Table of contents for August 2023 in Plane & Pilot

While I didn’t intend to promote a training theme for this issue of Plane & Pilot, as the August edition of the magazine developed, a common thread emerged, with Frank Ayers’ focus on the iconic Northrop T-38 Texan trainer (the world’s first supersonic trainer) that has been part of the learning environment for many Air Force aviators, and David English’s in-depth look at the importance of maintaining safe altitudes for flight training—and the possible consequences of ignoring those safety rules—forming the contours. As the lines developed, it occurred to me that this unintended theme of training is both universal and critical in the aviation industry. According to FAA statistics, since 2016 (the year expiration dates were removed for newly issued student certificates), the number of student pilot certificate holders has…

Here are three powerful words and phrases pilots can use that could positively impact comprehending instructions from ATC or, ultimately, the successful outcome of a flight: SAY AGAIN: If you did not fully comprehend the instructions from the controller, simply ask them to “Say again,” which is the standard terminology for requesting someone to repeat the instructions. UNABLE: If a controller asks you to do something challenging to accomplish safely, simply say “Unable.” Remember you are the pilot in command and can refuse an instruction that puts you or your aircraft in danger. While controllers are rightfully revered, they may not be familiar with the performance of your particular airplane and may request something that simply is not doable in a safe manner. An excellent example of this might be…

“Organization is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it’s not all mixed up.” These words from A.A. Milne, the author of the “Winnie-the-Pooh” series, turned out to be great advice for aviators. Flying is simply a series of planned and occasionally unplanned events. Takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, and landing are all well known to the pilot, and each can be planned for accordingly. The occasional in-flight emergency, unplanned reroute, or weather diversion is where pro football coaching legend Vince Lombardi famously said “preparation meets opportunity.” Our preparations should include the known, unknown, and unexpected. Once we close the cabin door, the way we organize our cozy little flight deck can either help or hinder our progress. Thankfully, others have gone there before and may…

Being a subscriber or reader of Plane & Pilot, you may have already figured out that there have been some subtle changes to the publication you hold in your hands. As our team shared in the first issue (July 2023) since FLYING Media Group acquired this great brand, we are thrilled to have Plane & Pilot in our family and be able to invest in bettering your experience. We hope you like what you see so far, with improvements to paper quality, layout, and content. Editorially, rest assured, our goal is to simply do better and bring you more of the great articles you want on all things piston aircraft, from flying, equipping, maintaining, and possibly owning kits and LSAs, to certified production models, old and new. Our talented team…

It’s a trope that airplanes run on money, and flight training isn’t cheap, either. Many organizations help people of various ages and backgrounds pursue training in aviation, from private to advanced certificates, including maintenance. Here are some scholarship options to consider in 2023: ACADEMY OF MODEL AERONAUTICS (AMA) AMA offers scholarships supporting young model aviators in their pursuit of education. They also provide other scholarships and financial assistance for model aviation enthusiasts. Amount: $500 Website: www.modelaircraft.org Guidelines: Must be an AMA member for 36 continuous months before the application deadline, be graduating from high school or a currently enrolled undergraduate. Other guidelines may apply. AIRCRAFT ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION (AEA) AEA provides scholarships supporting students pursuing careers in avionics or aircraft maintenance. It offers financial aid for flight training. Amount: up to…

At 3 p.m. on August 4, 2021, a beautiful bright yellow T-6 took off from McCharen Field Airport (M83) in West Point, Mississippi. The sky was blue, with no clouds or obscurations to visibility. It was 88 degrees, with a light wind out of the north. It was a perfect day for a VFR pleasure flight. The pilot had been flying for decades, logging 3,500 hours. He’d owned the 1946 North American T-6G for a while, accumulating more than 300 hours in type. The T-6 Texan (known outside the U.S. as a Harvard) is a 600 hp, two-seat aerobatic World War II advanced trainer—a very nice airplane. Accompanied by his 13-year-old grandson in the back seat, he circled back over the airport and flew 7 miles to the south. Now…

Cessna 207 Marathon, Florida/Injuries: 1 Serious, 2 Minor Shortly after departure, the engine lost total power and the pilot was forced to ditch in open water; the occupants egressed and were subsequently rescued by a recreational vessel. Examination of the engine revealed a fracture hole near the No. 2 cylinder, which was likely the result of the No. 2 cylinder connecting rod fracturing in fatigue as a result of high heat and high stress associated with failure of the No. 2 bearing. The fatigue fracture displayed multiple origins consistent with relatively high cyclic stress, which likely occurred as excessive clearances developed between the bearing and the crankshaft journal. The No. 2 connecting rod bearing may have failed because of a material defect in the bearing itself or a disruption in…

When we think of pioneer women aviators, there are a few names that stand out: Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran, Bessie Coleman, and Amelia Earhart among them. Each owns a unique story and particular accomplishments for which they are remembered. Others who set records in their time seemed to fade a little into the background of history. One of these pilots is Katherine Stinson. Stinson, a contemporary of Earhart and the fourth U.S. woman to earn a pilot certificate, established a fair number of records in her day. She invented skywriting by attaching flares to her airplane and writing “CAL” in the California sky in 1915 and made public appearances around the world promoting aviation. While her aerobatic firsts and endurance records are worthy of respect, some of her “quieter” contributions also…

“Straight out departure approved, cleared for takeoff 29 Right” is a call I have received thousands of times as a commercial pilot and CFI at my home base of Zamperini Field in Torrance, California (KTOA). The seasonal “May gray” morning had predictably and gradually morphed into an inviting “severe clear.” My left seat passenger—we’ll call him Scott, mostly because that’s his real name—and I awaited our turn at the hold short line at Taxiway Juliet for his return to the sky. Scott had a few hours in a Cessna 172 as a new student about five years earlier but had paused his training because “life got in the way.” Sound familiar? Anyway, the path to achieving his goal of a private pilot certificate was now free of obstructions, and he was…

It was one of those really challenging weather days in the Southeast. We were flying in and out of Atlanta, and a massive weather system had the region covered with embedded cumulonimbus. This Saturday morning in April saw me paired with a fairly young check airman as captain, and we were enjoying a pretty great trip in spite of the weather. It was supposed to end with a quick round trip to Newport News, Virginia, and we’d be back home to sleep in our own beds that night—an airline pilot’s favorite layover. We joked that the Bombardier CRJ-200’s weather radar was solar-powered. When the sun went down or you were in the clouds, it became useless at times, but we were flying the mighty CRJ-700 that day, and there is…

Name a 60-year-old airplane that has trained more than 50,000 pilots, is the ride of choice for NASA astronauts, and looks just as elegant as any of the latest supersonic jets on the ramp today. That describes the Northrop T-38 Talon. Slender, graceful, supersonic, and highly maneuverable all apply here. Yet, the T-38 has managed to be forgiving enough to allow aspiring young U.S. Air Force pilots, with a little more than 100 hours flight time in their logbooks, to solo in it in just 10 to 12 hours. All of this may explain its more than 60 years of service training pilots in a wide variety of additional roles. So where did this story begin? The year is 1953. The Air Force is in the middle of developing the…