Special Messge for Ohio High Schoolers/Aviation Enthusiasts

Date = Wednesday, April 2, 2008.
Title = 121st Air Refueling Wing 2008 Job Shadow Day
Location = Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base
Description = The purpose is to introduce area high schools students to Air National Guard career options in Central Ohio. We are honored to showcase potential job opportunities at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base.

We anticipate a full day of activity including:
10:00 am– 10:20 am Arrival, Welcome, Introductory Briefings
10:20 am-12:15 am Shadow sponsor in the workplace
12:15 pm-12:45 pm Sack lunch eaten at the dining hall while visiting with sponsor
12:45 pm- 1:20 pm Tour KC-135 and “job fair-like” table top displays of various jobs
1:20 pm– 1:30 pm Bus pickup

Eligible youth include those who:
1. are in 9th to 12th grade,
2. have demonstrated maturity and good judgment,
3. are US citizens,
4. speak English, and
5. have no serious legal offenses.

Potential job shadow experiences include those in administration; public affairs, fire fighting, pilots, aircraft maintenance, personnel, life support equipment, logistics, civil engineering, security forces, computer technology, audio- visual, weather, and/or finance. For more information about our wing, please review the video at http://mycooljob.org/shadow/refuel.

Although we cannot guarantee we will be able to honor every student’s first choice job shadow experience, we would appreciate each attendee completing the enclosed RSVP form. Participants will be accommodated on a first come first serve basis as space will be limited.

Location = Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base (Columbus, OH)

For more information = SMSgt John Schmitt, (614)492-3572 or (614)348-3801. Please RSVP no later than March 19, 2008 via email at John.Schmitt@ohcolu.ang.af.mil.

Read Memo/RSVP.

See all other events on the Girls With Wings calendar.

Advice for an eZine reader...

With the message board back up and running, I would like to encourage everyone to post questions to the board so that all may have an opportunity to respond. New people joining the board would love to hear from you!

The best resource out there is all of us, combining our collective knowledge....

For example, I received this question:

Do you know anyone who has taken an excellent accelerated training program in
Florida to obtain the private pilot license? I want someone who can tell
me her experience and its upsides and downsides.

There is no way I
can complete this staying here in --. Too many obligations (work, family,
etc.) and crappy weather. I’m going to have to bite the bullet, crack into
investments and give up 2-3 weeks of needed income, and “just do it.” I
need the best, most effective program in existence in a reasonable climate near
friend with whom I can stay (or a cheap motel).

Please visit the message board to post your advice!
Lynda

Crosswind landings

Wind strength and direction is so important to a pilot. Tailwinds (those coming from behind us) are usually good - they push us to where we are trying to go, getting us there faster. However, tailwinds are NOT good on takeoffs or landings.

According to AOPA (Airplane Owner and Pilots Association):

Don't underestimate the effect of tailwinds--no matter how small--on either takeoff or landing. Not only do they cause an airplane to use more runway in both situations, but on takeoff they'll also flatten the climb angle, which may hamper your aircraft's ability to clear obstacles. In addition, a quartering tailwind makes a tailwheel airplane difficult to control. If landing runway length is even remotely a factor, as little as two knots on the tail can take away your margin, so landing on, or near, the numbers (at the beginning of the runway) becomes critical. The best remedy is to avoid takeoffs or landings in tailwinds of any kind.

Headwinds are not desirable during the cruise portion of the flight, but they work to pilots' advantage on takeoffs and landings, increasing airplane performance and decreasing the amount of runway used. I would say "needed" except most pilots do not PLAN for the headwind (landing on a shorter runway), but just take the headwind's benefit as a bonus during landing. One wouldn't want to plan on a headwind and then have the winds suddenly die down or shift directions.

Speaking of shifting directions, what if the wind is not straight down the runway? It is then called a crosswind. Most airplanes have a maximum crosswind limitation (often 20-30 knots). An airplane compensating for a crosswind has to "crab" into the wind so it can continue to travel in the intended direction. To imagine what I'm talking about say you have to swim across a river. If you pick a point directly across from you, you will end up farther down the bank than you had intended because of the current pushing you UNLESS you swim an appropriate amount upstream to compensate for the speed of the river.

On takeoffs and landings, crosswinds can be a little tricky. Beginning pilots (and experienced pilots) practice and have to pay a lot of attention to the effect of the crosswind.

AOPA again:

The most commonly taught crosswind landing technique is the cross-control, or wing-low landing. The pilot slips the airplane to the runway with just enough cross control to keep the aircraft aligned with the centerline. Remember that
the ailerons control the airplane's lateral movement. Use them to counteract the downwind drift caused by the crosswind and put the airplane on the runway centerline. Use the rudder to align the airplane's longitudinal axis with the runway centerline -- keep the nose pointed straight down the runway. (The pilot transitions from a "crab" to a "slip" right above the runway so the airplane will land straight down the runway - to not land on the gear while going sideways.)

Remember that all control forces will change during the transition from final approach to the end of the roll out. Wind direction and speed often change with altitude, and the control deflections required to maneuver the aircraft will increase as the aircraft's speed decreases. In general, you'll need to increase the aileron and rudder deflection as the aircraft speed decreases. Don't release your control inputs once the wheels are on the runway. The wind still affects the airplane, and you need to use the appropriate control inputs all the way to the tie down.

Would you like an illustration? Here is a video of a large Lufthansa jet landing with a major crosswind. Watch how much the airplane is "crabbing." It almost looks like it should be flying to your left, but it is coming straight towards you. Then at the last minute the pilot tries to slip - but the wind is so strong that it exceeds the maximum crosswind component for the airplane. The wingtip even touches the ground! http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080303/ap_on_re_eu/germany_rough_landing

The Message Board is Back!

There are so many times where I am amazed by the kindness of others. I am flying with a great Captain this week, who took time last night to research a problem I was having with the Girls With Wings message board. Thanks to him, you can now once again register and post messages. Finally, a place specifically for women and girls to talk Flying, Education, Scholarships, and to explore our opportunities. Let's inspire each other!

Mike with his daughters (from left) Ashley, Elizabeth, and Angel with their "First Flight" Certificates.

Brenda - Girls With Wings Scholarship Winner!

Hi all,

You've seen Brenda on here before, but I thought I would call to your attention the journal Brenda has started on http://www.girlswithwings.com/.

Brenda was the winner of the First Annual GWW scholarship, receiving an award to help pay for her flying lessons. She is also studying at San Jose State University, majoring in aviation, so she is well suited to share her experiences not only with flying, but also with everything else she is learning in her classes!

For example, Brenda just made a visit to Oakland Center, which is "shorthand" for saying Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center (or ARTCC). See her pictures and read about her adventures!

So, what is an ARTCC and why do we care?

The United States Federal Aviation Administration defines an ARTCC as "[a] facility established to provide air traffic control service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within controlled airspace, principally during the en route phase of flight."

