It takes a lot of personal equipment to learn to fly. It’s frustrating when you don’t have something you need—especially if no one told you that you’d need it. You may have noticed that pilots carry specialized gear bags, referred to as “flight bags.” They are designed with padded pockets for delicate items, such as headsets and tablets, along with multiple straps in which to store items so that they can be located readily in flight.

FLYING has a few suggestions for what to put in your flight bag so you are prepared for the best training experience possible.

Headset

Aviation can be loud. Hearing loss can be a common affliction among pilots, so protect what you have. An aviation headset, preferably one with a noise-canceling function, should be your first purchase to put in your bag. In fact, the padded pocket of most bags fits this purpose precisely. If the headset uses batteries, always make sure you carry spares and keep them in the original packing until use. This protects them from interacting with metal (like keys or clips on pens), which can lead to electric arcing and fire.

Flashlight

An aviation flashlight should have a white lens and at least one colored lens—be it green, red, blue, or amber—to protect your night vision. Some pilots carry multiple flashlights. For example, one could be an L-shaped, military-issue C-cell battery strapped to a shoulder harness so it projects on the instrument panel during night flights.

Kneeboard

A kneeboard is like a lap desk you use in the airplane. Make sure it can be secured to your leg and is stable. Also, ensure it does not get in the way of the yoke or stick when installed on your leg. It should have room for your notebook or tablet and a means to hold writing implements.

Charts and Chart Supplement

You may use ForeFlight or another app in the aircraft on a tablet, but you may find the paper versions of this information—in the form of charts—come in handy. Paper doesn’t break when you drop it on a hard surface like the ramp, and you can read paper charts easily in direct sunlight. Sectionals and terminal area charts (TACs) can also be turned into sunshades if you need them. Make sure they are current if you intend to use them in the aircraft.

Fuel Strainer/Pipette or Gauge

You will use these tools during every preflight to check the fuel for impurities (a strainer) and the actual amount in the tanks (a pipette or gauge). Many flight schools have these on board the aircraft, but they tend to go missing. Make sure you put your name on yours and that the pipette/gauge is the correct one to use for the fuel tanks on the airplane you fly.

POH/AFM

There is supposed to be a pilot’s operating handbook (POH) or aircraft flight manual (AFM) aboard your training airplane. It covers the “O” in the “ARROW” mnemonic pilots use to recall the necessary documentation for the aircraft, in fact, because it includes the “operating limitations” referenced by that letter. In addition to the one found in the aircraft, you should have a POH/AFM of your own for reference. You will be using this book for every flight to determine takeoff and landing distance, fuel burn, etc.

E6-B Flight Computer

The flight computer is a must-have. They come in an electronic form (think calculator on steroids) or the mechanical E6-B, which is a circular slide rule and looks intimidating until you realize the instructions for use are printed on it. For primary pilots, I like the manual E6-B because the wind side helps with visualization of crosswinds and learning about VORs. You will use the E6-B during your knowledge test. Although there are apps for E6-Bs, you won’t be allowed to use your smartphone during the knowledge test, so get used to using something else.

Syllabus

Bring the syllabus with you to every lesson. Every. Lesson. Find an instructor who knows how to use one and will use one. It’s the best way to keep your training on course.

Multitool

This is a “just-in-case” device. You may need a tool to adjust your headset fit, trim a piece of rope, open a bottle of oil, or reseat a screw if the FBO and/or school policies permit.

Notebook and Pen

There is a lot of note taking as a pilot. You should make notes during the pre-lesson and post-lesson briefing with your instructor. You will also be writing down things in the cockpit—for example, the information from the automated weather. While there are many who choose to record information electronically, you may find paper more expedient as it does not require batteries and can be used as fire fuel in an emergency situation. Make sure you have several writing implements as well.

This feature first appeared in the March 2024/Issue 946 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Pointers for Packing Your First Flight Bag appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Answer: This seemingly straightforward question has a complicated answer that begins with more questions: Why do you want to fly? Is it a bucket list item? Are you wanting to make a career change? Are you looking for an initial career?

