Rushing the checklist—or worse, forgetting the checklist items—leads to a late configured or nonconfigured airplane or being too fast or too high on final. All these things result in an unstabilized approach.

Unless there is an emergency on board, the best course of action is usually going around, flying the pattern again, and focusing on staying ahead of the aircraft.

Teaching the Stable Approach

There’s a lot that goes into a stable approach to landing.

The aircraft has to be at the correct speed and correctly configured for landing, such as landing gear down (that’s the big one), flaps at the proper setting, proper speed, etc. This includes trimming the aircraft so that it stays on speed and can land on the first third of the runway, preferably on the numbers, and stops within 100 feet of that mark with minimal braking.

Configuration of the aircraft should not be done aggressively. Slamming down the landing gear and dumping in the flaps all the way in at the same time results in unstable pitch moments. This can be demonstrated at a safe altitude in the practice area. The addition of flaps on one fell swoop followed by their rapid retraction is definitely a teachable moment, as the pitch change is often surprising, dramatic and swift, and not something you’d want to experience a few hundred feet over the ground.

Learn the Landing on the Ground

Learning to land and the stabilized approach should begin with a ground session.

I have found the use of a whiteboard with a drawing of the runway, anointed with the aircraft configuration, checklist use, appropriate airspeeds, and altitudes for each leg and distance from the runway to be an excellent tool. I ask my flight students to copy the drawing with their own drawing (and not take a photo), and in future lessons are asked to re-create it from scratch to show learning has taken place.

This diagram should also include notations of when the checklist is used.

Faux Pattern

One of the best techniques to teach pattern procedures is something I call “faux pattern,” which is done in the practice area several thousand feet in the air to facilitate recovery at 1,500 feet agl.

The cardinal compass points are the “legs” of the pattern. After clearing turns, the learner configures the airplane to enter a 45-degree angle to downwind and performs as if they are in the pattern. This includes managing airspeed and aircraft configuration.

When the aircraft is on “final,” the CFI calls for a go-around, or gives the learner a scenario like “Uh-oh! There’s a disabled aircraft on the runway! What do you do?”

After a couple of run-throughs, a learner’s pattern work usually improves substantially.

Mistakes Happen

Instructors need to be very careful about what they allow the learner to do, as in mistakes they are allowed to make, because the pattern can be very unforgiving. I have seen a few techniques that gave me pause.

I was doing a stage check for a learner who kept revving the engine on downwind. When I asked why he did that, he said, “because it’s fun!” Another pulled the mixture to idle on downwind to “check it,” claiming that is what the previous CFI taught him to do. This was incorrect information. The previous CFI informed me that he couldn’t break the learner of the habit, so he fired him.

It is not just primary learners who develop strange habits in the pattern.

A “return to flying” commercial pilot and a former CFI announced his technique for landing a Cessna 172 in gusty winds was to come in with no flaps then dump all the flaps in on short final and put the aircraft into an aggressive slip to landing. He revealed this during the preflight briefing as we discussed aircraft performance. I was staring at him, waiting for the punch line—hoping there was one—but before I could reply, the owner of the flight school, who was sitting a few feet away in the lobby, loudly announced, “Not in one of my airplanes, you don’t!”

For the unfamiliar: there is a placard in the C-172 that reads “Avoid slips with flaps extended.” 

Be Ready for the Go-Around

Does your pre-landing checklist include verbalization of the phrase “go around is always an option”?

A senior instructor I flew with told me he added it because he was trying to reduce the startle factor when he told his learners to go around. He also made it a rule that if the aircraft wasn’t perfectly on speed, configured, and on glide path to touch down by the second center stripe on the 3,400-foot runway, the learner would go around.

Occasionally, some students pushed back when it appeared they would land long, as the Cessna and Pipers they flew didn’t need the entire 3,400 feet to come to a full stop. The instructor replied, “Someday you won’t have that much runway.” He was right, of course.

If you are flying at a towered airport and the controller tells you to go-around, it’s not up for debate—go around. It is possible that you don’t have the bigger picture. There could be something larger, faster, and turbine coming up behind you. Know what to do, and the order in which to do it.

