Well I was gone for 10 days in June touring France, with a brief stop in England. Poor me. I tell you, though, it is tough not having GA around - the sight, the sound of small aircraft buzzing around. I went to France for my oldest brother's wedding. He currently lives with his French bride in Paris, and her parents own a small villa just outside of Lyons. The food, the wine, and the fact that I did not have to make small talk (language barrier) were all great positives; however, it also reminded me of how lucky we are to have GA at our fingertips. There is really not other place in the world where it as accessible as in the US. And no better place than WVFC.

I would like to thank all who helped set up and execute the HWD open house. It was rather successful. We had well over 100 people attend, several new members signed up, and some really good connections were made. I would like to remind everyone that there are currently five aircraft on line there; the Stearman will be joining the fleet at HWD to make a total of six. There is also a great ES200 sim that rents for $25/hr. This sim has the functionality of the Elite but comes with a full panel. Extremely nice. Stop by and take a look some time.

There are very few Fleet updates at the current time. We are acquiring a 1981 fixed gear Piper Saratoga. This is a nice true six seater. Qualifications to fly will be comparable to the T206. It comes with Full IFR and A/C and a brand new interior. We should see the aircraft on the schedule by the week of July 12.

A summary Annual report will be arriving in the monthly statements for July. If you would like to receive the full version, please let us know and we can mail or email a copy directly to you. You can either stop by, send an email to accounting@wvfc.org, or call our Accounting office. We will also have copies available on the members' side of the website.

Finally, please welcome our newly-elected Board Member, Torea Rodriguez, and our two re-elected Board Members, Mike Atwood and Gary Waldeck, to their new terms on the West Valley Board of Directors. Their commitment to the club is appreciated.

Thanks for your support

Hayward is still big news! West Valley had a barbecue opening with tons of food and people. The Stearman made its debut and WOW is it cool. We've also added on a 172 there, great for initial training, as well as a new sim thanks to Fred - top of the line and up to date.

The front desk staff would like to formally invite all WVFC members to come by Hayward. Come on in, use the internet, drink the coffee, and bother the front desk staff… even volunteer to help out at the front desk! Just one more thing about the East bay office: Ground school is starting! If you want to start your private pilot license ground and want to stay on your side of the bridge, check it out!

The front desk staff would like to thank all members for doing a great job on squawks; it saves us all a lot of time. It saves us even more time when members clearly write their name and engine time numbers - this is important so we don't have to call anyone @ home.

There is a need to remind our pilots that, if something has been squawked once in the flight log there is no need or want to continue squawking the same thing. One time is enough!

We are trying to solve the tire pressure problem on the nose wheel of the Cirrus, and we will attempt to get some data from the Cirrus and other planes to find out how long they should go without checking.

Oshkosh is just around the corner and this should be the biggest turn out ever from West Valley. If you still want to go and I can help you find a flying partner, please let me know.

Hayward is open, and more planes and CFIs will be there. If you get a chance, stop by and say hello.

As you may recall from a recent newsletter article, some of our airplanes are definitely something new, and need to be approached differently from the Cessna and Piper products that make up the stable of most flying clubs. Well, here's another one that needs to be treated differently, but not because it's newer or more complex…. This one is older, less complex, and just a gaggle of fun - the new Stearman.

The owner, Andy Geosits, took me for a ride earlier this month, and it just makes you ache to go buy a white silk scarf and a leather helmet. Actually, the plane comes with two leather helmets, but you need to get your own white silk scarf.

The first thing that struck me (aside from the fact that the plane has an extra wing) is how tall it is. The top of the upper wing is about 9 1/2 feet in the air. Not only that, the front seat pilot sits WAY up off the ground. I sit a bit higher in a Pilatus, but nothing else in the club comes close.

Flying the plane is pure, classic open cockpit aviation. Even in summer, a warm jacket and jeans are in order. In the winter, visit North Face or REI before flying. So far, I can only comment on the front seat part of the flying (the place to start, though solo must be from the back), so here goes.

