My new year resolutions.

I guess depending where you were in the market, some of us might be very happy to see 2008 in our rear view mirror. However in 2008, we met a lot of new friends, spent a lot of time in the air, and for the most part, we were healthy and happy. From my perspective, that's a pretty good year. We have a lot of exciting plans for 2009 that you'll definitely want to be a part of. More about that to come, but for now.....

In the spirit of the season, I've compiled a list of my New Years resolutions.

1. I resolve not to lose weight. At least not so I can load my airplane legally. The Remos has an industry leading useful load of 650 lbs. and a cabin width 7" wider than a Cessna 182. So.... if I happen to lose weight, it's for my health.

2. I resolve to spend more time with our out of town friends and family. The Remos GX is a serious cross country aircraft, in speed, range and load capacity. It makes those day trips to see kids, or grand kids comfortable, and a real pleasure.

3. I resolve to spend less money in the air. Let's face it, I'm not going to fly less, but every hour I spend in the Remos, I burn 4-5 gallons an hour less than the Cherokee or Cessna, and maintenance is a lot less as well.

4. I resolve to meet new friends this year and introduce them to the Remos GX. I'll be at Sebring http://www.sport-aviation-expo.com/ on Friday 1/23/2009. Please give me a call, I'd love to meet you there.

5. Most of all:

We're already the most experienced, but I resolve to be the best dealer, with the best prices, service, and information available. When you get ready to buy a Remos, give us a call. We sell and deliver anywhere in the U.S.

From my family to yours, we wish you a very Happy New year.

Why not leave a comment telling us your resolutions?

The weather outside is Frightful.

I sure hope the weather where you live has been more favorable to flying than here in St. Louis. We’ve had such a mix of wind, ice, and low ceilings that I haven’t been able to fly much at all. This is the time of year I spend a lot of time on the simulator, or taking some online air safety course. I enthusiastically recommend these courses. http://www.aopa.org/asf/online_courses/ They are really excellent, and bonus, they're free. This is a great time to brush up on weather, aerodynamics, airspace, or anything you haven’t thought much about since that written test. While you’re at the computer, take a look at this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8. It kind of reminds me of flying into Chicago airspace during Christmas. How do these guys do this?

Speaking of Christmas, we’ll have the whole family together this year. We’ll take some time off, do a little traveling, visit friends, and exchange some gifts. I pray that you and your families have a very joyous Christmas, and happy New Year. I want to thank you all for the year we’ve had at Gateway Sport Aviation, and the new friends we have made. Don’t worry, the weather will get better, and we’ll be flying again in no time at all. Most importantly, I leave you with this….

Luke 2

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

God bless us all.

BBQ Ribs and Primary Flight displays.

Perhaps I took my own advise too much to heart last update, but I managed to take quite a bit of time off flying to spend with family and friends, enjoying this holiday season. I did spend an evening out at 3SQ last week attending a seminar for instructors teaching the Garmin G-1000 integrated flight and avionics platform. I won't go into here, but it struck me how similar it was to the Dynon unit that is installed in the Remos Light Sport Aircraft. The Dynon doesn't have a lot of the sophistication of the Garmin unit, however information is displayed, and menus are selected, in very similar fashions. This makes the Remos an even better fit for flight schools teaching Technically Advanced Aircraft, or owners wishing to be on the forefront of aviation advancements. Besides, once you get past how cool they look, you'll appreciate the functionality.

Of course, avionics, or flight displays aren't what is most important as far as I'm concerned. What matters most is are we having fun, and where are we eating! We took the opportunity to fly down to Dexter, Mo. for some of the Hickory Logs famous BBQ ribs. This trip has become one of our family traditions, and not just for the great BBQ. The Hickory Log goes all out on it's Christmas decorations, and it's close enough to Poplar Bluff for Cheryl's parents, and assorted brothers or sister to meet us there. KDXE is a nice little airport with a restaurant right on the field for weekend fly-in breakfast. KDXE is attended irregularly, but they do have a courtesy vehicle, and the Hickory Log is only 4 miles away. My advise? Go hungry, eat the ribs, and don't get your fingers all over the multi-function display on the way home.