When the person asking the question is a teenager, we need to take a look at their age. You can earn a glider certificate at 14, solo a powered airplane at 16, and become a private pilot at age 17. But that doesn’t mean a teen has the maturity to accept the responsibility of being a pilot. In addition, teens are notoriously overscheduled these days. If they are taking a heavy course load at school, playing a sport, or involved in a lot of extracurriculars such as band, robotics club, etc., this may not be the time to start flying lessons. They need to be able to focus on the task, and that’s tough to do when you are spread so thin. 

As flying skills are perishable, for teens seeking training in powered aircraft it is often best to schedule flight lessons a few months ahead of their 16th birthday and/or when the weather in your part of the world is best. You don’t want the training to drag out for too long. However, I have worked with teens as young as 14 for whom flying lessons were a reward for doing well in school—straight A’s will get you into the cockpit or ground school, but the teen will have to do the work once they get there. When their birthday on the calendar caught up with their training progress, they earned their certificates.

• READ MORE: Age Is Just a Number When It Comes to Flight Training

For the person seeking a career change, the question pivots to: Do you have the time and money to devote at least 10 hours a week to learning to fly? Don’t forget to factor in study time as well as commuting to and from the airport. Take a serious look at your adult responsibilities, such as simultaneously managing your present career and family obligations, before you commit.

Even if you select an accelerated program, anticipate at least two years of training before having the certifications and experience needed to be hired as a pilot.

Bucket List

If flying is simply the thing that has tugged at your heart for a long time, take consolation. There is no upper-age limit for learning to fly. For a sport pilot certificate, you can use your driver’s license in lieu of a medical exam. If you wish to be a private pilot, as long as you can meet the requirements of a third-class medical certificate, age isn’t a factor. In fact, as a retiree, you may be at the point in your life when you have the time and resources to do what you want. Many people learn to fly when they set aside their primary career and open up their world to the next thing. You could be one of them.

The post What’s the Ideal Age to Start Flying Lessons? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Smaller and more personalized, but still offering the same industry-leading standard of flight training quality with its own pilot training programs, is UND Aerospace-Phoenix, the ab initio school owned by the UND Aerospace Foundation, the affiliate, nonprofit organization of the university that operates the UND Aerospace Foundation Flight Training Center.

“When students look around for a school to obtain their aviation credentials, there is no better value,” says Chuck Pineo, CEO of the UND Aerospace Foundation.  “With us, you get a top-notch entity with a great reputation at a reasonable price. For me, that is what I’d be looking for as a student or as a parent—a place that will create a successful professional.”

Located at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (KIWA) and operating for nearly three decades, UND-Phoenix is dedicated to both academic based and accelerated flight training options at an affordable price. 

The flight school is located on the Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) campus. With the UND partnership, students enrolling at CGCC are afforded opportunities to join the workforce much quicker while still reaping the benefits of UND’s curriculum and Part 141 FAA training standards. 

UND Service with a Personal Phoenix Touch 

Rex Ginder, associate director of Phoenix Flight Operations, has worked to grow and enhance the Arizona operations since 2007. A UND graduate, he manages the fight school, facilities, and relationship with the community college. 

“The Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences has been around since 1968,” Ginder says. “It is a household name when it comes to training. It is known for the collegiate presentation of aviation, not just being a flight school and not just making pilots. We really like to make aviation professionals. We want our students to be well rounded, possess a little more in-depth knowledge and skills than other folks. That is where we feel we have a competitive edge.”

The UND-Phoenix program currently has approximately 150 students enrolled in the accelerated path program, where they obtain all FAA credentials without traditional degree requirements and complete training in a much shorter time frame, and 100 students in the collegiate program, where they enroll in CGCC’s academic program and the UND Aerospace Foundation provides the flight training. 

The accelerated program allows UND-Phoenix students to obtain FAA credentials and become a CFI in less than 12 months. And for those students looking for a more traditional college experience that takes advantage of UND’s in-depth aerospace classroom training, a two-year associate degree is offered.  Once CGCC students complete the two-year program, they can continue on to receive a four-year aviation degree at UND as well. 

Traditional College Program vs. Accelerated Path

Through CGCC, UND offers a credit-bearing associate degree in applied science (airway science technology). This is a term-based, six-semester program where after two years students earn their degree and flight instructor certificate.

“This has a nice smattering of courses in addition to the general education requirements,” Ginder says. “It included aviation safety, aviation meteorology, crew resource management, advanced aircraft systems, introductory unmanned aircraft systems, along with ground school and flight labs for a six-semester associate degree program.”

