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3 Mar 2012 -- THAI FLYING CLUB WINS pcs PRECISION FLYING EVENT – In one of the most miraculous victories in recent memory, Thai Flying Club Senior member Fernando "Alongzo" Ponsa won the Precision Flying Rally at Eastern Flying Club with special navigation operations specialist Daniel Macak (George's brother). It was over 100 miles of grueling terrain with 12 reporting points. The weather was severe but fine with gusting winds, but Fernando and Daniel pressed on over all 12 reporting points. There were 14 planes in the competition, and this was the most exciting and most attended flying competition that we have seen in Thailand since Oshtak 2003 Treasure Hunt from Tak to Pai. Khun Mike organized this amazing competition at Eastern Airport. Second place went to Geoff & John. Third place went to Addy & Mike navigator. The Precision Flying Cooperation required teams of two (pilot and a hard-working navigator) to fly a prescribed course with as much accuracy as possible. At the end of the exercise there was a spot-landing event that was part of the overall score. The spot landing was especially exciting, because it was in the center of the 300 meter runway, so after landing on the spot, you had 150 meters to stop your plane RAF style. If you land before the line, you were immediately disqualified, but after the line was okay. Prizes of astronomical value were awarded to the winners of each category. Fernando reports that he won a TROPHY and a TIE-DOWN SET for his outstanding victory. He plans to use the tie-down in Sriracha at the Phoenix Club. We were very fortunate to have Boz Robinson (ex - R.A.F. and British Precision Flying Team) to mastermind this competition and pcs for their generous support. There were 30 marshals scattered along the 100 mile course. More details posted on Mike's EFC Blog -- email Mike -- mikegillam@hotmail.co.uk. There were 14 planes -- Fernando was the only member of Thai Flying Club, Kenny and Peter Millar in Kenny's trike, Dan in Corvus, Khun Nimit and Khun Dream in a Trike, Ed is coming to navigate but can't compete in his Tacnam, Neil was there. Eduardo was there. Andy Flude and Andy Dent. Jerry was there with the virus. Athem from Russia. George Macak flying. Hans from Dok Rai. Gunter with his Ecolot. Andrei from Russia. Russian TV covered the event. Alongzo was drinking wine out of his trophy until 1am. Peter Thompson and Sunny from Tantawan were there. A GREAT AVIATION EVENT. The best we have seen in 6 years. Congratulations to Thai General Aviation. View the video below. THE NEXT PRECISION EVENT WILL BE 23 FEB 2013. 11 Mar 2012 -- WORLD GREEN FLIGHT VISIT TO PATTAYA -- Khun Neil announces that Matevz from Slovenia will arrive at Pattaya Airpark in his Pipistrel Virus flying West around the world. Very exciting project -- www.worldgreenflight.com 26 November 2011 -- THAI DCA WORKING HARD – Even with most of Bangkok still underwater, The THAI DCA has been hard at work maintaining aviation safety and keeping General Aviation in the air. Khun Wanchai, Khun Montree, and Khun Chan took time out of their very busy schedule to visit Eastern Airport and check several light aircraft that needed C of A renewals. This shows the commitment of the Thai DCA to promoting General Aviation in the Kingdom of Thailand, and we would like to thank these officers for their very good service and the extra effort they made at this difficult time. They are seen here standing in front of the commercial skydiving Pilatus Porter which now has a new engine and propeller and is hopefully ready to go next month with www.thaiskyadventures.com -- Thailand is one of the leading countries in Southeast Asia for commercial skydiving, and this activity alone has brought a lot of tourists to Thailand, because there is really nowhere else in Asia with a skydiving operation run as safely and efficiently as this one. Congratulations to the Thai DCA for extraordinary effort at this difficult time to keep everyone flying, and thank you Khun Wanchai, Khun Montree, and Khun Chan. (Thanks Khun Paul for a nice photo). 