THE STUFF YOU
NEED TO REMEMBER
BACK TO BASICS ISSUE! ALL
(PRACTICE REALLY DOES MAKE PERFECT)
01.15
flighttraining.aopa.org
GROUND TO SKY
10 STEPS FROM PREFLIGHT
TO INFLIGHT p.34
BE A WISE PILOT
THE SIMPLE TRUTHS
OF AVIATION p. 38
FLY THE LINE
Takeoffs You Can
Brag About p. 28
DUAT.com
has a fresh new look!
Celebrating our
New Features!
Now Available on DUAT
Pushed Weather Briefing feature
now available on DUAT
anniversary
Providing the DUAT Service for the FAA!
DTC DUAT has added the Pushed Weather
Briefing service to our Weather Briefing Menus.
The Pushed Weather Briefing service is a
current up to date briefing based on information
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Briefing will be transmitted by email to the pilot
at the specific time requested prior to the
estimated time of departure.
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The Close Flight Plan Reminder has been
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close their VFR flight plans after their flight has
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CONTENTS
01.15
flighttraining.aopa.org
VOLUME.27 / NUMBER. 1
FEATURES
28
COVER STORY »
TRADING GROUND
FOR SKY
Perfect takeoffs every time
What makes the centerline so important?
It's your guidance for making the
perfect takeoff—one so smooth it
surprises you.
By Budd Davisson
34
WORK SMARTER,
NOT LONGER
Between preflight and takeoff.
There are dozens of steps that
must happen after the preflight
and before you meet the sky—10 tips
to accelerate the process.
By Ian J. Twombly
38
WISE WORDS
A pilot's guide to the flying life.
A few valuable nuggets of wisdom to
help you live your best flying life.
By Matthew Bauman
42
TECHNIQUE
Preflight basics.
Your intimate introduction
to the airplane.
By Jill W. Tallman
See page 28
"WHEN AN AIRPLANE
LEAVES THE GROUND
SO SMOOTHLY,
YOU KNOW THAT'S
THE WAY IT'S
SUPPOSED TO BE
DONE. IT MAKES
YOU FEEL GOOD
JUST WATCHING IT."
—BUDD DAVISSON
BACK TO BASICS ISSUE ALL THE STUFF YOU
! NEED TO REMEMBER
(PRACTICE REALLY DOES
MAKE PERFECT)
01.15
ABOUT THE COVER »
Cover photo
by Chris Rose.
flighttraining.aopa.org
GROUND TO SKY
10 STEPS FROM PREFLIGHT
TO INFLIGHT p.34
BE A WISE PILOT
THE SIMPLE TRUTHS
OF AVIATION p. 38
FLY THE LINE
Takeoffs You Can
Brag About p.28
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/1
CONTENTS
flighttraining.aopa.org
VOLUME.27 / NUMBER.1
01.15
DEPARTMENTS
6 Member Benefits
Quality and value
44 Weather
Water, water everywhere
By Jack Williams
24 Flight Lesson
Just one of those things
By Arnold D. Seligman
26 Checkride
Safety on the ground
53 Advertiser Index
Aviation marketplace
56 Debrief
Kevin LaRosa II
By Bob Schmelzer
24
"RARELY, IN
DECADES OF
PILOTING, HAVE I
SEEN A DEAD-ON
APPROACHING
STORM SYSTEM
DEVIATE FAR
ENOUGH
OVERNIGHT
TO CHANGE A
VERITABLE NO-GO
INTO AN EASY VFR
FLIGHT."
—GREG BROWN
22
COMMENTARY
4 Right Seat
20 Around the Patch
Don't be so sure
From one pilot to another
By Ian J. Twombly
By Jill W. Tallman
8 Letters
Go anywhere
22 Flying Carpet
Tennis time again
By Greg Brown
PREFLIGHT
ADVANCED PILOT
10 Rough Rider
47 Career Pilot
12 Success Stories
56
13 How it Works
14 After the Checkride
15 News
16 ASI News
17 AOPA Fly-In
18 News
Highs and lows
By Wayne Phillips
49 Instructor Report
Mental gymnastics
By Rod Machado
50 Accident Analysis
Own it
By David Jack Kenny
51 Career Advisor
By Wayne Phillips
19 Final Exam
26
FLIGHT TRAINING (ISSN 1047-6415), JANUARY 2015 (VOL. 27, NO. 1) is a monthly magazine produced and distributed by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Flight Training membership dues are $59 per year. Current FAA student pilot certificate
holders can receive a complimentary six-month Introductory Membership by completely filling out a request form or by sending their name, address, student pilot certificate number, and the name and address of their flight instructor and school to P.O.
Box 471, Frederick, MD 21705-0471. Periodicals postage paid at Frederick, Maryland, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AOPA Member Services, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701. No material may be used or
reprinted without written permission. Printed in USA. For change of address: Call 800-USA-AOPA or email flighttraining@aopa.org
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RIGHT SEAT
By Ian J. Twombly
VISIT OUR WEBSITE!
http://flighttraining.aopa.org
DON’T BE SO SURE
EMBRACE A BASIC APPROACH
I
’ve come to believe there’s a direct inverse relationship between
how sure someone is of something and how likely it is he is
correct. It doesn’t matter if the fact is the V-speed of an airplane
or the score of last night’s game, the result is the same. I would
say that I’m absolutely sure I’m the first person to think of this, but then
I would be a hypocrite. No, two psychologists actually have studied this
relationship between perceived knowledge and the truth, and everyone
from Shakespeare to Charles Darwin
apparently has written about it. Confucius
probably said it best: “Real knowledge is to
know the extent of one’s ignorance.”
It may seem counterintuitive that
anything other than true decisiveness
be brought into the cockpit. We call the
persona necessary to safely take to the
skies “pilot in command.” But a lack of
complete resoluteness and PIC authority
are not mutually exclusive. They’re actually complimentary.
pilots, student pilots, and even astronauts
need to review the basics on occasion.
Flying is primarily a mental game,
and each flight begins with some form
of mental preparation. Author Matthew
Bauman identifies what it takes to have
a have a great flying mind in “Wise
Words.” An experienced military and
civilian pilot, Bauman has every reason
to think he knows it all—which is exactly
why he knows he doesn’t, and why he
says humility is a key ingredient to a suc-
TWO HIGHLY QUALIFIED PILOTS ARE BETTER
THAN ONE BLOWHARD AND AN OVERPAID
SEAT WARMER.
Whether it’s a flight instructor who has
to look something up or a private pilot
who asks ground control for a progressive taxi route, admitting you don’t know
all the answers is a healthy attitude in
aviation. This practice is commonplace in
professional cockpits, where the days of
the overbearing captain who told the first
officer to sit down, shut up, and not touch
anything are long gone. In its place is
crew resource management, which at its
root is nothing more than the realization
that two highly qualified pilots are better
than one blowhard and an overpaid seat
warmer.
In the world of recreational flying it
means embracing the responsibility to
act and the realization that you won’t
always know the answer. It also calls for
a curious mind and the desire to pursue
the information. It’s in that spirit that we
start off the new year with a back-to-basics
approach. Flight instructors, experienced
4/
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
cessful life of flying. You can read more
beginning on page 38.
Once most of the mental preparation
is done, it’s time to preflight, a skill many
of us take for granted. Technical Editor
Jill W. Tallman reins us back in with this
month’s “Technique,” beginning on page
42. It covers all the fundamentals of flying’s most important ritual.
This month's cover story, “From Ground
to Sky,” begins on page 28. Author Budd
Davisson examines the lowly takeoff—that
one maneuver we rarely practice, yet
perform for every flight. Davisson makes
a case for taking time to stop and examine
the basic takeoff, and analyze whether or
not we’re meeting our full potential. This
year, realize your potential by gaining
some real knowledge. Safe flying.
Email Editor Ian J. Twombly at ian.twombly@aopa.
org; Twitter: ijtwombly; and visit Flight Training on
Facebook.
Publisher | Mark Baker
Senior VP, Media/Editor in Chief | Thomas B. Haines
Editor | Ian J. Twombly
Editor at Large | Thomas A. Horne
Managing Editor | Julie Summers Walker
Technical Editors | Mike Collins, Jill W. Tallman
Senior Editors | Dave Hirschman, Alton K. Marsh
Media Production Specialist | Sylvia Horne
Executive Assistant | Miriam E. Stoner
Contributors | Pete Bedell, Greg Brown, LeRoy Cook,
Budd Davisson, Rod Machado, Dan Namowitz, Wayne
Phillips, Bob Schmelzer, Jack Williams
Design Director | Michael E. Kline
Senior Art Director | Jill C. Benton
Art Director | Elizabeth Z. Jones
Senior Photographer | Mike Fizer
Photographer | Chris Rose
eMedia Managing Editor | Alyssa J. Miller
eMedia Editor | Sarah Deener
eMedia Associate Editor | Jim Moore
eMedia Production Assistant | Melissa Whitehouse
VP Advertising | Carol L. Dodds
Advertising Director | Brenda D. Ridgley
Online Advertising Manager | Michael Wilcox
Advertising Marketing Manager | Eryn Willard
Advertising Coordinator | Donna Stoner
Advertising Representative |
The Orison B. Curpier Co., Inc.
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Editorial and Advertising Offices
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301-695-2350 / FAX 301-695-2180
email: flighttraining@aopa.org
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LETTERS Talk back
WE APPRECIATE YOUR
COMMENTS. Please email letters
to flighttraining@aopa.org. Letters
will be edited for style and space.
GO ANYWHERE?
HELICOPTER PILOTS HAVE MORE FUN
A
s one of the lucky ones, I agree that helicopter pilots have
more fun. I enjoyed Ian J. Twombly’s article in the November issue (“Go Vertical,” November 2014 Flight Training),
but—a big but—although the FAA doesn’t care where you
land (the restriction is basically to have the owner’s permission and
be safe), local governments can and do restrict the ability to land a
helicopter” just anywhere.” In many areas east of the Mississippi,
restrictions can make a helicopter an airport-only machine, which
takes away most of the benefit. Penalties can be very expensive.
Ernie Betancourt
Lascassas, Tennessee
TOUGH CHOICES
Thanks for putting together an awesome
magazine. I enjoy the articles and
wealth of information that arrives every
month.
I wanted to mention a slight difference
I noticed in November’s Flight Training “Career Advisor: Tough Choices”
answering a question about a CFII/MEI
contemplating USAF Reserve undergraduate pilot training (UPT).
I am a second lieutenant who just
graduated from the Air Force Academy,
so I am active duty (not reserves)
and will attend UPT in 2016 after I
complete my master’s degree. Despite
my Air Force experience, I was on a
civilian pilot training track at the University of Central Missouri before the
academy, so I have seen both sides of
the coin.
Some of the downsides quoted were
the commitment, relocations, deployments, and becoming obsolete. If the
writer went with the reserve unit, he
would not be required to move assignments every three years (or so) like his
active-duty counterparts. In fact, he
wouldn’t change assignments unless he
had to move for his civilian employment,
in which case he would be allowed to
transfer to another reserve (or perhaps
guard) unit if they had an airframe
available for him.
8/
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
He would also be allowed to
commute in for his one weekend a
month and two weeks a year of trainingMost pilots in the reserves will fly
much more frequently and there usually
are hours available, and he can usually
request more (for currency's sake).
Naturally, he will be paid for all days
of duty and make progress toward a
retirement package.
Since he will be in the reserves, he
can either be a full-time reservist or
part-time. It is true that he would have
deployments and would have longer
trips, but they would be comparable
to the time away as an airline pilot on
longer runs.
As far as obsolescence, being a C-130 or
C-17 pilot, those airframes are likely going
to be in our inventory for the next 20 to
30 years plus, so I do not think he will
have to worry about becoming obsolete.
In fact, pilots (specifically fighter pilots)
are in deman in the Air Force, and the
reserves often take cargo aircraft after the
active duty is done with them.
I think what he should be concerned
with about Air Force flying is that it is a
whole different ball game, and civilian
flight hours do not equate to military
proficiency. Many people with 1,000plus hours find it hard to let go of old
habits and fly the way the Air Force
demands.
AOPA LIFESTYLES
Many CFII and MEIs have washed
out of UPT because they were unwilling to “be the student” and abandon
old habits that were incompatible with
military flight; humbleness is key.
Dan Cook
Dayton, Ohio
LEVELING OFF
I once heard—and am convinced I read it
somewhere as well—about a leveling-off
procedure that goes like this: Continuing
at cruise climb, over-shooting the target
altitude by 300 to 500 feet (I suppose
depending on aircraft type), and then
easing the aircraft back down to the correct altitude. The advantages, as I recall
them, were decreased fuel burn and
increased time over the same distance
(“Technique: Leveling Off,” Flight Training November 2014).
