Whiteside County Airport News

Whiteside County Airport Board & M & M Aviation Services, Ltd.
December 2007
Volume 8 Issue 2
Inside this issue:
The Whiteside County Airport
“Pirep”
The 2007 T.I.P. Meeting
On Thursday, November 1st, Airport Board
Members, Stan Domack, Jerri Robinson, and Ed
Maris and Airport Manager, Mike Dowell traveled to Springfield, Illinois to meet with representatives of the Illinois Department of Transportation regarding next year’s appropriation
of monies for the Whiteside County Airport.
Yearly officials of the IDOT meet with each
airport to review each airport’s goals and projected construction. The meeting is the culmination of the Transportation Improvement
Program (T.I.P.) for that fiscal year.
It is through this meeting that our local officials
secure funding for the improvement projects
for the airport. In the past federal, state and
local monies were all combined to provide our
airport with resurfacing Runway 7-25, resurfac(Continued on page 4)
Runway 7-25 & Taxiway
Lights Get a “Facelift”
Your airport administration has been busy this
summer. The airport has financed the repainting of the runway markings for Runway 7-25,
all taxiways., and the hold-short markings. This
is being accomplished by our airport staff using a walk-behind sprayer purchased several
years ago.
Runway 7-25, Taxiways D and C will also see a
replacement of all lights. While all the lights
are operable, electrical tests done on the circuits indicate that there has been extensive
lightning and age associated damage resulting
in a significant loss of efficiency and higher
operating costs. The project will be funded
largely from state and federal funds.
Ground Schools to be
offered by M & M and Sauk
Valley Community College
M & M Aviation and Sauk Valley Community
College will be offering two ground school
classes this spring. Both classes will be taught
by M & M Aviation staff instructors. On
Wednesday nights Darin Heffelfinger will be
teaching the Private Ground School class (AVA
101) and Mike Dowell will be teaching the
Instrument Ground School class on Tuesday
evenings (AVA 201). Each class will culminate
in a final test. Successful completion of the
course insures a successful FAA Knowledge
test.
The Private Ground School class is a two-credit
class. At the end of this course, the student
will understand: operations of the flight controls and instruments, airport and airspace considerations, aircraft weight and balance, aircraft performance tables, basic weather meteorology, federal aviation regulations, flight
physiology, and emergency preparedness.
Successful completion of this course guarantees the student to take and pass the F.A.A.
Private Pilot Knowledge Exam (additional fee
for FAA Exam).. Books and materials for the
class can be purchased at M & M Aviation.
Aviation materials previously purchased should
be brought the first night for instructor evaluation. Minimum Age: 15 years.
(Continued on page 2)
M & M Aviation Christmas
Open House
December 10th — 5:005:00-7:00 pm
Meet Lance Bedini,
M & M’s new DOM
2
Progressing Pilots
2
Guest Editorial
3
Hall of Fame Awarded 3
WCO Pilot’s Assoc.?
3
Upcoming Events
Dec. 6: Whiteside County
Board Mtg. — 4:30 PM
Dec 10: M & M Aviation
Christmas Open House 5:00 —
7:00 pm ALL INVITED !!!!!
Jan. 9: SVCC Instrument
Ground School Class Begins —
6:30 PM
Jan. 10: SVCC Private Ground
School Class Begins — 6:30 PM
Jan. 11: Whiteside County
Board Mtg. — 5:00 PM
Feb. 21: Whiteside County
Board Mtg. — 5:00 PM
Special note to all:
• This is the eighth year of a series of newsletters produced by
M & M Aviation for the Whiteside County Airport Board. It is
largely our attempt to keep you
better informed as to the happenings at the Whiteside
County Airport. We invite comments and additions to future
issues. Please submit all proposed articles for the next issue
in writing to the Airport Manager February 15, 2008.
• We appreciate all the positive
comments in the past. We
hope you continue to enjoy!!!
Check us out now at
www.mmaviation.net
Page 2
The Whiteside County Airport “Pirep”
Lance Bedini Appointed Director of
Maintenance by M & M Aviation
Lance Bedini has been appointed Director of Maintenance and
Lead Mechanic for M & M Aviation Services. Lance comes to us
from Petersburg,
Alaska, where he
operated his own
aircraft repair business. Lance was
raised in the Chicago area .
Lance is a very
diverse individual
with many interests including aircraft repair.
He
received an Associate of Science degree in Biology from College
of Lake County in the Chicago suburb of Grayslake, Illinois.
Lance attended Rockford’s Rock Valley Community College’s
mechanics training program from 1989 to 1991. He has been
involved in the aviation business as flight crew and maintenance staff.
