Sommaire pour September 2024 de Plane & Pilot

In the 1930s, pioneering English aviator Alfred “Lamp” Lamplugh penned the following profound words that we should review occasionally. “Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.” This brings me to another profound phrase, the Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared.” That is also what flight training is all about. We learn all about aerodynamics, thrust, drag, lift, and gravity, study flight manuals, emergency procedures, and FARs, take oral exams and check rides, and constantly review everything we can find about flying. There is one thing though that we can’t study for—it’s luck, more precisely, bad luck. Sure, when the engine goes silent, we pull out the emergency checklist and look at…

The intention of most flight training is to demonstrate and practice maneuvers and procedures in carefully controlled conditions, while trainees gain an ability to perform competently on their own. To do this, the instructor must allow some experimentation and failure, so the results of inadequate performance are made clear, then guide the learner toward better outcomes. Occasionally, however, the CFI allows the situation to go too far into the danger zone, resulting in an unwanted demonstration of incompetency—on the part of the instructor, not the student. While instructors idly watch, airplanes go off the runway, landings become too harsh, structure gets overstressed, and tolerances are exceeded. When the propeller meets the pavement or gear legs are bent, it’s obvious that active supervision came a little too late. Training accidents cost…

You know it’s August in the Pacific Northwest when the Blue Angels appear in the skies over Seattle. The Navy’s precision flight team is part of Seafair, the largest summer celebration in the region that combines parades, hydroplane races on Lake Washington, and an airshow. The event is held the first weekend in August and this year marks its 75th anniversary. The Blue Angels team stages from King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KBFI). Despite temperatures hovering in the 90s and poor air quality due to forest fires in eastern Washington, fans turned out in droves to watch the famous blue jets. The balcony at the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field was packed with those straining to see the launch and recovery of the Blues. This year little girls and…

A couple of years ago, I was enjoying a quiet evening at home after a long weekend of teaching at a clinic hosted by one of the national training providers for owners of Beechcraft Bonanzas. As usual, the clientele included a mix of pilots with varied experience levels, from folks who had just purchased their first Bonanza to others who had been flying the same model for years. Everyone hoped to pick up a few new nuggets of knowledge while polishing their skills by flying with a skilled cadre of instructors who specialize in sharing the nuances of all things Beech. The various “type groups” that support specific aircraft breeds perform a valuable role by providing tailored training and resources for owners and operators that are usually not available from…

With your fresh pilot certificate, what fun steps can you take to continually grow as an aviator? When you got your certificate, the DPE probably told you that you hadn’t experienced everything you would need at some point in your flying career, but you now have a “license to learn.” Hey, don’t be offended, a license to learn is even more applicable to new flight instructors. Experienced ones too. It’s just that experienced CFIs get less frequent learning surprises than new ones—hopefully. And they do a better job of hiding their surprise. So a private certificate is a doorway to a lifetime of experiences, learning, adventures, and fun. The question for the new private pilot is simple: Is that a doorway to go through or one that you never open, limiting…

ACROSS 1 Aviation schools celebrating their golden anniversary 4 Basic aviation training: ____ pilot certification 8 Foul, as in weather conditions 9 Slip up 11 Certificate that’s considered the Master’s Degree of aviation, abbr. 13 Distance viewable 17 Zodiac sign 18 Trucker’s radio, abbr. 20 Route for short 22 FAA’s pilot proficiency program 25 Procedure if you can't safely land on the approach you are on, abbr. 26 Go rapidly 28 Pre-arranged low altitude flight over a public gathering, 2 words 30 Regulation 31 Fly in the airspace above the tree line, yet below 1200 feet, 2 words 32 Show flexibility 33 Accountant’s abbreviation for year up to this point 34 Flies alone 35 Slight drop DOWN 1 ____ 94 GPS 2 Airplane fronts 3 The wild blue yonder 4 ___…

They say it’s not really work when you work at something you love. Perhaps opening an aviation-related business is the ticket to riches and happiness. Let’s explore some of those business opportunities that exist in today’s general aviation world. As the old adage goes, “How do you make a million dollars in the aviation business? Start with 2 million, of course.” While there is some truth to that, there are certainly ways to make money in aviation. It just requires a winning combination of knowledge, smart decisions, good timing, and, of course, a little good luck. Let’s count the ways toward that million, including tips and tricks for successfully operating that aviation business. When we think of an aviation business, we automatically turn to flight schools and FBOs. And while…

THERE MAY NOT BE physical barriers in place that limit access to flight training, but there are other types of obstacles that make it different from other activities. As when doing anything completely new, you’ll have to work your way through a strange, unfamiliar world. Learning to fly requires the acquisition of physical skills as well as the absorption of reams of newfound knowledge, theories, and terms unique to flight. All of those who’ve gone before have faced the same challenges. Yet, today’s environment calls for preparing newcomers for some hurdles that are shaped a little differently than the ones seen earlier. “If this were easy, everybody would be doing it,” as the saying goes. When it comes to flying, truer words were never spoken. If flying were as simple…