May, 2009
Vol. VI, No. 5 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Welcome
to the
Over the
Airwaves
aviation journal. This complimentary e-publication
is prepared monthly for pilots and aviation enthusiasts around the
world. Its aim
is to promote
flight safety, encourage students and new pilots, and to build
enthusiasm for aviation in general.
Mad as Hell! Seldom is it necessary to use language inappropriate for all readers, especially impressionable young people aspiring to become pilots. But when we reach a point of outrage that seemingly remains unnoticed by our GA leadership, the barriers of literary propriety must be bridged. That point struck home with me this past month following the receipt of the following OTA reader mail:
What struck me most about this letter is the fact that the writer was talking about a hangar right here in my home town. More directly, he was talking about two pilots that I knew personally! Each of these two fatal accidents have several remarkable things in common. First, each pilot had extensive experience in conventional metal aircraft equipped with round gauges and relatively little experience in high performance carbon-composite aircraft equipped with glass cockpits. Second, each pilot had acquired their Cirrus SR22 within six months or so of their fatal accident. Third, each pilot was known to fly infrequently, e.g., less than once a month. Fourth, in neither of these two cases was the Cirrus ballistic recovery chute system effective in saving lives. Do you see a pattern for disaster emerging here? Before jumping to conclusions, I am not bashing the Cirrus SR22. Like its competing Cessna Corvalis (formerly Columbia 400), the Cirrus SR22 is an exceptionally fine aircraft, beautifully engineered and, in the hands of a capable, proficient pilot, the SR22 is as safe as any aircraft in the sky.
The first is its widely-tauted ballistic recovery system (BRS) chute. Perhaps intended by the manufacturer to allay the fears of reluctant spouses, too many pilots appear to place more trust in the chute than in their own airmanship skills. "Don't worry . . . if you lose control, just reach up and pull the handle!" Want proof? We've long known that regularly practicing stalls and operating at minimum controllable airspeed (MCA) are hallmark requirements to maintaining pilot proficiency. How many Cirrus SR22 pilots do you know who regularly practice full cross-controlled, or accelerated stall recoveries? How many SR22 pilots (and the instructors who teach them) feel comfortable practicing slow flight? Perhaps they do not perform these maneuvers out of fear that a possible spin is not recoverable. And maybe it isn't!
A second and more recent troubling
feature now being heavily marketed by Cirrus Design reads as
follows in its full-page advertisements now running in AOPA
PILOT Magazine:
"KNOWN ICE
Sub-title: "Peace of
mind while gaining Having certified known ice protection on any aircraft is certainly a plus, like having an Underwriter Laboratory (UL) approved fire extinguisher in every hangar or garage. But to boast this feature in its sales literature comes remarkably close to encouraging inexperienced pilots to play "cat and mouse" with one of nature's most dangerous weather phenomena. "Go ahead and smoke around 100LL gasoline - our fire extinguisher will protect you!" Sure . . . the known ice feature may help to boost sales, but I suspect it will send more than one hapless Cirrus SR22 driver next winter confidently into weather conditions that will likely kill him and his passengers. See the problem? This form of advertising leaves the impression that Cirrus Design is promoting increasingly sophisticated aircraft to people with steroid-enriched egos and far more money than skills. And they are doing this by hyping so-called safety features that come into play long after the proverbial horse has left the barn. Isn't factory training and certification enough? Short answer? NO, not by a long shot! The factory training offered to new pilots targets aircraft systems rather than basic airmanship skills. Lots of time is spent on the use of the autopilot, gadget fiddling, and demystifying electrical systems. Little or no time is devoted to flying these new aircraft out of unusual attitudes or at the edge of their safe operating envelopes. Factories assume their customers possess the basic piloting skills necessary to safely fly high performance fast-glass aircraft. Most do not. I'm beginning to believe the last place one would want to fly is within 50 miles of Duluth following a major sales promotion! So what's the result? The sad result of all of this is captured in the OTA reader's letter referenced above. Each fatal accident is costing general aviation dearly. Aside from the tragic loss of lives and insanely expensive insurance settlements, each fatal accident turns entire communities off to little airplanes. And those of us who are still flying find fewer and fewer of our family members and friends willing to fly with us. The negative financial toll of these crashes on the entire GA industry is far greater than the gross annual sales figures of the companies that manufacture these fast-glass aircraft. Think about it! Why am I mad as hell? Where is AOPA on this problem? AOPA claims to speak for the GA pilot community, but do you see, hear, or read any AOPA editorials addressing this problem, much less recommending solutions? How about the Air Safety Foundation? Even the FAA, itself, is strangely mum on the subject. General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA)? Nary a word. EAA? Not interested!
