Caravan 2019 - Mid Atlantic Formation Clinic - registration open

[Ned Gravel]

Great clinic.  First one and I have flown six Caravans already.  They let me help qualify two pilots - one first timer and one coming back after a hiatus.  Made my day!!!

I had forgotten how getting close to another aircraft in flight (something the veteran Caravaners do all the time) would make a non-Caravan-trained pilot feel so uncomfortable.  Total time for a pilot is not the issue.  Mooney time is not the issue.  It is breaking the paradigm to accept that we can actually do such a thing safely, consistently, and repeatedly.  We scare those who have not done this before.

But......watching non-trained pilots get the training, practice the skill, gain the confidence, and look forward to the execution - that is priceless. 

Bob "Breakdown" Belville @Bob_Belville did a great job organising it.

Cue Queen - "And another one Bites the Dust..."  

Queen-Another-One-Bites-The-Dust.mp3

[Bob_Belville]

It's a wrap.

I believe we had a very successful clinic thanks to Ned and many others, particularly Sausage and Slim who crossed multiple time zones to serve as safety pilots. 24 Mooney owners who participated are qualified to fly the MSN-OSH formation into AirVenture!

• 4 days of perfect weather. 
• The Hickory Regional Airport FBO really wanted us there and treated us very well - no ramp charges, $.50 fuel discount, provided our conference room, water and ice and lunch for 40 both Friday and Saturday as well as their 15 passenger van and drivers for 4 days. They hope we'll come back next year. 
• Our local MSC @AGL Aviation, provided breakfast 2 days as well as drinks and snacks. Lynn loaded a tool box on his pickup and was available all weekend "just in case". 
• And the Crosswinds Cafe who catered 6 meals did a great job - the food was delicious, timely, and plentiful. 

[MooneyPoor]

On 6/15/2019 at 10:30 PM, Ned Gravel said:

Great clinic.  First one and I have flown six Caravans already.  They let me help qualify two pilots - one first timer and one coming back after a hiatus.  Made my day!!!

I had forgotten how getting close to another aircraft in flight (something the veteran Caravaners do all the time) would make a non-Caravan-trained pilot feel so uncomfortable.  Total time for a pilot is not the issue.  Mooney time is not the issue.  It is breaking the paradigm to accept that we can actually do such a thing safely, consistently, and repeatedly.  We scare those who have not done this before.

But......watching non-trained pilots get the training, practice the skill, gain the confidence, and look forward to the execution - that is priceless. 

Bob "Breakdown" Belville @Bob_Belville did a great job organising it.

Cue Queen - "And another one Bites the Dust..."  

Queen-Another-One-Bites-The-Dust.mp3 4.92 MB · 4 downloads

Thank you for all the help and encouragement this weekend! I will admit it was nice flying home and not hearing you tell me more rudder! 

[KSMooniac]

Congrats on a successful clinic!

I'm looking forward to the Caravan after missing last year. 74 ships are registered!

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

[Bob_Belville]

Mark your calendars for 2020 MAG Clinic:

When? May 15-17

Where: KHKY Hickory NC 

Details to follow but we intend to repeat everything we did last year - registration will include catered dinners Friday and Saturday by Crosswinds Cafe at the airport. We'll have sponsors for lunches and breakfasts those days as well. 

Jim Rigoulot is Wing Lead and I will serve as clinic coordinator.   

Caravan will limit the total number of planes this year so you'll want to register as early as you can. (MAG is still the only clinic east of the Mississippi and is about 1/3 of the Caravan.)  I'll update here when the Caravan Website is set for Clinic and hotel signup.

[kpaul]

6 hours ago, Bob_Belville said:

MAG is still the only clinic east of the Mississippi

Well Bob, I hate to burst your bubble but the Northern Flights Group is located in Bemidji, MN.  Bemidji happens to be located about 20 miles NE of the Mississippi River headwaters. 

Good luck this year!

[carusoam]

This could be the year...

-a-

[Bob_Belville]

5 hours ago, carusoam said:

This could be the year...

-a-

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

[Bob_Belville]

15 hours ago, kpaul said:

Well Bob, I hate to burst your bubble but the Northern Flights Group is located in Bemidji, MN.  Bemidji happens to be located about 20 miles NE of the Mississippi River headwaters. 

Good luck this year!

Hey, I don't know it Tamara mentioned it, but 49V is hostage until you agree to do one more weekend in North Carolina before you head to Montana...

[kpaul]

4 hours ago, Bob_Belville said:

Hey, I don't know it Tamara mentioned it, but 49V is hostage until you agree to do one more weekend in North Carolina before you head to Montana...

I wish I could.  Hopefully, I can pick it up this Saturday,  I need to get it to the Kansas City area, where it's going to be spending the next 6 months.