Home Simulation: Part 2 IFR Student / IFR rated by Michael W. Wojcik Getting into the soup. Some of the most enjoyable experiences of using flight simulation at home is when I began working on earning my instrument rating. Most pilots agree this is the most difficult, hence most rewarding when completed. The flight school I…
New Year’s Resolutions…aviation style With 2013 already in full swing, I thought it appropriate to post up my aviation related goals for the new year. Many of you know this, but there is a lot of power in actually writing these things down – they seem to have a greater chance of actually happening. In…
Score one for innovation against the declining pilot population I have to say I am impressed by all the ideas being brought to bear on the “war against the declining pilot population.” Some of the ideas are brand new and some are recycled from the past. A couple of these are pretty clever. Open Airplane provides…
Pattern Work: Touch-and-goes for increased proficiency In my days as an instructor I spent a lot of time in the traffic pattern doing dozens of touch-and-goes. Today, I still feel like this is one of the best places to refine our craft and maintain proficiency – notice I didn’t say currency, but that’s a…
Should I train in a modern or vintage LSA aircraft? A friend of the blog, Dave L., emailed recently asking about completing his Light Sport (LSA) training in a legacy aircraft, in this case a post-war Aeronca Champ, versus a modern LSA trainer. He had taken some lesson in a Sport Cruiser and was leaning…
Spartan Days I was a student at Spartan School of Aeronautics (their new name is Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology) back in 1990. At the time Spartan had a boom of pilots coming through with dreams of airline cockpits in their heads. First, I want to say that Spartan is a great school steeped…
The Instrument rating demystified The instrument rating is really a graduate level course that many undergrads quiver at the thought of undergoing. Lets examine it in detail and discover some common mistakes and misconceptions. What is an instrument rating? We should all understand the basic idea behind being instrument rated, but you might be surprised…
Checklist Discipline (Update) Fellow pilot and friend Mike Wojcik contributed to this piece. See his work below regarding a checklist he developed for the Tecnam. Ever thought about your checklist? I mean really thought about it? It is much more than a faded and tattered occupier of precious cockpit real estate. It is one of…
The Self-Righteous Aviator One of the phenomena that I have observed in the wild is the self-righteous aviator (SRA). You know the one; they think they know it all and everyone else is beneath them. This curious species usually migrates to local airports where they can work the lobby making sure everyone knows they are…
Always learning: a pilot can never learn too much Learning is defined by Webster as: the process of acquiring modifications in existing knowledge, skills, habits, or tendencies through experience, practice, or exercise. As pilots we always have to strive to get better and never stop learning. It is impossible to know everything there is to know…