AMA News District XI - 2007/05
Spring flying and equipment checks
This is the time of year when many of us are thinking about getting in some spring flying. It is a good time to do a thorough equipment check of all your models and gear.
I have a habit of making a note of things to do when I leave the field, such as a needed repair. When I am back at the shop I won't forget to check or repair my equipment.
Club field safety
This is also a good time to check out your club field for hazards or winter damage. It will make your area safer and improve its overall appearance. Every year we hear of accidents at club fields that are not related to flying but occur because of debris or broken ground.
A couple of years ago my club adopted a new policy which I think has made our field a safer place. We have always had a safety officer, but we added an annual flight check for each pilot.
Annual flight check policy
At first there was some grumbling about this—but mostly from the members who needed it the most. We adopted a list of rather basic maneuvers and each member must make a check flight in front of one of the delegated instructors.
- Basic maneuvers are checked during a flight with a delegated instructor.
- Many pilots initially could only fly right or left procedure turns—not both.
- Since implementation of this policy we have noticed a great improvement in day-to-day operations at our field.
As I noted, initially there was resistance to this check flight, but because of it our flight operations in general are much improved.
Puyallup swap meet
Saturday, February 17 was a swap meet at the Puyallup Airport in the Community College hangar. This was the first year for the event and it was well attended.
Everyone had a great time! We got in much hangar flying and found a few treasures. I understand from Dave Gardner that they plan to make this an annual event. Thanks to all of you who made this happen.
Closing
That's all, folks. Have a great and safe summer.
Bruce
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
