Hello from Maryland!

Allan Cobb

Allan Cobb

Pre-Flight
Joined
Apr 2, 2023
Messages
40
Location
North Potomac, Maryland
Display Name
Display name:
cobbU2
Hi everyone, my first post here on this forum. I'm a "somewhat" rusty pilot not having flown anything in the GA world in about three years and looking forward to getting started again before the end of the month. I began flying with a PPL in 1982 (as a non-flying Air Force officer at the Hanscom Aero Club, Bedford MA) and went on to 20+ more years flying in the AF, then another 16 at an airline (the one with no checked bag fees hehe) then taking a pandemic-related early retirement offer in the summer of 2020 that was just too good to refuse. During this whole time I managed to stay (barely) current flying General Aviation airplanes (mostly C152s/C172s) to keep my hand in the genre and to maintain an emotional connection with the type of fun and purely recreational flying that got me started in the first place (as opposed to the "structure" of the professional side of things).

I'm in the suburban DC area, not far from GAI, but until a local move that took me farther away, I was a regular at Freeway (W00). I'm also seriously looking at Davis (W50) with its more rural feel, and only 10 minutes further driving than GAI.

I'm also considering taking the Sheppard Air CFI Mil Comp program, at least just to have it; I'm not quite sure what I would be able to do with it, but it would be nice to have. My 14 year-old son is showing an awakening aviation interest and perhaps I can apply it in some way.

Anyway, looking forward to some fun and informative discussions!

Cheers, Allan
 
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Allan Cobb said:
Hello! Do you fly with Bravo Flight Training? If so, how do you like it?
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I do! I like them a lot. They have a lot more planes and CFIs available at FDK, which is a bit more of a trek for me than GAI. I understand because the SFRA makes GAI more of a pain, and there are simply more facilities available at FDK, but it makes scheduling a bit difficult for me sometimes. But I really like the CFIs I've flown with. Bravo seems to be a very safe operation in my novice opinion, and I've never felt like I've been pushed to do anything that I wasn't comfortable with.
 
I have bad things to say with regards to foreign students/instructors from GAI. I've had several close calls with them....and they don't speak English well. I'm not sure who they are with....but they tend to do the practice on the edge of the SFRA to the north west. I go thru that area and come back from the eastern shore....and have had close calls with them.

One time I had a radar alert with ATC for traffic....they were in the clouds not on an IFR flight plan.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
I have bad things to say with regards to foreign students/instructors from GAI. I've had several close calls with them....and they don't speak English well. I'm not sure who they are with....but they tend to do the practice on the edge of the SFRA to the north west. I go thru that area and come back from the eastern shore....and have had close calls with them.

One time I had a radar alert with ATC for traffic....they were in the clouds not on an IFR flight plan.
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I can't speak for the students, but the two CFIs for Bravo at GAI are native English speakers. There's another school at GAI that's bigger than Bravo's operation there. I would wager they may be from that school.
 
Thanks for the info! I think you may be referring to WIFA, they look like a pretty large (and higher priced) outfit. I have it narrowed down to either Davis or Bravo. The only problem with Davis is they can be hard to get a hold of; their phone doesn’t even have an answering machine! (or voicemail)
 
Maybe we crossed paths at Freeway; I was based there until recently. W50 is a nice little airport, but you probably need to go pound the pavement if you want to reach someone there.

Welcome to PoA!
 
gai seems to have lots of knuckleheads in addition to nearby vfr corridor in the SFRA and Dulles/BWI traffic overhead

I’m probably biased by my recent visit with every plane having their own private version of the pattern
 
Allan,

Welcome, another FDK guy here. I fly with http://www.frederickaero.com/ there until we leave the area in a couple months. Consider the Frederick Flight Center at FDK as well. That's where I did my PPL/Inst getting back into GA after ending my career as an EA-6B NFO.

I flew out of GAI for a couple years with a club and will echo others experiences there. I won't go back and consider myself lucky to have not witnessed a mishap, including one where I broke out on an instrument approach at 700' to find the foreign school in the pattern and the wrong calm wind runway.

Allen
 
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Randomskylane said:
gai seems to have lots of knuckleheads in addition to nearby vfr corridor in the SFRA and Dulles/BWI traffic overhead

I’m probably biased by my recent visit with every plane having their own private version of the pattern
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Sounds like another reason to hold out for Davis or consider FDK!

GMascelli said:
Allan,

Welcome to the forum! Also in Maryland, living on the eastern shore here in OC.
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Excellent... a future destination for us I'm sure.

Pugs said:
Allan,

Welcome, another FDK guy here. I fly with http://www.frederickaero.com/ there until we leave the area in a couple months. Consider the Frederick Flight Center at FDK as well. That's where I did my PPL/Inst getting back into GA after ending my career and an EA-6B NFO.

I flew out of GAI for a couple years with a club and will echo others experiences there. I won't go back and consider myself lucky to have not witnessed a mishap, including one where I broke out on an instrument approach at 700' to find the foreign school in the pattern and the wrong calm wind runway.

Allen
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Sounds good and I know Bravo flies out of both GAI and FDK which would expand rental availability, but I'll look into more FDK options. May I ask which club you were in? I was thinking about Congressional in the future.

Pinecone said:
Hi from another MDer. I am at 0W3 in Harford County.

I get to GAI every so often as I use RPM for some work on my Mooney.

Sounds like we need to plan an MD fly in gathering for lunch some time.
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That would be excellent!
 
Allan Cobb said:
Sounds good and I know Bravo flies out of both GAI and FDK which would expand rental availability, but I'll look into more FDK options. May I ask which club you were in? I was thinking about Congressional in the future.
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I thought Bravo was out of FDK and MRB?

Off to fly this afternoon if anyone's around I'll be at hangar C6 about 1230
 
Pugs said:
I thought Bravo was out of FDK and MRB?

Off to fly this afternoon if anyone's around I'll be at hangar C6 about 1230
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That's true, they actually work out of all three locations, I think GAI is their smallest operation.

And thanks everyone for the welcomes!
 
Allan Cobb said:
Hi everyone, my first post here on this forum. I'm a "somewhat" rusty pilot not having flown anything in the GA world in about three years and looking forward to getting started again before the end of the month. I began flying with a PPL in 1982 (as a non-flying Air Force officer at the Hanscom Aero Club, Bedford MA) and went on to 20+ more years flying in the AF, then another 16 at an airline (the one with no checked bag fees hehe) then taking a pandemic-related early retirement offer in the summer of 2020 that was just too good to refuse. During this whole time I managed to stay (barely) current flying General Aviation airplanes (mostly C152s/C172s) to keep my hand in the genre and to maintain an emotional connection with the type of fun and purely recreational flying that got me started in the first place (as opposed to the "structure" of the professional side of things).

I'm in the suburban DC area, not far from GAI, but until a local move that took me farther away, I was a regular at Freeway (W00). I'm also seriously looking at Davis (W50) with its more rural feel, and only 10 minutes further driving than GAI.

I'm also considering taking the Sheppard Air CFI Mil Comp program, at least just to have it; I'm not quite sure what I would be able to do with it, but it would be nice to have. My 14 year-old son is showing an awakening aviation interest and perhaps I can apply it in some way.

Anyway, looking forward to some fun and informative discussions!

Cheers, Allan
Click to expand...
Welcome to POA.
 
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