1, 2003, Josh Smith will be promoted to the position of Chief Pilot and Director of Operations. Josh’s responsibilities as Chief Pilot won’t change, but his commitment to MX and other areas will be expanded in the new year. Josh’s role will expand to responsibility for all operational areas on a day to day basis, with the exception of Accounting. This change in organizational structure is important. The Club has needed an official “second in command” for some time. We’ve also needed to consolidate more of the operational issues, freeing me up to do more overall, strategic development. Josh’s previous management experience, project management outlook, and ability to work with people makes him ideal for this position, and we wish him well in his new role.
Similarly, Kevin Pinger has devoted a great deal of time to changing our maintenance operation -- literally from top to bottom. Kevin came to the Club last spring, with many years of experience, including time at GE Turbine Division. Kevin’s used to working under pressure, and is a perfectionist, both in the mechanical sense and the organizational & paperwork sense. These are obviously critical skills. Because of Kevin’s proven track record with the Club, his unrelenting commitment to doing the job right, and his qualifications, effective January 1, 2003, I’m proud to announce Kevin’s promotion to Director of Maintenance. Kevin’s been doing this de facto for several months now, managing our move to the new facilities. He’s more than earned the permanent position, and is the single biggest reason for our turn-around in Maintenance since this summer -- rebuilding the team, reaching out to our owners, and also our vendors.
Please take the time to congratulate (or commiserate with) both Josh and Kevin on their new responsibilities.
The next bit of news came to you all via email last weekend. While the Club is working hard to control costs, the unfortunate truth is that we can’t remain viable on the fee structure and operational basis from last year. We have many infrastructure projects to begin and complete, many unexpected expenses, and of course, costs continue to rise annually. We’re looking to make some of the fee increases more palatable by offering alternatives like the annual pre-pay plan, which will hold dues at the previous year’s rate for those who want to take advantage of this. We’re working hard internally to update systems, and recognize greater economies of scale. Some of those changes are what I’d like to discuss next.
Starting January 1, we’re providing all members with online access to their account information. As soon as a flight is dispatched in, it’ll be available for your review on your account screen. In Cassi, you can now go to “User Profiles.” At the bottom of the screen is a link to “View My Account.” This screen will be the place for you to review charges from flights, pilot supplies, and other miscellaneous charges, view credits for gas tags, any credit card charges and transactions, payments, and dues and other fees charges. This same data will be used to prepare and mail your monthly statement, so they should now match exactly. This step is critical in overcoming the problems of the past year with statements, overcharges and the other myriad issues with members’ statements.
In addition, on the same “User Profile” screen, you’ll have the choice is opting to NOT have your statement mailed, but rather to view and settle on screen. In this electronic age where almost every other service you use regularly provides an internet-accessible means to view and manage your account, we’re now providing the same. Your credit card data will NOT be accessible or viewable over this interface, to ensure security and safety. Starting with the March 3, 2003 statements, anyone who’s selected “Online Only” will not be mailed a statement. This saves the Club significantly every month. Our postage, printing, stuffing and mailing costs are high not just in terms of money, but in terms of the 1,100 pieces which are done every month. Your decision is an individual one -- we certainly won’t eliminate the mailing process for anyone who requires it, but we ask you to consider opting for the online only method. As a part of our testing to ensure accuracy, we won’t start this until the March date mentioned above.
Another important step in the reduction of both errors and cost is the cutover on January 1 to automated credit card processing from flight info in Cassi. Until the end of December, our systems required that data was entered 3 times -- first your flight record, then the credit card charge, then the payment info. With this new system, we’ll be working from the finalized “Flight Tag” in Cassi, entered on Dispatch-In at the front desk. From there, virtually everything is simply click and monitor. The advantages of this are great --less chance of error, since there’s significantly less data entry. And more accurate, and faster recording of all charges and credits. You can expect that your gas tags, for example, will be credited to your credit card with 1-2 days of your turning them in. This should also eliminate the build-up of credit balances from many members. We also anticipate that we will be saving 50%-75% of one person’s time, making it possible for us to handle the many other projects that have waited too long for resolution.
We’ll be moving further down the road of electronic access and a larger information flow as we move through January and February. We’ll announce the new features and capabilities as they come out, rather than promise a load of futures. Since we do have a roadmap to increasing the functionality of Cassi as a communications tool, we’re happy to discuss these plans with anyone -- if you have questions, please stop by, email me, or call me. I can walk you through where we’re going and what our target dates are.
