busy, busy, busy.......

Wow, what a great few weeks here at Fly C. First off, I wanted to send shout out to our newest Pilots.... Dave C who aced his checkride with DPE Andrea, Jason Cooper who earned his wings with DPE Mark, Andy A who sailed through the checkride with DPE Andrea and Jake Westhall who braved the windy conditions and walked away with his wings with DPE Andrea. Congrats to all of you, it is a great accomplishment!

Other exciting news this week, the Debonair is now here and is now ready to take on all pilots! She sports a 260 HP engine, nice paint, very nice interior, stormscope and other nice upgrades. Come and check her out, she is absolutely gorgeous and flies like a dream.

We will be bringing back Wingfleet flying club with lower monthly dues, lower deposit and new checkout requirements. Details to come next week, check back at the blog, facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/#!/FlyCorona ), or the website: www.flycorona.com for updates.

What's happening in maintenanceland......
68U is in for a 100 hr inspection, should be available on Jan 2
739 is flying
94M will have the GPS updated and ready to navigate you on those GPS approaches for IFR flying.
61Q is running strong
63B had its transponder checked and all is good
17J is still waiting for a part from Cessna for the pilot door that was broken.... which brings me to a request, if you notice anything broken or needs attention on the aircraft, please let us know in the office and we will take care of it quickly so we do not interrupt the schedule.
182 is out of its annual inspection and is available.

Other happenings....
Our weekend pinch hitter course is coming up. Thank you to the 4 people that have registered and confirmed. They will be learning basic aerodynamics, introduction to navigation and basic radio communications, introduction to emergency procedures and practicing lots of landings.
If you are interested in joining the class, call the office at 951-272-3942 to reserve your space.

On a final note, Happy New Year. We are so thankful for all of our customers, staff and friends for a great 2011. We look forward to another great year of great flying, fun and celebrations with you.

-- Kevin.

All is calm...

Wow, has it ever been a wierd month, first it was blistering hot, then this cold front came in from Canada and made me feel right at home, then it was super windy, thought I was in Chicago and now it is calm and somewhat warmer, and who says Southern California does not get weather....

So, it has been really quiet at the ranch this past week with some weekend warriors getting some great sky time. There is some excitement brewing though, I hear quite a few rumors out there, here is what I have heard....

The restaurant is opening in the New Year.... Well, they are interviewing this week, so hopefully they will work hard and open up, at least give us our restrooms...... Hope the food is good and priced right, should be a great place to fly into... well, not literally, but fly to Corona and park you plane at the transient parking and walk over to the cafe

N32182 will be picked up this week and heading straight into the maintenance shop for an inspection. She should be ready to take on all pilots in a few weeks, she will be offered in the flying club and rates will be posted on www.wingfleet.com website and www.flycorona.com websites shortly, you can always inquire at the office or shoot us an email: fly@flycorona.com

N7700N may come on the flight line in the flying club, details will follow shortly. This is a great looking Baron and very comfortable to fly in. I had the privilege to do a run up and taxi to the hanger with CFI Matt last week... Great preview on what's to come, I got really excited and looking forward to building some twin time.

Heard that January to June is quite gloomy here in Corona, so this may be the perfect opportunity to get your IFR rating. IFR flying is great, nothing like flying on top of a cloud, then descending on an ILS or GPS approach and seeing the runway when you pop out of the clouds. It is something you need to experience and our instructors are patiently waiting to do a demo flight or some real IFR training.

Lastly on the rumor mill is that the office now has an IPad 2 with WingX Pro 7 with moving map and weather info, fully installed ready to be rented out. This still needs to be tested with the GPS and signal strength, so let us know if you want to test it out for us!

Well, this next few weeks are check ride weeks for quite a few of you, I know of Carlos, doing the toughest checkride of them all, the initial CFI. Jason Cooper and his Private Pilot License. If I missed anyone, I apologize and I will include you on the next blog, and the newsletter, which reminds me, the next edition of Hangar Talk will be available before December 31, so check your emails and check the local newstands.... that being Fly Corona and Aircraft Spruce.

Hope to see you all at the BBQ on Saturday, the forecast looks good and I heard the food will be great as well! Oh yeah, the raffle will also be on this day!

Nothing new in Maintenanceland, all the aircraft are flying well, but this I do know.

