Airmanship Archives - Page 2 of 3

Directional Gyro: Don’t Set It Here

Posted on September 23, 2010February 14, 2020 by Wally Moran

How many of us have been told to always be sure and set the directional gyro (DG) when we are in position on the take off runway? Why there? Well, the instructor would say, because we are now on a known heading and therefore the DG will be accurate right after takeoff. This procedure worked […]

Airplane Yoke Control

Posted on August 19, 2010April 26, 2018 by Wally Moran

Yes I know, never say never, but here goes anyway. Never push the yoke forward when near the ground. Sorry, but I just heard of yet another aircraft damaged on landing. Most likely caused by the pilot pushing the yoke forward after a bounce. The pilot reports that he bounced and he thinks he pushed […]

Pilot Attitude Check

Posted on August 9, 2010April 26, 2018 by Wally Moran

We all know that proper aircraft attitude is important for getting our aircraft to do what we want it to. But it is our mental attitude that plays a major role in the type of pilot that we become. A proper mental attitude can do more for your flying ability than almost any kind of […]

ARE WE PRACTICING THE RIGHT STUFF?

Posted on July 26, 2010April 26, 2018 by Wally Moran

Recently a Cirrus crashed while attempting to execute a go around. In another accident, a Grumman Tiger overshot a four thousand foot runway and crashed into a lumber mill beyond the end of the runway. In both of these situations, the airplane was clearly capable of doing what the pilot wanted it to do but […]

Professionalism – On Being a Cockpit Skeptic

Posted on July 2, 2010April 26, 2018 by John Krog

Professionalism in aviation has been in the news a lot recently. FAA Administrator Randy Babbit has spoken on the need in light of several recent high profile events such as the Colgan crash in Buffalo and the NWA overshoot of its destination. One of the hallmarks of a professional aviator is being a skeptic – […]

“Hold Short of Runway 23!”

Posted on July 2, 2010April 26, 2018 by John Krog

How many times as a pilot, have we heard that phrase? Well, as of June 30th we will be hearing it a lot more. The FAA instituted a change to the Air Traffic Controller’s handbook (the 7110.65) that changes the way taxi instructions are issued. Previously, a taxi clearance (as we all know from the […]

Proper use of CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency)

Posted on June 22, 2010April 26, 2018 by Wally Moran

CAN WE TALK? Can we ever! Just tune in 122.8 on a nice weekend and you will hear lots of pilots talking, but many of them are not communicating very well. The use of the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) for traffic information is a great tool when it is used correctly. Sadly it too […]

Want to be a better pilot?

Posted on June 8, 2010April 26, 2018 by Wally Moran

Bob Martens has recently written about maintaining proficiency through the use of more frequent training and I strongly agree with his thoughts. Nothing is better than practicing maneuvers and procedures to keep us sharp, I would like to offer another route to broadening you flying skills beyond the usual flight review maneuvers by suggesting you […]

California adds major fees to CFIs and schools

Posted on June 7, 2010April 26, 2018 by Bob Martens

Max Trescott posted this on his blog. If you are in California, check this out: California Regulations From Max’s blog: “To quote a story by EAA, “Each instructor would be charged an initial application fee of $5000 and a $3500 renewal fee every three years. If the instructor has a second location an additional fee […]

Emergencies and ATC Part 2

Posted on June 4, 2010April 26, 2018 by John Krog

Last week, we talked about an Air Carrier incident during which an emergency was declared. Shortly after that, we learned of another Air Carrier that had a fire in the cockpit and declared an emergency while at cruise altitude. Details can be found on the NTSB web site. This incident is a near textbook example […]

Landings

Posted on June 3, 2010April 26, 2018 by Bob Martens

I know for a fact that none of us plan on having any aircraft accident anytime soon. But, if we do, it’s pretty clear when it will occur. Yup, in the landing phase! So armed with this information, what are we doing about it? Let’s start with this question. Do you want your landings to […]

Emergencies and ATC

Posted on May 25, 2010April 26, 2018 by John Krog

Declaring an emergency is one of the easiest actions a pilot can take. FAR 91.3 spells it out very clearly. “The pilot-in-command of an aircraft is directly responsible for and is the final authority as to the operation of that aircraft. In an emergency requiring immediate action, the pilot-in-command may deviate from any rule in […]