| 1. Do you fly all year? |
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Answer.. Our flight season runs from
May until the end of October...the primary reason has do to do with
the physical comfort of our passenger in the airplane and their
family members waiting on the ground, as well as the harmful aspects
of cold temperatures on the engine and related systems...we have
found that the appropriate operational parameters, are when the
temperature at 8:30AM (when our first family arrives) is at least 60
degrees on the surface...it will be 15 to 20 degrees cooler at
altitude. The family of our "guest pilot" is welcome to
come out to the loading area to see the airplane, and hang out at
our picnic table with a great view of aircraft landing and taking
off. |
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| 2. How can I place an order! |
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Answer.. Just call 540.635.2203 to
order a Gift Flight Package!. We are not set up for internet
sales.....all sales are done by calling Mark Hutchins, the owner and
pilot of Fighter Command. Payment by M/C, Visa can be done in 3 or 4
minutes....arrangement to send a check in lieu of credit card is
perfectly acceptable....orders are sent as soon as possible, most
typically by Priority Mail or First Class mail.....UPS is available
if needed...If I am not at my desk when you call, just leave me a
voice mail and I'll return your call. |
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| 3. Does the passenger fly in the front or the rear? |
|
Answer.. Our passengers fly in the
rear cockpit, and the reason is safety.....many of the other
companies that fly their passengers from the front have had landing
accidents or collisions on the ground and some of their pilots have
had near misses in the air, primarily because the instructor pilot's
vision was obstructed...we operate in a fairly high traffic
area...and to fly the passenger in the front cockpit, while it might
be a little more fun for the passenger, would add a level of risk,
which we don't feel is necessary for a recreational flight. |
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| 4. What about the weather? |
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Answer.. We fly 4 to 5 people per day by appointment
only....each person on the day's flying schedule calls our special
"weather check" phone number before leaving home....I will
have prepared a personal message, for each person on that day's
schedule by 6AM.....if the weather forecast is not suitable for a
safe and enjoyable flight...the person on the schedule can
reschedule as many times as he/she needs.....our objective is to
save you a wasted trip to the airport if the weather is not good. |
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| 5. Can I change my appointment? |
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Answer.. Absolutely! If you can't make an appointment because
of illness, or a work or personal issue...there is no
problem....just let me know you can't make it that day, so that I
can give that space to another person....of course, just call me
back to reschedule..... |
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| 6. How long is my certificate good? |
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Answer.. A flight certificate is good for a year from
purchase. A flight certificate can be extended to a second year for
a fee of $5.00 per minute of flight....eg. a 30 minute flight would
cost $150.00 to extend for another year. If you had an appointment
scheduled, and were weathered out and haven't been able to fly by
the end of the flying season in October....your certificate will be
carried over to the next flying season at no additional charge.
Special consideration is given to illness, and other issues by prior
arrangement......procrastination is not a reason to extend a
certificate. |
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| 7. How are flights scheduled? |
|
Answer.. Call 540.635.2203 to schedule or to purchase a
flight certificate package. Flights are by appointment only, for
flight certificate holders. Flight certificates are like an open
boarding pass and can be scheduled for a flight during the flying
season....it is generally a good idea to call 2 to 4 weeks ahead of
time to get on the flying schedule.....most folks start calling in
March or April to set up appointments in May.....do not wait until
August to schedule as September and October could be filled already. |
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| 8. What about maintenance? |
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Answer.. Our maintenance is carried out by Classic
Aviation Services located at the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport,
located about 100 miles south of our airport. Classic Aviation's
personnel have several decades of involvement with World War II
aircraft including P51's, BT-13's, DC-3's,B-18's and naturally,
AT-6's...Our aircraft is required to be inspected every 100 hours of
operation, as it is in commercial use, and those inspections occur 2
or 3 times a year depending on how many hours per month the aircraft
is flown....the weather will determine the specific number of weeks
between inspections...it is not possible to guess if it will take 6
weeks or 8 weeks to accrue 100 hours of operation...and so, an
inspection could interfere with a scheduled flight....and of course,
as with the weather, the flight can be rescheduled as many times as
needed, without penalty. The inspections typically take 3 to 5 days
and have cost between $2000.00 and $7000.00 each...engine overhauls
cost about $30,000.00....a tank of gas is about $300.00...aircraft
cost about $150,000.00, major work is done over the winter season. |
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| 9. What is Fighter Command's safety record? |
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Answer.. We have a 100% safety record. Fighter Command has
never had an incident or accident or mechanical in flight failure
resulting in either an incident or accident. The aircraft is
maintained to the highest degree humanly possible, and we are
careful to fly only on days when the weather is appropriate for a
safe and enjoyable flight. |