Lastly this month, while we expect a somewhat wet winter, it’s a good time to remind everyone that those sunny days shouldn’t be missed for flying, that there’s some great IFR practice weather right about now, and those windy days are great crosswind practice days! Why not call one of your favorite CFIs, grab a plane, and go get a leg up on waning skills? You’ll have some fun, your CFI will show you a few new tricks, and you’ll remember why you started to fly in the first place! Like the commercials say, “Get Out There”!
2002 has been an interesting year. I originally applied for the position of Director of Flight Safety, later to become Chief Pilot to help provide some stability to an organization that seemed to be going through a lot of change. Like many CFIs and members, I was concerned about the many changes taking place, and I thought I could pick up some good experience along the way. The changes that have taken place, I think have had a multitude of results; the thing I did not account for was the depth of intensity of experience one would gain from being the Chief Pilot. (Wipe the smirk off your face, Ken.)
I can certainly express to all that read this that I have learned an incredible amount in the last year, some of which I expected and some of which totally took me by surprise. I would like to thank those who have come forward to offer their suggestions and insights. These conversations, with their colorful use of colloquialism and varying levels of intensity, are what lie at the heart of succeeding in this position, and again I thank you.
I have said many times that what makes this place so cool is that it is a club. More so, it's a club for all of us who at one point stood looking up into the sky and wondering if one day we too could go up there and fly. It is a place where we can all joke, discuss, and argue through the many stories that spring from this crazy adventure we all partake in. It's strength lies in the fact that we come together and work towards common goals, and better ways of running an organization. This is what gives us all a common ground.
As far as performance, on the whole I feel the year was a success. As compared to previous data, member observations seem to stay flat from year to year when compared to total flight hours. The real plus was the fact that there was no major damage to any of our aircraft from in-flight problems. Remediation flights seem to be down from previous years. In general, most pilots have been responsive to this process, and it works to ultimately create a learning experience for the club and the pilot. On the downside there were a large number of un-reported skin rashes that resulted either from parking or taxing the aircraft. From discussion with previous chief pilots, this seems to be a normal occurrence, however it is still disappointing to see so many planes scratched without anyone coming forward. My hope is that we were able to resolve these issues in a fair manner, based on club rules. The politics have been a bit disappointing. Having been with the club since ‘93, it seems like there is a natural cycle to this, and it is just a side effect of the business climate we are in. Just the same, to me, it is a dark side of business. One can hope that in the end, most people will see that many of things they want are the same, and we can work together to come to these resolves. Those who cannot will hopefully find another place where they find a greater level of satisfaction.
There will be more changes in 2003 for the membership of WVFC. Many of these are focused on providing a higher level of customer service and aviation-related products. I hope to continue to refine such processes as phase checks and aircraft check-outs, high performance requirements, and safety related training materials.
Maintenance has been working hard to provide better availability of aircraft, and an elimination of the kinds of re-occurring squawks that can plague even the simplest of flights. We are providing better facilities for members, and better availability of staff; to help answer Mx related issues. In 2003 we will continue in these efforts and add more to the list of improvements we would like to offer the WVFC family. As always, as I have previously stated, everyone's help is greatly appreciated and please feel free to contact me with any suggestions you may have.
Thank you for your support. Stay current, stay safe.
Have you been trying maintain currency but weren’t sure what you were current in and when it would expire? We’ve updated a feature of Cassi to make it easier to stay on top of this. If you go to your “User Profile,” then click on “View my Currency, Checkouts, BFR and medical,” you’ll see a color coded screen which will display:
Two thousand three jumped in with a vengeance; fortunately, between the storms, our pilots have found a little blue sky.
The latest upgrades to Cassi have rolled out with New Year’s Day, these new features promise to be a real benefit to all West Valley members. The membership has been terrific in helping the Front Desk while we all learn the new system; now we ask for a little more patience while we go on to phase 2. Besides the billing being done in Cassi (please read “Out With the Old In With the News” above) we will also be handling all the pilot supply sales through a special program in Cassi. Our pilot supply inventory has slowly diminished over the last few years; if there is a product you would like us to special order or feel would be a good addition to our inventory please contact Joel at PAO or e-mail jharris@wvfc.org.
The success of our new billing program is dependent on accurate data for Hobbs/Tach times. Please double check these numbers before you begin a flight and prior to returning the keys to our desk staff. I have no doubt many of our members will have questions about accessing and using the new features on Cassi; please call the desks if you need any assistance.
We have new staff member Named Don Turner, covering the weekday morning shifts at PAO. He has an interesting background in building Street Rods, being R&D Manager for Phaff Turbochargers, and creating Bronze Sculpture. Stop by and say hello.
I hope all of our members had a good New Year’s, and we will look forward to seeing you at the club in January.