94M will be heading for an annual inspection on the 20th
61Q will be going in for a 100hr on the 19th

Thanks to everyone who dropped off Christmas cookies and other goodies, we are quite enjoying them, but we may need to do some recalculations of weight and balances before our next flights :)

Fly Safe and grab some sky when you get a chance!

-- Kevin

Who turned off the heater and cranked up the wind tunnel?

Wow, it has been really windy here in Corona the past few days making this a perfect opportunity to perfect those crosswind landings! Here is a great tip that I read from the AOPA flight magazine...
"A good way to practice crosswind landings is by making a series of low approaches to a long runway. For the first few, overfly the runway at approach speed, with perhaps the first notch of flaps. Using the ailerons, practice moving the aircraft from one side of the runway, to the centerline, to the other side of the runway (not too far!), and back to centerline. After a few passes, you should get the aileron control part down. On the next series of low passes, use the rudder to keep the nose parallel to the centerline as you maneuver the aircraft. Once you've got these basics down, you're ready to practice a full crosswind landing. "
Here is a video from a C-180's attempt at a crosswind landing, tell me how well he did... http://youtu.be/2vglejdWwsk

Hot off the press.... our monthly newsletter "Hangar Talk" was published this week, you can get your own copy in .pdf version from our website: http://www.flycorona.com/news.asp If you would like a printed copy (in color and on glossy paper...) come by the office before they are all gone!
If you have a great flying story and / or pictures to share, please send them to us, we would love to include them in the January edition.
We are updating our website as well, so if you have some really cool video, send them to me (for screening) and we may add them to our video section for all to enjoy!

Here's what I know from my visit to Maintenanceland today.....
61Q - is back on the line and ready to take on all pilots
68U - is still going strong
739 - is rockin steady
94M - is a trooper
63B - is a great IFR trainer
17J - is still the best aircraft and the ultimate IFR trainer

Other happenings......
December 17 is the BBQ for all our beloved friends of Fly C. The BBQ will start at 11:30 and go till about 1:30 or so. Come for some great food and pilot talk.

January 7 & 8 is our very first Pinch Hitter course. This is a 2 day course that will prepare co-pilots in what to do in slightest chance of an emergency.

The office will be closed on December 25th so we can enjoy the Christmas day with our families. If you would like to fly on this day, please make arrangements with the office on the 24th.



 Fly Safe!!!
Kevin

It feels a lot like summer!!!

I do not know who ordered all this nice warm weather, but it feels a lot like summer! The winds on Monday made a checkride challenging and great practice for those crosswind landings... YIKES!

It has been a really busy week with some 2 new private pilots.

1. Ken Lindberg got through his private check ride in some really windy conditions (20 degree crab required on final). He did this in 94M with DPE Mark.

2. Paul Cass sailed through his checkride in 61Q with DPE Andrea

Hats off to some new solo pilots Sohail Simjee, Adam Henningsen and Drew Cessna.



Things going on in the office:

Keep an eye out for our very first edition of Hanger Talk where you will find exciting articles from the flight training world, Q&A from our very own CFI's and stories and pictures from our clients. If you have some exciting stories and pictures to share, please email them to Kate at fly@flycorona.com

We now can offer financing for all flight training! Monthly payments are as low as $85 per month for our Private Pilot Package in the C150 or $135 per month in our beautiful C172SP G1000, affectionately known as "Julie".

Mark you calendars for the BBQ lunch on Saturday Dec 17 from 11:30 to 1:30, bring your family and friends

Planning on attending our Pinch Hitter course on Jan 7 and 8th? If so, call today to reserve your spot. There are 5 spots remaining and filling up fast!

Maintenanceland:
61Q is flying and getting ready for more checkrides!
68U is a workhorse
94M is strong as ever
63B is picking up the slack
739 just finished a fresh 100 inspection and is ready to fly
61J is enjoying all the love from the pilots

It has been a real exciting around here the past week as you can see and there is never a dull moment!

So grab some clear sky while it is here and then go for that IFR demo!

Kevin.

who ordered all the rain????

I can't believe that Thanksgiving and Christmas is almost here and we are now in the rainy season here in Corona, so,why not take advantage of the clouds and grab your IFR ticket, or take an IFR demo ride with one of our excellent CFI's!

A few things going on in maintenance land........

61Q is up in the air and running better than ever
98U is up in the air
94M is going strong
93B is cruising
739 is logging a lot of flights
17J is a workhorse and will be heading for a 100 hour on Tuesday.
182 is coming soon...... say again? That's right, coming to our fleet is a beautiful B33 Debonair and will have a fresh annual and 265 hp engine! We are anticipating having her on the line and ready to go the first week of December.






