I know that most people out there are tired of dealing with the security at the airports. Especially when new restrictions just seem to randomly appear that were not there before. Well here is another one, but it has been out there for almost a month now. When you decide to take your next flight remember to check for batteries.
Do to some recent fires the NTSB and the FAA are restricting the carrying of lithium non-rechargeable and rechargeable batteries. They did not say that the batteries were the direct cause of the incidents, but to be safe they have published this restriction.
They have said that the non-rechargeable lithium batteries made by such companies as the energizer company are unsafe if left open in checked luggage. If these batteries are left loose in luggage and something touches the contacts (ends) of the battery it can cause a short circuit causing the battery to fail. This failure happens in the form of over-heating and sparking; which can lead to fires. They recommend that if you do have these batteries in your checked baggage that they are kept in a plastic bag or container separate from other metals like loose change. If they are brand new and in their original packaging and in your checked luggage you should be ok to have them as long as the packaging is not opened.
As for carry-on luggage your are only allowed to carry lithium batteries on you if they are attached to the electrical equipment. They are limiting that only two batteries per person are authorized for carry-on; which that pretty much covers people who have cellphones and computer devices, like laptops, and PDA. If you want to check the regulation for yourself here is a link to the published report. http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/batteries.shtm
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
A little studying help
Ok say your going for your A&P certifications or something along those lines. I know that the material they use for the testing is from the ASA booklets. Also if you have those test guide booklets I would also recommend that you get the actual course booklet to go with the test guide. That way if your not 100% then you can at least look it up in the book and study about that topic.
Another tip that I learned from my professor when I was taking an AMT course was to purchase a lot of white out and see how long it takes you to undo the entire thing. No I'm just kidding, well almost, use the white out in the test guide on all the questions. What you want to do is white out all the wrong answers and even the letters like A,B,C and so on. That way your brain is trained on just the answer and you don't even care about the wrong answer. This way when you actually test you won't recognize the other choices and go immediately to the correct one.
Surprisingly for the amount of white out that I've gone through this method of studying really helped. I've used it pretty much through all of my classes that have required multiple choice tests.
Another tip that I learned from my professor when I was taking an AMT course was to purchase a lot of white out and see how long it takes you to undo the entire thing. No I'm just kidding, well almost, use the white out in the test guide on all the questions. What you want to do is white out all the wrong answers and even the letters like A,B,C and so on. That way your brain is trained on just the answer and you don't even care about the wrong answer. This way when you actually test you won't recognize the other choices and go immediately to the correct one.
Surprisingly for the amount of white out that I've gone through this method of studying really helped. I've used it pretty much through all of my classes that have required multiple choice tests.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Plane Crash in Ohio 2
I guess there was a second plane crash in Ohio. It was a plane that crashed shortly after takeoff from an airport in Cleveland. I don't know much else about the incident except that the plane went down in Lake Erie and that the Coast Guard was searching for the pilot. It wasn't until yesterday, January 18th, when I was talking with a family member did I find out that they had found the body of the pilot. Once I find out more about the Incident I will post that information.
Oh also to add something about the other plane crash that I forgot to consider; which is to why the FAA and the NTSB are looking into the weather. It had also been reported that as the airplane was on its final approach that it looked like it was stopped in mid-air. This could mean a possible wind shear which could have caused the airplane airspeed indicator to increase. If the pilot believed that was happening without notice of wind shear the pilot would have decreased throttle and increased the planes drop rate. It was also mentioned that the plane looked low as it was flying over and preparing for its final. If that were true and the wind shear was present then the pilot didn't realize before it was too late, and that could be reason as to why there was no radio transmission before the crash.
Again, I want to say I am no expert and what I post is mostly my opinion with a slight educated guess.
Oh also to add something about the other plane crash that I forgot to consider; which is to why the FAA and the NTSB are looking into the weather. It had also been reported that as the airplane was on its final approach that it looked like it was stopped in mid-air. This could mean a possible wind shear which could have caused the airplane airspeed indicator to increase. If the pilot believed that was happening without notice of wind shear the pilot would have decreased throttle and increased the planes drop rate. It was also mentioned that the plane looked low as it was flying over and preparing for its final. If that were true and the wind shear was present then the pilot didn't realize before it was too late, and that could be reason as to why there was no radio transmission before the crash.