The accelerated program is an option for students who already have a college degree and are looking for a career change. 

“Rather than going back and taking all those general requirements and academic courses that are nonaviation, students could jump right in and take the FAA 141 curriculum,” Pineo says. “So a student could jump in, obtain their private pilot [certificate], and not worry about all the other courses significantly reducing the amount of time required.”

The accelerated program will have three start times in 2024—February, June, and October. The college program runs on traditional academic start times for the 16-week terms, usually the third week of August, second week of January, and mid-May for the summer semester. 

With the accelerated program, students typically meet four to five times a week instead of the schedule of a traditional college environment (two to three times a week), allowing them to complete all FAA credentials and become a CFI in less than 12 months. 

“That gets you into the workforce,” Pineo says. “You’ll still need to build your time to be eligible to go work for the airlines or even a corporate-type employer. But a lot of time we will hire you. If we have demand for flight instructors, we will certainly hire you. If we don’t, someone else will hire you and you can build your time. So you can build your time in a year or less from the time you start the program.”

Modern, Standardized Fleet

Possessing the largest training fleet in the world, UND Aerospace certainly checks all the boxes when it comes to offering students extensive aircraft to learn in. UND-Grand Forks, for example, flies in the neighborhood of 120,000 training hours a year while the Phoenix campus adds another 40,000 hours to the mix. “You need a lot of airplanes to support that level of flying, and you need good people to maintain and operate those airplanes,” says Ginder.

Students at Chandler-Gilbert Community College also fly a world-class fleet of training aircraft, including standardized glass cockpit instrumentation, operated and maintained by UND Aerospace. 

“We have all the modern tech. It’s gorgeous,” says Ginder. “It really helps us keep pace with what UND is doing. So when they make a change, we just do it down here as well.”

Ginder points out that the average fleet age of the 24 Piper Archers located at KIWA is between four and five years old. The Piper Archer, one of the most reliable airplanes in collegiate flight training, is used for the majority of the students’ flight training from private pilot through flight instructor certification. With a 180 hp Lycoming engine and an advanced Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite that includes ADS-B traffic awareness, the airplane is modern and very capable for training. 

The school also flies three multiengine Piper Seminoles, used to teach advanced operations and procedures. Together, the Piper Seminole and Archer complement each other, allowing students to seamlessly transition between the two airplanes. In addition to the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite, the Piper Seminole boasts a Garmin two-axis autopilot that prepares students for the advanced operations in today’s aviation industry.

In addition, one Cessna 172 is also available for spin training as part of the CFI course. Two Archer and two Seminole simulators are also present on campus. 

Community College Partnership 

Located on the site of the former Williams Air Force Base, CGCC provides UND-Arizona students access to a full-service, modern campus that offers a full slate of general education requirements. The campus right on the airport contains a library, computer lab, cafe, and student union area.

UND on-site facilities include preflight planning rooms, briefing rooms, and a dispatch area connected to a hangar where the airframe and powerplant lab resides. All told, the flight operations maintain 10,000 square feet of office and classroom space, 14,000 square feet of hangar space, and a 3,000-square-foot facility that houses the school’s four simulators and additional classroom and briefing room space. 

“The community college is a strong partner because they already have an interest in aviation,” Ginder says. “They have an unmanned aircraft systems program. They have an airframe and powerplant Part 147 certification program. Those both fit in the associate degree model. We were not a new entity in bringing in a flight training program to the college. They are used to dealing with the different rigors of aviation, FAA [requirements], and the student behaviors that come along with that. So they are naturally a good fit, and I think that is why our partnership has been strong for so long.”

“Chandler-Gilbert [CC], because they started with an aviation emphasis and very soon added us as the flight training provider, understands what it means to flight train in this specific way,” Ginder says. “Our partnership offers us the flexibility within a term-based semester program. They have been responsive with curriculum changes if we need to update material to more modern coursework. And we are one of only a few programs in the state [of Arizona] that supports the post-9/11 GI Bill for veterans beyond the private pilot certificate. 

An added benefit is classroom instruction by UND staff. On the day FLYING interviewed Ginder, he had just taught an aircraft systems course before the interview.

