We all set goals as pilots, whether it’s completing the first solo, earning a private pilot certificate or simply getting current again. There’s nothing wrong with that (in fact, I think it’s part of what makes flying so rewarding), but we need to be careful that the destination doesn’t overshadow the journey.
I was reminded of this timeless lesson recently, and all it took was a grass runway and a trailer…
This summer I took part in the annual pilgrimage to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the AirVenture fly-in. Like many pilots, the flight to Oshkosh is the highlight of my year—a chance to make a fun cross-country flight, to meet new friends and to see what’s happening in aviation. It should be on every pilot’s to-do list.
My plan was to fly from the Cincinnati, Ohio area to Oshkosh via helicopter, and I’d be traveling with a friend and fellow helicopter pilot. We were hoping to make Oshkosh before dark, so we set out for our intended fuel stop in the Chicago area around mid-day. Mother Nature didn’t get the memo about our plan, though, and we quickly ran into pretty serious headwinds. We were still faster than the cars on the highway, but not by much.
As your flight instructor has probably mentioned, stronger than forecast headwinds should immediately set off alarms about fuel planning, and they did for us. Chicago now looked unreachable, so we began the search for an alternate fuel stop—a task made very easy by modern iPad apps and panel-mount GPSs. After considering a few options, I remembered a small airport in northwestern Indiana that I had almost landed at before. It has the distinction of being one of the few public airports in America with an instrument approach to a grass runway.
Since I have a real affection for grass runways in the country, we headed for this new goal: Lowell Airport (C97). The iPad said they had fuel, but a call on Unicom didn’t raise anyone. With a shrug, we flew on and soon landed, trying to hover as close to the self-serve fuel pumps as we could get. It was time to get fuel and keep heading for Oshkosh—after all, we had a schedule to keep and the winds were not helping.
The only problem? Those self-serve fuel pumps weren’t very self-serve. With no sign of a credit card reader anywhere, we walked up the hill to the “FBO,” which was really just a trailer by the parking lot. No one answered our knock, and after walking in the open door, it immediately became apparent that no one was at this airport.
I had already made one bad decision by not planning my alternate airports better and not verifying that fuel was available. Now the temptation was strong to make another bad decision and fly to the next closest airport to find fuel. But after double-checking my fuel burn math and the fuel gauges (at my personal minimums), I made the call that we were staying put—one way or another, we were getting fuel at Lowell.
We eventually found a phone number inside and got an airport employee to agree to come fuel us, but we were told it would be half an hour before he could make it. My initial reaction was impatience and frustration: could we still make Oshkosh when we wanted to?
But then, as if the aviation gods were speaking to us, I stopped to look around. Here we were, two aviation enthusiasts, “stranded” at a beautiful airport on a sunny day—grass runway, taildraggers parked in the shade, corn fields waving in the wind. This was an opportunity to reconnect with what we all love about flying, not to complain.
I had been so focused on hitting our schedule that I had forgotten why we were flying in the first place. The whole point of Oshkosh is getting there, not checking something off your to-do list. And what better way to soak up aviation than to spend some time at a throwback airport like this?
So with a newfound patience and an open mind, I wandered around the airport to admire the surroundings. When help finally did arrive, we found the man to be an absolute delight. After mentioning that they don’t accept credit cards, he casually offered that we could send a check in the mail when we got back from Oshkosh. “I trust you guys,” said this complete stranger. Try that move at your local BP station!
After initially hurrying to get in and out of Lowell, we were now reluctant to leave a place that seemed to embody so much that is right about general aviation. We made it to Oshkosh just fine, but I spent the rest of the trip a lot less worried about details and a lot more focused on being in the moment. In the end, this speed bump turned out to be a much-needed wakeup call for me.
It’s a reminder that, whether you’re struggling with crosswind landings or trying to master VOR navigation, flying is not about written tests and checkrides. Checking off goals is great, but being a pilot is really about mastering a challenging task, becoming a better person and (most importantly) enjoying the ride.
So next time you find yourself focusing too much on your aviation goals, stop and smell the avgas.