If you think of talking to ATC (Air Traffic Control) as layers of a cake, ARTCC is the at the top. When a pilot begins to go on a flight, she has to talk to a series of controllers.


In order (normally and simplified):


1. She gets her clearance from one frequency, and then once her flight plan is activated, she talks to ground so that she can taxi out to the runway.


2. She switches to tower to get her takeoff clearance.


3. She talks to departure (also called TRACON or Terminal Radar Approach CONtrol) as she climbs up to 10,000 feet.


4. She talks to center as she reaches the higher altitudes enroute to her destination.


5. During her descent, she talks to approach (like departure).


6. Then tower, to get her landing clearance.


7. Then ground, to get to her parking.





Would you like to know more? See Wikipedia's Air Traffic Control.

Weather Issues

Hi All,

I am in the Atlanta area, waiting to get down to southern Florida to pick up a passenger. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating with our plans. We use a WSI (not sure what it stands for) computer terminal shown to the right.

WSI Pilotbrief provides a complete solution including WSI NOWrad® national and regional radar, radar summary charts, high-resolution satellite imagery, plotted SIGMETS, AIRMETS, and more. It's the choice of the nation's top FBOs, FAA Flight Service Stations and corporate flight departments.

Our picture is shown to the left. As you can see, there is a white box shown between Atlanta and Miami. The white boxes signify a SIGMET.

Wikipedia: SIGMET, or Significant Meteorological Information, is a weather advisory that contains meteorological information concerning the safety of all aircraft. There are two types of SIGMETs, convective and non-convective. The criteria for a non-convective SIGMET to be issued are severe or greater turbulence over a 3000 square mile area, or severe or greater icing over a 3000 sq mile area or IMC conditions over a 3000 sq mile area due to dust, sand, or volcanic ash.

A Convective SIGMET is issued for convection over the Continental U.S. Convective SIGMETs are issued for an area of thunderstorms affecting an area of 3000 sq miles or greater, a line of thunderstorms at least 60 nm long, and/or severe or embedded thunderstorms affecting any area that are expected to last 30 minutes or longer.

Above and to the left are closer pictures. The one to the left has red boxes - which signifies tornado watches! Sorry they're hard to see, that's the flash of the camera.

This weather system hit us early this am in Atlanta, and has been moving slowly across the country. The weather picture on the computer can be "looped" so you can see the movement over time. It gives pilots a good idea of how fast the system is moving, and if it's building or lessening. This colorful one is generating severe thunderstorms (hail, turbulence, high wind gusts). Green is light rain, and as the colors go from there to yellow to red (there's even purple), the precipitation (and associated storm characteristics) get worse. Flying through yellow is uncomfortable. Red is bad. Purple, well, we don't want to go there. Ever. (Of course, there are people who fly through storms for a living. That's not my gig.)

So, we're continuing to analyze, to see if the storm will break up or move on by (it hasn't been moving very fast). Remember how I said in a previous post that "we're going to go eventually anyway?" We have a couple of options in such situations. We can either pick our way through and around, or wait. Sometimes it pays to stay safely on the ground!

I know our passenger is restless, wanting to be on his way. Unfortunately, this is a safety issue. There's been reports of severe turbulence (again, severe turb is NOT to be flown through). We can't do that much deviating either, because it burns up so much fuel. We may risk painting ourselves into a corner. Again, people pay pilots to keep them safe. It's our job.

WomenFly!

I have been asked to help find mentors to participate in this event. Can you help?

About WomenFly!
A Special Event for Young Women Interested in Aviation and Aerospace Careers
Audience: Young women (ages 13 - 19) interested in careers in aviation and aerospaceDate: Friday, March 7, 2008Time: 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
There will be an additional Women Fly! panel discussion held on Saturday, March 8, 2008, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm.
Women Fly! brings professional women in aviation to the Museum to share their career stories and life experiences with young women who are interested in aviation and aerospace careers.
Women Fly! is an annual event in support of The Museum of Flight’s public education mission.
The specific purposes of the Women Fly! event are:
To celebrate the significant contributions women have made and continue to make to the progress of aviation and aerospace;
To give young women who have an interest in aviation or aerospace careers the opportunity to interact with successful, professional women in those fields.
If you have additional questions, check the FAQs, e-mail, or call 206-768-7141.

Winter Weather

I've had a few emails lately from the scholarship applicants, frustrated with the winter weather, as it is delaying their progress toward their pilots' licenses. (Not everyone, however - Congratulations Cindy!).

Tongue in cheek, I replied to one:
We "professional" pilots - those that fly all the time, often joke: why should I look at the weather? It's not like we're NOT going to go... I know for training it's kind of tough working around the weather, but soon there will be very few weather events that will prevent you from going anywhere. Thunderstorms, icing, high winds, etc., at your destination, will eventually move on. Enroute, you just navigate around (or fly above) the icky stuff (thanks to some great in-flight weather radar and alert Air Traffic Controllers). Of course, we DO check the weather, not just because the FAA says we have to, but because it's the safe thing to do.

So why was your last commercial flight so late due to storms? Well, a large storm can funnel a lot of traffic into a smaller space. There are "arrival procedures" into airports coming from N, S, E, and W, and some of those may be shut down, forcing more airplanes to use fewer procedures. The same is true for "departure procedures." And even though a storm may be no where near your destination, the airlines have a domino effect. Late aircraft can send a ripple throughout the entire country!

Ragged Edge

For those of you that don't recognize the picture from yesterday's post, that is Maj Jill Long, of "Ragged Edge" fame. Yes, she is a Girl With Wings, so you can read more about her on the website. She and I have also agreed to support each other's missions of promoting aviation to girls. So the GWW logo will now be on her stunt plane! (May be the closest I ever get again to flying upside down.) See her website at http://www.raggededge.us/


Jill “Raggz” Long has been flying since she was 16. She is perhaps the most passionate aviatrix of the day. Her love of flying is tangible and obvious from the moment you see her “become one” with her aircraft. Her aviation passion is infectious and an inspiration anyone who has had the opportunity to glimpse her world. She has lived by the motto, ‘Never take “no” for an answer' and “Follow your dreams” and it has served her well.


Raggz has flown everything from the A-10 Thunderbolt aka the “Warthog” or “Tank Killer" to the venerable Taylorcraft. She has more than 3000 hours of flight time and has slipped the surly bonds of earth from such austere locations as Afghanistan to the more welcoming climes of Puerto Rico...but her favorite piece of sky remains over the good old USA.


She first fell in love with "those flippy things" (aka Aerobatics) when she took to the skies with her life-long mentor and friend Ralph Riddell in his RV-4. The passion for “anti-gravitational” endeavors hasn't stopped. Her current love is, of course, the nimble Pitts S2B.


Born in Michigan and raised in Oregon, Jill has called many places home; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Boise, Idaho; Portland, Oregon; the United Kingdom; South Korea; Tucson, Arizona; and Columbia, SC... she, and husband Chuck, are currently hanging their chocks in Wichita Falls.


