Mazzie Flying Service

Re: Mazzei Flying Service

8/25: Got 5.8 hours and 4.0 night going to Nevada County, Santa Rosa, and Amador County. I must say that these cross countries are really doing a good job of making me a better pilot. I have more confidence and I understand and anticipate what ATC is going to tell me to do next. The numbers I put on my flight log actually come in with respect to fuel burn and ETA at each checkpoint.

8/27: Did my long 250NM cross country. Went down to Brown Field, just north of the Mexican Border in San Diego. Got 6.8 hours in the plane and 3.9 night. I got to go through LA and San Diego Class B airspace twice and on the way back I had the same radio problems that I had on my last trip down to LA (and yes it was the same plane too). I could hear ATC lound and clear but to them I was all garbled. They could hear just good enough to allow me in the airspace and give me flight following but they were not very eager to do so. It actually took me three controllers to finally get in the system. To add to the mystery of the radio, the radios cleared up again when I got to the Bakersfield/Fresno area just like the last trip. So what does this plane have against LA airspace at night?
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

[ QUOTE ]
.......on the way back I had the same radio problems that I had on my last trip down to LA (and yes it was the same plane too). I could hear ATC lound and clear but to them I was all garbled.

......To add to the mystery of the radio, the radios cleared up again when I got to the Bakersfield/Fresno area just like the last trip. So what does this plane have against LA airspace at night?

[/ QUOTE ]

You would be wise to post no further inquires regarding any radio interference there may have been.

So far as you know, there was none............

ooo.gif
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

[ QUOTE ]
5030.jpg


And unless you're a formation flight, get back on centerline!

grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

LOL........that's exactly how I'm used to seeing the runway, lined up on the "hot" side.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

You must admit that landing was better than the one shown in my new aviator. LOL

5030.jpg


BTW: it sucks that it changes the picture in your post too when I change my aviator.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

8/31: Finished up my Solo X-countries with a 6 hour flight to Red Bluff and Salinas. It was lots of fun the past two weeks and I think I grew a lot as a pilot with the experience I received with no instructor looking over my shoulder.

9/1: Began stage V, Commercial manuevers. Today we went out and did performance takeoffs and landings and had ground school on all the other commercial manuevers. Tomorrow we go out to actually do them. I am looking forward to learning something new.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

[ QUOTE ]
8/31: Finished up my Solo X-countries with a 6 hour flight to Red Bluff and Salinas. It was lots of fun the past two weeks and I think I grew a lot as a pilot with the experience I received with no instructor looking over my shoulder.

9/1: Began stage V, Commercial manuevers. Today we went out and did performance takeoffs and landings and had ground school on all the other commercial manuevers. Tomorrow we go out to actually do them. I am looking forward to learning something new.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey subpilot, there are probably several of us out here who are thankful for your Mazzei blog!

I got my PPL on 8/17 at an FBO at Paine Field in Everett, WA and will have used up my 40 hour block of 172 time after I fly to Tillamook Oregon this weekend.

I've been planning on ATP because it meets my requirements of having a free place to stay and a fixed price for training, but I've just discovered that Mazzei is the other school which also meets these requirements.

[ QUOTE ]
I think I grew a lot as a pilot with the experience I received with no instructor looking over my shoulder.

[/ QUOTE ]
To even be eligible for ATP I need 10 more hours of x-country PIC, which means $1,000 at ATP with an instructor riding along.

I like that Mazzei's program is twice as long as ATP's 3 month program- even though I like a fast pace, I don't want to sacrifice quality of training due to going too fast.

Mazzei: $37,400: 199 hours, 50 multi (+$1,000 fuel surcharge- or more now?)
ATP: $40,000: 200 hours, 137 multi + 50 multi FTD (+$1,000 & 10 hours 172)

What made you choose Mazzei over ATP?

A month ago I did a short C172 flight with a friend who is a Frontier A318/319 pilot. On climb out he said to look out at the wingtip to see its angle to the horizon - I told him that was the first time I had ever done that.
He said that almost all instructors teach wrong because they should be teaching attitude flying, but aren't!
And now I find out that is what Mazzei does!