“[Some of the supporting coursework the community college will teach]…mainly it is staffed by my team,” he says. “You are getting folks that are regularly flying. You are not getting a professor who doesn’t actively fly. You are getting folks who are engaged in the training, in the aircraft, teaching in the classroom.” 

Synergy with UND Provides Students a Higher Level of Depth

Both UND-Grand Forks and UND-Arizona share the same Part 141 Certificate and Part 145 repair certificate. This translates into an extra level of structure and, ultimately, success for students. 

“Part 141 provides a higher degree of structure, and it’s implied that it provides a higher degree of discipline, preparedness, and depth of the program,” Ginder says. “Students can expect to have a full training course outline and possibly multiple syllabi…that state lesson by lesson: What we are doing today? When we fly tomorrow, what are the items I’ll be asked to perform in the air? What is the depth and level of knowledge expected in the air? Part 141 provides that structure.”

Ginder adds that the Part 141 examining authority also significantly aids the program. 

“It keeps the students moving. They are not sitting around waiting for stage checks,” he says. “With it, FAA holds us to a higher standard—for example, on our students’ first attempt percentages. In other words, do they pass their check rides and airman’s knowledge tests the first time around? So, by being held to those standards, there are some other things that are afforded to us, such as exercising examining authority under Part 141. What that means is we do not work with designated pilot examiners from the FAA. So we don’t have to seek out individuals to get check rides. The FAA grants us, by the way we conduct our school and our business, the ability to issue our pilot certificates without dealing with the designated pilot examiner (DPE ) or the FAA check ride portion.”

Best Value on the Market

UND-Phoenix has obtained a solid reputation for consistently delivering quality and value to its students and producing in-demand graduates who have their choice of any and all job opportunities. 

“Our students are picking where they want to go,” Pineo says. “We have students going to Allegiant, Pinnacle, SkyWest, Mesa, Republic—all the major regionals [airlines] and all the corporate-type aviation companies.”

Says Ginder: “We have not had anyone not get their first choice accepted on where they want to go work. Whether that is from the collegiate side or the accelerated program being placed directly into wherever they want to go. It is not, ‘I hope I get this job.’ It’s, ‘I applied for this job. I got it,’ whether that is a corporate operator or someplace such as Frontier, SkyWest, or another regional.”

While every flight school represents a substantial investment, UND-Phoenix offers a significant value.

“If you compare our pricing with other accelerated programs, you’ll find that we are probably in the midrange of expense to the student,” says Pineo. “But if you look around the industry at our reputation and our graduates, we are probably in the high range. Sometimes your track record speaks for itself. And I certainly like to think that when you look at our graduates—how successful they are and how desirable they are to hire based on the reputation of the program—that says a lot.”

Options Abound with UND Aerospace Foundation Flight Training Center

UND-Phoenix has created a flight training center that perfectly blends academic opportunity with the ability to quickly join the workforce seniority pool. 

Add in the fact that all coursework at CGCC transfers to UND and the flight school gives students interested in furthering their academic aviation study a multitude of options. For example, students can start working on an aviation studies degree, which is available online with UND’s main campus, while working as a flight instructor.

With a perfect blend of academic rigor, significant value, and access to the largest training fleet in the world, UND-Phoenix provides one of the best returns on investment of any fight school.

UND Phoenix by the Numbers

UND Aerospace Foundation

Phoenix-Mesa Undergraduate & Accelerated Programs
5865 South Sossaman Road
Mesa, Arizona 85212

info@undaerospace.com   | 480-809-4499

Associates Degrees Offered: 

• Airway Science Technology, Flight Emphasis
• Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Certificates Offered:

• Certified Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane Rating
• Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Accelerated Degree Costs:

• Accelerated program total cost from an ab-initio start (no private pilot certification): $102,186.90
• Accelerated cost if you come in with private pilot certificate (-$17,622.70) = $84,564.20

This program is private through MEI and includes ground school costs.

CGCC Degree Costs:

• Chandler Gilbert Community College ab initio: $84,740.90 + Tuition of 75 credits, ($6,375) = $91,115 total (approximate for the associate’s degree and flying)
• Chandler Gilbert Community College if you come in with private pilot certificate: (-$17,622.70) = $67,118.20

This program covers private through CFI single-engine.