She has been involved in the Women Soar program at Oshkosh (July 28- Aug 3), WI. EAA has published a page on her as well.

When she was 6 years-old, Jill Long, (EAA 721591) was at an air show and remembers telling her mother that someday she would perform in the sky.
“You can’t do that,” said a man who overheard. “You’re a girl.”
“How dare you tell her that!” Long’s mother responded. “She can do anything she wants to do.”
And Long has done just that.

Upcoming Events:
March 15 San Angelo, TX
May 3 Dyess AFB, Abilene, TX
May 10 Laughlin AFB Del Rio, TX
May 16-18 Joint Service Open House Andrews AFB, MD (this great nation's' capital!)
July 28-29 Women SOAR! EAA Airventure 2008 Oshkosh, WI
August 16-17 Offutt AFB Omaha, NE
September 20-21Midland, TX
October 4 Vance AFB Enid, OK
October 18-19 Dobbins AFB Marietta, GA
TBD CAF Ranger Wing Airshow Waco, TX

Women Soar

I have not been able to attend this event yet, because of my obligations otherwise (setting up my booth) at Oshkosh. I have heard great things!

http://www.airventure.org/2008/news/080206_womensoar.html

Women Soar, You Soar: EAA Seeks to Spark Young Women's Interest in AviationNow accepting applications for the two-day summer program!

Inspiring young women to reach for their dreams in aviation is again the mission of EAA’s fourth annual Women Soar, You Soar event July 28-29 at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh.
Registrations are now being accepted for this program, open to young women entering grades nine through 12 in fall 2008. Through the event’s introduction of aviation-based careers and a women-mentor network, the program encourages and supports these women to consider a career in aviation. During the first three years of the program, hundreds of teenage girls have benefited from the experiences and guidance of women actively involved in the world of flight.
This year, Women Soar, You Soar will host 150 girls in a variety of activities, including flight simulation, workshops, wing rib assembly, and mentor sessions.
Applications will be accepted through June 30, 2008, and are available online at www.airventure.org/WomenSoar/. The cost is $50, which includes lodging at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, meals and admission to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.” Registration scholarships are also available for young women meeting financial need requirements.
Space in the program is limited. Additional information can be obtained online or by calling the EAA Development Office at 800-236-1025.

Simulated Emergencies

Hi All,
I'm sorry about the silence from this blog - especially since I've gotten a couple questions about this simulator that we do our pilot training in. I took a couple of pictures of the actual sim because it looks nothing like the Microsoft Flight Simulator computer game!

(Wikipedia) A flight simulator is a system that tries to replicate, or simulate, the experience of flying an aircraft as closely and realistically as possible. The different types of flight simulator range from video games up to full-size cockpit replicas mounted on hydraulic (or electromechanical) actuators, controlled by state of the art computer technology.

Obviously, we are not be able to do things in the airplane to accurately simulate potential problems we pilots have to react to. For example, an engine failure in a go around (also called a balked landing). The high power settings on one engine with no power on the other engine can result in a loss of directional control. The airplane can potentially veer toward the operative engine with a loss of altitude (and you can guess the consequence of this). With practice, this can become a "non-event" (not really, of course an engine failure is a big deal - but we learn how to instinctively control the airplane through repetition).

I had someone ask me once - after she had experienced (as a passenger) an inflight emergency. She asked how the pilots stayed so calm and how they knew what to do. I told her that the sim is an opportunity to see the "worst of the worst" so we knew what the airplane was capable of, and to make us pilots proficient in reacting to emergencies. We have a saying in the aviation community, "aviate, navigate, communicate." So the first thing the pilot is concerned with is making sure the airplane is flying. Once the airplane is under control, we can worry about where we are and where we're going, and THEN start talking to Air Traffic Control to get us safely on the ground.

Simulators have changed a lot since I first started flying 15 years ago. In fact, when I was training in the Army, our flight simulator was the actual fuselage of a Huey with the windows painted white so we couldn't see outside (not that it would have helped seeing a bank of computers). These computers were hooked up to the flight controls and the instruments so we could simulate flight. The simulator never moved. It was pretty simple - but got the point across (it also saved a lot of gas money).

As you can see by the pictures, simulators are now fully maneuverable, so the pilots still get the "feeling" of flying. The graphics inside are pretty realistic (though they can be a little disorienting - since they're two dimensional computer images).

Here's a more thorough explanation:

Modern High-End Flight Simulators (Wikipedia)
High-end commercial and military flight simulators incorporate motion bases or platforms to provide cues of real motion. These are important to complement the visual cues (see below) and are vital when visual cues are poor such as at night or in reduced visibility or, in cloud, non-existent. The majority of simulators with motion platfoms use variants of the six cylinder Stewart platform to generate motion cues. These platforms are also known as Hexapods. Stewart used an interlinked array of six hydraulic cylinders to provide accelerations in all six degrees of freedom. Motion bases using modern Stewart based hexapod platforms can provide about +/- 35 degrees of the three rotations pitch, roll and yaw, and about one metre of the three linear movements heave, sway and surge.

These limited angular and linear movements (or "throws") do not inhibit the realism of motion cueing imparted to the simulator crew. This is because the human sensors of body motion are sensitive to acceleration rather than steady-state movement and a six cylinder platform can produce such initial accelerations in all six DoF. The body motion sensors include the vestibular (inner ear, semicircular canals and otoliths), muscle-and joint sensors, and sensors of whole body movements. Furthermore, because acceleration precedes displacement, the human brain senses motion cues before the visual cues that follow. These human motion sensors have low-motion thresholds below which no motion is sensed and this is important to the way that simulator motion platforms are programmed (and also explains why instruments are needs for safe cloud flying). In the real world, after conditioning to the particular environment (in this case aircraft motions), the brain is subconsciously used to receiving a motion cue before noticing the associated change in the visual scene. If motion cues are not present to back up the visual, some disorientation can result ("simulator sickness") due to the cue-mismatch compared to the real world.

In a motion-based simulator, after the initial acceleration, the platform movement is backed off so that the physical limits of the cylinders are not exceeded and the cylinders are then re-set to the neutral position ready for the next acceleration cue. The backing-off from the initial acceleration is carried out automatically through the simulator computer and is called the "washout phase". Carefully-designed "washout algorithms" are used to ensure that washout and the later re-set to about neutral is carried out below the human motion thresholds mentioned above and so is not sensed by the simulator crew, who just sense the initial acceleration. This process is called "acceleration-onset cueing" and fortunately matches the way the sensors of body motion work. This is why aircraft manoeuvre at, say, 300 knots, can be effectively simulated in a replica cabin that itself does not move except in a controlled way through its motion platform. These are the techniques that are used in civil Level D flight simulators and their military counterparts.

Checkride Day

Well, the reason you haven't heard from me in the past week is because today is my recurrent checkride in the Beechjet. Wish me luck!

