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NEW
Ground School
The next session of our popular Private and Sport Pilot Ground School started April 30th. Class meets every Wed at 6
pm. You can join the
course at any time or just drop in for any class. |
May 2008
- The first checkride of May resulted in Dave Gaines earning his Private Pilot Certificate from examiner Sherry Diamond. Well done Dave and thanks to Grainne for the excellent flight training.
April 2008
- Congratulations to Aine Roberts who returned from Arizona on her way to Alaska and earned her tailwheel rating with Len Von Clemm. Well done Aine and all the best in your next venture as an Alaska Bush Pilot.
- We have a new Commercial Pilot. Bob Lisbonne earned his commercial ticket in his own Bonanza after training with Zdravko. Congratulations Bob!
- We are AvWeb's FBO of the week for April 14th! Thanks to Konstantin Blank who nominated us, we beat out all other nominees for the week. Thanks Konstantin. See http://www.avweb.com
- Another certified Private Pilot! Well done to Carrie Winegarden, who successfully earned her wings from examiner Sherry Diamond after training with Tristan.
- Congratulations to Charity Drew, who with Rimas's help, added a tailwheel endorsement in a Citabria to her pilot certificate.
- Larry Barras successfully earned his multi-engine and instrument rating in his own Seneca after training with Zdravko. Well done Larry!
March 2008
- Congratulations to Daniel Most on succesfully earning his Sport Pilot CFI certificate with examiner Lou Fields. Dan will be available for flight training to help you earn your Sport Pilot Certificate, or a checkout in any of our Light Sport airplanes, or a tailwheel endorsement.
- We have a new airplane on line! We have added an Evektor Sportstar N917LA to our lineup. This is our first nosewheel Light Sport Airplane. It is certified for night flight and can also be used for Private Pilot flight training. See the Evektor Web Site for more information. See also our Useful Documents section for a handbook and checklist
- March madness continues! Congratulations to Xavier Rogers who earned his Sport Pilot certificate from examiner Lou Shields after training with Vess Velikov. Well done Xavier.
- Another birthday solo! Garrett Grant soloed a Citabria on his 16th birthday under the anxious eye of his CFI and father Jim Grant. Garrett did great, Dad's blood pressure is back to normal and everybody was happy. Happy Birthday Garrett!
- Congratulations to Srikant Sharma who earned his Private Pilot's license after training with Grainne Gilvarry. Examiner Sherry Diamond commented on how well he flew. Well done Srikant!
- Tom Szoboszlay successfully passed his Private Pilot checkride with examiner Sherry Diamond. Thanks to Dave Gray and Jim Grant for their instruction, and Tom's hard work, Sherry was very complimentary. Well done Tom!
February 2008
- A Very Happy Birthday to Matt Herbert who soloed a Citabria on his 16th birthday. Even though the weather looked unpromising, the clouds cleared, the wind died down and three great landings later Matt was officially admitted to the rank of solo pilots. Congratulations!
- Congratulations to our own Vess Velikov who upgraded to full Certified Flight Instructor status. It's a bitter sweet feeling, as Vess has found himself a job flying T-6 Texans giving rides all over the country. We are delighted that he has found what sounds like a dream job for him, and sad that he'll be leaving us. Fare thee well Vess!
- We have a brand new commercial pilot in our midst! Steve Yoder aced his checkride in Arrow 5053S with Examiner Lori Latimer. Steve attributes his success to methodical yet friendly instruction from Dick Chang and Eric Ruhe. Congratulations Steve!
January 2008
- Erin Standley was not far behind her brother Adam in successfully earning her Private Pilot Certificate with Examiner Mike Shiflett. Well done Erin!
- Congratulations to Mark Modaffara who has been training with Dick Chang in Cessna 61637, and successfully flew his first solo. Well done Mark.
- Another checkride success! Adam Standley earned his Private Pilot License with examiner Mike Shiflett. Congratulations Adam!
- The first Private Pilot Certificate of 2008 goes to Ben Stanley, who aced his checkride with Sherry Diamond. Well done Ben.
- Congratulatioons to Shane McMillen who soloed in a Citabria with Mark Guerrero watching from the instructors' bench.
- Well done to Daniel Most who earned his tailwheel endorsement in a Champ with Vess Velikov. Now to check out in the other taildraggers.
- The first fledgling of 2008 is Baron Cannon who soloed a Citabria under the anxious gaze of not only his instructor but also his Dad. Congratulations Baron.
December 2007
- Congratulations also to Brian Gustin. What a way to ring out the old and ring in the New Year - by passing his Private Pilot Checkride. Well done Brian!
- Well done to Chris Banys! Chris earned his Commercial Pilot ticket in his own Beech Bonanza. Chris trained with Zdravko, then had to fly to Angwin to meet with an examiner qualified to give checkrides in a Bonanza.
- Congratulations to Dmitry Chickov who added a Glider rating to his Pilot Certificate.
- We have a new Private Pilot! Dave McKenna aced his checkride with Examiner Sherry Diamond. She said he was one of the most skilled pilots she had tested. Afterwards Dave took his daughter Kelly for a much awaited first flight. Well done Dave!
