Category Archives: Flight Training

Setting Aviation Goals: The SMART Approach

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flying goal setting

Setting Aviation Goals: The SMART Approach

Having goals is something we should always endeavor to do. Not just for flying, but since we are talking aviation that will be the context for this article. Certainly these ideas can be applied to anything else in life.

When President Kennedy announced in 1961 that we would put a man on the moon within the decade, he was setting a goal, a very ambitious goal.

Don’t be afraid to set long-term goals. It’s ok to look out 5 or 10 years. Aviation isn’t a cheap endeavor and I get lots of feedback about the costs being the #1 thing holding potential and current aviators back. If you don’t have the means now, set your goal more long-term and follow through. If you want it bad enough and you hold to your goals, you’ll be amazed at the results.
 
flying goals
Why set goals?
Setting a goal solidifies your intention. It gives power to you desires. Without well-defined goals we are driving without a roadmap. I have encountered lots of folks who never achieve anything significant because they refuse to set goals. 

10 Myths About Learning to Fly

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10 myths about learning to fly

Here are 10 myths that I hear frequently from folks that are interested in flying, but don’t think they can pursue it.

  1. expense of learning to flyI can’t afford it. I despise the word “can’t.” There is simply no such thing. If you really want it, you can find the way. It really comes down to choices. With a limited budget you must simply CHOOSE what things you spend your money on. Everyone reading this has a limited budget.

  2. pilot eyesightI have bad eyesight. It slays me how many people I talk to think you must have perfect uncorrected vision. It is true that it needs to be correctable to 20/40. I have terrible vision without glasses and I fly for a living just using old-fashioned contact lens. Lots of folks now get laser surgery, which seems to work great.

  3. too old to flyI’m too old. Hogwash! You are only as old as you think you are – a quote that is written on the internal structure of my airplane by my wife. I have taught plenty of people after retirement age. How will you really know unless you try? It will be pretty apparent early in the process if you have bitten off more than you can chew.

  4. you are never too young to start flyingI’m too young. Ok there are regulations that limit you from getting certain types of licenses, but you can take instruction at any age. I started at 14, too young to solo a powered plane by a full two years. Remember gliders allow you to be 14 to solo and 16 for the license so that’s a great option to get started early.

  5. getting an FAA medicalI’m not physically fit enough or I have health challenges. You don’t need to be a top athlete, or even an athlete at all. The medical requirements for a Private Pilot are very reasonable. Even if you don’t meet those requirements, you may be eligible for a waiver. Sport Pilot doesn’t even require a medical exam.

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FAASTeam Safety Seminar

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FAAST meetingLast weekend our local EAA and IAC Chapters hosted the annual joint safety seminar. We also have a FAASTeam representative there so we can give FAA Wings credit to whomever attends.

The last couple of years, the venue has been PrimeAero at Marysville airport here in Central Ohio. They are gracious hosts and let us use their heated hangar (it was a little chilly as Winter doesn’t want to give up to Spring yet).

By my count there were just under 50 people in attendance – not bad for a blustery day in this part of the world.

Speakers included IAC 34 President Dr. Jeff Granger, who provided an introduction to the International Aerobatic Club (IAC) and competition flying in general. It was a great talk and I always pick up a thing or two when I hear Jeff speak.

I was next up with a brief talk on Plan Continuation Bias, more on that topic in an upcoming post.

After me, was Gordon Penner. Gordon, is a Master CFI – Aerobatics and also a professional pilot, flying 747s for his day job. Gordon’s talks are always very informative and he delivers them in the perfect style for aviator – direct and to the point. His discussions on stall/spins and roll coupling are worth hearing (he has a webinar on EAA.org – link here). We are really lucky to have an aviation educator of his caliber in our local area!

Next was FAASTeam Representative, pilot, and AME, Dr. Robert Lewis. He gave a talk about aeromedical certification and also on hypoxia. Dr. Lewis also went on to host a thorough discussion on taildragger flying – one of my favorite topics.

All in all it was a great way to spend a cloudy, windy, cold day in Ohio and I came away smarter than before – which is always a plus.

by Brent Owens

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How To Be a Pilot – FREE Poster (Share this with your non-flying friends)

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how to be a pilot poster

How To Be a Pilot – FREE Poster (Share this with your non-flying friends)

As another tool to help aspiring aviators,  I have developed a poster that represents a simplified process for how to get licensed as a Private Pilot. It’s generic in nature, but hopefully it will add value to someone that is out on the fringe and wondering how to be a pilot.

Since most of you visiting this site are already licensed, may I suggest that you download the poster and pass it along to anyone you know that may be remotely interested in our great avocation.

