Featuring Bob
Martens -
view profile Press play to listen to this tip Mark Robidoux: "In the case when we can't safely glide to an airport, what kind of location should we be looking for?" Bob Martens: "Any clear area without hazards or obstacles will serve you well. You're not looking for a perfect location. Far too many times, pilots compound the situation by trying to find the perfect location. Finding a suitable field without large objects or objects that will adversely affect your landing will work very well for you. Airplanes stop pretty quickly. You know, we don't need a 5,000-foot field, but we do need to identify what in the field may influence our landing. A big rock, a ditch or a stream across the field will adversely affect our landing because when we hit a solid object our airplane comes to a sudden stop. That's where the injuries and fatalities do occur. As a general rule, I strongly encourage avoiding roads due to traffic and power lines. Obviously, in certain parts of the country, this is less applicable than others. But I have to say at the outset, that our emergency does not entitle us to endanger other people. In that same vein, parking lots and golf courses where people might be present are not ideal primary choices. Water versus trees: my personal sense is that water is not user friendly. In most water landings, the aircraft will not stay upright, leading to injuries and an immediate survival situation. Tree landings with the aircraft flown under control into the treetops are very survivable, often with only minor or no injuries to occupants." The above tip is an excerpt from our 20-minute audio available below. Subscribe to the Free Pilot's Tip of the Week and we'll also send you this free 20-minute audio: In-Flight Emergencies: Engine Failure
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Doug
Stewart was the "National
Certificated Flight Instructor of the
Year” in 2004. A Master Certified
Flight Instructor, Gold Seal Instructor
and Designated Pilot Examiner - he is
based at the Columbia County Airport
(1B1) in Hudson, NY. He owns and
operates his own flight school
specializing in instrument training and
has logged over 8000 hours of dual
instruction given, with over 2000 hours
of that being instrument instruction.
He regularly gives instruction in
aircraft as simple as the J-3 Cub, and
as complex as the Piper Malibu / Mirage.
Rod
Machado has been flying since 1970,
instructing since 1973 and has over
8,000 hours of flight time earned the
hard way--one CFI hour at a time. Since
1977 he has taught hundreds of flight
instructor revalidation clinics and
safety seminars and he was named the
1991 "Western Region Flight Instructor
of the Year". Rod is the author of some
of the most popular books, DVDs and CDs
in aviation. You can read his monthly
column in AOPA Pilot magazine as
well as in Flight Training
Magazine.
Bob
Nardiello
was the "Flight Instructor of the Year"
in 2004 and "FAA Safety Counselor of the
Year" in 2006 for the Windsor Locks
Flight Standards District Office. He has
over 10,000 hours of total flight
experience, with more than 7,000 hours
as a Flight Instructor. He currently
holds CFI, CFII, MEI, and ATP ratings
and serves as a Designated Pilot
Examiner. Bob is the Assistant Chief
Flight Instructor at a Part 141 Flight
School and is also a seasoned charter
pilot flying a Cessna 421 and Citation
Ultra.
Scott
Dennstaedt is a nationally known
aviation weather expert, having the
unique qualifications of being a
meteorologist and a CFII. In addition to
teaching aviation weather, Scott is a
flight instructor in technically
advanced aircraft including the Cessna
400/350 and Cirrus SR20 and SR22. He
co-developed a recurrent training
program for the Cessna Advanced Aircraft
Club (CAAC) and the Cirrus Owners and
Pilots Association (COPA). Scott is also
a contributing editor for
IFR magazine and has been a
regular contributor to
Plane & Pilot, Pilot Journal,
Aviation Consumer and Twin &
Turbine. 
Bob
Martens is a nationally known
speaker, consultant and aviation safety
expert. He retired from the FAA after
spending 17 years as a Safety Program
Manager. In this role, he delivered
hundreds of live seminars devoted to
General Aviation safety. Bob retired
from the USAF (rank of Colonel) in 2000
after 30 years of active and reserve
duty. He was an Aircraft Commander in a
C-5A and also served as Flying Safety
Officer and Chief of Safety with the
439th AirWing. Bob has logged thousands
of flight hours in both military and GA
aircraft.
Wally
Moran is a retired airline captain
and spent much of his career as a
training instructor and check airman on
aircraft including the Boeing 747 and
767. He has held a flight instructor
certificate for over 47 years. Wally is
a designated pilot examiner for single
and multiengine aircraft and gliders. He
is authorized to issue certificates all
the way up to ATP and has given over
3400 hours of flight instruction in
single engine, multiengine, tailwheel,
gliders, seaplanes and instruments.
John
Krug's
27 years experience as an Air Traffic
Controller combined with his experience
as an active flight instructor, allow
him to assist pilots in gaining a better
understanding of the ATC system and how
to best operate in it. While with the
FAA, he was an On-the-Job-Training
Instructor for new controllers and
worked as a Quality Assurance
Specialist, responsible for conducting
in-flight evaluations of the Air Traffic
System and investigating accidents and
incidents.
Bob
Adelizzi has been a controller at
Boston TRACON for twenty five years and
affiliated with the FAA safety program
for over twenty. Over the years he has
briefed countless pilots at corporate
flight departments and aviation
colleges, and was recently asked to
speak at the ACONE Crash Course 2007 and
the AOPA Communication Seminar which had
a combined attendance of over 600
pilots.