Please join us for our 6th annual NATA Formation Clinic in Palm Springs, at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (KTRM) from April 3 - 6, 2025. Once again we will be hosted in the legendary COGS playground by long time T-28er Larry Gayler.
All NATA Formation members are welcome, and it is easy to sign up (or upgrade, see below).
While North American aircraft will predominate the clinic, all warbird types are welcome and we will endeavor to provide instructors familiar with your type. If we see issues with instructor or aircraft availability during the registration period, we will be in touch.
Trainees must review our Formation Training Program before attending a NATA clinic, and pay particular attention to aircraft requirements. First-time clinic participants may find this Check List useful.
Arrival day is Thursday April 3rd. In the afternoon we will complete registrations, conduct Evaluation Flights for newbies, and at 1600 conduct the ground school. Attendance is mandatory for all trainees and for all participants who have not previously attended a formal FAST signatory ground school.
The clinic will kick off with a mandatory safety briefing at 0800 on Friday.
In addition, there will be a meeting for Leads who will be acting as instructor pilots at 0715 on Friday. The purpose of this meeting will be to review the instructional needs of the trainees and to discuss some instructional techniques and recommendations.
Please review ALL of the registration steps below before proceeding:
- REGISTER ONLINE. Begin by clicking on the Register Now button, supply the requested information, and pay the registration fee. Late registrants may not receive a T-shirt or name patch. (You must be logged in to register. The non-PIC registration options may ONLY be used by members who will not be piloting aircraft at the clinic. If you are not a Formation member, you will not see the PIC registration options (with and without training). You may upgrade your membership by writing to formation@flynata.org.)
- TRAINING? NEW: To request Wingman or Lead training (or a re-qualification Check Ride) at the clinic you must register as "PIC - Training requested (Wing/Lead/requal)".
- HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT. NEW: Hold Harmless agreements are now handled online (no need to sign and upload a form). To complete the registration process you will accept the terms of the Hold Harmless agreement and provide an “online” signature. Guests attending the clinic will have the opportunity to sign this document in person.
- ALLOW TEXT MESSAGES. Clinic organizers may use text messages to relay information to participants during the clinic (e.g., weather-related updates). Please allow NATA to send you text messages by visiting the Contact Information tab in your profile, and checking the box under your mobile number in Other Contacts, towards the bottom of the screen. Review your personal Contact Information here.
Other Information:
- TRAINEE PREPARATION. Pilots seeking training must comply with the aircraft readiness requirements in paragraph 5 of the Training Program. Please pay particular attention to the rear seat comms... we cannot conduct training in your aircraft if an IP cannot communicate with you and other aircraft in the flight. Also, note that an "Eval" flight is required for first-time clinic participants, and training materials must be reviewed prior to arrival.
- MEALS. The hotel includes a basic hot breakfast and the clinic provides snacks, drinks and lunch each day. Catered dinners are included on Friday and Saturday. Thursday dinner is not included.
- HOTEL. Embassy Suites La Quinta Hotel and Spa, 50777 Santa Rosa Plaza: $294.11 King; $308.55 Queen (Book early - they would only give us 30 rooms). Click for Hotel Reservations or call (760) 777-1711. The group is "NATA Pilots". The room block will only be held until March 3rd (cancel for full refund 72 hours prior). Note that this is during "high season" in the desert; rooms are at a premium.. Book promptly even if you are not yet sure you will be coming – you can always cancel.
- GROUND TRANSPORTATION. Registration includes transportation on 15-passenger shuttle vans between the hotel and airport. However, if you would like to rent a car, Hertz, Avis and Enterprise will deliver to the FBO. It would be easiest to have the FBO, Atlantic Aviation, rent the cars for you, but you can do it yourself. The FBO phone number is (760) 399-4300. The local phone numbers for the car rental companies are: Hertz (760) 775-7217; Enterprise (760) 564-7859; and Avis (760) 346-7429.
- FUEL, OIL & HANGARS. Atlantic Aviation, 86400 Lightning St., Thermal, CA 92274 (760) 399-4300. Fuel will be discounted. Information will be forthcoming for pre-registering with Atlantic for fuel and oil. Hangar space may be available in the event of storms, but plan on being on the ramp. Aeroshell 120W (or the equivalent) will NOT be available, so plan accordingly. If you cannot carry the oil you might need with you, you can buy it online and have it shipped to Atlantic. If you do this make sure you put “NATA Clinic – Your Name” in the address. Atlantic carries Aeroshell 100.
- OTHER. CLINIC HQ will be Larry Gayler's hangar, and aircraft will be distributed among several ramps. There are some tie-downs available, but they are somewhat random, so unless we expect some winds, we do not plan to use them. A map and instructions will be distributed prior to arrival.
Date
Thursday, April 3, 2025, to Sunday, April 6, 2025
Location
Larry Gayler hangar - map will be provided - Jacqueline Cochran Airport (TRM)
Airport web site
86400 Lightning Street
Thermal, CA 92274
USA
Register Now
Dan Kirkland
Clinic Lead
(702) 206-0775 (c)
danlisa@npgcable.com
Chuck Wahl
Training
(530) 748-7655 (c)
ChuckWahl@proton.me
John P Flippen
Training
6198909328 (c)
john.flippen@gmail.com
Doug Schuster
Safety
(909) 660-2748 (c)
superswift170@gmail.com
Category
Formation Clinic
Registration Info
Registration is required
Completed Registrations:
In-progress Registrations:
Payment In Full In Advance Only
See event details for required documents. Only PIC registrants (Formation members) may pilot aircraft during the clinic. Non-PIC registrants (e.g., photographers, observers, instructors, Check Pilots) may not pilot aircraft at any time during the event. Either registrant type may bring non-member guests.
Registration cancellations will be accepted
Cancellation Policy:
We do not issue refunds if you cancel your registration. Instead, your registration fees will be credited to your account and applied to future NATA payments (e.g., membership dues or event fees).
If you cancel within 30 days of arrival day, you will receive a credit of your registration fees minus the cost of any clinic merchandise included with your registration and any extra merchandise you ordered plus shipping. Registrations made within four weeks of arrival day will probably not receive a name patch and may not receive a T-shirt. Cancellations made less than a week prior to clinic start date are subject to full forfeiture of all registration fees.
Number of People Who Will Attend
PIC - Proficiency flying *
PIC - Training requested (Wing/Lead/requal) *
PIC - Training requested (Wing/Lead/requal) *
Non-PIC (piloting NOT permitted) *
Guest (piloting NOT permitted)