What a good month. I’ve been kept quite busy with some aircraft repair work and a couple of inspection. In addition, I’ve picked up an interesting new contract with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Last winter I contacted the head of the Aviation Program there and described my new business to her. She indicated that they would likely need some contract help instructing the students during the Winter, 2014 term.

I have never really taught anything except for a few years of ground school with the Air Cadets. I was a bit apprehensive about standing up in front of 30 or so students and try to get them to understand the nuances of aircraft maintenance, but I was up for the challenge. In August, I was again contacted by SAIT, and we discussed the possibility of teaching part of the Standard Practices lab course. I figured that this would be a good start as it was more of a one-on-one instructional course rather than lecturing.

That plan changed when one of their instructors was recruited by Transport Canada. Suddenly there was an immediate need for help, specifically teaching Aerodynamics to two the AME classes and one Aircraft Structures class for a total of about 70 students. Fortunately, with my background, I am quite familiar with the course material. In addition, most of the course materials were already prepared and only required a review to prepare for. On October 21, I had my first class… a two-hour lecture on aircraft thrust. I’ve now completed three weeks of instructing and I’m quite enjoying the experience. My current contract ends in April, but I look forward to doing more work with SAIT in the future.

Other than that, the only real excitement this month was that I finally got back t work on the Buttercup. Nothing too earth shattering so far, but I did cut my spars to shape.

For those of you new to the club, I am building a Wittman Buttercup powered by a 160 HP O-320. I’ve built it wider than stock and have added a few changes to accommodate both the increased horsepower and speed expected from this combination. As I progress a bit further, I’ll try and arrange for a club visit if there is any interest.

One last note, as mentioned on the cover page, we have had to move out pre-meeting dinner to a new location since the old restaurant has permanently closed. Hope to see everyone at the meeting on Wednesday.