26 Sep 2010 -- TFC MEMBERSHIP CARDS ARE READY -- The Thai Flying Club now has TFC MEMBERSHIP CARDS available for members. As of 10 October, we have already made 25 of them. The cost is 300 Baht each. Any member can request one. We need your 1. Name, 2. Membership No, 3. License No, 4. JPG photo, 5. Payment of 300 Baht, and we will make your TFC Membership Card for you in 5 days. The back of the TFC membership card is an IAOPA AIR CREW CARD for Airport Security to allow access to your aircraft and to Hotel Operators requesting the normal courtesy discount for Air Crew. If you lose your TFC membership card, you can replace it at any time, so this is a safer and more convenient way to gain access to your plane on the ramp -- ORDER YOUR TFC CREW CARD. SAVE YOUR AIRPLANE FROM CORROSION -- ACF-50 NOW AT TFC -- The best way in the world to protect your plane from corrosion in Thailand is to spray exposed metal with ACF-50. We now have ACF-50 available in the club in spray bottles for 1,500 Baht per bottle (ask Tui in the office or email info@thaiflyingclub.com). Do not ignore corrosion -- it will kill your airplane -- more info on ACF-50. WANTED -- FAA IA MECHANIC & AVIONICS REPAIR -- There is a need for an FAA certified IA mechanic with experience on Cessna aircraft to do an annual inspection in Thailand. If you are visiting Thailand and you have this experience, then please email TFC. There is also a tremendous demand for any person or company that can repair aircraft avionics in Thailand. There is not any company that can do this. If you know of anyone, please let us know -- Email TFC |
SAWADEE
KAP Welcome to THAI FLYING CLUB. We are the first and the oldest flying club in the Kingdom of Thailand, and we are committed to the development and promotion of General Aviation. Bang Phra Airport is the most challenging and exciting airport to land in all of Thailand, because we are right next to a mountain. Pilots who learn to land here can land anywhere. We are also the representative to IAOPA in Thailand and Southeast Asia. If you are interested in learning to fly, or if you would like to learn more about sport flying during your visit to Thailand, then please contact us. Email Thai Flying Club HOW TO FIND US The Thai Flying Club is located at Bang Phra Airfield (VTBT) about 3 Kilometers East of the small village of Bang Phra. We are about a 90 minute drive Southeast of Bangkok or a 45 minute drive North of Pattaya. If you are coming from Bangkok, you can take a taxi to Sriracha (about 8 km North of Sriracha) to the Bang Phra Golf Club. We are right near the Golf Club and they can direct you. You can also come by Bus: Go to Ekkamai Skytrain Station. Walk to Ekkamai Bus Station. There are buses leaving from Ekkamai Bus Station (in Bangkok) every 30 minutes. Take the bus to SRIRACHA. Ask to get off in BANG PHRA (about 8km North of Sriracha). Near the 7-Eleven shop, you will find many Motorcycle Taxis or Tuk-Tuk Taxis. Ask them to take you to "Snambin Bang Phra" (Bang Phra Airport). The airport is located on University Campus "Kasetsart Bang Phra" near Bang Phra Golf Club. You enter the University and turn right at the clock tower. Stay left, and you will come to the runway. You will see the clubhouse across the runway. Use the Googlemap because finding Thai Flying Club is not easy. Enjoy the adventure. HOURS OF OPERATION The Thai Flying Club is open five days a week. Wednesday thru Sunday: 08:30-17:00 hrs. These hours are "local time" (Thailand local time is GMT + 7hours). A detailed road map shows directions how to find the club if you are traveling by road from Bangkok or Pattaya. Bang Phra is about 8 Kilometers North of Sri Racha on Sukhumvit Road. Please note that you can use Sukhumvit Road or the Motorway to reach the club. There are several Golf Courses near the club. The club can be opened Monday, Tuesday and on Holidays for landing and departing aircraft (cost 500 Baht fee for Num - Call 0894088198). CONVERSION RATE The US$ to Thai Baht conversion rate is approximately US$ 1 = somewhere around 30 Thai Baht. Check current exchange rate for Thai Baht. We accept credit card or cash payments or wire transfer. The club currently has approximately 700 members