Three Rivers, Michigan, USA
AVIATION INSTRUCTION
On a hot Texas day in late June, Dennis McMillan packed up his wife Dodie and his dog Jazzy, along with his powered parachute and tri-cycle motorcycle in tow, and headed for Southwest Michigan with a goal to be trained and become certificated as a Sport Pilot - ASEL < 87 knot with an additional endorsement of PPL. The following timeline shows this man's determination to become a licensed sport pilot prior to the expiration of the Part 103 training exemption on January 31, 2007. Dennis knew he did not want to throw away his previous training and logged hours as an Ultralight Pilot registered with EAA, which would allow him to add the powered parachute category/class/set to the sport pilot certificate that he sought.
Dennis was determined that he needed to find a flight school that not only was training pilots in the new sport pilot rating but one that also had the certified light sport aircraft available to rent for his training and subsequent checkride. He also felt that he needed to find a school that was knowledgeable and accepting of his previous experience as a powered parachute UFI (ultralight flight instructor) under the EAA ultralight organization's training exemption. His recent purchase of a single seat Phantom, a “fat ultralight,” leads him to the Phantom Aeronautics' website in his search of finding some direction to his quest. There Dennis stumbled across a small flight school located minutes north of the southern state line of Michigan that offered sport pilot training and a handful of light sport aircraft for rent.
The school was Destination Flight, Inc, located on the Three Rivers Airport, in Three Rivers, Michigan and he wasted no-time in calling the school to learn what they had to offer and if his immediate goals to become a Sport Pilot, while on vacation, could indeed be realistic. One phone call lead to two, and two to three and three to four; the final call was to book an aggressive time line of flight training and head north with the camper, trailer and the determination to, “Get'er done!” Dennis and Dodie had never been to the great lake state before and were a little unsure of what to expect.
Ironically, the first day in Michigan was to travel some 60 miles beyond their destination of Three Rivers to meet up with Destination Flight at a pancake breakfast at a neighboring airport. June is fly-in season in the north and there was no reason not to participate in this time tested form of aviation fun and fellowship! Destination Flight had a warm and welcoming tent set up to spread the good news of sport pilot to the ranks of general aviation. The school was there simply to help answer questions about the new rule, the transition for existing pilots and the simplicity of the sport pilot rule for potential new pilots.
A few hours later, back in Three Rivers, the Texas couple was welcomed to the Three Rivers Airport (KHAI) with a warm handshake from the city's appointed airport manager, Ray Galovich. An invitation to “camp” for free on the airport grounds, an introduction to the operations building as well as the Destination Flight hanger and a quick run down of the airport rules helped to solidify Dennis' decision to drive halfway across the country to become a Sport Pilot was a good one. They were given visitor guides to Saint Joseph County and the surrounding areas, maps and advice where to sightsee, shop and eat. A Texas size welcome in the heart of the great lakes region was what the McMillan's received.
The Michiganders the couple met were friendly and loved aviation as much as they did. The airplanes that the flight school manages were in pristine condition and very obviously a valuable member of the flight schools team; the planes were well cared for and it showed. The weather forecast was promising for the next few days, which was encouraging, and Dennis needed to get some rest as revelry was scheduled for early the next morning when he was slated to meet his certified flight instructor at 8:00 AM on Sunday June 25.
At 7:30 AM the next morning Dennis waited outside the Destination Flight hanger with baited expectations about the coming days and just what his flight instructor would be like. Moments later a dark green sedan pulled into the parking lot and a high spirited energetic man approached Dennis on the main ramp of the airport. Mark Munson, a fourteen year veteran of general aviation and a CFI trained at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in 2001, greeted Dennis with a warm smile and a welcoming hand shake and that set the tone for the next 10 days.
Mark Munson took his job to train Dennis for his sport pilot certification seriously and reviewed a detailed schedule of his plans for the coming days. Complete stage 1 of the training by Tuesday and solo by Wednesday, or Thursday … depending on the weather. Start cross country training by Friday afternoon and complete stage 2. Sit for and get a passing score on the SPA knowledge test by Monday evening (targeted also for any rain dates) and initiate the final 3 hours of training for checkride prep before nightfall on Monday. They had to average 2.5 hours of flight time each day to stay on track and meet the sport pilot training minimums in the allotted vacation timeframe. The SPE/SFIE lined up to conduct the checkride, Mark Burpee, would be back in Michigan, after a week in Pennsylvania conducting sport pilot checkrides, just after the first of the month. The target date for Dennis' checkride was the 4th of July; as a team they had a lot of work to do … but student and instructor both agreed that it was doable! The only variable? Weather! (Isn't it always when it comes to aviation?)
The following outline is the training that Dennis received at Destination Flight, as recorded in his logbook by his instructor. From his first flight in the two-place Phantom II to the final congratulatory handshake by his examiner, the flight training vacation was as enjoyable as it was challenging. On July 6th, 2006 at 4:00 PM Dennis McMillan received his temporary sport pilot airmen certificate, with both his ASEL < 87 knot and PPL endorsements, at the Three Rivers Airport. Ultimately, at the end of the day, the trip home to East Texas was the only regrettable part of this aviation adventure and the McMillan's summer vacation in Southwest Michigan.
The weather was cooperative, the people welcoming and the experience rewarding. Learning to fly just doesn't get any better than this.
SPORT PILOT IN 10 DAYS! What a fabulous vacation ...
Dennis and his wife Dodie are all smiles after the completion of the largest hurdle in learning to fly… the first solo. Leaving your instructor on the ground for the first time is definitely a memorable occasion.
Mark Burpee, SPE/SFIE (left) congratulates Dennis McMillan as he formally issues Dennis his Temporary Airmen's Certificate after his satisfactory completion of his checkride in the E-LSA Phantom II N106PH.
Certified Flight Instructor, Mark Munson, conducts the honorary “cutting of the tail feathers” after Dennis McMillan successfully completes his first solo flight in the E-LSA Phantom II N106PH.
Southwest Michigan & Destination Flight welcomes a flying Texan to the ranks of Sport Pilot!
The McMillan's preferred method of ground transportation during their summer vacation at the Three Rivers Airport.
A Texas style Powered Parachute.
Dennis' first solo in the
E-LSA Phantom II N106PH
Dennis' first solo in the E-LSA The smile tells it all as Dennis taxies back across the ramp after his first solo flight in the E-LSA Phantom II N106PH.