What can we do about
it?
There is something we pilots can do
about it. First . . . if we are going to purchase a
Cirrus SR22, Cessna Corvalis, or any similar high
performance fast-glass aircraft, we need to commit
ourselves to no less than 25 hours of intensive post-factory
transition training conducted by a competent instructor
before soloing these aircraft.
Second, we need to commit ourselves
to weekly (not monthly) flying of these sophisticated
aircraft. Believing that we can remain proficient on
these fast-glass aircraft by flying them only once or twice
a month is a death-wish waiting to be fulfilled.
Third, we should not even think
about operating these aircraft in IFR conditions, regardless
of pilot ratings, until we have logged no less than 50 PIC
hours in VFR conditions. Once proficient on the glass
gauges, we should fly no less than six simulated or actual
instrument approaches every month . . . . not every six
months as prescribed by regulations.
Will we ever hear AOPA, ASF, GAMA,
EAA, or the FAA calling for these additional requirements?
Likely not.
I hope you're mad as hell, too!
Fly safe, fly
smart. Keep it clean to go FAST! Not surprisingly, many of us are dragging ourselves through the national airspace system several knots slower than we ought to be going. At the same time, we're burning more fuel than necessary. Why? One reason is that we are, well . . . . . dirty! Yep, that dust and grime that settled over our wings and fuselage over the winter is now beginning to take its toll on our aircraft's performance. The graphic below reveals what the leading edge of the typical wing looks like when it is magnified 1,500 times. Note the tiny grooves and nicks on the right side image.
While transparent to the naked eye, these grooves and nicks impede the smooth flow of air over the wing's surface. Add a layer of dust, grease, or other foreign matter to the surface of our airframe and we can quickly grasp the speed-decaying significance of a dirty airplane. So wash your airplane . . . regularly! Getting out a bucket, sponge, soap, and hose is generally the best way to wash an airplane. But we can also keep our airplanes clean with any number of dry wash products available on the market today.
FAASafety.gov hits a home run with new WINGS program!
So what's the big change? The change is . . . the new WINGS program derives its content directly from a careful analysis of the past 15 years' fatal accident data. In conversation with Bryan Neville, the FAA WINGS' chief and Guido Hassig, the FAA's northeast regional director, I learned that the new WINGS program is no academic exercise. As such, it is worthy of every pilots' attention and participation. First, a little bit of history . . . Many of our readers will recall the original WINGS program where we pilots received credit for attending various FAA sponsored or endorsed safety seminars. There were some 15 phases in total. At the completion of each safety seminar, attendees would complete a brief card, have it signed by a CFI or FAA safety counselor, then send it in to the local FSDO for credit. In turn, the FSDO would keep track of each participating pilot's progress and then send him or her a certificate and a set of lapel wings after completion of each phase. In addition, completion of a WINGS phase could be used to satisfy the tradition biennial flight review (BFR). This original WINGS program worked well and was easy for us pilots to execute. Unfortunately, it attracted less than 15 percent of the total pilot population and it was fairly costly, time-wise, for the FAA to administer. Enter the NEW WINGS program . . .
But time past and things slowly began to improve. And long story made short, this new WINGS program is, finally, far better and more effective than the one it replaced. As one of its first most vocal critics, I can say with confidence that the new WINGS program puts the emphasis on training precisely where it belongs . . . on accident prevention based not on theory, but rather on a careful analysis of all fatal accidents occurring over the past 15 years. If you haven't done so already, go to http://faasafety.gov, log in and explore this wonderful new program. Sure, there is a bit of a learning curve to overcome, but once you do, you'll be a much better and safer pilot!