Or better yet, send them directly to this website and have them download it and sign up for the weekly newsletter – can’t hurt right?

It’s all about promoting aviation and there are enough detractors out there that every little bit helps.

If you are unsure of someone that could use it, take advantage of the social media buttons below to share this with your friends, family, and acquiantances. You never know who is thinking hard about flying and just needs a little nudge.

All you have to do to get the full size .pdf is go to the Aviation Resources page and scroll down to the link. It will have you sign up for the weekly newsletter, but you can unsubscribe at any time, or use this direct link here.

The best part is the How To Be a Pilot poster is totally free.

how to be a pilot instructions

by Brent Owens

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10 Simple Things You Can Do to Improve Your Airmanship

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10 ways to improve your airmanship

Ten Simple things you can do to improve your airmanship.

I thought it might be helpful to post up a few things that I have found useful, in terms of keeping the rust off and trying to continuously improve the craft. I’m sure you have some of your own methods and we’d love to hear them.

  • #1 Fly more often - Recency of experience is pivotal in keeping you skills sharp. Motor coordination, muscle memory, SA (situational awareness), all benefit from regular lubrication.
  • #2 Study - Seems simple, but it takes discipline to set aside time on a recurring basis to read something educational about flying. It might be a FAR/AIM or you AFM, or your favorite training manual. It could also be a good aviation periodical or website. Source for current FAR/AIM
  • #3 Enroll in the FAAWings program – I know this may not be a popular option and it may be stronger in some locations than others, but it’s free and generally the programs are good.
  • # 4 Fly with others – Inevitably I learn from flying with other pilots. Everyone brings their unique style and technique to the task and this might expose you to something positive, hopefully.
  • # 5 Flight Simulation – You have heard me preach the value of desk flying. One shouldn’t go overboard on this, but there are benefits. Basic sims aren’t overly expensive and run on most mainstream computer platforms. Source for home flight sims
  • # 6 Dry fly – Setting in the cockpit and running through “what-if” 10 ways to improve cardscenarios, especially abnormals or emergency procedures, can make a big difference if you are pressed to do this stuff in real life. I do this with a cockpit poster on the Falcon.
  • # 7 Go on a cross-country - If this is the only kind of flying that you do, disregard. But if you are a traffic pattern, local only, or a short-range $100 hamburger aviator, you need to spread it out. If for some reason that isn’t practical at least go through the steps to plan a mock trip of several hundred miles.
  • # 8 Additional training – An add-on rating or a new certificate is one of the best ways to take your skills to the next level. Some of these aren’t super-expensive. Fun ones on my personal list are glider commercial and floatplane. You can also do acro or upset recovery training. Maybe a tailwheel endorsement? All of these are big fun. Source of training supplies
  • #9 Challenge yourself – The next time you get in the airplane, be committed to make the flight go perfectly. Seek ultimate precision. Throw in a few maneuvers from your Practical Test Standards (PTS) for the license or ratings you hold. Don’t assume after years of disuse you can still do an adequate short field landing or turns around a point, etc. Strive for perfection. Source for PTS books
  • #10 Fly different airplanes -There is nothing like jumping into a completely different airplane to boost skills and maybe humble you a little. If you have all of your time in a Cirrus and you jump into a C-172, or vice versa, you will be amazed. Best to bring an instructor which will likely be dictated by the rental facilities policies and/or insurance requirements. Source for flight manuals. The more experience you have the better, but not always. I love flying new and different airplanes. I consider myself an airplane polygamist.

There you have it! Ten things you can do today to level up your flying.

If you aren’t already licensed, get to work!
by Brent Owens

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Recurrent Flight Training

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SR22 flight simulator

Recurrent Flight Training
This month, as I have done for almost 2 decades, I found myself in recurrent flight training. As a corporate pilot, recurrent training is not optional – everyone does it, some begrudgingly, some with enthusiasm, some with nervousness.

As I mentioned in this article, not coincidentally six months ago, there are not many professions that you literally put your career on the line on a frequent basis (In my case twice a year. Add in line checks and now you are up to three times a year.) Luckily, the Falcon 2000 I’m qualified on, is pretty tame.

All of this is designed to make public air transportation as safe as possible and I believe it works. There is nothing like having to demonstrate competency in front of your peers and someone who can take your livelihood away with the stroke of a pen.

It’s not all about the checking, there is a great deal of learning the occurs as well. You get to try things you could never do in the real airplane and you get to practice little-used procedures so they aren’t too rusty in case you need to press them into service.

There has been significant movement to bring flight simulation to a wider audience of pilots. Redbird Flights Simulations has been providing the tools to do just that. By my rough count there are at least 176 Red Bird Simulators at flight schools across the US. That’s a lot of simulators!

