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Chuck's Page
Profile for TKFLT
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.

Personal History
My logbook
Dad's logbook
My 1968 Cessna 177 Cardinal, N3212T
Where has Cardinal N3212T been recently?
Chuck's CFI Page

Places to Go!
Sport Air Racing League
Adventure Pilot
Flying Calendar
Fun Places to Fly
Fly2Lunch.com

Flight Planning Assistance
AirNav.com - Aviation navigation information
DUAT Aviation Weather
Aviation Weather Center
National Weather Service
FAA Temporary Flight Restriction Map
AeroPlanner.com
SkyVector.com - OnLine Aeronautical Charts
Advanced Aviation Scheduling System

Aircraft Information
Aircraft Information from the FAA
Best Practices Guide for Maintaining Aging GA Airplanes
Request Copies of Aircraft Records
Aircraft Registration
FlightAware.com - Track IFR Flights
Flight Radar 24
AD Log

Aviation Safety
FAA Pilot Proficiency Program (Wings)
Free Annual TSA Training for CFIs by King Schools
Internet Search and Rescue
Aviation Mannuals, Handbooks, Brochures and More
The Finer Points
Aviation Safety Videos

Parts and Suppliess
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co.
Chief Aircraft
Brown Aircraft Supply
Sportys Pilot Shop
StockMarket.AERO - Aircraft Parts

Pilot Groups
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Cardinal Flyers Online
Cessna Owner Organization
Angel Flight Southeast

Amusements and Other Interesting Things
Chicken Wings by Michael and Stefan Strasser
Virtual Air Museum
2007 AOPA Sweeps Cardinal
Lightspeed Aviation Headsets
Garmin Avionics
Trade-A-Plane
LiveATC.net

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.

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
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

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