Take to the Skies! Granbury Regional Airport Newsletter volume 4. February The Friendliest Little Airport In Texas.

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1 Granbury Regional Airport Newsletter volume 4 February 2017 News from the Granbury Regional Airport...KGDJ. The Friendliest Little Airport In Texas Thanks to your support, we have 342 people who have signed up to receive our newsletter. I also post it out on the North Texas Aviators Facebook page, which has 1,112 members. It is also posted to the Granbury City Website in the airport section. Come join us each morning for coffee and donuts with the KDGJ Morning Coffee Club for fellowship and lively aviation conversation. If you are not on our mailing list and would like to receive a copy, please send an to Steven Vale at sevale@verizon.net. Publisher : Jim Hyde. Editor: Steven Vale In This Issue Airport News Eagles Nest Update Pancake Breakfast Hyde Flight School News Meet a Neighbor SURE*FLY Spring has sprung. Get out and go flying and come see us for fuel and great eating and shopping with 4 courtesy cars in beautiful Granbury, Texas! Take to the Skies! 1

2 Albeit slow, progress is being accomplished on the Runway Project. How do you eat an elephant - one bite at a time. The relocation of the electric lines is as big a project as building a runway. We have a grant in the amount of $666,667 for the engineering and design of the relocation. A lot of the moving pieces have been tied down, i.e. the new substation location has been agreed upon by Brazos Electric. We have contacted and met with most of the owners of the easements we need for both the transmission lines and the distribution lines. I have contacted a contractor willing to take down the trees and brush that will be needed for the new runway. So you will see some movement in that area as well. We will be addressing the barns and house that are in the Runway Movement Area within the next couple of months. In addition, we will be installing fencing of the property that we have acquired for the new runway. Lots of things are going on and the excitement should build along with the momentum. We are moving the ball down the field. Thank you and stay tuned in. Hawk 2

3 Operations Pat Stewart Revised FBO Hours On Monday, February 20th our hours of Operation will change back to 7 AM to 7 PM. Please welcome Paul Bell to our team. Paul will be working on Saturday and Sunday. The airport is supported by a great team of airport customer attendants: Steven Vale, Monday and Tuesday Chris Varlaro, Wednesday and Thursday Fred Pearce, Friday and Saturday Paul Bell, Saturday and Sunday Joe Burton, Backup support These guys are our ambassadors and do a great job representing the Airport and Granbury. Please come out any time and visit the airport, our team is proud of the facility and always ready to answer any questions and show you around. Pat 3

4 Operations Pat Stewart Eagles Nest Update: As the school year progresses so does the full sized two seat airplane being constructed by students at Granbury High School. The students are part of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program. The construction is part of a nationwide program named Eagles Nest Project. The airplane is being built entirely by a group of 24 senior students at the school under the supervision of their Aerospace Technology teacher Mark Kirk and about 12 volunteer mentors from throughout the local area. The RV-12 all aluminum airplane is being constructed from a Van's Aircraft kit. The kit composed of thousands of parts require the students strict adherence to hundreds of plans sheets. The students have learned to read and interpret the instruction manual and thousands of assembly drawings. They have mastered the use of basic metal working tools and developed hands-on metal working skills. By working in small groups on many subassemblies the students are acquiring and demonstrating planning, problem solving skills and leadership. The bulk of the airplane is riveted together using common shop and metal working tools. The students are learning about and installing the flight controls, engine, fuel system, and total electrical system to include modern electronic instrumentation and an autopilot. The airplane will feature all the latest safety features and state of the art moving map navigation and computerized engine monitoring. This first completed aircraft will be painted in school colors including mascot graphics. It will then re-located to Granbury Regional Airport where build-students will be eligible to receive up to 20-hours free flight instruction in the aircraft they built. Eagle's Nest Project covers all the bases and seed money to cover the cost of the first two aircraft. Then the Eagle's Nest Projects becomes a self-sustaining program by selling the second completed aircraft to cover the cost of the third and so on into the future. 4

5 Eagles Nest Update: Mentors build the student... students build the Aircraft" 5

6 2017 Pancake Breakfast Schedule 22 April - Brazos River 99s 27 May - CAP 24 June 22 July - CAP 26 August-Forward Training Center 23 September-Brazos River 99s 6

7 Our facebook page: facebook.com/hydeflightschool/ Hyde Flight School News Jim Hyde owner We are an official distributor of King School Private Pilot Courses (selfpaced, online training) and offer this to our students at a discounted rate. Our students that have completed the King School and taken the written exam, have passed. With these results, we are confident the King School Course is a great tool to supplement instructor training and helps our students be successful on their written exam. We have a new website to compliment our FB page. We have six new student pilots that have joined the flight school this winter. Our instructors have also been very busy with currency training and checkouts. Tristan Gray is our newest private pilot passing his check-ride in November. Congrats Tristan! He is now pursuing his commercial rating. John Gray has his student, Zach Paul that is just a couple of hours away from his first solo flight. Mark Morton s student John Cox completed his solo, solo cross country and is studying for the practical test private pilot. He is also preparing for the Navy and expects to head out at the end of February (thank you John!) Greg Engel s student Mike Bowshier is also very close to his first solo. Jim Zoeller s student Civil Air Patrol Cadet Chase Wakefield completed his solo cross-country. Many Great things are happening at Hyde Flight School!

8 Our facebook page: facebook.com/hydeflightschool/ Hyde Flight School News Jim Hyde owner Jim Zoeller s student Civil Air Patrol Cadet Chase Wakefield completed his solo cross-country.

9 Hyde Flight School Happenings Continued. Congratulations to John Cox on completing his first solo cross country! 9

10 Hyde Flight School Happenings Continued. Congratulations to Cody Sillivent on his first solo on February 20, Cody is pictured here with his flight instructor John Gray. 10

11 Approaching Granbury Regional Airport on Howard Clemmons Road you will drive past an unassuming metal building complex. What most people didn t realize, within the confines of that building, most of the worlds aircraft starters and alternators were manufactured. The recent sale of those businesses left a very talented work force idle and a group of energetic entrepreneurs with a confirmation that hard work and risk taking pays off. SureFly Partners Ltd. has designed an electronic ignition system for piston engine aircraft. The SureFly Ignition Module (SIM) is a solid -state electronic replacement for an aircraft magneto. A magneto is very early ignition technology. A magneto is also very much a mechanical system. With all things mechanical, you must replace worn parts. A magneto must be removed from the aircraft engine and have periodic maintenance performed. The SureFly Ignition Module is a maintenance-free system, designed to last the life of the aircraft engine, ultimately reducing cost for the aircraft owner. The SIM also provides ignition advance, which allows for a reduction in the amount fuel consumed. These are just a few of the benefits of the new system. There are four models in the SureFly lineup. These four models will replace every four and six cylinder aircraft magneto. SureFly is currently working with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to certify the ignition units. The certification effort is expected to be complete by the summer of For more information visit or call

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