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All too often during the course of training students will experience some difficulties with their instructor. These difficulties can range from something as simple as having a rough communication day between instructor and student, or they can be far more menacing such as a fundamental difference in personalities or learning styles. Students who come to talk to me during their training are generally reluctant to address the issue; yet most of the time these issues should have been addressed long before the meeting with the flight school manager / chief flight instructor takes place. The key to remember during these more challenging times is to be your own advocate.
I have written several times about topics concerning students and their learning process or about how to find the right flight school for you. Unfortunately, once training begins, students often feel as though they are on a one way track that has no options or ways to change. Nothing could be further from the truth. A quality flight school will understand your concerns that you are having with your flight instructor as well as accommodating any changes that you will request as a result. When two people who have never met socially begin to work together as a team, there are bound to be problems. Your flight school and your instructor have seen this before.
Having a problem with your instructor should never be a reason to abandon or delay your training. Remember, YOU are the customer! Here are some suggestions on how to proceed.
• First, try and be open with your instructor about your feelings or concerns about the relationship or training material. If your instructor is a true professional, this is not the first time he/she has addressed a student’s concerns. The most common area for friction between and instructor and student is miscommunication. Whether it is the instructor’s style, tone, or word choices, most of the time if you are feeling put off, put down, or upset at the situation, it was likely unintended or a difference in style. Start with asking your instructor for a few extra minutes at the end of a lesson. Address your concerns directly, making sure to use clear terms on how you are feeling and what it is that you would like from your instructor.
• If you have addressed your concerns and feel like there has been little or no change, then don’t hesitate to contact the flight school manager or chief flight instructor. This person’s job is to make sure the instructors are doing what they are supposed to and ensuring that you are getting the experience that you expect. Customer service issues fall squarely in their purview and they are concerned with your experience at their school. Your issue should be addressed with great tact and privacy so any feelings or concerns that you have about going around or over your flight instructor are unwarranted. These issues are handled with professionalism and can only get better if they are discussed openly. The manager will either choose to counsel the instructor privately, as a group setting with you and them, or ultimately suggest a possible instructor change. In any case, the resolution of your issue is the sole objective.
• If you have gone through all the channels, addressed your concerns promptly and in a clear manner and still feel as though no improvement has been made, only then should you consider a change in flight schools. Never use your experiences at a single school or with a single instructor to determine your willingness to continue flight training.
Above all else, remember that if you are not being treated properly, or feel as though learning would be better served with another instructor, YOU ARE THE CUSTOMER! Respectfully request that issues be addressed, a meeting be held between you, management and your instructor, or a change of instructor take place to ensure joyful, quality training is taking place. Enjoy your learning.
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These words were penned by Jimmy Buffett 40 years ago in a song entitled “A Pirate Looks at 40” telling how a young boy longed for a life on the sea. I grew up in land-locked Fleming County, Kentucky. There was no local harbor with ships taking cargo and passengers to stir a young boy’s imagination, but there was the sky above. Out in the hay and tobacco fields where I grew up I would stare at each passing airplane from the time I first heard it, until it would disappear in the distance. For each one I wondered where they came from, where they were going, and what adventure awaited them over the horizon. I dutifully watched Sky King use his Cessna 310 named the Songbird every Saturday on TV battling the bad guys from his Flying Crown Ranch in Arizona. Like Sky, I was raised on (and still live on) a farm, but I was born to fly.
Sunday was the 30th anniversary of my 30th birthday. I soloed Cherokee 5568F in 1975 so I have spent nearly 2/3 of my 60 years flying little airplanes. I have flown in (or over) 47 of the 50 states including a memorable flight in a rented Cessna 172 over the Kilauea Volcano in 2005.
My bride of 30 years and I have made several trips to the islands of the Bahamas. We embarked on our “Millennium Tour” in 2000 where we started by flying to Memphis spending time listening to the Blues on Beale Street before moving on to San Antonio to see the Alamo. We flew N44647 up over Oklahoma and stopped for fuel in Oakley, Kansas where the taxiway to the FBO takes you through a John Deere dealership. We continued on up to Rapid City, South Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore where, even though it was June, we were greeted on the ramp by line personnel wearing insulated coveralls. We had brought only summer clothing so we shivered in the 45 degree weather visiting with George, Thomas, Teddy and Abe.
