by Joseph Standley | Jun 23, 2012 | Pilots, Student Pilots
Many student pilots and even some experienced pilots get behind the airplane sometimes. What I mean by “behind” the airplane is struggling to keep up. For a student this is especially hard because there are so many things that are new to them. There are a few things that can contribute to this and I will talk about how you can not only, keep up with the airplane, but actually stay ahead of the airplane!
Let’s start on the ground. This is the best time to get your stuff together. If you’re going somewhere, then you should have all available information about your trip ready in case you need it. It starts with the planning phase. I know that not everyone plans perfectly but this post is about what you should be doing. It’s advice to make things easier and safer for you. So, we will assume that you’ve gotten a weather briefing for your trip and you have all information you need and already planned it out.
Starting with the weather, you need to assess how the weather will affect you. Is there a chance it will get worse? Is there going to be turbulence,wind shear, strong crosswinds? Thinking ahead about how all these things can affect your flight will help you stay ahead of it because you will already know how you will react to the situation. If there is a chance that IFR weather may be coming in a couple of hours after the end of your flight, did you ever consider that it may come in earlier and could interfere with your trip? If you think of that as a possibility, then you will be prepared.
What about winds? When you get the forecast winds at the destination, you can look at the airport diagram in advance and figure out which runway you may be using before you even leave. While you’re looking at the diagram, you can go through any taxiway closures and mark them on the diagram.
Getting into the airplane, lay out all the information you have in a logical order and keep everything easily accessible. I would keep my charts, airport diagrams, flight plan and paper with a pen with me. Any other things I would leave out of the way within easy reach. Load up the radio frequencies. Most planes have 2 radios and each has a standby frequency. That’s enough to load 4 frequencies. Put them in the order you will use them so it will just be a matter of pushing a button or flipping a switch to get to the next one. If you have more than 4 frequencies you will be using, then as soon as you are finished with one, put the next one in.
Once you’re on your way, keep track of your checkpoints. If you are going to being flying past checkpoints A, B, C, D and E, then once you see A, you should already be looking of B. I see many people flying to checkpoint A and waiting until they get there to start looking for B. If you know you will be flying to B after A, then start looking for it as soon as you can and don’t wait until the last minute. The farther out you see your checkpoints, the easier it will be to navigate and the more time you’ll have to enjoy the view.
While you are flying, always think to yourself “what is next?”. If you are almost there and the next thing will be landing, then you should have the weather frequency tuned in for that airport already and ready to listen to it. If you’re flying to an uncontrolled airport then you should make your first call about 10 miles out. Knowing this, you should think ahead enough to listen to the weather before that. Do it far enough out to figure out which runway the winds are favoring. If they are favoring the runway you planned for, then great, if not then you’re still ahead because you listened to the weather far enough out to figure out which runway to use and how you will enter the pattern.
Coming down final, look at the taxiways and which ones lead to the ramp. You can get a nice birds eye view of the layout and see which is the easiest way to get to where you are going while approaching from the air. You already know what to do, most people do. The problem is they wait too long to do it. If you always think of what will be next and then get ready for it and actually do it ahead of time instead of waiting until the last minute, then you will stay ahead of the plane. It’s not complicated but it may take a bit to break any habits you have. Unexpected things happen too but if you’re ahead on the other things, you won’t have as much of a workload and it will be easier for you to handle!
by Joseph Standley | Jun 3, 2012 | Pilots
One of the requirements to be able to continue to fly is a Flight Review with an instructor every 2 years. I have been doing Flight Reviews for years and have noticed that there are way too many pilots out there that don’t know half of what they should! One of the main things that is covered during a Flight Review is Airspace. No matter where you fly, you are in some kind of airspace. Wouldn’t it make sense to know where you are flying and whether you’re flying legally?
There are requirements that you need to know for each type of airspace. Do you know how do identify all the different types of airspace? What about the weather requirements for flying in each type of airspace? Who do you talk to, what do you say and when? Do you need a clearence? These are basic things that you should know, but people struggle with it all the time.
Some people are flying and don’t even know how to identify an airport with a control tower. If you don’t know if it has a tower, what is to stop you from wandering into the airspace? Many pilots are uncomfortable with radio communication too so they avoid control towers. The more they avoid them, the more they forget about them, This is usually where the unfamiliarity with airspace starts.
