YOKOTA’S HIDDEN GEM THE AERO CLUB & FLIGHT TRAINING CENTER

YOKOTA’S HIDDEN GEM: THE AERO CLUB

& FLIGHT TRAINING CENTER

AS I STEPPED INTO THE AERO CLUB & FLIGHT TRAINING CENTER, I’M IMMEDIATELY MET WITH A CHORUS OF “HELLO!” AND “GOOD MORNING!” FROM SEVERAL SMILING FACES.

I’m there to meet a Mr. Ray Brannam. He rises from his desk, shakes my hand and beckons me to follow him. With Ray, conversation comes easily.

He’s the kind of person who seems to know at least a little about a lot of things. He guides me just past the office space into a learning center, we take 16 HORIZONS MARCH 2019

our seats and he excitedly tells me that they have new planes arriving later this year. Diamond Aircrafts, to be exact, and they’re going to be a facelift for the planes of the Aero Club. “Our oldest plane is 55 years old–17,000 flight hours.” Their current planes are still a smooth flight, but they only fly on non-ethanol gasoline, and it’s in low demand. “The sole supplier of non-ethanol gasoline here has warned us that we’re the only customer, and they’re going to stop making it.” Instead, they’re making the switch to Diamonds, which use fuels available on base for about three dollars a gallon. These new arrivals mean the Aero Club will keep its $200 per hour flight, a welcome departure from the $300 it usually costs stateside. In Ray’s words, “It’s an astounding deal.”

From start to finish of our conversation, it’s clear that Ray lives, eats, bleeds and breathes aviation. On his commute into the office, which is anywhere between one and three hours, Ray listens to audio courses on aviation. He is on a constant quest for the latest information, and he seems to have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge in his field. His love for the craft–and for teaching it–is obvious and abundant. “I think every instructor you find is gonna be like that.” Mr. Brannam is one of six instructors at the Aero Club; it’s a contracted position that usually pays a little higher stateside. The instructors here believe it to be a labor of love. “It’s a lifestyle, for sure,” he elaborates. “I don’t regret a minute of it, either. I’ve probably spent well over $100,000 myself. That’s quite an education, and I love doing it. I wasn’t sure about the CFI [Certified Flight Instructor] thing, but as it turns out, I like to teach.” The flight training program is uniquely equipped in ways that other Aero Clubs aren’t. “Not every base you go to has an Aero Club. There’s less now than there used to be.” They are one of two Aero Clubs Air Force-wide that offers their state-of-the-art flight simulator. After a recent inspection of their facility, that simulator will now be installed at every Aero Club. It has served Yokota’s branch well and gives students the opportunity to practice their training when weather doesn’t permit the real deal. “The only time they go up is when we’re absolutely, 100% sure that everything is going to be fine,” Ray assures. The flight simulator isn’t the only perk of Yokota’s Aero Club. The experience, test and subsequent certifications are shockingly affordable with their program. “We are the only [Aero Club] that does testing. We provide the Airmen with written tests. They can take their knowledge exams free of charge here. In the states, they charge you by how far away you are from company headquarters. They have to send people out to inspect and stuff, which is $250 per test,” he estimates. “They’re also required to have a medical certificate. There are two doctors in Tokyo that do [Federal Aviation Administration] medicals.” He explains that it’s around $300 for a medical exam. “Recently, one of my students went and got certified and can provide them free of charge for active-duty Airmen.” Ray, and the Aero Club as a whole, is passionate about creating an affordable and streamlined process. There is a firm understanding that getting a pilot’s license is difficult when you are also working full time. A large portion of their program is self-guided reading or online learning. In Ray’s words, the best candidates for their flight training program are “self-starters, because this is a lot of self-study.” They do not compromise on quality, however. Yokota’s Aero Club & Flight Training Center students pass their exams with scores of 85 and above on tests that require a minimum score of 70. This is well above their competitor’s programs, who usually score in the low 70s. There is undeniable pride in Ray’s voice as he shares his proudest moments of being an instructor. Watching his students land for the first time, watching them accept their certificates, they all culminate to what he fondly describes as a “pretty nice moment.” One student seems to jump to the front of his mind. “Last year, we got a message on Facebook from one of the Atlas 747 pilots. He started here. He said, ‘A few years ago I started at the Aero Club there, now I’m rightseating in a 747.’ That’s pretty cool.” Several of Ray’s students have been picked up for an officer program and selected for a pilot slot. “Helping somebody get that is pretty nice,” he shares modestly. Life stationed in Japan is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Yokota’s Aero Club & Flight Training Center want to be a part of that experience. The patience, guidance and expertise of instructors like Ray make it the perfect place to earn your wings. Whether you want to take the skies as a hobby or shift your skill into a career, they are prepared to help you take the next steps. If you want to know more about taking flight here at Yokota, visit the Aero Club at building 4304 or go online to yokotafss.com/aero-club for more information. 17 HORIZONS MARCH 2019