So far we’ve covered the first three of the following basic ingredients of a positive flying attitude:
During the winter months, our flying hours drop significantly, the weather creates conditions conducive to producing articles like those above, and our skills tend to atrophy. Recognizing that a reduction in our flight currency equals a reduction in our skill level, and probably introduces unpredictable variations in our flight practices, these articles become even more important. By focusing our thoughts on processes, decision-making, risk analysis, and judgment, we can still develop and retain currency in the mental areas critical to safety.
These articles, as well as NTSB reports, the various FAA publications, and safety seminars can be approached from two directions, both informative. Pretty clearly, the safety articles show the "here’s what I did wrong" point of view. Which is a place to start. A special consideration on this analysis is to notice that there was rarely one thing that went wrong, and that after the first change or event occurred, there was probably a chance to avoid the entire problem.
Which raises the second approach, "what would I have done?" The articles can be made very personal and relevant by assessing the situations in which these pilots found themselves in light of our own skills and practices. At what point would we have made a different decision? It’s best to do this as we read through the article the first time, and before we see what the gotcha is, or where the trouble occurred. This avoids the "Monday Morning Quarterback" syndrome, and to some small extent lets us "experience" the problem as it occurs.
Just as important as looking at what the pilot did wrong, we should look at what he or she did right. Sometimes this consisted of nothing more than getting lucky (which counts, but which we can’t count upon). In other cases the pilot got out of trouble through skillfully handling the plane, or through good (if somewhat late) judgment. A good look at these cases can be instructive if we look at our own skills -- could we have done that? Would we have made the same decision? How could we have applied the decision-making model? Was there a better decision that could have been made?
As the weather begins to improve this spring, and we begin flying more regularly, we can count on our skills being rusty and our practices less than fluent. But if we’ve conscientiously kept our decision-making processes current, and kept trying to improve our judgment, we are less likely to find ourselves in situations that could be written about in those flying magazine articles.
[If this sounds enticing, send a note to whatsup@wvfc.org and let me know. If there’s enough interest we’ll see if we can organize a club trip. Ed.]
A pilot friend in Texas and I have engaged in a game of fiscal brinksmanship. Each year we take turns picking an aviation adventure to share in to give us plenty to talk about for the other 360+ odd days. I raised the ante way up a few years back with a trip on the Concorde, but he’s been working to catch up. This last summer he came pretty close, although not so much in the bank account war as in the “holy cow, that’s cool” department.
We attended a 2-day “learn to fly the B737” ATOP program at the Continental Airlines training base in Houston (www.b737.com).
About the Course
The training is ideal for folks who are thinking about going into the majors and want to get a taste for it. It’s also great for those of us who use aviation as therapy and want to find new and interesting challenges. All in all, it’s very professional, and should be taken seriously. It’s not simply about getting a few hours in a full motion simulator.
The session we attended was taught by Wayne Phillips, founder of ATOP. Wayne is a nutcase, and a great instructor. He has a ribald sense of humor, enjoys every moment of life, and brings the course to life.
About the Content To say “overload” would be an understatement. You’ll not be B737 rated at the end of the course, but you will have a pretty good idea of what it’s like at the business end of “the guppy.”
Our class had 8 students, divided into two sets of four. Our set had myself, my friend Jon, his Boston CFI Don, and his Austin CFI Marco. Marco has about a zillion hours in everything flying and is just waiting to get his green card to go to the majors. Don drives around in his C210 and teaches people in IMC in New England. Jon and I were the rookies.
The first day is information overload. In two days you can barely scratch the surface of equipment this complex, but you go through complete checklists for starting the aircraft and getting a feel for the “flow” of the panels. The panels are daunting at first, but after a few times through they make sense. Even for a non-turbine, non-multi pilot, it came together pretty quickly.
The evening gets you into the training laboratory at Continental, where you’ll have an account set up on their training computer network. You get full access to the entire B737 training syllabus, and that will give you an idea of what is possible in PC-based training. If you were really motivated you could cover about 30% of the material that the career pilots are going to take weeks to figure out.
The second day puts you into the full-motion simulator. Words just won’t work here. You know it’s a machine, you know it’s safe, you know it’s training -- but when I got out of “the box,” I wanted to collect some frequent flier points. Wow! Our test card was a night departure from 28R at SFO (giving me the advantage of familiarity). I was PF, Don was PNF. About 1 knot below VR he gave us an engine fire. Stop, stop, stop!!! The screens gyrate around, passengers scream, dogs howl. The second time he let us actually get off the ground and cruise the bay area for a while.
Marco was our most experienced driver, and he got all hell thrown at him and managed to keep it at +/- 20 feet throughout. Watch for him the next time you get on board Southwest; he’ll be the one you want driving next time you fly into Texas weather.