If You Go Around

When the go-around goes bad, it is often because the pilot does not use enough right rudder and the aircraft has too much nose-up trim resulting in a stall. Anticipate the need for right rudder and be ready to push the nose down to counteract the left turning tendency and pitch up with the adding of full power.

Another bad habit particular to aircraft with retractable gear is taking the flaps out abruptly while simultaneously bringing the gear up. This creates a lot of drag, and it is not uncommon that the aircraft will settle back on to the runway with the landing gear—or part of it—retracted. This is expensive and embarrassing.

Make the practice of go-arounds something you do on a regular basis as part of your personal proficiency and currency program. You never know when you will need those skills.

The post How to Ensure Stable Approaches appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Established in 1962, the GAA recognizes aviation professionals, specifically flight instructors, maintenance technicians, and FAA Safety (FAASTeam) representatives who make a positive impact in the industry.

Webb’s resume includes management and marketing positions at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), a 15-year stint with the Avemco Insurance Co. as vice president of marketing and public relations director, and seven years as the director of marketing and communications for the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI).

During her tenure with NAFI, Webb spent three years on the board doing fundraising and PR. After her time on the board, she co-produced the annual GAALive broadcast, a seminar highlighting the knowledge and ability of each year’s honorees.

Webb succeeds Sandya Narayanswami, who served as GAA board chair from 2019-24 and now moves into the position of fundraising director.

“Lauretta and I have become close colleagues and friends over the years, so I know she is the right person to grow awareness, participation, and continued operational efficiencies for our organization,” Narayanswami said. “It has been a pleasure and an honor to collaborate with the GAA board as chair, and I hope to continue to do so as the fundraising director.”

Webb said she and Narayanswami share the same objective for GAA.

“Thanks to Sandya’s outstanding efforts, GAA is a ‘well-oiled machine,’ giving me the opportunity to take our organization to greater heights,” said Webb. “Ours is a singular goal—work with FAASTeam leadership to identify, recognize, and honor the best-of-the-best flight instructors, mechanics, and safety reps in GA.”

Each year the GAA program receives nominations from around the country for the award of Instructor of the Year, FAASTeam Representative of the Year, and Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year. The nominees must submit an application packet that is evaluated by their local flight standards district office. From there, if they qualify and are deserving, the nomination advances to the regional then national level.

The winners are recognized each July during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. 

The post General Aviation Awards Names New Leadership appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Most pilots fall into one of two camps: If they trained at a towered airport, they may be anxious about flying at a nontowered airport. If a pilot trains at a nontowered airport, they may be anxious about flying at a towered airport.

There are pilots who, after they earn their certificates, alter their flying so they can avoid talking on the radio. You may know someone like this—they will fly almost “Z” shaped patterns instead of a straight line during a cross-country flight to avoid transitioning airspace that would necessitate them getting a clearance from a control tower. Often this reluctance is rooted in a bad experience they had during their student pilot days, such as the dreaded radio failure during a cross-country or at an airport with a control tower.

• READ MORE: Normalization of Deviance Can Cause Problems for Pilots

The thought of losing radio contact can be a frightening experience for some pilots—and a nothing burger for others. It comes down to how well you have been trained. Radio failure under IFR is considered an emergency when you are in IMC, but in VFR conditions it is more an annoyance and distraction.

Radio procedures need to be learned before the student pilot is soloed. Turning on the radio, tuning in the frequency, determining transmission (look for the “TX” on the display) and adjusting volume should be demonstrated and practiced. Some radios can be finicky.

The light gun signals should be memorized or, at the very least, written down and kept handy for quick reference. Some kneeboards have them printed on them. Some pilots carry reminder cards that have the information on them along with notes on troubleshooting an apparent radio failure: check the volume, check the frequency, check that your headset is plugged in, use the hand microphone, try the other push-to-talk if installed, etc.

• READ MORE: When Your Instructor Moves on, Your Logbook Tells the Story

The most important thing is don’t forget to fly the airplane and maintain situational awareness as you troubleshoot.

Many pilots carry a hand-held radio that interfaces with their headset in the event they experience radio failure. That’s a great idea—just be sure the batteries in the radio are charged. It is incredibly annoying to reach for the handheld, hook it up, and find it dead as rock.