Congratulations to our newest commercial pilot, Pat S. who successfully passed his Commercial check ride Yesterday with DPE Tom Hamm! Great job!!!

A few housekeeping items,

The office will be closed on Thursday Nov 24 and Friday Nov 25 so we can enjoy the turkey dinners,spend time with our families and of course spend all our hard cash on Black Friday Sales!

If you have flights booked, call ahead to arrange pick up of the keys. If you want to grab some clear skies at the last minute, please email me at kevin@flycorona.com and I will be more than happy to come and give you the keys.

Other things that are happening on the ranch.....

We have now opened our facebook store where you can purchase gift certificates and our ever popular Catalina and Lake Matthews demo. That's right, we now have gift certificates available just in time for the holiday season.

We are offering a Pinch hitter course to all spouses which will include having one of our qualified CFI's teaching emergency procedures and landings. Spouses are more than welcome to sit in on any ground sessions and back seat on any cross country lessons that are given (at the student level). For more information, inquire at the office.

We are in the process of securing in house financing for all courses, more details to come next week!

We will be having a Christmas lunch for all our customers and staff on Saturday December 17th at 11:30 to 2:30. Please come by for some food, refreshments, raffle drawing and some good ole pilot talk.

We have 5 student check rides scheduled in the month of November. Good luck to all of them, I know that you are well prepared and we will be celebrating with you all shortly!

On a final note, if you have a good story to share for our new monthly newsletter, please send them to us along with any photos that you may have.

Fly safe!
Kevin.

BBQ's and Facebook

Sorry that it has been awhile since the last blog from Mike, this is my first blog, so please be gentle....

First I want to thank all of you who came out to the bbq last Saturday. I hope you enjoyed the hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and refreshments. If you missed this one, join us in December for our customer appreciation day, more details to come in the next few weeks.

It has been a crazy few weeks at the ranch and this is what I know in maintenanceland.

61Q - Is in maintenance being repaired. Should be returning by Tuesday
68U----Is in the air
739---- Is in the air
94M---Is in the air - going in for an oil change Monday morning for a few hours.
63B----Is in the air
17J----Is in the air

We are working on some great new ideas for your flying enjoyment, like a pinch hitter course that will encourage your spouse to come flying with you. Your spouse will be trained by one of our CFI's in the areas of emergency procedures and landings. They will also be permitted to join your dual cross country flights to get the full training experience.

Look out for our new facebook store that will be up and running early this week where you can purchase the gift of flight (fancy name for gift certificates...) and purchase our every popular Catalina Demo.



Good luck to all those who are taking checkrides this week!

Fly Safe!!

Kevin.

Wind and Rain and... Hamburgers?

Pilots!

Who ordered up this weather?! The Santa Ana winds blew us all around, now a tropical-grade cold rain.. and then... blue skies like it never happened. We're confused.

What I do know is... tomorrow is supposed to be nice! Just in time for the weekend!



I know some more things too!

Cessna 61Q completed a 100hr.

Cessna 68U has a new nav/com1

Cessna 739 has a new set of nav lights

Cessna 94M has a new alternator.

Cessna 63B is going in for 100hr this week after a lap around the U.S.

Cessna 17J is ready to fly!



Wait a minute... One Seven who?

That's right... our little girl is back from the massage therapists at Tom's Aircraft in Long Beach, where she was treated to, among other things, a new engine, a new propeller, and significant new interior and sheet metal pieces. She's as good as new, and flies great!

Our friend Gerd took her up and down the coast on the laborious and noisy task of breaking in the new engine... and after her initial oil change, she is now ready for a new season of flying! Available immediately for bookings!

Welcome back, Julie! We missed you!




I mentioned Hamburgers too!

To welcome our girl back to the ranch, and celebrate (belatedly) her 5th birthday, we are throwing a BBQ tomorrow, assuming the sunshine holds out. (current forecast: yes!) -- If you are in our neck of the woods, feel free to join us for some snacks, some drinks, some music, and a whole lot of pilots talking a whole lot of hangar trash...

The least you need to know:

Noon tomorrow (Saturday)!

Snacks

Hangar trash talk

Pilots

:) Hope to see you there!!