Philip Haynes
Spring Lake, Michigan
A free member
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There's more than one way to properly
level off, although this isn't one we would
generally recommend.—Ed.
As seen on Flight Training's
Facebook page
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JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
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PREFLIGHT
TRAINING NEWS AND NOTES
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FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
DOWNLOAD THIS PHOTO » http://flighttraining.aopa.org/download
ROUGH RIDER. The snowy mountains and deep
canyons of Moab, Utah, present a striking backdrop
for the Cessna 185 Skywagon in this photo. But the
businesslike Skywagon is entirely at home in this rugged part of the country. It’s a true bush airplane—one
that will haul pilot, passengers, and camping gear,
and has the necessary horsepower to hoist them out
of higher-elevation airports. Introduced in 1961 as
a follow-on to the Cessna 180, the 185 is a six-seat
airplane that can be fitted with floats, amphibious
floats, or skis.
WHAT: Cessna 185 Skywagon
WHERE: Moab, Utah
PHOTOGRAPHER: Chris Rose
JANUARY 2015 / FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 11
PREFLIGHT»
SUCCESS STORIES
‘Unbelievably cool’
A fourth-generation pilot joins the flock
NAME: Michaela Hepp
TO BE A fourth-generation pilot is unbelievably cool.
AGE: 16
To solo on my sixteenth birthday just makes it a million times better. I didn’t expect to fly on my birthday
because I didn’t have the best landings in the lessons
beforehand. This time, however, when I was flying
with my grandfather, I was doing pretty well. When
he jumped out of the airplane when we taxied back
and said, “You want to fly by yourself?” needless to say
I was surprised and nervous. That moment when I
finally took off by myself I had the largest smile on my
face. I felt like I was on top of the world; I don’t think
anything could really replace that feeling. Learning to
fly before I could drive—that’s definitely a story that
my friends will be astonished to hear.
EVENT: Solo
WHERE: Hagerstown
Regional Airport,
Hagerstown, Maryland
AIRPLANE: Cessna 162
Skycatcher
Share your experience on Flight Training’s Facebook
page (www.facebook.com/AOPAFlightTrainingMag).
MICHAELA HEPP with her grandfather, Bob Hepp.
‘Simply incredible’
A childhood dream realized
NAME: Carola Rhodes
AGE: 37
EVENT: Solo
WHERE: Centennial Airport,
Denver, Colorado
AIRPLANE: Gobosh 700
I WAS SO excited to fly my first solo because becoming a pilot has been a dream of mine since I was 12.
As I was taxiing to the runway, and that right seat
was empty, I was thinking, “Wow, this is really happening!” The feeling you get flying an airplane by
yourself for the first time is simply incredible.
CFI BARBARA MARX cuts Carola Rhodes’ shirttail.
JOIN THE JANUARY FLIGHT TRAINING CHAT
Lessons learned
What do you wish you had known as a student pilot? Share your insights for future aviators
at our live Facebook chat at 3 p.m. Eastern time on January 6. One chatter will receive a $50
PilotShop.com gift card. Sign up for an email reminder (www.aopa.org/facebook/flighttraining/
livechat.html).
Flight Training Facebook chats are underwritten by Aircraft Spruce & Specialty (www.aircraftspruce.com).
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FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
HOW IT WORKS
BY IAN J. TWOMBLY
Hard charger
How your airplane’s battery keeps going—or not
LEARNING ABOUT AIRCRAFT batteries
will make you wish you had stayed awake
in high school chemistry. That’s because
batteries are electrical devices driven by a
chemical reaction.
Inside the hard case sit individual cells,
each capable of producing two volts. A
12-volt battery, therefore, has six cells.
Two plates of lead, one solid lead and the
other lead oxide, interlace within the cell.
Surrounding all of it is a mixture of water
and sulfuric acid that acts as an electrolyte, carrying electricity to and from the
plates.
As the battery is called upon for power,
the positive charge of the lead dioxide
plate passes its energy through the electrolyte to the lead plate. Eventually, both
equalize to form lead sulfate. When the
battery is recharged the opposite happens, as the lead sulfate converts back to
transform the positive plate to lead oxide.
Aviation uses two primary types of
batteries: the traditional lead-acid battery
and the more modern “sealed” battery,
formally called a valve-regulated lead
acid battery. In aviation applications,
it features a fiberglass mesh between
the plates that contains the electrolyte.
Typically it’s marketed as an AGM bat-
tery, which stands for absorbed gas mat.
Sealed batteries don’t require as much
maintenance as the traditional lead-acid
battery, they don’t discharge as fast, and
they typically don’t leak fluid into the battery box—which can cause corrosion.
WHAT A DRAIN!
STEVE KARP
A battery’s untimely end
Batteries die for a number of reasons, and under a number of different conditions. A traditional lead-acid battery will discharge by
one percent per day or more simply by sitting. A deep discharge, one in which the battery is completely drained for an extended
period, can result in an excessive build-up of lead sulfate. This powdery substance physically stops the battery from working. As a
pilot you can make sure a battery you are responsible for is on a trickle charger if it sits for an extended period, and if you deeply
discharge it during a start that you have it recharged again soon.
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 13
PREFLIGHT»
AFTER THE CHECKRIDE
Take up a passenger
Make a great first impression
ONE OF THE things we anticipate is taking up our first
passenger. Who will it be? A spouse or partner, a parent,
a longtime friend? Choose wisely and plan thoroughly.
You want your right-seater to have a great time so that he
or she will clamor to join you again.
PLUS View the Air Safety Institute
passenger briefing video.
CHECKLIST...
Destination. For your first time, keep it short. Even a trip or two
around the pattern can determine if your passenger is comfortable
with flying in a small airplane. If his or her prior experience with
aviation is restricted to the middle seat on an Airbus, the movements of your smaller airplane could seem alien and possibly scary.
14 /
an abbreviated preflight to demonstrate the care that you take to
ensure the airplane is airworthy.
Weather. Calm and smooth is the best prescription. A morning
flight to a nearby airport for breakfast makes a great first-flight
opportunity.
Passenger briefing. Your passenger needs to know how to fasten
and unfasten a seatbelt, and you can include other items such as
opening and closing the door, using the headset, and sterile cockpit.
Download a customizable passenger briefing card (www.aopa.org/-/
media/Files/AOPA/Home/Online_20Education/passenger_safety_
briefing_card.pdf).
Preflight. Ask your passenger to stand by while you perform an
uninterrupted preflight, free of distractions. Then you can offer
In the air. Engage your passenger in the flight. He or she can look for
traffic, hold a chart and follow your route, or learn some “aviation speak.”
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
NEWS
Disruptive technology keeps Redbird
on the move
BY THOMAS B. HAINES
Using technology to advance flight training
REDBIRD FLIGHT SIMULATIONS (www.
redbirdflightsimulations.com) demonstrated four new technologies and
proposed a new way to organize flight
schools at its annual Migration at the
Redbird Skyport in San Marcos, Texas, in
October. Some 300 flight school owners,
managers, and CFIs attended.
Founder and Chief Pilot Jerry Gregoire
noted that the new technologies, mostly
software upgrades to the company’s
simulators, show that Redbird is migrating from being just a hardware company
to also being a software company.
According to Redbird Chairman Craig
Fuller, the company delivered 332 simulators over the past year, with one model
or another operating in 42 countries—
including more than 1,000 in the United
States. Redbird, which specializes in
low-cost full-motion simulators, has
developed disruptive technology, Fuller
said. With a price point well below
$100,000, the full-motion simulators
compete against others that cost millions
of dollars. With that, even small flight
schools have options not available to
them previously. As is typical with disruptive technologies, it is taking a while
for some schools to figure out how to
take advantage of the new capabilities.
Among the new technologies demonstrated was Trace, a part of the
company’s GIFT (guided individual flight
instruction) software package. Trace is
the backbone of GIFT, which graphically
lays out scenarios on the simulator’s displays to help guide and coach a student
through various maneuvers. Trace scores
the student’s performance on a maneuver
based on FAA practical test standards,
showing red, yellow, and green bar
charts and a numerical score for various
components of the exercise. For example,
a student’s steep turn might show a good
(green) score for holding a continuous 45
degrees of bank, but the student’s sloppy
altitude or airspeed control might result
in a yellow or red bar and corresponding
poor score. Until the student progresses,
Trace offers visual and voice coaching—saying “Add power,” for example, if
airspeed begins to decay. As the student
becomes more proficient, the level of
coaching is reduced.
Another area where Redbird is experimenting is with its Redhawk 172 project,
where it remanufacturers Cessna 172s
and replaces the Lycoming avgas engines
with Continental CD-155 diesel engines.
Also installed is the gear to record and
then transmit a series of data sets to
ease aircraft and pilot paperwork. As the
airplane taxis up to the flight school, it
connects to a Wi-Fi signal and uploads
flight time and other parameters, including the pilot’s and CFI’s names—which
it picks up from a radio-frequency chip
in the pilots’ ID badge or logbook. By
the time the student is inside the school,
the system has sent a bill for the lesson
to the accounting department, charged
the student’s account, completed aircraft
logbook entries, and alerted maintenance
to any issues with the airplane.
Brown Aviation Lease is setting up
financing for flight schools to buy or lease
the Redhawks. Schools can buy them for
about $249,000 or lease them based on a
usage plan. The usage plan returns higher
margins to the flight school and eases
cash flow, according to Jason Griswold of
Brown Aviation Lease. Its lease program
provides the school with essentially a flat
hourly fee for the airplane, which includes
all scheduled maintenance.
None of the new technologies is yet
ready for sale, although the company
expects most of them to be available in
2015. One technology that is closer is one
that puts QR codes on the airframe at key
places in the preflight inspection. Using a
Redbird app on a smartphone, the student
can scan the codes and then watch a video
that discusses that step in the inspection
and highlights important things to look
for in that area.
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 15
PREFLIGHT»
ASI NEWS
Elevate your flying
with ASI’s spotlights
Topics for all skill levels
WHETHER YOU’RE EAGER to sharpen your skills or preparing
for a checkride, the Air Safety Institute has you covered with its
online Safety Spotlights—which make it a breeze to find ASI’s
free aviation safety education programs, neatly arranged by
subject.
Twenty spotlights pull together courses, accident case
studies, Real Pilot Stories, quizzes, videos, and publications relevant to each topic, from aeromedical to aircraft ownership to
runway safety and more. Let’s say your instrument proficiency
check is coming up and you want to brush up on the regulations and refresh your knowledge of instrument approach
procedures: There’s a spotlight for that. Or perhaps you’ve suffered bouts of mic fright and realize time has come to improve
your communication skills: See the “Radio Communications
and ATC” spotlight. With something for every experience
level—whether certificated pilot, student pilot, flight instructor, or aircraft owner—honing your skills has never been easier
(www.airsafetyinstitute.org/Safety-Spotlights).
NEW ASI SEMINAR COMING TO YOUR
AREA JANUARY 2015
Visit the website (www.airsafetyinstitute.org/seminars).
16 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
Preflight weather briefings
Do you know the fine print?
THE WEATHER IS clear and forecast to be VFR for a
quick jaunt to your favorite hamburger joint 30 miles
away. Should you be on record with a preflight weather
briefing? It might be a good idea.
First, do you know the requirements to obtain
information about the weather, airports, and notices
to airmen? FAR 91.103 requires you to become
familiar with “all available” information regarding
the flight. But where do you find aviation-specific
information about the weather? If you use the FAA
Direct User Access Terminal (DUAT) system or a
flight service station, you’re on the right track. What
if you receive weather information via a third-party
provider or a website that offers aviation weather?
This is often the exact same information as provided
by DUAT or flight service, but the question remains:
Will you be on record as having obtained a weather
brief before going flying?
If your weather briefing (including notams) isn’t
recorded or “provable,” it’s difficult to defend yourself
if, let’s say, you busted a temporary flight restriction or
didn’t comply with a notam that had been issued affecting your route of flight.
Know when your briefing is recorded:
• Any call to an FSS briefer is recorded.
• Any briefing obtained through your individual DTC
DUAT or CSC DUATS account is recorded.
• Briefings from websites or apps that require unique
username and password logins will most likely be
recorded.
• Get a weather briefing (including notams) that logs
the event—even if the weather is clear and you’re
just planning your favorite hamburger hop.
The Air Safety Institute published a safety message
about this (www.airsafetyinstitute.org/wxbrief101).
AOPA FLY-IN
Final AOPA Fly-in welcomes thousands
BY IAN J. TWOMBLY
St. Simons celebrates general aviation
PILOTS JOINED MORE than 1,800 of
The unofficial end of the day came from AOPA President
their closest friends November 8 at
Mark Baker at his town hall presentation. Baker spoke on the
St. Simons Island, Georgia, for AOPA’s pressing issues in Washington, D.C., and in the states. Members
final regional fly-in of 2014.
took particular interest in AOPA’s third class medical petition.
