Wild blue yonder is playground for 16-year-old pilot in training
Brody Roderick was introduced to flying by means of an introductory flight lesson for his thirteenth birthday by Colonial Air at the New Bedford Airport. He had always talked about wanting to fly, so we thought this would be a great way to find out.
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Brody seemed to be hooked on flying instantly, so the journey began. Brody began taking flying lessons slowly at first, spread out about one lesson every month. The training then progressed more frequently over the next three years.

During this time, Brody transitioned from Middle School to High School & decided to attend Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School in Rochester for electrical.

While in high school, Brody managed to make the honor roll, play on the golf and baseball teams, and continue with his flight training at Colonial Air. Last summer, he attended a week-long summer program sponsored by the FAA called ACE Camp (Aviation Career Education) hosted by Bridgewater State College.

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Online Aircraft Sales
Colonial Air now has airfcraft for sale online! Check out our Aircraft Sales page to see what's currently up for sale. Check back frequently for updates on price or availability.

Colonial-Air would love to help you sell your aircraft! Contact us to place your aircraft on our aircraft sales page.

Brand New Aircraft for Rent!
2001 Cessna 172S now available for rental here at Colonial Air. This aircraft comes fully equipted with leather interior, 180 HP, as well as the following radio package:

• King KMA 28 Audio Pannel
• Dual KX155A NavComs
• KLN 94 GPS
• KT76C Transponder
• KR87 ADF
• KAP140 Autopilot

Brand New Flight Simulator
Colonial Air Flight School is the proud owner of a brand new 2005 FAA approved ELITE PI-135 PCADT flight simulator.   Aircraft include 172R, 182S, 182RG, Piper Archer III, Piper Arrow IV, Mooney M20J, Beech Bonanza A36, Socata TB10, Socata TB20, Piper Seneca III, Beech Baron 58 and the Beech King Air B200. All aircraft instrument panels include an Apollo GPS and some advanced cockpits have an HSI and RMI. Fly any approach in the United States and Canada using the gauges or the GPS! Download real time weather data or input your own wind, ceiling and visibility controls. The PI-135 has fully programmable instrument powerplant, avionics, gear, flap and system failures.  
 
Training in a flight simulator is an ideal and cost effective way of learning instrument approaches. You can stop or pause the flight, manipulate the weather or create instrument and system failures. And, because the PI-135 PCADT is an FAA approved flight training device you can log 10 hours of instrument training time towards your instrument rating. This flight simulator is also approved for instrument re-currency training. In addition, you can fly and log your required six approaches, holds and intercepting and tracking on your own to stay current.
 
If you have been thinking about getting your instrument rating now is the time to do it. Schedule your orientation flight starting January 5th 2006. Give us a call@ 508-997-0620.
 
To view the PI-135 go to www.flyelite.com

Couple Get Engaged On Flight
A Fairhaven couple are a match made in heaven, or at least 1,000 feet off the ground. Matt Santos, 23, took his girlfriend, Ashlee Markey, 21, on a plane ride over Sconticut Neck yesterday. To her surprise, she saw, "Marry Me, Ashlee," written across a beach.
She accepted.
"He couldn't have done it any better," said Ms. Markey, a nursing student at Bristol Community College.
A Fairhaven couple are a match made in heaven, or at least 1,000 feet off the ground.
Matt Santos, 23, took his girlfriend, Ashlee Markey, 21, on a plane ride over Sconticut Neck yesterday. To her surprise, she saw, "Marry Me, Ashlee," written across a beach.
She accepted.
"He couldn't have done it any better," said Ms. Markey, a nursing student at Bristol Community College.
Mr. Santos, who works at Fairhaven Shipyard, and Ms. Markey rode in a chartered plane. Their families unfurled plastic tablecloth to form letters that were 8 to 10 feet tall.
The couple have been dating for four years and had looked at rings. But Ms. Markey said she had no idea she would get a proposal yesterday.
Mr. Santos said he wanted to do something different.
"I didn't want it to be boring, in a restaurant, get down on one knee or throw it in the soup," he said.
He ordered a 20-foot-long banner and took an earlier flight to see if it was visible from 1,000 feet in the air. It wasn't.
So Mr. Santos came up with another plan, and his future in-laws created the letters out of bright orange tablecloth that was designed for parties.
During the planning, Mr. Santos said he was worried Ms. Markey would learn about the surprise.
"The whole time I thought she knew, but she didn't," he said.
Ms. Markey did not even know she was going on a flight until yesterday morning.
At about 8:30 a.m., Mr. Santos' mother, Donna, called him to tell him the plane was ready to go. He then told his future bride that his mother had tickets for a plane ride but couldn't use them because something had come up.
The plane, owned by Colonial Air, took off from New Bedford's airport.
The pilot, Ryan Babcock, asked where the couple would like to go, and Ms. Markey said she wanted to see her parents' house.
That's where the proposal happened to be waiting, and she saw see the message while passing over the spot.
She read out the words as if asking a question. When she turned around and saw Mr. Santos, she realized what was happening, he said. "I was so shocked," she said. "I was stunned. ... I was pretty much speechless for a few seconds."
Then she said "yes."
When they returned to the airport, their families were waiting, holding up the original banner.
Ms. Markey's stepmother, Karen, said her future son-in-law pulled off the special proposal perfectly.
"He went through a lot," she said. "She didn't have a clue."