Sky Blog at Spectrum

Qualities of a Good Pilot 2

2011-06-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

2. BEING MODEST
Whether you are getting checked out with 100 hours flight time or 1000 hours in your logbook, being modest is an important trait for pilots to pocess. Even a very-high-time instrument pilot with thousands of hours in high performance singles and light twins can slowly loose some of the flying basics after being away from flying for a few years.

Nearly all of the examples we’ve gathered about good pilots contain a common thread of that person not talking “all that much” about his or her specific accomplishments and skills. These pilots do, however, acknowledge their own mistakes (neither dwelling on nor making excuses), compliment others’ abilities and seldom put down fellow pilots. As our grandmothers’ always preached, “If you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all.”

Qualities of a good pilot

2011-05-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

We're going to start a progressive blog about qualities of good pilots. As time progresses we will continue posting about more qualities each pilot should strive to achieve.

1. THOROUGH
Performing a complete preflight inspection (in and out of the cockpit) and using a checklist are two basic disciplines that are characteristic of a good pilot. . Whether using a laminated card, a panel-placarded list or even well-practiced mnemonics, a consistent process is the best way to defend yourself from preventable mistakes. Even between short flights, performing a simple walk around before departing will ensure that your prop lock is off and the cowl plugs are removed, and that you’re not going to taxi with the asphalt securely attached to your tie down ring.

Weather briefings and flight planning are the other basic tasks ingrained early on in training. But, for some reason, many pilots believe they can save time by “winging it” or by simply depending on the GPS. It is this lack of planning that leads to mistakes being made.

Stay tuned for post number 2 coming fairly soon!

Spring is in the Air...You Shoud be too!

2011-03-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air and you should be too! Book a Discover Flight Today!

We offer our 30 minute Discovery Flight at a special rate of $65.00 + HST. The Discovery Flight is an introductory lesson that will allow you to experience the thrill of flying without having to make any commitments to flight training! You will get to sit in the left-seat and will even have control of the aircraft during the flight. Call today to book a lesson.

905-336-4010

Make Flying Your New Years Resolution!!!

2011-01-20T05:19:00.000-08:00

It might be winter meaning a greater number of bad weather days and a shorter period of daylight during the day; but don't let winter bog you down. There is still many perfectly great days for flying and since we are traditionally less busy during the winter, our schedule is wide open to accommodate you :)

We did our annual end-of-the-year cleanup the other day, moving all inactive logbooks into the hanger. It would be so nice in 2011 to see some of those inactive students return and finish off their goals of obtaining a Private Pilot Licence. We know everyone has busy schedules and sometimes things happen in life that make us put off flying for awhile. Whether it has been a year since you last flown, or 10, it is never too late to pick it up again and you can still count your hours towards your licence. This year make flying your new years resolution! Spectrum Airways is always happy to see returning faces.

Jennica

Happy Holidays

2010-12-25T10:32:00.001-08:00

On behalf of all the staff and instructors at Spectrum Airways we would like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday.

Ancaster High Flys High at Spectrum

2010-11-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday Spectrum Airways welcomed Aviation Technology Major students from Ancaster High School. The school is the first secondary school in the province to offer the Aviation and Aerospace Specialist High School Major program. Students in grade 11 and 12 can explore their interests in becoming a pilot, airline and airport operations, aircraft manufacturing and maintenance and scientific and technical services.

Partnered with both the Hamilton International Airport and the Canadian Warplane Heritage museum, the students are able to obtain hands-on experience through internship opportunities and co-op placements.

While at Spectrum the students were taught an introductory lesson on the Theory of Flight and Attitudes and Movements. Following the Ground Briefing, students went up for a 30 minute sightseeing flight to experience the thrill of flying. Students who were interested in pursuing a career as a commercial pilot had the opportunity to go on a 30 minute discovery flight instead, where they were given control of the aircraft and were able to apply what they had learned during the ground brief session. These students were even given their very first logbook in order to record their first flight which can be put towards the hours they need to obtain their Private Pilot Licence.

In all, it was a gorgeous day in terms of weather and the students had a wonderful time. We were more then happy to provide Ancaster High Aviation students with an exceptional learning experience geared towards their interests. We look forward to having them come back next year and hope to see some of the students join the Spectrum Airways family as they begin their flight training with us.