Saturday dawned with an unseaBaker said progress is being made, and he promised to cover the
sonable chill in the air, especially
FAA senior management’s walls with signatures of support colso for those who had camped out.
lected on massive banners at the AOPA Fly-Ins. He also stressed
From Bonanzas to Cherokees to a
the need for an affordable solution to ADS-B, and reaffirmed
Wilga, pilots and passengers of 17
that AOPA is focused on growing general aviation through its
airplanes pitched tents and enjoyed
You Can Fly program.
the great outdoors. “It’s always a
That program, the idea of which is to promote that GA is a
good night’s sleep when it’s outstrong community that can be fun and affordable, speaks to the
side,” one camper said.
nature of the AOPA Fly-Ins. Members applauded the announceBut as the sun rose higher in the sky it beckoned the airplanes
ment that they will continue next year—maybe even at your
in. That’s when they heard the friendly voices of Nan and John
home airport. Selected locations will be announced in early
Walsh, a husband-and-wife team who helped guide the 543
January. We’ll see you there.
airplanes in as the “Air Boss.” “Cessna turning
downwind, keep it in tight,” Nan said over and
over. John yelled out airplanes he spotted so Nan
could hear through her headset. “You have two
on final. Bonanza and Cessna,” he said. Hour after
hour they brought them in safely and made sense
of the dozens of airplanes in the air surrounding
the airport.
Once they arrived, pilots were treated to seven
hours of seminars, including a rousing presentation from retired Navy Cmdr. Kirk Lippold. As
the skipper of the U.S.S. Cole during the attack in
Yemen, Lippold knows a thing or two about maintaining cool in times of crises. Hundreds of pilots
flowed into the Gruber Aviation hangar to hear
how keeping a ship from sinking after a terrorist
attack relates to times of urgency in an aircraft.
The crowd gave Lippold a standing ovation for his
insight and his service.
There were helicopters; floatplanes; a mint-condition Lockheed Electra; traditional four-place,
single-engine family haulers; Experimentals with
turbine engines, and even a hot-pink Velocity XL.
Other airplanes may have been more prominent
on the static display, but Ray Watkins’ Velocity XL
was the talk of the show. Watkins is proud to say
that his wife chose the color. “She said ‘You can’t
match your socks. You can have the airplane but
I’m picking the color.’” What started as fun has
turned in to a serious mission for Watkins. “Kids
are just so drawn to this airplane,” he says. “If
we’re not bringing kids into [aviation], we won’t
LANCE TOLAND'S DC-3; an aerial view of St. Simons Island airport; a hot-pink Velocity XL.
make it.” It’s what he’s passionate about.
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 17
PREFLIGHT»
NEWS
Mooney unveils diesel M10T, M10J
Intended for international training market
MOONEY IS TAKING aim at
the international market
with its new M10T and M10J
diesel-powered singles. The
composite, fixed-gear M10T
is powered by a Continental
CD-135 diesel engine and
marks Mooney’s first foray into
the flight training arena. The
retractable M10J plays off the
popular Mooney M20J, and is
powered by the Continental
CD-155 diesel engine.
“I am very excited to officially present
the new M10 series of Mooney aircraft for
training and performance. These aircraft
mark a new beginning for Mooney, and are
an indication of great product innovation coupled with Mooney’s long line of
history-making aircraft,” Mooney International CEO Jerry Chen said during an
unveiling ceremony at the Airshow China
2014 in Zhuhai, China.
The M10T is a technically advanced
trainer that Mooney said will pave the way
for pilots to step up to the M20 series. The
M10J is an upgraded version of the M10T
that is intended to have a more luxurious
feel, more speed (anticipated 170 knots
true airspeed), and more range (more than
1,000 nautical miles).
“The M20J helped change general
aviation by making flying practical to more
people across the U.S.,” Chen said. “Now,
the M10J promises to do the same for the
world.”
Mooney, which now has offices in
Kerrville, Texas; Chino, California; and
Beijing, China, did not immediately
release price estimates but said the aircraft should receive certification and start
deliveries in 2017.
First students complete new ATP course
One of five FAA-approved programs
18 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
Arizona, locations. Embry-Riddle’s was
the first program to gain approval.
The program is available to full-time
students and includes a minimum of 10
hours of flight time in the university’s
simulators, including a Level D CRJ-200
full-motion simulator. Students who complete an FAA-approved aviation degree
program from the school also are eligible
for the ATP certificate, which permits
pilots with academic degrees with an
aviation major to qualify with fewer than
1,500 total hours. Both the ATP CTP
course and restricted ATP certificate are
included in the FAA’s final rule for pilot
certification and qualification requirements for air carrier operations.
COURTESY MOONEY INTERNATIONAL
TWO STUDENTS AT Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (www.erau.edu) are
the first in the nation to complete a newly
required course for the multiengine
airplane airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate, the school announced recently.
Ethan Connor and Chien-Hsuan Hung,
students at the university’s Daytona
Beach, Florida, campus, completed the
ATP certification training program (ATP
CTP) that the FAA began requiring
August 1, 2014, before airplane multiengine ATP applicants may take the
knowledge test. The FAA lists only five
certificate holders authorized to conduct
the ATP CTP, two of which are EmbryRiddle’s Daytona Beach and Prescott,
Final Exam
NEWS
Michigan aviation
program marks
1. Before starting each maneuver, pilots should
A. announce their intentions on the nearest com- 75 years
Book, eBook, Audiobook
Think you know your stuff? Quiz yourself
with some of these FAA test questions
mon traffic advisory frequency.
B. visually scan the entire area for collision
avoidance.
C. check altitude, airspeed, and heading
indications.
AOPA helps with the celebration
5. Which is true with respect to formation
flights? Formation flights are
A. authorized when carrying passengers for hire,
with prior arrangement with the pilot in command
of each aircraft in the formation.
B. not authorized, except by arrangement with the
pilot in command of each aircraft.
C. not authorized, unless the pilot in command of
each aircraft is trained and found competent in
formation.
AOPA TOOK PART in celebrating 75 years
of excellence in aviation education by
sponsoring and attending an anniversary
gala for Western Michigan University’s
College of Aviation. The October event,
capping a year of celebratory activities
for the school, was held at the College of
Aviation’s campus at W.K. Kellogg Airport
in Battle Creek.
From 1939, when a two-year program for
aviation mechanics was offered, the school
has gone through many transformations
that have produced, in 2014, an academic
institution with accredited four-year
programs ranging from flight science and
maintenance technology to management
and operations, and Air Force ROTC. The
program has more than 700 students. In
2014, the college added a master’s degree
in business administration with an aviation
concentration, in partnership with WMU’s
Haworth College of Business. A fleet of aircraft available to students includes a Cessna
150; a Piper PA-18 Super Cub on floats that
was restored and built by program students;
a Piper Arrow; Cirrus SR20; and a twinengine Piper Seminole.
6. Which statement is true about magnetic
deviation of a compass? Deviation
A. varies over time as the agonic line shifts.
B. varies for different headings of the same
aircraft.
C. is the same for all aircraft in the same locality.
Flight school gets
diesel 172s
2. May aircraft wreckage be moved prior to the
time the National Transportation Safety Board
takes custody?
A. No, it may not be moved under any
circumstances.
B. Yes, but only if moved by a federal, state, or
local law enforcement officer.
C. Yes, but only to protect the wreckage from
further damage.
3. At approximately what altitude above the
surface would the pilot expect the base of the
cumuliform clouds if the surface temperature
is 82 degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point is 38
degrees F?
A. 11,000 feet above ground level.
B. 10,000 feet agl.
C. 9,000 feet agl.
4. When two or more aircraft are approaching
an airport for the purpose of landing, the right
of way belongs to the aircraft
A. that has the other to its right.
B. at the lower altitude, but it shall not take advantage of this rule to cut in front of or to overtake
another.
C. that is the least maneuverable.
7. No person may operate an aircraft in simulated instrument flight conditions unless the
A. other control seat is occupied by at least an
appropriately rated commercial pilot.
B. other control seat is occupied by a safety pilot,
who holds at least a private pilot certificate and is
appropriately rated.
C. pilot has filed an IFR flight plan and received an
IFR clearance.
8. If the airspeed is increased from 90 knots to
135 knots during a level 60-degree bank turn,
the load factor will
A. remain the same, but the radius of turn will
increase.
B. increase as well as the stall speed.
C. decrease, and the stall speed will increase.
PLUS Take the quiz.
Answers on page 53
This book will help you:
• Learn all pvt & comm maneuvers
• Reduce the cost of flight training
• Avoid the accidental stall or spin
• Learn “seat of the pants” skills
• Roundout and flare accurately
• Fly complex airplanes
• Understand attitude flying
• Never fear a crosswind again
• Teach more efficiently as a CFI
• And much more!
508 full color pages
1,250 pictures and illustrations
Book - $59.95/eBook - $44.95
Audiobook $89.95/Digital $69.95
Rod’s Other Products
Set for Ethiopian Aviation Academy
AFRICAIR INC., a Continental Diesel
Master Installation Center, will install
Continental CD-155 retrofit diesel engines
in seven Cessna 172s for Ethiopian Aviation Academy. The company had already
installed three of the engines for the Ethiopian Airlines training academy in 2014;
Continental said the diesel aircraft, which
run on jet fuel, will be used for flight training an average of six to seven hours a day
during peak training. Jet-fuel-powered
piston engines are popular for aircraft outside the United States, where avgas is often
scarce or prohibitively expensive.
Laugh & Learn With Rod
Ordering:
www.rodmachado.com
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 19
AROUND THE PATCH
By Jill W. Tallman
FROM ONE PILOT TO ANOTHER
WHAT I WISH I’D KNOWN IN MY STUDENT DAYS
THE AUTHOR in 2003 after a trip to Maryland's
Ocean City Municipal Airport (OXB).
TOOL—but not now, at this stage of your
flying. Treat yourself to one when you
pass your private pilot checkride, but for
now, save the money for flight instruction. Better yet…
SPEND THAT MONEY ON A GOOD HEADSET. You’ll save yourself hundreds of
s we’ve themed the January 2015 issue “Back to Basics,” I
wondered what, if anything, I would tell my student pilot self
if I could travel back in time. We would have a lively conversation, once future me got finished telling student pilot me that
it was high time to cut off my waist-length hair. Here’s what I’d say:
A
dollars if you just go ahead and purchase
the quality headset, rather than getting a
cheap one, then moving up to a slightly
more expensive one, then abandoning
that one when you finally realize that you
need something even more effective and
comfortable.
GO-AROUNDS ARE YOUR FRIEND. I
think you already know this, but it bears
repeating. If something’s not right on the
approach, don’t force it.
FLYING IS AWESOME; DON’T FORGET IT.
FLY MORE. One lesson a week is good,
but two is better, if you can afford it. At
least schedule two per week. That way,
if weather forces a cancelation, you’ll
already be on the books with your CFI and
won’t have to scramble to get another slot.
GO TALK TO ATC. If you’re flying out
of a nontowered airport (as Frederick
Municipal Airport was then), infrequent
encounters with air traffic control made it
harder to develop fluency when talking to
ATC. Get flight following; go to a towered
airport; give a pilot report—but do what it
takes to get that level of familiarity. You’ll
see an even greater benefit when you start
instrument training, as far into the future
as that may seem.
STALL RECOVERY WILL BE OK. Power-off
stalls seem scary now, but they won’t
always be. Dissect the maneuver and practice it with your CFI as much as possible.
INTERRUPTIONS HAPPEN. A lot of pieces
must fall into place to learn to fly: time,
money, decent weather, a good flight
instructor, and a functioning airplane.
20 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
Plan for the times when you’re not flying
so that you don’t forget what you learned
in the interim. Study your ground school
materials; take a free Air Safety Institute
online course; read Wolfgang Langewiesch’s Stick and Rudder. Speaking of
which…
This may be the most important bit of
advice. You’re steeped in the minutia of
flying—the book work, the knowledge test
prep, wondering and worrying if you will
ever get the hang of the perfect landing.
(Spoiler alert: You will.) Small wonder
that it sometimes seems like more of a
YOU'LL SAVE YOURSELF HUNDREDS OF
DOLLARS IF YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND
PURCHASE THE QUALITY HEADSET,
RATHER THAN GETTING A CHEAP ONE.
THE RUDDER IS IMPORTANT. You are not
a pilot who flies without ever touching
the rudder pedals, but your stick-andrudder technique could use some work.
It wouldn’t kill you to fly an airplane that
requires more footwork than your trainer.