When they brought you up to their "attitute flying standards" what new things did you learn? What is different?

Is it basically setting pitch attitude by reference to the real and/or artificial horizon instead of setting it by reference to the airspeed?

thanks!

Matt
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

[ QUOTE ]
Hey subpilot, there are probably several of us out here who are thankful for your Mazzei blog!

[/ QUOTE ]
Thank you. I am glad to hear that.

[ QUOTE ]
What made you choose Mazzei over ATP?

[/ QUOTE ]
The truth is that I had VA benefits from being in the military which pays 60% of my training cost; however, you must be in a 141 program to get the money and ATP is only pt61.

[ QUOTE ]
When they brought you up to their "attitute flying standards" what new things did you learn? What is different?

[/ QUOTE ]
I learned to keep my head at the same position at all times. Just kidding. Attitude flying gives you targets to aim for without looking at the artifical horizon. You place your target on the touchdown zone and you instantly have your glidepath and then you just use the throttle to control your speed. It helps with straight and level flight and what I learned today is it helps with performing chandelles and lazy eights. You actually have a target to follow while looking at the horizon. Just remember to keep you head fixed otherwise the target moves on you.


9/2: Today we did Chandelles, lazy eights, and eight on pylons. I think I spelled all those right, too lazy right now to check. I also studied for my commercial written and took two practice exams and scored 88% and then 93%, respectfully. I will study some more this weekend and then take the actual written on Tuesday. My instructor was impressed that I will have my written done with zero ground school.

Next flight is Monday to go over manuevers some more.

Happy Labor Day weekend.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

After a fun Labor Day battling the flu I was back in the air today.

9/6: Today I practiced my commercial manuevers by doing a 1.1 solo flight followed immediately with 1.4 hours with my instructor. I think that a good week of work and these manuevers should be nailed down. Tomorrow I am taking my commercial written.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

Since I'm comparing Mazzei's 7 month program to ATP's 3 month, I'd love to know how many hours a day you spend for flying, for studying and how much sleep you are able to get.

Actually, I just realized this is something I need to ask an ATP student instead... is the 7 month pace a perfect pace? I wonder how rushed the ATP 3 month is... I'll go find out!
Smilecrunch.gif
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

[ QUOTE ]
Since I'm comparing Mazzei's 7 month program to ATP's 3 month, I'd love to know how many hours a day you spend for flying, for studying and how much sleep you are able to get.

Actually, I just realized this is something I need to ask an ATP student instead... is the 7 month pace a perfect pace? I wonder how rushed the ATP 3 month is... I'll go find out!
Smilecrunch.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I am able to get 2 to 4 hours per day with my instructor. Depends on his schedule and what stage of the training I am in. The instructors there are literally going from one student to another and so it is sometimes frustrating when you want to double up on some days but simply can't. I did 75% of my solo cross countries in the evening and night so that there would not be any scheduling conflicts. (plus to build my night hours). As for study time, the rest of the day is left for studying and you can always find someone who can answer a question of look over a flight plan. The pace is just right, I even dare to say a little slower than I would like due to the scheduling issues I already addressed. The school states in the training contract that the pace is based on an above average student who spends at least 5 hours per day, 5 days per week at the school. On average I only fly M-F and I show up between 9am and 12pm (depending on the time of my first flight), I then stay until 3-5pm, again depending on when I got there and if I have any critical events coming up to prep for (ie. a written or stage check).
I hope I answered all of your questions adequetly and please feel free to ask anything else that comes to mind.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

9/7: Today I did 1.5 with my instructor and must say that my manuevers were much improved over yesterday. Still not perfect but I feel confident in my ability to nail them down soon. My area of weakness right now is my power-off 180 and short field landings. I am going out tomorrow morning to work on those solo. I understand what to do in my head but it is transfering that understanding to the airplane controls that is kicking my butt. BTW, almost forgot to say that I got a 93% on the written. I am going to jump right into the CFI written followed by the ATP written. I see no point in putting off for tomorrow something that I can study for today.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

