News

Fuel Surcharge

November 19, 2008

The fuel cost has droped back to the same approx. price as it was last March so at this time there is no sur-charge for fuel used in our aircraft. If the fuel cost changes in the near future then we will again list any sur-charge accordingly.

Jim Spore
Manager

FMFA Aircraft Weight and Balanace Computations

May 6, 2008

The FMFA Aircraft Weight and Balance Worksheets (XLS) can be found under Miscellaneous Documents in the Library Section of the website. This Microsoft Excel workbook contains a worksheet for each of the club's aircraft with the current empty weight and balance pre-stored by tail number. One only has to plug in the weight of the pilot and passengers, the weight of the baggage, etc. The computations are automatically computed for you and graphically shown in reference to the plane's weight and balance envelope (allowable limits).

- Bob Carpenter, FMFA Chief Instructor

GPS and Arrow Information CD-Rom For Checkout

May 6, 2008

Mike Bevan, Safety and Security Officer, has been kind enough to burn a number of CD-Roms containing the GX60 and G430 PC Simulators, as well as PDF docs containing the Arrow equipment user's manuals. Please checkout from Nick Yokanovich (in his right-side upper desk drawer) for a maximum period of 3 days.

- Bob Carpenter, FMFA Chief Instructor

Proper Footwork & Landing Techniques

  1. PROPER FOOTWORK. LAND ALL OF THE FMFA AIRCRAFT WITH YOUR HEELS ON THE FLOOR AND THE "BALLS" OF YOUR FEET ON THE LARGE PART OF THE LOWER PORTION OF THE RUDDER PEDALS. PHYSICALLY LIFT YOUR FEET UP ONTO THE TOE BRAKES TO APPLY BRAKING (SPARINGLY).
    When you see bald spots on tires during preflight or postflight inspections, it is from having brakes applied during touchdown (most of the time involuntarily, read on below). To prevent applying braking during the touchdown phase of landing, pilots are encouraged keep the HEELS on the floor. Only after the touchdown is complete should the toe brakes be applied. Using this technique will reduce the probability of flat and bald spots into the cord of the tire and possibility of a blowout. If you insist on landing the aircraft with any part of our foot on the toe brakes sooner or later you will inadvertently apply braking (Your calf muscles will involuntarily tense up and you will involuntarily apply the brakes, it is that simple. You may do it only one flight out 100 but that one incident can result in flat spots, bald tires and/or blowouts.)
  2. PROPER LANDING TECHNIQUE. LAND WITH THE AIRCRAFT PITCH ATTITUDE AT 3-5 DEGREES UP ON THE MAIN WHEELS ONLY -- PLEASE SPARE THE NOSEWHEEL WHICH IS NOT BUILT FOR THE LARGE IMPACT FORCES OF INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND (AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR IS BUILT TO WITHSTAND THESE FORCES).
    A rash of deflated nose struts is being observed with the T41-C aircraft. O-ring seals in the strut are easily damaged by HARD landings on the nose wheel. The nose "fork" on N788FM, a C152, encountered such high forces that it fractured. Please land with a pitch attitude of 3-5 degrees up -- slamming the nose into the runway on only one landing can destroy the integrity of T41C and C152 nosestruts. PLEASE, PLEASE, be gentle on ALL of our aircraft nosewheel struts while landing -- these incidents add up to many, many thousands of dollars of maintenance costs and many hundreds of hours of aircraft downtime (resulting in lost revenue).

-- Carpenter