The Nature of Certainty
In my careers as a school teacher and flight instructor I have developed student classifications that appear universal There are students who make things...Introduction to Illusions
P What ever the illusion it will take a few moments for you to get reoriented If the illusion occurs in trimmed flight the problem is...
Gaining Experience
P Once reasonable proficiency in the four basics and landing procedures has been acquired it is important that the instructor provide variations such as are likely to...
CFI Abuses of Student Time
This problem is usually one of teaching style and respect BR 1 Coming to lesson unprepared BR 2 Failure to prep...
1996 For 100,000 Hours of Flying
Singles 1 5 BR Twins 2 12 BR Homebuilts 2 of the flying and 10 of the accidents with aircraft ...
Teaching 30 Years Ago
The following is a #39;Preliminary Talk Notes #39; that I made early on in my instructing career Going over them was of interest ...
FAR 91 aircraft equipment required Day
VFR minimum equipment: airspeed altimeter compass tachometer fuel gauge oil temperature oil pressure gear indicator and manifold...
Private Pilot Endorsements
An instructorís endorsement indicates that he feels you have been instructed in and are competent to perform a given maneuver At that time Your logbook is a legal document...
Homebuilt Statistics
2 of planes are homebuilt #133;they have 10 of the accidents and are twice as likely to be totally destroyed P ...
Factors in Successful Learning
P B 1 Time of year B BR Summer flying gives longer days but does not provide the most desirable range of experience...
Smoking
P The smoking of tobacco is a form of self imposed physical and psychological stress that constitutes an immediate and on going threat to health and safety ...
My Solos Take Longer
The first five students I taught had #39;things #39; happen during their first or second solo I changed my program so that a student ...
Taxiing
Brake check speed control BR Knows and obeys signs lines and lights BR Speed and yoke positions for wind BR ...
Opinion
Where am I Where am I diverting to what direction is it Turn the airplane that direction How far away is it do I have enough...
The Compass
The ancients recognized the pole star as being a constant reference for determining direction The Norsemen in the 11th century used a needle of...
1995 Statistics
Most flying decisions are easy if the decision is based upon safety Being safe does not mean without risk Engine operations are safe...
Yoke Control
P The third skill of taxiing is the use of the yoke which needs to be positioned so that a wind gust will not flip the airplane over...
Trim Tab Inventor
Also known at the servo trim was invented by Anton Flettner a German aeronautical engineer He worked for the Zeppelin Company in Germany...
Absolute Altitude
Absolute altitude is obtained by the use of radar The first radar altimeter was the A N 718 I worked with it during WWII ...
The Risks of Flying
Most flying decisions are easy if the decision is based upon safety Being safe does not mean without risk Engine operations are safe but some 8 percent...
Trim History
The trim tab or servo trim was invented by Anton Flettner a German aeronautical engineer He started work in 1905 for the Zeppelin Company Died in...
Take Practical Test
FAR 61 105 and 61 125 BR Private or commercial pilot must receive and have logged ground as well as flight training from authorized instructor or a home study...
Night Illusions
Runway and approach light illusions will always be a problem if you are in an unfamiliar area For this reason it is always desirable to make a daylight...
The LORAN System
I instructed LORAN at 58th Bomb Wing Training School on Tinian Island of the Marianas during the last year of WWII I also instructed in the use...
Spiral Descents
P This particular maneuver is the most difficult of the ground reference maneuvers It requires that the student descend over a selected point such as the...
Steep Turns
Va or POH entry speed into 360 turn with bank of 10 5 degrees of 45 U U 100 feet ...
Preparation
The success of the instructional program is directly related to the willingness of the student to study and prepare It takes a minimum of two hours of study for every...
Thinking Through Patterns
P Depending on the student or airport weather conditions I will use paper diagrams and walk through the patterns on the ramp I will illustrate turns about...
The E-6B
The E 6B was more created than invented by Phillip Dalton in the early 1930s It was initially called quot;The Dalton Dead reckoning...
Controlled Airport Radio
P B There are several essentials to good radio work B P P B The first essential is: ...
Ground Reference
Turns around a point BR B 600 to 1000 feet 45 degree bank U U 100 feet U...
My Kind of Student
P I want a student who responds enjoys and pays attention I enjoy sharing my love of flying with someone I often share too...
A Training Program
P I make a practice of having prospective students come to my home office for a couple of hours to discuss flying I request that...
Radio Communications at an Uncontrolled Airport
Start listening well away from the airport Overfly above pattern altitude if you are uncertain of pattern or procedures Adhere to AIM recommended procedures Doing otherwise...
Pilot/Owner Maintenance
P Keeping an aircraft clean greatly improves both its appearance and its performance When you clean an aircraft you learn a great deal about its construction and...
Accident Precipitating Causes 1991
ul li Inadequate preflight and or planning BR li 1 4 of all accidents are caused by inadequate preflight BR ...
Takeoff Factors
P Many airports of the U S are long enough and wide enough for all G A aircraft Oddly most are not When the...
Area Familiarization
P I have instructed at a largely general aviation airport CCR with two sets of dual runways This has been fortunate because the potential complexity...
Landing Illusions
P You and every other pilot is susceptible to illusions When any of our three flight senses visual auditory and kinesthetic give erroneous information...
Landings on Final
Over the fence Vref U U 5 knots or 1 2 Vso No exact POH figures BR B Soft field Approach...
Windsock
The word sock is from the colloquial French meaning close in or conceal When an airport was `socked in #39; the windsock was taken...
Way To Go...
The pole star was recognized by the ancients as being a constant reference for determining direction The Norsemen in the 11th century used a needle of magnetic ...
General Aviation Accidents
1 51 of pilots were between 40 49 BR 2 71 were private pilots BR 3 52 had...
Changing You
P You begin flying with an attitude that may or may not be compatible to the reality required Attitude is a basic human factor that sets performance...
Alcohol
1 In accidents from #39;78 to #39;87 6 of G A pilots had blood alcohol level of at least 04 by weight...
Coffee
Coffee causes dehydration 15 dehydration causes 40 decrease in flying coordination Water by volume X 1 5 is needed to replace ...
Bits and Pieces
ul li Tolerance to lack of oxygen decreases proportionately with age BR li Patience...
Engine Failure Accidents
ul li 22 of all accidents BR li 4 only partial failure BR li...
Why Ground Reference?
P One of the weakest parts of flight instruction is the failure of the instructor to let the student know the #39;why #39; of some of the...
Start/Post Start
P Make several dry run engine starts on the tape recorder to develop the checklist Emphasize used of the left hand all the time holding the mike...