9/8: This morning I went out for 1.6 hrs solo, working on my takeoff and landings. Still having trouble hitting my targets. After the flight I took a practice CFI written exam and got an 80%. Not bad for not studying. I bought the prep book and I am going to take the fundamentals of teaching and CFI exams next Monday. After lunch I went up with my instructor for another 1.5 hrs to do more commercial manuevers, which went very well. He said I am performing PTS on all of them (lazy eights 75% of the time). We then went to Sierra Skypark to work on Power-off 180's. We had a 4kt tailwind and I swear I absolutely hate this manuever because I know exactly what to do in my head but I always miss my target. Either just short or too long on my target touchdown point.
I made my schedule up for the next week and I have enough flights scheduled to have all these manuevers and landings up to PTS standards by next Friday. I am also starting my complex aircraft training on Tuesday. It is nice to be moving on to the next phase even though I am still a little stuck on my current phase. I have plenty of time left to polish the cannonball before my checkride.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

"I absolutely hate this manuever because I know exactly what to do in my head but I always miss my target."

Pull the power and be conservative. Make sure you'll make the runway. Then, do whatever it takes to hit the spot. If you're 10 knots fast, learn to hit the spot and make it stick. It doesn't have to be pretty. Once you learn to do them ugly, but within limits, you can decide for yourself if it's worth it to work on them more or something else.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

Get good at these. I love going over this with primary students on the 1st or 2nd day reviewing emergency procedures. Showing them you can in fact, make it exactly on the spot you want. Good every now and then for a student to see it can in fact be done.

Along that note, I'd highly suggest you have your CFI do one, talking you through it if course, while you watch. The CFI gets the chance to do/try and you get to see that it can in fact be done.

You MUST absolutely, without a doubt, know, exactly, what a power off stabilized approach looks like, in the plane you are in, in all wind conditions. That is really the only way you can show the level of proficiency needed. Anything else is just luck.

I think I did about 50-75 of these power off things, when I was working on commercial, and remember posting about it here. Thought an Arrow II would never make it in there, with the gear already down as specified in the PTS. Then went out late one day with my CFI, and tried a number. Then second day like that. After that, every time I was hitting them, with just an odd mess up now and then if I wasn't paying attention.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

Thanks for the comments. I know I will get it. It is just frustrating because I think I should be doing better than I curently am.

9/9: Today I did 1.4 solo. I practiced chandelles and lazy eights most of the flight because I wasn't quite nailing them. After about an hour I did a steep spiral and some eight on pylons with no issue. Those two manuevers are very simple. On the way back in to Fresno I did a power off 180 and it worked out ok. Tomorrow I have two solo flights. I am going to concentrate on manuevers one flight and landings the other flight.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

[ QUOTE ]
What are you flying while working on your commercial mans?

[/ QUOTE ]

Piper Tomahawks. I will be moving into an Arrow this Tuesday for my complex SE. Then finally to a Seminole for my ME.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

9/10: Finally, I got it. I spend 3.5 hours today working on everything and I finally figured out how to get the plane to do what I want it to do. Spent the first hour working on chandeles and lazy eights. My weakest manuever now is the lazy eight but it is not that bad. I end the manuever too fast and too low about 25% of the time. I then did a steep spiral followed by a couple rounds of eight on pylons. The next two hours was didicated to my power off 180's and short field landings. I went to Sierra Skypark and did 10 power off landings and by the 5th one I was hitting my target dead nuts. I then did 10 short field landings and after about the 4th I had that one down too. Was landing right past the threshold with no floating in ground effect. Feels great to get over this hurdle. Now I can spend the rest of the weekend studying for the CFI written. Next week I jump into the Arrow to learn the complex.
 
Re: Mazzei Flying Service

Any old time Mazzei people reading this? I did my pvt-cfii from Jul00 -Mar01. I'd like to hear from any students or cfi's who were around back then. It would be great to see who stuck it out through the ups and downs and made it a career. Thanks...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top