Interestingly, Lance’s interest in biology extended into a pursuit
of a medical-field degree. In 1994, Lance received his Associate
Degree and is qualified as a Registered Nurse. He received his
nurses training from Waubonsee Community College in the
Chicago suburb of Sugar Grove, Illinois.
Ground Schools, Cont.
(Continued from page 1)
The Instrument Ground School class has a prerequisite. The
enrolled student must have passed the FAA written test for private pilot, have a private pilot's license or instructor approval.
Topics will include: acquiring an understanding of instrument
scan techniques, IFR instruments, instrument maneuvers, radio
navigation aids for en route instrument, instrument approach,
and instrument departure, radar, holding pattern, FAA regulations, weather theory and the requirements of the Instrument
Practical Test. Books and materials for the class can be purchased through M & M Aviation.
In 2002, M & M Aviation Services, Ltd. and Sauk Valley Community College entered into a formal agreement for M & M Aviation to provide all aviation-based education for SVCC. While M
& M Aviation is not a newcomer to the halls of the college, this
agreement has insured that all aviation courses are taught by
qualified instructional staff, exceeding FAA mandates and to the
same standards and syllabus that have been used by M & M
Aviation in their one-on-one classes at the Whiteside County
Airport.
M & M Aviation began providing aviation education at SVCC in
January of 1996. Since that time, M & M Aviation has offered
over 35 different ground school classes for both private and
instrument students. For more information, call M & M Aviation
at 622-FLY-1
Lance’s mechanic experience includes, of course, owning his
own shop and business in Alaska. He also has worked in Tennessee and Arizona. His experience includes work on every
type of general aviation aircraft from fabric to jets; Lycoming
and Teledyne-Continental to radial engines, receiving his Inspection Authorization rating this year.
A SPECIAL WELCOME FOR
LANCE BEDINI,
Director of Maintenance
January 14th — 5:00—
5:00—7:00 pm
In coming to M & M Aviation, Lance says, “I am looking forward
to living in Northern Illinois again, closer to family and friends,
back to my roots. I’m also eager to meet all of you in the local
aviation community.”
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS !!
Tenants reminder : Disconnect all electrical devices before
leaving your hangar. Also, never leave drop cords in standing
water.
Welcome, Lance!
Recent Pilot Accomplishments
8-28
Kris Brantley
Biennial Flt. Rev.
10-30 Jon Keesey
Instrument Pilot
9-3
John Lawrence
Biennial Flt. Rev.
10-30 Mark Castelein
Biennial Flt. Rev.
9-21
Darrell Mattson
Biennial Flt. Rev.
11-1
Greg Dempsey
Instrument Prof. Chk
9-22
Jake Bresson
Commercial Pilot.
11-1
Leo Wahl
Biennial Flt. Rev.
10-5
Mike Dowell
Part 135 Check
11-15 Casper Badenhorst Biennial Flt. Rev.
Volume 8 Issue 2
Page 3
“Do You Taxi Too Fast?”
— Guest Editorial by William Havener
William Havener, Whiteside County
Airport’s Newest “Hall of Fame” Member
.Recently I have observed airplanes taxiing on the taxiway on
the south end of the SQI “T” hangars moving at a pretty good
clip. A potentially dangerous situation could result from pilots
who do this.
William L. “Bill” Havener was born in Sterling and always wanted
to fly. After three years as a weather man in the U.S. Air Force, he
retruned home and signed up for flight training at the Rock Falls
Airport as a student
of Kenny Zimmerman.
Bill trained
with
“Smiler”
O’Rourke for his
Commercial certificates and with Zimmerman
for
his
multi-engine certificate in Illini Airline’s
Piper Apache.
When entering the taxiway from the “T” hangars, it is difficult to
see on-coming traffic until almost in their way — and vice versa.
Many years ago, when I was learning to fly, I was taught to
never taxi faster than a fast walk. Because we were flying off of
grass airports, it was fairly easy to keep the taxi speed down. In
fact, sometimes when a small plane’s engine was ground back
to idle, the plane would slow down and stop.
Now, while taxiing on pavement, a plane may not slow down
and stop when the engine is brought back to idle. In some
cases it may even continue or accelerate. So, it is harder to taxi
slowly on pavement. But we need to around the “T” hangars.
It is not that big a deal out on the parallel and other taxiways,
but when coming and going from and to the “T” hangars, we
need to slow down and be ready to stop when a plane or truck
or car pops out from around a corner
A Whiteside County Pilots Association?
A Suggestion from William Havener
Is there any interest in forming such an association?
Why should there even be one?