and 20 aircraft. BANG PHRA AIRFIELD Identifier: VTBT Location: 13*14'N x 100*57.5'E Elevation: 90 Feet Runway heading: 05/23 Runway length: 900 Meters Runway surface: Asphalt Tower Frequency: 122.3 Mhz Telephone: 038-777348 and 081-9962957 Pattern Altitude: 800' MSL with left hand circuit. This picture is taken after departing from Runway 23. (caution: high-tension electric wires run parallel to the railway tracks; use VASI when landing Runway 05). AIRPORT DIAGRAM The Bang Phra airfield has a mountain on one end of the runway and high-tension wires on the other (click diagram to enlarge). The airfield is very safe once you have been checked out by one of our instructors. Bang Phra is in a beautiful location - surrounded by white beaches along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, several international standard golf courses, a fresh water reservoir with a bird sanctuary, and several National Parks for viewing wildlife in Thailand. There are several hotels near the flying club. MEMBERSHIP Life Member: 50,000 Baht initial + 2,000 Baht per year. Annual Member: 10,000 Baht per year. You have full voting rights after one year as an Annual Member. Annual Members can become Life Members on their sixth year of membership if they 1. have been an Annual Member for 5 consecutive years, 2. own a share in an aircraft, 3. are in good-standing, 4. pay the annual fee and the life per annum fee on the sixth year (thereafter Life Member fees are only 2,000 Baht per year). Please contact the Flying Club office if you have any questions. This picture shows TFC member Khun Taned in the Wilga (owned by previous TFC President Khun Wichai) Form to join the Thai Flying Club. Wiring money to Thai Flying Club |
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LOCAL FLYING There are many local airstrips in the Chonburi area. This area is under U-Tapao Approach control, so General Aviation has been allowed to actively grow. The procedure is to fly with your transponder on and maintain radio contact with U-Tapao Approach on VHF frequency 119.7. - Print a MAP of Local Airstrips (A4-size Map to use while flying locally). - View a LARGE detailed MAP of Local Airstrips (to study the area). - Caution Flying Hazard near Jomtien Beach (Cable Car and Tower 900') REPORTING POINTS The Following are "Reporting Points" around Bangkok used by Bangkok ATC for VFR aircraft. The points are in relation to BKK DVOR (117.7 frequency). HIN KONG - below 3500' -- Radial 028* / 34.8 DME BANGNUM PREAW - below 1000' -- Radial 097* / 26.4 DME BANG PAKONG - below 1500' -- Radial 137* / 34.3 DME KOH SICHANG - below 4500' -- Radial 167* / 45 DME SAMUT SAKORN (SIERRA POINT) - below 4500' -- Radial 221* / 27.5 DME LAMBUA LUANG -- Radial 314* / 23.5 DME AYUTTAYA - below 2,500' -- Radial 356* / 28.3 DME |
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INSTRUCTORS The Thai Flying Club instructors have been professionally trained and are all highly experienced with more than 3,500 hours instruction each. They speak English and have a very high concern for flying safety. During the weekend, the instructor's fee is approximately 800 Baht per hour. During the week, the instructor's minimum fee is approximately 1,500 Baht (for up to two hours) then the normal 800 Baht per hour after that. Prior arrangements must be made with the club to fly with instructors during the week. If you are new to Thailand, please come and visit us to find out more information. We are very busy on the weekends, so please be patient or try to contact us sometime during the week. HELICOPTER INSTRUCTION Currently, there is no helicopter instruction available in Thailand. However, there is helicopter instruction available in Malaysia. |
GROUND
SCHOOL & FLIGHT