Training...

If you are wondering why I haven't been blogging, it's because I'm getting ready to attend my recurrent Beechjet training down in Texas. Every year pilots have certain training requirements. My employer goes above and beyond by sending us to a training center for a week and gives us refresher training on the FARs and our aircraft ('course, we HAVE to do a checkride - no way around that).


In addition to the studying, I'm still working on getting the Girls With Wings message out to girls. Today I went to a local elementary school and talked to 31 fourth grade girls about flying. I only had 40 minutes and that just "flew" by. The girls were so interested - I think they could have asked questions for hours!



Basically what I did was take a cockpit poster and talk them through an enroute chart, ATC, and the different instruments. At the end I told them that at first something can seem really difficult, but if you break it down in to parts, it's easy! Plus, you have to ask questions so you make sure you understand.

Thanks, Savvimama!

Lofty Aspirations for Girls
Posted by SAVVI MAMA on February 5th, 2008 in Cool Stuff, For The Kids

My lovely mother shared a really cool website with me last week. A dynamic woman and pilot, Lynda Meeks, located in the Cleveland, Ohio area (where I grew up, by the way), has a wonderful site called Girls With Wings . . . Dreams Take Flight.

The goal of Girls With Wings is to introduce flying to girls at an early age and to motivate them to create “flight plans not fairy tales.” In fact, this year, Girls With Wings is offering its first scholarship for aspiring pilots.

The site is cute and offers several games, inspirational stories about female pilots, and volunteer opportunities. It also offers girls’ and women’s clothing, most in some hue of pink, with messages such as “Yes, Girls Can Fly!”

If you have a daughter, you and she may want to check out the site at http://www.girlswithwings.com/.
In addition, I’ve learned that the founder, Lynda Meeks, makes presentations to schools (any grade level), Girl Scout troops, career days, and other gatherings in which she can inspire girls to explore all of their opportunities - using, aviation, of course, as a prime example. If your school or group would like that type of inspiration, contact Lynda through her website.

NPR Junkie

I'm kind of addicted to National Public Radio, because I don't have cable at home. Even on the road, I try to find the local NPR station to avoid turning on the boob tube in hotel rooms. I had a "driveway moment" as NPR calls them - where I sat in my car to listen to the rest of the story.

It was about Robin Epstein and her old job, "as producer and chief question writer on a game show for teen-age girls called Plugged In. It was one of the first shows to air on the Oxygen network, the TV channel for women created by Oprah Winfrey. Robin had hoped that the show could serve as a role model for young women, showing smart teen girls answering tough questions. But in the end, it sort of did the opposite. (10 minutes)"

I believe you'll be able to hear it by clicking on http://audio.thisamericanlife.org/player/CPRadio_player.php?podcast=http://www.thisamericanlife.org/xmlfeeds/326.xml&proxyloc=http://audio.thisamericanlife.org/player/customproxy.php and looking for the last fifteen minutes or so.

The story opens with Robin talking about that up until age 12, girls are all about participating in class, knowing the answer, etc., so she bucked research and thought that a game show for teen girls would fill a niche - to show the world how smart girls are. Unfortunately, the questions were pretty obscure (politics, economics) for your typical teenage girl (would I have known who Bob Dole was at age 16?) and soon, the girls would refuse to even try to answer. So instead of getting questions that the girls might be able to answer - they seriously started making them go into the audience to get an autograph of the "cutest" boy. Yeah. Did this just reinforce the stereotype? Is it an all or nothing proposition? Is a trivia game show a good indicator of intelligence? Is there a disconnect between what we're teaching in schools and what we can regurgitate at will? Do we need to have kids study out of school to become really intelligent?

What do you think? In the words of Robin, do you agree "girls are dumb?" Should we decide its too difficult to "try and improve the quality of girls?" As she says, maybe we can find "a role model that could have this influence, but it's not a game show."

This American Life show #326 Quiz Show. http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=326

Throwing the red flag

Look at all those red streamers hanging off this airplane. Is this some sort of decoration - to prove to others how fast you're going?

Let's hope not - those flags should be "Removed Before Flight." Those are mostly pitot tube covers, and are critical to safe operations. The cover keeps dirt, contamination, and insects from entering the pitot tube, which can result in erroneous instrument indications and damage to systems.

Pitot tubes are used on aircraft as speedometers. The actual tube on the aircraft is around 10 inches (25 centimeters) long with a 1/2 inch (1 centimeter) diameter. Several small holes are drilled around the outside of the tube and a center hole is drilled down the axis of the tube. The outside holes are connected to one side of a device called a pressure transducer. The center hole in the tube is kept separate from the outside holes and is connected to the other side of the transducer. The transducer measures the difference in pressure in the two groups of tubes by measuring the strain in a thin element using an electronic strain gauge. The pitot tube is mounted on the aircraft so that the center tube is always pointed in the direction of travel and the outside holes are perpendicular to the center tube. (On some airplanes the pitot tube is put on a longer boom sticking out of the nose of the plane or the wing.) http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/VirtualAero/BottleRocket/airplane/pitot.html If the pitot tubes are blocked, the speed of the aircraft cannot be accurately measured. This has resulted that more than just a few accidents.

There are also "engine plugs" to keep contamination from entering the engine. Snow can pile up in there - and birds can build nests overnight. Just another way to keep an expensive piece of machinery from needing maintenance!

Someone asked how to pronounce Pitot - it's pronounced /ˈpiːtoʊ/ tube. The Pitot tube was invented by Italian-born French engineer Henri Pitot in the early 1700s, and was modified to its modern form in the mid 1800s by French scientist Henry Darcy.

Elizabeth shares scholarships available in San Diego

If YOU hear of any scholarships, please pass them along and/or post them on the message board: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Gibbs Endowment Scholarship Fund
The San Diego Aerospace Museum
Attn: Education Office
2001 Pan American Plaza
San Diego, CA 92101(619) 234-8291, ext. 119
Application Deadline: Postmarked no later than April 1, 2008
Open to: Graduating seniors from San Diego County high schools who will be attending a four-year university.
Interest/Requirements: Applicants must have high academic achievement, a strong aviation/aerospace career interest and be pursuing a degree in math, physics, science, or engineering. Interested students must write directly to the San Diego Aerospace Museum to request an application (please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope). Eligible applicants will be interviewed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Convair Alumni Association Scholarship
The Convair Alumni Association and The San Diego Aerospace Museum
Attn: Education Office
2001 Pan American Plaza
San Diego, CA 92101(619) 234-8291, ext. 119
Application Deadline: Postmarked no later than April 1, 2008
Open to: Graduating seniors from San Diego County high schools who will be attending a four-year university.Interest/Requirements: Applicants must be direct descendants (natural or adopted) of former employees of Consolidated Aircraft Corporation (1935-1943), Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (1943-1954), or General Dynamics Corporation (1954-1997) and who worked in the San Diego area. Interested students must write directly to the San Diego Aerospace Museum to request an application (please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope). Eligible applicants will be interviewed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zoie Lewandowski
ΦΘΚ – ΑΩΡ
http://bridge2peacechristmas2007.blogspot.com/