Airspeed Indicator . . . the airman's lifeline!! If you had only two working instruments on the panel as you took off into IFR conditions, which would you choose? Sure . . . a working attitude indicator is a great plus as is a turn coordinator and a heading indicator. Any two of these gauges could fail and the other would be sufficient to keep our wings level in the soup.
Sadly, this is precisely what happened back in April, 2007 when a pilot with one passenger took off from the Mount Royal Airport (3FLO) in low fog from Welaka, FL. According to witnesses, the Cessna 206 struck a 130-foot utility pole and wires located about 0.6 nautical miles southwest of the airpark. Another witness said she saw the airplane come over the trees and thought it was too low. "The wing hit the center pole then it all fell into the water by the pilings." Regarding engine noise, she reported ". . .there was no failed engine, no putter, no sputter . . ."
The NTSB investigators confirmed
there was no apparent mechanical
So what likely happened? Put yourself into the pilot seat of this Cessna 206 as you begin your takeoff roll. You lift off and immediately enter the fog, perhaps unexpectedly. Your attention is momentarily distracted from the instrument panel. You fail to notice your rapidly increasing airspeed. Had you actually begun to climb, your airspeed should have held steady at around 80 knots. But what if it hovered around 140 knots? What would that indicate?
Sure . . . you weren't climbing!
What about that obstacle on the departure end of the
airport? Yep . . . . bang!
Proficient instrument pilots know
that the PRIMARY instrument for climb is the airspeed
indicator. That's the one gauge that: (1) prevents a
departure stall, and (2) assures that we clear the obstacles
at the end of the runway! SAFE seats its founding board - Now what? It now appears that the "rudderless" flight instructor community might have some hope in steering out of the storm its been in for the past year or so and into a safe port. That is, of course, if the newly formed SAFE (Society of Aviation and Flight Educators), which just seated its founding board of directors, takes up the tiller and begins to navigate the right course. First, a little review . . .
It was all very neat and clean . . . and the plaque looked good hanging on the office wall. That is, of course, until NAFI imploded over a complicated internecine struggle that left "ownership" of the MCFI program in legal limbo. Adrift on the rocks, the organizers of a successor (or competing) organization called SAFE picked up the tiller and began to steer its own course - which apparently includes a continuation of the MCFI program of their very own, which they may, in fact, not own. Are you confused yet? So what is the right course??? However which way the organizational dust settles, there is only one true course that SAFE (or NAFI, if it survives the struggle) must steer. That course parallels one now being steered by the FAA itself, through its recently refined WINGs program. This course leads directly to reducing our abysmal GA fatal accident rate! Here's how they do it. Instead of "elevating" flight instruction as a profession, SAFE or NAFI must recognize that 80 percent of all 250-plus annual fatal accidents are attributed to pilot factors (read: error). Equally important, they must accept the fact that pilot error can, in most instances, be traced back to faulty or incomplete instruction. By connecting these several dots, it becomes readily apparent what course needs to be steered! We've got to rid ourselves of faulty or incomplete instruction. We begin this process by, first, re-examining the rules under which flight instructors are trained and qualified, and re-qualified. Clearly, several of these rules need to be changed . . . now! Second, NAFI or SAFE needs to conduct its own comprehensive accident analysis of the past 20 years of NTSB fatal accident reports. A whole bunch of data crunching is required to parse out where and how the actions of now dead pilots contributed to their respective accidents. Fortunately, much of this accident analysis has been completed by the good folks over at http://faasafety.gov. Let's work together guys (and girls). Lastly, SAFE or NAFI needs to build a membership of CFIs who are part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Let the U.S. Marine Corps serve as our model. We're looking for a few good men! Semper fi! Let's build a CFI membership that we can be proud of rather than enrolling post-pubescent naives who are simply willing to pay dues. Where's the money to underwrite all of this to come from?
