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