More on Mid-Airs
ul li Over half of the people involved in midair accidents were survivors BR li The probability of a...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...
Wildflife Areas
P Throughout the U S the states and federal government have placed altitude restrictions on flight over many different classification of game areas Federal limits are...
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 ...
Descending Mechanical Failure Frequency
1 Clogged fuel system BR 2 Throttle mixture control BR 3 Oil line BR 4 Clogged...
First Flight Preparations
P 1 Schedule aircraft instructor BR 2 Aircraft keys BR 3 Read Owner #39;s Manual BR 4 ...
Weather Accidents
1 Ice accidents: One per year in California Indiana is worst with almost 2 a year 4 of the 5 California accidents occurred between...
Would You Believe That You Can...
ul li Be a non instrument rated pilot and fly in VFR condition of top of overcast at night in a VFR only...
MEL Decision Sequence
P The pilot recognizes inoperative instruments or equipment P P B Question: B P P...
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...
Non-IFR Pilot
ul li 1 accident in 12 186 hours in IFR conditions BR li 1 accident in 94 819 hours...
Postflight Debriefing
The postflight debriefing begins as a self evaluation by both student and instructor as to why certain operations were less than successful or why...
Wire Strikes
li 1 accident in 20 is a wire strike BR li A wire strike will occur below 200 #39; AGL in VFR BR...
Forced Landings
li If altitude permits glide range may be increased if propeller is stopped BR li Speed half way between best rate...
A Need to communicate
P What is the only question an instructor can never answer It is the unasked question Many concerns are unspoken The unspoken fear of every...
Spins - A History
An unheralded aviation pioneer is British scientist F A Lindemann The Prof as he was known led a very checkered...
Private Pilot Requirements
At least 17 read write and speak English 3rd class medical written test oral test flight test 61 103 BR Private...
Radio Q-History
The Q codes were developed when communications wasn #39;t as good as now and Morse code was till the norm BR It...
Most dangerous thing in aviation:
P B quot; B A pilot with a tool box quot; or quot;A politician with a good idea quot; P ...
Teaching Precepts
P Docendo Discimus We learn by teaching When by yourself you are the instructor BR BR ...
Learning To Fly
P There is no single way to get a pilot license Getting it is faster and cheaper if training is done consistently with the same aircraft and...
The Plotter
The first aircraft plotter was invented by a Naval officer named Weems He adapted the much larger shipboard plotter into a plastic model which...
Where Accidents Happen
ul li Only 8 of midairs are from head on 42 are between airplanes flying in the same direction ...
Stress
P Human performance is mitigated by physical stresses such as fatigue fitness sleep food age and illness Psychological stressors such as personal family...
Trim Exercises (Instructor Notes)
P To teach the effectiveness of trim try the following exercise The instructor should demonstrate how to hold the nose in one fixed position while the student...
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...
VOR tracking
Tunes and idents station BR Holds altitude within 200í BR Locates position using radials BR Intercepts and tracks a radial BR Recognizes signal...
VFR Midairs
82 occur by one aircraft being overtaken from the rear BR 35 occur with convergence less than 10 degrees BR ...
Unusual Attitudes
P During the proficiency phase of hood work #39;unusual attitudes #39; should be practiced This means that you will put on the hood close his...
Vertigo
P Unrecognized spatial disorientation is caused by some combination of channeled attention distraction and target fixation These most often occur in conjunction with loss of situational...
Systems Malfunction
Use of checklist BR Power loss BR Rough or hot engine BR Carburetor or induction icing BR No oil pressure BR ...
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 ...
S-Turns
P The two downwind and two upwind turns of the S turn combine the four quadrants of the left and right turns about a point The technique...
Teaching The FAA Way
I have never seen the 60 14 textbook I assume it is the revised Flight Instructor Handbook I once made a complete summary of ...
Why Pilots Walk Funny
Ever wonder why propeller pilots walk funny They do The P factor explanation from the instructors handbook tells the instructor how to explain this to the...
Airworthiness Directives (ADs)
P FAR 91 403 a requires that an AD compliance record be kept Some AD are one time and others recurring They notify aircraft owners...
Areas of Required Knowledge
Required logbook endorsements with date and time BR BR Preflight BR Flight Procedures BR Aircraft Performance BR Radio...
On Checklists
ol li Flying an airplane requires that a series of relatively complex procedures A checklist is most viable if a long series ...
The PTS
Everything about the Practical Test is a given If you have studied the PTS you know what is going to happen You may not know when or just how...
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...
Inspections
P FAR 43 11 a b Type description date total time signature certificate type and number; approval or disapproval for return ...
Steep Turns
Va or POH entry speed into 360 turn with bank of 10 5 degrees of 45 U U 100 feet ...
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 ...
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 ...
Tie Down
P Given a choice of where to tie down always face into the wind A crosswind tie down means that the aircraft will be trying to ...
The First Solo
P There are many self induced stresses on the student prior to solo The student begins to worry about it never happening the cost how...
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...
Sequence of Decision for Airworthiness
Is it required by FAR 91 2095 or 91 213 d 2 ii BR I If not I Is it required...
Takeoff Notes
P While easy to accomplish the takeoff is a relatively high risk flight operation because of the few options if things go wrong The best option...
Dealing with Delays
One of the advantages of learning to fly in the fall is the greater probability of weather delays A pilot learns to live with and accept delays of any kind...
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 1962.