SALINAS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
EVALUATING IN-FLIGHT WEATHER
DATE: Fri., Mar 6, 8:30 A.M.
LOCATION: Airport Conference Room, upstairs, Salinas Municipal Airport Terminal
CONTACT: Jim Chappell (408) 758-7214

WATSONVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
CONTOLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN
DATE: Wed., Mar 25, 7:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Fire Station #2, 370 Airport Blvd., Watsonville (on airport)
CONTACT: Airport attendant or, Don French (408) 728-6075

SALINAS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
MID-AIR COLLISION AVOIDANCE
DATE: Fri., Apr 3, 8:30 A.M.
LOCATION: Airport Conference Room, upstairs, Salinas Municipal Airport Terminal
CONTACT: Jim Chappell (408) 758-7214

 
SAN CARLOS AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
WINTER FLYING TIPS
RADIO COMMUNICATIONS PRIMER
DATE: Sat., Mar 7, 10:00 A.M.
LOCATION: Diamond Aviation, 620 Airport Drive, #1.
CONTACT: Diamond Aviation dispatcher or Karen Morss - (650) 591-7611
Seating is limited. Reservations are required.

SAN CARLOS AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
TAILWHEEL TRANSITION
DATE: Wed., Mar 18, 7 - 8:30 P.M.
LOCATION: West Valley Flying Club, 701 Skyway Blvd., San Carlos Airport
CONTACT: West Valley Flying Club dispatcher or George Kebbe (650) 595-5912

SAN CARLOS AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
GPS APPROACHES
DATE: Sat., Apr 4, 10:00 A.M.
LOCATION: Diamond Aviation, 620 Airport Drive, #1.
CONTACT: Diamond Aviation dispatcher or Karen Morss (650) 591-7611
Seating is limited. Reservations are required.
 

 
PALO ALTO AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
WHAT POWER PILOTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GLIDERS
DATE: Wed., Mar 8, 7- 8:30 P.M.
LOCATION: West Valley Flying Club, 1901 Embarcadero Rd., Suite 100, Palo Alto Airport
CONTACT: West Valley Flying Club dispatcher or John Pyle (650) 856-2030

PALO ALTO AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
QUESTIONS FOR YOUR PILOT EXAMINER
DATE: Wed., Apr 8, 7- 8:30 P.M.
LOCATION: West Valley Flying Club, 1901 Embarcadero Rd., Suite 100
CONTACT: West Valley Flying Club dispatcher or John Pyle (650) 856-2030

REID HILLVIEW AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
FLYING SOUTH OF THE BORDER
DATE: Thur., Mar 5, 7 - 9:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Nice Air (NE side of apt), 2575 Robert Fowler Way
CONTACT: Nice Air dispatch (408) 729-3383 or Mike Shiflet (408) 272-3109

SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
EMERGENCIES
DATE: Thur. Mar 12, 7 - 9:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Trade Winds Aviation (West side of apt), 1144 Coleman Ave.
CONTACT: Trade Winds dispatcher, Kevin Foley or Bart Wensink (408) 298-9161

SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
SINGLE PILOT IFR OPERATIONS
DATE: Tue., Mar 24, 6:30 P.M.
LOCATION: American Flyers ground training facility, San Jose Jet Center, 1250 Aviation Avenue, Suite #190,
CONTACT: American Flyers dispatcher, Darryl Hanamura or Fred Abrams (408) 297-2123

SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
RADIO COMMUNICATIONS
DATE: Thur., Mar 26, 7 - 9:00 P.M.
LOCATION: General Aviation Terminal Building (Southeast end of airport)
CONTACT: Dean White (408) 275-0300 or (408) 943-1727

REID HILLVIEW AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
AEROBATIC FLYING WITH SAFETY
DATE: Thur., Apr 2, 7 - 9:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Nice Air (NE side of apt), 2575 Robert Fowler Way
CONTACT: Nice Air dispatch (408) 729-3383 or Mike Shiflet (408) 272-3109

SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - Fly-in if you wish
AERONAUTICAL CHARTS
DATE: Thur. Apr 9, 7 -9:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Trade Winds Aviation (West side of airport), 1144 Coleman Ave.
CONTACT: Trade Winds dispatcher, Kevin Foley or Bart Wensink (408) 298-9161
 
 
 

AVIATION MAINTENANCE AND SAFETY SYMPOSIUM
Maintenance Technicians and Pilots are invited to a 2 day safety symposium featuring speakers from a variety of aviation companies. Engines, fuels, brakes lubricants, and other aviation topics will
be discussed.
DATES: Fri. March 6, 8 A.M. to 5 P.M.; Sat. March 7, 8 A.M. to 4 P.M.
LOCATION: Sunnyvale Hilton Hotel, 1250 Lakeside Drive, Sunnyvale CA 94086
SPONSORS: NORCAL FSDOS, Aircraft Parts Internationl, and Professional Aviation Maintenance Ass’n. (PAMA)
INFORMATION: (408) 291-7681, Don Warren x119, Jack Hocker x133
 

REDDING AREA (Fly in if you wish)
The Aviation Medical how is it different from a regular medical and it’s impact on pilots.
Date: Wed., Mar. 11, 7 P.M.
Location: Redding Jet Center, Redding Municipal Airport, Redding
Sponsor: Jim & I Aviation
Contact: Jim & I Aviation (530) 221-5300

SACRAMENTO AREA
Mountain Flying Presented by Daniel Abdon of the Sacramento FSDO
Date: Wed., Mar. 18, 7 P.M.
Location: SMUD Auditorium, 6201 S Street, Sacramento
Sponsor: FAA’s Aviation Safety Program
Contact: (916) 422-0272

CHICO AREA ( Fly in if you wish)
"Dr. Robert A. Achtel Will Give An Extensive Lecture On The Importance Of Oxygen and Oxygen Systems." Folks, this is my choice for an excellent Seminar. I hope we get a good attendance at this one so we can keep his quality of speaker on our circuit.
Date: Wed., Mar. 25, 7 P.M.
Location: Chico Airport, Airport Terminal Building, Chico
Sponsor: Pacific Flight Services, Mt. Shasta 99's
Contact: Diane Schneeweis or Linda Patrick (916) 893-6727

CHICO AREA ( Fly in if you wish)
Fear of Flying, Flying Companion Seminar. For those people who find themselves flying in the right seat and would like to learn more.
Date: Sat., Mar. 28, 8:30 AM to 4:30 P.M.
Location: Chico Airport, Pacific Flight Services, Chico
Sponsor: Pacific Flight Services, Mt. Shasta 99's
Contact: Diane Schneeweis or Linda Patrick (916) 893-6727
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

SACRAMENTO AREA
"Operation Takeoff" A three hour program that covers the services available from an Automated Flight Service Station. You'll learn how the system works and how to obtain the greatest user benefit. A Facility tour is included.
Date: Call Ahead For Exact Dates - 9A.M. to Noon, Saturday
Location: Rancho Murieta AFSS, 14670 Cantova Way, Suite 101, Rancho Murieta
Sponsor: Rancho Murieta AFSS
Contact: Mark Oglesby (916) 354-0161 ext. 139
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

SACRAMENTO AREA
"Operation Raincheck" a program designed to familiarize pilots with the Air Traffic control system.
Date: One Saturday per month, 8 A.M. to Noon.
Location: Sacramento TRACON, 5839 22nd Street, Rio Linda, off Elkhorn Blvd.
Sponsor: FAA Air Traffic Control
Contact: Asst. Manager for Operations (916) 922-9511
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Internet Address: http://www.aero.com. If you do not receive a letter in the first part of the month and the Internet is a problem, you are welcome to call me (Dan Abdon) at the Sacramento Flight Standards District Office (916) 422-0272. Also Don Green and I have an ‘E’ Mail address’s on the Internet: Daniel.W.Abdon@ faa.dot.gov and Donald.R.Green@ faa.dot.gov.

