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Category Archives: Aviation
The Soft Field Landing
Yesterday, I gave my insights to the short field landing; today it is time to discuss the soft field landing. Again, as with the short field landing, many pilots today have little or no experience on actual soft fields. It … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying
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Tagged a chance actually to fly off a short or soft runway, a large metropolitan airport, a long forgotten art, anything that is not paved, dirt strips, flight schools, former military bases, grass runways, hard surface runways, local pilots, muddy fields, non-towered country airports, practical experience, reciting the procedures, slow flight, snow covered fields, students, the Practical Test Standards (PTS), The Short Field Landing, The Soft Field Landing
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2 Comments
The Short Field Landing
Yesterday, I talked about the Miracle of Lift. Today, I will pass on some of the secrets of the short field landing. We’ll also discuss how the lift equation plays so importantly in “making the point.” One of the most … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying
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Tagged .002377 slugs per cubic foot, A Few Good Men, airspeed, altitude, Anyone Can Fly, arrive at the spot right at stall speed, coefficient of lift, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, coordination of speed and AoA, Country airports, descent path, L=1/2 r V2 Cl S, landing short of the runway, lift equals speed times angle of attack (L = S x AoA), pitch, Power, rho, short field landings, short grass runways, the lift equation, The Mystery of Lift, the power curve, The Short Field Landing, the truth, velocity squared, where to aim, wing area, writer-editor Jules Bergman, “float”, “making the point”
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2 Comments
The Mystery of Lift
In science writer-editor Jules Bergman’s book, Anyone Can Fly, he talks about asking a little boy why airplanes fly. The child explains, in essence, that airplanes float on the air. I like that—because it is so simple—and almost true. When … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying
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Tagged .002377 slugs per cubic foot, A Few Good Men, airspeed, altitude, Anyone Can Fly, coefficient of lift, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, L=1/2 r V2 Cl S, pitch, Power, rho, short field landings, The Mystery of Lift, the power curve, the truth, velocity squared, wing area, writer-editor Jules Bergman
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2 Comments
New York to Paris
It took Charles Lindbergh 33 hours and 30 minutes to fly from New York to Paris. On this date in 1946, Trans World Airlines began international passenger service along Lindbergh’s route flying Lockheed Constellations, or “Connies.” Originally, Lockheed produced the … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged Charles Lindbergh, Connies, deregulation in 1978, international travel, Lockheed Constellations, New York to Paris, nonstop passenger service, ocean liners, Pan American Airways, pressurized comfort, Trans World Airlines
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Comments Off on New York to Paris
Squeezed
Yesterday I opened my e-mail and found my Aviation eBrief from AOPA. The news was fairly disturbing. From Air Transport World, is the news that, “DOT Secretary LaHood reaffirms Obama’s NextGen commitment.” The next headline read, “Column: Middle-class pilots are … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged 120, 140, 150, 170, 172, 175, 180, 182, 185, 190, 195, 210, Air Transport World, AOPA, Aviation eBrief, business jets, Cessna, feeling the squeeze, FlightGlobal.com, General Aviation News, little airplane drivers, NextGen, paying through the nose, Squeezed, who loves technology
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5 Comments
First flights
Every time you introduce a student to flying for the very first time, you should do it very early in the morning or right at sunset. The reason for this is simple. Flying during the later morning periods or in … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged a short flight, a very gentle flight, be as smooth as possible, enthusiasm, FBOs, First flights, first flights should be simple and enjoyable, flight training, flight training schools, flying early in the morning, flying late in the afternoon, free marketing, free publicity, get to know your new student, hot bumpy days, introducing students to flying, rough rides, second lessons, sunrise, sunset, the perfect introductory flight, Vgn diagram, word-of-mouth advertising, “hook” the student
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The Cessna 172 on Steroids
A Cessna 172 on steroids? No not really. Something like that would have another name. Most in the aviation business know it as a Cessna 182 Skylane. The two airplanes look very similar with tricycle landing gear, four seats, and … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying
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Tagged airplanes, Cessna 172, Cessna 182, Cessna 182 Skylane, Cessnas, Continental O-470, extra shoulder space and legroom, flying, fuel flow of 11 gallons per hour, greater cabin room, headroom, judgment, learning to fly, Lycoming IO-360, pilots, professional pilots, propeller control, Skyhawk, Skylane, The Cessna 172 on Steroids, training aircraft
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1 Comment
The High Cost of Renting
In 1971, the cost of renting airplanes was expensive. The sad truth about aircraft rental today is that it still remains too expensive. Relatively speaking, it is more expensive than 35 years ago. In 1971, a Cessna 150 cost $15 … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged airlines, airplanes, Cessna 150, Cessnas, checkride, computers, discipline, final cost for earning a private pilot certificate, Flight instructors, flying, getting rich, ground instruction, how can young kids afford flight training, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, minimum wage, navigation plotters, pilots, private pilot, professional pilots, rental and instructional fees, renting airplanes, solo students, student pilots, testing fees, textbooks, the aviation industry, The High Cost of Renting, training aircraft
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3 Comments
Solo! (Part 4)
This is the final installment of the story of soloing, originally published in Eagles Tales, a collection of essays by my colleagues in the Aeronautical Science Department of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Eagle Tales is available for sale at 20 percent … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged airplanes, Cessnas, discipline, engine failures, first solo, Florida, flying, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, pilots, student pilots, taildraggers, training aircraft
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3 Comments
Solo! (Part 3)
Excepts from Eagles Tales, a collection of essays by my colleagues in the Aeronautical Science Department of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University continues. Eagle Tales is available for sale at 20 percent off with the coupon code ET2011 on checkout through the … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged airplanes, Cessnas, discipline, engine failures, first solo, Florida, flying, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, pilots, student pilots, taildraggers, training aircraft
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2 Comments