There are very few planes that offer graceful ways to enter or exit the pilot seats. None of these planes is in our club. Not that the Stearman is particularly difficult to climb into or out of, but it does remind me of getting into or out of a foxhole. Unlike a foxhole, though, the seat is adjustable upward through the use of a GENTLE pull on the lever to the right of the seat. The one on the left locks and unlocks the inertia reel shoulder harness. There is no fore and aft adjustment to the seat, but the rudder pedals have a huge range of adjustment.

Once ensconced in the front seat, you immediately notice that you can't see out. Not entirely true, but nothing is visible forward, and the lower wing cuts off some of your peripheral vision. The guy in the back starts the engine - there is NOTHING that sounds like a radial engine! Now you're taxiing, and the vision thing comes into play. You steer from side to side along the yellow line, left wheel on the line, left turn, right wheel on the line, right turn. The turns are the only thing that allow you to see forward. This is the time you begin noticing other characteristics, some of which will try to bite you in the empennage later. With the fuel tank way up there in the middle of the top wing, and with narrow gear below, turns tend to make the plane lean, especially when the tanks are about half full. Fuel sloshes from side to side, causing almost step function tilting when you least want it… right after a landing, for example. In addition, like the other taildraggers in our fleet, this has a steerable tailwheel which, with a little effort, one can break loose to do really tight turns on the ground. The brakes are very effective, but they take a bit of getting used to; it takes a fairly fine touch to feather the brakes without having them grab. Unlike the other taildraggers in the club, momentum is a real factor in ground handling. When it starts going a particular direction, it wants to KEEP going.

Momentum plays a real part in the takeoff as well. When the power comes up, it still feels as though the throttle isn't all the way in, but things start happening pretty quickly as you thrill to the sounds of the Jacobs radial pouring it on. When the tail comes up, our physics lessons tell us the nose will swing to the left because of gyroscopic precession, and it does. But not as quickly as you thought, so you apply some right rudder to stop it. Then some more right rudder because it wants to keep going to the left. About the time you sort out the directional issues, it's time to lift off and the real fun starts.

Aircraft control in the air is about as intuitive as you could ask for, with the pressures nicely proportional between rudder and aileron. Stalls are absolute non-events. My guess is that the simpler stalls (approach to landing and takeoff stalls) are entered so gently that only one of the two wings stalls, and even with the gentle pitch-down, the stall is more of a step-function mush than a stall like those we experience in the rest of our club planes. Slow flight is really easy, though you have to adapt to the leisurely manner in which the plane slows down. Oh, there is no stall warning, so you have to judge that on the sloppiness of the controls and the edge of the buffet.

Landings are where it's at with this airplane. Anyone can fly the plane. It takes talent to land well and real talent to handle strong crosswinds. The basic three-point landing (an admirable thing in tailwheel planes) is flown at 70 (MPH, not knots), with a little bit of power, feeling for the runway, and touching down all wheels at once. Then your life gets interesting. It's VERY important to remember that you're not done flying until the plane is parked, because the Stearman is convinced you're not done, and will find ways of reminding you if you forget it. Remember that high fuel tank and sloshing wobble? If you're not lined up correctly for the landing, you get to experience that at high speed, with the pucker factor romping up the scale toward redline.

Wheelies are less stressful initially in the Stearman than they are in the Citabria, probably because the gear is less springy. When you're down, you tend to stay down. That's the good news. The bad news is that you still have to get the tailwheel down, and as you slow down, your rudder control disappears just when you need it most. However, at this point you can pull the stick aft to put the tail on the ground and get directional control back, which reduces your problems to those of the previous paragraph, and you already know how to solve those.

So far, I'm two lessons into the checkout and have enjoyed every minute of it. We still have the deadstick stuff and back seat checkout to go, as well as the whole issue of developing the finesse required to fly with students. Andy says that in steady winds straight down the runway, the plane is a kitten, and it is; but I distinctly remember a kitten climbing up my shin once, so some serious respect is still in order.