In fact, go take an hour of dual instruction
in a taildragger to see what I’m talking
about.
chore than a boon. But it will change your
life, offer incredible experiences, and
create wonderful memories in ways that
few recreational activities can match. I’m
sure you’ve heard this before, but the hard
work now will be more than worth it.
Trust me, I know—I’m a pilot, too.
A HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER IS A GREAT
aopa.org; Twitter: @jtallman1959.
Email Technical Editor Jill Tallman at jill.tallman@
Wear Your
Wings
Announcing the new AOPA Pilot Gear online store—your
source for ofcial AOPA merchandise! Whether you wear it,
use it, display it, or give it as a gift, this AOPA-branded gear
does more than show your passion for general aviation. It
supports your association’s mission to protect the freedom to
fly. With AOPA merchandise, you can look good—and do good.
Visit: aopapilotgear.com
FLYING CARPET
By Greg Brown
PLUS View the slideshow.
TENNIS TEAMMATES (left to right ) Jean
Brown, Jana Perpich, and Jenny Garcia at
Albuquerque’s Double Eagle II Airport.
Old Acoma, “Sky City,” a 1,000-year-old
mesa-top Native American pueblo
(opposite page).
TENNIS TIME AGAIN
THE POWER OF WISHFUL THINKING
E
very aviator knows the pain of stressing about weather before
important aerial journeys. It’s become tradition for me to fly
Jean to tennis regionals when her team wins their conference.
Fortunately, the playoffs occur in late spring and early fall when
good flying weather generally dominates the Southwest.
Jean’s team was particularly strong this
year, so with each successive win she’d
more enthusiastically ask, “You will fly us
to Albuquerque if we qualify, right?” Each
time I assured her that nothing in my universe could possibly be more important.
Accordingly she solicited fellow players
to join us, collected their weights, briefed
them on baggage limits, and arranged
for driving teammates to accommodate
overflow gear. When Jean’s team indeed
made the cut, we began casually watching
the weather.
You may be surprised to learn that
hurricanes, or at least their remnants,
occasionally visit sunny Arizona. In the
past month two of them, Marie and Norbert, had arrived from Mexico’s Pacific
coast, dropping precipitation, including
the largest daily rainfall ever recorded in
normally bone-dry Phoenix. Following
two such rare occurrences in one season, I
never imagined we’d see more.
22 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
But a week before Jean’s regionals, Hurricane Odile steered our way from Baja
California. Jean and I watched in disbelief
as local meteorologist Lee Born projected
the storm’s track northeastward through
Arizona and New Mexico. “This could
be another major precipitation event,” he
said, “with a high likelihood we’ll benefit
by more rain.” Jean and I saw a disrupted
tennis trip in the colorful weather blob
projected to engulf the two states.
By Flying Carpet, Albuquerque is an
easy two hours from Flagstaff, meaning I
could deliver Jean and fellow player Jana
Perpich fresh for play Thursday morning.
Flying would return them and teammate
Jenny Garcia home by midday Sunday,
in time to recuperate before starting the
workweek. As Jean observed, “The tournament’s grueling enough without driving
five hours each way!” Besides, I treasure
any opportunity to fulfill Jean’s personal
missions in the airplane she helps support.
“That storm will probably dissipate
before getting here,” she offered, “or
change speed, or course.” Clearly that was
wishful thinking. Although now downgraded to a tropical storm, Odile barreled
inexorably toward us. Even as it further
weakened to a tropical depression, torrential rains were likely.
“But we could fly on instruments,
right?” said Jean. That was indeed feasible,
providing the freezing level exceeded
minimum instrument altitudes of 11,000 to
12,000 feet along the mountainous route.
Strong winds also could be hazardous,
especially downwind of New Mexico’s
11,305-foot Mount Taylor.
Each day the storm advanced closer,
without changing course or potency. Two
days before our planned departure, my
friend Shari Meyer wrote from Northern
California.
“Rarely must I cancel a flight due to
weather,” she said. “Ugh! Stupid Odile has
ruined my plans to pick up my husband
Ken in Arizona tomorrow.” That got even
Jean’s attention, because Shari and Ken
fly a highly capable Eclipse jet. With that,
Jean and Jana finally acknowledged the
likelihood of driving. Fortunately, we
could postpone the final decision until
departure morning.
Throughout Wednesday I monitored
the weather. To our slight encouragement, the storm appeared to be steering
slightly south of the expected track.
“We’ll be lucky to get an inch of rain,”
Lee Born announced disappointedly.
But forecasts still showed the storm
inundating central New Mexico. On top
of it, Jean seemed to be getting the flu.
Between concerns about her health
and poor flying weather, I was a bundle
of nerves.
Still, I preflighted our portable oxygen
system, confirmed rental car availability
at Gallup—halfway in case we couldn’t
make Albuquerque—and packed my travel
bag in the event I got stuck somewhere.
Knowing we almost certainly couldn’t fly,
I skipped checking weather that evening.
Better to face whatever reality Thursday
morning than worry all night. I awoke
before dawn, and with pounding pulse
queried my smartphone.
“I feel much better today,” said Jean,
sleepily. “How’s the weather?” Flagstaff
was clear—not too surprising given the
storm’s last projected course. Winslow
was also clear. Heh! Gallup and Grants,
New Mexico, featured good visual
conditions under high clouds. And amazingly, so did both Albuquerque airports!
Mountain obscuration was possible
over northern New Mexico, and Odile’s
remnants swirled closer than I’d like to
the south. But a 15,000-foot freezing level
meant we could safely file an instrument
flight plan if necessary.
“Call Jana,” I said. “We’re launching for
Albuquerque!” We soon cruised sparkling
skies cleansed by Odile’s rains, savoring
sights of Arizona’s Painted Desert and
New Mexico’s Zuni Mountains. We’d
just circled Old Acoma “Sky City,” a
1,000-year-old mesa-top Native American
pueblo, when Jana excitedly noted a more
relevant landmark.
“Look!” she said, “A tennis court in
the middle of nowhere!” Shortly after
the girls photographed that curiosity, I
dropped them at Albuquerque’s Double
Eagle II Airport, then steered happily
homeward under puffy fair-weather
clouds.
Rarely, over decades of piloting, have
I seen a dead-on approaching storm
system deviate far enough overnight
to change a veritable no-go into an
easy VFR flight. Maybe wishful thinking works after all! Now, if the weather
would just oblige for retrieving the players on Sunday.
Greg Brown is an aviation author, photographer,
and former National Flight Instructor of the Year
(www.gregbrownflyingcarpet.com).
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KING_FT_June14.indd 1
4/11/2014 2:06:47 PM
FLIGHT LESSON
By Arnold D. Seligman
FLIGHT LESSON offers the
opportunity for pilots to learn
from the experiences of others.
JUST ONE OF
THOSE THINGS
‘NEW’ AIRPLANE AND AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING
T
his true story began September 24, 2013. I had won the Ebay
auction of a 125-horsepower Piper Tri-Pacer and made
arrangements with the owner to come to Manistee, Michigan, to get it. The trip involved a 16-hour bus ride.
24 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
Manistee to Jeffersonville is 365 air
miles. We made a fuel stop halfway in
Plymouth, Indiana. Then we were cruising along at 2,200 rpm at about 3,000 feet,
and my friend pulled out some crackers
and other stuff, and we were having a
grand old time until we were 72 miles
from Jeffersonville.
I had once flown traffic in the Louisville, Kentucky, area and had an occasion
when the engine started to bang. I
landed at Standiford Field. A day and
$2,000 later I was back in the air. A stuck
exhaust valve on the number one cylinder was the culprit.
Getting back to the flight from Plymouth, I heard that same bang—only it
continued to bang away. I said a short
prayer, Lord, I need your help! I grabbed
the GPS from the passenger side and hit
GO TO. It responded with turn to 290
degrees and there was an airport 5.4 miles
away. Now the engine was barely running.
I pushed in the mixture control that was
really only about a quarter of an inch out,
ALEX WILLIAMSON
I left a car at Clark Regional Airport
in Jeffersonville, Indiana. My lady friend
and I boarded a bus at 3 a.m. and settled
in for the ride.
Sixteen hours later we were picked up
in Cadillac, Michigan. Since it was late in
the day, the owner gave us the logbooks to
look over that evening. The next morning we went to the airport to see what I
had won. I had pictures, but you all know
that airplanes are photogenic. The farther
away one gets the better they look. It
turned out that this bird was a 10 on the
outside and a nine inside.
The owner flew left seat for a couple
of landings, and then I took over. The
first four-place airplane I flew was a
Tri-Pacer, so I had a pretty good idea
of where the brakes, flaps, and trim
crank were, and how to start the engine.
After I did a couple of landings and the
owner thought I could handle the airplane, we went back into the hangar to
sign the papers. After refueling we were
on our way.
not enough to make a difference. I pushed
the throttle in, the engine burped, and
that was it. We were going down and that
was the scene.
Fortunately, there was a huge soybean
field right under us. I set up an 80-mph
glide approach and skimmed the tops
of the soybeans for about 500 yards. Oil
began pouring out on the windshield.
There was no forward visibility, but I
wasn’t planning to make any turns anyway. We came to a stop with a thud and
turned the switches off and took stock of
where we were and what had happened.
Another pilot informed Indianapolis Approach that we did an off-airport
landing. Then out we went. I could shoot
Mr. Piper for not putting a pilot-side
door in some of his airplanes, because
I couldn’t help my friend out. She was
shaken up a little but not injured. After a
hug and “thank you, Lord,” there we stood
in the middle of this soybean field.
One cannot imagine what that engine
looked like when the cowling was raised.
Sitting on both sides of the top of the
engine were chunks of aluminum castings
the size of one’s fist with the camshaft
sticking out the top. Oil was draining off
the windshield. Sections of the nose cowl
had holes and dents in it from the engine
throwing metal out through the cowling
holes and the propeller throwing some of
them back. Other than that, the airplane
was in good shape.
Meeting with the FAA representative
the next day, he did not leave any stones
unturned. I knew that he didn’t have
anything on me because my flight review,
medical, time in type, and frequency of
flying all were up to date. The outcome
that everyone agreed upon was like the
song says, “it was just one of those things.”
By the way, my passenger and I were
both 83 years old at the time. Since then I
have bought another 150-horsepower TriPacer and we are back in the air.
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credit application. The 2% cash back on grocery store purchases and 3% cash back on gas purchases applies to the first $1500 in combined purchases in these categories in each quarter. After that,
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† You will qualify for $100 bonus cash rewards if you use your new credit card account to make any combination of purchase transactions totaling at least $500 (exclusive of any transaction fees, returns
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®2014 Bank of America Corporation.
ARX4Q8R8-07242014
CHECKRIDE
By Bob Schmelzer
PLUS Don’t let your guard down on
the ground—take the Air Safety Institute’s Runway Safety online course.
SAFETY ON THE GROUND
AVOIDING RUNWAY INCURSIONS
A
n average of three runway incursions occur each day at towered airports across the United States, and a large percentage
of these are caused by general aviation pilots. It’s no wonder that the FAA places a high priority on runway incursion
avoidance. Many factors can lead to a runway incursion, but, statistically speaking, failure to comply with air traffic control instructions
combined with airport unfamiliarity top the list. Runway incursions
represent an unacceptable aviation safety risk that must be mitigated.
Runway incursion avoidance is not
listed as a specific task in the practical test
standards; however, it is one of several
“Special Emphasis Areas” critical to flight
safety that must be evaluated during
all checkrides. One of the best ways to
demonstrate this skill to your designated
pilot examiner during your checkride is by
following safe standard runway incursion avoidance procedures throughout
your flight, beginning with writing down
all ATC clearances and taxi instructions.
Combine this with having an airport diagram handy for easy reference before and
during taxi—even if you’re at a familiar
airport. Failing to write down taxi instructions or keep an airport diagram handy is a
warning flag to any examiner.
Familiarize yourself with the anticipated taxi route as determined by the
planned departure runway. Does this route
take you through any “hot spots” or cross
26 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
any runways? At towered airports, upon
receipt of your taxi clearance, a precise
readback of all runway hold-short and/
or crossing instructions is critical. If you
have any doubt or confusion about the
clearance or the taxi route, stop, remain
clear of the runway, and contact ATC. Ask
ATC to confirm the instructions. Never
hesitate to ask ATC for assistance or
progressive taxi instructions, preferably
before you get into trouble. Do not attempt
to complete any checklist items or permit
nonessential conversation while taxiing.
Some examiners love to begin chatting or
asking inappropriate, non-safety-related
questions while you taxi. Politely ask the
examiner to hold that thought.