- There must be something in the water this month. Jesse Hannan also soloed after flight training with Rimas Viselga and Tristan Duplan. Well done Capt'n Jess!
- Carmen Piucci took off into the sunset by himself with Zdravko watching from the ground. Citabria 06G behaved flawlessly. Congratulations Carmen.
- Congratulations to Rudy Zubiller. He trained first in our Champs, then acquired his own Sport Cub, which he has now soloed after careful instruction from Dave Gray. Well done Rudy!
- Another fledgling flies the coop! Joyce Willis soloed Cessna 61637 on Dec 7, under watchful supervision from Len Von Clemm. Three nice landings later she had her shirt tails cut off. Well done Joyce!
- Champ 2791E has received a new radio transplant. Check it out! Nice large numbers, internally lit, easy to see, easy to use. No more messing with handheld portables.
- Steven Eibner visited us all the way from cold Illinois to earn his tailwheel endorsement. After three days of hard work he was successful and earned high praise from Jim Grant. Well done Steven.
November 2007
- Sebastian Harren came all the way from Germany to learn acrobatics, and then go back to take an acrobatic checkride. He earned his tailwheel endorsement and acrobatic proficiency from Zdravko in the Super Decathlon. Well done Sebastian. Not only that, he runs a business that flies hot air airships. See his Web site Airovision.de
- Congratulations to Victor Taveras for earning his instrument rating with examiner Lori Latimer after pretty intensive flight training with Tristan and Zdravko and a few other instructors too. Well done Victor!
- There must be something in a name. Another Jeff, Jeff Frederick, also reached a significant milestone, earning his Private Pilot Certificate, in his own plane no less, from examiner Mike Shiflett. Congratulations to Jeff and his CFI, Eric Ruhe.
- Jeff Schultz joined the ranks of real aviators when he soloed a Citabria under Dave Gray's watchful eye. Well done Jeff.
- See Amelia Reid Aviation on TV! CBS5 Eye of the Bay program featured us in their segment on aviation. Host Liam Mayclem went up in the Cessna 172 for a basic flight lesson and also in a Citabria for an acrobatic lesson. See the highlights at the CBS5 Web Site. Our segment starts at 16:30.
- Andreas Hotea earned his Commercial Pilot Certificate in Arrow 5053S. The examiner commented that his landings were amongst the best she had seen. Congratulations to Andreas and to his instructor Jim Grant.
- The more observant amongst us wil have noticed the new fence that the airport is building with a grant from the Federal Government. At some stage there will be new access procedures that will require a key code. As soon as we know more I'll inform everyone.
- Well done to Ross Wells who checked out to solo the Zlin Savage Cub. Quite a change from the Champ he has flown till recently.
- We have a new Sport Pilot amongst us. Tom Lighthouse passed his Sport Pilot checkride with flying colors. Not only that but he has his own Champ to fly now. Congratulations Tom.
October 2007
- A new Instrument Pilot! Our own Jenny Koenig, whom you may know from the office, has been working hard in 61637 to earn her instrument ticket. She successfully passed her checkride and is now qualified to fly in clouds. Last seen she was on Cloud Nine. Well done Jenny.
- A first solo for Wilson Lee, who took up a Citabria on his own for the firt time with Jim watching carefully from the ground. Congratulations!
- Congratulations to Keith Koenig for earning his tailwheel endorsement. Well done Keith!
September 2007
- Ken Cleaver joined the ranks of certified aviatiors by passing his Sport Pilot checkride in Champ 05E with examiner Lou Fields. Well done Ken!
- The first checkride of September went well for Siegfried Schobesberger who came all the way from his native Austria for flight training for his private pilot license. Congratulations and well done Siegfried!
- The first fledgling of September is Ben Stanley, who soloed under Eric's anxious supervision. Three takeoffs and landings later, it was not clear whether Ben had really landed yet, he seemed to be walking on air! Well done Ben.
August 2007
- Mike Luvara earned his Private Pilot certificate in Citabria 32G. For his first flight as a Private Pilot, Mike took up his broiither Chris. It turns our both Chris and Mike soloed in N53893 and took their checkrides with Mike Shiflett in N5032G. Congratulations Mike!
- Aaron Ells soloed a Citabria for the first time after flight training from Dave Gray. Instructor and student are still walking and we can even use the airplane again, so the landings must have been great. Well done Aaron!
- Adam Standley soloed a Citabria after flight training from his father Roger. Father and son are still talking, so it must have been a good flight. Well done Adam.
- A loud "Well done!" goes to Wolfgang Polak who earned his Commercial Pilot certificate in Arrow 53S. And now for the CFI?
- Another pilot is certified! Dmitry Chickov earned his Private Pilot Certificate with examiner Mike Shiflett. Well done Dmitry!
- Congratulations to Brian Gustin who flew his first solo in Citabria 5032G. Well done Brian.
- Well done to Don Schiltz who successfully soloed a Citabria under Dave's watchful eyes and earned his tailwheel endorsement.