For just pure fun of flying, uncomplicated by gadgets, this is an awesomely fun airplane. Come out and fly it!

The Instrument Airplane Practical Test seems to give applicants a greater challenge than the Private or Commercial Tests. The scariest prospect for many pilots used to be the NDB approach. Maybe that is scary still. But the NDB approach is not the one that causes the most problems on practical tests.

The RNAV or GPS approach has caused the most grief on my checkrides.

The Nightmare:
Here is a typical scenario. You are taking the IFR test. The aircraft you are flying is equipped with a Garmin GNS 430. You have requested the Stockton GPS Runway 29R Approach. The controller asks you where you want to begin the approach. You say OXJEF. The controller says "expect that."

To stay ahead, you go to PROC, select the GPS approach and select OXJEF as your IAF. You then select LOAD.

The next instruction you receive is "Fly heading 070. When able direct STLLR. Cross STLLR at or above 2,000. Cleared for the Stockton GPS 29R Approach."

You quickly go back to PROC. You select ACTIVATE APPROACH.

No! That wasn't right. You are being directed towards OXJEF.

Next, you hit the "Direct" button and begin rotating the knobs to spell out STLLR. You enter that. Whew! Now you are being directed to STLLR as instructed. You can relax. Unfortunately, when you get to STLLR, the flashing sign says APPROACHING WAYPOINT and gives no new course.

You then turn to the DPE and ask him how soon he can schedule a re-test.

How to Avoid the Nightmare:
You and your CFII can do some things to make the GPS approach the useful tool it should be. First, you can practice a lot. You may not have to do all of this practicing in the airplane. If you use the Garmin GPS, there is a good simulator installed on most of the WVFC computers.

Have your instructor give you approach instructions, and then have him change them at the last minute. Change the IAF. Toggle back and forth between vectors-to-final and pilot-nav to an IAF. Try a non-IAF waypoint. That is what you usually get on the KPAO and KSQL approaches.

In your training, avoid mixing GPS brands. Switching back and forth between the KLN 94 and the GNS 430 is hard enough for your CFII. It will be extremely difficult for you in training.

Be very cautious about the expiration date of the software. I gave a test on the KLN 94 where the applicant quickly pressed the ENTER button several times at start-up. He missed the page that said the database had expired. During the test, he accepted a GPS approach clearance. Much to his dismay, the GPS would not allow the approach.

Deal with ATC:
Let's go back to the nightmare. Suppose, on receiving the unexpected clearance, you responded something like "I was expecting OXJEF. Could I start the approach at OXJEF?"

ATC just might say "Oh, I thought you wanted STLLR. Proceed direct OXJEF. Cross OXJEF… etc." Life is good.

Or ATC might say "Unable. Conflicting traffic."

You will not fail the test if you say "OK. I'll need some time to set up the new waypoint. Request delaying vectors." ATC will grudgingly comply. Now you can have George, your friendly autopilot, fly headings while you unhurriedly set up the approach from STLLR. If you do not have an autopilot it may take a little longer; but you can do it.

Not long ago, one of my students tried to fix an approach from inside the IAF. That does not work well. In fact, it usually is impossible. His instructor (yours truly) wrongly allowed him to struggle. I should have said "Missed approach. Climb and call."

Don't Give Up:
From here, it looks as if GPS is the future of IFR navigation.

Don't label the box "inop" or deliberately let the database lapse. Make sure you and your CFII are confident that you can use it to get through the clag and back on the ground.

As Vertical Navigation is implemented, GPS will become necessary and sufficient for getting into most airports. You will want to be comfortable with it.