Instead, it will come from larger corporate contributions from those giants of the industry who are the primary stakeholders in improved GA flight safety. Think aircraft manufacturers, insurance companies, and suppliers to the industry. By demonstrating a measurable reduction in our fatal accident rate through improved flight instruction, those corporate stakeholders will pony up every year! Really, they will! In summary, if SAFE continues to steer the course navigated by NAFI over the past 30 years or so, the same ill-fated destination will be reached. Watch and wait!
Think POWER . . . not pitch for smooth landings! Of all the many maneuvers we can do in an airplane, the one we most frequently screw up is landings. Our failure to affect proper landings is, in fact, the number one cause of all non-fatal accidents. So what is it about affecting smooth landings every time that causes us grief? Is it wind? Is it non-stabilized approaches? Is it short, narrow runways? Is it being rushed by demanding controllers or close-in-trail traffic? Or is it simply bad karma on certain days of the week? Answer: Nope, on all accounts. Instead, it is our confusion over proper power and pitch control as we settle down over the runway.
Before proceeding further in this discussion, scroll up and study the three illustrated aircraft. The top aircraft is in properly trimmed cruise flight. All three forces of flight are in equilibrium. Note, next, the middle aircraft. Power has been reduced to idle. This results in a less downward pull (lift) on the horizontal stabilizer. The nose drops. The bottom aircraft illustrates what happens when we increase power. Downward pull (lift) on the horizontal stabilizer increases and the nose rises. No yoke or stick position change! Note that nowhere in this discussion is the yoke or stick mentioned. We have not used the yoke or stick to alter pitch, yet the pitch angle of the aircraft has changed . . . using power adjustments only. Herein lies the secret to great landings every time. Instead of pushing and pulling on yoke or stick as we descend over the runway threshold, we use our fingers to make delicate power adjustments, e.g., 50 to 100 RPM. This, of course, assumes a properly trimmed airplane. The power of hover taxiing
When performed correctly, our aircraft settles down to the runway surface as gently as a butterfly landing with sore feet!
Donations
Help!
It is your continuing donor support of
Please help me in
this important lifesaving endeavor by donating to the cause.
You can do so by check or credit card. Follow the
instructions below.
If you prefer to send a
personal check, you can do so by making it payable to
"Over the Airwaves" and mail it to:
Your donations are used exclusively in the preparation,
advancement, and promotion of
Over the
Airwaves to
and for pilots all over the globe. Head Games
I like to do this for several different reasons. First, making new friends is always a joy. Second, talking about all forms of aviation is more uplifting than talking about the economy, politics, or the war in the mid-east. What I enjoy most in talking with other pilots, however, is learning how much we really know about our world of flying. Not surprisingly, what we DON'T know is even more revealing! What we don't know about stall speeds In conducting a recent flight review, for example, I asked my customer what the stalling speed of his Cessna 172 was when in a 60 degree bank. "Forty knots," he said without hesitation. "Hmmm," I replied, "Really?" "Yep . . . it's right here at the bottom of the green arc on my airspeed indicator," he said with confidence. For those readers not seeing the significance of this example, recall that banking increases the load factor. At 60 degrees of bank, the load factor is doubled. In turn, our stall speed increases in relation to the square root of the load factor. The square root of 2 is 1.41. Thus, a normal straight and level stall speed of 40, when multiplied by 1.41 (as when in a 60 degree bank) equals 57 knots. An 80 degree bank angle increases this stall speed to 96 knots. Now we can painfully see why we continue to experience about one fatal stall/spin accident a week in the United States! It's not a stick and rudder problem. Instead, it's due to a simple shortcoming in our thinking. What we don't know about our airspace system In another equally troubling exchange, I asked one of our local pilots if he felt comfortable doing the traffic pattern work at our airport with a ceiling right at 1,000 feet AGL. "Sure," he said, "I'm happy as long as I can see the ground." What my colleague apparently failed to consider is that the top of Class G airspace over our airport is 700 feet AGL. At 1,000 feet, he's in Class E airspace which, of course, requires us to be at least 500 feet below the cloud base! One might think this is no big deal until, of course, we recognize that we have IFR air carrier arrivals to our nearby Buffalo/Niagara International Airport over-flying our airport in the clouds at just 1,600' AGL. One day there will be a catastrophic loss of separation between our errant GA pilot doing pattern work with a 1,000' ceiling and a passing airliner. When that happens, we can watch the future of general aviation swirling right down the toilet. What we don't know about engine fires