Redbird isn’t the only game in town, Fidelity Flight Simulation also offers light aircraft simulation. Frasca, a name a remember from my youth, is also alive and well and deep into the light aircraft simulator arena.

full motion light plane simulator

So the new up-and-coming-students at many flight schools will have a chance to train in one of these devices, which I think could be advantageous. Certainly it’s not a replacement for real stick time, but like I mentioned, simulators have their own strengths by allowing you to do things you could never attempt in the real airplane. And they are incrementally cheaper so if you are doing a repetitive task, like instrument approaches or holding patterns, there’s some financial benefit.

I can easily see a future where flight simulation and recurrent training will touch a larger group of aviators. Hopefully, it won’t be burdensome or intrusive (read: government or insurance industry mandated), but more of an enhancement to general aviation safety for areas that need it the most (e.g., Technically Advanced Aircraft). You can already get  recurrent training in many high-end singles – this was unheard a decade ago.

by Brent Owens                                                          Subscribe to this flying blog

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Those dang centerlines: pilot proficiency one landing at a time

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landing on centerline

Those dang centerlines: pilot proficiency one landing at a time
One of the things that I have to constantly remind myself to do is stay on centerline during landing (and takeoff). Seems like a simple thing. In fact, in my vocation its a requirement, especially on checkrides.

From my training days, my old primary instructor, Larry, would make me fly down the runway low (10′-15′), wing down into the wind, and opposite rudder to keep it pointed down the centerline – an excellent way to get the hang of the control inputs involved (I don’t recommend this for a student pilot unless accompanied by an IP).

Larry would also make me slip all the way down final on a crosswind landing, again to reinforce the control forces necessary for the flare. Once I had the hang of it, I could crab final approach and then kick it into a slip at the last-minute. With any crosswind at all, I had to land on the upwind wheel, Bob Hoover style, which I loved!

So without Larry in there yelling at me about being on centerline, why do I allow myself the guilty pleasure of not being perfectly in the middle of the pavement? I’ll call it laziness; there’s plenty of runway, why do I need to be glued to that white stripe anyway?

high and hot landing

One reason would be some day when I need to be accurate in the placement of the aircraft, like a small runway or God-forbid, an off airport landing. I need to be able to do this on command.

The other reason is that it will keep your skills sharp, particularly in heavy crosswinds. It’s just good airmanship.

In a previous article I talked about doing touch and goes as an excellent way to maintain proficiency, this fits right into that concept. Remember the famous Vince Lombardi quote, “practice doesn’t make perfect”, “perfect practice makes perfect.”

landing in the touchdown zone

If you are a taildragger pilot, better have this skill down pat.

crosswind landings

Also grass runways can be a bit challenging for me in crosswinds because it’s not always easy to detect the drift without all the markings (edge and centerline)

It takes some finesse to be sure. Not only are you laser-focused on getting that greaser, but now you have to do it on the end of the runway and down the middle – ugh.

Pitch and power are intertwined to get the airplane docked in an appropriate manner and so that the airframe can be re-used. Couple that will all this lateral carrying-on that must occur, which mean rudder to keep the longitudinal axis down the center of the runway and aileron to put you equal distant between those runway lights.

Thinking about all that is going on at this single juncture where pavement meets rubber, there’s ample opportunity to be a Hero or a Zero – your mileage may vary.

Make this your goal for every flight and you will see an improvement in your confidence, if not your skills. Maybe even execute a go-around anytime you will be landing off centerline to also provide practice for that much-needed-skill.

Landing on the centerline is not just the proper way to re-attach yourself to terra firma, it also confirms your intention to be the best pilot you can be. Plus you can impress your friends, both flying and non-flying.

by Brent Owens                                                                   Subscribe to this flying blog

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Energy Management: Best Glide and Best L/D

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best glide speed

When you fly you don’t really think about energy management so much. As long as the fan out front is turning, you don’t have to waste a lot of brain cells on the topic.

But what about folks who fly without engines, like glider pilots? They are constantly considering the relationship between the potential energy they have in the form of altitude and their kinetic energy, speed, and where they will get their next morsel of lift. It won’t be from a fossil-fuel-belching piston engine, but rather from the movement of our atmosphere, which gliders are designed to exploit.
In gliding flight, in a glider or powered aircraft, the Lift to Drag ratios are equal to the Glide Ratio (when flown at constant speed).
Drag_Curve
In the drag chart above, note how the drag goes up rapidly if you go too fast or too slow. This illustrates the need to resist the temptation of ‘stretching the glide’ by sneaking the nose up on an off airport landing. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Here are some glide ratios for a few common GA airplanes:
 

glide ratio

Glide ratios for some common GA aircraft

Note that many of these are around 10:1. So let’s do a little calculation:
Illustration of glide ratio
Vbg –  Best Glide speed –  the speed at which you can cover the most distance for altitude trade-off
Vmd – Minimum Descent speed – the speed that results in the lowest rate of sink in a power-off glide, thus providing the longest time in the air from the potential energy of height. Vmd is the airspeed used by gliders when utilising the atmospheric lift from thermals or waves. This is the airspeed to select if you are close to a favorable landing site with ample height and a few more seconds in the air to sort things out would be welcome.