Finally, dear readers, after numerous hours (let's not say exactly how many) of flight time, I finally left the ground with the plane mysteriously lighter than usual and with more of a view of the right side. I should start out by saying that this isn't the most exciting solo story. It was fairly uneventful as far as widespread loss of life or damage of property is concerned (sorry, no blood and guts in this month's column but, in my defense, I should point out that it is strictly against West Valley policy for a student pilot to have any spillage whatsoever of blood and/or guts). With so many logged hours, I wasn't even nervous (okay, so my hands shook a tiny bit, but that's between me and the plane). And, truthfully, they were three of my better landings. So who needs an instructor, right?

While it was a day to feel good about myself, it was also a humbling experience. Before soloing, we flew out to Gnoss, which is notorious for gnarly crosswind landings. It lived up to its reputation with a 90° crosswind and some thermals on short final to spice it up a bit and make you miss the point on the runway you thought you were right on target to hit, all the while with the gusty crosswind making you wonder if you would even hit the runway (or the airport grounds, for that matter). Living in the Bay Area, I suppose we all need to become crosswind landing experts since it seems that's all we get here at our beloved riparian ports. But Gnoss takes crosswinds to the next level. Just when you think you have the whole landing thing down, take a trip to Gnoss. You will soon find out that the "gn" in Gnoss is for "gnarly," as in "I'm gnot sure if I'm gonna make this landing" and "Am I gnuts?" Both have a silent "g" - silent because you'll be too speechless to even curse. If you can land there on one of its classic extreme crosswind days, you can land anywhere. I'm not sure you could call what I was doing "landing," but I digress.

After Gnoss, we were trying to find a place that was within the allowable crosswind component for soloing, but we weren't having much luck. We wanted to do a few more touch and goes before I soloed, so we headed towards Napa, but the ATIS said they were not allowing touch and goes due to a race at Sears Point Raceway and all the resulting helicopter traffic. Did I forget to pay homage to the Trim God this morning, or what? Alas, I have waited so long - can you not smile upon me with favorable winds?

We finally found a non-towered airport that had light winds variable between straight down the runway to a slight crosswind. One, two, three times around the pattern. Sing it with me now, "Once….twice….three tiiiiiimes a solo" (paraphrasing the Commodores). I was the only one in the pattern until my last landing when another plane came in for some touch and goes, at which time I made my pattern location announcement with "…full stop landing, FIRST SOLO!" No response; no congratulatory remark. What does a girl have to do to get some love? I thought maybe I had scared him away, but he stayed in the pattern (must have seen my sweet landings and felt relatively safe). I hadn't noticed on my first two landings, since I was concentrating on the plane and keeping it (and myself and any other bystanders in the vicinity) in one piece, but after my third landing, I saw my instructor standing in the grass on the side of the runway. I had a big smile on my face, and he had a big smile on his. No property damage, no personal injury, no animals harmed in the making of this solo student pilot, just one world that will look a lot different from now on to one very humble sierra papa.

Roger Wilco back at you. You know there is a famous speech by Teddy Roosevelt that I always keep a copy of nearby. I do not want to bore my fans with a complete reiteration; however, a brief summary is "it's not the critic who counts; the credit belongs to those who, despite failure or success, are the ones who at least try." The hypocrisy of being a critic, and the fact that I have always had personal space issues, have led to a lot of expensive therapy. But that is not what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, Roger really does value the efforts of the human race and those who, despite the strongest defeats running against the wind, get back up and try again. That is why I must tell you a smile crossed my face when I saw that the Habana Yacht Club had changed its design and menu and evolved into Izzy's Steak and Chop House, currently under the same owner. Now we are cooking.

The atmosphere is better at Izzy's, and the staff has improved a great deal, with quicker and more responsive service. The menu, well, when it revolves around meat, "Roger smile long time." We began with cocktails, of course. I had a deep dish Martini "Very Dry" mmmmmh good. Hey, if you are going to charge $7 for a cocktail, don't skimp… and they didn't. My partner, I'll call her "Killer," had an iced tea. "So boring." We skipped the small menu items; however, for the San Carlos crowd who enjoy refreshing beverages and affordable appetizers post flight, Izzy's has a lovely selection of both, all reasonably priced. Its main menu can get expensive, but the food is good. They have a kids menu, and some blue collar selections that look equally as appetizing. I had an off-the-menu bone-in rib eye with a side of creamed spinach and potatoes au gratin. Magnificent. San Carlos airport you are back on track. Roger says two thumbs up. Check it out. Roger Wilco, over and out.