==

I swiped the photos above rather unceremoniously from Gerd with no permission whatsoever, jackal that I am.. and as such, Gerd will be getting at least two hamburgers of his choosing tomorrow -- including yours if he claims it! Thanks for the flight, Gerd!

==

Blue Skies, cool weather... sounds like an excuse to grab some air therapy!

See ya soon,

- Mike

P.S. -- you guys are too good at this name-that-plane business -- nice job to the 8 of you who called out the Electra Jr.. often mistaken for the Beech 18. ...So here's a fresh one. If you all jump on this one with the same veracity, I will be forced to find some Romanian WW1 prototype planes to stump you with ;)

Busy busy

Pilots!

Forgive my absence -- it's been a rather insane week. Let me take it from the top.

First -- a very belated congrats to U.S. Private Pilot Jim L., who scored his wings last Saturday in Cessna 68U with DPE Mark D.!

Way to go, Jim! (Sorry for the late shout-out :) )



Second, please join me in congratulating the newest IFR-rated pilot Peter T., who scored his blindfold today in Cessna 739 with DPE Mark D.

Nice work, Peter!!



Some maintenance faces:

Cessna 61Q completed her 100hr.

Cessna 68U will go under for 100hr on Friday

Cessna 739 is rocking a new set of magnetos from her 100hr

Cessna 94M is down for 100hr.

Cessna 63B is out touring the pacific northwest

Cessna 17J is due back this week or next. We had two squawks with her workmanship to iron out.




We have hired a new General Manager!

Pilots, when you're around the ranch next, please look for our new GM, Kevin Karr, who joins us from San Diego's MYF Montgomery field. Kevin was involved in their FAA Part 141 program, and will steward our own 141 program, which is due to gain FAA Agency Approval before the end of the year.

Kevin is a Commercial Pilot, loves flying, and most important, will be at the ranch daily to make sure our operations are run with the finesse they deserve. Kevin is a critical component in ensuring Fly Corona can continue growing smoothly as we start new endeavours such as our maintenance operation and continued growth of the fleet.

Welcome aboard, Kevin!

==

We would like to have a BBQ and Ticket Raffle on Saturday November 5 -- We are tallying up the prizes and goodies, snacks, and someone threatened some old-school Nintendo on the hangar wall. Unbeatable! Come hang with us at the airport for snacks, drinks, pilots, and shenanigans!

Last chance to pad your chances at some cool pilot swag. Inquire with the office if you'd like a raffle ticket. :)



Stay East! A TFR tomorrow threatens your flying enjoyment with F-16s and paperwork! The Horror!

(okay, well, not the F-16s, that'd be sorta cool -- except for the part where they take your pilot certificates and run them through a paper shredder)

Los Angeles VIP TFR!

Foggy in the west, but nice in Corona! Grab some air!

Blue Skies,

- Mike

Cha cha cha

Pilots!

I am just catching my breath from a very busy week, here is what I missed (but you may not have):

First -- we have a new IFR-rated pilot this week! Please join me in congratulating Ming L, who scored his blindfold in Cessna 739 with DPE Andrea E!

Way to go, Ming!



I know some things in maintenance land:

Cessna 526 completed an oil change

Cessna 61Q completed a 100hr

Cessna 68U completed her 100hr

Cessna 739 is rocking

Cessna 94M completed her 100hr

Cessna 63B is cruising

Cessna 17J has her new engine hung and is poised for paint work, acceptance, and will be back!

Bonanza 11N is a powerhouse

==

There is a gorgeous Baron on our ramp. We will know more next week, but it may find room in our nest. Please mop up any drool left on the wing, or inquire with the office for our proposed rates/club participation.

There are 3 other aircraft we are in assorted states of discussion with. Woof!



We are officially in the acceptance phase of our FAA Part 141. Target for final approval is 45-60 days hence. The office will be very busy.

==

We have a new CFI/CFII/MEI who has joined the Fly Corona family -- please say hello to Will K., who joins us from Long Beach, and we are happy to have flying with us! Will is friendly like us, enjoys flying, and brings a wealth of local knowledge -- and is ready to show you everything he knows!

Welcome, Will!

==

We have completely shuffled up the office.

Cris moves from Line Management to the office, and is currently in training. Please be nice to him, or escalate issues to Beth or myself if needed.

Ruth moves from Office Management to the Maintenance side of the house, where she will be assisting our wrenches as they get busy. And they are getting busy, if you've peeked inside there.