Why not start your own "flying family tradition"?

Thanksgiving

What a time of year! Holiday parties, family in from out of town, and all the rest, put flying on the back burner, as it should be. I am thankful for so much, too much to even start listing here, but let me tell you about a recent flight I took. I had to fly down to Rogers, AR. to pick up a Remos, and on this trip, my son Justin was my ride. Justin is 20 now, an air traffic controller for the Missouri Air National Guard, and a pretty good stick in the airplane as well. On this flight we got to share the pre-dawn takeoff, and the sun rising above the cloud tops. We had time to just enjoy each others company, but the instructor in me scrutinized his technique. I resisted the temptation to offer advise or point out differences in our technique, (or at least I think I did) after all he was the PIC on this flight. The dad in me was just too proud. Proud of the man he has become, and the future he has in front of him. We flew in a rather loose formation back home, Justin in the lead, keeping his dad clear of MOA's and restricted airspace. We didn't have any long or profound conversations, we didn't need to. We shared a flight; I'm sure it meant more to me than to Justin, but one of these days, when he is flying with his son or daughter, he might remember, and smile. When I reflect on the future of aviation, it's usually from the perspective of declining pilot numbers, light sport aircraft sales, or the state of the air traffic control profession. Well the good news is, when I look at Justin, and his generation, I know the future of general aviation is in good hands, and for that I'm thankful also.

I want to wish all of you a very special Thanksgiving and holiday season. God has blessed me and my family so much, but we all have needs. Take time to tell your family how much you love them, and what you're thankful for. Please remember the hurting, the lonely, and less fortunate. I'm hoping you'll skip an hour or two in the air, and truly enjoy this season.

Expanding your LSA horizons.

Okay, this is going to be one of those instructional entries, specific to new or potential Light Sport Certificate holders, so all you "old time" pilots, go here, http://www.sun-n-fun.org/content/ and start planning your trip.

61.325 How do I obtain privileges to operate a light-sport aircraft at an airport within, or in airspace within, Class B, C, and D airspace, or in other airspace with an airport having an operational control tower?

If you hold a sport pilot certificate and seek privileges to operate a light-sport aircraft in Class B, C, or D airspace, at an airport located in Class B, C, or D airspace, or to, from, through, or at an airport having an operational control tower, you must receive and log ground and flight training. The authorized instructor who provides this training must provide a logbook endorsement that certifies you are proficient in the following aeronautical knowledge areas and areas of operation:

(a) The use of radios, communications, navigation system/facilities, and radar services.

(b) Operations at airports with an operating control tower to include three takeoffs and landings to a full stop, with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern, at an airport with an operating control tower.

(c) Applicable flight rules of part 91 of this chapter for operations in Class B, C, and D airspace and air traffic control clearances.

That's the regulation, but what does it really take? My advise, is to demand more training than your instructor will probably want to give you before he/she gives their endorsement. The FAA believes the most dangerous part of your flight, is on the ground, and for good reason. According to the IG, general aviation is involved in 72 percent of incursions while accounting for 59 percent of the operations. However, accidents predominantly involve air carrier aircraft. In the decade of the 1990s only one GA pilot was charged with the probable cause of a runway incursion accident at a towered airport (St. Louis). Careful investigations of these incidents have identified three major areas contributing to runway incursions - communication, airport familiarization, and cockpit procedures for maintaining orientation.

