Northern Air training Quest Aircraft pilots

March 26, 2012

By Ashley Glaza Despite the wet weather March has brought us, student pilots have been working hard towards earning their pilot certificates. Kenny Stidham With the addition of the Piper Comanche to the fleet, Northern Air can now train Commercial Pilots and Certified Flight Instructors and on March 9, Kenny Stidham, Bonners Ferry earned his Flight Instructor certification. Kenny is the engineering test pilot for the Kodiak airplanes built locally in Sandpoint by Quest Aircraft Company. This certificate gives him the opportunity to instruct new Kodiak owners on how to fly these unique planes. The Kodiak is a single engine turboprop airplane designed to carry up to 10 passengers or large cargo loads into small or remote locations. The original purpose of the Kodiak was to service missionary and humanitarian work in remote parts of the world, however this versatile plane is finding its niche in a variety of business and personal ventures. Mike Stevens Quest Aircraft Company employs several of the student pilots at Northern Air, and of those, Mike Stevens, a certified airframe mechanic for Quest, just became the newest Private Pilot on March 24. Mike came to Northern Air in October 2011 after hearing about some of the unique training opportunities available, such as learning to do short and soft field landings and take-offs on actual grass runways. After a student has learned the basics of landings, take-offs and emergency procedures and safely completes their first solo flight, they then are introduced to the more complex maneuvers. The student learns and develops better control of the aircraft by practicing maneuvers such as S-turns, turns around a point, rectangular patterns, and steep turns while maintaining constant speed and altitude. You may have seen students practicing these maneuvers if you have ever seen an airplane flying in circles or appearing to swerve back and forth up the valley to the north-west of the airport. The students are then introduced to aircraft performance, and how to take off and land on short and soft (such as grass or gravel) runways. Idaho is one of the premier locations for back-country flying, with its numerous landing strips located in the mountains and along rivers and lakes, such as Cavanaugh Bay on Priest Lake. Many pilots and student pilots dream of summer days when they can fly in to a remote backcountry strip with their camping gear and a fishing pole to spend a few days alone in the wilds of Idaho. To learn more about the Kodiak airplanes built in Sandpoint visit www.questaircraft.com. For information of the pilot training opportunities at Northern Air you can call (208) 267-4359, or visit www.northernair.biz.