So now you actually did it. You let yourself be talked into stepping out of a totally safe and sound aircraft flying some two miles above the ground. Why in the heck would anybody with normal cranial capacity do that?

This is what I asked myself as I was still standing safe and sound on the ground at PAO last Saturday. But my ride was ready. I wonder what was, at the moment, going through the head of Udi Katzir, my PIC for the flight in 5346D. He did not share, and I did not ask. But no matter what, the game was on. We were to spend the better half of the day flying to Lodi (K103 for the indoctrinated), filling out a multipage form which stated in no uncertain terms that we have waived our families' natural right to avenge our violent death in the hands of our tormentors, and then...

You would not believe the angle a King Air A90 can climb all the way to 13,000 feet. Especially if it is a bare bones A90. And bare bones it was. No door, no seats, barely any interior, part of the rear bulkhead showing, plywood for the floor, and a couple narrow cots that a dozen or so of us were sitting astride along the walls, packed as close as possible to each other. I was right by the door, or rather doorway, since the door itself was not there. All that prevented my sliding down and out was my feet on the floor and my right fist clutching a slim rope attached to the wall. I can tell you I was holding kinda fast. The airplane was using every bit of its best angle of climb, spiralling up like a fury. I was doing my best not to think of anything and trying to look as cheerful as could be expected from somebody who had decided to take a chance with his life. Not that I really cared about the looks, but I was being filmed and did not want to ruin the cameraman's day by crying and trying to confess my sins and begging for salvation. It was too late now. Not that there was no way out. There sure was and it was wide open, but... it was wide open into thin air. And nothing but air was between us and the ground that now looked like one of those charts in my flight bag.

A tap on the shoulder made me turn my head. A hippie character who was sitting right behind me yelled something barely audible over the roar of turbines. Gees, what does he want now when my whole life is supposed to flash before my inner eye?! Sit? What do you mean; I AM sitting. What? Sit on your lap?! Now that is neat. That is fabulous! Not only I am supposed to risk my life now, but to add insult to injury, I am supposed to sit on the lap of a GUY I never met before? No matter what my sex or sexual orientation, isn't it a bit too much? You're kidding me, right? No, he wasn't. Considering that my only chance to come out alive was to do whatever this long haired dude was telling me to do, I had to comply. He tightened the belts that buckled us together. No escape now.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, last Saturday, June 26 of 2004, I - a straight, married, middle aged male - sat on the lap of a hippie kid young enough to be my son, and a few seconds after that we both stepped together through the wide gaping doorway of an aircraft flying 13,000 feet AGL. I guess that should qualify as Coming Out.

Dramatic, isn't it? And so far it makes about as much sense as any Tarantino movie in its initial 20 minutes' screen time. But there's a system to this madness. At least some system.

Let's take it one step at a time. Have you ever met Logan Frasier? Aha, you did. Sure, let me refresh it for you. He's this rather tall guy with a tiger shark tooth for a lucky charm on his neck. CFI? You got it. Do you know what else he likes to do… besides flying? He jumps out of the planes while they are still up there. Yeah. So next time he's gonna give you a ride in the aircraft, you better know how to fly it. Especially if Logan takes a strange-looking backpack with him. You never know. If he feels like it, he might as well tell you - "meet me on parallel to 31 at Delta," and step out.