From there we went to Mitchell, South Dakota and saw the Corn Palace (yes it is a place) and its crop art murals. After visiting friends in Rochester, MN, our next leg took us to Meigs Field in Chicago to visit the museums just a short walk away. This was three years before Chicago Mayor Richard Dailey committed the largest act of vandalism in our nation’s history by ordering the city’s bulldozers, on a Sunday night, to destroy the airport’s runway. I have not spent one dollar in Chicago since that night even though I often have to fly to O’Hare airport (KORD) to transfer flights on the airlines. I am sure the city misses my business.
The log books are filled with visits to large airports with acres of concrete to numerous grass strips and their acres of well – acres. I have learned many lessons in the physics of flight. I’ve gotten lucky more than a few times and discovered good judgment comes from experience but that experience, more often than not, comes from bad judgment. I have learned the most valuable things in a pilot’s bag of tricks are airspeed and altitude, while take offs are optional, landings are mandatory and if you think you might need fuel – you probably do. Bob Hoover tells us all to fly the airplane as far into the accident as possible and you might be surprised how well things work out. Benny Mallory taught me that if I had 70% of my takeoff speed half way down a grass runway I would likely clear the fence posts at the end. If I did not? I should probably use that last half of the runway for stopping.
I now know the only place you have to be is where you are and that no matter where you are stranded you will likely find a friendly pilot, who has been stranded themselves and needed a friendly pilot; and that I should be that friendly pilot when I find a stranded pilot. I have learned to make funnels from old oil containers and to ALWAYS double check the master switch before walking away from an airplane. I now understand when flying into a busy, non-towered airport yielding the right of way may make more sense than taking it. And just because the FBO is supposed to be open at 4PM on a Sunday afternoon, it is best to call ahead and confirm.
Your goal may be to fly for the airlines. You want to get in the left seat of something with a hand full of throttles and fly that blazingly fast aluminum tube full of strangers to their destinations and if so, I doubt you will find much useful in my flying experiences. But if you are a kid – in the middle of a field – looking up – wondering where that little airplane is going – where have its passengers been and what adventure awaits them – just know that one day you can be that pilot. Your pilot’s license is worth the considerable time, effort and money it takes to earn. Mine is.
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Working at Sporty’s Academy occasionally affords some opportunities that I probably wouldn’t otherwise see. Last week at AirVenture 2014 in Oshkosh, I was afforded one of those opportunities. Thanks to the generosity of Sporty’s founder, Hal Shevers, I had the chance to spend some time with another generous aviator, world-renowned aerobatic pilot, Sean D. Tucker.
…… –Sean D. Tucker & Young Eagle (EAA/Team Oracle photo)
You may know Sean as one of the best air show pilots in the business, but did you also know that he is the current Young Eagles Chairman? Sean has held this title since AirVenture 2013 when he took over from Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles. Only a few people have held this title over the years and Sean is as hard working as they come.
In an August 1st, 2013, article on EAA’s AirVenture news website, Mr. Tucker was quoted as having this to say about his role as chairman: “I will be the voice, but it’s the men and women who volunteer their time that really make this program so successful,” he says. “I want to honor them; they are the unsung heroes.”
According to the Young Eagles website, more than 1.8 million kids have enjoyed a free flight with one of these volunteer pilots since the program was introduced in 1992. Over the last 5 years Young Eagles have also received the added benefit of free online access to Sporty’s Learn to Fly course. This is the same Learn to Fly course that adult students will pay $199.99 to prepare them for the knowledge, oral, and practical exams. Nearly 27,000 Young Eagles have taken advantage of this benefit meaning that Sporty’s Pilot Shop has given away over $5 million in free courses to youth in the program.
If you are a pilot and you would like to volunteer to fly Young Eagles, contact your local EAA chapter or find out more at YoungEagles.org. Young Eagles is a great way to give back to the aviation community and perhaps ignite the passion for aviation in a young person in your community.