Average Degree Hour Requirements

• Private pilot course averages 50-55 hours.
• Instrument course averages 35 hours, in the beginning. 
• Multiengine add-on is 14-20 hours.
• CFI certificate is a 25-hour course.
• Instrument instructor averages 25 hours. 

The post About UND Aerospace Foundation Flight Training Center appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Participation Trophy Mindset

Participation trophies have become cultural. If you are of a certain age and competed in anything during your childhood and youth—be it athletics, battle of the bands, speech club, etc.—you probably know what it is like to lose. Losing teaches a valuable life lesson: You can try your best but still fail. That is part of life. You learned from these failures. And when you were successful and came home with that medal, ribbon, trophy, or school letter you knew you earned it. Competition teaches a person how to work for something.

Blair noted in his blog that private pilot airplane single-engine land practical tests are “hovering in the 50-60 percent range” and, as he notes, that is a bad thing, as it is likely that weak foundational training will eventually come back to bite at the airline level.

He is not the only DPE [designated pilot examiner] noting these statistics. One of the common topics of discussion when I am in the company of CFIs [certified flight instructors] from the National Association of Flight Instructors and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (many of whom are also DPEs), is that there are a great many private pilot checkride applicants show up unprepared, under-experienced (such as missing the required number of night takeoffs and landings or check ride prep hours) and often unaware of what is expected of them. Some have not seen the airmen certificate standards (ACS) until the day of the check ride. They expect to pass the ride as a given.

Often a sense of entitlement goes hand in hand with the participation trophy mindset. Every flight instructor has or will have a story to tell about the learner who insisted the instructor sign them off for the check ride after they had met the experience requirements, although, in the opinion of the CFI, the applicant did not possess the proficiency to meet the minimum standards as set forth in the ACS.

Most instructors aren’t going to put themselves into a position to risk their integrity, no matter how pushy the applicant is—but sometimes, it does happen. A former colleague told me about a time he was told to sign off a client for his instrument rating or lose his job. The learner in need of a check ride owned a Cessna 182 and was threatening to take his maintenance business elsewhere if the CFI did not sign him off for the ride. The would-be recommending CFI told the owner of the FBO that the applicant was not ready, explaining he did not meet the standards in both knowledge and flight proficiency. That didn’t matter to the FBO owner, who repeated the ultimatum. The CFI could not afford to lose his job, so he signed off the applicant. The applicant failed the ride about 20 minutes into the oral exam. The applicant was furious, saying he had not been adequately prepared. The CFI now had a failure on his record, and the DPE who worked in-house at the FBO was displeased that the applicant had been signed off when it was obvious that he wasn’t ready. The DPE, who had a waiting list of several weeks for check ride appointments, pointed out the four-hour block of time he set aside for the applicant could have been used for someone else, someone who was prepared to pass.

Check-the-Box Applicants

The high failure rate among first-time private pilot applicants may also be caused in part by the “check the box” mentality that is prevalent in some flight training environments. The business model is to push the applicants through as expediently as possible. Sometimes it works well for both parties. Other times, the applicant’s weaknesses are not discovered until the checkride.

There was a particular DPE in my part of the world—we’ll call him Mack—that one of the CFIs at the school called 50-Percent Mack because that was the pass rate for private pilots who went for their check rides with him. Mack was a graduate of a military academy and according to the unsuccessful applicants, he was stern and intimidating. I must note this was not my experience, nor that of my learners—all of whom passed their check rides with Mack. Full disclosure: I knew Mack before he was a DPE—he had been one of my CFIs, off and on as I earned the bulk of my certificates and ratings. To be fair, there were times I wanted to push him out of the airplane. Other times I was glad he was there. And of course, when I became a CFI, on those few times when things started to go sideways, I heard his words in my head as I recalled my training. I appreciated what I learned from him. Because of my history with Mack, I was put in charge of preparing the applicants for their check rides.

The school was the busiest one I have ever worked at. Check rides happened year round, sometimes two or three a day. Most of the CFIs spent six months to a year as instructors, then they were off to the airlines. 

When the applicants met the experience requirements set forth in the FARs, the CFIs were signing them off and then moving on to the next client. It was not uncommon to log eight hours a day in the air. The attitude among some of the applicants was that they’d show up for the check ride, pay their money, spend some time with the DPE, and come home with a certificate. Unfortunately, often this was not the case.

