Centennial Committee

The organization meeting of the Centennial Committee met last night for two hours and it is off and running.  There was a mutual feeling that something this momentus should be celebrated in a very special way.  Nineteen people attended with various backgrounds joined together to make 2011 a special year, locally and nationally.  Thanks for stepping forward.

Committee Co-chairmen:  Chris Yeager & Steve Nierenberg
Honorary Chair:  Naomi Nierenberg

Committees:

          Logistics & Events
          Advertising/Fundraising
          Public Relations
          Aircraft Committee

We will add more as we progress, so there is lots of room for more members and ideas.  Please continue with your ideas and join us at the next meeting. 

Centennial Committee Meeting
March 14th, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Pilots Lounge

Please join us.

CENTENNIAL
Bohmer Field - Princeton Airport

1911 - 2011 
What else happened in the world of aviation in 1911?  

While the infancy of aviation came to the Princeton area, pioneers all over the world were fascinated with flying.  Most of you have flown in a Cessna at one time or another - meet Clyde Cessna and what he did for aviation.

CLYDE CESSNA

AVIATION PIONEER  

Aviation owes much to a farm boy whose name became synonymous with monoplanes and played a major role in making Wichita the "Air Capital of the World."

Clyde Vernon Cessna had been a successful Overland automobile dealer in Enid, Oklahoma for several years until 1911 when he was struck with flying fever. Fascinated by the frail but efficient Bleriot XI monoplane that traversed the English Channel in 1909, Cessna eventually left Oklahoma for New York City, where he worked briefly for the Queen Aeroplane Company and learned about airplanes and how they were constructed.  

READ ON    

CHANGE!

Peter Rafle's connection to Princeton Airport has been strong and wonderful for us and hopefully for him.  He came to us after his wife, Connie, gave him a gift certificate for "recurrent training".  Pete was a Navy pilot and then went to the airlines when there was no stability.  So being a family man, he left the aviation industry to make a living.

As soon as we met Pete, we clicked, and he was hooked - he missed flying.  But with all of his experience, he didn't have the FAA certificates for general aviation.  So gradually he got into it and became an instructor.  We knew he was special and fortunately he enjoyed the challenge and became an instructor.  We immediately offered him a part time job.

When he retired from working full time, he became our chief flight instructor and has served in that capacity very well.  He now wants to relax his schedule so he will be an assistant chief pilot, working part time.  So we will still have his expertise.

Many thanks for steering RVFS well.

__________________________________________________________
 

Welcome Chris Almonte as a flight coordinator.  Chris has worked line on Sundays, however he will be here more often serving you at the front counter.  Chris is a student pilot as well as a college student at Rider.

WELCOME RYAN VINTON

CHIEF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR 
  

We would like to announce the appointment of Ryan Vinton as Chief Pilot for Raritan Valley Flying School.  Ryan has been instructing with us for almost three years and he has done a fine job.  He has graduated many students and successfully taught several ground school classes. 

We hope you will join us in welcoming Ryan to this new position.  

MORE ABOUT RYAN   

PRIVATE GROUND SCHOOL ANYONE?

 STARTING:  Monday, March 28, 2011

Time:  7:00 - 10:00 pm

Duration:  13+ weeks

Instructor:  Chief Pilot Ryan Vinton

Under the guidance of Ryan, you will start at the beginning of the Jeppesen program, taking a chapter or two each week.  You will take quizzes and the final exam together.  Then you will be ready to take the FAA test on the CATS website.   

MEET 'N GREET 
March 5th, 10-noon

Join us to "talk aviation" over coffee and bagels in the lounge.  Share your flying experiences with novices and long time pilots.  Meet other pilots and just relax.  Please bring a friend.

From the Right Seat
Peter Rafle 

Pete's Favorite Airplane

We all have favorite airplanes.  It can be a Taylorcraft one flew from a grass field or a light twin you used to earn a multi-engine rating.  The look, the sound, or just the pure fun you had in the airplane, all cause it to remain a good memory easily recalled.

My favorite is the North American T-28B.  It was the second airplane I flew as a student Naval aviator.  I completed my basic instrument training, advanced aerobatics, and formation training in the "B".  The next phase of training was carrier qualifications, so I moved to the "C" which was equipped with a "hook"! Landing on the Lexington (CV-16) was a "peak" experience.

The Air Force had the T28A, but it had only 800HP.  Our Navy birds had 1425HP which gave the airplane a max speed of 346mph, a cruising speed of 230mph, a range of 1060 miles, and service ceiling of 37,000ft. What a kick!

After a couple of months a Whiting Field, north of Pensacola, I moved on to multi-engine training at Corpus Christi, Texas and flew another "favorite", the Grumman TS2-A "Tracker".  Got to carrier qualify the S-2 on the Wasp (CVS-18).  But, that's another story for another column.

Safety Corner by Pete Rafle

It is quiz time.  Match the items in the right hand column with the items in the left column:

1.  Class E airspace                 A.  Beyond the 30 mile limit

2.  Class A airspace                 B.  IRs and VRs

3. Class D airspace                 C.  Victor Airways 

4. Class B airspace            D. Usually extends to 4000' AGL

5. Class C                         E. 200 KT speed limit

6. Military training route      F. High volume of training activity  

7.  Alert Area                     G. Instrument rating required

8.  Temporary Flight                 H.  Not below 2000'

       Restriction

9.  Special Conservation           I.  NOTAM

      Area

10.  Warning Area                       J.  Piece of (wedding) cake 

  FOR ANSWERS

CONDOLENCES TO THE

FAMILY OF JAY PANTER

Jay was a long time pilot who flew with us when we were at 47N.  He loved flying and had an airplane for a while.  We send our thoughts to his family.