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Sanfordair.com > More Information > Frequently Asked Questions |
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As you might imagine, we get a lot of questions on a fairly regular basis. This is our attempt to answer as many of them as possible. If you don't see the answer to your question here, please don't hesitate to call us (207-324-0905), e-mail us at info@sanfordair.com, or fill out the little form on the right.The sections below include: Flying In <Return to the top of the page.>
Q. Is the restaurant open?A. Generally speaking, the Cockpit Cafe is open on weekdays from 7:00 am until 2:00 PM. On weekends, it closes at 12:00. Occasionally, it is closed for maintenance, holidays or other reasons. It might be a good idea to give them a call at (207) 324-7332. There is also a Deli across the street that is open until 9:00 pm. Q. Are there any fees? A. There is no landing fee at Sanford. Nor is there a parking fee at Sanford Air.. Q. When is Sanford Air Open? A. We're normally open between 7:30 am and 6:00 pm, seven days a week. During inclement weather, we may close a little early. To find out if we're open, or to request after hours service, please don't hesitate to e-mail us at info@sanfordair.com or call us a (207) 324-0905. For emergency after-hours service, you can call one of our managers at (207)651-3000 or (207)651-1210.Q. Can I get an IFR clearance on the ground? A. Yes. There are actually two methods. Q. Can I open or close my VFR flight plan on the ground? A. Yes. You can contact Bangor FSS via the Waterboro RCO (122.25 MHz) for that purpose. Q. Who should I call if I want Flight Following? A. According to the charts, you should call Portland Approach on 119.75 MHz (when Portland Approach is open) or Boston Center on 128.2 MHz (when Portland Approach is closed). However, Sanford is very near the line between Portland Approach and Boston Consolidated Approach. If you're departing in the general direction of Pease or Manchester, you might have better luck contacting Boston on 125.05 MHz (24 hours a day). Q. What's the deal with the expansion of the P-67 prohibited area? A. Whenever the current President Bush comes to visit former President Bush, there tends to be a major expansion to the prohibited airspace around Walkers Point (P-67). While the expansion is not common, it does seem to happen a few times a year. It is also not guaranteed to be as published on the New York Sectional. Please get a briefing from your local Flight Service Station (1-800-WX-BRIEF or 1-800-992-7433) before flying into Sanford (or anywhere else, for that matter). Q. What's the calm wind runway? A. When the wind is less than five knots, please use Runway 32... in line with safety, of course. Q. Is there wildlife in the vicinity of the airport at Sanford? A. Yes. You will find that turkeys, deer, coyotes and flight instructors all spend time on the airport property. As you can imagine, they are very pleasant to look at (except the flight instructors), but can surprise you when illuminated by your landing light during a night landing. Please fly carefully. Q. Are there any noise abatement procedures at Sanford? A. No, and we like it that way. Please fly quietly. :-) Private Pilot Rating <Return to the top of the page.>
Q. Why do people get their Private Pilot certificate? A. A challenging question with as many answers as pilots. But we'll give it a try. There are, generally speaking, three types of Private Pilots. Pilots who fly for recreation, pilots who fly for transportation, and pilots who are looking for a career.There is nothing more gratifying than launching into the clear blue sky on a smooth day without a real destination in mind. Just the opportunity play in the sky, or practice landings, or just look at the view. It's challenging, exciting and fulfilling. Sometimes you need to go somewhere quickly, and a small aircraft is perfect. For example, driving from Sanford to Washington D.C. takes about 10 hours. Flying commercial would take you (including the drive to the airport, checking in and security) five or six hours. But, when you take your own airplane, you can get there in about four hours... on your own schedule. Finally, once you get hooked on aviation, you may decide that you want a career as a pilot. The first rating you'll get will probably be the Private Pilot - Airplane Single Engine Land. From this foundation, you can build the rest of your experience and ratings. Q. Is flying that hard? A. Flying is challenging, but it's not really difficult. While the learning curve is steep, the truth is that virtually anyone, given the motivation, can learn to fly an aircraft. Q. How hard is it to get a medical certificate? A. The simple fact is that this is one of the less flexible parts of the aviation industry. However, there is good news. First, the regulations aren't that stringent (at least for those going for a third-class medical). You can find them in 14 CFR Part 67 . As long as you're in reasonably good physical and mental health, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting your rating. (Remember to eat your veggies!)Second, the Aviation Medical Examiners are on your side. Believe it or not, most of them want you to get your medical certificate, and they'll work with you and your doctor(s) to resolve any problems that might come up. We have a listing of Aviation Medical Examiners on this site. Click here to see it.Finally, even if all else fails, the FAA has recently introduced the "sport pilot" certificate. (We don't currently have
any "sport sized" airplanes for rent, but...) Just bear in mind that you are not eligible to fly sport aircraft if you have
flunked your last attempt at getting a medical. If you've never flunked a medical, however, you can fly so long as you have a drivers license. Q. How much does it cost to get a Private Pilot Rating? A.