Another way to improve safety on the
airport is through proper operation of
aircraft lighting. Your aircraft’s rotating
beacon or tail/fin strobe should be on
whenever the engine is running. Anytime
you are crossing a runway, all exterior
lights should be turned on. If you are holding for takeoff on the runway, turn your
landing lights on once takeoff clearance
has been received. Wing strobes should
also be turned on while on any runway and
while airborne, day or night. Turn wing
strobes off after clearing all runways during taxi operations to avoid blinding other
pilots and ground vehicle drivers.
When returning to land, after determining the active runway, review your airport
diagram to plan your runway exit and taxi
route to parking. Never exit your landing
runway directly onto another intersecting
runway without ATC instructions to do so.
Do not accept last-minute or unclear ATC
instructions that you are not sure you can
safely obey. Just say “Unable.” Once you
have cleared the runway, do not stop until
your aircraft is clear of the runway holdshort markings. After that, any further taxi
requires additional ATC clearance.
When operating at nontowered airports,
effective communications and see-andavoid procedures are very important.
Advise other pilots in the area of your
location and intentions using clear and
accurate standard radio phraseology.
Although “line up and wait” is used at
towered airports, its use is not recommended at nontowered facilities. Since
understanding standardized runway and
airport signage plays a huge safety role,
many examiners incorporate some form
of airport signage identification into their
testing practices. But the actions you take
in the airplane will speak volumes about
how well-prepared you are to avoid an
ugly runway incursion.
Bob Schmelzer is a Chicago-area designated pilot
examiner, a United Airlines captain, and a Boeing
777 line check airman. He has been an active flight
instructor since 1972.
GROUNDED?
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THIS WEEK
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AOPA Live This Week their number-one source
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compelling news magazine format.
Available on:
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advocacy and safety experts. Our editors interview industry
leaders and pilots across the country, check out the latest gear,
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TRADING GRO
28 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
» Cover story
UND FOR SKY
PERFECT TAKEOFFS EVERY TIME
» By Budd Davisson
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS ROSE
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 29
While learning to fly,
TAKEOFF TROUBLE
When things aren’t smooth
Not every takeoff ends with a perfect and seamless release from the
ground. Some end with an unusable
airplane. According to the Air
Safety Institute’s most recent Joseph
T. Nall Report, takeoffs account for
the second-highest number of pilotrelated accidents.
Most of those pranged airplanes
departed the runway in either a
stall or off the side. Directional
control continues to be a significant
problem, as do stalls both right
above the runway and after the
airplane has gained a bit of altitude.
Keep it on speed, and work on that
crosswind technique, and your
chances of having a mishap are
greatly reduced. –Ian J. Twombly
30 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
we spend a terrific amount of time concentrating on “specialty” takeoffs, such
as those for short and soft fields. This is
as it should be. However, there is another
form of takeoff that is practically ignored,
yet we do it almost every time we get in
an airplane. It’s that nothing-specialtakeoff-that-has-no-name. We just put in
the power and keep it in the middle of the
pavement until we’re off.
Since we make this middle-ground
takeoff so often, doesn’t it make sense
that we try to perfect it through practice?
Also, shouldn’t some goals be developed?
Shouldn’t we come up with some sort of
description that, at the very least, tells us
when a takeoff is good, not so good—or
stinks? If we don’t have an image in our
minds of what it is supposed to look like,
how will we know if we’re doing it right
or wrong? And how do we practice it?
Practice takeoffs? What a novel idea!
Yeah, it might be novel, but it might also
be necessary, because too many takeoffs
can best be described as acts of desperation. First, it has to be said that an airplane
knows far more about flying than we do.
We have to stop and think about factors
like wind, load, temperature, runway
surface, and a million other things that
make this takeoff different from the one
before. The airplane doesn’t have to think
about anything. It knows when it’s ready
to fly. The realization that it is ready to
fly comes as a gradual feeling of lightness
and then, as if by magic, it just happens.
The airplane doesn’t suddenly say, “Oh,
please, yank hard on the controls and
I’ll oblige you by leaping into the air in a
thoroughly graceless display that hurts my
sensibilities.”
Given a choice, an airplane will always
opt for the graceful, caring option. On the
other hand, many pilots don’t. There are
a few possible reasons. One is that they
simply don’t care. They only want the
takeoff to be over, so they can be off the
ground.
Another possibility is that they simply
haven’t been shown any other way. They
have all the techniques and the nuances
squirreled away in their minds. They
know all of this because their trusty CFI
spent several hours patiently inserting
the proper thoughts about the applicable
techniques into their still-forming pilot
minds. But what about the regular takeoff? How much specific instruction did
they get in that?
Since there are no actual standards
that apply to the regular, nothing-special
takeoff, it’s up to us to come up with
some. First, let’s form some sort of a
consensus about what actually defines a
“good” takeoff.
Think back to all the time you’ve spent
standing by the fence watching airplanes
take off. How many of those takeoffs were
unique enough that they stuck in your
mind? Chances are pretty good that you
remember a few where the airplane was
so totally under control, yet so subtle in
its movements, that you felt as if you were
watching a bird just trade ground for sky
in a thoroughly natural manner. No pulls.
No sudden anything. Yet it sticks in your
mind because, when an airplane leaves the
ground so smoothly, you know that’s the
way it’s supposed to be done. It makes you
feel good just watching it.
Why don’t we make the same kind of
takeoffs ourselves—every time? We don’t
because no one has told us exactly what
it is about that kind of takeoff that makes
them feel so right. What techniques do we
need to learn? What procedures apply?
There are no tricky techniques to apply.
To make that kind of takeoff, all that is necessary is for you to capitalize on the fact
that the airplane knows more about flying
than you do—and realize that your job is to
help it do its thing. All you have to do is set
up a situation in which the ingredients of
flight are allowed to come together in such
a way that the forces of nature interact and
spontaneously create flight. With no help
from anyone, lift is generated that is sufficient to overcome gravity.
Central to the situation described is an
understanding of lift. And central to that
is an understanding of how angle of attack
and airspeed relate to one another.
For a given angle of attack, there is one
indicated airspeed that will generate lift in
excess of the airplane’s weight, regardless
of what other environmental factors may
PRACTICE TAKEOFFS?
WHAT A NOVEL IDEA!
YEAH, IT MIGHT BE NOVEL
BUT IT MIGHT ALSO BE
NECESSARY, BECAUSE TOO
MANY TAKEOFFS CAN BEST BE
DESCRIBED AS ACTS OF
DESPERATION.
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 31
exist. However, it is not necessary that the
pilot know any of those factors (temperature, pressure, et cetera). All you need
to know is that, if you hold a consistent,
slightly nose-up attitude (positive angle of
attack), the airplane will accelerate to an
unknown speed at which every factor having to do with the takeoff will be satisfied
and the airplane will leave the ground.
Further, it will have a decidedly positive
climb rate and it will be a seamless, graceful entry into the sky.
If there is any technique at all involved
in this kind of takeoff, it is a simple one
that is based on understanding how
increasing airspeed affects the efficiency
of control surfaces.
Early in the takeoff roll, as soon as the
elevator has enough effectiveness, bring
the nose up far enough that the nosewheel
is barely clear of the ground—and keep it
there. However, to hold a consistent angle,
you must compensate for the effectiveness of the elevator, which increases as
the speed builds. As the airplane accelerates, the tail becomes more effective, and
the elevator tries to bring up the nose
farther—without moving the control yoke.
But we don’t want this. We want a stable
angle of attack, so the elevator must be
relaxed as the speed increases (assuming a
nosewheel airplane).
Airspeed versus lift
250
Airspeed (mph)
200
150
100
50
0
0 10
20
30
40
50
60
Lift (lbs)
THE RELATIONSHIP between airspeed, lift, and angle of attack produces the foundation of all
great takeoffs. Lift increases with airspeed (top) and with angle of attack (below).
Lift versus angle of attack
CL
.2000
1.8
18
.1600
1.6
16
.1400
1.4
14
Stall point
1.2
12
1.0
10
0.8
8
.0600
0.6
6
.0400
0.4
4
Budd Davisson is an aviation writer/photographer
.0200
0.2
2
and magazine editor. A CFI since 1967, he teaches
0
0
0
about 30 hours a month in his Pitts S-2A. Visit his
.1200
Total lift
curve
.1000
.0800
0° 2°
4°
6°
8°
10°
12°
14°
16°
Critical angle of attack
32 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
18° 20° 22°
Lift/drag
Coefficient of drag
.1800
During most of the takeoff roll, you
are fixating on the far end of the runway
and using it to judge the airplane’s nose
attitude. As the speed increases, the
nose will try to climb above the reference point. So you release just a hair of
back-pressure. The nose stabilizes. Then,
almost immediately, as speed continues
to increase, the nose tries to rise again, so
more back-pressure is released. Little by
little, as the airplane accelerates, you are
slowly releasing back-pressure to keep the
nose at exactly the attitude you initially
selected. Fight the urge to let the airplane
rise at the last second, and instead trade
lift for speed that will benefit you in the
soon-to-come climb.
Other than controlling the nose
attitude and keeping the airplane on the
centerline, you don’t pay attention to
anything else. Regardless of the temperature, the load, the humidity—or whatever
else—at that low angle of attack, the
airplane will not leave the ground until
it reaches a speed that it is happy with.
That speed will be far enough above stall
speed that you and the airplane will be
totally safe and not affected by typical gust spreads. If severe gusts or high
crosswinds exist, other techniques apply
and safety/control concerns supersede
being graceful.
When we master the kind of takeoff
in which the airplane actually makes the
final decision, not the pilot, we’ve stepped
over one of the lines that separate the normal pilot from a true aviator. The former
just wants the airplane off the ground,
while the latter wants the takeoff to be
another maneuver that demonstrates
his skill at managing three-dimensional
nuances. At the same time, it increases
safety and brings a smile to him, the airplane, and those watching.
The best takeoffs are those that are so
smooth, they surprise us. This is where
flying becomes an art and the tao of flight
begins.
website (www.airbum.com).
FIGHT THE URGE TO LET
THE AIRPLANE RISE AT
THE LAST SECOND, AND
INSTEAD TRADE LIFT FOR
SPEED THAT WILL
BENEFIT YOU IN THE
SOON-TO-COME CLIMB.
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 33
WORK
SMARTER,
BETWEEN PREFLIGHT
AND TAKEOFF
» By Ian J. Twombly
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FIZER
NOT
LONGER
Airplanes are meant to fly.
If the wings don’t make that obvious,
the unnecessarily arduous and inefficient process of getting from the hangar to the runway
should say it all. There are dozens of steps that
must happen from the time you finish the preflight to the moment your wheels cross onto
the runway. Anything you can do to make that
process a bit faster, a bit more efficient, and a
bit safer is welcome.
CheckMate’s popular Cessna 172 checklist
lists 56 items that must be completed between
the preflight and the takeoff. And that doesn’t
include radio calls. Assuming that only a super
brain would ever remember such a list, the
challenge becomes attacking all those tasks
without burning an hour’s worth of fuel in
the process. You have two choices—use the
checklist as a task list, or use it to monitor your
progress. Which direction you choose depends
primarily on where you are in training.
Early on, your goal should be only to make
sure you are thorough, and that you are
understanding the complex reasons everything
happens in that time between ground and
34 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
sky. Complete comprehension of why things
happen can be beneficial to memorization,
but it’s impossible to learn everything in the
beginning. Some things must wait, and come
with context. That leaves you with only faith
that when the checklist says to do something,
you do it.
There are exceptions, of course. The starting sequence is a good example. The newer
fuel-injected Cessna 172s have a five-step
engine priming procedure that must happen
just before you turn the key. Completing this
process while using the checklist as a task list
would result in overpriming the engine. And
it’s fairly simple to remember to turn on the
fuel pump, advance the mixture, check fuel
flow, pull the mixture to idle, and then turn off
the pump.
There are two big problems with the
task method of using a checklist. First, it’s
slow. Very slow. It can take up to a half-hour
between buckling the seatbelt and taking off.
In the beginning, this is fine. But you’re paying
for that airplane time, so ultimately you’ll want
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 35
the checklist is just that—a list used to confirm tasks
that have already been completed. As you get more
comfortable with the prestart process, for example,
you can go from following the list to completing a
flow. Starting at the lower pedestal of the 172, working up, to the right for flaps, and then left across the
circuit breakers, lights, and electrical takes about a
minute and easily completes the 17 items on the Start
checklist. Once you are comfortable with the tactic,
it’s time to focus on the specifics.
S EPAR
P
I
T YOUR D TURE
E
AT
TO A
CC
E
LE
R
10
to speed things up. More important, it’s a bit narrowminded for experienced pilots to operate this way.
Because it’s impossible to train for everything that
can happen in an airplane, we instead focus on a set of
skills that we hope will cover all the potential issues.