After your ground instruction, and some "practice" radio calls, have your instructor pick out a towered airport, and show you how to download, or find, the airport diagram. Check the NOTAMs, paying special attention to runway or taxiway closures, and mark them on your diagram. When you fly into the towered airport for your 3 full stop landings, if possible, ask to depart a different runway each time. Your goal here is to taxi from one end of the airport to the other, hopefully requiring you to cross other taxiways or runways. Remember to read back hold short instructions, or the controller will "politely" remind you. Here's where a well placed call to the tower from your instructor before the flight might be appropriate. Have your instructor tell the controllers what you want to do, and why. If they have time, and traffic permits, they will be happy to accommodate. Really, most controllers are not nearly as scary as they sound. A large airport can be very confusing on the ground. Never be afraid to ask Ground Control for "progressive taxi", especially at unfamiliar airports, that's part of their job. Believe me, they'd rather spend a little extra effort on helping you navigate the taxiways than spend their break writing a statement. (That's 25 years of controller experience talking) Make sure your instructor talks about some of the new hazards you'll encounter at bigger airports. Jet blast, or rotor wash can ruin the day of a light sport pilot, so give the helicopters and "big iron" a wide berth. I've spent this entire article talking about hazards, dangers, and surly controllers, not to scare or discourage the LSA pilot, but rather to equip and empower them. Your Sport Pilot Certificate is a huge accomplishment, and privilege. I want you to use it to it's fullest, being comfortable and confident talking with air traffic, and most important using it safely.

Come out to St. Charles Flying Service, tell them to take you to Lambert International, and that I said it would be alright. Enjoy your flight, and for the truly fearless, watch this video.

The perfect Autumn Morning

I guess I’m still in a nostalgic mood, because what I most appreciated this week was a BFR (Biennial Flight Review) I conducted in a 1947 model Stinson Voyager. Believe it or not, even I get tired of flying once in a while, and after a couple of long cross-countries, and trying to catch up with a huge backlog of Remos demo flights, that’s where I found myself Friday. I was out at 3SQ, and being the only instructor that happened to be tail-wheel current, I grudgingly agreed to perform a BFR for Jim in his Stinson. Jim is an ex-Navy A-4 pilot, retired TWA DC-9 Captain, and infinitely more experienced than I’ll ever be, but for the next couple of hours I was the “instructor”. We discussed several areas of part 91 regulations, pre-flighted the aircraft, and hit the skies. Because of the big tail, they say if you can taxi the Stinson in a crosswind, you can fly a Stinson. I learned this nugget of information, and much more between steep turns, stalls, and slow flight. Jim and I started to get to know one another, I learned about the history of his airplane, and how he got into aviation. Let me add here, it was one of those perfect autumn mornings. The Missouri foliage was in full color, the air was crisp, clear and calm, and occasionally you’d get a whiff of someone’s fire in the fireplace. Rarely did Jim and I get more than 1000’ AGL as we fulfilled the requirements of the BFR, all the while enjoying the multi-colored blanket pass beneath us. We reminisced about other airplanes, times and places, and shared just about the perfect hour in the air. This wasn’t work; this was just pure enjoyment of flight. That hour literally flew by, and I emerged re-vitalized. I guess that’s how it goes; you never know what the next opportunity will bring, so we should approach each one with anticipation and expectation. I wish you all that very special hour in the air this week, and I thank Jim for providing mine.

Classic cars and airplanes

Classic cars and airplanes make a fantastic combination. Cheryl and I flew over to H49, Columbia, IL. Sunday for a fly-in and open house, and that’s what we encountered, in addition to the polka music and bratwurst. Of course the Remos attracted all sorts of attention, and we tried to do the right thing and stay there answering questions, but I heard the ’62 Corvette whispering from across the field. The ’62 vette has always been my dream car. It was the first to offer the 327 cu.in 250hp engine, and the last to use the “strait axle.” You gottta love a car that was 100% convertibles. Officially, the ’62 was offered in seven colors, but for my money, the red was the only one to lust after. Although Todd and Buzz drove “Route 66” in a ’60 model, it was still every boy’s fantasy. (That and to be an astronaut, and if you’re under 50 years old you won’t get the reference.) Can you believe it? The base price of a 1962 Corvette was $4038.00. Here’s a confession, I’ve had friends that owned various years of Corvettes, I’ve ridden in them, and even driven a few, but I’ve never even sat in a 1962 model. If the opportunity comes up, I don’t think I will. I have no delusions about ever owning one, (as if I could ever afford it) or owning any other year model for that matter. The truth is, the car is not particularly comfortable, it’s fast, but not as fast as the airplanes I usually fly, and I could never take it to the grocery store for fear of a scratch or ding. But man, it’s a 1962 Vette. Some dreams you just need to keep forever, that will be one of mine. Some dreams you need to share, and that’s where I get back to the Remos. People were looking at my airplane and I knew that to many of them, the GX was their ’62 vette. We went back to the airplane, dutifully handing out literature, and answering questions. I didn’t give a lot of rides Saturday, but of the few I did, I enjoyed Pastor Bob’s best. Bob’s a pilot from way back, and stays in the air these days in his glider. We pitched and rolled, soared without care, and I noticed that the grin on Bob’s faced never left. We’ll be getting together again soon. If you’re interested in seeing some cherry classic cars, visit my friends at: http://www.classiccarstudio.com/home.php