Elizabeth shares scholarships available in San Diego

If YOU hear of any scholarships, please pass them along and/or post them on the message board: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Gibbs Endowment Scholarship Fund
The San Diego Aerospace Museum
Attn: Education Office
2001 Pan American Plaza
San Diego, CA 92101(619) 234-8291, ext. 119
Application Deadline: Postmarked no later than April 1, 2008
Open to: Graduating seniors from San Diego County high schools who will be attending a four-year university.
Interest/Requirements: Applicants must have high academic achievement, a strong aviation/aerospace career interest and be pursuing a degree in math, physics, science, or engineering. Interested students must write directly to the San Diego Aerospace Museum to request an application (please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope). Eligible applicants will be interviewed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Convair Alumni Association Scholarship
The Convair Alumni Association and The San Diego Aerospace Museum
Attn: Education Office
2001 Pan American Plaza
San Diego, CA 92101(619) 234-8291, ext. 119
Application Deadline: Postmarked no later than April 1, 2008
Open to: Graduating seniors from San Diego County high schools who will be attending a four-year university.Interest/Requirements: Applicants must be direct descendants (natural or adopted) of former employees of Consolidated Aircraft Corporation (1935-1943), Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (1943-1954), or General Dynamics Corporation (1954-1997) and who worked in the San Diego area. Interested students must write directly to the San Diego Aerospace Museum to request an application (please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope). Eligible applicants will be interviewed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zoie Lewandowski
ΦΘΚ – ΑΩΡ
http://bridge2peacechristmas2007.blogspot.com/

Girls With Wings Calendar

From time to time, GWW receives requests for attendees or volunteers to various aviation events around the country, most of them dealing with girls and education.

Here is a recent addition to the calendar.

Date = March 8, 2008 ~ 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
Title = Wings to Fly
Location = Peoria, AZ
Description = The Arizona Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Division will be hosting the 2nd Annual "Wings to Fly" at the Challenger Space Center in Peoria, AZ. This event is focused on encouraging girls to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace. This is a free all day event.
Location = The event is located at the Challenger Space Center in Peoria, AZ. The address for the Challenger Center is 21170 N 83rd Ave, Peoria, AZ.

For more information, contact Carole Glenn via email at cglenn@azdot.gov or phone at 602.294.9144

Website = http://www.blogger.com/www.azdot.gov/aviation/wingstofly

Aircraft Electronics Association Scholarships

The AEA Educational Foundation has awarded nearly $1,000,000 to students seeking careers in the aircraft electronics and aviation maintenance industry. Numerous awards are available and range from $500 to more than $35,000 each. The deadline for 2008-2009 school year awards is February 15, 2008.


•
Scholarship Applications


•
Scholarship Descriptions


•
Scholarship Winners 2006-2007-->

Another Scholarship

"This scholarship applies only to obtaining a private pilot license. It does not apply to instrument ratings or any other aspect of flight training. This scholarship is not intended for individuals already enrolled in a university based flight program, which offers instruction in private pilot certification as part of the curriculum. Ages 16-23 years.In order to be considered for a 2008 scholarship, applications need to be online at www.leroywhomerjr.org and submitted/postmarked by Tuesday, January 31, 2008.

Applications postmarked after January 31, 2008, or applications with no postmark will be rejected."The deadline is approaching. Apply now. http://www.leroywhomerjr.org/scholarships.html

Thunderbird Video

This story has been going around the aviation sites, but I finally just watched it and it's worth a couple of minutes. It's an interested take on the Thunderbird maneuvers and how dangerous they can be.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THAT AMAZING THUNDERBIRD EJECTION/CRASH PHOTO
Original, Exclusive Videos from AVweb Reader-Submitted & Viral Videos

When we first saw the photo of Capt. Chris Stricklin's ejection from a doomed U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 a few years ago, most of us here at AVweb thought it was a fake. But the more we looked at it, the more it seemed possible that someone had actually snapped Stricklin's moment of truth in what must be one of the greatest aviation photos ever shot. Well, it wasn't long before we learned that Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III had actually captured the drama at an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.

In this AVweb original video, Video Editor Glenn Pew looks at the circumstances surrounding the dramatic accident — combining still photos, in-cockpit and outside-of-cockpit video, and narration including the investigation's findings and changes in procedure for the T-birds.

Taxiing in Chicago

Yesterday we were at Chicago O'hare's airport (KORD). Hopefully I have remembered the events accurately. I have been a pilot for 15 years, and our getting our airplane successfully around this airport was a real challenge!

To explain, we were parked at the Fixed Base Operator, which is marked on this diagram as the FBO Ramp on the right side. Can you find it? Click on the picture or on this link: http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0713/00166AD.PDF, which will open larger.

Our company actually let us know right off the bat that we were supposed to taxi on LL short of V to call ground. This means that we first tune the ATIS frequency (135.4) to hear the prerecorded departure information (weather and runway info). ATIS said to call Ground Metering on 121.67 - this is a busy airport and this is how airplanes get in line. There wasn't a delay, so Metering told us to "Taxi Lima Lima, Hold Short of Victor, MONITOR Ground 121.9." Monitor means tune the frequency, but don't call them, wait for the Air Traffic Controllers to call you with instructions.

Ground called and said that our runway was 22L, so go LL to MM, hold short of 27L. Now, it would be fine if you had all the time in the world to mosey on over, but there are airplanes moving all over the place and we all are "metered" into the traffic flow. So we get to holding short of 27L - awaiting the landing airplanes. There are radio calls going back and forth all over the place so we have to listen closely so we can hear our call sign.

All of a sudden they call us again, "Cleared across 27L, take Bravo across the bridge, hold short of A21, call 121.75." This is another Ground Frequency because the airport is so big. Not only do you have to remember what the directions are - I usually write them down - you have to check the airport diagram to confirm which way you need to turn. Controllers sometimes speak very quickly because they assume you have been to their airport before and know which way to go to the runway (it is a good idea to set up your instruments for the runway before ever leaving parking so you know the general direction).

Yes, we had to cross a bridge! We got to the other side and there was a huge commercial airliner being pushed back from its gate right into us. We stayed out of their way, and soon heard our call sign and "Follow the Airliner to Alpha, take A18 to Delta all the way to 22L." Meanwhile, there are other airplanes taxiing too, so you have to pay attention - do you wait for the airplane already on the taxiway, or are you supposed to be first? Usually they'll tell you if you have to yield to someone else - there are no red/green lights!

Finally, we make it to the end of the departure runway, switch to tower frequency and await instructions to taxi onto the runway and get cleared for takeoff. Whew!