Well, of course I'm kidding. Logan is actually a very nice guy. And he genuinely loves flying. All aspects of flying. So he's skydiving too. And once a year, he conducts a seminar here at WVFC, trying to convince a few people that he's totally sane and what they think of as an ultimate challenge or an ultimate craze is in fact safe, peaceful, clean fun. He runs his brief practical and to-the-point seminar, and then a day or two down the line, if you are gutsy (some might say crazy) enough, meets you at Lodi and introduces you to the sport. What makes him do it? I think he tries to share something that keeps him cheerful and happy. It also might be that proverbial feel of freedom that most of us understand. If you are in the air with nothing but air around you - how much more freedom can you have?

This is where every bit of irony should stop because this thing about freedom is true. Quite a few of us might still remember "flying" in our sleep. For some, it later became the initial step to flying airplanes. So if you ever flew in your dreams, try it for real. Try what they a little enigmatically call "skydiving." It used to be called "parachute jumping." But the truth is it's neither. Nor can you call it freefalling because almost at no point do you feel falling at all. You float, pretty much like you might have been in your dreams. I have to give Logan credit for being very precise in his description of it.

For those who think about it but still doubt and wonder - go for it! If you are absolutely sure that you do NOT want to try, you don't have to. But if you keep on thinking about it, give it a shot. For one - the bravery and challenge of it are entirely overrated. For two - the fun, ease and safety of it are somehow overlooked. We humans like drama. So we do our best to dramatize everything. What can be more dramatic than skydiving? The terrifying void below, the challenge, the courage it takes, etc... I heard stories from people claiming elite military groups affiliation on both sides of the Iron Curtain (it's amazing how many heroes walk by unsung), I heard stories from them of cold sweat and your personality and other parts of anatomy shrink to nothing and of a sudden weight loss on the verge of that very first jump. And I am happy to assure you now, it is all pure BS. Every dramatic account of skydiving is BS, unless there was an accident involved. But how many stories of car accidents have you heard? Dramatic too, aren't they? Do we consider ourselves heroes as we get into the car and go to work?

So please forget the drama and forget the weight loss. None of it happens (for the weight loss - unfortunately). It's pretty loud as you sit in the plane with no door and two turboprop engines hauling for all they're worth. And then it's a bit loud as you step out, because the air is pretty palpable, more so than you might think, and so loud in your ears. It's a tandem jump for all novices; you are buckled to the tandem master, who is behind you, so your view is unobscured. You can relax and float. The air is holding you. It does not feel like zero gravity at all. Breathing is normal - don't ask me the physics of it. Although you are moving down at more than 120 miles/hr (that's terminal velocity of a free fall), there are few indications of it. If your goggles are not tight enough, you might shed some tears because of the wind in your eyes. Otherwise, it is amazingly peaceful. There is, of course, this cameraman floating around, giving you high fives (very high fives, considering the altitude), shaka signs and fooling around as best he can. Pretty distracting. You keep thinking of the camera and keep making faces for it instead of savoring the moment. And then - a tap on the forehead, a flap, and with a fairly sharp jerk in your lap you stop. The chute is up.

Now this is the moment to keep the cameraman in sight. Because it's only now that you can realize, watching him swoosh down at amazing speed, what you were into. At the moment you are at about 8,000 feet with your tandem master, the cameraman descends another 6,000 before opening his chute in order to get to the Landing Zone first and film your landing. And this part of the event (his zooming down until he is a tiny dot below) to me was the most exciting. You see the guy dive straight down and it looks like he's going to hit the ground next split second, there are no references as to his altitude and he's got it... My God, he bought the farm this time, and all of it just to make a stupid DVD with me on it. Oh, no... This very moment his chute blossoms and he's peacefully spiralling down. If you ask me if I was scared at all - yes, I was - watching him.