Can I get an AMEN?

CGI, Cape Girardeau airport, is typical of so many general aviation airports these days. Outstanding facilities, and personnel, but it is utilized well below its heyday. Whether it’s the economy, gas prices, or more and more restrictions on private aviation, many U.S. airports are in need of revival. Also, like most airports in a similar state, I get the impression Cape is under appreciated by the citizens and neighboring communities. We took the Remos down there last weekend to attend the Cape Pilots Association fly-in/chili cook-off, and met a great bunch of aviation enthusiast. We ate chili, saw outstanding examples of home built and vintage aircraft, as well as the state of the art light sport variety, and watched a whole bunch of r/c model aircraft. We got a chance to visit with the airport manager, and were impressed with his enthusiasm, and future plans.

Most aircraft/aviation statistics these days will confirm that general aviation is in a decline. Aircraft deliveries, airport operations, and private pilot certifications are all well below the levels only a few short years ago. There is one obvious exception. According to the AOPA:

“Aircraft shipments were behind last year’s figures. A comparison of total U.S. shipments shows 2008 figures to be behind 2007 figures by 11 percent. Focusing exclusively on single-engine piston aircraft for 2008 (277 of the 558) are down compared to 2007 shipments (425 of 628), down 35 percent. Aircraft registration applications for quarter one 2008 were behind when compared to 2007 data (down 12.3 percent). (Note: Only January and February data is available for 2008 aircraft registrations.)

Accident data for the first quarter of 2008 (252 in 2008) shows a decline of 11 percent as compared to the first quarter of 2007 (282 in 2007). Record low fatal general aviation accidents are due to a dedicated commitment to safety by everyone in general aviation.

Sport pilot certificates held data for the first quarter of 2008 shows an increase of 61 percent as compared to the first quarter of 2007 (2,410 more sport pilot certificates).”

Did you see it? Sport pilot certificates increased 61%. That’s why we’re so excited about the Remos GX. Fuel burn averages 3.8 gal/hr in a training environment and only about 5 gal/hr in cruise. Maintenance on a new aircraft is understandably less than a 30 year old aircraft, and with Remos’ safety record, insurance, even for rentals, is very reasonable. Flight schools that understand the trends, and see the possibilities, will begin to embrace light sport aircraft of all varieties. Flight training can be more affordable for the student, and more profitable for the school, and airports like Cape Girardeau will be the ones to lead the revival. Can I get an Amen? Besides, the pilot association has some great chili cooks. If you missed the fly-in this year, don’t dismay. The airport will be hosting a huge air show next year, and you can bet we’ll be there again

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The new GX is here!

It’s been very busy around Gateway Sport these days. We’ve got our demonstrator, and it will be in St. Louis for a couple of weeks before it goes to the flight line at our Atlanta location. If you’ve been waiting to get into a new GX, the time is now, please give me a call so we can schedule your ride.