INSTRUCTION The Thai Flying Club offers PPL (private pilot) flying courses with a FREE GROUNDSCHOOL. To date, the club has trained and certified many Thai and Foreign students. The club can also help you apply to validate your foreign pilots license for flying in Thailand. The flying course is 60 flight hours and the total cost of learning to fly is about 350,000 Baht. To obtain your Thai PPL, you must 1. Complete an aviation medical examination (one day in Bangkok Hospital), 2. Join the club (10,000 Baht), 3. Submit an application for SPL (200 Baht), 4. Study in the TFC FREE Groundschool (to receive a letter from TFC), 5. Log 60 hours of flight time, and then you can sit the DCA written exams (given once every 3 months) and take a DCA checkride. The ground school in Bang Phra is FREE for everyone, and you can join anytime you want. The DCA has to do a background check on SPL applicants, so it can take 2-3 months to receive your SPL. Start the process early and begin your groundschool studies, so that your SPL will be ready when you are ready to fly. CONGRATULATIONS to Thailand for this great improvement (it used to take 7 months for foreigners to obtain a SPL). Students can only begin to log hours in their logbook after they have received their SPL. If you think you want to learn to fly, then begin this process immediately, so that you can start flying as soon as your SPL is ready. The club charges an hourly rental rate for the airplane (rates vary with type of plane) and the club charges an hourly fee for instructors (see plane and instructor rates). A prospective student may solo with consent of the instructor (usually after 12-20 hours, depending on frequency of flying) after he has his SPL. 30 minute "INTRODUCTION FLIGHT" - 3,000 Baht weekends. Learn more about Ground School in Bang Phra |
DOCUMENTS The Private Pilot (PPL) course. You should bring the following documents to the Flying Club: - Copy of Passport or ID card (write "certified true copy" and sign it yourself) - Work Permit or permanent address - (4) 1"x1" photos - Membership Application Form - Student Pilot License Application Form Validating your foreign pilots license to fly in Thailand. You will need to do the following: - Join the Thai Flying Club (10,000 Baht Annual Membership fee) - Validate foreign pilot's license Form - Documents - Passport, Pilot logbook, Medical, Photos ("certified true copy" & signed). - The Club will write a letter to the DCA for validation. - Pay 2,000 Baht fee The procedure takes about 2 months for a background check. - Procedure for validating your foreign pilot's license - OFFICIAL PAGE of DCA documents |
AIRPORTS IN THAILAND |
MAINTENANCE |
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AIRCRAFT
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The weather in Thailand is warm, tropical and very pleasant for flying. If you would like to see the current satellite image of the cloud cover in Thailand, please click the following. There are many links, because sometimes some don't work: Satellite Images of Asia Satellite Photo WEATHER.COM ICAO METAR (4-letter Airport ID) Metar in SE Asia Singapore Satellite Wx (240nm radius) Thailand RAIN RADAR (excellent update of rain activity) Current weather in Thailand (or anywhere) Short rainy season: Mid-March to Early April. It is hot and humid in April. Heavy Thunderstorms in May. Long rainy season: August through October. Rain stops in October and the wind direction changes direction to favor Runway 05 (17oct2004) (17nov2005) with warm dry wind. December is dry with a lot of smoke from fires. Cool winter nights cause fog in the valleys of Northern Thailand. | |
CURRENT WEATHER IN CHONBURI
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OTHER INFORMATION |
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FLYING CLUBS The Thai Flying Club has good relations with many flying clubs throughout the region and has conducted several joint flying excursions with some of these clubs. Thai Aviation History Tango Squadron Civil Aviation Training Center (Hua Hin) Bangkok Aviation Center (Bangkok) Nakhon Phanom Training Center 604 Flying Squadron (Bangkok) Grasshopper Flying Club (Nakhon Nayok) Nok Flying Club Phuket Flying Club Pattaya Flying Club Cambodia Flying Club Hong Kong Aviation Club Malaysia DOA Johor Flying Club Royal Selangor Flying Club Singapore Flying Club Philippines Flying Omni Aviation (Clark) Buleleng North Bali Club (link broken) Dubai Flying Club (link broken) (Flying CLub List updated Jan 2011) |
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