Flight Over Halton

2010-09-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

Every year Spectrum Airways, in collaboration with the schools of the surrounding area, has given geography students the opportunity to experience the thrill of flying while providing a valuable learning experience. The very popular "Flight Over Halton" allows the students to collect data pertaining to their current geography unit, including the use of land, geography patterns, and urbanization. The 30 minute flight will also allow students to glimpse an aerial view of their school in addition to distinct land marks outlined by the teacher. The flight is a safe and fun field trip which gives students opportunities that other field trips simply cannot offer. Last week we kicked off our first High School Flight of the season with M.M. Robinson! They were kind enough to take a picture for us. I hope all the students enjoyed themselves as much as we enjoy having them here.

Jennica

YOUR Safety Night

2010-09-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Most of you know me, but those of you who don't, I am Jennica (General Manager) and I will be taking over this Blog for Lindsey. Lindsey did an excellent job with the blog and I want to continue with the tradition.

Last night I attended "Your Safety Night (Interactive Round Table)" the first monthly Transport Canada Safety Seminar lined up for this season. It was a great opportunity to get to meet with other aviation enthusiasts and have an opportunity to hear them express their safety concerns. We covered a lot of great topics during this interactive session and even reviewed some noteworthy CADORS.

I think the most applicable safety concern for the fall season I would like to pass onto you is the Autumn Migration of birds. It is that time of year when lots of birds will begin their travel towards the south. As pilots it is important to have a sense of situational awareness especially in this situation. A bird strike might seem incidental but it could become fatal. Students and rental pilots are encouraged to practice communication, teamwork and pre-planning exercises with their instructor/co-pilots perhaps simply by asking the question "What If?"

Transport Canada holds these seminars monthly and it would be nice to see some familiar faces from Spectrum. I will keep the Safety Board updated with the dates and maybe even try to get it on our website. The next one is scheduled for October 20, 2010 - What does CASARA do for me?

When do birds become elephants?

Hello Goodbye

2010-09-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Unfortunately, this is farewell. Since I'm away at school I can't update the blog as often, nor am I able to truly keep current with what's going on back in Burlington. I did want to say that though my time as the blog's author was short lived, I still enjoyed it. I will miss authoring this blog, it became a short of pet project over the summer. Working at Spectrum for the second summer in a row, I can say this of it: It's been a pleasure.

I wish the best for everyone taking lessons and/or continuing their flight training, be it recreationally or career driven. It's both a challenging and rewarding path, but what's worth the prize is worth the fight. I one day hope to continue my own lessons and will leave you not with a 'goodbye', but a 'so long for now'.

- Lindsey L

PS: The blog will still remain, someone else will be taking over but I'm not entirely sure who yet.

Congratulations!

2010-08-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

We've got two people to congratulate today. First of all there is Param Singh, who passed his Multi Engine Flight Test. The other is James Bowden who completed his First Solo! Way to go guys!

The weather hasn't been that nice this week but I'm sure everyone is hoping that it will improve, I know I am.

Also, just as a heads up, I will be leaving for school in less than a week. I'll do my best to update the blog from afar if everyone so wishes.

- Lindsey L

First Solo

2010-08-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Connor Chilton on his First Solo! Keep up the good work Connor!

ATTENTION ALL SPECTRUM ALUMNI!

2010-08-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

To all Spectrum Alumni out there, we want to share your experiences as Commercial Pilots with other Spectrum fans and students. If you graduated from Spectrum and went on to become an Airline Pilot, notable Charter Pilot, Military Pilot, Show and/or Stunt Pilot, or anything of that general idea we would love to hear from you.

Please take a look at our facebook page (linked under 'Spectrum Fanpage' seen above) and contact us. We will be leaving a spot for all to upload pictures and experiences. Or you can send us the pictures and stories and we can do it for you.

If you are friends/family with or know of someone who went on to excel in an aviation career please have them contact us or contact us on their behalf. Thanks!

-Lindsey L

Gold Wings Club

2010-08-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

New Promotion!! We've created what we call the 'Gold Wings Club'. Membership is open to all RENTAL Pilots (Licensed Private Pilots who are not currently Commercial training) who fly at Spectrum. What membership entails is a free annual, which normally costs approximately $254, and 10% off ALL flights. You must be asking, "Lindsey, what is the cost of this fantastic deal?" Well, I'll tell you. The low, low cost of this super special deal is $500/year. If you fly an hour or more per month you will most definitely benefit from this special.

The Gold Wings Club is a great way to save money while building hours (which can be later put towards a Commercial License). If interested, call in or come in to sign up with one of our staff members!

-Lindsey L

A few greetings and congratulations

2010-08-08T09:42:00.001-07:00

First off, we've got a number of people to congratulate:

- Adam Rush and Blaine Morton both received their Night Ratings. Great work, both of you!