Operating in a way that focuses on completing specific
tasks dictated by a checklist reveals a lack of broad
knowledge, and a lack of confidence. It also means the
pilot might be ill-equipped to handle a new problem.
A broad-picture approach is the better way. Here
1. GET THE WEATHER IN ADVANCE. Professional pilots get their weather and
clearance before starting the engine. Why can’t you? With either a portable
radio or by simply turning on the electrical system, queue up the weather
in advance to save time on the engine. Especially when you first begin
your training, understanding the automated weather broadcast can
be confusing. Take away the pressure to do it quickly by doing it in
advance, writing it down, and then take the time to make sure you
fully understand the conditions, airport information, and—if there is
a control tower—what the controllers will expect of you.
2. BE SEATED IN SEQUENCE. Every airplane has its seating quirks. In a
Cessna, it’s usually best to position the seat, then fasten the seatbelt, and
only then close the door. The door on a Piper usually can be closed first,
then the seatbelt fastened. Many Light Sport aircraft don’t have moveable
seats, but are tight enough that the seatbelt should be positioned before the
door is closed. Whatever the situation, it can be frustrating to have to unbuckle,
open a door, change a seat position, and so on. The worst offense, of which we are all
guilty, is trying to start the engine with the key in your pocket. Avoid this by simply placing
it on the glareshield as soon as you unlock the pilot-side door.
3. BRIEF BEFORE. As you fly new passengers, plan to conduct the briefing before loading up. It’s
easier to point out items when people have the freedom of movement. The exception is seatbelt
operation, which can wait until they get in, and which needs to happen before you start the engine.
4. CLEAN YOUR HOUSE. Get your charts, notepad, pencil, GPS, headset, radio—and whatever other
kit you carry on board—in place and ready to go before you even buckle up. The best way to set up
charts is in the order you'll use them. Have a taxi diagram if one is available, then move on to the first
leg of the sectional chart, and so on.
5. MEMORIZE THE EASY STUFF. The priming procedure isn’t the only item on the 172 checklist
you should memorize. Do the same with the portion of the Before Takeoff list that happens while
the engine is at a high rpm. Often this includes items such as a magneto check, carburetor heat,
annunciator lights, and engine gauges. It’s generally considered bad form to sit there with the
engine running hard for an extended period on the ground. It’s loud, and it can be hard on the
airplane. Once you memorize these few items, you’ll find that the rest of the list starts to come
together with flow patterns.
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FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
6. DO THINGS ONCE. Work with your instructor to
refine your checklist so less-critical items are called
out only once. There’s no need to set the heading
indicator right after starting the engine, when it’s only
going to precess and require a reset prior to takeoff.
Just wait and make that second time the first time.
Many airplanes have unique items like this. There’s
nothing that says you can’t make the checklist work
the way you want it to.
7. USE MEMORY AIDS. As you get more into using flows,
certain memory aids can really help. A personal favorite
is CIGAR for Control check, Instruments set, Gas
quantity and proper tank, Attitude or trim, and Runup.
It covers all the critical items, it’s easy to remember, and
fast to do. After you use CIGAR, pull out the checklist to
verify you checked each item.
8. KNOW YOUR BIRD’S HISTORY. Was the airplane
just flown? Has it been sitting in an ice-cold hangar
all night? What happened immediately prior to your
flight will dictate what you do right before and during
the engine starting process. Fuel-injected airplanes
don’t do warm or hot starts particularly well. If things
are really cold, you may need to preheat. The guidance
on how to work your way through most of these issues
can be found in the manual, so get acquainted with it
early and review it often. It will save your battery as
well as your pride.
STEVE KARP
9. LEAN BACK. Not every checklist includes one
important item that will save you time and make the
airplane’s owner very happy—leaning the mixture for
taxi. The engines in many small trainers run rich at
lower power settings. If you don’t lean the mixture
for taxi, the spark plugs become covered in carbon
deposits. That results in a bad magneto check and,
eventually, maintenance on the surprisingly expensive
little sparkers.
10. LEARN AT HOME. Buy a poster of your airplane’s
cockpit, or take a good photo and enlarge it, then hang
it on your office wall. Next, sit and play pilot. It sounds
embarrassing, and to a certain extent it is a bit funny,
but the effort will be worth the family’s snickers.
Chair flying does a decent job of mentally preparing
pilots for maneuvers, but it does a stellar job of preparing them for all the jobs that happen between the
preflight and the takeoff. Run through the sequences
again and again, and you’ll have no trouble doing it for
real in the airplane.
Ian J. Twombly is the editor of Flight Training magazine.
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
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WISE
The wisest advice for any successful pilot is twofold:
Do the simple things well, and maintain your humility.
The simple things are basic stick-and-rudder skills.
Humility is the other aspect.
We are all human and therefore prone to mistakes. Acknowledge this and accept
it, but remain vigilant. Be aware that there will always be someone more skillful or knowledgeable than you. Maintaining our humility allows us to pass on
what we have learned, as well as to recognize our shortcomings and seek improvement. Humility makes us better individuals. Those who embraced this concept are
remembered for their integrity and great achievements, and the ones who ignored it
are remembered for their downfall. Fortunately, there are some very wise pilots who
remember where they started—in the same place as many of you are today—and enthusiastically mentor the next generation. Seek them out and your potential is endless.
In that spirit, and to add to the basics, here are a few other valuable nuggets of wisdom.
WORDS
» By Matthew Bauman
ILLUSTRATION BY A.J. GARCES
38 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
A pil
ot's gui
de
to the fying life
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 39
REMEMBER THIS ADAGE
WHEN FEELING
OVERWHELMED:
HOW DO YOU EAT
AN ELEPHANT?
ONE PIECE AT A TIME.
PROFICIENCY AND CURRENCY. Proficiency and currency hold valuable parallels. Both are essential concepts as a cornerstone to building
and maintaining skills. The FAA addresses proficiency and currency
indirectly through the practical test standards, Part 61 requirements,
flight reviews, and instrument currency requirements, but there’s at
least one other source that more clearly defines these terms.
In military training programs, control measures such as currency
are utilized to provide additional safety margins based on exposure
frequency to a particular skill. Its time interval is defined in days
since a pilot last practiced a specific skill. Proficiency is a measure
of specific skill achievement. For example, Part 61 of the federal
aviation regulations states that to carry passengers during the day, a
pilot must have completed three takeoffs and landings in the previous 90 days. If a pilot averages one landing every 30 days, that pilot
is technically current to carry passengers, because he meets the
time requirements—but is the pilot proficient? Currency addresses
the regulatory issue, but proficiency addresses the skill and can only
be assessed by the pilot between flight reviews. An honest selfassessment is essential here.
MASTERING INFORMATION. Succeeding in aviation necessitates
processing large quantities of information. Student pilots can find
the quantity of reference sources overwhelming. The knowledge
requirement only increases as we progress in our flying careers.
Realize that you do not need to memorize every regulation and
system nut and bolt. Know where to locate the information by
becoming familiar with its source documents, and how to navigate
the libraries of knowledge at your fingertips.
Aircraft manuals are a great example. We learn to fly in smaller
aircraft such as a Cessna, Piper, or Robinson. The pilot’s operating
handbooks (POH) are maybe 100 to 300 pages. Memorization of the
V-speeds and other limitations is straightforward, and understand40 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
ing the various systems is simple. As pilots
transition to more advanced aircraft, such
as turboptops or Transport category jets,
the POHs grow significantly in size. What
was once a 300-page Skyhawk manual can
morph into a 1,000-page, multi-volume
publication.
Memorizing all of that information
is essentially impossible. And remember, there still are other references you
must know, such as standard operating
procedures, as well as federal aviation
regulations. Remember this adage when
feeling overwhelmed: How do you eat
an elephant? One piece at a time. Being
able to memorize every detail is great, but
few individuals have that skill. Instead,
memorize the essential pieces of information that will help you survive and remain
legal: limits and operating regulations.
Meanwhile, keep your drive to continue
learning. When you don’t know an answer,
know where you can locate it, or seek out
someone knowledgeable on the subject.
ESTABLISH A PURPOSE AND SET A GOOD
HABIT PATTERN. “On a mile of highway,
you can drive a mile. On a mile of railway, you can travel a mile. With a mile of
runway, you have the whole world.” One
of aviation’s most popular quotes sums
up the greatest freedom aviation provides
us: the ability to go just about anywhere.
Keep your focus by treating the flight like
a mission. A mission provides purpose and
planning, and brings awareness. Decide
what your purpose is and plan accordingly.
Don’t think that you always need to
make a detailed navigational log, but
at a minimum, take a look at the chart,
plan some checkpoints, and talk to flight
service. How many of us have read a
confession from someone who intended to
enjoy a relaxing VFR flight, only to be told
by ATC that they penetrated a temporary
flight restriction (TFR) or violated some
regulation? The intent is not to remove
the enjoyment, but simply enhance it, so
when you land you can secure the airplane
and head home without unanticipated
additional hassle.
As our skills develop and sharpen, it
becomes easier to transfer from one task
to another, such as aviating (trimming out
the aircraft) to navigating (referencing
the chart) and communicating (talking to
ATC). As we gain experience and fly more
advanced aircraft with greater automation, our focus is freed for other cognitive
requirements. As autopilots ease some
of the workload, pilots tend to relax and
become complacent. This can lead to lax
standards when it comes to maintaining
airspeed, altitude, and heading. Don’t let
yourself become complacent; continue to
hand-fly at every opportunity.
Develop good habit patterns before poor
habits are established. Research indicates
that it’s easier to create positive habit patterns than to break and change a negative
habit. This concept supports why it is
easier to teach someone who has never
driven a car or flown an airplane compared to people with previous experience.
A good habit pattern, such as a good traffic
or instrument scan, will serve you when
you least expect it—in an emergency or the
prevention of one.
It comes down to basic training. For
example, a final gear check for the “three
down and locked” confirmation when flying fixed-gear aircraft will prepare pilots
for airplanes with retractable gear. If you
train yourself to perform certain tasks
consistently, such as using a before-landing checklist, it will become
so ingrained in your skills that when a distraction presents itself,
it can be addressed and attention immediately returned to the real
priority—flying.
KEEP FATIGUE AT BAY. Fatigue is a critical influencer in the manmachine dynamic. Mechanical failure is prevented by regular
inspections and preventive maintenance. Why, then, do we not do
the same for ourselves? Fatigue should be respected.
Professional aviators have established rules that dictate the
length of their duty day or the minimum amount of rest a crew must
be afforded before it can return to work. General aviation provides
more latitude for us to work within, but that does not mean we
need to take every inch. Official reports of fatigue-related accidents
are relatively low, but they still occur. The National Transportation Safety Board still releases accident reports in which pilots flew
while fatigued. Fatigue is easily preventable. Respect it, recognize it,
and prevent it.
APPRECIATE GENERAL AVIATION. Flying in the United States is
like no other place in the world. Relatively speaking, there are few
barriers to flying an airplane to virtually any desired destination.
There are no ancillary costs such as air traffic service charges.
General aviation here has maintained one of the least restrictive
airspace environments on the globe. Embrace this opportunity
and protect it.
Matthew Bauman is a fixed-wing and rotorcraft pilot who flies in the military.
FATIGUE IS EASILY
PREVENTABLE.
RESPECT IT,
RECOGNIZE IT,
AND PREVENT IT.
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
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TECHNIQUE
PREFLIGHT BASICS
Your intimate introduction to the airplane
» Jill W. Tallman
ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLES FLOYD
ENGINE: Oil level; overall
condition. Check for dripping or
leaking oil.
EVERY AIRPLANE REQUIRES a
thorough preflight before you
take it aloft. Whether you’re flying high wing or low wing, glass
panel or steam gauge, 180 horsepower or 85 horsepower, that
preflight will follow a pattern,
with major points to check. Of
course, checklists vary according
to make, model, and equipment,
and you must follow the appropriate checklist to the letter. But,
as long as the aircraft has wings
and wheels, this is the general
roadmap you’ll follow, though
not a complete list.
SKIN: Look over all the outer
skins of the aircraft for holes,
cracks, and wrinkles. Also ensure
inspection plates are secure.
PROPELLER: Is it in good
shape (no nicks or scratches that
could cause stress points)? There
is no need to try to move the
prop, unless you are checking a
constant-speed prop for excessive
movement. If the magneto switch
is on, or off but faulty, you could
start the engine by trying to move
the prop. Always use caution
around a propeller.
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FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
TIRES: Properly inflated, with no flat
spots, tube, or cords showing. Brake
pads: proper thickness. Discs: no
grooves or excessive rust. Are there
signs of brake fluid, suggesting a possible leak? Struts: properly inflated,
with no signs of leaking.
