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andings Traffic Archer 015 upwind runway 1-3, staying in the pattern, Landings.” The wind was still and the sky was clear on a cool September evening. With her sunglasses on and pre-flight checklist in hand, sophomore Maddie Fulgenzi climbed onto the wing and sat in her family’s 1973 Piper Archer N56015 four-seater airplane. Following behind her was her father, United Airlines Captain John Fulgenzi. They put on their gray Bose headsets, which would be the only way they could communicate at an altitude of 2,000 feet. The first step was going through the essential preflight checklist. Maddie checked her flight instruments, the engine, and ran through a series of tests just to ensure a safe flight. In case of
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focused on making sure she did everything she needed to in order to get the plane safely off the ground. Flying a plane was not something new to Maddie; it was in her blood. She has been around airplanes her whole life, with her paternal grandfather being an airplane mechanic and her father being a United Airlines pilot. Maddie has 15 of 40 hours needed in order to get her Private Pilot’s License. She wants to solo on her 16th birthday, even before she gets her driver’s license. “It’s always been a goal of mine to solo a plane before I get my driver’s license, which would be pretty cool,” said Maddie. Within seconds, the trees became a blur and the green and white four seater plane was shooting down the runway. “Right rudder, right rudder, aaaannnndddd we’re flying,” said Maddie.
certified flight instructor and he is teaching his oldest daughter, Maddie, how to fly so she can earn her Private Pilot’s License. “Landings Traffic Archer 015 left base, 1-3 Landings.” After being in the air for several minutes, Maddie decided it was time to land. With the small pond next to the railroad tracks in sight, Maddie used that as her turning point towards the runway. “It’s easier if you pick a spot and use that spot every time,” said Maddie. “That way, you know exactly when to start turning and it is consistent every time.”
After adjusting her airspeed, which is vital to having a safe and smooth landing, Maddie passed the trees and was hovering over the runway. After a bumpy landing, her instructor gave her some advice and they were off back into the pattern. “Try to do it a bit smoother next time,” said John. The first landing is always the hardest, and it gets easier from that point on. This was only Maddie’s first landing of about six that she would attempt that night. By the time she got the hang of things, it was getting dark, so they decided to call it a day. They decided to do one final landing, much smoother than the first, and taxied the plane back to their hangar.
emergency, there was an emergency checklist highlighted in red in the backseat. Such
emergencies included electrical failure, engine fire, engine failure, and a fire in flight. Maddie taxied the plane to Runway 1-3 and prepared to take off. As she approached the centerline, she picked up speed, with the plane traveling at 65 miles per hour. While her dad was coaching her through the take off, Maddie was
The plane steadily climbed and Maddie had all control. She was a seasoned pro at taking off; a skill she had been working on for several months. The task of the evening was learning how to land, the hardest part about flying a plane. “Level your wings, Maddie. We gotta level our wings,” said John Fulgenzi. A United Airlines Captain with more than 17,000 hours of flight time, John Fulgenzi is a
This being Maddie’s first time landing, her father talked her through it. When she got in line with the runway, is was very technical from this point on. “Landings Archer 015 on final 1-3 touch ‘n’ go, Landings.” “Point it down...everything’s gotta happen closer to the ground,” said John. “The goal is to pick a point on the ground near the runway threshold. Aim the plane at that point until you get close to the ground. Then, slowly level the plane and hold it off the ground until it is ready to land.”
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Maddie and her dad stepped out of the plane, proud of what she accomplished that cool September evening. “My goal is to solo on my 16th birthday, and so for right now, that is what I am working towards,” said Maddie. “I have a lot more to go, but I am proud of how far I have come.”
October 2015 huntleyvoice.com 19