The chutes are steerable, and if you were being a good kid on the way up and stepping out, your tandem boss might let you try it. There are two loops, one for each hand above your head and by grabbing them and pulling one at a time you can turn just as you turn an airplane. Pull left side down and left you turn. Let go and you fly straight forward again. We fooled around for another four minutes as we were descending, spiralling left and right and pulling up. I was quite a bit impressed with the G-load the rig can pull in a tight turn. It could be the straps were a bit narrow, but it felt like some 3Gs. And then it's the familiar thing, turning base to final (skydiving regular landing pattern is left, I was told), flaring (at about 10 feet you flare by pulling the control loops down to your shoulders) and landing (at about 5 feet you pull the controls down all the way and, if there's some head wind, stop and stand). Our landing was amazingly gentle. And so that's it. You did it. Challenging? Not really. Fun? Tremendous. It is like nothing you ever experienced and - to any acro pilot - I think pretty reassuring. After all, we have to fly with the chutes on. Might as well get some idea of what it is like to use one.

We all have fears. On one hand they help us to stay alive. On the other, they interfere with our lives. There's a contradiction right there. Fear of heights is pretty widespread. Charles Lindbergh, of all people, had it early in his life. But he stepped over it. And so can you. How? Believe it or not, same way that the Last Hero did. It's easier than you might think. Ask Logan.

Handheld avionics have made flying simpler and safer, but they only work if power is available - so attention to the health of your battery is paramount. Some of the older equipment is still very useful but was originally shipped with NiCd batteries - not known for their shelflife or reliability. I've recently found a website that has replacement batteries that use the much more efficient and reliable Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH) batteries.

If you are looking to replace an older battery, or get a second battery, now's your chance to do this at a reasonable price. Please visit the website http://www.batteriesamerica.com/newpage71.htm

to determine what batteries you'd like to purchase. Then send email to rterrill@netgate.net with your order request. After two weeks we'll make a bulk order (and attempt to negotiate better pricing if we have enough interest), and we'll certainly get favorable shipping terms. Once the batteries arrive, your WVFC account will be billed, and you can pick up your order at the Palo Alto offices.

Moving On Up: Transition to High Performance and Complex Aircraft
Presented by Dave Fry, CFI, CFII, MEI, ATP
Wednesday, July 14, 7:00pm - 8:30pm, PAO
This seminar will discuss how you can prepare to fly faster, larger, and more complex aircraft. Topics will include aircraft systems, handling high airspeeds, and dealing with planes that have high momentum.

Dave Fry is a flight instructor at West Valley Flying Club. He holds CFI, CFII, MEI, and ATP certificates. He has a Citation type rating and over 6500 hours of flight experience, including 700 hours in a Pilatus.

A Visit From SQL Tower
Presented by San Carlos Tower Staff
Wednesday, July 21, 7:00pm - 8:30pm, SQL
Learn the secrets of communicating with San Carlos tower and our local airspace controllers. We'll cover an overview of communication into and out of San Carlos airport, common communication errors, and common airspace incursions (and how to avoid them). After the presentation, there will be plenty of time for questions.

July 13, 6:00 pm @ PAO, Activities Committee
July 19, 6:30 pm @ PAO, Women In Aviation
July 20, 7:00 pm @ PAO, WVFC Open Board Meeting
July 27, 6:00 pm @ PAO, Member Steering Committee

The club has four ground schools in session or starting soon. Membership at WVFC is not required, so feel free to invite along a non-member friend or acquaintance who is also interested in learning how to fly.

PAO Private Pilot Ground School meets Thursdays from 6:30 pm with instructor Kyp Kypta. The cost for the course is a once-only charge of $100, after which you may attend any and all sessions as often as you like. Current session started July 1. Contact Kyp at lkypta@earthlink.net.

SQL Private Pilot Ground School meets Tuesdays from 6:30 pm with instructors Molly Davis and Justin Warren. The cost is $200. Current session began June 22. For information, contact Molly Davis at molly_s_davis@hotmail.com; or Justin Warren at justinwarren@sbcglobal.net.

HWD Private Pilot Ground School meets Tuesdays from 6:30 pm with instructor Rich Eiselt. Current session runs July 6 to August 31. Contact Rich at rnbeiselt@sbcglobal.net.