If a hand-held radio is not in your budget, consider getting a portable intercom. They can be battery powered (most use a 9-volt battery), or plugged into the aircraft’s cigarette lighter. Get one that utilizes an external push-to-talk (PTT)—it’s handy to have one of your own.

Sometimes, it is the push-to-talk that fails and this can be a hassle when the PTT is hardwired into the yoke or stick. You find yourself pushing the button at weird angles and there is that click, but the TX doesn’t appear on the radio stack face. If this happens, check to see if the aircraft has a hand mic stashed in the glove box. If it doesn’t, be ready to hook up your PTT.

Although portable PTTs aren’t terribly expensive and are easy to install and remove, be advised that they do wear out. That’s because they are mostly plastic, which is an unforgiving material. When it breaks or wears out, it’s done.

Light Gun

Show of hands: How many of you have seen the ATC light signals from the air?

If you have a towered airport near you and they aren’t too busy, you might ask the controller to give you the light gun signals when you are on approach. I often do this with my learners. The caveat is we are usually the first airplane in the pattern when the tower opens in the morning. I usually call the tower a day in advance to set up the light gun flight.

• READ MORE: Practice Crosswind Landings Whenever You Can

We fly the pattern and I take the airplane on base to final as that is when the controller hits us with the light gun. The learner looks at the tower and tells me what colors they see. The approach terminates with a go-around. On the second pass, the student flies, and the controller brings us in for a full stop landing with the light gun signals.

Landing with the light gun is a pilot rite of passage.

The first time it happened to me, I was a post-solo private candidate based at Tacoma Narrows Airport (KTIW), a Class D facility under the Mode C veil of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA). It was at the end of a dual instructional cross-country flight. We were about halfway home when I noticed low voltage light activated in our mighty Cessna 172. The appropriate checklist was run in an attempt to troubleshoot the issue, but no luck. Load shedding took place.

We discussed diverting to nearby Bremerton National Airport (KPWT), a nontowered facility in Class E airspace where radio communications are not required, but a good idea for position reports and situational awareness. At a nontowered airport you stay outside the pattern and observe the flow of traffic, then enter when appropriate. However, we knew from experience that Bremerton was much busier than KTIW as so many of the pilots who trained there did so because they didn’t want to “mess with a tower.”

We listened to the automatic terminal information services (ATIS) at KTIW then monitored the tower frequency. There were two other aircraft in the pattern. The CFI contacted the tower when we were 10 miles out, telling controllers we were approaching from the west and about to lose the radio, so could they please bring us in with the light gun? Before they could reply, he said, “This is my last transmission,” as I put 7600 into the transponder.

A few minutes later and with heads on a swivel, we rolled on to downwind. He watched the tower while I flew.

“There it is,” he said.

I looked over to see a flashing green light plain as day. The steady green came when we were on base, and I did my first no-flap landing—the flaps were also electric, so I wasn’t even going to monkey with them. Learning had taken place.

The post Radio Failures While Learning to Fly appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

There were two choices for instrument approach plates: the government-printed National Ocean Service (NOS), or Jeppesen. Every fledgling instrument candidate had to choose which they would use.

I learned to fly IFR using NOS products. As I recall, it was the cost of the Jeppesen charts subscription combined with the fact my ex-U.S. Air Force instructor—who said he “cut his teeth” on NOS—that made me lean toward the latter. 

It was the 1990s and everything was still on paper. There were tactile as well as visual differences between Jeppesen and NOS. The first thing a fledgling instrument pilot noticed was that the paper used for the Jeppesen products was lighter and felt more delicate than the NOS plates, which are printed on newsprint.

In 2000, Jeppesen Sanderson Inc. was acquired by the Boeing Company, and Jeppesen continues to be the industry standard for commercial aviation. According to my professional pilot friends, their employers pick up the cost of the subscription. The cost varies, depending on how much geographic coverage you seek.

If you use both NOS and Jeppesen—and many pilots do—you will notice similarities between the two, as well as subtle differences.

The graphics are similar, but slightly different, so you will want to study before you take the aircraft into the soup. If you are seeking to become “bilingual,” it’s helpful to get an approach you know well and compare Jeppesen and NOS side by side. 