- Matt Kelly went on his first solo, good job!

- And Sofian Kadura received his Multi Rating, good work!

Congratulations to all of you. These are all big accomplishments.

Secondly, there are two new additions to the Spectrum staff I'd like to mention. Matt Kelly (mentioned above) is our newest Ramp staff member and Emily Alligood is our newest Desk staff member. Feel free to welcome both of them by saying hello or introducing yourself.

- Lindsey L

Long Weekend

2010-08-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I hope everyone has enjoyed their long weekend, whether you went flying, out of town, or just relaxed at home. The weather seemed to hold out for most of the weekend, save for a few rough patches, and we had a fair amount of flights going.

On a different note, we had the summertime equivalent of high school flights today. Sidrabene Camp is the first summer camp to have their campers go up in our aircraft. The ages ranged from 8-18 and judging by all the smiling faces, I assume that they had a good time.

-Lindsey

More first Solos!

2010-07-29T07:37:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Tyler Geitz and Chris Biel on their first solos this week! Hey, and if you have to get soaked, at least it's during the nice weather days. Good job guys!

I've gotten a few Oshkosh updates from people but I'm still waiting for more. If you saw anything cool/interesting/newsworthy feel free to send me a facebook message, you can find me on the group or send it to the Spectrum Airways facebook account.

-Lindsey

A few announcements....

2010-07-25T05:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the weather wasn't as nice as predicted. Sorry about that everyone! But nonetheless we had a couple brave souls go up for flights this weekend. Hopefully they all had a fun time! I'm going to be linking the AWWS - Notam page to the blog's website, as a quick way of referencing the weather while you're reading.

Also, a few more congratulations! Firstly, Jeff Alexander passed his Multi-Engine Flight Test with a mark of 101/104! Way to go! Secondly, Devin Degroote performed his First Solo, congratulations! Good job to both of you, and we're looking forward to seeing more accomplishments of yours in the future!

Lastly, Oshkosh is going to be held from July 26-August 1. While I would love to go, I won't be making the trip out. However, I'm hoping to put together a post that includes the personal accounts of anyone who managed to get out this year. Once you get back, please don't hesitate to share your experience with me. That's all for now, happy flying everyone!

-Lindsey L

I think a few congratulations are in order....

2010-07-20T21:02:00.001-07:00

Congrats to Braminir Lackovic and Eric Seidlitz on going Solo! Also, congrats on being the first two people recognized on the blog :)

To all of our lovely students, keep those hours up so that you can reach this monumental milestone. Remember, you only get one first Solo and it's something you'll look back on all throughout your career. We'll do our best to recognize everyone's accomplishments both on the blog and on our facebook fanpage.

(As a side note, if anyone has any problems with having their name published, please let any of the staff know. We'll make sure that it's removed as soon as possible).

Also, here's to nice weather this weekend! If the forecasts remain as they are, it's looking like it's going to be a great weather to go up for a flight. Hopefully we'll see you out there!

-Lindsey

Welcome to the Blog

2010-07-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted to welcome all the Spectrum students, renters, alumni, staff and any general aviation enthusiasts out there to the new Spectrum Blog. For those of you who don't know me, here's a quick introduction: I'm Lindsey, one of the Spectrum Desk Staff. I've been working at Spectrum for just over two years now.

One thing I love about my job is all the people I get to meet and talk to. I've met many fascinating individuals over the past two years and it's always great to get to know exactly who our students are. Don't hesitate to come up to the desk and say hello next time you're in the building!

I've got a couple of announcements as well. First off is Groundschool. We have a number of classes that will be beginning in the Fall. There will be two Private courses beginning, one regular and one accelerated. The regular one is scheduled for September 8th, a Wedsnesday, and will run 7-10pm each week. The accelerated one will begin in October, dates to be announced shortly, and will be staggered with an accelerated Commercial Groundschool. Basically one weekend will have four Private classes (2 on Saturday, 2 on Sunday) and the next will have four Commercial classes (2 on Saturday, 2 on Sunday).

The next is regarding our Capable Co-Pilot course. Do you frequently have a friend or significant other fly as your co-pilot? Now, would said co-pilot be able to land in an emergency? If the answers to these questions are "Yes" and "No" respectively, we may just have the course for you. We are looking to teach the basics to flying (landing, radio communications, basic flight characteristics, etc.) so that co-pilots can safely land the aircraft in the event that their pilot is in any way incapacitated. If this is something you're interested in, please call us or ask a staff member for more details.

That's all for now! I'll be posting again soon!

-Lindsey L