Flight Training

This is the fifth in a series of excerpts that began with Chapter One. Chapter Eight: Notes on Lesson Six — Advanced Stalls The weather looked pretty rough driving out to Dairy Flat. Low clouds and rain showers. I was sure we would have to scrub the flight, although there were a few small open […]

This is the fourth in a series of excerpts that began with Chapter One. Chapter Six: Notes on Lesson Five — Basic Stalls The flying was going wonderfully well, as far as I was concerned. That the instructors were reduced to casting lots to see who would have to fly with me was not something […]

This is the third in a series of excerpts that began with Chapter One. Chapter Four: Notes on Lesson Three — Climbing and Gliding/Power Descent Today I had a new instructor. His name was Mike. I found Mike to be a very pleasant young fellow with an air about him that lent immediate confidence. Well, […]

This is the second in a series of excerpts that began with Chapter One. Chapter 2: Notes on Lesson One — Effects of Controls This will be a short chapter because, unfortunately, I did not make full notes on the lesson. No doubt I was excited and over-exuberant, and possibly incoherent, after this flight. I […]

Introduction A friend suggested to me that if I compiled the notes I made while learning to fly an airplane and throw in a few drawings to distract the more discerning readers, I could make a fortune. This friend was often given to flights of fancy, being a pilot, and I would have dismissed the […]

If you’ve already read the first chapter in the book, “The Cessna, The Sky … and the Cartoonist,” then see what the reviewers say about it! “The best read I’ve had in many years; the spelling is almost up to the 50% mark and the punctuation is highly imaginative.” — W. Shakespeare “I had thought […]

Let’s take a few pot shots at some of the more common errors in the seemingly simple procedures of starting an engine and doing the runup, and also cover some new techniques with engine monitors. I’ve written a little about some of these procedures elsewhere, but I’ve never pulled all of them together. For Starters […]

When I sat down with the Designated Pilot Examiner and handed him my logbook, it was pretty light: only three pages of entries, totaling 42.3 hours; just barely above the minimum. Of those 42 hours, 15.5 were PIC/solo, 5.3 solo cross-country, 3.0 dual simulated instrument, and 3.8 dual night. I expected the Examiner to comment […]

Despite the ongoing silliness of a Transportation Security Administration that continues to treat general aviation pilots as if they were criminals, it’s been a pretty good summer here at the virtual airport. People are learning to fly, a couple new pilots have purchased airplanes and hangared them here, and we’ve enjoyed the conversations that ensue […]

We all want to get through training as quickly and efficiently as possible. Yet some student pilots fly through training (no pun intended), and others end up spending a great deal more effort, money, and time to reach the same levels as our peers. What’s the difference? Though frequency of training and personal learning styles […]