Not to duck the question, but it depends. At the end of the day, however, it depends on what kind of aircraft you want to learn in, and how many hours it takes for you to gain the necessary skills and knowledge. These can
be affected by how often you fly, how hard you study on the ground, and just natural physical ability. To get a personalized prices estimate, don't hesitate to call one of our flight instructors at (207) 324-0905.
There are, however, a number of things that you can do to reduce the cost of your rating. These include:
Instrument Rating <Return to the top of the page.>
Q. Is it true that an Instrument Pilot can fly in any weather? A. In short, no. All an Instrument Rating means is that you can fly in reduced visibility. Remember that clouds aren't the only hazards out there. Ice and thunderstorms are both hazards that all pilots try to avoid. What separates the airlines from the bug smashers is the equipment they have to deal with and help them avoid these hazards. But the best cure is still prevention.Q. Is it hard to become an Instrument Pilot? A. Not any harder than it was to become a Private Pilot. It's just that an Instrument Pilot needs to be a lot more cerebral than his/her VFR cousin. You may not be able to see where you're going, so you have to infer your location from the gauges. You may not be able to see the weather, so you need to get your weather information from other sources. Q. In short, what do I have to do to become an Instrument Pilot? A. It boils down to four things: Q. I've heard that you can use a safety pilot instead of an instructor for some of your hood work. Tell me about this. A. Absoloutly. Indeed, this can be the most fun part of being an Instrument student; the opportunity to meet a fly with other pilots. According to the FAR's, whenever you are flying solely by reference to the instrument in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) you must have a qualified safety pilot on board who can look for traffic. This person must hold at least a Private Pilot certificate, and be rated for the category and class of the aircraft being operated. The leads to the old tradition of "splitting time" where one pilot flies out, and the other flies back. Q. I'm flying with a safety pilot. Who can log PIC time. A. I'm not an attorney, an FAA legal affairs person, or even very smart. So don't put much faith in this answer. However, here's the way we understand the regulation at Sanford Air. What does this mean? So long as you decide prior to flight that the safety pilot will be the Pilot in Command (I would argue that this would be a prudent decision as he/she will have the most information on which to base decisions... the gauges and the windows) then the safety pilot can be a log PIC time while the other pilot is flying solely by reference to the instruments. Furthermore, as the other pilot is the sole manipulator of the flight controls, then he/she can log PIC time regardless of whether he/she is actually the Pilot in Command. Q. I don't ever intend to use my instrument rating, but I'd like to get it as an "insurance policy". is this a good idea? A. Be careful. Pilots with instrument ratings still show an uncanny ability to lose control of the aircraft in the clouds when operating under VFR. Especially those pilots who don't practice their instrument skills enough. Indeed, the best way to keep your instrument skills sharp is to use them. Commercial Pilot <Return to the top of the page.> Q. What are the benefits to being a Commercial Pilot? A. Obviously, if you want to make money as a pilot, or even if you just want to teach flying, a Commercial Pilot certificate is a necessity. In some cases people get the certificate just to improve their skills, demonstrate their skills to their friends and coworkers, or in an effort to get a discount on their insurance premiums.Q. What jobs are open to newly minted Commercial Pilots? A. Not a lot. The truth is that insurance companies have a lot to say about how the aviation industry is run. As a result, you're not likely to get a job with just a Commercial Pilot Certificate, and the minimum number of hours. However, you're on the right track. The classic career path in civilian aviation involves starting as a flight instructor (for which you'll need a Flight Instructor Certificate to go along with your Commercial Pilot