"I'd slow to best glide speed and look for a safe place to land," he said with calm assurance. Would this be the first thing you would do? Of course not. Instead, you would reach down and pull the fuel shut-off knob as you immediately put your flaming aircraft into a steep descent. There's a big difference here as you correctly note that seconds can spell the difference between a safe outcome and becoming a smoking ball of molten aluminum falling from the sky. The list of what we don't know (or have long forgotten) goes on and on. Thus, it's no surprise why we suffer five fatal accidents each week in the United States. Tragically, the vast majority of these fatal accidents are due to something the pilot forgot to do. So what can we do about it? There is something that can be done at every airport in the world where flight training is being conducted. We're doing it right here at my home airport (Buffalo-Lancaster Airport, Buffalo, NY). Contact your local flight school or resident CFI to have the same thing done at your airport as well! Beginning Wednesday, May 13, from 7pm to 9pm, we are conducting a 13 week private pilot ground refresher course. A nominal charge of $99 is being assessed to help cover costs. The topics to be covered are listed below:
So what will this course accomplish? Essentially, this course will help to fill any gaps in the thinking of all participating local pilots at your airport. Look carefully at each topic. Are YOU up to speed on each of these topics. Be honest! Remember, 80 percent of all fatal accidents are due to pilot error. Something suddenly went terribly wrong and the hapless pilot's mind went blank. Or the pilot missed something on his pre-flight weather briefing. Or ATC instructed the pilot to intercept a couple of VOR radials and he's become so GPS-dependent that he can't tune the proper radials on his omni-bearing selector (OBS) much less find the proper nav frequency. Every pilot I know worked very hard to pass his last pilot checkride. From that point forward, however, many of us allowed much of this hard-earned knowledge to simply fade away from disuse. Before long, we're as knowledgeable as a primary student following his very first lesson! In summary, do yourself a favor . . . do GA a favor. Start and/or enroll in a Private Pilot Refresher Ground Course at your home airport. If you can't get one going, come to ours! The month of May is a great time to begin this! Aero-News.Net Features OTA in Podcasts
"Ground Refresher" is the latest in a series of podcasts Bob Miller has been doing with Aero-News.Net's Paul Plack. You can hear, or download for later listening, these 15 minute interviews and any of the previously conducted podcasts by clicking on the titles below: Podcast Titles[Click on desired titles - several minutes may be required to download.] Titles in RED are new since the last OTA. By the way, Aero-News.Net is a FREE daily online publication that is packed with aviation related news. It is the first thing I read every morning. You can log on to Aero-News.Net and subscribe for your free subscription by clicking HERE. It's Up to You to Fly Away - "It's off to Cape May, NJ!"
Not only do John and Connie spend nearly every weekend in either their Cessna 210 or their Cessna 180 on floats, they are eager to share their experiences with us via this new OTA feature. Click HERE to read the next in an ongoing series of "It's Up to You to Get Away." This trip is to Santa Catalina Island.
This is
particularly good reading for pilot spouses who haven't yet
captured the excitement of flying!!!!! What's happening at BMFT, Inc .What's happening at Bob Miller Flight Training, Inc.? Answer: Three words . . . Sport Pilot Training! As the ONLY provider of sport pilot
training using new certified tricycle gear aircraft in
Western
We're taking people right off of the street and giving them quality training in brand new airplanes - all with the aim of qualifying them as licensed sport pilots in as little as 20 hours of training. With their new sport pilot certificates, pilots can fly themselves and a passenger to far away places at 100 knots during daylight hours . . . . burning an economical 4 gallons per hour - without an FAA medical! Cessna Skycatcher is coming . . . With enthusiasm building for sport pilot training, BMFT, Inc. is standing in line to be one of the first flight schools to acquire the soon-to-be-available Cessna Skycatcher.