Want to get high?
Bottom Line
The Agenda
Day One
Systems Orientation Part 1 (Classroom)
Systems Orientation Part 2 (Classroom)
Fixed Base Simulator Training
Computer Lab
Day Two
Boeing 737/300 Cockpit Management Trainer
Boeing 737/300 Full Flight Simulator
Computer Lab
De-Brief
Mike Latzky’s recent emails on rates and dues changes are repeated here in full...
December 29, 2002
Dear Members,
As we near the end of the calendar year, there are several urgent items we need to share with you. Recently, the Board of Directors met to consider dues and membership fees for 2003. Several decisions were made that affect our rates.
They are:
2. Safety Incentive
[Note, the Safety Incentive was subsequently revised and reinstated. Mike’s second email follows this one. Ed.]
3. Family Membership Changes
1. The first Family Members’ dues will be billed at the full amount for that category
4. 2003 Pre-Paid Membership at 2002 Rates Opportunity
5. Billing & Account Access
After testing this feature during January, we will offer you the option of discontinuing your mailed statement every month, and hope you will take advantage of this. More on this will follow on email and in your statements. Any member needing a mailed statement each month will have that option, but we hope to reduce a significant monthly cost, and the attendant production time (and wasted paper) that goes with the monthly statement mailing. On January 1, you will be able to choose whether or not you will want statements mailed to you in future. Statements will be mailed to everyone in early January, and early February. We would like to start eliminating mailings for those that choose to allow that starting with your early March statement.
We hope that you will continue to support us in our efforts to provide a strong, competitive Club. Please feel free to communicate with me if you have any comments or questions.
January 4, 2003
To All Members,
Over the past week, since the announcement of the new dues for 2003, we have received many emails. While no one likes to pay more, many of you have related your understanding of the economics, and comfort with the positive changes we’ve made over the past year. We’ve also had a surprising number of members pre-paying their dues to take advantage of last years rates.
One item that raised considerable concern was the elimination of the Safety Incentive. The intention was to do away with this until we could better review the issue of what increases safety, and how to incent that. Because of the level of concern, the Board met to reconsider this particular issue yesterday. It was decided that we would reinstate the Safety Incentive, and make the threshold 3 hours, rather than the previous 1. This means that any member who flies at least 3 hours in a month will qualify for, and receive, the $10 Safety Incentive rebate against their dues for that month.
There were several reasons that 3 hours was selected. First, it would tend to mean that most pilots would have at least 2 separate flights, implying more takeoffs and landings – obviously increasing safety. Second, it would tend to imply differing weather and winds, making for a safer pilot. Third, it provides a truer incentive for members to fly more than a basic minimum. Over time, we’ll continue to re-evaluate the threshold and specifics. Safety is not a subjective issue, but there are many ways to achieve it.
Also, please note that since Dues and Safety Incentive are applied in arrears, no one has lost their Safety Incentive – we will simply reinstate it at the new threshold of 3 hours, and apply it those eligible on your January statement, due out on February 3 or so.
Most importantly, we want to make sure that our members continue to have a voice, and the understanding that your concerns are heard and considered. We appreciate that many of you took the time to email and/or call, and we continue to look for ways to improve the Club for your benefit. You can, as always, reach me directly at the Club by phone, or by email at gm@wvfc.org, and the Board by email at . We look forward to a great 2003 at the Club!
* Wednesday, January 8, 7-8:30 PM, PAO
* Wednesday, January 15, 7-8:30 PM, SQL
Don’t forget, if you’d like to visit the Control Tower for the hour before any Safety Seminar, just send an email to whatsup@wvfc.com.
THE SAFE ZONE
by Josh Smith, Chief Pilot
CASSI TIPS
Remember that with “cascading currency,” your expiration date may be in the past, but a higher category keeps you current. An example is that your C-152 date may be in the past, but your C-172 currency hasn’t expired. Therefore you’re still current in C-152s as well. Over the next few weeks, as we continue to enhance Cassi, we hope to have email notification once you get inside of 30 days til expiration, providing additional support for remaining current. Naturally, we hope you won’t stretch your flying to the end of a currency limit! And of course, your favorite CFI is available to help you brush up on your skills in any of our planes.
A NOTE FROM THE FRONT DESK
by Joel Harris.
POSITIVE SAFETY ATTITUDE, PART 5: GOOD PRACTICES
by Dave Fry, CFI.