I see 2 types of people that show up for a Flight Review; those who prepare and those who don’t. As an instructor I am supposed to hold you to the Practical Test Standards. It’s not a pass or fail thing, but if you’re not safe or if you’re clueless to everything, you will need more time before getting signed off for your Flight Review. That means that you will have to go home and study and come back in another week to demonstrate what you know. Why not just brush up on things before you show up?
The people that want to do good usually call me in advance to see what they should study. They will spend $50 or more buying books, just to get up to speed. They want to understand, they want to learn and become good pilots and it shows when I start their Flight Review. They usually get their sign off the same day. The pilots that don’t prepare end up coming back due to lack of knowledge. If you keep up on things and don’t wait until 2 years pass to review things, then you should do fine.
Other things you may review are airplane systems, weather, TFR’s, performance charts, emergency procedures, required aircraft documents and more. If you read a little at a time throughout the year you will stay up to speed and it won’t be a big deal. If you are weak in an area, don’t hide from it, but get an instructor and practice or buy the Flight Training Material you need to get up to speed.
To summarize things, regular reading and flying will help you breeeze through your Flight Review in just over 2 hours. Brush up on the things I talked about and you should do fine. It’s not a test, it’s a review. Your instructor will help you out but you can’t expect him to give you all the answers to everything. Bring current charts and a FAR/AIM. If you don’t know an answer, then be prepared to demonstrate that you can find the answer. It’s only as hard as you make it!
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 | Apr 27, 2012 | Pilots
Anyone that wants to get into bigger or faster planes, either for a career or just for fun will eventually need a complex endorsement. Think commercial or CFI ratings, or perhaps stepping up to a multi engine aircraft – most certainly these aircraft have retractable gear and a constant speed prop. Starting with an aircraft, such as the Arrow is a perfect stepping stone.
The total amount of time required for the complex endorsement depends on the individual but I’ve seen it usually completed between 5-10 hours.Insurance companies typically want at least 125 hours as PIC and a Private pilot license with at least 5 hours in the same make and model aircraft.
There are three levers instead of two…the throttle which controls manifold pressure, the prop lever which controls RPM and the angle of the propeller and lastly there’s the mixture control. You’ll also have a gear lever, additional system lights, alerts and more.On the ground, we’ll review aircraft systems, including the propeller and landing gear and how they operate, along with performance charts, power settings,etc.
Since pilots stepping up to complex aircraft have not had to think about gear until now, gear up landings present a major risk but certainly are avoidable.My personal focus and the majority of the flight training I do, is on emergency procedures and preventive measures.We’ll simulate various emergencies, both in and out of the pattern, making sure that you “fly the plane” first, and immediately follow through with the correct actions to ensure a successful outcome.
You’ll walk away with an endorsement in your logbook feeling that you’ve actually learned something new and valuable…it’s not just going through the same old boring checkout procedures. You will definitely feel a sense of accomplishment and pride! You will be the master of the plane, controlling it with minimal effort and able to handle just about any emergency that may come your way.
by Joseph Standley | Apr 24, 2012 | All Pilots, Pilots, Student Pilots
Well, I finally decided to start a blog after my former student and friend Terry, said about a million times that I’d be good at it. Terry has followed many aviation blogs and always has a story to tell. He is a very detailed person and writes novels for emails when he writes to me.
My responses are just as long and with the amount of detail I write in my responses to him, I could have had about 3 years worth of content for my blog! I will try to give you as much interesting stuff as I can. I usually have something to say, so I will do the best I can to make your time here enjoyable. Please feel free to comment on things you would like to see here.
I got a late start getting this site going and it took awhile since I’ve never done it before and am not familiar with this program. It will take a bit before everything is in place so I hope you understand and come back again.
Before I go, I want to thank my friend Terry for all his great emails, for pushing me to do something aviation related and for being such a good friend. He is truly an inspiration and someone I admire. I also want to thank my girlfriend Jackie who supports me in anything I want to do and pushes me beyond limits I would not feel comfortable doing alone to become a better, more successful person. Bye for now.
Take care!