There was a distinct pattern to the learners who failed: They had passed the knowledge test by rote, and often had not been taught how to apply the material. Some didn’t understand why they were required to learn particular information for private pilot certification—one argued with me that he didn’t need to the know the systems on the aircraft because he was not a mechanic, and another had the mindset that passing the knowledge test was the end of required study, saying, “My instructor told me I can look things up.” This is a failure of both the CFI and the learner, as the CFI has the responsibility to ensure the learner understands what is being taught, why it is important and how to apply it.

One applicant was using a VFR sectional that was more than seven years out of date. He was on his third CFI—the first one who gave him the sectional was two states away. CFI no. 2 and 3 either hadn’t noticed the out-of-date sectional or the message “it needs to be current” had not been processed. As you might expect, some of the information was out of date too. His mock ride prep turned into a ground lesson.

I let the recommending CFI know the applicant’s deficiencies and we talked about how they could be addressed expediently. I gave the same list to the applicant—there were 10 items on it. Here’s the scary part: the applicant told the recommending CFI he had “aced” the ground portion of the mock ride and he was “good to go.” A discussion with the applicant followed—the whole purpose of the mock check ride is to find the soft spots before the DPE does—and shore them up.

DPEs are not supposed to teach during check rides—they can lose their positions as DPEs if they do so. CFIs conducting mock rides do not have this limitation, and training can take place. Most CFIs appreciate a second set of eyes as it were on their work, provided it is done in such a manner that the applicant gets value from the experience.

Preparing for the check ride can be a task in itself. The applicants need to make contact with the DPE before the check ride and when the appointment is made, the DPE usually sends a plan of action, which is basically a scenario they give the applicant for the check ride. The scenario usually involves planning a cross-country flight and determining the performance, and weight and balance of the aircraft.

The applicant plans the flight and brings the filled out navlog to the check ride. I must stress this, as one of my former coworkers had a private pilot applicant who showed up for a check ride without a completed paper navlog. The scenario involved the applicant and the DPE taking a Cessna 150 over the mountains in the winter. This would not be a smart move—the aircraft would be at gross weight and going over the mountains in the winter on one of our MVFR days, when the freezing level was at 4,000 feet—would be foolish. The applicant knew this, and that convinced him that the examiner was “kidding” when he assigned him the scenario to use, ergo, he didn’t fill out the navlog. While the DPE applauded the applicant’s decision-making skills, he told him he needed to demonstrate his cross-country planning skills and assigned him another destination on the spot.

The examiner graciously gave the applicant an hour to get the paper navlog together and to determine the aircraft’s performance. The applicant was not able to do the task on command—he told the examiner that he normally used an app to do the planning and performance and he couldn’t remember how to do it any other way. After about a half an hour of struggling he was handed a pink slip. After remedial training he passed the check ride and there was great rejoicing, not only because he had passed the check ride and received his certificate—but also because he had earned it.

The post Pilot Certification: You Have to Earn It appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Given this background, I became curious about the use of a video recorded off a television on to a cellphone that was used to justify the suspension of the private pilot certificate of YouTube pilot Trent Palmer. The pilot was accused of violating FARs 91.13 and 91.119—that is careless and reckless operation of an aircraft and flying too low—over two years ago. 

FLYING obtained a copy of the video clip through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. 

The original video was reportedly recorded by the security camera on a neighbor’s house adjacent to a backyard airstrip. 

The incident with Palmer occurred on November 24, 2019, in a sparsely populated part of Nevada. Palmer was attempting to land by invitation at a backyard airstrip owned by a friend. “The neighborhood is sparsely populated with a lot of room between properties. The strip is on a 10-acre parcel carved out in sage brush,” Palmer told FLYING.

Doorbell cameras are distorting—they tend to result in images that look like something from a carnival funhouse. Additionally, anytime you make a copy of a video by videotaping off another screen—in this case, the television playback to recording on a cellphone—there will be a loss of digital clarity.

The FAA contends that Palmer was flying at a hazardous altitude that endangered life or property and was less than 100 feet off the ground when he was within 50 feet of a stable, shed, and propane tank. He was also in close proximity to homes, as well as adults and children.

FLYING watched the 8-second video clip several times, clicking through it frame by frame looking for evidence of people or proximity to them and/or the structures mentioned. We did not see them.