Yes, it was very hectic. It should be noted that taxiing is a very critical phase of a flight (this is why people should keep their seatbelts fastened until the "Captain turns off the fasten seatbelt sign"), because there are many so chances for mistakes; turning the wrong way, forgetting or misinterpreting instructions, night/poor visibility conditions.... The Federal Aviation Administration is doing everything they can do prevent accidents - it's been in the news quite a bit. It every crewmembers' responsibility to keep her head up and keep situational awareness. If a pilot doesn't understand the instructions, it is completely appropriate to ask the controller to repeat. Even if she gets upset at a pilot taking up the busy radio time. The implications can be bad, legally (a pilot can lose her license for a violation) or safety wise (airplanes have accidently taxiied onto active runways).

All in a day of the life of a pilot.

Rod Machado's License to Learn article

I spent last night just outside of O'hare airport - right on final. To the left is an example of one of the airplanes passing by my window that lulled me to sleep last night (until the hotel had a 3:30am fire drill!).

If you are not a member of the Airplane Owners and Pilots Association, you might not know Rod Machado. He is a humorous author of many aviation books and articles - teaching while entertaining. In this month's AOPA magazine, his License to Learn article is entitled Reluctant Moms and Dad. It has special significance to me, considering the goals I am striving for with Girls With Wings. You can read the whole article at http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2008/ltol0801.html if you are an AOPA member. I would highly encourage you to become a member, since this is a huge advocacy group for general aviation.

Here is what Rod has to say:

Suppose I told you I could get your child to enthusiastically study geography, math, physics, chemistry, and psychology. After you had my head examined, would you be interested? Oh, and as a bonus I can get him or her to hang out with highly motivated, well-educated older people who are good role models because they don’t do drugs or spray graffiti, and they have a great work ethic.

You’re still with me, aren’t you? Then let’s talk about the value of allowing a responsible teenager to take flying lessons.

Perhaps you’re one of those parents (or perhaps you know one) who is reluctant to let your teenager take up flying for one or all of the usual reasons (generalized anxiety, cost, competition for the family airplane). Although you may have compelling reasons for feeling as you do, I’d like to offer a different perspective on why you should enthusiastically nurture and support your child’s desire to fly. More specifically, since you’re probably a pilot already and likely open to the idea, I’d like to offer you some ammunition that might help you convince reluctant non-pilot parents that flight training for their child would be the best educational investment they could make.

Social science research now says that a teenager’s peer group has as much (if not more) influence on the development of that individual’s values as his or her parents. For this reason alone, it’s reasonable to consider that flight training might confer a powerful developmental advantage on any young adult with an interest in airplanes. After all, the moment a person begins flight training, he or she immediately starts associating with an entirely new peer group that emphasizes the value of rules, rituals, and responsibilities.

Most of the individuals your child encounters during flight training are highly motivated, educated, and dedicated people, and most of them also will be older and more mature than your child. Think about it. Suddenly, your teenager starts singing the praises of someone over age 30 who values education, self-discipline, self-study, and self-reliance. Even in your wildest dreams as a parent, could you imagine that your teenager might seek out and spend time with such people, especially since these folks aren’t probation officers? Could you imagine having some influence over the new friends your offspring makes? Go ahead, pinch yourself so you’ll know it’s true.

There are few things as sad as young people without a sense of purpose or passion in their lives. Sure, they may be good kids, but they’re also bored, and boredom provides absolutely no developmental advantage whatsoever. Nature and teenagers
abhor a vacuum (or a vacuum cleaner), so this void is going to be filled with something. This is the primary reason young people should be exposed to as many new and novel ideas as possible (specifically, ideas that don’t involve puncturing, piercing, or indelibly coloring parts of the body). You hope that such a worthwhile pursuit clicks and triggers a burning desire—the Holy Grail for most parents—deep in their child’s psyche. If there’s any chance that flight training will trigger a passion for learning in your child, then you owe it to him or her to explore the idea. It may just change the way they look at the world. It may also disabuse your child of the notion that being tossed into a mosh pit at a Radiators From Space punk rock concert and bodysurfing a wave of human hands is Nirvana itself.

Another reason to consider flight training for an interested teenager is that it’s an honest way of developing self-respect. For the past quarter century, the self-esteem movement in this country professed that simply making young people feel good about themselves was the key to generating productive and responsible behavior. We have seen this phenomenon in physical games where nobody loses because a score is seldom kept (thus, nobody has their feelings hurt) and everybody wins because you get a trophy for just showing up. Lack of self-esteem was even touted as the real reason behind the irresponsible and criminal behavior of young people. Social science, however, has shown this premise to be false. In fact, most of the really bad boys and girls in prison aren’t short on self-esteem. Scientifically speaking, criminals score extremely high on self-esteem scales. It turns out that the value of self-esteem as it applies to improving someone’s behavior is determined primarily by how it’s earned, not whether it’s conferred.

Telling young people to have pride and self-respect simply applies a veneer of feeling good but doesn’t teach them behaviors that both generate and sustain self-respect. In the end, the common sense view prevailed: People appreciate more deeply what they legitimately earn, not what they’re given (or told they should have). Learning to fly an airplane is a responsible, authentic means of generating pride and self-respect. Give an interested teenager flying lessons, and you’ll teach him or her that study, discipline, and practice are personal qualities to be admired and acquired.

If you’re hesitant about allowing your child to take flying lessons (or are the doting aunt, uncle, grandfather, or grandmother), I hope you’ll consider what I’ve said, and give the gift of flight. When you learn something new, you become something new. So give your child a chance to become something new by introducing him or her to aviation.

Aviation humorist Rod Machado writes from Southern California. His personal website is http://www.rodmachado.com/

Various Types of Flying Pursuits

I consider myself lucky, having had the experience of flying helicopters in addition to airplanes. There are a lot of people that have only flown fixed wing aircraft. But there are so many different kinds of flying machines and reasons to fly them. One type of airplane that not many people are rated to fly are seaplanes. I am so jealous of anyone who can takeoff and land on water! I was in Ft Myers, FL, yesterday, and took a picture of this float plane.

Ok, so why would this capability be necessary?

Courtesy of wikipedia:

Uses and operation

Numerous modern civilian aircraft have a floatplane variant, usually for light duty transportation to lakes and other remote areas. Most of these are offered as third-party modifications under a supplemental type certificate (STC), although there are several aircraft manufacturers that build floatplanes from scratch, and a few that continue to build flying boats.

Many older flying boats remain in service for fire-fighting duty, and Chalk's Ocean Airways operated a fleet of Grumman Mallards in passenger service until service was suspended after a crash on December 19, 2005, which was linked to maintenance, not to design of the aircraft. Purely water-based seaplanes have largely been supplanted by amphibious aircraft.

Seaplanes can only take off and land on water with little or no wave action and, like other aircraft, have trouble in extreme weather. The size of waves a given design can withstand depends on, among other factors, the aircraft's size, hull or float design, and its weight, all making for a much more unstable aircraft, limiting actual operational days. Flying boats can typically handle rougher water and are generally more stable than floatplanes while on the water.

