Polish those apples!

Pilots!

Hot off of the sog-storm, we are proud to relay that the airport is fine and did not submerge -- this time. It was definitely drenched, but no lasting damage was reported on the airfield.

Funny how the east end suddenly had a lot more aircraft on it. Chino and Riverside too. :)

==

Weather was great for flying this weekend, and we have a brief tantrum to deal with this afternoon, then back to good and blue skies. Huzzah!

In that train of thoughts:

Cessna 17J is back from Toms with some new pieces. PFD reported operative again, sorry for the downtime.

Cessna 25R's motor and prop are complete. Now for some darn gear doors...



FAA Testing is changing!

Time to dust off those study guides... FAA is imposing some interesting new test center criteria nationwide.. which of course means new fees. Because the $10 hike last quarter wasn't enough.

Beginning March 1, All FAA Testing is going up a whopping $50, which brings most tests to $150 total. Gasp!

This is all testing centers nationwide, both CATS (which we are) and Lasergrade. We just found out last night, and now you know -- get cracking on those books! :)



We are stalking the wild 182...

We are stalking the wild 150...

We are looking suspiciously at the occasional Citabria...

:)

Blue Skies,

- Mike

A new pilot!

Pilots!

Please join me in congratulating the newest Private Pilot in the world today, one U.S. Private Pilot Doug B., who earned his wings in Cessna 1ES with DPE Ken Earl! What a great day for it too!

Way to go, Doug!



Did I say nice weather? ha ha ha. Rain is coming! Apparently there are 4 separate storms converging on Corona, preparing to dump buckets of water on us.

A series of storms will bring periods of locally heavy rain and
strong winds next week with snow at the higher elevations.

The first storm will arrive Monday and bring rain... possibly heavy
by Monday evening. The snow level will be high Monday... around 7000
feet... so snow will be restricted to resort levels. Strong gusty
winds will occur late Monday into Monday night. Subsequent storms
will impact the area Tuesday through Friday and bring more
rain... heavy at times.

This all week long event has the potential to generate rainfall of 5
to 8 inches near the coast... and 15 to locally 25 inches on the
coastal mountain slopes. Even the desert locations are likely to
receive between 2 and 4 inches of rain.

The word is that the upgrades to Prado dam are complete, and we will be able to avoid flooding the airport. That'd be neat. If not, we will be prepared to reposition aircraft to Chino or Riverside. If you are available as a ferry pilot for a short rainy mission, please get in touch with me or the office. We may need some short notice soggy flying. :)



Cessna 17J is back at Toms Aircraft in Long Beach. They are still stumped. They are better at selling G1000s than fixing them apparently. :)

==

That's all I know for the moment. It's been quiet around the ranch otherwise.

Blue Skies,

- Mike

Shopping some more...

Pilots!

Well here's some soggy weather for ya. Gross.




Some things that I know in maintenanceland:

Cessna 630 is happy.

Cessna 68U may or may not rejoin the fleet.

Cessna 20U has been officially retired. Doh!

Cessna 739 Rocks

Cessna 25R is being worked on still.

Cessna 1ES is humming.

Cessna 17J has a new standby battery to correct a PFD issue.






Many of you know that it was our intention in 2008/2009 to retire our old tried-and-true 172s. It's tough when you have planes that are running great, inexpensively clicking off the hours -- we were planning to mothball 68U and retire 20U in fall of 2010. Of course, it only takes a little carburetor ice and some bad luck to change that plan. (doh!)

So... the question is... now what?

Here's what I know:

I love Cessna 630 and will not be planning to replace her for the foreseeable future.

Cessnas 739, 1ES, and 17J the same -- I think we need each in its own way.

Cessna 25R we are planning to keep around for a while, just because she's a good "fast and easy to fly" plane with some punch.

Now that we have Bonanza 11N on the line, we are scratching our heads, as it complicates things. We love this plane too, and have no plane to replace her. We like the club format, and I think any "faster than 172" planes belong in the club, not the FBO.

...so!

I am considering the following:

Another C150, retire the Uniforms.

Bring 68U back, maybe with new paint and interior.

Sell 68U off, get another 739-class plane.

Sell 68U off, get something for the club like a 195hp 172XP or 180hp light 172. Something with some punch. :) Maybe that 150 Aerobat I was considering awhile ago.

...Hmmm...

Usually our choices are easy, but this one is hard, because now we have the infrastructure to run planes at either high or low utilizations, and it opens up some options. I'd love to hear what you guys would rather be flying around in.




In other news -- I'll be hosting an FAA Safety Team Seminar on February 27, on the topic of Preventative Maintenance. We will be discussing rules, regs, and practical aspects of changing an aircraft's oil yourself! Then, we'll actually do it on one of our planes!

Everyone is invited, there is no fee for the seminar, and we will likely hold it in our hangar. You can learn about safety-wire, oil contaminant checks, and get to see/touch/feel one of our engines up close! It's a worthwhile time, and we enjoy doing them. Come heckle if you like. :)

==

More as I know it...

Blue Skies, (soon I hope!)

- Mike

A new decade!

Pilots!

Welcome to 2010! We have some cool things in store for the new year, and I hope you'll join us -- to wit:



Bonanza 11N has survived the snowstorms of Ohio and Dallas (I know, right? Dallas?) to make it home this weekend. She is currently gracing our line -- come and have a look. She's pretty nifty.

The final numbers are in, and here is our offering to you:

You may join our flying club (website and name TBD -- currently being developed), for a one-year commitment of $194/mo.

There are NO flight time minimums.

The plane will fly at $59/hr dry.

There is a 100% refundable deposit of $899, which is designed to cover the insurance shortfall should you be unable to complete the 12 months.

We are getting our paperwork together, but we will be ringing those who raised their hand early. If you do not get a call from us next week, and would like to join our club, please contact the office and let us know. We'd love to have you, and she's a great machine.

We are making some tweaks to her to make her "ours", and will be ready to begin checkouts next week.



In other news,

Cessna 17J lagged on her 100hr for a part. Apparently UPS took New Years day off also. Doh! She will return Monday.

Cessna 630 is cruising.

Cessna 739 is cruising too.

Cessna 25R is undergoing her sheet metal work and engine teardown.

Cessna 68U will be worked on next week, with no estimate of time. We were amusingly even thinking of retiring the old girl... not quite yet. :)



I'm excited for 2010! We have cool things in store for SoCal flying!

Blue Skies,

- Mike