Again, I want to say I am no expert and what I post is mostly my opinion with a slight educated guess.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Plane crash in my hometown
Last weekend there happend to be a private plane flying into the regional airport. The weather was ok for flying from what was reported in a local newspaper. The airplane was a 1972 Cessna 340 N2637Y that was on approach to Erie-Ottawa Regional Airport, Port Clinton, Ohio. The pilot had radioed in that he was arriving and going to make an approach. He then flew over the airfield and circled around for his final approach. Though nothing else was heard over the radio, and nothing appeared to be wrong. Though moments later the airplane crashed in about 200 feet from a local resident.
From some of the witness reports they had said that it seemed as though the plane was slightly low and possibly flying too slow on approach. There had also been a report from a witness saying that it seemed the engines stopped working. The pilot of the plane had orginially owned a single engine and recently purchased this dual engine airplane in December. He had logged only seven hours in the 340 before the accident. The pilot had purchased the airplane from Sport Truck LLC located in Coldwater, Michigan. Sadly all passengers were reported dead on impact.
The FAA and NTSB are currently under investigation of the accident. They have reported to the local newspaper that they plan on review the aircraft, pilot's background, and the weather that occured at the time of the incident. They also advised that they will post a preliminary report, but that the official final report won't be completed any time soon.
Now not being an expert in any way to airplane accidents, but a couple things seem to stick out to me while I read the articles as they were being published. The fact that the aircraft was flying at a low altitude could have possibly meant that there might have been a slightly low ceiling that day. Also the person who stated that they heard the engine stop; could that have meant engine failure. I also started thinking about the previous owner of the airplane and their maintenance practices. If the maintenance was not done correctly this could be an important factor in what caused this accident. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if mis-managed maintenance was involved. Then again it could have been just an amazing thing that happend that no one could have predicted, but the way it came about sounds like someone missed something. Again I am not an expert, but that is just what I see from reading those articles.
From some of the witness reports they had said that it seemed as though the plane was slightly low and possibly flying too slow on approach. There had also been a report from a witness saying that it seemed the engines stopped working. The pilot of the plane had orginially owned a single engine and recently purchased this dual engine airplane in December. He had logged only seven hours in the 340 before the accident. The pilot had purchased the airplane from Sport Truck LLC located in Coldwater, Michigan. Sadly all passengers were reported dead on impact.
The FAA and NTSB are currently under investigation of the accident. They have reported to the local newspaper that they plan on review the aircraft, pilot's background, and the weather that occured at the time of the incident. They also advised that they will post a preliminary report, but that the official final report won't be completed any time soon.
Now not being an expert in any way to airplane accidents, but a couple things seem to stick out to me while I read the articles as they were being published. The fact that the aircraft was flying at a low altitude could have possibly meant that there might have been a slightly low ceiling that day. Also the person who stated that they heard the engine stop; could that have meant engine failure. I also started thinking about the previous owner of the airplane and their maintenance practices. If the maintenance was not done correctly this could be an important factor in what caused this accident. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if mis-managed maintenance was involved. Then again it could have been just an amazing thing that happend that no one could have predicted, but the way it came about sounds like someone missed something. Again I am not an expert, but that is just what I see from reading those articles.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Getting your A&P
Ever wonder how to get your A&P certifications? Well I'm here to help you out and if I don't have all the answers I know where you can go to find them. I'm currently in active duty military; which attempting to get my A&P hasn't been easy. I'm still on that road trying to finish.
I will first explain how it is possible for military members specifically in the Air Force on how to go about getting an A&P. In the Air Force you have a great advantage of having 100% Tuition Assistance and I recommend you use it before they change it, and there has been talk to change it. With your TA you have a unique certification allotment that is set assigned for getting certifications or licenses. The downside to that is it is only good enough for one certificate. Though do not fear I know of a loop hole. If you have been in for about 4 years and have a 5 skill level you should have no problems with doing this and you can get your degree. Here is the loop hole at least going through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. You can sign up for a degree program such as Professional Aeronautics; which requires an area of aviation concentration. For those credits you take a prep course for your A&P tests. You take 6 classes 2 for Airframe, Powerplant, and General. Then you get a competence letter from you section commander. After that you go to the FAA for a letter to test. As long as you are Active Duty and enrolled in Embry-Riddle the testing for A&P is completely free as long as once you start testing you complete it with in two years (48months). That means you will have a four year degree, your A&P certificates and still have that certificate money for doing something else. Also you will also have your MGIB for using later on down the road. In doing this you knock out two birds with one stone, and the cool thing is that the military education office doesn't seem to care that you pursue your education that way.