THE BIG PICTURE
FUEL: Do you have enough for
your flight? Does the amount of
fuel in the tank match what you
saw on the fuel gauges? Does the
sample indicate it's the proper fuel
type, and uncontaminated?
PITOT TUBE/VENTS: Clear of
insects, debris.
Because we’re so focused on
individual parts, pieces, and
components during the preflight,
sometimes we miss what should
be glaringly obvious—dents or
dings to control surfaces; cowl
plugs, chocks, or a pitot tube
cover left in place. Before you
launch into your main preflight,
take a few moments to do a
wide-view “big picture” walkaround. Stand several feet away
from the aircraft, walk around,
and look for things that just
aren’t right.
PRACTICAL TEST
STANDARDS
Objective: To determine that the
applicant:
VERTICAL STABILIZER/
RUDDER/ELEVATOR: Does the
elevator move freely? Are there
signs of birds or animals inside the
tailcone? Check all lights to ensure
they are working and are intact.
• Exhibits satisfactory knowledge of the elements related
to preflight inspection. This
shall include which items must
be inspected, the reasons for
checking each item, and how to
detect possible defects.
• Inspects the airplane with
reference to an appropriate
checklist.
• Verifies the airplane is in
condition for safe flight.
WINGS: Flaps (are hinges in good
shape and do they stay in place
when wiggled); ailerons; rivets, nuts,
bolts, and any safety-wired items.
INTERIOR: Are the required
documents on board (airworthiness
certificate, aircraft registration, radio
station license if applicable, operating
limitations, weight and balance)? Instruments, switches, lights, pitot heat, stall
warning, fuel gauges, control lock. Check
elevator and ailerons for ease of movement and proper rigging.
JANUARY 2015 / FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 43
WEATHER By Jack Williams
THE TOTAL AMOUNT of water on
Earth is 332.5 million cubic miles.
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE
HOW ITS THREE PHASES CREATE OUR WEATHER
W
ater is so common that most of us rarely think about it. Nevertheless, it’s far
from ordinary. No living things would exist without water in its liquid form.
In addition, without water in its vapor, liquid, and frozen forms, the Earth’s
weather as we know it wouldn’t exist.
Scientists looking for planets where life could
possibly exist are interested in those in what they
call the “circumstellar habitable zone,” also called
the “Goldilocks zone,” where temperatures could
be in the range that allows liquid water to exist on
the surface.
Any such planets would have weather much like
ours, with clouds, fog, falling rain, and possibly
snow and sleet.
If humans ever go to Mars, which does not have
bodies of water on the surface, they would be able
to fly airplanes in the planet’s thin atmosphere.
Weather briefings for Mars pilots would be much
simpler than on Earth because clouds, fog, and
44 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
precipitation wouldn’t cause poor visibility and low
ceilings. Mars pilots wouldn’t have to worry about
thunderstorms, hurricanes, blizzards, or airframe
icing. Dust storms and tornado-like dust devils
would be their only weather worries.
For meteorologists and other scientists, what
most people call “water” is “liquid water—to distinguish it from water in its solid (ice) and gas (vapor)
phases.
An ordinary glass of ice water illustrates how
water can exist in its three phases at the same time
and place. The water itself is the liquid phase. The
ice is water’s solid phase. The millions of water
molecules zipping around in the air above the water
and ice in the glass are water’s often
invisible gaseous phase, called water
vapor. The air always contains some
water vapor.
Water is the only natural substance that
exists in all three phases at the temperatures and atmospheric pressures found at
the Earth’s surface. Water’s existence in
its three phases—and its changes among
them—helps explain why it is the foundation of Earth’s weather.
As the National Weather Association
says in its online Weather Theory for
Pilots course, to learn about weather
you should begin with the “The weather
equation: Moisture ± vertical motion ±
stability = weather.”
A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT WATER. A water
molecule has two hydrogen atoms and
one oxygen atom (at right), which is
why its chemical abbreviation is H2O.
The oxygen side of a water molecule has
a slight negative charge, while the hydrogen sides have a slight positive charge.
The molecules’ electrical charges
help account for water’s many unusual
properties. For example, it becomes less
dense as it cools to approximately 31
degrees Fahrenheit, which is why ice
floats. The charges also help to account
for water forming into six-sided ice crystals when it freezes.
The interactions of water among its
three phases in the atmosphere are so
complex that they are the focus of an
entire branch of atmospheric science,
called cloud physics. Improved forecasts
of clouds and precipitation are one of the
practical results of such studies.
HOW WATER POWERS STORMS. In
addition to supplying the raw material
for rain, snow, and ice, water’s phase
changes contribute much of the energy
that drives thunderstorms. Since hurricanes are made of thunderstorms, water
is also the primary source of hurricane
energy.
TWO HYDROGEN atoms (white) and one
oxygen atom (red) make H20 (left). There
are six ways in which water can change
states (below).
DEPOSITION
GAS
(vapor)
SOLID
(ice)
LIQUID
CONDENSATION
FREEZING
EVAPORATION
MELTING
d
SUBLIMATION
HEAT GIVEN OUT
Phase changes add heat energy to
or subtract it from the surroundings,
because water vapor contains more heat
energy than the same amount of liquid
water, and liquid water contains more
heat energy than ice.
When water changes to a phase with
less energy, such as vapor condensing
into water drops, the water gives up the
extra energy—called latent heat—to its
surroundings. When this energy is added
to the rising air that is building a thunderstorm, it causes the air to rise faster and
farther than it otherwise would have, thus
adding to the thunderstorm’s power.
When water changes into a phase with
more energy, such as raindrops evaporating into water vapor, it draws heat from its
surroundings and cools them. For example,
evaporation of perspiration on a hot day
cools you by drawing heat from your body.
WATER IS THE ONLY NATURAL SUBSTANCE THAT EXISTS IN ALL
THREE PHASES AT THE TEMPERATURES AND ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURES FOUND AT THE EARTH'S SURFACE.
HEAT TAKEN IN
When ice crystals or water drops high
in a cloud begin falling, they drag air
down with them. Compression heating
warms this sinking air. But phase changes
to higher-energy forms, such as raindrops
evaporating into vapor, draw energy
from the sinking air, which offsets the
compressional heating. As a result, the
temperature of the sinking air decreases.
As the air cools, it becomes denser, which
makes it fall faster.
In other words, the cooling of falling
air adds more energy to a thunderstorm
in the form of downdrafts.
If the sinking air cools enough, it can
hit the ground as a blast of wind that
quickly changes speed and direction.
The strongest of such blasts are known
as microbursts, a major hazard to
aviation.
Jack Williams is an instrument-rated private
pilot. His latest book is The AMS Weather Book:
The Ultimate Guide to America’s Weather.
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 45
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AOPA’s “What to do
if stopped by law
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AOPA membership
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PPS Participant
See the Plan Description for complete Legal Services Plan terms, limits and exclusions.
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Each case is diferent.
ADVANCED PILOT
TAKING YOUR TICKET TO NEW FLIGHT LEVELS
CAREER PILOT
BOEING TO INCREASE 737
PRODUCTION RATE
Boeing announced recently that it will
increase 737 production to 52 airplanes
per month in 2018 in response to
strong market demand from customers worldwide. Once the increase is
implemented, the company expects to
build more than 620 of the single-aisle
airplanes per year—the highest rate
ever for what Boeing said is the world's
best-selling commercial airliner. Boeing
currently produces 42 airplanes per
month in its Reston, Washington, factory, and previously announced plans
to increase the production rate to 47
airplanes per month in 2017.
—www.aopa.org/careerpilot
HIGHS AND LOWS
The state of the commercial aviation industry
» By Wayne Phillips
THE AVIATION INDUSTRY continues to
gather from a variety of sources published
assessments, prognostications, speculations, and occasional baseless puffery
from false prophets who reside on the
Internet in the guise of bloggers. The
objective is to get a handle on where the
industry is headed for the flying public,
for the workers, and for those who aspire
to join the club. Two recent treatises from
reliable sources deserve consideration by
anyone who wants to fly for a living.
One would think that the venerable
airplane manufacturer, Boeing, would
have a vested interest in human capital:
the people who fly and fix airplanes. If the
companies that buy Boeing aircraft cannot
attract personnel to fly and maintain the
machines, then sales of such devices will
most assuredly flail. Thus, Boeing periodically looks at where it thinks the industry
is headed and attempts to calibrate that
momentum to the need for pilots and
maintenance technicians. Based upon the
results of a study Boeing released in July
2014, aviation is the place to be for anyone
searching for a dynamic career with loads
of opportunity and promise. However,
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 47
ADVANCED PILOT»
THE REGIONAL AIRLINE INDUSTRY MAY SOON EXPERIENCE
THE CONSOLIDATION FRENZY THAT RESULTED IN MERGERS
DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS SUCH AS THOSE BETWEEN
CONTINENTAL AND UNITED, NORTHWEST AND DELTA,
AND AMERICAN AND US AIRWAYS.
there could be turbulence along the
way that career chasers need
to expect.
Over the next two decades,
Boeing predicts that worldwide
demand will require 533,000 new
professional pilots and 584,000
maintenance technicians. In North
America, 88,000 new pilots and
109,000 mechanics will need to be
recruited into the business.
Sherry Carbary, who is Boeing’s
vice president of Flight Services,
said in the Seattle Times that, here
in the United States, supply is currently “keeping up with demand”
but that “there could be an issue in
some of these developing countries
if we don’t come together and deal
with it.”
The Boeing report adds fuel to
the fiery debate about that pilot
shortage. Responding to the Boeing
report, John Nance, TV commentator, former airline pilot, and author
of aviation novels, stated in the
Seattle Times that it is “myopic” to
deny a pilot shortage looms. “The
market is having problems for
48 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
the first time in my 45 years with
the aviation business. Especially
regional carriers and nighttime
cargo carriers are desperate right
now. These new rules [requiring
an ATP for all first officers] put
them in a real corner.” Download
your own copy of Boeing’s report
online (www.boeing.com/assets/
pdf/commercial/aviationservices/
flight-services/training/pilot_tech_
outlook_2014.pdf ).
Now, about those regional airlines: The news is not so good. The
Associated Press’s David Koenig
dug deep into the regional airline
conundrum and discovered less
than encouraging data.
The first issue is money. The
bottom line is shrinking for many
regional carriers. SkyWest, one of
the leading small airlines, made just
more than $50 million over the past
two years. That compares to the
$110 million it cashed in on during
each year from 2005 through 2008.
Republic earned about $80 million
a year from 2006 but earned just
$26.7 million in 2013. It lost money
in 2010 and 2011. The decline in
earnings can be partially attributed
to the fact that the major airlines
rewrote the agreements with the
regionals and capped their profit
margins at about 12 percent, as
compared to 20-percent margins in
the late 1990s.
A pilot for American’s Envoy
Air has experienced the personal
impact of the financial realities.
He expected to be at the airline for
five years and then move out and
up. He’s been there for 17 years.
“American is shrinking Envoy’s
fleet in a cost-cutting squeeze. The
future of our carrier looks bleak.
I’ve never seen morale lower.”
Helene Becker, an industry analyst for Cowen and Co., speculated
in the AP story that the regional
airline industry may soon experience the consolidation frenzy that
resulted in mergers during the past
few years such as those between
Continental and United, Northwest and Delta, and American
and US Airways. Becker said the
basic problem is that fares are set
by contracts with the large airline
affiliates. That means they have
little control over revenue and the
ability to pass along higher costs.
Add to this the need to raise pilots’
pay in order to attract more crewmembers—if they can find them.
The anemia afflicting the regional
airline industry is perhaps best
reflected in numbers from the U.S.
Department of Transportation and
the Regional Airline Association.
Among 17 of the largest regionals,
employment fell 13 percent, from
the equivalent of 56,626 full-time
jobs in 2009 to 47,478 in 2014.
What does it all mean? The airline industry has had highs and lows
since day one. Nothing’s changed.
But at least now you know.
Wayne Phillips manages the Airline
Training Orientation Program (www.
atopjets.com).
INSTRUCTOR REPORT
Mental gymnastics
Sensory saturation and working memory
» By Rod Machado
TRY THE FOLLOWING experiment:
Multiply 73 by 59 in your head
while someone nearby asks you
questions or generally chats on
and on as if he or she is attempting
to use up a weekly word allotment.
Not too easy to do, is it?
When we’re focused on a
demanding task—such as mental
math or learning how to hold
altitude in a steep turn—our shortterm, or working, memory quickly
reaches its saturation point.
Attending to something new when
our short-term memory is saturated means that anything already
resident in working memory is
evicted. The result is that we lose
our ability to focus or concentrate on the task at hand. Because
short-term memory is the gateway
to consciousness, anything that
disrupts or saturates it interferes
with our ability to learn.
