Aviation
Most people who know me know that I have been an aviation nut as far
back as I can remember, and in 2002 I took that obsession to a new level
and got my pilot's license. Here are a few links of some of the sites I
visit most.
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Chuck's Certificated Flight Instructor Training
I started working on my Certificated Flight Instructor rating this year (2011) in hopes
of finishing within 6 months so that I can start teaching my boys to fly. I have started
collecting information that I'll use for my rating, and training and have created a web
page to keep it organized. I'm not planning on re-inventing the wheel, so to speak, so
I've taken a lot of stuff from a lot of different web sites and I plan on modifying it
to a format that I like. I'll acknowledge the authors where possible at the bottom of
the page.
You can find the CFI page here.
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Is Air Traffic Control "Inherently Governmental"?
Some government officials have their minds set on privatizing most aspects of the
government. While for some things, such as the US Postal Service, it might
make sense to privatize, the functions of the government that focus on public
safety should not be.
A lot of pressure is coming to bear from certain public
officials that say that the Air Traffic Control system should be privatized
to bring greater cost efficiencies to the system. One such efficiency is
automating the Flight Service Station system and doing away with the people
at the other end of the phone/radio. If you ever thought that this was a good
idea, listen to this exchange between a local FSS and a panicked pilot...
Flight Assistance
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Scouting
Both of my boys love Scouting, and I love Scouting with them. Scouting has
been a big part of my life since I was a boy and I wanted to make sure that
my boys had a similar experience. Although Tiger Cubs didn't exist, I was a
Cub Scout when I was little, got the Arrow of Light, went on to Boy Scouts,
and became an Eagle Scout. I am hoping that my boys want to go that far, but
I don't want to pressure them into it. Its all about having fun, learning
and growing.
When I signed the boys up I also signed up as a parent volunteer, not knowing
that I would eventually be running the Pack. As it turns out, I have done
everything from lowly Den Leader to Cubmaster, then when the boys moved up to
Boy Scouts, I signed up to be one of the Assistant Scoutmasters. I want to
make sure that my boys enjoy the program, and I can do that by helping out where
I can.
Here are some Scouting links that I have found useful.
National BSA WebSite
Scouting Forms
The NetWoods Virtual Campsite
Pinewood Derby and Space Derby Hints
Scoutstuff.org - OnLine Scout Shop
Boys Life OnLine
Scouting Magazine
Scout-O-Rama
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Other Interests
Anything Automotive
I like to drive and I have always been interested in cars, but I have never been in
the position to own more than the minimum necessary for getting around in today's
society. Well, now, in addition to our daily drivers, I have two toys, my 2008 Jeep Wrangler
and my 2004 Mustang SVT Cobra.
2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra
My Cobra was 14 years old when I bought her in 2018 and only had 36K miles. It
is by far the most powerful vehicle I've ever owned.
- Dyno Tune Results
- Max Power: 472.71 RWHP @ 5500 RPM
- Max Torque: 504.48 lbft @ 3260 RPM
- Max Boost: 13.25 @ 3970 RPM
There are very few modifications, but it does have a few:
- BilletFlow 2.76 inch supercharger pulley
- BilletFlow supercharger belt tensioner
- BilletFlow accessory pulleys
- Magnaflow exhaust
- K&N cold air intake
- Spec-d Tuning sequential tail lights
- Kenwood DDX6705S stereo
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2008 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
I bought the Jeep new in 2008 and I'll never get rid of it because it has a lifetime warranty
on the engine and powertrain. So when the engine is about to die, Jeep will have to fix or
replace it. I've made many modifications over the years, here are the major additions:
- 2.5 inch lift with 17 inch wheels and 35 inch tires
- Rugged Ridge modular bumpers in the front and rear
- Rugged Ridge snorkel
- Rugged Ridge tubuala light bar modified with 52 inch LED light
- N-Fab nerf steps
- Smittybuilt 8000 lb. winch
- High lift jack
I started riding trails with a friend a couple of years ago when we would go
out into the Osceola forest and search for Geocaches. He had an old Jeep CJ7
that we went almost anywhere in and had a great time. When my son got old enough
to enter Boy Scouts it quickly became clear that a sports car would not do
well transporting scouts to campouts, so I needed a new vehicle. The Jeep I
bought is more than sufficient for that task, and it also allows me to go Geocaching
on the weekends as well. I love my Jeep!
Official Jeep Site
2008 Jeep Wrangler Owners Manual
Project-JK.com
JK-Forum.com
JeepForum.com
JP Magazine
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Geocaching
Jeeping and Geocaching go hand-in-hand in my book. Geocaching is an outdoor
activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS)
receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers
(called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a
small waterproof container containing a logbook. Larger containers can also
contain items for trading, usually toys or trinkets of little value. Geocaching
is most often described as a "game of high-tech hide and seek", sharing many
aspects with orienteering, treasure-hunting, and waymarking.
Geocaching.com
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Education has always been extremely important in my family. I graduated
from college in 1993 with a degree in Aviation Computer Science (with the Airway
Science option) from Embry
Riddle Aeronautical University. Although 'Aviation Computer Science'
sounds like a very specialized degree, it is really a software engineering
degree. As it turns out, although I have a great interest in aviation, I have
never worked in the aviation field.
I chose Embry Riddle because it had, and still has, one of the most advanced
computer labs of any university around. If you are looking for a GREAT Computer
Science degree, check out
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
You can take a look at my resume here.
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Chuck
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