Kate joins us in the Office and is currently in training. Please be nice to her too :)



A lot is moving around -- and we might drop some stuff through the cracks! Don't let us -- drop me a note here, email beth@flycorona.com or mike@flycorona.com, or ask around -- someone should be able to help :)

==

A friend of ours has had a Garmin GPSMAP 495 Stolen, serial # 1E0003018 -- if you see a suspiciously good deal on a great GPS, please get in touch with the office, so we can reunite our friend with his backup navigation :)

==

We seem to have the only good weather in SoCal for flying... yay us! Grab some sky!

See ya,

- Mike

(by the way -- nice work to whomever called the Bellanca Cruisemaster -- how bout this one below? ;) )

Boom boom boom!

Pilots!

Who ordered up the thunderstorms? What the heck? We have deliberated and decided to blame our Dallas emigre' Paul, who clearly brought these shenanigans with him. Uncool! A lightning bolt even set one of our airport palm trees on fire, with 40' high flames. Very uncouth. Luckily the Corona FD is just around the corner and foamed the thing. I'm certain we're in the market for a new palm tree.



Our friend Andy S. was in the market for a Pilot's License this morning, and refused to accept "No" for an answer -- Please join me in congratulating the newest U.S. Private Pilot in the US, and one who snuck into CNO under Special VFR plus took off in Cessna 739 when the lightning passed -- then knocked out a PPL with DPE Mark D. Wow. That must've been quite the ride.

I tip my hat, Andy. Well done!

Andy's idea of checkride weather:

KAJO 101711Z AUTO 28005KT TSRA FEW001 BKN014 18/14 A2988 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT SW TSB07RAB09 P0002 $

Proof that large brass orbs do not make good lightning rods. ;)



We are shaking some things up around here:

We have paid our landlord a friendship fee to grant us access to the restaurant restrooms -- a very gracious gesture on his part. Please ask the office for the key to the "modern facilities" which boast features such as running water, soap, and a "flush", whatever that is. Fancy! We may need to pass out monocles and top hats to our aviators when they avail themselves of this new facility.

The Fly Corona Line staff have promised to keep the restrooms habitable. Please notify the office if you find them anything but spotless.

==

We also have an ulterior motive for this restroom refurb, over and above decorum -- the FAA has snuck in a requirement for having a restroom attached to our test center building. Our FAA test center has been suspended as a result of the hotbox out back that we thought was sufficient. We didn't know -- sorry about that! We expect to be back up ASAP, but in the meantime, we are referring folks to CNO or RAL for their writtens. Doh!



We have an old/new face at the ranch in our CFI roster -- please welcome our new Chief Pilot Robert S., who has agreed to assist us with our Part 141 transition with the FAA. Robert is also lending his wisdom for training, and is ready to share his 4000 hours of experience with our flyers.

Robert was part of the FlyC CFI Class of 2005, and holds a full set of ratings, is definitely a personality match -- we're happy to have him back in the roost.

Welcome (back), Robert!

==

We have made an offer on a multi-engine aircraft. Don't get excited yet, but we have started the dance. :) More as I know it.

==

Whoever called the Bay Super V -- nice work! Twin Bonanza, while I love them, are definitely very different. If you're ever midfield on aviation drive, there is a beige Twin Bonanza -- a giant thing, tail number N11KM.

I can play this game all day. Here's a soft pitch -- name that plane! :



No maintenance drama to report. Consider that situation now "jinxed" -- doh!

More as I know it!

Blue Skies,

- Mike

Touchdown!

Pilots!

Please join me in congratulating the newest US Private Pilot in the world, one RJ Z., who scored his wings yesterday with DPE Mark D in Cessna 739.

Nice work, RJ!



I know some things in maintenanceland:

61Q is cruising.

68U is under the microscope for an engine roughness we still have not fully cured.

739 is in the pit lanes for a 100hr inspection.

94M has had a repair to her carburetor air box.

63B is rocking her new cylinders.

17J's new engine is wrapping up. Just waiting on the airframe now.

...so about Julie...

Someone made an amusing comment about the cost of aviation repairs, and why some Pep Boys Bondo won't do the trick... check this work out -- we got an update from the sheet metal wizards at Tom's Aircraft, in Long Beach, CA, and literally, Julie is being remanufactured from the ground up. Any bent metal is unairworthy and discarded, to be replaced by new green zinc-chromated aluminum. When we say "airworthy", we're not messing around.