These are just a few things you will want to keep in mind:

Take It From the Top

Jeppesen approach plates have a briefing strip at the top that spells out the most pertinent information an instrument pilot needs. That information includes the name and the identifier of the airport, the expiration date of the plate, if the airport has category A, B, and C approaches, and what kind of approach it is (VOR DME, in bold letters, for example). 

Beneath this are several rows of rectangular boxes with the radio frequencies, navigational aid used for the approach, final approach course, altitude for glideslope intercept, MDA or DH, and airport elevation. Missed approach procedures are spelled out, and there are a few lines of notes specific to the airport.

The NOS plate is arranged with the name of the airport and type of approach on the top right, with the navigational aid and final approach course on the top left along with elevation of the airport, touchdown zone, and runway. NOS also has a “T” in a black triangle to let the pilot know there are obstacles to be avoided during takeoff, and conversely an “A” in a black triangle to give similar warnings about the approach.You will have to flip through the binder to find the page that has this information. 

The NOS binder, if hard copy, can be bulky. I learned to divide mine into A-N, then have another binder for M-Z.

The Jeppesen plates have more detail on them and more bold type to indicate the fixes that define the approach. The course the aircraft is supposed to fly is depicted by a heavy dark line and an arrow.

The NOS charts also have an arrow line, but the line is thinner. Also, the airport diagram with the field elevation appears on the lower right side of the page, along with information about the type of lighting in use.

Both plates use a segmented arrow to depict the missed approach procedure.

As NOS are used extensively by the U.S. military, you’ll find notes for these pilots in parenthesis on the plates, as well.

NOS also has “shelf life” information printed on the side. For example on the VOR/DME-A for Gillespie County Airport (T82) in Fredericksburg, Texas, it reads “05 Sep 2004 to 3 Oct 2024.”

Electronic Versus Paper

You will likely find it challenging to find a pilot outside the training environment who still uses paper charts. It’s much easier to store charts digitally in a tablet than it is to carry a binder—or in some instances, a suitcase—of charts with you in the cockpit. You have probably seen those large suitcase flight bags pilots used to carry to accommodate their approach plates.

At the flight school level, it can behoove you to know both Jeppesen and NOS, as the more skills you have, the more employable you are.

The post What to Consider When Choosing Instrument Approach Plates appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The agency’s new rule aligning flight instructor certificates with other airman certificates goes into effect December 1.

However, according to the FAA,  instructors will still need to renew their certificate every 24 calendar months by completing a Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic (FIRC), acquiring an additional instructor certificate, or by additional instructional activity. That activity, according to the rule, includes, “at least 15 flight activities recognized under the FAA-sponsored pilot proficiency program, during which the flight instructor evaluated at least five different pilots and has made the necessary endorsements in the logbooks of each pilot for each activity.”

Additionally, the rule said that CFIs who endorse at least five applicants for a practical test in 24 calendar months and have a 80 percent passage rate can also use this per 61.197(b)(2)(i) to renew their certificates.

Aligning Airman Certificates

According to the 35-page document published in the Federal Register, the removal of the expiration date will bring the CFI certificate in line with the private and commercial certificates that do not have expiration dates.

Additionally, it is seen as a cost saving measure as it will save the FAA the expense of printing and mailing reissued plastic certificates.

The final rule amends Part 61 of Title 14 in the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) on the reinstatement requirements for flight instructor certificates providing a CFI who has let their certificate lapse a three-month grace period to do an FIRC to regain privileges. Prior to the rule the only option was for the lapsed instructor to take a checkride.

The removal of an expiration date will mean a change in the way instructors endorse a client’s logbook per FAR 61.51, as instead of noting the CFI certificate expiration date, the CFI will note recency of experience.

This final rule also adds two new methods for flight instructors to qualify to train initial applicants and relocates and codifies the requirements for relief for U.S. military and civilian personnel who seek to renew their expired flight instructor certificate but are challenged because they are outside the U.S.

The post FAA Drops Expiration Date on CFI Certificate appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Most first-time flight students accept this, not knowing that they can change instructors if it’s not a good fit. They may not know it’s not a good fit unless someone points it out to them. 

