Ground School Schedule & Information

Ground school seminars are a great way to grasp the base knowledge needed to obtain your pilot’s license along with refreshing your knowledge and staying current with flight standards.

Beginning on Saturday, November 13th, 2010, EFA is beginning a series of seminars on a variety of interesting and frequently requested subjects. All seminars are held at Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA in the Civil Air Terminal building.

Price for each seminar is $39; the G1000 seminars are $49. A minimum of three attendees is necessary to conduct any seminar; those without three registrants by noon Friday will be canceled and candidates notified. Cancellations require 48 hour notice.

Please note that the G-1000 seminars start at 9:30am and the weather seminar starts at 12:00pm. All other seminars start at 10:00am and will be finished in time to fly the 12:30pm flight block.

Everyone is welcome to sign up! You do not need to be a current EFA customer or student to enroll. Call 1-781-274-7227 to sign up today!

IFR Flight Planning: Guided Discussion & Shared Techniques

• Filing an IFR flight plan
• Route selection
• How to evaluate the weather forecasts, and what keeps you on the ground
• Alternate considerations
• Equipment considerations
• Go and no-go considerations
• Obstacle clearance minimums
• Lost com/nav/equipment problems
• Diversions
• In-Flight weather updates
• Precision, non-precision, circling, visual and contact approaches
• Approach minimums and other considerations

C-172 & 182 Equipment Use & Advanced Techniques – Get More Out Of Your Avionics

• KLN 94 GPS (VNAV, calculating W/V, radio freq loading, MSA/ESA, DME arcs, etc.)
• KAP 140 A/P (Alt alerter, preselected altitudes, arming altitude, nav and approach modes)
• KX 155A NAV/COM (Chan and Mode buttons, timer, reading radials)
• KN 55A HSI (slaved and unslaved, capturing courses, scaling, etc)
• KMA 28 Comm panel

G1000 (C-172/C182 NAVIII) Introduction and Overview

• What the G1000 does
• Systems differences
• Primary Flight Display (PFD)
• Multi Function Display (MFD)
• Communications panel
• Reversionary mode
• Standby instruments
• Main functions available

G1000 Advanced Techniques: VFR Operations

• Loading and storing flight plans (waypoints, airways, inverting)
• Creating user waypoints and track offsets
• Setting fuel and range ring
• Establishing individual preset favorites
• Advanced PFD operations
• Advanced MFD operations
• Joystick functions
• Optimizing Topo, terrain, weather, obstacle settings
• Understanding the Comm panel
• Integrated autopilot and KAP 140 use

Flight Test/Check Ride Preparation

• Making sure everything is in order (including IACRA)
• Understanding the PTS
• Filling your “clue box”
• Check ride jitters
• How to prepare
• Using SRM to your advantage
• Common errors (what not to do and guaranteed bust items)
• Correcting your errors

X-Country Flight Planning

• Route selections considerations
• Checkpoint selection criteria
• Weight & Balance considerations
• Cruise performance and wind effects
• Radar advisories vs. FSS flight plan
• Airspace considerations
• Maximizing use of pilotage, DR, VOR & GPS
• Course lines vs. speed lines
• VOR fixes
• Diverting
• Destination airport procedures

Advanced G1000 – IFR Operations

• Entering filed route and changing flight plans
• Instrument, RAIM and VOR checks
• Pre departure setup (DP and emergency return)
• Checking weather before departing
• Enroute operations
• Full or vectored approach setup
• Course reversals (P/T or hold)
• Use of GPS in lieu of DME
• GPS approach criteria for LPV, LNAV, and LNAV/VNAV
• Missed approach and holds
• Timers and DA/MDA settings
• Integrated autopilot and KAP 140 use

VFR Flying: Guided Discussion & Shared Techniques

• Scenario based training (SBT) discussion
• Considerations for fuel
• Destination airport facilities and services
• Changing weather conditions
• Equipment failure/engine failure
• Diversions
• Night flight considerations

Understanding The Systems in Your Airplane

• Engine and propeller
• Constant speed propellers
• Fuel injection and carburetors
• Fuel systems, high and low wing
• Ignition system
• Electrical system, starter and ground power
• Vacuum system
• Pitot/static system
• Retractable landing gear
• Brakes
• POH supplements

Aerodynamics for the EFA Aviator

• Stability and CG location
• Load factor, Vg diagrams, categories and G-limits
• Drag curves, L/D effects, best glide, power required vs. power available, back side of power curve
• Trim tabs, balance tabs and counterweights
• Flap types and considerations
• Vortex generators, stall strips, slats & slots, winglets
• Dihedral
• Washout
• Adverse yaw and aileron design factors
• Left turning tendency
• Multiengine aerodynamics – Vmc, Vyse, drag demonstrations, feathering

Aerobatics & Formation

• Objectives
• Personal considerations and limitations
• Ground training video
• Use of parachutes
• Spin introduction ride and CFI endorsement
• Upset and unusual attitude recoveries
• Basic aerobatics course
• Maneuvers involved in courses
• Tailwheel considerations and endorsements
• Formation training

Maintenance Seminar: Looking “Under the Hood”

• Participate in an oil change/50 hour engine inspection, understand why it’s important, and what to watch out for
• Look at the aircraft you fly from “under the hood”
• Learn the whys and wherefores of the parts and systems
• Understand what the pre-flight checks tell you – and why to do then
• Find out what to do when something doesn’t look/sound/feel right
• Learn the techniques of cold and hot starting, and why we do what we do
• Discuss in flight abnormalities and how to write them up
• Develop the systems understanding you need to diagnose abnormalities and actions to take

Aviation Weather from a Meteorologist/CFII

• Data link weather
• Thunderstorms and convective activity
• Icing considerations and use of ADDS new icing products
• Question and answer session

If these seminars look like something you would like to attend, let us know!

You can also comment with days and times available on our Facebook page under the March 2nd post about ground seminars.
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