Like an Innovative Thinker
When Vincent Agustin was around ten years old his mother brought him to Hawaii from the Philippines. It was on that large jet that he decided he would someday be a pilot.

Years later when the recruiter for Redstone College in Colorado came to his high school, Vince paid attention to a small, but very significant detail. A flight school called American Flyers recruits a number of Redstone College graduates for their Mechanics Internship Program; and as part of the program, interns earn their private and commercial pilot certificates and instrument rating.

While Vince was researching the flight school, his brain was formulating a plan. He was going to attend Redstone College for the express purpose of being recruited to join the AmericanFlyers internship program and get his flight training at very little out-of-pocket cost. At that point his mom wasn’t so pleased that her son, the high school valedictorian, had decided to go to a trade school.

During the 18-month A & P program at Redstone he had two interviews with Rick Farmer, American Flyers Director of Maintenance. Rick answered all of Vince’s questions and confirmed that this was something he wanted to do. Two weeks after graduation Vince got the call he was hoping for. American Flyers wanted him to join the internship program and go to Santa Monica for six weeks of training. Soon after he was on his way to Pompano Beach, Florida to begin his 16-month internship and his flight training.

The experience is exactly as Rick had told him back in Denver, “You live and breath airplanes.” Vince loves the internship, but acknowledges it is very challenging – especially juggling the pilot training with work. Sometimes, when he finishes work on time and is caught up on his reading, lessons, and flying, he even gets out to see a little of Florida at night.

When Vince is finished with his internship, he’ll be an instrument-rated Commercial Pilot, an experienced A & P mechanic, and will have very little debt. Now Mom is very proud of her uncommonly innovative son.

August Destinations
If a great dining atmosphere, a great view, and some excellent menu choices are what it takes to make you happy, we have the place for you. Located on the south side of Santa Monica Municipal (SMO) is “L.A.’s premier Pan-Asian restaurant,” the Typhoon. The entire Pacific Rim has been brought to the Typhoon in the form of over 70 specialty dishes that range from the conventional, to the downright bizarre.

Your evening will be spent in a glass-encased main dining room; you will have an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean to the west, while to the east you will have the glass and steel towers of L.A. Time your visit just right and you can have your meal surrounded by the red aura of the setting sun. For a little entertainment during your visit, sit at the kitchen bar, where you can watch the chefs prepare the lunch and dinner specials right before your eyes.

For the casual diner, you can have any one of your favorites from the Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese or Filipino menus. The seafood menu is extensive, offering sea bass, shrimp, squid, catfish, salmon, muscles, scallops and clams, just to name a few. However, if you are feeling adventurous, and want a taste of some of the rare delicacies, this author would recommend something from the ‘Insect Menu’. Perhaps some Taiwanese crickets, Tai-style sea worms, or some ants on your potato? If you can’t decide, you are always safe with the Singapore-style scorpions, served with shrimp toast!

The Typhoon is open for lunch on Sundays from noon to 2:30 pm, and Monday through Friday from noon to 2:30 pm. Dinner is served Monday through Thursday from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm, and on Sunday from 5 pm to 9 pm. Reservations are recommended. Call ahead or visit their website at www.typhoon.biz.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009
What a sensational aviation event! You can’t go wrong when you combine superb weather and thousands of pilots from all over the world. At the American Flyers booth SimPro Simulators were flying non-stop. Both the young and not-so-young were taking their turns at flying while on the ground. Blue skies and planes galore provided the perfect background for meeting lots of friendly folks. Who could ask for more? See the Entertainment Section "Airshows" for footage from Oshkosh 2009.

FAA Launches Summer Runway Safety Initiative
In an effort to reduce runway incursions, which occur more frequently in the summer, the FAA’s Office of Runway Safety has launched a summer initiative aimed at pilots nationwide, but with special emphasis in the northwest and upper Midwest states. These areas are known to have the most pronounced seasonal increase in runway incursions.

The Office of Runway Safety’s intention is to reach as many pilots as possible and stress the methods to maintain runway safety. Pilots are receiving information via postal mail and e-mail and there are pilot meetings and ATC briefings to attend as well. Pilots can access this information at http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/ airports/runway_safety/.

In order to improve your airport situational awareness, use resources like the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) to brush up on your knowledge of airfield signs and markings. Don’t be hesitant to ask ATC for help if you are uncertain about your position on the airport surface (and not on a runway or otherwise creating a safety hazard).

There are many opportunities to attend free educational workshops and seminars as well. American Flyers holds a free BBQ every month where we discuss many subjects concerning safety of flight.

August Trivia

An ‘Ornithopter’?!
Yes: an ornithopter; coming from the Greek roots ornithos, meaning ‘bird’ and pteron, ‘wing,’ is literally an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings. This is perhaps the oldest of aircraft designs, taking its inspiration from nature itself. The designs mimicked the shapes of birds and bats, while the theory held that a flapping motion would be sufficient to propel a human into the air.

The earliest attempt at this type of human-powered flight is attributed to an early scientist named Abbas Ibn Firnas. He was rumored to have launched himself off a mountain near Cordoba, Spain in 875 in a feather-covered device of his own design, only to become severely injured after an un-birdlike landing. The most well-known of these early thinkers and designers was Leonardo da Vinci. During the 1490’s while making a study of birds in flight, he realized that not only were humans simply too heavy, but not strong enough to fly using wings attached to their arms. His answer came in the form of a device where a human operator would work a series of cables and levers to actuate a pair of membranous wings.

The first true ornithopters capable of flight didn’t lift off until 1870, when French engineer Gustav Trouve flew a model ornithopter, whose wings were flapped by gunpowder charges, over 70 meters. More attempts followed in 1942, 1995, and 2006.

Current practical applications capitalize on the ornithopters’ resemblance to birds or insects. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has used these machines to help save the endangered Gunnison Sage Grouse. A remotely-piloted artificial hawk causes the grouse to remain on the ground so scientists can capture them for study.

Because ornithopters resemble birds or insects, they could be used for military applications, such as spying without alerting the enemies that they are under surveillance. AeroVironment, Inc., led by Paul B. MacCready (designer of the Gossamer Albatross), has developed a remotely piloted ornithopter the size of a large insect for possible spy missions.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithopter

From the Professor’s Desk
By Dr. Michael Bliss

Q: I'm training for my instrument rating and I get confused by holding patterns. I seem to be able to understand them on the ground, but in the air I get lost. Any good ideas?

A:What you are describing is not uncommon. On the ground, you can give your full attention to thinking about the holding pattern. In the
air you have to aviate and communicate while also working on the navigation. The key is to visualize the holding pattern and where you are in relationship to it. If it is not already depicted, draw it on the chart along with your position and route of flight to the holding fix. That is the hard work. Now you simply ask yourself, “Where will I be after I cross the fix?” If your current heading will take you into the head of the holding pattern it will be a direct entry. If it takes you into the body of the holding pattern it will be a teardrop entry and if you will be on the non-holding side it will be a parallel entry.

Do some "armchair flying" and assign yourself different holding clearances. Draw them on the chart and visualize what you will do when arriving from different directions. You will soon wonder why you ever had a problem.

Please send your questions to dr_bliss@af.tv.

Calendar
Ground Schools & Events

Click here for a more detailed map