(the green zinc-chromate coating is corrosion-proofing -- sometimes it is a yellow-green color)

Here are some pics of what $120k in work looks like:










The little pins poking out from the sheet metal are called Cleco's -- little grabber claws that act like a temporary and removable rivet. Aircraft are genuinely hand-crafted and laboriously manufactured, to the point where every aluminum panel does not come with holes pre-drilled! The mechanic measures twice, drills, and holds the spot with a Cleco. After a few hundred clecos, the mechanic is ready to drive new, permanent rivets.

It's really one of the few major handcrafted products made in the USA still. If you ever get to Wichita, check out the tour at Independence, KS, it is simply amazing.

Julie rejoins us in a few weeks!

==

We have a new staff member at the ranch! We have hired a legendary Maintenance Guru, Paul McCracken, who joins us from Dallas, TX. Paul has been our exclusive prepurchase inspection provider, and is a true piston-aircraft specialist, who jet sets all over the US, looking at aircraft, fixing them, and bringing them home.

Paul is also a Beechcraft Wizard of known repute, but works on all types of aircraft, and brings with him decades of aviation knowledge and lore. We have spent 3 years wooing Paul, and pouring him the Fly Corona! Kool-Aid, and he's onboard to level-up our maintenance facility! Paul joins us late this week or early next, depending on his packing arrangements and skills.

Paul's job number one will be to care and feed for our Flybabies like they were his own, as well as draw some fancier planes into Corona, and ultimately, our maintenance shop expansion to Chino Airport.

Welcome to the family, Paul!



We expect to have a welcome BBQ for Paul in a few weeks, and hope to see you there! Additionally, 5 points and a high-five from Paul if you can name the plane above without googling the N# :)

==

Nice weather abounds... grab some sky!

Cheers,

- Mike

Some good news on the horizon!

Pilots!

I know some things :)

==

First, the usual noise in maintenanceland:

Cessna 61Q is in for 100hr.

Cessna 68U is due back on the line tomorrow.

Cessna 739 isn't bothering anyone. Thanks 739!

Cessna 94M is back on her new hip joint

Cessna 63B is back on her new top overhaul.

Cessna 17J is reported to be 3 weeks away yet. Sigh.

Bonanza 11N is cruising.



We have succeeded in our insurance wrangle! The underwriter gods agreed to our "compartmentalization of risk", and things are back where they were!

There is no mandatory renters insurance for domestic pilots.

There IS mandatory insurance for foreign pilots.

Again, my apologies for the turmoil. This was a lot of work from the crew, so throw some kudos when you see them next. :)



We have begun the process to become an FAA-Accredited Part 141 School. Since our checkride pass rate is hovering around the 95% range, and we continuously turn out high-quality students, the FAA has agreed to pursue this approval with us. This is a very high honor, and we're pleased to be tightening our partnership with the FAA, and inviting their oversight into our operations.

We will continue to offer Part 61 training for those who prefer it. One immediate change with 141 status is the ability to accept G.I. Bill funds to provide training for our veterans.



Nice weather.. not tooooo hot out! Grab some sky!

Cheers,

- Mike

A flurry!

Pilots!

Quite a few doings lately around the ranch... Here are some things of note:

First, please join me in congratulating newly-minted Private Pilot Nick G., who scored his wings on Sunday with DPE Mark D. in Cessna 739. Nick was able to scud-run his way to victory. Way to go, Nick!



Next, another Private Pilot pulled down a set of wings -- join me in congratulating Private Pilot Adrian B., who sailed through his checkride yesterday in Cessna 61Q!



Way to go, gentlemen!

==

I know some maintenance things too!

Do you know how sometimes girls will all get up to go to the restroom at the same time? Yeah, it's kinda like that this week...



Cessna 61Q completed her oil change.

Cessna 68U is down for an engine roughness issue.

Cessna 739 is not bothering anyone. Thanks 739!

Cessna 94M is halfway through her new landing gear saddle.

Cessna 63B is awaiting the engine swamis to discuss a periodic RPM drop.

Cessna 17J is due back next week. Nobody reaallllly thought it would be this week, did they? Silly pilots. :)

Bonanza 11N has completed her Annual with the addition of a spinner cone.



Well, what the heck?!

As always, despite some rather intense schedule pressures, we cannot dispatch a plane with maintenance concerns -- so we ground them rather than kick them into the sky and hope they run right. The downside is -- occasional group trips to the hangar. Sorry, pilots! Bear with us and we'll get the flightline righted by the weekend.

