by Joseph Standley | May 28, 2012 | Pilots
This one is a tough one! I’ve heard it over and over again, one person loves to fly and the other doesn’t. I’m fortunate to have someone that loves flying, but in my previous relationship, she had no interest at all. So what do you do? Let’s start by saying that just taking your partner for a ride probably won’t be enough to do it.
I remember bringing my previous partner up for a ride and saying, “isn’t this the coolest thing?!” I was so excited to show her, and the response I got was “what’s the big deal? It’s just a bunch of squares!”. I was looking at it as a whole new perspective of Gods beautiful creation and feeling lucky to be one of the few to have the privilege of seeing it from the air, and she could care less! If she couldn’t see the beauty of it all when it was so obvious to me, then all the convincing in the world wouldn’t make a difference.
The solution to getting your partner wanting to fly, isn’t to try to convince them how beautiful or peaceful it is. It isn’t about the freedom, or fun of flying. They won’t get it or appreciate it like you wil. The route to go is the convenience. If they don’t appreciate what flying is really about, then make it about transportation. What I mean by that is to travel long distances and let them see what a time saver it is. Some people have cabins, or relatives that are a 4 or 5 hours drive away. They aren’t far enough for an airline so the only way there would be to drive. If your partner has done the trip before, then they know how long 4 or 5 hours in a car can be!
Next time you go on that long trip, sell the time saving point of view to your partner. Plan to have a cab or limo waiting at the airport for you when you arrive at your destination. When you get to your destination in 2 hours when it normally takes 5 hours, be sure to point how much extra time you’ll have to stay there. If you saved 3 hours there and another 3 on the way back, that’s almost a whole day extra!
Many partners also think it’s pretty cool that you get great service at the FBO, without all the hassles of airline check-in, long lines or having to practically strip down! You don’t need to get there an hour early or wait for your bags either. You can usually find an airport close to your destination too. The cab or limo waiting for you would be a nice top off to the day. A couple of time saving trips like this may make your partner realize the benefit. They won’t see it like you do but at least they may want to save time more often and be willing to travel with you more. Give it a shot, it’s worth a try.
by Joseph Standley | May 22, 2012 | All Pilots
Night flying is actually really nice. It’s usually so smooth that you can’t feel the plane moving at all! It’s cool, quiet and very peaceful. When you train for your license, you will be required to do some night flying, but it’s only a few hours.
After getting your license, you may be a little nervous about flying at night. Flying at night is more risky, but if you plan properly, then it’s not a problem. Part of what makes people uncomfortable about night flying is the thought of an engine failure. It would be scary, I have to admit, but the chance of that happening is pretty slim, as long as you’re flying a well maintained airplane.
To minimize your fear you need to minimize risk. In other words, plan on the conservative side and have a plan of action in case of some kind of problem. If you know exactly what you are going to do because you thought it out ahead of time, then you won’t be so nervous. What I mean by plan on the conservative side is do your preflight planning.
Know all about the area you’re flying in, where the obstacles are at any airports you may be landing at, make sure to have enough fuel, oil, etc. Instead of flying low, fly higher so you have more gliding distance in case of a problem. Fly along a path that will take you near more airports. I straight line is nice but if you’re planning to be more conservative at night then altering your course isn’t a big deal. When landing, don’t get low! You can’t see trees until you’re right next to them. This is why preflight planning is important too.
If you’re nervous about getting lost, then go up with an instructor and practice navigating at night to get more comfortable. One last thing that may help you is to start off staying at the airport doing take offs and landings. Next time, make it a goal to leave the area, keeping the airport in sight. Just traveling 10 miles from the airport and keeping it in sight will give you more confidence. Stretch it out a little farther next time. Before you know it, you won’t have a problem flying at night anymore and you’ll be able to enjoy the sunset from the air!
by Joseph Standley | May 15, 2012 | All Pilots
In simple terms, don’t be a slob in the airplane! When you fly the plane, you should have everything within easy reach so you can grab it when you need it. I can’t count how many times I’ve gone out flying with a student that fumbles and drops everything, just to lose it under the seat and then ask me for help. How would you feel as a passenger in a plane if your pilot was dropping everything? So, how can you organize things so they won’t fall all over the place? First, don’t shove everything in one small pocket on the plane, because once you take one item out, the rest may follow.
My suggestion to start is to get a knee board. Don’t get a big bulky one because it gets in the way. The little ones that tie onto your leg get in the way too and they only have one clip which doesn’t hold much. Then there are the knee boards that are made of cloth that have 3 panels. They are good at holding lots of stuff but they don’t make a vey good work surface because everything is laying sideways on each side of your leg leaving you with a little surface area, which isn’t very flat.
The knee board I prefer is the flat one made of metal that folds in half and has a clip on each panel. I can use the clips to hold a few different things, easily lifting up the edge of my sectional to view a flight plan I may have under it while having blank paper and airport diagrams on the other side. It gives me a large work surface to see everything laid out flat. I have a hard surface to write on while getting instructions or clearences from approach control. I don’t need a strap to hold it in place because it’s large enough to stay on my lap and flat enough to not get in the way. Best of all, I can pick all of it up at once, fold it in half and put it out of the way for take off and landing in about 5 seconds.
So, what about the stuff that you can’t fit on the knee board? What about those rare moments that you may need something bigger, like an airport facility directory or the book of approach plates that you didn’t think you’d need? Most pilots have a flight bag and they are usually sitting on the back seat. Many keep their bags out of reach and closed up tight. I always keep mine within reach and open with anything else I may need right where I can grab it without having to look or search around for it. I plan ahead.. When I’m done, I put it back. I also keep several pens handy in case I drop one.
If you haven’t even started to taxi yet and stuff is falling all over the floor, stop and reorganize because if it’s happening now, it will happen later. One more word of advice, don’t put stuff on top of the instrument panel! One problem with that is that it can block some of your view. The other problem is it could fall off in turbulence, hitting you in the face and get caught under the rudder pedals, causing another set of problems. Fly safe!
by Joseph Standley | May 14, 2012 | Free Eguide
by Joseph Standley | May 10, 2012 | All Pilots
It’s nothing but clear blue sky as far as you can see and the winds are light. Why get a weather briefing? I’m just going up for an hour! What could go wrong?
Have you done this before? Many people do, just to find out that they wish they didn’t! So what could go wrong? Let’s start by saying, just because there are calm winds on the surface, doesn’t mean it’s smooth and calm above. You may run into very strong turbulence. Winds above may be really strong too. Strong winds don’t always mean turbulence, but if you have little fuel and you’re planning a short trip somewhere and the winds are strong enough, you may not have enough fuel to get where you want to go. Winds can be very light at the surface and over 50kts just a couple thousand feet off the ground. What about windshear? An abrubt change in direction or speed of the wind close to the ground that is invisible to you until it’s too late. I’d rather know before I go!
There are also notams that can pop up. You decide you’re going to fly to another airport to visit a friend, to find out that the runway is closed for repair. Hopefully you’re paying attention and looking for the X on the end of the runway because if you land on a closed runway, you’re risking your safety, and now your license.
Oh yeah, let’s not forget the nice trip you were having, until you got intercepted by a military jet for flying into a restricted area due to the president being in town. That should be worth about a 90 day suspension of your pilot license along with a couple of thousand dollars trying to fight it! Think how much it would be if you relied on your income from a flying job you can no longer do for a long time.
The point I’m trying to make here, is that there are several things that could happen, even on a clear day. Isn’t it worth a 10 minute phone call to be sure everything is fine before you go? It’s better to be safe, than sorry.