As for the civilian side I do know that in some areas out there there are high school programs that allow high school students to enter into an A&P course so when they graduate they have their A&P. I also know that there are programs established that allow high school students to bring a program like that to their school. I know of some community colleges and technical schools that have a full A&P program that allow for great hands-on experience. I know there are also many college programs for aviation out there that are looking for future A&P mechanics. Yeah, I must say that at the current economy and the wage that is being given to the mechanics now is definitely not enough for the job they accomplish, but I do say that when you love aviation and build, repair, and maintain airplanes you'll find a way to work around that issue. I know in the military my love for working on aircraft definitely keeps me going, because I know for the work I accomplish my paycheck doesn't cover it.
I will first explain how it is possible for military members specifically in the Air Force on how to go about getting an A&P. In the Air Force you have a great advantage of having 100% Tuition Assistance and I recommend you use it before they change it, and there has been talk to change it. With your TA you have a unique certification allotment that is set assigned for getting certifications or licenses. The downside to that is it is only good enough for one certificate. Though do not fear I know of a loop hole. If you have been in for about 4 years and have a 5 skill level you should have no problems with doing this and you can get your degree. Here is the loop hole at least going through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. You can sign up for a degree program such as Professional Aeronautics; which requires an area of aviation concentration. For those credits you take a prep course for your A&P tests. You take 6 classes 2 for Airframe, Powerplant, and General. Then you get a competence letter from you section commander. After that you go to the FAA for a letter to test. As long as you are Active Duty and enrolled in Embry-Riddle the testing for A&P is completely free as long as once you start testing you complete it with in two years (48months). That means you will have a four year degree, your A&P certificates and still have that certificate money for doing something else. Also you will also have your MGIB for using later on down the road. In doing this you knock out two birds with one stone, and the cool thing is that the military education office doesn't seem to care that you pursue your education that way.
As for the civilian side I do know that in some areas out there there are high school programs that allow high school students to enter into an A&P course so when they graduate they have their A&P. I also know that there are programs established that allow high school students to bring a program like that to their school. I know of some community colleges and technical schools that have a full A&P program that allow for great hands-on experience. I know there are also many college programs for aviation out there that are looking for future A&P mechanics. Yeah, I must say that at the current economy and the wage that is being given to the mechanics now is definitely not enough for the job they accomplish, but I do say that when you love aviation and build, repair, and maintain airplanes you'll find a way to work around that issue. I know in the military my love for working on aircraft definitely keeps me going, because I know for the work I accomplish my paycheck doesn't cover it.
Going Green
Going green is a great concept especially for the aviation industry. I know the military is currently under testing for the use of alternative jet fuels. I know they have already converted most of the cars and trucks over to alternate fuels.
I recently was watching the science channel and they had a show called Eco-Tech. On that show they had a topic about trying to turn trap grease into a useable jet fuel. A company, which name slipped my memory, takes this grease and breaks it down to be able to be used in current airplane engines.
I believe with more testing to make sure that not only this bio fuel is useable, but safe for airplanes flying demands. I am definitely keeping an eye on the testing of alternative fuels to see where this is going. The use of bio fuels in aviation can be a major break through not only for the cost of fuel, but also the price in ticket fares for costumers.
For anyone who is not that interested in aviation, but flies frequently I have some recommendations. First if your going to plan a trip make sure to plan early. Most people know if you buy tickets late they'll be more expensive and there are less seats to choose from. Another thing is that you'll be better off getting tickets for less on weekdays then on weekends. Of course that all depends on the time of year you are traveling. That also goes for round-trip tickets and one-way tickets. Although I believe that depends on the site you purchase from and the airline itself due to different promotions. In general round-trip has been found to be cheaper then one-way.
Another thing is that ticket purchasing is all online. Even if you call the airline direct you could end up paying more due to a phone charge. Not to long ago Continental Airlines added a feature to their site allowing costumers to change their flight online, allowing more convenience to the costumer. Also remember when searching the internet for airline tickets make sure to check multiple sites because not every site sells them at the same price. So don't just take someones word when they say buying direct from the airline is the cheapest its not always true.
If your not flying really soon then I recommend keeping an eye on the news on such things like alternative fuels and the cost of oil. Watching those two things in the coming future could greatly effect the cost of ticket prices.
I recently was watching the science channel and they had a show called Eco-Tech. On that show they had a topic about trying to turn trap grease into a useable jet fuel. A company, which name slipped my memory, takes this grease and breaks it down to be able to be used in current airplane engines.