==

The weather is pretty much perfect. Not too hot, clear as a bell, not even that windy. So nice for some air therapy. :)



...More as I know it!

Blue Skies,

- Mike

Change of plans...

Pilots!

Nice and toasty at the ranch... and lots of opportunity to play in the sky!

==

We have been huddled in the office and wringing our hands over our insurance debacle, and we have discovered a new avenue to try. It will take appx 4 weeks to engineer, but here is the plan:

For now, we are removing our proposed requirement for renter's insurance. We really didn't like the awkwardness it presented, and it wasn't our typical smooth way of doing things.

We are engaging a new insurance tactic which we expect to lower our deductible back where it belongs. Coverages will not be affected, we are just partitioning the fleet into risk categories a little more finely. Insurers love that.

Foreign time-builders will still be required to carry full-value insurance to rent.



So... for now.. biz as usual. Sorry for the turmoil -- we're adapting as best we can to a strange situation.

==

I know some things in maintenanceland!

Cessna 61Q is out of 100hr

Cessna 68U is out of 100hr

Cessna 739's LED light has not burned out, setting a new record for our light-eater. Nighttime pilots rejoice!

Cessna 94M is in for 100hr. We have discovered the beginnings of a crack in one of her landing gear saddles. Normal wear, but not something we tolerate once we see it starting. 94M will be down for about a week.

The landing gear saddle is the piece of aluminum the gear leg flexes against on those difficult landings. It acts as a fulcrum, between the wheel at one end, and some very impressive spring packs in the belly at the other end. Betcha didn't know our planes had shocks on the mains didja? How else can we dribble them down the runways of SoCal every day? :)

I'll see if we can get a pic of the saddle to share for everyone. Feel free to stop by the hangar also if you're curious. 94M's suspension will be on display while our wrenches swap this part out -- it's neat in there, and worth a look. I expect it will be viewable starting tomorrow.

Cessna 63B completed a 100hr too. Because everyone else was doing it.

Cessna 17J is slated to return at the end of next week -- wow! She will be burning-in a new engine when she arrives, so we are looking for folks who want to do some low-altitude XC flying. Contact the office if that sounds like your bag.

Bonanza 11N is completing her annual. Like 94M, we found a small crack forming in the prop spinner bulkhead. Even though it's a cosmetic part, it's a highly-stressed area, and we are not interested in decorating a moving prop with the shrapnel of a nosecone. This is rough on pilots and upholstery.

11N will return appx Thursday or so, after the part arrives.



Woof!

Who invited the thunderstorm out to play on Sunday? Stop that. It felt like Florida for a day -- luckily it was way worse in Florida, so our smugness remains unchallenged. SoCal for the win.

Looking great all this week -- grab some air therapy!

Blue Skies,

- Mike

Rockstars

Pilots!

Please join me in high-fiving two excellent pilots who knocked out some checkride goodness today!

First, the newest Private Pilot in the world! One US Private Pilot Ryan D scored his wings with DPE Mark D in Cessna 739!

Way to go, Ryan!



And... the nastiest checkride there is... one which, at one point, had a 25% initial pass rate...

...was just decimated by our own Nick K -- the newest FAA Certified Flight Instructor in the world! And on the first try, awww yeah! Nice work Nick!

Nick flew with the Riverside FSDO using both Cessna 739 and Bonanza 11N.

So awesome. Way to go Nick!

Nick may be joining our CFI roster shortly! After the celebrations wear off anyway...



Not much else going on:

Cessna 61Q is cruising.

Cessna 68U isn't bothering anyone.

Cessna 739's LED landing light is very stylish.

Cessna 94M owns the sky

Cessna 63B is in for Annual.

Cessna 17J is being repaired.

Bonanaza 11N makes CFIs all day like it was nothin.



It's warm out! The fridge is well stocked -- please make hydration part of your pre- and post- flight briefings! It's pilot-making weather!

Blue Skies!

- Mike

Progress!

Pilots!

Sorry for the long delay in updating, but we have been very busy behind the scenes. Here are some things I know:



First, in maintenanceland;

Cessna 526 has rejoined us after completing her annual. She is available for large blocks of time-building to relieve 61Q's schedule, and rents at competitive dry rates.

Cessna 61Q has started her 100hr inspection.

Cessna 68U has completed her 100hr inspection.