Rescue organizations, such as coast guards, are among the largest modern operators of seaplanes due to their efficiency and their ability to both spot and rescue survivors. Land-based airplanes cannot rescue survivors, and many helicopters are limited in their capacity to carry survivors and in their fuel efficiency compared to fixed-wing aircraft. (Helicopters may also be fitted with floats to facilitate their usage on water, though such craft are not referred to as "seaplanes".) These are even more limited in range.

Water aircraft are also often used in remote areas such as the Alaskan and Canadian outback, especially in areas with a large number of lakes convenient for takeoff and landing. They may operate on a charter basis, provide scheduled service, or be operated by residents of the area for private, personal use.

Greece uses seaplanes to connect its many islands to the mainland. In the Western Hemisphere, there are numerous seaplane operators in the Caribbean Sea that offer service within or between island groups.

In August 2007, Scottish based commercial operator Loch Lomond Seaplanes launched the only European city based seaplane service. They offer a daily service from Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, to the west coast town of Oban, as well as charters and excursions elsewhere.

The Girls With Wings Website gets new paint!

The website has a new color scheme (though it will take me a few days to transition all of the pages). What do you think? Send me an email to let me know if you like it. Lynda@girlswithwings.com

Hope your new year is a good one!

Mis-firing in your Wiring

I had started this post looking for some statistic on how much wiring is in an airplane. All airplanes are different, of course, with some more complex than others. Electrical wiring is used for the obvious reasons, like lights, radios, etc., so I figured that if you included all of the other systems in the airplane, there would be miles and miles. I bring this up because we had to bring an airplane into maintenance, and the first thing the mechanics did was to open the avionics bay. This is where all of the radios, batteries, generators, etc, are usually located on an airplane. It is an unpressurized compartment, which means that this bay climbs in altitude with the airplane. The back wall (in this picture - the one to the right) is where the aircraft is sealed to pressurized with the airplane. There is a section at the rear of the airplane that is not pressurized either.

This is not viewable to the pilots during their preflight. If it was we'd see all of the wires and tubes leading into the pressurized vessel. This is on the other side of the flight deck, so obviously a lot of it has some level of importance to the pilots.

So I ask again, just how much wiring is in an airplane? Here is a much better picture:

In fact, according to this aviation maintenance magazine http://www.coopind.com/news_wiringmatters.htm :

Modern jets contain 100-200 miles of wiring running into every nook and cranny of the airplane. To borrow a biological metaphor, the wiring is akin to the body’s nervous system.

The trend matters. New jets feature more wiring carrying more current (the advent of wireless systems is reversing this trend). The cabin area of a new-production jet, for example, features wiring for such things as in-flight entertainment systems. A measurement the electric power generating capacity of 1st, 2nd, and current generation jets of comparable passenger-carrying capability would show a steady increase in aircraft electric power generating capability.

Mostly I just found articles with concerns about wiring. There were about ten articles in USAToday alone in 1999. http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/wiring/w010.htm

Damaged wire insulation has led to fires and electrical equipment failures for years in military and commercial airplanes, according to Air Force, Navy and Federal Aviation Administration documents. U.S. and Canadian investigators are studying whether wiring malfunctions might have caused the crashes of TWA Flight 800 in 1996 and Swissair Flight 111 in 1998. Last September, NASA put a hold on space shuttle flights because damaged wiring was found throughout the agency's aircraft. An exposed wire caused a short circuit during the launch of the shuttle Columbia last summer. Similar flaws were later found elsewhere on Columbia and on the Endeavor and Discovery shuttles.

The problem is, you can't really see most of these wiring bundles http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/wiring/w005.htm :

Wire-testing experts agree with Block that visual inspections have limitations. ''Almost all the wires in commercial aircraft are in bundles,'' says Chris Teal of Eclypse International, which sells wire-testing machines. ''Visual inspections can't see some radial cracks or each wire in a bundle. You have to check all the wires because often the problem is just one.''

Airline personnel used only flashlights to examine the wiring, and wire bundles were
left undisturbed. The inspectors -- some of whom examined their own airline's
planes -- were trained to look for ''signs of deterioration, cracked insulation,
discoloration, sparking, arc tracking, improper routing and dirt or lead buildup,'' Marcontell says. Wire-testing experts agree with Block that visual inspections have limitations. ''Almost all the wires in commercial aircraft are in bundles,'' says Chris Teal of Eclypse International, which sells wire-testing machines. ''Visual inspections can't see some radial cracks or each wire in a bundle. You have to check all the wires because often the problem is just one.''

I don't mean to scare anyone with this information. As we all know, flying is inherently dangerous and we have to take it seriously. It's good to know these things are being researched and improved on.

Traveling Cross Country

I ended the year 2007 by traveling across the US. I actually started my flights on Christmas day, when I flew from Cleveland to New Hampshire. It had been particularly warm in CLE and we had lost all of our snow, so I was happy to see some white stuff.

You have to be careful what you wish for, because I then flew across the Rocky Mountains (to the right) into Telluride to drop off a family for their holiday vacation.

We also had a flight across Monument Valley in Utah. You can read more about this amazing landscape at http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalley.htm. It looks much better from the ground - I drove through here once on my move from Texas to Minnesota (I took the long way).

Last but not least, we flew from California to the Phoenix area, which took us right over the Grand Canyon. http://www.nps.gov/grca If you've never been to the GC, it is so much BIGGER than you would imagine. It is so wide and so deep that you actually lose your depth perception - it looks like a painting.

A great explanation is found on http://www.vision3d.com/stereo.html

Two Eyes = Three Dimensions (3D)!Each eye captures its own view and the two separate images are sent on to the brain for processing. When the two images arrive simultaneously in the back of the brain, they are united into one picture. The mind combines the two images by matching up the similarities and adding in the small differences. The small differences between the two images add up to a big difference in the final picture! The combined image is more than the sum of its parts. It is a three-dimensional stereo picture.

The word "stereo" comes from the Greek word "stereos" which means firm or solid. With stereo vision you see an object as solid in three spatial dimensions--width, height and depth--or x, y and z. It is the added perception of the depth dimension that makes stereo vision so rich and special.

Pilots, by the way, are tested for and must have depth perception.

Happy New Year!

The new Girls With Wings eZine is out. You can view it here or sign up for monthly delivery (this is also the better looking copy!).
Have a great one,
Lynda

I am back online!

My computer has been repaired and returned. I will be back online, posting on the message board, blogging, and getting out that all important eZine tomorrow (don't forget to add our email address to your "safe" senders).

Have a safe New Year's Eve!

Lynda

A Very Merry Christmas to You!

I am going to be out flying today, so if I see the culprit who did this, I'll be sure to let you know...