INSTRUMENT Ground School meets Tuesday evenings from 6:30 at PAO with instructors Ali Ashayer and Lindsay Hanson. Next session starts July 13. Contact Lindsay at linsgrins@hotmail.com, or Ali at aashayer@aol.com.

Lots going on as we move into the height of summer. Read on for a summary of what's coming up for the rest of July and into August…

BBQ @ SQL, July 9, 3:30-6:30 pm
WVFC has fired up the grill for summer. Back by popular demand, club bar-b-ques are better than ever, and we want you to join the fun. The theme for July 9 is Around the World… bring your favorite grillable from anywhere in the world to share with your fellow club members.

CASTLE AIR MUSEUM FLY-IN, July 10, meet at PAO @ 10:00 am
Castle Museum hosts 46 military aircraft on display, and a runway 2 miles long, making it a great day-out destination for pilots. If you'd like to be paired with a CFI for this fly-in (qualifies as a XC flight), or would like to plane-pool with another member, contact coordinator Craig Eldershaw at Craig.Eldershaw@parc.com.

FALLING IN LOVE WITH MOONEYS, PAO Classroom, July 11, 10:00 - noon
July is Mooney month. If you've wondered what it would be like to fly one of these machines, or are just curious about them, attend this seminar and the under-the-cowling turbo-tour that follows. The hourly rate of N231EE has been lowered to $145 TACH for the month of July, and an hour of time in the plane will be raffled off among presentation attendees. Most importantly, free doughnuts will be available to complement that wonderful WVFC coffee. If you have questions, contact Mooney owner Paul Brunemeier at paul.brunemeier@humanety.org.

CLASS BRAVO TRANSITION CLINIC, July 11, 10:00 am Ground Session; lunchtime fly-in to Petaluma
Whether you're out of currency or just feeling a bit rusty on the mic, this Clinic will be a fun way to start getting yourself back in the cockpit this summer. WVFC CFI Dave Zittin will host a ground session at SQL, followed by a group fly-in to Petaluma for lunch at the 29'er Diner. CFIs will pair up with members for the flight as needed. If you're current and want to come along without a CFI, that's fine, too. Members participating will pay the CFI they're paired up with for the approximately 1-hour flight, and will pay the hobbs time they put on the a/c. The ground session is free. To reserve a place or to get paired up with a CFI, please contact Patti Andrews at whatsup@wvfc.org.

BBQ @ PAO, July 16, 3:30-6:30 pm
The weekly summer bar-b-que is at Palo Alto this week. The theme for July 16 is Carnival… carmel apples perhaps?

BBQ @ HWD, July 23, 3:30-6:30 pm
The weekly summer bar-b-que is at Hayward this week… it's Single's Day, but don't let that stop you. Doubles are welcome as well.

OSHKOSH!, July 25-31
Final plans are underway for the club's biggest-ever excursion to Oshkosh. The last week of July will be a quiet time at all club offices while the lucky group makes its 2004 pilgrimage. This year's trip will include a special club bar-b-que. There's still time to join in if you like, but you need to decide asap! Contact Torea if you plan to go to the bar-b-que but haven't signed up yet (globug@mac.com); contact Martin Michaud martinrmichaud@yahoo.com to sign up for the trip.

BBQ @ PAO, July 30, 3:30-6:30 pm
Wine and cheese will grace the table at this week's PAO bar-b-que. Feel free to bring your favorites to share. Wineburgers and cheeseburgers will also be plentiful on the grill.

WHITEWATER RAFTING FLY-IN, July 31-August 1
Fly to Placerville, then raft down the Class III South Fork of the American River. This trip will make an excellent short getaway for singles, couples, friends or families. NO PRIOR WHITEWATER EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED. A pre-trip meeting will be held at the club's San Carlos location on Monday, July 26, 7:00 pm. Contact Jim Roach for more info and to sign up.