Your instructor should be available at least twice a week for lessons, should be able to answer your questions and provide you with a syllabus, or at the very least an outline of what you can expect in each phase of training. And perhaps most importantly, your CFI should be your advocate—helping you over the obstacles and, to some extent, helping you move forward in your training.

School Culture

By definition, an advocate is someone who supports a cause or person. In this case, the flight student is also the customer.

Ask if the flight school business model supports CFI advocacy for the learners. You may get a deer-in-the-headlights look. It often boils down to a single CFI assigned to a learner, rather than the learner flying with whomever is available at that time. If there are multiple CFIs working with the learner, it can be challenging for the student to connect with an individual and for a particular CFI to become an advocate for them.

The benefit of having a CFI who will advocate for you can make all the difference. It is a lot easier to learn when you are working with a CFI who is invested in your success. This CFI will give you the tools you need to be a safe and competent pilot. You will be taught how to use the syllabus, Airman Certification Standards, Federal Aviation Regulations/Aeronautical Information Manual, Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and the Airplane Flying Handbook rather than falling back on the dreaded phrase “my instructor told me.”

What to Expect

Having your CFI as an advocate doesn’t mean the CFI will pencil whip your logbook, bribe the DPE, or allow you to cut corners. On the contrary, they will learn how to best teach you and then apply that knowledge.

For example, if you are a flight student who needs something tangible to hold in their hand to grasp a concept, your CFI might create a model of airspace for you to hold as you learn.

If you are an athlete and play multiple sports, the CFI may use a sports metaphor to help you grasp a concept. Aiming at a particular spot on the runway and knowing that you will touch down just past it, for example, is similar to the way a forward pass in football is thrown ahead of the receiver.

A CFI who is your advocate will also likely experiment until they find what teaching method works best for you. They will also help you find a DPE that works best with your personality, and may even make introductions to help put you at ease.

A CFI that advocates for you will be supportive when you are successful and offer gentle correction when something needs to change. They will listen to your concerns, encourage you to develop your own weather minimums, and follow the IMSAFE pilot fitness checklist.

There will be days when the weather is beyond your capability and comfort level, and, to some extent, what can be managed by dual instruction. Remember, the purpose of flight training is to teach someone how to fly, not for the CFI to show off their skills. Both the CFI and learner need to ask themselves, “What will the learner get out of this today?”

There may be times when the flight student perceives they are not being treated fairly, such as if they were not allowed to fly because their airplane was given to someone else. Perhaps it was because those other learners had check rides coming up in a day, and those take priority. This needs to be explained to the student up front because hard feelings limit learning.

If it appears the school is trying to stretch out a learner’s training by only allowing them to fly once a week, it’s time to have a talk with the school scheduling department. It may not be aware that this tactic is not in the best interest of the flight student, as it makes it near impossible to retain knowledge or skill. 

If the student is getting in their own way but not having the time or resources to fly more than once a week, it is time to have a talk with them about putting off training until they have the time and resources to commit to flying at least three times a week.

If it comes down to a personality clash between the learner and CFI, it’s best for the flight student to fly with someone else. Be up-front, be polite, be professional, and make the change. Remember, learning to fly is about the student’s needs.

To the flight students, if your CFI suggests you fly with someone else, this can be a favor. If they truly are your advocate, they want what is best for you.

The post Finding an Advocate in Flight Lessons appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Pleasance takes the controls from outgoing AOPA CEO Mark Baker, who earlier this year announced his intention to retire. Pleasance will begin his new job on January 1.

Baker said in a press release that Pleasance was “a pilot’s pilot with a genuine passion for flying.”

Pleasance began his aviation career while in his teens, doing odd jobs at the local airport in exchange for flying lessons. His aviation résumé includes more than 50 different types of aircraft and 8,000 hours logged, flying everything from “simple trainers to business jets and vintage warbirds” according to AOPA.

He has served as a corporate pilot working for celebrities, such as fellow aviator John Travolta,  flown bush charters in Alaska, and holds a CFI certificate. Pleasance also served for many years on the board of the Experimental Aircraft Association.

And while he left professional aviation to pursue a career in business, he never left aviation behind, as Pleasance continued to fly for fun, according to AOPA. He owns a Piper Meridian, Vans RV-6, and Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey. 