• READ MORE: Trent Palmer Says His FAA Penalty Could Pressure Pilots

However, in its response to FLYING’s request for copies of the video the FAA noted, “We are withholding another video under Exemption 6 of the FOIA. Exemption 6 of the FOIA protects information that pertains to an individual “the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy,” (e.g., names, dates of birth, social security numbers, home addresses, and telephone numbers of parties mentioned). When applying Exemption 6, the FAA weighs the privacy interest of an individual against any public interest in the records. In this case, the identity of a woman and an infant.”

Palmer maintains he did not see anyone during the flyover, and that he was following recommended  procedures in the FAA’s publication Off Airport Ops. The publication advises pilots to make multiple inspection passes over unfamiliar unimproved runways to check for hazards, such as “cuts in gravel, rocks, dips, bumps, etc.” The ops manual goes on to state: “It is important to be at an angle to the runway, not above it. Certain light conditions can make a bad site seem good. Check and double check any area not used before.” 

The manual continues: “Each pass should result in you becoming more comfortable with your chosen landing area. If you are becoming less comfortable, abandon the site and seek a more suitable landing area.”

After a few passes, Palmer decided to abort the landing. “Because of recent dirt work, I didn’t have a good visual of where I would touch down and decided not to land there,” he explained. FLYING pulled up a satellite image of the yard in question and there is evidence of what looks like a motocross or BMX track carved in the dirt.

Palmer forgot about the aborted landing until a few days later when he received a call from an aviation safety inspector from the Reno Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) requesting a meeting. Palmer was informed there was video of the low pass as captured by a security camera and the inspector told him he was going to recommend a temporary certificate suspension of 210 days.

In April 2020 the FAA notified Palmer through Notice of Proposed Certificate Action that the agency proposed suspending his private pilot certificate for 210 days because of the alleged violation of three FARs:

• FAR 91.119(a), which states: Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes: Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface. 
• FAR 91.119(c), which states: Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes: Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure, and 
• FAR 91.13(a), which states: No person may operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another.

Palmer obtained legal counsel and legal fists flew back and forth, resulting in a reduction of the suspension to 120 days. Then, in April 2022, the FAA reduced the suspension even further.

“A [National Transportation Safety Board] NTSB Administrative Law Judge affirmed the alleged violations but reduced the suspension to 60 days,” an FAA spokesperson told FLYING. “Both parties appealed that decision. The suspension is held in abeyance until the appeals process is complete.”

Palmer maintains that he did not violate FAR 91.119 since the low passes were made in preparation for landing. The judge argued that since there was no windsock or other runway marking identifying the area as a landing strip, the 60-day suspension would remain.

Careless and Reckless 

As for the allegation that he operated his aircraft recklessly, Palmer replied, “FAR 91.13 careless and reckless is the FAA rubber rule, they throw that at anything.” Palmer said that had he landed, the 91.119 violation would not have applied, but the landing would have been risky for him, perhaps resulting in an incident or accident. He is worried that the judge’s ruling, if allowed to stand, will put external pressure on pilots to make potentially risky landings to avoid being cited for violating the regulation.

Flight instructors are supposed to educate their learners about “careless and reckless” operation of an aircraft. Some are no-brainers. Two low passes over an outdoor high school graduation in a Cessna 172, flying so low that the aircraft’s registration number is easily identified by the numerous people and you can see the pilot is wearing Ray-Bans and a blue polo shirt—that’s careless and reckless.

However, most of the time “careless and reckless” is in the eye of the beholder—and very often the people reporting the behavior are “aviation challenged.” On two different occasions I have encountered people who were 1/4 of a mile from the extended centerline of the runway complaining about “being buzzed by low flying aircraft” and “fearing for their lives.” In the first instance, it was a woman in a shopping center parking lot who called 911. She did not realize there was an airport on the other side of the road behind the dirt berm—and the airplanes were on final approach to Runway 17 and at the appropriate altitude. 

On the second instance, there were multiple people who ignored the “No Trespassing” signs placed in the grass field off the extended runway and used the field as a dog park and playground for their children, despite the fact the runway approach lights were mounted there. This got the attention of local pilots. Yes sir, there’s nothing like breaking out of the clouds on the ILS 17 and seeing little Timmy flying a kite off the extended centerline. The airport manager fielded those calls—some came from people who felt endangered from the low-flying aircraft, and others from pilots who were concerned about encounters with hostile kite strings.