In case you didn’t get the memo,
you have a Stone Age brain. Yep,
the Homo sapien brain hasn’t
evolved much over the past
120,000 years. It’s a Fred Flintstone relic with an information
input pipeline that makes two cans
connected by a string look like
AT&T in comparison.
In the 1950s, psychologist
George Miller conducted a landmark study to determine the size
of our short-term memory. He
concluded that we’re able to hold
about seven distinct items in our
working memory at any one time.
This number essentially represents
the bandwidth of human consciousness. Yep, seven items is all
that will flow through your mental
pipe at any one time.
If you want to see this in action,
the next time you’re strolling
around with a friend, ask him to
mentally multiply 73 by 59. As soon
as he concentrates on the math,
his working memory becomes
saturated. Because it takes a small
amount of consciousness to navigate the strolling path, he will most
likely stop in his tracks as his lobes
perform mental math. There’s
simply no room left in his working
memory to walk and calculate at
the same time.
It’s true that our mighty brain
allows us to learn almost any
behavior, but only because we’re
able to build strong habit patterns
despite the restrictions of our
As your student attempts the
steep turn for the first time, you
should be satisfied if he manages
to maintain the desired bank
angle and attitude reference. If,
however, you begin asking questions and chatting on and on
about coordination, throttle movement, and scanning for traffic, you
can be sure that you’ll overload
your student’s working memory.
To the student, this is very similar
to giving him double digits to mentally multiply while he’s walking.
In an airplane, he might just stop
in his tracks, meaning that he’ll
WE NEED TO GET OUT OF OUR STUDENT'S MIND
(HIS OR HER SHORT-TERM MEMORY) WHILE HE OR
SHE IS ATTEMPTING TO LEARN.
working memory. Because habit
patterns work independently of
short-term memory, these automated routines free our conscious
mind to learn additional things.
Now that we understand the
limitations of short-term memory,
how does this affect us as flight
instructors? I hope it inspires us to
look for every opportunity to avoid
interfering with our student’s
ability to learn. We need to get out
of our student’s mind (his or her
short-term memory) while he or
she is attempting to learn.
For example, when introducing a student to steep turns, you
shouldn’t overload him with too
many individual components of
the maneuver. No doubt you’ll
demonstrate how to roll into the
turn, how to identify the correct
bank angle, and how to select an
attitude reference that allows the
airplane to hold its altitude. Then
you’ll let the student practice
these items.
likely lose attitude or bank control
as he attempts to process the new
information you’re providing.
Of course, after a few steep
turns, your student will begin
developing the habit patterns
necessary to perform this maneuver. Now his working memory
has a little more free space with
which to absorb the additional
information necessary to improve
his skill level.
Effective flight training requires
that you understand how consciousness is defined by working
memory. If you interfere with
your student’s working memory,
you’ll distract his or her ability to
learn. So be of the right mind and
stay out of your student’s mind
as he concentrates on the task
at hand. This is what effective
teachers do.
Rod Machado is a flight instructor,
author, educator, and speaker.
Visit his blog (www.rodmachado.com).
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 49
ADVANCED PILOT»
ACCIDENT ANALYSIS
Own it
Just tell the truth
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SEVERAL YEARS AGO, Flight Training discussed an accident in which an
instructor allowed a Cessna 172 to run
out of fuel on a short flight to practice
pattern work at a neighboring airport (see “Not Quite Enough,” March
2010 Flight Training). That instructor
subsequently emailed the editors to
complain about this presentation of the
story, maintaining that some unspecified
mechanical failure must have caused the
engine to quit. Maybe. But the airplane’s
tanks were intact, the surrounding foliage showed no signs of staining or blight,
and the amount of fuel recovered from
the wreck was less than the quantity
listed as “unusable” for that model.
In exactly the same vein, a helicopter instructor dismissed his student’s
concerns about their fuel supply on a dual
cross-country, only to have the engine quit
two miles shy of their home field. The CFI
wasn’t able to prevent main rotor rpm—
the most critical variable in any helicopter
emergency—from decaying below the
threshold required for a stable autorotation, and the hard landing that resulted
caused the main rotor to sever the tail
boom. The CFI blamed the loss of rotor
speed on a faulty sprag clutch, the mechanism designed to disengage the rotor
system from the engine when the latter
A DIVISION OF THE
AOPA FOUNDATION
50 /
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
began to falter. Maybe. But an inspection
afterward found nothing wrong with the
clutch. And only unusable fuel was recovered from the wreckage.
It’s painful to acknowledge having
goofed, but it might be the right thing to
do. In 2014, Air Safety Institute staff spent
a day with the senior staff of the National
Transportation Safety Board discussing
data quality and learning how the NTSB
conducts its investigations. When an
accident is serious, causing loss of life
or major property damage, its process is
rigorous and exacting. Every potential
cause that can be eliminated is; the truth
rests among those that remain. Less
severe events get less concentrated attention, leaving room for interested parties
to prevaricate.
When asked how AOPA could help, one
field investigator—himself an AOPA member—responded, “Just ask people to tell
the truth. If you admit you ran out of gas,
we’ll save weeks of time and thousands of
dollars we’d otherwise spend taking the
aircraft apart to prove that nothing broke.”
It might be even more public-spirited to
save them all that trouble by not running
out of fuel in the first place.
Stockholm syndrome? ASI statistician David Jack
Kenny admits to having friends at the NTSB.
CAREER ADVISOR
Launching a CFI career
Look to your own flight school first
» Q: Where are the best locations to start
as a flight instructor and build experience?
How am I able to get a job without having
to move?—Julian from Omaha
» A: Julian, you have a two-part question
that deserves a bit of elaboration.
Frankly, the best place to start as a
flight instructor is with the school that
provided all of your initial training. This
is a common practice in the industry.
Whether you attend a large aviation college such as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University, a small school like Hesston
College in Kansas, or an academy like
ATP, these training institutions typically
provide employment for top graduates.
That’s not to say that every graduate gets
the job as an instructor. I favor CFI work
with formal aviation schools where you
instruct every day rather than a local FAR
Part 61 school where you could be doing
a lot of waiting for that next potential
student to walk through the door.
Here is another tactic to try. You might
want to save those last flight instructor
ratings for a training enterprise that could
be willing to offer you a job. You will
gladly spend that $2,000 for the multiengine-instrument rating with them if there
is a job waiting.
There are other considerations. At campuses in Florida and the Southwest, there
are lots of great flying days with plenty
of sunshine and mostly favorable flying
conditions. The trainees in Phoenix and
Daytona Beach fly almost every day. On
the other hand, if you train at the Univer-
sity of North Dakota in Grand Forks or at
Northwest Michigan College in Traverse
City, Michigan, you will get a boatload of
actual IFR, howling winds, sub-zero temperatures, and potential icing: real-world
stuff. On those really ugly days when
nobody is flying, you can still continue
training in simulators and flight training
devices.
Getting experience and ultimately an
airline job without moving? Not much of a
chance. Certainly, there are great schools
in virtually every state. The University of
Nebraska-Omaha has a fine program right
in your neighborhood.
Mobility is a key strategy in getting a
job in this labor market. Think carefully
about your career path. If you absolutely
need stability in your lifestyle, there could
be better choices.
Send your career questions to careers@aopa.
org and we’ll publish the best ones here.
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ADVERTISER INDEX
PREFLIGHT»
Aviation's marketplace
FINAL EXAM ANSWERS
Page
Advertiser
Internet
Phone
50
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www.eFIRC.com
5
Airline Transport Professionals
www.ATPFLIGHTSCHOOL.com
800-ALL-ATPS
52
AOPA Aviation Finance
www.aopafinance.com
800-627-5263
25
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3
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27
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CVR3
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
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9
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54
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23
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51
King Schools
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800-854-1001
8
Pilotshop.com
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877-288-8077
54
Pilots Choice Aviation
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19
Rod Machado
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800-437-7080
CVR4
Sporty’s Pilot Shop
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800-SPORTYS
55
Sun State Aviation
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800-941-4359
55
Tailwheels Etc.
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Continued from page 19
1. The correct answer is B. All flight training
manuals recommend this procedure prior
to starting any maneuver. Of course, it is
important to do even when flying straight
and level.
2. The correct answer is C. NTSB 830.10(b)
authorizes moving aircraft wreckage to
remove injured or trapped people, to protect
it from further damage, and to protect the
public from injury.
3. The correct answer is B. A formula for
estimating the base is cumuliform clouds
follows: Subtract dew point from temperature, divide by 4.4, then multiply by
1,000. In this example, 82-38=44; 44/4.4=10;
10X1000=10,000, the cloud base in feet
above ground level.
4. The correct answer is B. FAR 91.113(g)
describes this exact situation. Right-of-way
rules exist to keep aircraft separated and so
pilots know who may proceed and who must
give way. Safety is paramount—when in
doubt, always yield to another aircraft.
5. The correct answer is B. Although there
are no specific training requirements for
formation flights, FAR 91.111 does require
coordination by the pilot in command of
each aircraft.
6. The correct answer is B. The compass
correction card has the number of degrees
necessary to correct for the deviation on any
particular heading, usually broken down into
30-degree increments.
7. The correct answer is B. FAR 91.109(c)
outlines the requirements for the safety
pilot. Additionally, because the safety pilot is
a required crewmember, FAR 61.23 requires a
valid third class medical certificate.
8. The correct answer is A. You may recall
load factor is a function of bank angle, and
a 60-degree bank angle will produce a load
factor of 2 Gs regardless of airspeed. A speed
increase will, however, increase the radius
of the turn. (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical
Knowledge, Chapter 4)
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 53
TRAINING TRADER
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sunstatesept12a.indd 1
>>
9/5/12 8:51:42 AM
Required Reading
Valuable Information for Today’s Training Businesses
Running a flight school is harder today than it’s
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information to help you succeed.
Enter Flight School Business.
Delivered every other week to your inbox, with
news, marketing and sales strategies, training
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financial advice, Flight School Business is AOPA’s
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professional.
Sign up today at fsb.aopa.org
Visit AOPA Airports Online at
www.aopa.org/airports/
JANUARY 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING
/ 55
DEBRIEF
A pilot's perspective
LAROSA got his first
Hollywood job while still
a teenager, flying an RC
model for a commercial.
KEVIN LAROSA II
SKY EYE
Kevin LaRosa II (K2 to friends) was
born to fly. He grew up on California’s Van Nuys Airport, where his
parents had a string of Cessnas and
helicopters. By age 12 he was climbing into the backseat of his father’s
modified P-51D and helping fly it
to airshows across the West. Now
he’s followed Kevin Sr., a legendary movie stunt pilot, into the film
industry. Only 28, he’s the industry’s youngest aerial coordinator,
choreographing flying sequences
for movies and commercials. Sometimes he’s on the ground alongside
the director, radioing orders to
the stunt pilots above. More often,
he’s piloting the camera ship, flying close formation to bring back
elegantly crafted action shots of
airplanes doing their thing.
WHO: Kevin LaRosa II
AGE: 28
OCCUPATION: Motion
picture aerial coordinator
HOURS: 3,900 hours in
20-plus types, including
helicopters.
EXTRA: LaRosa is an avid
water skier, started playing
drums at age 15, and drives a
mint 1956 Ford pickup truck.
56/
FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
time. I was pretty fortunate
to have that.
EARLY CHALLENGES…The
rudder pedals. My dad says
I could have landed a 172 in
grade school if my feet had
reached the pedals. But I’ve
never been apprehensive
about anything. I remember
looking at the empty seat
on my first solo and just
laughing. I was completely
at ease and happy, because
I had worked for this ever
since I was a little kid.
AVIATION ACTIVITY…As
lead pilot for Wolfe Air
Aviation, I fly its modified Learjet 25B camera
airplane, directing airto-air sequences with
picture aircraft ranging
from small business jets to
747-8 freighters to the B-2
bomber. I also fly news helicopters over Los Angeles,
medical emergency flights,
and a range of airplanes for
the movies.
FAVORITE AIRPLANE…The
P-51 Mustang. We owned
one and those were the best
seven flying years of my life.
We’re looking at a T-6 now,
but I hope to have another
P-51 some day.
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS…
Fly the airplane. Leave the
iPod at home and turn off
the headset’s noise canceling. The airplane is always
talking to you. Feel it, smell
it, listen to it. Get your head
out the window. Stick and
rudder, baby!
CHAD SLATTERY
GETTING STARTED…In
grade school I began flying
with Dad on traffic watch
and maintenance flights in
his airplanes and helicopters. He’s a CFI, so I started
logging time at age 14,
soloed at 16, got my ticket
at 17, and my twin rating at
19—the same year I flew my
first Learjet. On weekends I
went on the airshow circuit
with him, in the backseat of
the P-51D or a T-6 or a T-28.
That’s how I built my formation time and aerobatic
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