Happy Holidays!
Lynda

p.s. image was borrowed from http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0WTb_qL93BHWyMAjWGjzbkF/SIG=129ebnh7s/EXP=1198672139/**http%3A//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/UberReview/~3/65916556

Air Force Cutting Pilot Training

from avWEB: http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1020-full.html#196825


The U.S. Air Force will train about 925 new pilots in 2008, a decrease of about 12 percent from the 1,100 that will graduate this year, the Air Force Times is reporting. The Times says there will be a slight bump in trainees in 2009 to about 1025, which is expected to remain constant for several years. The newspaper says the reduction is directly related to the decline in the number of aircraft and will be particularly felt in the fighter pilot ranks. "If the Air Force did not slow down pilot production, the service's fighter squadrons would be overwhelmed by first-assignment pilots who could not get adequate training because there wouldn't be enough jets or instructors," the newspaper reported.


The right mix of experienced (500-plus hours) and rookie fighter pilots is about 55 percent veterans and 45 percent newbies, the Times said. Transport and other types of military aircraft offer new pilots more training opportunities and the ability to ride along on a multitude of flights to gain familiarization. The Air Force has already reassigned almost 200 bomber and fighter pilots because there's nothing for them to fly. The Air Force Academy and ROTC program will continue accepting the same number of officer trainees but fewer of them will be offered pilot training.

Skiing, anyone?

It's time for me to go back to work, yes, on Christmas Eve day. That's the life of a pilot...

Thought you might enjoy this aerial view of a New York ski resort.

Stay warm!

Clearing the runways and everything else

You don't often think about the behind the scenes work that has to go on at the airports. This is a picture of the Lincoln Nebraska airport last tour when that big ice storm hit. Runways need to be kept clean since contaminated runways increase the takeoff and landing distance of the airplanes. Even though LNK's runway is 10,000 feet long, there's still a safety issue - don't want to go slipping and sliding at 100 miles per hour! The taxiways and ramp (where we were parked when this picture was taken) need to be clear as well. Just like in a car, the airplane can slide on the icy pavement. In fact, when starting an airplane on an ice covered ramp, caution must be used to prevent the thrust from the spooling up engine during start to overcome the set brakes! It has been known to happen...

Speaker needed January 9th near Toledo, OH

Lynda,

Thank you for offering to put the word out to your volunteers regarding the speaking engagement for Zonta International on January 9.

My superintendent, Sandra Frisch (Lucas County Educational Service Center), has asked that I find a dynamic speaker who is committed to inspiring girls in the field of aviation. I believe your organization fits that order! I appreciate Janet Struble sending along your information and am happy to have learned of your organization. To learn more about ours, you may go to our website http://www.challengerlc.org/ and http://www.challenger.org/ for the international Challenger Center for Space Science Education website.

The meeting will be held on January 9 at The Toledo Club which is located at 235 Fourteenth Street in Toledo. The meeting begins at 12 o'clock noon.If you are able to find someone to make the presentation, please let me know, and I will then pass along the information to Sandra Frisch who will take it from there.

Thanks so much!Julie

Julie Muffler
Director, Challenger Learning Center of Lucas
The mission of the Lucas County Educational Service Center is to provide quality resources and services that meet the unique needs of our partners in the educational community.

Michelin Aircraft Tire - Careers in Aviation $1,000 Scholarship

Michelin Aircraft Tire - Careers in Aviation $1,000 Scholarship

Careers in Aviation is pleased to announce a partnership with Michelin Aircraft Tire in offering a $1000 scholarship award to a qualified applicant to complete their education in the field of aerospace. Michelin Global Marketing Communications Manager, David Barraco, states, “Our dedication toward education within the industry is demonstrated through our continued support of Careers in Aviation.”

The scholarship is open to students enrolled in an aviation-related degree program. The student must maintain a grade-average of 3.0 or higher. Careers in Aviation advances aerospace education and employment by fostering scholarships, by connecting students with available assistance, and by encouraging the aviation industry, professional associations, government agencies, and the educational community to work together effectively supporting aviation and space career development programs. If you wish to make a tax deductible contribution or receive further details regarding scholarship information, please contact Judy Rice at jrice@careersinaviation.org or 386-586-6574.

Michelin Aircraft Tire is a global manufacturer of tires and tubes for all aviation markets. With numerous technological advancements including the first aviation radial tire in 1981, and continuous quality innovations, Michelin is known throughout the industry as a leader in tire technology. Michelin supports the aviation industry through on-going training and support materials to its customers and owner-operators.

Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Michelin is recognized as the leading innovator in the tire industry and is the top selling tire brand worldwide. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs more than 22,000 and operates 19 major manufacturing plants in 17 locations.

For complete scholarship edibility requirements and application: www.careersinaviation.org

# # #For more information, visit www.careersinaviation.org
or contact:
Judith A. Rice
Careers In Aviation
Ph: 386-586-6574
jrice@careersinaviation.org

It is also the season for Thanks!

Hi,

I am back at home at my desktop - which is still going strong after 6 years (thank you Gateway - thump, thump *knocking on wood*). I was able to find someone locally to back up my hard drive and who found a bunch of bad sectors there, but the laptop is still covered under an extended warranty (thank you Sam's Club). This means I will very likely be without laptop for the next three weeks. Arrghh. Posts will be few and far between, since I'm more nervous than ever about logging in to public computers to do work for GWW when I'm on the road.

Quote of the day:

'There's a special place in Hell for women who don't help each other.'

Either attributed to Bella Savitsky Abzug (July 24, 1920 – March 31, 1998), a well-known American political figure and a leader of the women’s movement. She famously said, “This woman’s place is in the House — the House of Representatives,” in her successful 1970 campaign to join that body. Or Madeleine Korbel Albright (born May 15, 1937), the first woman to become United States Secretary of State. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996 and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate 99-0. She was sworn in on January 23, 1997.

I am happy to say that I have had plenty of women helping me with Girls With Wings, to include Erline, an employee of NASA Glenn Research Center here in Cleveland. Erline and her co-workers raise money by selling snacks at work, and generously donated $100 toward the Girls With Wings scholarship.

Also Cindy, a GWW and professional airline pilot, who made a $250 donation, and is always there for me (via telephone - since she lives in Denver and will soon move to Paris!).

I would also like to thank Kim, a GWW and future Air Guard C5 Pilot. She is always willing to drop everything and drive or fly to lend a hand with GWW events. She also is my backup message board moderator when I can't get on line for an extended period of time.

And just so I don't seem too biased, I also have Will, computer guru, who always makes himself available for IT consultation. He spends a huge amount of time to impart his valuable knowledge when I have problems with the website or my aforementioned laptop.

There are so many others out there too numerous to mention that thank me for my efforts, who send emails to me with tidbits of information to further the GWW mission, who volunteer to represent GWW at events I cannot attend. GWW has been so rewarding for me, and should I continue to go broke working on it, I know it is for a good cause.

Thank you for your support,
Lynda