Blue skies giving way to fall's end
November 3, 2013
By Ashley Glaza
Northern Air








Phillip Negaard
Blissfully blue skies have graced us this month and the fall colors are more spectacular than ever. Even though the valley may seem hazy, the sky is crystal clear just a thousand feet up, but it won’t last long because November has rolled in.

Phillip Negaard is a new instrument rated pilot as of October 24. Phillip and his wife Jennifer moved to Bonners Ferry earlier this summer so that Phillip could train with Northern Air.

His goal is to become a missionary pilot, so his first step was to earn his instrument rating and, after he returns from an introductory missionary trip to Mexico, he plans on starting his commercial pilot training.

Dominic Bovey
Dominic Bovey of Sandpoint earned his tailwheel endorsement on October 29 after having to postpone his training for a week of fog, but he caught on quickly and was doing perfect solo landings in the Citabria after only a few hours.

Dominic learned to fly with Northern Air in 2011, and then went on to earn his instrument rating in 2012.

Northern Air is currently giving twin engine training. On October 30, Northern Air’s Chief Flight Instructor, Nathaniel Cheshire, earned his twin engine rating in a Piper Seneca.

With several students interested in earning their twin rating, Northern Air leased a Piper Seneca, an asymmetrical twin engine airplane, for the month of October.

Nathaniel Cheshire
Northern Air currently owns two twin engine Cessna Skymasters, but the engines on those planes are configured in line (one on the nose pulls while the one on the tail pushes) and to earn a twin rating without any restrictions, training must be done in an asymmetrical twin.

Asymmetrical twin engine planes have one engine on each side of the fuselage, and training is more involved because the location of the engines can create a significant challenge to aircraft control in the event of an engine failure.

When two engines are running at the same time they produce the same amount of thrust to keep the airplane going in a straight line, but a loss of one engine and its portion of the thrust can create a large amount of torque on the airplane.

An in-line twin has all the thrust from the two engines directed down the center of the fuselage and does not have the same control issues in the event of an engine failure.

To be certified to fly both types of twin engine planes, the pilot must train in an asymmetrical twin and become proficient at flying safely under simulated engine failures.

Jeremy Belford-Cave
Jeremy Belford-Cave, a returning student from Australia, is back from Down Under to earn his commercial rating along with his twin rating in the Piper Seneca which he successfully completed on October 30.

Jeremy has been focused on this goal for the past three years and has completed his private, instrument and tailwheel ratings at Northern Air.

He recently spent several weeks in Africa on a Flying Safari where he rented a Cessna 182 and flew his family around parts of Africa. Jeremy has a commercial pilot job awaiting him in Paupa New Guinea when he leaves here.

Congratulations to all these pilots on their new ratings and endorsements.
The local EAA club is offering several Youth Flight Training Scholarships to youth ages 16-18 in Boundary County.

If you know of anyone interested please have them call 208 267 4359 or visit http://www.757.eaachapter.org/scholarship.htm.

Application deadline is December 1, which is only a month away!