“I’m grateful for the privilege I’m being given to lead this incredible organization that has had such a positive impact on my life and the lives of all of us who love aviation,” Pleasance said.

He comes to AOPA from Cisco Systems Inc., where he led the acceleration center—designed to accelerate the success of mission-critical aspects of Cisco’s business transformation. He also has experience in marketing and consulting at Google and McKinsey & Company.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara, as well as a MBA in management from University of California at Los Angeles.

The post AOPA Names New President and CEO appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The one-and-one is the minimum required per FAR 61.56, and when you add in the time for brief, debrief, and logbook endorsement, you often go beyond an hour, which makes the CFI late for their next client. It is much better to set aside three hours so you aren’t late—and more importantly—aren’t rushed.

• READ MORE: The One-Time Water Landing

Yet many pilots insist that one hour on the ground and one in the air is all they need, or are willing to pay for. Some pilots expect to be automatically signed off for the flight review, even if they don’t demonstrate the requisite knowledge or fly to the level of their certificate.

It doesn’t work that way. Find a CFI who is up-front about this as the Airman Certification Standards for the certificate you hold are what you should be using.

This particular client had held a private pilot certificate for more than 20 years and flew several times a month. Over the years, he had owned airplanes, but at that time, his aircraft was down for its annual, so he was renting a Cessna 172. He didn’t want to rush the flight review. As he put it, he often flew with his grandchildren and was adamant to take his time in the name of safety.

He was more than 25 minutes late. He apologized—traffic was worse than expected when he left work. As we settled into the classroom for the ground portion of the flight review, he discovered he had left his headset at home. He put new ear seals on it the night before and had left it on the kitchen table.

• READ MORE: The Importance of Following Checklists

I offered to let him borrow a spare headset. Instead, he looked at me apologetically and asked if we could stay on the ground rather than fly because his brain, he said, would not be in the airplane. 

He then told me about a rule he had for himself—the rule of three. If three things delaying the flight were distractions, he made it a rule to cancel. I have heard this so-called rule from many other pilots. Three is a cosmic number, one told me, adding that “things happen in threes” is a cliche for a reason. 

I am a student of the accident reports published by the National Transportation Safety Board. When you read them, the bad decisions are clear as day. Often the pilot is rushed or distracted.  Accidents, especially the fatalities, are often a chain of poor decisions.

Distracted = Dangerous

Flying is one of those things that demands our undivided attention. Any distraction can be detrimental to safety. When and if you are in the cockpit of a jet getting paid the big bucks, we hope you’ve learned how to compartmentalize or recognize your own limitations. There will be some days when you are too distracted to fly.

When you fly as a hobby, the stakes aren’t as high. This is not the last chopper out of Saigon, as my first CFI used to remind me. Yet even student pilots can face a lot of pressure to fly, and it comes from all directions. 

It can be a challenge for a student pilot to cancel a flight, especially when the CFI is pressing for it to happen. As a commercial candidate, I encountered a CFI who argued we could “dodge” the thunderstorms that were approaching the airport. The commercial certificate requires more knowledge of weather than the private certificate, and I had embraced this with gusto. The idea of dodging anything didn’t sit well with me.

• READ MORE: What You Need to Know About Tires When Learning to Fly

I had obtained three weather briefings—one the night before, the morning of the flight, and the last one an hour prior to the flight. On that last one the briefer remarked the cold front that was bringing the storms had “moved much faster” than the weather models had anticipated. Based on this available information, I canceled the flight. 

Dark clouds were approaching from the southwest while the CFI somewhat grudgingly helped me put the cover back on the airplane. As we were draping the cover over the fuselage the temperature dropped like someone had opened a window on a cold day. It started to hail. It came down so hard and fast a line boy ran onto the ramp to help us. I felt good about my decision.

Make It Fair

At all times it should be remembered that flight instruction is not compulsory education, but it is a business. For this reason many schools and independent CFIs have a no-show or late cancellation penalty.

This usually takes the form of a signed contract between the school, or CFI and the learner. This policy should be discussed at the first meeting and expectations established. There is often one “free pass” then after that a penalty is levied, such as the cost of one hour of aircraft rental or an hour of the instructor’s time. If the CFI does not show or is late, they owe the flight student a free hour of instruction.