Certified in the standard category means that this make/model aircraft can serve as both a light sport aircraft for training purposes without having the light sport restrictions when piloted by persons with private pilot certificates and above. Click HERE to learn more about Sport Pilot training at BMFT, Inc.Also happening at BMFT . . .
From there, we make our way over to John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK) where we mix it up with international arrivals landing simultaneously on parallel runways.
After a short break, we depart KJFK VFR at under 500' AGL,
follow the
After another brief rest, we file and fly IFR over to Teterboro Airport along with most of the business jet traffic coming into and out of the NYC area. Then it's back off to Buffalo. Past participants in this NY TRACON tour claim that it is some of the best and most unique advanced flight training they've ever received. Click MORE for more information on the NY TRACON tour. And still more . . . What better thing can an occasional pilot do for himself (or herself) than participate in a 13 week pilot refresher course. That's just what BMFT is offering beginning Wednesday, May 13th from 7pm to 9pm. We'll be covering everything a pilot needs to know to continue operating safely in the national airspace system. Here's the line-up of topics to be covered:
Simply drop us a line at bmftinc@gmail.com or call 716-864-8100 if you would like to enroll in this valuable refresher course. Cost: $99.00. One last thing . . . Put Saturday morning, June 13, 2009 on your calendar for an extravaganza OPEN HOUSE at the Buffalo-Lancaster Airport. Aside from a lavish breakfast served up by our local Civil Air Patrol Squadron, we'll be giving Young Eagle flights to kids, displaying the latest in new aircraft, and conducting valuable flight safety seminars. Don't
forget . . . Saturday, June 13, 8am to noon, at the
Buffalo-Lancaster Airport (KBQR), located just 6 miles east
of the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, 4343 Walden
Avenue, Lancaster, NY 14086. Helpful Sponsors Please support OTA's helpful sponsors by clicking on the images below where you will find ordering information.
Note: If you have an aviation-related product or service you would like to promote and help underwrite the continued publication of Over the Airwaves, please send an email to rjma@rjma.com.
The winds are blowing at 16 knots with gusts to 24. The flight instructor cancels today's lesson blaming winds. Instead, he brings his hapless student into the office or simulator to fill the training time, then collects his fee. So what's wrong with this picture?
And we wonder why Johnny can't handle crosswind landings! Then comes another day. The ceiling is down to 300 feet and the visibility is 1/2 mile. This time the CFII cancels this instrument lesson blaming low ceilings and poor visibility. And again, the instructor retreats with his student to the office or simulator, then collects the same fee as if they had actually flown that day. Again, the school's glowing safety record is preserved . . . and another hapless instrument rated pilot is turned loose in the national airspace system with no experience operating at or near IFR minimums.
Now there
is nothing wrong with striving to preserve a 100% flight
school safety record, but to do so by limiting flight
training to cloudless, no wind days is no way to do it.
Instead, we should employ sufficiently skilled CFIs who have
the ability to fly safely in challenging weather.
Bob Miller, CFII, ATP
Upcoming May 13th: "Private Pilot Refresher Course"
Ideally suited for both new students and
current pilots, this course offers a fast, convenient, and
affordable way to prepare for the upcoming flying season and to
get prepared for that next pilot rating. For more information or to register, contact
BMFT at rjma@rjma.com or call
716-864-8100. June 5 - 6: Rochester International Airport, NY
Saturday, June 13: Buffalo-Lancaster Airport (KBQR)
Past Issues of Click
HERE
to open any previous issue(s) of Technical Assistance
I would like to thank the following technical assistance
contributors for their valuable help in producing OTA every
month: Cameron Dunlop, Corning, NY;
Dan Maloney, Clarence, NY; Barry McCollom, Kerrville, TX; Thom
Riddle, Buffalo, NY; and
©2004-2009 Over the Airwaves [TM], Buffalo, New York, USA. Over the Airwaves is written, prepared, and published by Bob Miller Flight Training, Inc., Buffalo, NY, who is solely responsible for its contents. ISSN 1937-3848. Over the Airwaves is a registered trademark. Any use of this name , image, or reproduction, duplication, or replication of this electronic publication and/or prior issues in whole or in part without the express written permission is strictly prohibited. Forwarding, dissemination, distribution, and/or circulation of the Over the Airwaves Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is permitted under the terms of this trademark and copyright. |
Unlike
the Cessna Corvalis, however, the Cirrus SR22 has several
features that can lure an unsuspecting pilot into a false
sense of security.