Cheryl and I actually took a weekend off last week and flew into Branson, Mo. It’s a great trip that we make quite often. We had a special mission this trip, and it involved trying out new restaurants, but let me take it from the beginning. The flight itself was great, and we landed at PLK, Taney Co. Airport at School of the Ozarks. The School of the Ozarks could be a blog in itself, free college education, but that’s a different story. Unfortunately, they don’t have a courtesy car, but there’s an AVIS counter right in the terminal, and you’re going to want to spend a couple of days anyway. They even rent Harleys, if 4 wheels are too many for you. Branson has an amazing amount of things to do, but Cheryl and I always seem to end up at Silver Dollar City for a day or two, and take in a couple of shows. This was the agenda once again, but this time we were planning on all new dining options. It was Montana Mike’s for dinner. Service was good; food was decent, but not as good as Outback. Probably a step up from Lone Star or Ponderosa, but they had this lady come around to take our picture. She came back later with the prints for sale, and key chains with our picture on them. We passed, even though it was a better picture than we usually take.

We had our first breakfast at Chester’s, located at the historic Hillbilly Inn. Cheryl had found out about their “pile-ups” on some internet forum, and decided it sounded interesting. Chester’s is a family operation, and we met Perry and Jason. Perry sat us in the back, with a breathtaking view of the Ozark mountains. It didn't take long to notice the airport was on top of the very next mountain. What a bonus view! The coffee was hot and welcome, the food was great, and plenty as you can see in the picture. Obviously, after trying to put away breakfast, we couldn’t even think about lunch. Odee’s was our choice for dinner. We sampled the homemade potato chips and ribs. It was good, but for BBQ in Branson, our choice is Danna’s.

Sunday’s breakfast was the Belgium Waffle House. They’re only open for breakfast, and was okay, but I left less satisfied than when we use a coupon at IHOP. After the Landing, and some outlet mall shopping, we tried some more BBQ at Shorty Small’s. Either I was real hungry, or it’s my second favorite BBQ in Branson. (Danna’s is closed on Sundays.)

We had thought about stopping at Gaston’s on the way home, but it didn’t work out. That will be another blog later. As for this trip, without doubt, our favorite new restaurant was Chester’s. We’ll definitely be going back. If you get a chance to fly in to Branson, (and what a great trip in a new Remos GX) have some breakfast (we'll be trying their lunch on our next trip) at Chester’s and say hi to Perry for me.

A little review.

I've got lots to cover in this update. First off, it was recently announced on Dan Johnson's site,

http://rlsa.bydanjohnson.com/index.cfm?b=6&m=1, that Remos Aircraft was #1 in new S-LSA registrations for the six months ending August 2008. That's up from #7, and is such an impressive move given the state of the economy, and the sheer number of LSAs on the market. This move speaks volumes about what is important to the U.S. consumer, and confirms Remos as not only the leader in quality, but value. Remos has correctly identified the fact that the U.S. consumer will embrace quality and value for their dollar, and I'm convinced that Remos will continue it's climb in market share.

Which brings me to my next topic. After a little random investigation, we discovered the German POH, publishes a different approach speed than the U.S. POH. Why we were trying to read the German POH, who knows, but we were curious. We decided to contact the German engineer, that we were privaledged to have met and spend some time with in Oshkosh, for an explanation. For those of us that didn't know(or needed reminding), the ultra light rules in Germany are different than the Light Sport Aircraft rules in the U.S. Whereas we have a weight restiction of 1320 lbs. the German restrictions is approximately 1200 lbs. The airframe is identical, however, this difference in MTOW(maximum takeoff weight) is the reason for the differnent speeds in the POH. Weight is one of the factors in determining the stall speed of an aircraft. The angle of attack, will always be the same, but the airspeed at which the aircraft will stall is decreased on the aircraft with the lower weight. Generally, the approach speed of an aircraft, Vref, is determined by applying a factor of 1.3 Vso (stall speed in landing configuration). Therefore, if the 1200 lb. GX is flown at the same Vref speed as the 1320 lb aircraft, it will float much longer on landing. I'm sure this isn't new information to most of us, but it never hurts to get in a little review. The best aviators are always learning more about their aircraft. That's all for now.