Cessna 739 is not bothering anyone. Her LED light has even shipped! We'll believe it when we see it.

Cessna 94M is cruising along.

Cessna 63B goes in for her annual next week.

Cessna 17J will be rejoining the fleet! She is due in 5-6 weeks.

Bonanza 11N will be going down for annual next week also.



Woof.

So we have completed our insurance renewal, and we have come to a compromise on our policies, after much hand-wringing.

First, since we hate surprises, there are no changes coming until August 31.

As discussed, our deductible is increasing to $10,000. This is effective immediately.

Solo students will be asked to carry $10,000 in renters coverage prior to solo. We will offer two flavors of coverage: Avemco (which covers you nationally) at appx $240, and a local option through our carrier in the neighborhood of $199. This will be per year.

Renters who we have an existing relationship with (and that relationship has not bent any metal) will also be asked to carry $10,000 in renters coverage. The rates will be the same, however, if you are not a FlyC alumnus, there may be an insurance form required for the $199 option.

Foreign renters who are new to the school will be required to carry full coverage for the aircraft of their choosing.

==

I know this all sounds like bad news, but the alternative option was to hike aircraft rates by $10/hr, and keep the $5,000 deductible, which we disagree with. Instead, we have chosen to personally absorb the increased insurance rates we will have this year, and hope that we have a smooth 2011/2012 flying season. At that time, we expect things to go back to normal. (except for the foreign insurance requirement -- that stays!)

Under our scheme, if you do have a real bad day of flying, your deductible is covered. We think $0 is better than $5,000, and much better than $10,000. As 17J shows, flying is not getting any cheaper. (her current tally is appx $125,000, and we're not done yet!)

We also expect to offer a package deal where we will cover your insurance costs with a block time purchase. We are working the spreadsheets to make it work out.

==

We will have finalized rates and whatnot shortly. Feel free to contact the office or myself with questions or concerns.



In other news...

We may be adding a 182T to the flightline to fill in where 073 abruptly left off.

==

We are on the hunt to add a General Manager to the Fly Corona staff. As my own time is increasingly and unusually being taken with other things, we have decided to increase our "power" in the office with some fresh talent and ideas. This will allow me to meddle without being distracted while at the airport. Additionally, it will give you a new steward to ensure your flying with us is the best anywhere.

There is no job description for this position, as this job is like nothing you could ever describe. It is, however, an absolute blast. If you or someone you know might want to play airplanes with us, drop me a line at mike@flycorona.com. Please be, at a minimum, a pilot, someone interesting, full of energy, and not mean. The rest we'll figure out as we go -- but we'll be picky and will want a truly unique individual.

==

We are hosting a tire/brake change FAA Safety Seminar this Saturday at 10am. Donuts and coffee and hangar wrenching -- what could be finer? Join us if you like -- the course is eligible for FAA Wings credit!

==

Summer! Be sure to stay cool -- don't forget to add a cold water bottle to your preflight!

More as I know it...

Blue Skies,

- Mike

Tropically Fun Times!

Pilots!

Thanks to those who joined us on a fun adventure to Oceano for snacks and sand at Pismo Beach! The following BBQ was also a great time, thanks to grillmaster Cris!

It was nice to sit and tell hangar lies on a gorgeous California Sunday, and with such a great crew. It was also nice to hear some pro comms, see some sweet short-field techniques, and even dodge a few unlucky skydivers, who misunderstood that airports are for airplanes, not for things tied to napkins and thrown out of a Cessna. Goofballs. :)



I hope we can do a similar get-together soon!

==

In other news,

Word on the street is that Julie will return to the fleet after some physical therapy handed down by the maestros at Tom's Aircraft in Long Beach. We had Julie shipped to Toms, since we bought her there, and have asked their sheet metal masters to see what they can do. We will know more shortly.

==

Mostly quiet in maintenanceland. 68U has had some spark plugs cleaned.



We are not done with our insurance fisticuffs yet, but will know by the end of the week what is in store. Things are looking decent.

==

Please join me in welcoming our newest CFI to the fold -- one Cooper Lee! Cooper joins us with significant aviation experience, a calm teaching demeanour, great pilot chops, and -- for now -- an open schedule! Cooper is available Sunday through Thursday for now while we ramp him up. If you bump into him, give him a hello or stylish fist bump, and welcome him to our Eyrie!



Morning fog, afternoon haze, 80 degree weather. Summer is upon us! Good times!

Blue Skies,

- Mike