36112,
15
June
2022
|
09:31 AM
America/Chicago

Nevada Cadet Earns Glider Instructor Certificate

NVwingNVdouglasCadet Lt. Col. Ivan Altunin of the Nevada Wing’s Douglas County Composite Squadron has earned his Federal Aviation Administration Certificated Flight Instructor-Glider (CFI-G) certificate, allowing him to instruct others to fly gliders.

“It’s been a long road to get to this point since my first glider flight in 2017,” said Altunin, a Civil Air Patrol member since October 2015. “I didn’t even know what a glider was until that point!”

The CFI-G requires a commercial pilot certificate, an oral exam, a course on the fundamentals of instruction, 15 hours of pilot in command time, and a practical exam.

Altunin’s check ride consisted of four flights. The first two demonstrated maneuvers to commercial standards, including a simulated tow rope break 200 feet above ground. The last two flights concentrated on correcting common mistakes made by his examiner, Mark Montague.

His instructor was Lt Col. Elizabeth Tattersall, his glider instructor from the start of his glider flying career.

Altunin’s tow plane pilot was Col. Russ Smith, the Douglas County squadron’s operations officer, and he was assisted on the ground by 2nd Lt. Ruth Ann Van Vranken, Reno Composite Squadron information technologies officer.

“There are countless others I could name and thank,” Altunin said. “None of it would have been possible without the amazing people of the Douglas County Composite Squadron and CAP.”
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Lt. Col. Dale Brown
Public Affairs Officer
Douglas County Composite Squadron
Nevada Wing