General Manager's Article
GM CORNER
Greg Matte, VFC General Manager News Around the Club As we continue to look ahead to the coming months, there are a number of exciting initiatives and activities on the go or under planning, so I thought it would be a good time to provide an update.
Beechcraft Travel Air 95 Rebuild Project The first rebuild (C-GGMF) is progressing nicely with lots of concurrent activity. The AME team is focused on the engine nacelles which have required additional TLC due to wear and tear. Murray Palmer’s master craftsmanship in metal fabrication and fitting has been amazing! The glass cockpit segment is being produced offsite by Victoria Air Maintenance, while the seats are also being re-upholstered off-site by another local company. By the time you read this article, the second Beechcraft (C-GGWA) will have flown to the VFC from Penhold, Alberta bringing with it one of the overhauled engines that will go on C-GGMF. The other engine will be overhauled by our Lycoming expert (Al Girard). We should have also received the two new variable-pitch propellers and gearboxes. For those wondering about the painting of C-GGMF, we require about 20-25 degrees C for the paint to dry evenly, so we elected to allow mother nature to save on the hydro bill by waiting until the day-time temperatures rise into the teens later this month.
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MARCH 2021
Cessna Fleet
Virtual AGM
As the Cessna fleet progress through its phase inspections, the AMO is also taking the time to remove the defunct auto-pilot systems. Although the saving in weight is minimal, it will allow for the removal of these long-standing deferred defects and replacing the yellow tags with green tags on the aircraft journey logs. We’re also in the process of installing the 406 MHz ELT, as they must be installed by November 25th, 2021. These ELTs will greatly improve SAR response as they enable the COSPAS/SARSAT system of satellites to fix a crash location to within 100 meters. Finally, as the exterior lights wear out on the aircraft, they are being replaced with LEDs to increase reliability as well as performance.
As with the recent Annual Awards Gala, the upcoming AGM (scheduled for the evening of Thursday, May 13th) will be conducted virtually using Zoom. Details will be provided in due course as to how this will be conducted, including the voting process for the Board elections. Speaking of which, four of the Board positions will be coming up for election, so if you’d like to be more involved with the VFC during this exciting time of multiple strategic initiatives and activities, then contact me directly for a nomination form. Just a reminder that only Sustaining and Life members in good standing are eligible for nomination/ election to the Board of Directors.
Ground School
Additional Hangar Space
For those who aren’t aware, we now have a highly experienced, Although this has not been formally full-time ground school instructor brought forward to the Board of (Neil Keating). In addition to nearly Directors for consideration, we’ve 18,000 hours of flight time as a been examining a conceptual plan pilot, Neil began his career as a for the construction of additional high school teacher and was also a hangar space at the VFC, as the certified ground school and simulator demand for partial or full shelter instructor with Flight Safety Canada from the elements remains strong. before relocating to Sidney and As with fleet expansion, this is joining the VFC staff. Since his another strategic initiative that will arrival, the VFC has successfully take time to fully develop with the introduced distance learning using Board, and will likely be undertaken Zoom as well as CPL-level ground through incremental phases of school, a revamped mountain rating implementation once approved given course, and RPAS (“drone”) training. the capital costs involved. More recently, he’s begun providing one-on-one tutoring. This has already proven popular with some of our students preparing for their written exams.
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