• READ MORE: Don’t Skimp on Ground Instruction in Flight Training

If the learner at least makes an effort to let the CFI or school know they can’t make it, that goes a long way. One of my mentors who ran a flying club for many years took a very hard stance on this, saying if the learner was not responsible enough to make a phone call or at least send a text letting us know they were going to be late, or were not going to be there at all, they were not responsible enough to be a pilot.

When late cancellations or no-shows become a habit, the CFI and/or the flight school may stop scheduling the student altogether. If you have to consistently cancel lessons, perhaps this is not the time for you to pursue flight training.

You are paying a lot of money and investing a lot of energy in your aviation education, so do your best not to get in your own way. If the deck appears to be stacked against you, such as in the form of “the rule of three,” ask yourself if this is the day for you to be in the air.

As for the client who was there for the flight review, a quick text canceled the aircraft reservation. I assured him I was not angry with his decision not to fly, because when a pilot demonstrates good aeronautical decision making—such as recognizing that their head won’t be in the game —I say learning has taken place.  

The post Do You Have the Rule for a No-Go? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Three miles out from the airport, the pilot of the C-340A announced he was doing a straight-in. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the larger, faster airplane was not configured for landing as its approach speed was 180 knots. The published flap extension speed for the C-340A is 160 knots, and the landing gear extension speed is 140 knots.

Muscle memory, checklist use, and procedures often go hand in hand. Had the pilot of the C-340A flown the traffic pattern for the airport beginning with maneuvering for 45-degree angle entry on to the downwind at midfield, he might have remembered to slow down the airplane and configure it for landing.

NTSB reports are full of similar but thankfully mostly non-fatal events that can occur when the pilot on a straight-in forgets the landing gear—often at a non-towered airport. 

At a towered airport, the controllers often contact the pilot and advise them that their gear is not down with a simple “check gear” query. NTSB investigations into gear-up landings often include a statement from the pilot, who note that the straight-in, devoid of the usual cues such as turning on to the 45 or downwind, resulted in forgetting to run the checklist, which included the action of lowering the landing gear with the phrase “gear down and locked.”

Many instructors, myself included, advocate for at least three gear checks: downwind, base, and final. In the faster aircraft such as a twin, the landing gear is often deployed on the 45 as a means to help slow down the aircraft.

In a fixed-gear airplane you don’t have to worry about the landing gear position, but checking the position of the gear if possible (like looking out the window in the high wing aircraft) is a good habit.

Verbalizing the checklist on each leg of the pattern is also a good habit. There may be things that are “deferred,” such as putting the propeller to full as one does on final in a complex airplane to facilitate a go-around if needed.

My U.S. Air Force Academy-trained instructor beat this into me—and recitation had to end with “check list complete” in my authoritative pilot voice.

On a straight-in approach, you miss the cues for aircraft configuration changes, such as power reduction and addition of flaps.

Here’s a teachable moment: dropping all the flaps at once can potentially bend metal if the aircraft is outside of V_FE, and will trigger a pitch change that catches many novice pilots by surprise. The natural reaction is to take all the flaps out in one movement, which makes the bad situation worse.

I demonstrate this to the learner at an appropriate altitude and at a flap-friendly speed in the practice area just so they know what it feels like and what it does to the airplane and why it is not something you want to mess with when you are close to the ground.

We then discuss how the incremental deployment of flaps prevents the pitch surprise, as does following the prelanding checklist on each leg of the pattern to achieve the published speeds for each leg as recommended by the manufacturer.

Poor Approach, Poor Landing

One of the first lessons to be taught to the novice pilot is that a poor approach results in a poor landing. If you are behind the airplane, as in slow to reduce throttle, start the descent, deploy flaps, that landing will be ugly. This can happen during straight in approaches as the legs of the pattern are a reminder to the pilot to run the checklist and reconfigure the aircraft.  Instead, the pilot relies on experience and knowledge of the aircraft performance to determine when to do configuration changes. This experience is best gained with a seasoned CFI next to you and flown in an appropriate environment, like at a towered airport when the pilot requests and ATC grants a straight-in approach.

