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Flying After Blue Sky

Last updated 5 April 2017

Blue Sky Flight LLC ceased operations at the end of December 2016. Visitors to the company's web site will soon find it off the air. Until then, there is this bittersweet farewell.

Four airplanes were available at BSF at closing time.

• a Tiger that has been sold
• N26889 and
• N26896 are owned by Sideways LLC. If another leaseback operator doesn't turn up, the owner will likely offer them for sale. These are nicely appointed airplanes — N26896 was recently equipped with WAAS and ADS-B, both in and out.
• N9478N is owned by an individual. He has not decided what to do with his airplane.

So — what's next?

Flight of the Phoenix

Eight years ago when Carney Aviation closed, there was talk of forming a new flying club or management group. There has been similar dialogue this time around. A small group of current customers is exploring some possibilities, probably to begin with an online conference before 11 December 2016. If you would like to participate, send email to ten • acsor -ta- werdna with "Sikorsky Flying Club" in the subject line. Sorry about that email address, you'll have to type it out by hand.

Airplanes

Other rental and flying club opportunities at Bridgeport include

• Three Wing Flying Service. Their web site shows three Piper Warriors available.
• 21 Flyers, an equity club that operates a Cessna 172.
• Nutmeg Flyers, a club that operates a Cherokee 180.
• Any others? All information is welcome.

Opportunities at New Haven include

• American Flight Academy. They seem to operate exclusively as a training operation. It's not known if they rent airplanes to solo pilots.
  (Updated information is available.) (Another update)
• Robinson Aviation, with a few Cherokees — one is retractable.
• Yale Aviation, with two Cherokees.

Opportunities at Danbury include

• Flying 20 Club, with three Piper singles. This club has operated continuously since 1940.
• Arrow Aviation, with several Cessna and Piper singles and a Remos Light Sport
• Curtiss Aero, with four Cirrus, two SR-20 and two SR-22.
• Epic Blue: one C-172, three SR-20
• Sport Flying of Connecticut. Two Piper Cubs, two Huskies, a C-152 and a Searey. Some of the planes are on floats.

Opportunities at Oxford include

• Oxford Flying Club: C-172, C-182, 2 x PA28.
• Oxford Flight Training: PA28.
• Image Aviation, with a C-172 and a Diamond DA-40.

Opportunities at Meriden include

• Meriden Aviation Center: two Piper Warriors.
• Silver City Flying Club, an equity club with a C-172 and a Cherokee.

Opportunities at White Plains include

• Westchester Flying Club, with one Cirrus SR-20, three Piper Cherokees (two retractable) and two Beechcraft.

The flying clubs have limited membership. There may or may not be openings at any given time.

Gliders

This may be the time you decide to take up soaring. No FAA medical is required to be a glider pilot. There are no active glider operations in Connecticut, but there are a few within two hours' drive. This is not as bad as it sounds. Soaring is a highly social activity, and most glider pilots make a day of it. There are many ways to launch a glider; all of these operators use aerotow, FAA-speak for a tow plane.

• Nutmeg Soaring Association, Freehold, N.Y. These folks bought their own airport, about 30 miles south of Albany.
• Valley Soaring Club, Middletown, N.Y. (Randall Airport)
• Yard Creek Soaring, Blairstown, N.J.
• Wurtsboro (N.Y.) Gliders
• Ellenville (N.Y.) Gliders (Resnick Airport)

7 December 2016

N9478N is scheduled "unavailable" for the rest of December 2016. A crack has been found in the engine case, and it will be several weeks before it can be repaired.

11 December 2016

Eight pilots joined a teleconference to discuss prospects for the future after BSF closes for business. One presented estimates for operating a club with various numbers of members operating one plane in partnership, based on his experience leasing two airplanes through BSF.

The moderator suggested another conference in 10-14 days' time. If you would like to join that meeting, send email to ten • acsor -ta- werdna.

Another participant got some information about partnerships from AOPA and distributed it to those who were in the conference.

20 December 2016

Beginning Saturday 24 December, all BSF planes are unavailable for scheduling. If you want to fly, get it done by Friday. If you will be the first pilot of the day, note that the pre-heater will not be available on the ramp. You may need to arrange for your plane to be pulled into Atlantic's hangar the night before your flight.

29 December 2016

BSF has moved out of the office in the Atlantic hangar. Phone and email will no longer be answered.

The owner of BSF's two Cheetahs will host a meeting in early January to discuss the future of those planes. If you'd like to join that discussion, you can email him at moc • trops rotom ytnuoc dleifriaf -ta- ilodivd.

17 January 2017

Thanks to André for this update:
American Flight Academy rents two Cherokee Warriors at New Haven, $165/hour wet. You must fly three hours per month, or else you must re-qualify with an AFA instructor. Night flight also requires a CFI checkout. Operations are limited to runways over 2900 feet long. (Block Island has 2502 feet.)

18 February 2017

New England Flight School has a new office in the Atlantic hangar at BDR. This is a one-plane operation, with a Cherokee Warrior. The web site indicates that it's available to rent. That web site is all scripts and Flash, so you may have to disable some blockers in order to see it.

5 April 2017

American Flight Academy no longer operates at the New Haven airport.