1/6/06 Visiting the Green Bay Flight Service Station - One of my students and I went on a little field trip today. We drove up to Green Bay and toured the Flight Service Station. (It's good to take the opportunity... Green Bay's FSS will eventually disappear due to the privatization and consolidation of these facilities nationwide.) We talked to the manager and asked lots of questions. I asked what Flight Service's biggest pet peeves are. He said the worst thing is when pilots don't state which frequency they are listening on. Since Green Bay Flight Service monitors about 60 frequencies, they don't want to spend time hunting for you. You should always make a short initial call-up like "Green Bay radio, Cessna 12345 listening on 122.1," and then wait for the specialist to answer you. The manager explained why it's not a good idea to make a long request on your first transmission. Another pet peeve is when pilots file VFR flight plans of several hours in length and then fail to make occasional position reports along the route during the flight. If your aircraft becomes overdue, search and rescue could have quite a hard time pinpointing your location. At the end of our tour the manager showed us how direction finding equipment and "DF steers" work. It's an often forgotten-about service where Flight Service can help pilots who are lost. I would recommend a Flight Service Station tour to any pilot as a way to put faces on the voices behind the radio.

1/9/06 I Can Finally See the Stars - Eighteen days without sunshine. The last time it was NOT cloudy was 18 days ago. And I'm not talking just a few clouds. It's been rock-solid overcast for 18 days straight.... yes, we have not seen the sun at all for that long. The week before last, I managed to fly beneath the clouds several times. Last week though, no flying. It's taken a toll on everyone's body and spirit to the point that there have been stories about seasonal affective disorder ("SAD") on the news. Yes, it's about time we saw some sunshine. Right before sunset tonight, the clouds broke up and I actually saw the sun. And now that it's dark out, it has suddenly become completely clear. I don't know if I have ever gone this long without seeing the stars! Tomorrow should be beautifully sunny but windy. I have to work in the factory anyway. Wednesday, though, it should still be sunny enough for me to fly. I am going to jam my schedule as full as I can get it!

1/12/06 Night Currency - The weather has stayed cooperative like I hoped it would earlier this week. Late this afternoon I flew a two-hour lesson with my student so that we could be sure to log some good time and make progress. (Flight time is scarce these days.) We finished just after sunset and left the plane outside. An hour later, I went flying by myself in order to reestablish my night currency. It's rare that I fly by myself anymore because I can't afford it. Tonight was a treat -- three solo takeoffs and landings under the bright moon.

1/14/06 Round-Robin - I was all over the area today. The morning started by meeting my student in Neenah. Our flight lesson took us to Waupaca and back. Then another student met with me to relocate an airplane from Neenah to Green Bay. We delivered it and got a car ride back to Neenah. Then I went home for a while, and after that I drove up to Shawano (Cecil, actually) for our Civil Air Patrol awards dinner / belated Christmas party.

1/19/06 CFII Checkride Coming - After receiving about ten hours of dual instruction scattered around since August, I am just about ready for my instrument instructor checkride. Now if the weather would just cooperate...

1/20/06 A Few Hours of CAP Flying - My Civil Air Patrol squadron recently received its new airplane and today I got to fly it. (We traded with a different squadron and got this nice 172 with a wonderfully comfortable new interior and a sparkling, sharp paint scheme.) Like our old one, this one is also 180 horsepower instead of the standard 160 or 150. Anyway, today I took my instructing future for a test drive by being a safety pilot for an instrument student. He benefitted by having me along to look for traffic and provide pointers. I benefitted by practicing my instrument instruction techniques to help me get ready for my CFII checkride. We flew the CAP plane for just over two hours, going from Shawano to Green Bay for some instrument approaches and a practice VOR hold. We were on an IFR flight plan and wound up in the clouds for several minutes, so that was cool. Later today I flew with a different CAP member who needed to do her required three landings to regain 90-day passenger currency. This was all volunteer on my part but I got to log all the time. It was worth it just to fly that airplane. I'm used to 150 horses in 81Q. The CAP plane climbs in a hurry and it likes to cruise fast by Cessna 172 standards!

1/21/06 Clear Sky, CFII Progress, and Running My Plane Out of Time - I looked outside this morning in disbelief. There was this big bright thing shining and none of that yucky gray puffy stuff. Yep, it was clear and I was happy to have two flights on the agenda! I went to Green Bay for a really good instrument lesson with my instructor. Then I went to Neenah and had my student work on takeoffs and landings. I knew that it would be my last flight in N2881Q for a little while. We flew until we were almost at the limit of coming due for a 100-hour inspection. Now the airplane will be down for scheduled maintenance. The timeframe depends on what, if anything, needs fixing or replacement. I hope it's back online soon. Meanwhile I'll be instructing in Green Bay and maybe doing more CAP things in Shawano.

1/27/06 Four Trips to Green Bay this Week - On Wednesday the 25th, I flew with my instructor for an instrument lesson with one of my own students riding in the back. Then that student had his lesson with me, with my friend who is working on her instructor training riding in the back. On Thursday, I did a Cessna 172 familiarization lesson with a private pilot. On Friday I had a simulator lesson with my instructor. Then on Saturday another of my students had a lesson with me. The weather was quickly deteriorating so I had to cancel my second student that day. However, I rode along with two Cavu instructors in our twin-engine Piper Seminole on a local flight in the clouds and rain. We lucked out by normal January standards, because it is usually difficult to get actual instrument flying time in the winter because of icing concerns. It was warm enough that there was no icing in the lower altitudes. This is the warmest January on record for this area and the third least snowiest. I wouldn't mind if that trend continued, as long as the sun comes out again!

1/31/06 When One Door Closes, Another Opens - I quit my part-time factory job yesterday. I wasn't sure if that was a good idea, but I didn't want to be there anymore. Then suddenly I got two phone calls that same day and now have two new students. One will be an instrument student and one is a private student who has already started training. I even heard of a potential third student. Maybe even a fourth. I couldn't believe it. My boss at the flight school said that when one door closes, another one always opens, or maybe two or three! Then luck was on my side today, when I normally would have been stuck indoors doing my repetetive manufacturing job. The weather was nice and sunny in the morning and I managed to fly with a student on short notice, making more money in a short time than I would have made all day at the factory. I'm back in the unpredictable world of relying on aviation alone for my income, but I have a hunch that things are going to be good very soon. I still have more web site work to do for my school. Soon I'll finally have the time to investigate teaching a class at UW-Fox Valley. Also since I have been hanging around Green Bay a lot, people are finally getting to know my name and face, and they know I am looking for more students.

I have my instrument instructor checkride scheduled for Friday. I'll at least do the oral part, and the flying will be weather-depending. I can't wait to get my CFII. It will mean the completion of my degree requirements as well as a way to do more flight instruction.

©2004-2006 Kate Bernard all rights reserved. Mac and the Mac logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. The Made on a Mac Badge is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., used with permission.