Straight-ins at non-towered airports are especially dangerous as we learned by the Watsonville collision. When an aircraft comes bombing into a pattern already occupied by other aircraft, it is very much like running a red light. There may be someone closer than you think on a collision course. You can’t slam the brakes on an airplane in the air. Entering the pattern on the 45 at pattern altitude provides better situational awareness as it gives the pilot more of an opportunity to scan for traffic, see and avoid it.

It is for this reason many instructors discourage their learners from doing straight-in approaches. While I agree they are not a good idea at a non-controlled airport, they should be, at the very least, briefed and the scenario flown in the practice area so the learner knows when to refer to the checklist, when to reduce power, when to lower the flaps, etc.

Outside a request from a tower, there are times when a straight-in is called for, such as when a magneto fails a few miles outside the traffic pattern and the airport is the closest suitable runway.

This is the scenario I use with my learners, as I experienced it in the real world as a learner. My CFI demonstrated the proper technique, troubleshooting the issue to no avail, calling my attention to the diminished engine power available and sight picture, and ensuring that we had the runway made before applying flaps and reducing the power to idle.

Many years later, I was the CFI and had this happen. The straight-in and landing was a nonevent. The chief mechanic brought me fragments of metal that had been the left magneto to show my ground school class.

Another scenario where a straight-in is appropriate is when the weather that was VFR or MVFR drops to IFR and you, the noninstrument-rated pilot in the non-IFR-equipped aircraft need to get down quickly.

Don’t Be That Pilot

There are pilots who, when they hear another pilot on the radio state they are planning to do a straight-in approach, will scold the pilot or even threaten to call the FAA on them. This is not a discussion to have on the radio.

I have witnessed this at nontowered airports. I tell my learners not to engage that person. Focus on flying the airplane. If you are the pilot doing the straight-in for any of the above mentioned reasons—weather, a mechanical issue, or perhaps even an airsick passenger that necessitates getting on the ground quickly but not declaring an emergency—wait until you get on the ground before you get into a “discussion” with the other pilot. 

The post Why Straight-In Approaches Aren’t So Straightforward appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The event is scheduled for October 15-17 on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.

“Last year’s summit was successful because of the strong technical program delivered by industry leaders and experts. This year will be the same,” said NAFI president Paul Preidecker. “But instead of addressing six themes as we did last year, this year we decided to bring more focus by supporting three very important ones: training the trainer, mentorship, and peer support, and pilot health and well-being.”

The event—which has the slogan, “Come to NAFI Summit, go home a better CFI”—is an opportunity for instructors of all levels and varying backgrounds to meet with their peers and discuss educational techniques, learner challenges, and opportunities to enhance their careers.

There will be 28 educational sessions during the two days. Among the topics to be discussed will be specific strategies instructors can use to “reach” their learners, as well as more technical topics such as the appropriate uses of autopilot during IFR and teaching emergency procedures in the most effective manner.

According to NAFI, there will be 21 exhibitors at the event, including Sporty’s Pilot Shop, King Schools, Avemco Insurance, and Redbird Flight Simulations. Several online training courses will be represented, as well as manufacturers of safety wearables, designed to enhance the educational experience.

Celebrity guests are also expected, and include keynote speakers Dr. Susan Northrup, FAA federal air surgeon, and Bruce Landsberg, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association senior safety adviser and recently retired National Transportation Safety Board vice chairman.

Northrup will be discussing the FAA’s rulemaking committee report. Instructors are tasked with knowing the rules and where to look them up and teaching this practice to their learners.

Landsberg will focus on how instructors can best teach fundamental aviation concepts to their learners.

On the evening of October 16, a dinner will be highlighted by aviation educators and instructors John and Martha King. The Kings have more than 50 years experience as aviation instructors. 

Registration for NAFI Summit is $350 for nonmembers and $300 for NAFI members. Further discounts exist for Master CFIs and DPEs, as well as active military attendees.

There is also reduced pricing for flight schools that sign up as a group and bring at least three instructors or a maximum of 10 to the event.

Additional information, including how to register, may be found here.

The post NAFI Unveils Focus of Upcoming Summit appeared first on FLYING Magazine.