1928:  In aviation news, it was the year Amelia Earhart flew her plane east across the Atlantic Ocean successfully, the first female having done so.  In “less real” aviation, Mickey and Minnie debuted in the silent cartoon short Plane Crazy.  It was also the year sliced bread first appeared, leading many Americans to say it was the best thing since bagged bread.

And what’s better than sliced bread?  Getting to experience the premier passenger transport of 1928, the Ford Tri-Motor!  This stable and immaculate bird is 89 years-young, and is ready to take you on a slow ride through history this week at Lanier Flight Center!  Thanks to our friends at EAA 611, we can take a seat in the most popular airliner of the late 1920s and early 1930s.  From Thursday, October 26 through Sunday, October 29, tickets are available for your opportunity to fly the Ford Tri-Motor at our KGVL location!

The Ford Tri-Motor aircraft was first built by the Ford Motor Company in the late 1920s.  EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B, affectionately dubbed the “Tin Goose” (and later “the smooth-skin Ford”), was constructed in 1928 and has an intriguing history, with roles ranging from service in the Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) to Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA), and from Grand Canyon Airlines to Boulder Dam Tours, and much more!

Tickets purchased in advance are $70 for adults; walk up tickets are $75 and $50 for children 17 years-old and under.  Book your spot on the historic “Tin Goose” through a secure flight-reservation system at www.flytheford.org, EAA’s Tri-Motor tour website.  Rides will begin on Thursday, October 26 from 2:00 to 5:00pm.  Rides on Friday, October 27, Saturday, October 28, and Sunday, October 29 will be from 9:00am until 5:00pm.

From the EAA:  “Revenues from the Ford Tri-Motor tour help cover maintenance and operations costs for the aircraft and aid our ambition to keep the ‘Tin Goose’ flying for many years to come.”

We look forward to sharing this memorable event with you and wish to thank our friends in EAA Chapter 611 for making this possible.  For more information on our EAA, please go here:  www.611.eaachapter.org/.

With summer approaching, many of us in the aviation community will enjoy longer daylight hours for both flying and water sports, and if we are lucky enough to experience the perfect marriage of both, we’ll make some water landings!

The Lanier Seaplane Pilots Association is pleased to announce that the effort that began in June 2013 to open Lake Sidney Lanier for seaplane compatibility is making progress.

For those who are new to our updates, the LSPA is a group of like-minded pilots and aviation enthusiasts who would like to share the waterways in north Georgia, specifically Lake Sidney Lanier, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-managed lake.  The LSPA opened communications with the USACE in 2013 which led to the submittal of an Environmental Assessment to the Corps, and the retention of United Consulting, a geotechnical engineering and environmental services group.  Thanks to the wonderful work of LSPA team members and United Consulting firm’s dedication in addressing the USACE’s responses to the LSPA Environmental Assessment, the ball is moving down the field.

Last week, United Consulting received encouraging news that the USACE Buford Office Operations Project Manager stated that the revised LSPA Environmental Assessment was being reviewed and evaluated for where to be included in the overall Lake Lanier Project Master Plan Update.   This openness has been typical of the communication with the USACE local office, and has continued to be the reason that Seaplane Pilots Association Georgia Field Director, Troy Wheeler, says, “It’s a positive sign.  They are open and working with us.”

Thank you for continuing to be a Friend of Our Effort.  We look forward to sharing updates as they are available.

 

 Have you ever flown over a smooth body of  water and wondered what it was like to land  on it?  Or, have you seen beautiful lakes  and rivers in remote destinations and  wondered what it would be like to fly-in and  camp there?  Maybe a new rating is on  your bucket list this year?  For all the ways  you feel the call for adventure,  the Sky  Pirates at Lanier Flight Center  have the answer!

 

Our Sky Pirate Commanders are on deck at our Blairsville Airport (KDZJ) location and are ready to share the thrill of landing on water!  Now you can earn your Private or Commercial SES Rating with Lanier Flight Center, so please keep reading for information on how you can become a Sky Pirate, or give the Gift of Flight to someone interested in splashing-in!

 

Introductory Floatplane Lesson – $275
This Gift of Flight is available for purchase through the LFC website or at one of our Atlanta area locations, and is good for one year from the date of purchase, just like our other gift certificates.You or your favorite aviator can get a feel for what it’s like to be a Sky Pirate!  Land on water in our amphibious floatplane and learn about seaplane operations from our skilled and knowledgeable Sky Pirate Commanders!  This experience is one hour.  Tax included.

Seaplane Rating Package – $2150
This is the all-inclusive package price for receiving the SES rating, Private or Commercial, and is payable before the first lesson.  This is the package for completing the rating in the typical one-week time frame.  It includes:

• FAA Seaplane Handbook FAA-H-8083-23
• LFC Sky Pirates Handbook
• 5 hours of ground instruction
• 5 hours of flight instruction
• Sky Pirate logo gear item
• The FAA examiner fee is an additional $400, payable to the examiner in cash or check at the check ride.  So, the entire program cost is $2550.

Seaplane Training á la carte fees – $450/hr
For anyone needing to span the training outside of the one-week format, an hourly rate for floatplane with instructor is available.

Sky Pirate Commander Contact Info
For further information, or to speak directly with Sky Pirate Commander Steve Thompson, please call 503.836.7734.  Also, you may email SkyPirates@lanierflightcenter.com.

So, set your coordinates for a new adventure, and let’s hear your “Aargh!” if you’re ready to splash-in!

 

Lanier Flight Center and Textron Aviation are excited to announce your opportunity to view a new Beechcraft Baron!
Join us at Lanier Flight Center at our Dekalb-Peachtree Airport location on Thursday, February 25th between 1:00PM and 5:00PM.
Witness the innovations in this steadfast model, and experience the impeccable quality of the premier piston twin engine.
We’ll see you there!

At Lanier Flight Center, we are always looking for the best answer to meet your flying needs.  We value your time, so we maintain on-site amenities like FAA testing and FAA airmen physicals.  Because partnering in your mission is our ultimate goal, we offer everything from flight training and charter, to aircraft management and aircraft sales.  We are always listening to you, our valued customer, and we are excited about launching another solution for your aviation goals.
Beginning this week, Lanier Flight Center is offering flight training under FAA Part 141 authority.  This hard-won certification also opens the possibilities of co-curricular affiliations with institutions of higher learning.  Also, in the time allowed by the VA, we will begin the process to receive approval to honor our men and women who have served our country by accepting the GI Bill for advanced rating flight training.
We look forward to continued growth with you, and especially enjoy the celebrations of each achievement along the way. Thank you for being the reason we fly!