Aero Club receives five-star rating

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jason Hernandez
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Edwards Aero Club recently received their third consecutive five-star rating from the Air Force Services Agency in San Antonio. 

The Agency looks at five areas of the base's programs including operations, programs, personnel training, facilities and customer service. 

To receive the five-star rating, the Aero Club had to excel in each area, said Doug Botbyl, the Aero Club manager. 

The Aero Club scored 100 percent in all five-star areas. 

"The rating system started with services organizations that required funding to improve their facilities," Mr. Botbyl said. "The five-star rating aided Services by providing a means of showing commanders the organization's weak points. It also provides a guide to what is needed to bring a facility up to a five-star rating." 

The Aero Club is a 95th Services Division organization that provides flying lessons for the Edwards community. 

"Here we have the opportunity to teach servicemembers and civilians who have access to Edwards how to fly small, propeller-driven aircraft," said J.D. Moshier, Aero Club operations clerk. 

The Edwards Aero Club is the only flying school in the Antelope Valley that conducts classes electronically instead of performing it in a classroom, Mr. Moshier said. 

"All of our courses are computer-based instruction," Mr. Botbyl said. "We issue members a ground school kit, which includes a CD-ROM they take home and load on their computer. It's interactive software where students view a video clip and answer questions on the material. They can also go over subjects with their instructor." 

The kit is designed to help the student pass the Federal Aviation Administration test, Mr. Botbyl said. It also includes a log book, a text version of the CD-ROM, syllabuses and instrumentation guides for cross-country flying. 

Future plans for the Aero Club also focus on facility improvements. 

"The five-star rating is great; it keeps our standards high so we can continue offering the best service for Edwards," Mr. Moshier said.