Never
let it be said that Bob Miller doesn't eat his words!
Veteran OTA
readers will likely recall how critical I was of the FAA's
revamping of its venerable WINGS program several years ago.
Well, things have changed and for the good, BIG TIME!
Like
all things government, little notice was given to us in the
field when they decided several years ago to replace an old
program with a new one. And the new WINGS program they
gave us was received by us pilots like a good case of Swine
Flu!
But what about
clearing the obstacles at the end of the runway? Only
one instrument can help us here. Yep, it's the
airspeed indicator. Ignore this instrument and you
could either climb too steep and stall or not climb steep
enough and hit obstacles at the end of the runway.
problems
with the aircraft or engine prior to the accident.
Until recently, the
National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) steered a
course that sought to elevate the CFI profession in several,
arguably, ineffective ways. Most notable, of course,
was its Master CFI program that recognized those who
fulfilled a number of point-assigning requirements, e.g.,
participating on boards, writing curriculum materials, etc.
Those that completed these requirements and paid a handsome
fee to NAFI received a plaque and the right to place an "M"
before their "CFI" suffix after their name.
The money
required to underwrite a strong flight instructor membership
organization
is not going to come from multiple $40 memberships.
There's simply not enough good soldiers (CFIs) out there to
pay the bills. 
The
final step in producing the "perfect" landing is to
use the precise amount of power to produce slow, level
flight just several feet above the runway surface.
Once established in this hover flight condition, we
gradually retard the throttle to idle with just a hint of
back pressure on the yoke or stick.
Writing,
speaking, and running a pro-active flight school quite
naturally brings me into contact with lots of general
aviation pilots. Since we all share a common love
for flying, it's easy to engage perfect strangers in
stimulating conversation.
This
one really frosted my . . . wings (you can substitute
whatever noun you prefer). I asked a veteran pilot
what the first thing he would do if he observed smoke
and flames coming from the front of his airplane in
flight.
Imagine having the piloting skills, time,
money, enthusiastic spouse, and capable airplane to spend
long weekends flying to romantic places throughout the
Western Hemisphere.
New
York, BMFT, Inc. is a buzz of activity. We're rolling
out brand new Navigator 600 LS aircraft as fast we can to
meet the growing demand for what is proving to be the most
popular form of flying in decades.
As
most aviation observers know, the Cessna Skycatcher program
is still in the flight testing stage. Unlike most of
its light sport competition, the Cessna Skycatcher will be
certified in the standard category, rather than just the
light sport category. 
Experienced
pilots looking to hone their IFR skills in high density
airspace are signing up in record numbers for our New York
TRACON tour Class B airports. We depart the
Buffalo-Lancaster (NY) Airport at 7am and follow the
Standard Arrival Route (STAR) into New York's LaGuardia
Airport. We land, debrief over an early lunch at the
historic Marine Air Terminal.
Atlantic
shoreline around the famed Coney Island, then up over the
Verazano Bridge, past the Statue of Liberty, then up the
Hudson River at 1100' AGL with the Manhattan skyline on our
right to the George Washington Bridge. We reverse
course back down the Hudson River, then hold over the Statue
of Liberty until we can get a clearance to land at Newark
Airport.
Nothing . . . if you ask the typical risk-adverse CFI who
proudly defends his flight school's 100 percent safety
record. The only flaw in this logic is that it leaves
his student(s) unprepared for the real world of flight.