July 2007
- Siegfried Schobesberger came all the way from his native Austria to learn to fly with us. Under Vess's careful tutelage he has flown his first solo in Champ 91E. Well done to Siegfried!
- Erin Standley flew her first solo in Citabria 5032G! Congratulations to Erin and also Dad, Roger, who gave her the flight training.
- Well done to Vess Velikov who has added a Commercial Pilot license to his credits in Arrow 5053S with examiner Mike Shifflet. Congratulatons to Vess.
- Congratulations to Richard Kwant who successfully passed his Sport Pilot checkride with examiner Lou Fields in Champ 2805E. Well done Richard!
- Our July 3rd FAA Safety (WINGS) Seminar will be in collaboration with Tradewinds Aviation in their building and NOT in the terminal. The topic is Soaring Meteorology for Power Pilots given by Zdravko Podolski, based on a presentation by Jack Glendinning (Dr Jack to glider pilots). See Faasafety.gov page and Dr Jack's web page for more info.
June 2007
- Congratulations to Tom Joy who passed his Private Pilot checkride on June 18. Well done Tom!
- The scond fledgling of June is also one of Vess's students. Tom Lighthouse soloed Champ 91E and had his shirttails cut off by Vess. Congratulations Tom!
- A loud "Well done!" to Ted Pierson who completed his Seaplane rating with Norcal Aviation in Calaveras County.
Here is what he said: "I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that I successfully completed my Airplane Single Engine Sea plane training with Norcal Aviation this past weekend. You were correct – it was a GREAT time. It is my opinion that the tailwheel training I received from Amelia Reid enabled me to quickly learn the skills necessary to pass my check ride. Flying the sea plane was great. Take off and landing was really nothing more complicated than the good short field take off and landing techniques I learned from you guys. It was a great time and I recommend it to any qualified tail wheel pilot. Thanks again for the quality skills & training!"
- Congratulations to Rimas Viselga for placing 17th out of 25 competitors in his very first aerobatics contest in Paso Robles. Rimas was competing in the Sportsman category. Not only was this Rimas's first contest, he won first place for newcomers. Check out the International Aerobatic Club web site.
- A different type of fledging. Congratulations to Hiko the Peregrine Falcon. The young tiercel hatched by San Jose City Hall feathery couple Jose and Clara flew for the first time on June 7. His sisters Spirit and Esperanza fledged on June 9. See the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group Web site for more details and for a Web cam link.
- Our first fledgling of June is Ross Wells who soloed Champ 2791E under Vess's supervision. Well done Ross.
- Our "First Tuesday" series of FAA WINGS Safety Seminars continues on June 5th with a presentation from a NORCAL Approach Supervisor about the Bay Area's busy airspace, what Approach control can do for us to make our flying safer, and how we can help them make theor job easier. Come to the Reid Hillview Airport Terminal building for 7pm on June 5th.
May 2007
- Well done to Ken Cleaver for his first solo in Champ 2805E. While Eric watched anxiously from the ground, Ken completed three successful takeofs and landings and earned his solo wings.
- Joel Hofman mastered the controls of a Citabria and soloed onder Eric's careful tutelage. Two in one wek for Eric and congratulations to Joel.
- A hearty "well done" to Raymonds Turaids for earning his complex endorsement in Piper Arrow 5053S.
- At the Watsonville fly in over Memorial Day weekend Jim and Garrett Grant competed in our Taylorcraft L2, N50839. Jim earned top prize in the spot landing contest and Garrett won 2nd place in the flour bombing competition. Congratulations an dwell done to both!
- Congratulations to Matt Nicolary who passed his Sport Pilot checkride with examiner Lou Shields. Well done Matt.
- Patrick Cabral is leaving us for Ohio. He'll be starting his studies leading to an aviation degree at Ohio State. Our best wishes for the future go with him.
- It's three in a row for Tristan. Mark Flanagan earned his Private Pilot license on May 19th. Here's a picture after the checkride with (from right to left), Mark, Mike Shiflett the examiner, and Tristan who was Mark's flight instructor.
- It must be spring! Two more pilots received their Private Pilot License. Sarah Coniglio and Daniel Fedor-Thurman both passed their Private Pilot checkrides after final flight training and test preparation by Tristan. Congratulations and well done to both. Here's Sarah with her prize for earning her certificate.
- Another certified pilot! Conrad Pienaar earned his Sport Pilot Certificate from examiner Lou Fields on Saturday May 12th. Congratulations Conrad!
- The first pilot certificate in May is here. Congratulations to Alex Neduva for earning his Private Pilot certificate in Citabria 06G, with examiner Mike Shiflett. Well done Alex.
- Patrik Rosenast has temporarily left us to go fly skyjumpers in Switzerland in a PAC750XL. We eagerly await pictures. Meanwhile here's a pic of a similar airplane in New Zealand, I just hope his is painted more tastefully.
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Come and fly with us in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area of California. Our flight school is located at Reid Hillview airport in San Jose (KRHV), at the south end of San Francisco Bay and we offer ground and flight training for sport pilot, private pilot and commercial pilot license, instrument rating, CFI (certified flight instructor), tailwheel, acrobatics, and multi engine certificates and ratings.