Among the most read and most discussed columns in various flying magazines are those like "I Learned About Flying From That," and "Never Again." Part of our fascination with these articles is that they highlight situations in which we could have found ourselves, but either through luck, skill, or good judgment, we’ve managed to avoid. Or perhaps we have found ourselves in a similar situation, and got through it in a way that we can compare to that of the author. Invariably there is a portion of the article that discusses the environmental and judgment factors involved in creating the situation, as well as ways in which the situation could have been avoided entirely.
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AVIATION FIELD TRIP REPORT: ATOP
by Richard Terrill, CFI.
The course is managed by Airline Training Orientation Program (ATOP) and is not affiliated with Continental. They graciously make space available (United used to be the host). The course lasts two days and costs $435 per student.
)
On approach back to SFO we were a bit more relaxed with how it all worked out (it’s very easy to get behind something that complex), so we started joking a bit. Wayne, perceptive lad that he is, noted my wit and general smart-ass attitude, so at 800 AGL on a starry night he gave me a 100’ ceiling, 1600RVR and a 40 knot crosswind. Thanks. Go on instruments, fly the plane. My First Officer Don is a high-time instructor so he was calling out gauges and I was looking for Santa and Rudolf on short final (about the only “evil” option we didn't get). RAIL came out of the fog, and I landed the plane. Unbelievable. The machine is so good that you feel the thump, whunk and clunk of landing. Probably the most striking thing is having wheels meet pavement when your carcass is still 15 feet in the air. That got my attention.
An add-on gives you time in a full-feature (non-motion) simulator to get a high altitude endorsement [61.31(g)]. Not a shabby addition to the logbook! You go through all steps from FL340 down to 12,000 right at VNE. The stick shakes, the alarms ring and the observers simulate “passenger panic.” Even in a non-motion machine it’s very realistic.
I’d have to say this was time very well invested. The time in the simulator alone was great, but the entire course reinforced teamwork and training -- key elements of safe flying. If you do go, mention my name; you may get softball-sized hail on short final. Safe Flying!
Orientation to the CONTINENTAL AIRLINES PILOT TRAINING CENTER & tour; introduction to the Computer Lab and CBT equipment.
Flight Procedures Briefing (Classroom)
IMPORTANT RATES & DUES INFORMATION
1. Dues for 2003
Over the past year, the Club has made many improvements in infrastructure and operations. Many more will need to be made this coming year in order for the Club to remain viable, competitive, and the place of choice for you to fly. As a result of this, effective January 1, 2003, the monthly dues rate will be increased to $50. We hope that you will see that this modest increase will be offset by more services, cleaner and nicer Club facilities, a larger, newer, and more coherent selection of aircraft to fly, and many other benefits. As an added means to offset the increase, please note the pre-pay option in paragraph 4 below.
As a part of the review of rates, it was noted that the Safety Incentive, while well-intentioned, does not effectively or significantly increase member flying. The Board will be re-examining this issue for our new fiscal year (April 1), looking for new and better ways to incent safe flying. For the remainder of this fiscal year, and effective January 1, 2003, we will eliminate the Safety Incentive. This minor change will help us to get through what is expected to be a wet winter.
The Club has a relatively small number of family memberships, most of which were begun many years ago. Most of the family members listed do not fly, but require administration time and costs. Because we believe that every member receives value for their membership, effective January 1, 2003, we will be changing the Family Memberships, both Associate and Full, as follows:
2. Any additional Family Members will each be billed at 50% of the full amount for that category
In order to ease the rate increase for members, we will offer the ability for any member to pre-pay their 2003 dues at the 2002 rate, providing a 10% discount for pre-payment. This pre-pay option will allow members wishing to take advantage of our 2002 rates to retain the lower rates for this coming year by pre-paying for 2003 before January 31, 2003. For Family members, we will provide the same 10% discount if family members are pre-paid in January for 2003. To take advantage of this opportunity, please contact Accounting, either by email (accounting@wvfc.org) or phone (650-856-2030).
One of the new services we will be introducing on January 1 is the ability for you to view all of your account activity online. In Cassi, starting January 1, you will see activity posted (flights, gas tags, pilot supplies, payments, and credits) as soon as it occurs. This will provide greater information for you, as well as increased accuracy. The place to look for this account detail in Cassi is your User Profile Screen. There is now a “View My Account Detail” link which will take you to the detail. One more step in the process of maintaining cleaner account records is the introduction of more automation in the processing of credit card payments, and credit back for gas tags. All transactions will be posted to your account detail in real time.
_______________________________
SAFETY SEMINARS
Stalls, spins, and how to avoid them. Speaker TBD.
Airport Symbology. Let's talk about airport signs and their meanings. TBD
© 1998, 2003 West Valley Flying Club. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form without the express written permission
of an officer of the club is strictly prohibited.