Certificate). Once you gain enough experience, you can then move into some other work, such as (but not limited to) charter, corporate or commuter airlines. Obviously, most professional pilots dream of flying big airplanes for the airlines or flying snazzy new jet for a charter, fractional or corporate outfit. But the career path is often a long one. Q. What types of maneuvers do I need to master to become a Commercial Pilot? A. That's easy. You'll need to master the chandelle, the lazy-eight, 55-degree steep turns, a descending steep spiral, eight's on pylons, spot landings, and all the takeoffs, landings and emergency procedures you learned when getting your private pilot rating. It's not really all that hard. It just takes practice .Flight Instructor <Return to the top of the page.> Q. What does it take to become a flight instructor? A. Once you've attained the Commercial Pilot certificate, you (in theory) have all the aviation knowledge you need to be an effective flight instructor. As for flying ability, you may need some practice before you can fly to commercial standards from the right seat, but you should be close.The hardest part about becomming a flight instructor is learning to teach. If you already have an education background, you may have an advantage. Just remember that you'll be teaching (for the most part) adults, and you'll be teaching both knowledge and a psychomotor skill. Q. I've heard that the initial CFI checkride is a nightmare. A. Yes and no. If your definition of a "nightmare" is a detailed evaluation of your abilities as a pilot and instructor, then yes, you're going to have a "nightmare". On the other hand, while long an arduous, if you're prepared, it won't be that difficult. Aviation folklore is full of stories about the rogue FAA inspector who loves to do nothing more than fail CFI candidates. The truth is most FAA inspectors don't really care if you pass or fail. If your ready, they want you to pass, and if your not, they won't hesitate to fail you. When you realize that everyone who passes can start teaching people to fly airplanes immediately, I don't think you'd want it any other way. Q. What knowledge tests do I need to take? A. You need to take (most likely) two knowledge tests. First, you need to take the CFI written, which covers aviation knowledge. Second, you need to take the "Fundamentals of Instructing" exam, which covers learning theory. (There are certain people who do not need to take the FOI exam, so read the regs.) .Renting Aircraft <Return to the top of the page.>
Q. What aircraft should I learn to fly in? A. Sanford Air offers three choices for individuals working on their Private or Recreational pilot certificates: the Cessna 152, the Cessna 172 and the Piper Warrior.The least expensive of the group is the Cessna 152. It also happens to be the easiest to fly - which is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your point of view. Some things to consider when considering the Cessna 152: The Cessna 172 and the Piper Warrior's are, for all intents and purposes, Cessna and Piper's versions of the same aircraft (the general 4-seat airplane.) As a result, the decision on which one to use is more a point of personal preference. To compare the two types, and to discuss the advantages and disadvantages with one of our instructors, we invite you to visit us. Q. Do I need to carry any insurance? A. This is obviously an question for which there isn't a generic answer. Suffice to say that we carry hull insurance and $1,000,000 renters liability insurance on each aircraft. Most pilots feel that this is sufficient. However, if you would like more insurance, there are a number of quality insurance carriers out there, including the: AvWeb.com has a series of great articles on
Insurance, including one on renter's insurance. Q. How often to I need to fly to stay current? A.
Another dangerous question, for which the answer will vary from person to person. If you haven't flown a Sanford Air aircraft within the last thirty days, we ask that you take a few trips around the pattern with an
instructor to knock the cobwebs off. That being said, if you feel a bit rusty, don't hesitate to schedule some dual instruction anytime. Heck, even our instructors get dual from time to time <Return to the top of the page.>
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