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Category Archives: Flight Instructing
Doing the Right Thing
I read an article published in Flying Magazine that was one of the best articles I have ever read. The article started with the observation of a cropduster landing to reload his hopper and then taking off again. The pilot impressed … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged "doing the right thing", checkrides, cropdusters, fly the airplane, flying by the rules, flying magazine, flying precisely, flying professionally, following the rules, happy passengers, integrity, landing on a point, observing, professional competence, repeat business, taking care of your equipment
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What Makes a Cessna 172 So Safe?
OK, so I was checking out the stats on the blog and I came across this search term. Someone had actually asked the question of Google or Bing or Yahoo, “What makes a Cessna 172 so safe?” What a great … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged airplanes, Cessna, Cessna 172P, Cessna 210 Centurion, Cessnas, Clyde Cessna, engine failures, flying, gross weight, inexperienced pilots, maneuvering speed, stall speed, the 100-series Cessnas, What Makes a Cessna 172 So Safe?
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4 Comments
Building Time
Today’s young pilots face the same age-old number one question as pilots in the last century: namely – how do I get a job? Of course, as it was in the Twentieth Century, so it is in the 21st. New … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged airline industry, airplanes, Alaska, banner towing, Building Time, bush flying, Catch-22, charter flying, checkrides, chicken and egg conundrum, commercial pilot positions, flight instructing, flying, flying jobs, flying skydivers, great time building, how do I get a job?, inexperienced pilots, insurance criteria, judgment, learning to fly, mountains, Part 135, professional pilots, sightseeing flights, taildraggers, the menial jobs of aviation, training aircraft, working for a living, young pilots
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4 Comments
What Makes a Really Good Pilot?
So, you want to be a good pilot. No, you want to be a great pilot. You want people to regard you as one of the best pilots with whom they have ever flown. Not too lofty a goal, is … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying
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Tagged actual emergencies, airspeed control, checking weather, emergency procedures, engine failures, flying smoothly, fuel mismanagement, glide path control, great pilot, judgment, piloting skill, practice, risks, running out of gas, What Makes a Really Good Pilot?, young and inexperienced
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Negative Transfer
You can find one of the greatest examples of a negative transfer of learning in the cockpit of many of today’s training aircraft. For whatever reason, the industry decided a long time ago steering yokes were more desirable rather than … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying
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Tagged avoiding hazards, control sticks, crosswind landings, crosswinds, inexperienced pilot, learning, Negative Transfer, negative transfer of learning, proper training, steering yokes, taxiing an aircraft, training aircraft, wind correction angle, “steering wheel”
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2 Comments
Teaching Self-Confidence
Teaching student pilots how to be confident aviators can be one of the most challenging tasks facing a flight instructor. Older instructors probably have a better handle on this problem, while new CFIs may still be working on the concept. … Continue reading →
Headwinds
My wife and I spent a wonderful evening with friends Saturday evening and then had to drive home north along Interstate 95. As we drove home steadily at 70 miles per hour, I looked up to my nine o’clock position … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged bucking a major headwind, groundspeed, Headwinds, Joe’s Maxim, simple math, smooth air, tailwinds, turbulence, wonderful evening
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Any Attitude, Any Airspeed
I am sure you have heard old flight instructors or pilots say, “An airplane can stall in any attitude or any airspeed.” Come on, admit it. You really didn’t believe them did you? I mean, how is it possible an … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Personal
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Tagged 2 v 3 dogfight, A-4, Any Airspeed, Any Attitude, Challenger, critical angle-of-attack, DACM, dissimilar air combat maneuvering, F-14, Guantanamo, gunsight, old flight instructors, pilots, pointed straight down, rolling scissors, Skyhawk, slow flight, stall, throttle wide open, Tomcats
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1 Comment
Low and Slow
Nothing is better and more fun than flying low and slow across the country. Particularly in an airplane with an engine that turns at a low rpm in cruise. It gives an all new meaning to the term “cross-county.” Hit … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Teaching
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Tagged aeronautical knowledge, angle-of-attack, critical angle-of-attack, cross-county, flying low and slow, flying the wing, fun and joy of flying, higher fuel flows, horsepower, joy of the journey, Low and Slow, old days, pilot training, sitting inside an aluminum container, skill, speed, young pilots
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The Art of Climbing
Getting to altitude involves more than crawling into an airplane, starting the engine, and pointing the nose up. Pilots must consider many aspects factoring into the initial climb and the following ascent to cruise altitude. Some of these include the … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Teaching
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Tagged airplanes, altitude, best angle of climb, best rate of climb, clear an obstacle, cruise altitude, cruise climb, failure to maintain flying speed, Flight instructors, flying, getting to altitude, headwind, initial climb, learning to fly, NTSB accident reports, other climb techniques, private pilot, short field take off, soft field take off, spins, stalls, student pilots, tailwind, The Art of Climbing, Vx, Vy
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