Wings Program Update

I know there a lot of you who don't participate in the Wings Program. A lot of this comes from the fact that since the FAA has set up the program online many have found the website interaction to be confusing. As I have mentioned before, I felt the FAA was rethinking the issues and were working on creating this to be easier to use and understand. Well, folks, it appears that the new program is going to be rolled out soon. As a Safety Team representative, I hear we will be going through training on the updates... so stay tuned and, hopefully, I'll be able to set up some seminars soon to give you the 'reader's digest' version to help you.

Also, if there is something you'd like me to cover in a future seminar, please feel free to email me at vj_lbe@yahoo.com with some ideas. Otherwise, you'll be forced to listen to what I want to preach (grin).

Global warming everywhere

Jan from the Pittsburgh Flying Club and me take a break from shovelling




Okay, I'm sure you all are missing the snow so I want to take you back to memory lane... namely, the beginning of this year. As you can see, the maintenance guys were pretty busy for 12 days in a row in order to keep the runway, taxiways and anything that we drive over cleared out. I was beginning to worry that they would run out of places to put that "global warming" stuff. I helped a little. (grin) So "kudos" to the guys in those big machines that kept our passageways opened up. The maintenance guys on the field do a great job.

Also, the guys down at Rostraver Airport(FWQ) worked just as hard and should get a hearty thank you from the folks at that airport!

Reminder - spring is just a little over 2 months away. I keep telling myself that.

The airport neighborhood

So, if you haven't been out to the airport lately, you may be surprised to find something amiss. There's a missing row of t-hangars at the south ramp. Because of a crampy rampy situation, they needed to tear down the front row of t-hangars.



To house the orphaned airplanes located in this row of hangars, the Airport Authority built hangars up on the southeast hill, overlooking the runway and the lowly remaining hangars.







A new flight school, Westmoreland Aviation has landed at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. Two local pilots, J.T. Spangler and Dave Castaldo, because of their love of aviation, felt there was a continued need for a dedicated flight school on the airport. Why not check them out for your instruction and rental needs. They have a great attitude and hopefully there will be more to come from these guys.















The Pittsburgh Flying Club has a presence at the airport and will continue to do so. They offer a low-cost solution to aircraft ownership.



And to be fair, there's also the Chestnut Ridge Flying Club over on the East Ramp. Contact information is larry.coulston@kennametal.com

I guess I should also mention Aero Innovations at the top of the hill where the new t-hangars are perched. Owned by Dave Ziegenfus, Aero provides aircraft maintenance on the field.






And if you're in need of fuel, Avitat Vee Neal, the FBO on the field will be happy to top you off.






So there - you have a quick snapshot of who's who on the airfield. I'm sure I've missed someone but I'll make sure I include more in future posts.

Pilot Certificate deadline looming

A year ago, the FAA has set forth a mandate that requires anyone who possesses their original paper pilot certificate and not the plastic card certificate, you should be aware that you must upgrade to the plastic card certificate by March 31, 2010. The link below addresses the change and how to get the new certificate:

AOPA certificate info

Moment of silence

Please pray for the family and fellow Troopers of the Pennsylvania State Trooper killed in the line of duty yesterday in Venango County.

Greetings and Salutations!

A while back I wrote periodic newsletters to keep fellow pilots, at and around Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, informed on the happenings and latest news. Somehow, I got sidelined and haven't kept up with them. Keeping up with changed email addresses was a hassle as well. With technology forging ahead at blazing speeds, it's now time to take advantage of medium that, perhaps, will get out to more people.

For those who don't know who I am, allow me to introduce myself. I am Valetta Mowry, a private pilot of 30 years, based at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport located in Latrobe, PA. I have served as the ASN - Airport Support Network Volunteer at the airport for the past several years and regularly attend the Airport Authority monthly meetings. I also proudly masquerade as an FAASTeam Rep.

I have owned a Cessna 172XP for 30 years... somehow, the plane acquired a name - "Mikey". You know you've entered the world of wacky when you start naming your possessions.

Hopefully, I will be able to be informative yet entertaining through my blogs and for those reading this, thanks for joining me.

coming up... the recent changes at the airport: hangars down, hangars up, new flight school, and lots of changes... film at 11