By Jim Timm JimTimm December 2017   Thanksgiving is over and the temperatures still seem to be like warm, mid-fall while this report is being written. The early mornings are nice and cool, and the improved aircraft performance is really appreciated, making flying a lot more fun. I hope everyone is out enjoying it and doing it safely.  Locally, the next few months are
Backcountry Update for GrapevineMarkSpencer   By Mark Spencer   You might have heard that the APA bit the bullet, purchasing 40 tons of special aggregate for shoring up the asphalt edges at midfield for Grapevine. Paul Pitkin and Mike Andresen pulled off the order and delivery. It’s a lot of material to move by shovel and wheelbarrow, but nothing our APA and RAF
Backcountry Update for Young PVMarkSpencer   By Mark Spencer   Fall has been good to us in Arizona, and it is our best time of year for flying. We are, of course, still waiting for a little cooler temps as this fall has been unusually warm, but relatively calm.  Our Pleasant Valley fly in and camp  over Veteran’s day was an incredible time for all, and the
By Jim Timm JimTimm December 2017    The following are NTSB reports of aviation accidents that have occurred in Arizona from late October through late November, 2017. We use this detailed accident information to develop safety programs and briefings that will help pilots learn from the mistakes being made by others and then hopefully take the action necessary to
Engine Health and Flight Plans GAARMS Report: December 2017  fred-gibbsFred Gibbs    As we wind down 2017 (but still with one more month to go), this year’s fatal accident rate appears to mirror last year, but unfortunately the total number of fatalities to date jumped to 13. The total number of fatal accidents (6) stayed the same as 2016, but only included 9
HowardDeevers Understanding Airports  Howard Deevers    Airports are as important to pilots as highways are to drivers. We need places to land, to keep our airplanes, and to get services. Preferably the airport would be near a city or a location that we would like to visit, just as roads and highways will lead to places we need, or want, to go. The bigger the city, the
HowardDeevers Teaching the Teachers  Howard Deevers    Learning to fly was wonderful, getting an Instrument Rating was stressful, training for the Commercial Pilot’s License was eye opening, and then my instructor/mentor suggested that I become an instructor. This had not been my goal in aviation, but he kept encouraging me to do so. His comment was, “If you
GAARMS Report: November 2017  fred-gibbsFred Gibbs    Another month has passed, and unfortunately, as I write this article, our safety record continues to slip further down the “Luck Meter”    From AZFamily.com: WILLCOX, AZ Oct. 19 - The pilot of a small airplane that died last week after crashing into the desert in southern Arizona has been
By Jim Timm JimTimm November 2017     It looks like the Arizona fun flying season may have officially started with the Copperstate Fly In at Falcon Field at the end of October. The weather was good, and it looked like quite a few people flew in for the event. In addition to many vendors, the APA was there, and it was a pleasure to have had the opportunity to meet and
Pleasant Valley, Young AZ (24AZ)MarkSpencer   By Mark Spencer    Get ready for Veteran's day weekend, November 10 -12th, as we’ll be back in Young, at the Pleasant Valley, 24AZ airstrip.  If you have a big tire plane, we’re working on a special fly over to our newest backcountry airstrip, Buzzard’s Roost that Saturday morning. Buzzard’s