Over the next few months I will be discussing the way the FAA wants maneuvers accomplished on certain practical tests. For this month I have selected the maneuver which I feel is most incorrectly done by the applicants I have tested. That maneuver is the soft field take-off .

Transferring the aircraft’s weight to the wings as soon as possible is the goal for a soft field takeoff. A soft surface will cause drag to the aircraft, resulting in slow acceleration. Reducing the drag on the aircraft is usually accomplished by applying full back pressure to the elevator control from the start of the takeoff roll. This accomplishes two things. First it helps keep the nose wheel from digging into the soft surface and it allows the wings to take on a higher angle of attack early in the takeoff roll. This higher angle of attack will transfer the weight of the aircraft to the wings and cause the nose wheel to come off the surface early in the takeoff roll, further reducing the drag.

Slight differences in control effectiveness on differing aircraft and runway surface, will dictate how much reduction in back pressure on the controls is necessary at this point. It seems to be a good rule of thumb however, to place the nose slightly below a climb attitude (while still high enough to keep the nose wheel off the surface) and allow the aircraft to accelerate to a liftoff. It is desirable to lift off in ground effect to get the aircraft in the air as soon as possible and away from the drag inducing soft surface. After liftoff stay in ground effect and accelerate to normal best rate of climb speed. Although it is generally thought that the ground will affect the aircraft up to about the span of the wings, waiting until you are 20 or 30 feet above the ground will possibly cause you to fly out of ground effect without the flying speed necessary to maintain flight. Whereupon you may settle back to the muddy, snowy, grassy, or rough surface you are trying to avoid at a speed that may be detrimental to your health. So use 5 to 10 feet as your goal.

I will probably get some flack as to recommending full back pressure at the start of the takeoff roll. If I do I will ask the person if they have ever flown an aircraft from a soft field type surface. Most likely they will say that they have not. Certainly the aircraft will accelerate more rapidly on a smooth dry surface if you don’t use full back pressure. On a soft field however the drag on the wheels (conventional gear) and the nose wheel (tricycle gear) negates any so-called benefit from relaxed elevator pressure on the takeoff roll. The Practical Test Standards for Pilots give further information on how the aircraft should be operated on a Soft Field Takeoff. We’ll discuss Soft Field Landings next month.

If you have any suggestions to improve this letter please call me at your earliest convenience.

Good luck and Safe Flying. I’ll see you at a Meeting.

PS. Many Thanks to AVEMCO for their sponsorship of the Wings Program.
They have a part in all of our Safety Meetings.

SJC FSDO

PHASE 1
Raymond Richard Cervantes
James F. Ellis
Judith Lynne Gibbons
Kelly K. Groves
Robert Hahn
JoAnn Hawkins
Adrian Howard
Daniel Ian Johnston
Kenneth W. Mellender
Thomas R. Sharpee
Tom Sherby
Robert Urquhart
Timothy Clark Young

PHASE II
Jeanne M. Anson
Allen Bernstein
Danny Blitz
Jeff A. Christman
Charles F. Coody, Jr.
Michael Heffner
Verne Bruce La Fountain, Jr.
Jeffery S. Ott
James Simone

PHASE III
John L. Eichler
Lilly Spirkovska

PHASE IV
Robert Clinton
Michael A. Pontarolo

PHASE V
Edmund H. Eaton

PHASE VII
James E. Coombes
Alan M. Marcum

PHASE VIII
Stephen T. Harms
Jeff Ross

PHASE II
Jonathan Blubaugh
Rogers McKinnon
Robert Schmid

PHASE III
Bill Taylor

PHASE IV
Susan Kerr
Raymond Tonella

PHASE Vlll
Carter Flygare