Charlie learned to fly in college, and has been an avid pilot ever since. He has visited every public-use airport in most of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, "including the expansive 12,000 ft runways of Columbus Rickenbacker (KLCK) and the 24 ft. wide, dogleg right, one way in/same way out, Mallory Airport (WV12) in Charleston." Charlie is a flight instructor, but his most memorable flight was in a rented Skyhawk over the active Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii.
Your three friends, four sets of luggage and golf clubs may exceed both the weight capacity and cargo volume of most typical rentals. Does that mean you have to scrap your trip, or worse yet, spend 24 of the allotted 72 hours driving? Maybe, but then again by managing the logistics the flying trip may still be possible.
Sadly, many of the people who begin flight lessons are never able to see them through to earning a certificate. Much as the ongoing NCAA tournament that began with 68 teams is being whittled down to the final four, pilot candidates fall to the wayside for a plethora of reasons. But this article will discuss the four most common pitfalls and suggest strategies so you become a pilot rather than falling victim to these obstacles.
I have learned problem solving,
Getting me and the airplane out of a fix.
I use those skills every day,
So that is reason number six.
Regardless if your flight school rents Warriors or Skyhawks, Evektors or Pipistrels, learning to fly will be largely the same. Both low wing and high wing aircraft will be affected by lift, weight, thrust and drag.
I determined from this experience weather is as forecast only part of the time. Sometimes it may be better but other times it will be worse, so assume forecasts are more like opinions than facts. “This is what license to learn means,” I thought to myself as I was bumping along in the warm summer air. No, the big lesson was yet to come.
If you’re a student pilot, your lessons are probably consumed with trips to the practice area, planning cross countries and honing your pattern and landing skills – fun stuff. Even those of us with thousands of hours will stay sharp by going out on a sunny Sunday to practice turns around a point.
A rule of thumb has been attributed to many origins (including the largest stick a man could use to beat his wife) but is generally meant to mean a “reliable approximation.” I fly – and live – by rules of thumb. I want to share three of these and pass on some good advice that may keep you flying and alive for a long time.
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