For the past thirty seven years, the local EAA Chapter has been
at the forefront of promoting the airport and aviation at the
local level with its activities and programs. It has continued to
do this even though its membership numbers have declined
and the core group of workers has continue to grow older and
more quickly tired.
Although not a career pilot, the Whiteside County Airport has
always been an important part of Bill’s life. He has actively promoted the airport by encouraging pilots and FBOs. Bill’s work
with the Experimental Airport Association, Chapter 410 includes
serving as the chapter’s president and helping to organize the first
of the airport’s annual Fly-In/Drive-In breakfasts.
Bill found and was the first president of the Illinois Chpater of the
Short-Wing Piper Club. He also found the Benevolent Order of
Bended Blades, which has become an internation group that recognizes pilots who have damaged a spinning aircraft propleer
without causing great bodily harm to themselves or anyone else.
At the time of his induction, Bill was still active as a pilot and
deeply involved in all the EAA activities that take place at the airport. CONGRATULATIONS, BILL !
For one reason or another, new pilots, and some who have
been around for quite a while, have chosen to not join the EAA
Chapter. That is quite all right. But it is becoming physically
more and more difficult for the small group of EAAers to continue promoting aviation and the airport by providing activities
and programs the way it has in the past.
The airport needs a group that will actively support and promote it. The late, great “Smiler” O’Rourke recognized that fact
and once said of the local EAA Chapter, “You guys are the only
thing going on around here.”
Perhaps now is a good time to form a Whiteside County Pilots
Association to help keep “things going around here”.
1)
Skilled in All Types of Aircraft — Experienced in all types of
aircraft inspections and repairs including EXPERIMENTALS.
2)
Conveniently Located — Our facility is ready to accommodate
your aircraft’s needs — FLAT RATE ANNUALS — Check out
our UP FRONT COST SHEET TODAY.
If you might be interested in such an organization, please put
your name on the sheet on the bulletin board at the airport or
ask someone at M & M Aviation to do it for you.
If there is enough interest shown, a meeting can be scheduled
to further discuss, and possible begin, the formation of a Whiteside County Pilots Association.
Whiteside County Airport • 10950 Hoover Rd. • Rock Falls, Illinois
Phone (815) 622-FLY-1 • Maintenance Direct Line (815) 625-7172
Email: [email protected] • Website: www.mmaviation.net
Whiteside County Airport Board
& M & M Aviation Services, Ltd.
Whiteside County
Airport Board
10950 Hoover Road
Rock Falls, IL 61071
Phone: 815-622-3591
Fax: 815-622-5071
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.mmaviation.net or
www.whitesidecountyairport.com
TIPS Meeting, Cont.
(Continued from page 1)
Introductory
ing Runway 18-36 including the replacement of the runway
lighting, a newly expanded and rehabilitated west apron, rehabilitating the airport entry and parking lot and the erection of
Hangar 6. This year’s project will help fund the replacement of
the edge lighting for taxiways circuit #1 (west of 18-36) and
Runway 7-25. This project is slated for completion in the spring
of 2008.
Monies for these projects are funded by the federal funding
program, entitled, Air 21, which is designed to award
$150,000 each year to all non-hub airports. This money is federal funds that, in the past, were awarded to each state. Each
state in turn decided which airport in that state would receive
federal and state funds and the amount of the funding. The
new funding program will ensure that all airports receive some
federal assistance. The remainder of federal transportation
monies allotted to airports will be awarded to each state and
then the state will decide which airports will receive additional
funding in the form of “Discretionary Funds”.
Future projects include replacement of the remainder of the
taxiway lights, resurfacing the main ramp, and construction of
a parallel taxiway to runway 18-36.
Special
Three Hours — Aircraft Rental
Four Hours — Flight Instruction
00
All for $399 — You SAVE $12800
Some restrictions apply
•
4 Certified Flight Instructors on Staff — Our staff has over 50 years
of combined teaching experience, we fly when your schedule permits.
We’re committed to your education!!
•
The ONLY Full-Time Aviation Education Facility in the Rock River
Valley — Complete with computerized flight planning and weather
resources.
•
Fully IFR Equipped, Well Maintained, Multiple Training Aircraft
— These are the same aircraft with which you can achieve advanced
ratings.
M & M Aviation will be closed
Christmas Day & New Year’s Day
We Wish You a Blessed Holiday Season
Whiteside County Airport • 10950 Hoover Rd. • Rock Falls, Illinois
Phone (815) 622-FLY-1 (3591) • Fax (815) 622-5071
Email: mmaviation @essex1.com • Website: www.mmaviation.net