Much is said about the importance of maintaining the ‘best gliding speed’ but what is important is to maintain an optimum glide speed; a penetration speed which takes atmospheric conditions into account, for example sinking air or a headwind. The gliding community refers to this as the speed to fly. The normal recommendation for countering a headwind is to add half the estimated wind speed to Vbg which increases the rate of sink but also increases the ground speed. For a tailwind deduct half the estimated wind speed from Vbg which will reduce both the rate of sink and the groundspeed. Bear in mind that it is better to err towards higher rather than lower airspeeds.

Both Vbg distance and Vmd time are adversely affected by the extra drag of a windmilling propeller, which creates much more drag than a stopped propeller following engine shut-down. If the forward speed is increased windmilling will increase, if forward speed is decreased windmilling will decrease, thus the windmilling may be stopped by temporarily reducing airspeed so that the negative lift is decreased to the point where internal engine friction will stop rotation. Do not stall the aircraft trying to get the prop stopped.
prop_drag_contribution

The good news is the glide ratio is not affected by weight, but the bad news is the heavier you are it does occur at a higher speed. That’s why an AOA would be so much better than our airspeed indicators.

If you really want to have  a better understanding of this topic, I would encourage you to do two things:
  1. Take a few lessons in a glider, this will teach you an immense amount energy management
  2. Do some tests in the airplane you fly. Pull the power to idle and test its glide performance. If you have an AOA, fly your max L/D index. If not, fly your best glide speed and in both cases measure your rate of descent. Get a feel for it noting that an idling engine won’t mimic that same behavior as dead one, especially with a windmilling prop, as mentioned above.

You can also go here and play with this simple tool to see different scenarios: http://www.csgnetwork.com/glideratiocalc.html

While this is not an exhaustive essay on the subject, I do hope it spurs some thought in your everyday flying.

If you are interested in learning more, might I recommend:

Aerodynamics for Engineering Students, Sixth Edition - this is for the folks who love math with lots of weird symbols that I don’t understand.

Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators: NAVWEPS 00-8OT-80 - This is read by many who want an above average level of understanding.

Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics - my favorite of the three for folks who want to know more, but don’t like math.

by Brent Owens                                                                   Subscribe to the mailing list
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Lean Times

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leaning the mixture

Lean times
I have been trying to come to grips with proper leaning of my Lycoming IO-360-A1A. It has the stock Bendix injection system and 10:1 pistons so it’s not a standard setup (due to the high compressions pistons).

Unlike many of you, I have only recently learned that I should be aggressively leaning on the ground. This procedure wasn’t utilized back when I learned to fly pistons, except at high altitude airports.
Lycoming issued a Service Bulletin on the topic while I was busy flying jets and had quit keeping up with GA. So I’m starting to implement that procedure to keep my engine happier.

But what about the rest of the flight? My old standard was to keep the red knob full forward until cruise and then pull it back until it stumbled and then richen it up bit – simple. But is this the best way to do it on my machine with all the fancy engine sensors?

The two predominate authors on the subject are Mike Busch and John Deakin. Both of these guys preach lean-of-peak (LOP) operations and both of them seem to center their discussions around injected 6 cylinder Continentals, or so it seems. Continue reading →

Getting an Instrument Rating: Perspective

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instrument rating perspective

Getting an Instrument Rating: Perspective
One of the guys asked about getting his instrument rating recently, so I provided some guidance that I thought I would share with the rest of you. This is not an all-encompassing treatise on getting your instrument ticket, but it does include some things to think about before embarking on what has to be one of the hardest ratings to earn. I also talk about getting IFR qualified here in a previous post: http://iflyblog.com/2012/12/08/the-instrument-rating-demystified/

There is no doubt that the instrument rating will make you a better pilot. It takes what you already know about guiding an aircraft through the sky and forges that into a mastery of aircraft control, three-dimensional situational awareness, and multi-tasking that would make most mortals run for the hills.
Obtaining, maintaining, and using an instrument rating is not for the faint of heart. Consider it the graduate level course for aviators. Continue reading →