Ultimately the FAA paid for a fence to keep trespassers out.

The post Does Trent Palmer Deserve a Suspension? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

When I started my journey in aviation almost 16 years ago, I did not realize it was going to turn into a whole lifestyle. I caught the bug after a single flight. Was there a little bit of drive to prove the doubters wrong? Possibly. But those who caught the bug know the drive comes from you and not those around you.

Last year, my husband, Patrick, drove two hours to a flight school for each lesson. In flying, you have to want it bad enough to put in the effort. I was so proud of him when he passed his check ride. 

The phrase “a family that flies together, stays together” couldn’t be more accurate. I got to cheer my husband on as he earned his wings. Then we flew together for the first time with him as PIC, appropriately, on December 17, the anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight. We have traveled to Kill Devil Hill, in North Carolina, and many other aviation landmarks as a couple.

Soon, our newest furry family member will take to the skies too. My black goldendoodle service dog, Chewie, (the best copilot in the galaxy) hasn’t flown in a small airplane yet. It isn’t very practical or safe with just the two seats in the Ercoupe. 

Family, though, isn’t just about relatives. I also refer to the aviation family. I didn’t know that going to EAA AirVenture every year would become a family reunion. Aviation brings people together in profound ways. I am always amazed when the immense aviation family comes together.

I remember my first international trip as a newly certificated pilot. Suddenly, I was a low-time Ercoupe pilot jumping through government hoops to allow me to fly over Athens, Greece. Luckily, I didn’t have to find a way to fly an Ercoupe across the Atlantic. We found a pilot and an Ercoupe already in Greece. 

We realized the short planning time wasn’t enough to get an exemption to fly solo as a U.S. light sport airplane pilot in Greece. We could have just thrown our hands up and given up on the flight. After all, I was there for a speech; the flying was just icing on the cake.

The Ercoupe owner and I decided to fly together. He would be PIC. This was one of the first times that I witnessed aviators coming out of the woodwork at an event or gathering to help share their love of the skies.

There are a few ways I try to give back. This summer, I look forward to cheering on the new Able Flight graduates when they get their wings. I hope to meet the Wright Flight students here in Tucson when they finish their course. And assuming another business jet doesn’t try to flip my Ercoupe over, my foundation and I will plan airport days for children with disabilities in the fall. 

• MORE STORIES: Previous editions of “Flying Over Adversity”

The homebuilt community is also part of the aviation family—and I’m looking forward to meeting more of them. The empennage of “The Impossible Airplane” arrives at the end of this month. The Impossible Airplane will be a Van’s Aircraft RV-10 modified to be flown with just feet in the left seat. The whole goal is to add another way to inspire more people. 

If all goes according to plan, many will be inspired to take up aviation. But I’m not a CFI. I’m not a DME either. And I don’t work for ATC. I’ll be relying on you, dear reader, to help.

The aviation family is one of those things that makes flying so unique. Let’s keep it going! When you hear that someone wants to learn to fly, don’t shoot them down with the price tag—offer to help them find a scholarship. Don’t let another year go by without flying a Young Eagle. Who needs help with the fly-in a few airports away?

A family that flies together, stays together. Let’s make sure we never stop flying together as a community, as people with a common interest, and as a family.

I thank you for being that family for me.

The post The Aviation Family Keeps Getting Stronger appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The program offers the opportunity to earn certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) at the same time, saving students money and time. 

The average cost of the dual certification program will be about $76,000. GFTS accepts Veterans Affairs benefits from eligible students. The program is estimated to run 18 months and students must be 18 years of age or older to enroll. 

A big component of the program is multi crew coordination (MCC), which will prepare a graduate to work effectively with a flight crew. 

GFTS will work with students who have previously achieved pilot certificates and provide them with one complete flight school report, to allow them to take advantage of the benefits. The report will detail their performance throughout the entire program and make applying for and landing airline interviews seamless. 

The school describes the program as “built by airline pilots, for airline pilots,” and says it will provide students a platform to complete their training swiftly and cost effectively.

The post Global Flight Training Solutions Partners with Dineen Aviation to Provide Dual FAA/EASA Certification appeared first on FLYING Magazine.