I believe with more testing to make sure that not only this bio fuel is useable, but safe for airplanes flying demands. I am definitely keeping an eye on the testing of alternative fuels to see where this is going. The use of bio fuels in aviation can be a major break through not only for the cost of fuel, but also the price in ticket fares for costumers.
For anyone who is not that interested in aviation, but flies frequently I have some recommendations. First if your going to plan a trip make sure to plan early. Most people know if you buy tickets late they'll be more expensive and there are less seats to choose from. Another thing is that you'll be better off getting tickets for less on weekdays then on weekends. Of course that all depends on the time of year you are traveling. That also goes for round-trip tickets and one-way tickets. Although I believe that depends on the site you purchase from and the airline itself due to different promotions. In general round-trip has been found to be cheaper then one-way.
Another thing is that ticket purchasing is all online. Even if you call the airline direct you could end up paying more due to a phone charge. Not to long ago Continental Airlines added a feature to their site allowing costumers to change their flight online, allowing more convenience to the costumer. Also remember when searching the internet for airline tickets make sure to check multiple sites because not every site sells them at the same price. So don't just take someones word when they say buying direct from the airline is the cheapest its not always true.
If your not flying really soon then I recommend keeping an eye on the news on such things like alternative fuels and the cost of oil. Watching those two things in the coming future could greatly effect the cost of ticket prices.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
The Tin Goose Project
At the age of 16 I remember telling my parents that I wanted to build an airplane. I also saying I want my pilots license as well, so I can fly what I build. My parents response to that was, "you should save your money." Then a second response was, "It might be hard to get a license there is math involved and we know thats not your strong subject."
Eight years later if I told my parents that same thing there response would be completely different. After graduating high school I joined the Air Force, because I wanted to be around airplanes and serve my country. After basic training I ended up getting trained on being a fighter crew chief. My first assignment was overseas in Japan. About half way through my assignment I had recieved a letter from a friend of mine from back home. He was informing me that the local EAA chapter was going to be doing an aircraft build project.
The EAA chapter was chapter 1247 out of Port Clinton, Ohio. Being that the local airport that the chapter was based out of used to have flights to and from the islands of Lake Erie by Ford Tri-Motors they only saw it fair to name the chapter the "Tin Goose," chapter. When I had recieved the initial news of their project I was exstatic to take leave time to fly home to help build. Since the beginning of the project I have tried to make it over to the airport to assist with the build or at least see the progress.
Surprisingly in a couple of weeks my wife and I will be traveling back to our hometown before heading to my next assignment; which is taking me from Arizona back to Japan. It's funny looking back from when I was 16 wanting to work with planes and looking at what I do now. I've spent five years working on fighter aircraft, and at the same time taking college courses through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. It's amazing how my desire for aviation and many other factors have allowed me to accomplish so much. Maybe by the time we finish building the Tri-Motor I'll be the one flying it, you just never know.
Remember the Forgotten Mechanic
Through the history of world aviation, many names come to the fore, great deeds of the past on our memory will last as they're joined by more and more-When man first started to labor in his quest to conquer the sky, he was designer, mechanic, and pilot, and he built a machine that could fly.
The pilot was everyone's hero, he was brave, he was bold, he was grand, as he stood by his battered biplane, with his goggles and helmet in hand-
But for each of these flying heroes, there were thousands little renowned, and these were the men who worked on the planes, but kept their feet on the ground.
We all know the name of Lindbergh and we've read of his flight to fame, but think, if you can, of his maintenance man; can you remember his name?
And think of those wartime heroes, Jabara, Novasell, and Scott, can you tell me the names of their crewchiefs? A thousand to one you cannot-
So when you see those aircraft, as they make their way through the air, remember the grease-stained man with a wrench in his hand, he's the man who put them there.
~Anonymous~
A Flight Through Midnight
This is a book I read a couple months back. It's an amazing account of a pilot's personal experience of flying over the Ho Chi Minh trail. The book starts off with an interesting description of his arrival to his new assignment. The pilot believed his first mission was nothing more then just flying support and dropping flares for allies on the ground, but he soon found out he was wrong. The following accounts of other missions proved his assignment was anything but ordinary.
What made this book so interesting to read was the fact that it was an actual acount of a pilot during the vietnam war who was flying and fighting a secret war over Laos. The books events were well described with clever analogies throughout. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading things on avaition.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Good Morning and Happy 2008
I created this blog for the main purpose to share my interest, experience, knowledge, and opinion about aviation. The majority will probably end up as most of my opinion, but I will try to post news and events. I even will post links to other aviation sites that I find useful. So for those that stumble upon this blog and find it I hope you enjoy reading.
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