Thoughts on Thoughts
ul li Flying is not dangerous; crashing is dangerous BR li Flying is the perfect vocation for a man who wants to...Parking
P The number one region of aircraft accidents is getting into a parking space Some pilots seem to think it necessary to make a little jog toward...
Flight Contradictions
ul li The rudder is not used to turn the plane Rather it keeps the nose straight BR...
What My Instruction Is Not
B Flying is not the same as it was in WWI or WWII What worked then is unsafe now Accountability of the...
Why Takeoff Pitch Changes
P The initial lift off attitude at Vso is slightly higher than that required for Vy best rate of climb but is about right for Vx...
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...
Ground Reference
Turns around a point BR B 600 to 1000 feet 45 degree bank U U 100 feet U...
Names And What
Bell decibel BR Morse code BR Doppler frequency change BR Mach speed of sound BR ...
Buchannan Field (at Concord, California)
Within the immediate vicinity of Buchannan Field Concord CA there have been over seven airports over the years One of the very first...
Instructional Frustration
I must admit I am somewhat discourged with primary flight instruction Students that don #39;t prepare for the lesson don #39;t do their homework ...
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR)
P Broadcast by ATC to warn air traffic to remain clear of areas such as open air affairs forest fires space launches crime scenes ...
About Questions
P A friend was hauling a body from a remote location in Canada Only a caretaker was around the strip After considering the trees that lined...
Lost Procedures
Maintains original heading BR Identifies available landmarks BR Uses Navaids and contacts ATC for assistance BR Considers precautionary landing as an option ...
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 ...
Takeoffs
Alignment BR Rotation and liftoff BR Drift correction BR Airborne alignment check BR Clearing turns ...
Student Evaluation
P Evaluation is a teaching constant It begins when the lesson begins Continues throughout the lesson and for me can continue for years Just today...
Advice From Over 30 Years Ago
B The performance of any complex activity such as flying an airplane requires the learning of highly conditioned responses ...
1999 Was A Very Good Year
1908 general aviation accidents BR 342 were fatal accidents BR 7 05 accidents per 100 000 hours of flying BR ...
Hypoxia
P An adult will breath in 3 000 gallons by volume of air per day This includes 600 20 of total gallons of...
Run-up
Control check BR Engine check BR Instrument settings BR Uses checklist BR Airspeed distances review BR Emergency and departure review...
Fuel Electric accidents
1 Experience level of the pilot does not seem to matter in fuel related accidents BR 2 86 of aircraft...
Who's In Charge?
P Low time instructors have most of the #39;Who #39;s in Charge #39; kind of difficulty This is because they have not had the opportunity ...
Alert Areas
P High volume military flight areas are classified as Alert Areas Basic VFR requirements exist but no clearance is required Visual separation is a must ...
Military Training Routes (MTR)
P If you find that your flight will intersect an MTR route be sure to have P P the FSS run a...
Test After Failure
67 FAR 61 47 Re testing within 30 days after first failure BR I have given name additional type instruction and find him competent...
Why and When of Accidents
1 One fourth of forced landings are related to maintenance or mechanical failure BR 2 1 3 accidents in landing ...
Black Hole Landing
P When it is very dark you are subject to illusions Your seat position may make you more or less subject to these Aircraft seats are...
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...
When A Pilot Dies
Two of my pilots have died in airplane crashes One I had advised to quit and I thought that he had Three years later ...
Medical Certification
P You do not need a medical certificate until you fly by yourself It is suggested that you get your medical before you go to any major...
Hood Lessons
P Since hood work is emotionally and mentally tiring it is best to limit each session Gradually extend the hood time until reaching 20 minute sessions ...
Aviator's Lies
ul li The weather will be all right BR li We will be on time maybe even early BR ...
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...
Fatigue and Flying
P Acute fatigue occurs when a long period passes with a lack of sleep Chronic fatigue occurs when several acute fatigue periods occur without adequate recovery time...
Dehydration
P Human need for 2 4 quarts of water a day You become thirsty with a deficit of 1 5 quarts of body fluids or 2 of...
Time For First Solo
This method to safely soloing a student puts the burden on the student It is not the way I do it but it is worth considering ...
Shirt Tails
There has been a long tradition in aviation related to cutting off the shirt tails of newly soloed student pilots One story has it that the practice ...
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...
Pre-start/Start Checklist
P Once in the aircraft we begin the pre start tape recording Seats doors window open belts FAR 91 107 requires the pilot ...
Coffee
P Half of the American population is addicted to coffee 25 drink ten or more cups a day Quitting coffee is both difficult and painful...
Operating Without a MEL (Minimum Equipment List)
P B Minimum Equipment List B P P Most older aircraft have been certified without a MEL but everything operational...
Trimming Cessnas (instructor notes)
P Cessna has engineered its trim so that certain changes in trim can be anticipated to correspond to flight path changes in different models For example ...
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...
Taildraggers
19 of fleet are taildraggers BR 6 to 29 of landing accidents P P ...
Private Pilot Requirements
At least 17 read write and speak English 3rd class medical written test oral test flight test 61 103 BR Private...
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...
A History of Running Lights
I have developed a possible sequence for the development of red and green running lights on ships and aircraft I would like to make the following case ...
Taxiing
P Because of side by side seating the student pilot must be helped to find where to look for putting the nose wheel on the taxiway center line...
Instruction use of MS Flight Simulator
I can MS Simulator be a helpful for my flight training i p At the end of WWII I was...
Cruise Control
P Learning to trim for level flight requires that you think in terms of setting as many constants as possible for a given flight situation First ...
I have found that, my methods, and I am incompatible with about
5% of my students. This was true when I was teaching school and
still holds true for flight instruction. I have advised three
students not to continue because of judgment difficulties. The
one that continued with another instructor and killed himself
flying back from passing his flight-test. It is very difficult
for a student with difficulties to separate out the instruction
of a new instructor from that of the first instructor. The learning
law of primacy rules more than we would believe. Perhaps a different
type of aircraft at a different airport along with a different
instructor would resolve the problem. No mention of the reading
or ground school material was mentioned. Perhaps videos would
help. Regardless, I think a clean break from the past would give
the student a chance to 'start over'. Were he to be my student
I would have him talk into a tape recorder along with me prior
to every flight. We would discuss the procedures for a closed
traffic pattern exercise. We would verbalize everything he would
do and how he would do it. We would walk and talk the flight
first by direction and position, then by altitude and changes
and finally by what is said on the radio. The same process would
carry through in the aircraft, on the ground and in the air.
The use of a checklist in every step of the way would be mandatory.
The lesson would be listened to by the student after the flight
and critical notes taken for discussion with the instructor as
to the what and why of problems and successes. Additionally,
the student would be told what to prepare for the next lesson.
I would make myself available by phone in the evenings, especially
the night before a lesson to make sure that the student was prepared.
From this beginning, I would adjust the program to fit the needs
of the student. The essential is to make each step successful.
Nothing breeds success and confidence better than success. Though
I was only an incidental part of Lisa's success, she is a shining
example of how desire overcomes difficulty. In a subsequent communication
I indicated that it was just possible that the student had some
unexpressed or shown fears or concerns that were overriding his
efforts to learn and remember.