Speaking of community and igniting passion, Sean uses the Young Eagles program as a stepping stone to further experiences in his own community. Sean’s passion for the Young Eagles program and the youth of his community are obvious when you talk to him. In fact, Sean even has a Cessna 152 to allow the underserved and at-risk youth in his community to gain experience up to their first solo flight. He tells me that the kids must first take a Young Eagles flight and gain access to the Sporty’s Learn to Fly course. Sean then tells the kids, “do your homework” because they aren’t allow to fly in his program until they get that done. Sean likes the fact that the Sporty’s course gives the kids and this program a structure to follow. “It’s not like reinventing the wheel, because you guys have already invented it.”
Sean was telling me about his program as we climbed out to the north of Oshkosh in the Oracle Extra 300L for an aerobatic lesson. Remember that generosity that I spoke of in the beginning of this article? It started with Sean donating an aerobatic flight to the Young Eagles auction. Sporty’s founder, Hal Shevers, placed the winning bid at the auction. Hal loves to fly and is very passionate about giving to the future of aviation but he prefers to keep the sky over his head when flying. Hal asked if I would like to go for a flight with Sean and I jumped at the chance. The generosity of these two aviation legends and the volunteer Young Eagle pilots that they help support should be an inspiration to us all! Thank you one and all!
Now, I need to go and fly some Young Eagles for my own little part in giving back to aviation.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/05182736/AirVenture-2014-07-007-scaled.jpg14432560studentpltnewshttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/17092615/FTC_Redesign_2025_WhiteRed_WEB.pngstudentpltnews2014-08-04 12:34:222021-06-08 19:23:47Giving Back to Aviation
Voice your opinion now to stop the elimination of Area Forecasts
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in coordination with the National Weather Service (NWS), has submitted a notice to the Federal Register announcing its intent to transition seven Area Forecasts (FAs), used as flight planning and pilot weather briefing aids to digital and graphical “alternatives”. Existing potential alternatives identified in the recommendation include surface weather analysis and prognostic charts, public forecast discussions, Significant Weather charts, National Digital Forecast Database, Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs), and Airmen’s Meteorological Information. It’s worth noting that the proper use of the suggested alternatives is not yet available.
The FA is an abbreviated, plain-language forecast of specified weather phenomena, covering a geographical area designated by the FAA and produced by NWS. The FA is used to determine en-route weather and to estimate conditions at airports that do not have a Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) which are, in fact, most airports. The limited availability of TAFs makes the FA vital to those airports utilized heavily by general aviation aircraft.
While it’s safe to assume that pilots already use many of these suggested alternatives during normal flight planning, there is critically important information contained in FAs not readily available in suggested alternative reports. FAs continue to serve an important role in gathering complete weather information for a specific route of flight especially for general aviation pilots.
The value of area forecasts is when used in conjunction with a number of the suggested alternative weather reports and vice versa. The critical importance of FAs is in the necessity to interpolate conditions at airports which do not have a TAF. In addition to TAFs being issued at relatively few airport locations as mentioned above, TAFs only include weather conditions expected to exist within five statute miles of the center of the airport’s runway complex.
The limited area serviced by TAFs represents only about 1.5% of the contiguous United States based on the current number of TAF sites. Further, TAFs tend to be issued at major airports with air carrier service and therefore, the general aviation community must rely heavily on FAs for interpolating conditions at airports not served with a TAF and for complying with regulations related to flight under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).
FAR 91.169 – alternate airport requirements for IFR flights – specifically requires an alternate airport be filed when certain weather conditions are forecast to exist at the airport of intended landing. Further, FAR 91.169(c) requires certain weather conditions be forecast to exist at the chosen alternate airport to conduct an IFR flight. Without the existence of an FA, compliance with FAR 91.169, as well as the fuel requirements for IFR flight contained in FAR 91.167, would conceivably be impossible if operating to any airport not served by a TAF.
Area Forecast content remains critical in building a complete weather picture. The FA Synopsis section may make references to low ceilings and/or visibilities, strong winds, or any other phenomena that the forecaster considers useful. The VFR Clouds/Weather section may contain elements on sky condition to include coverage, cloud bases and cloud tops. Cloud top information would not be available in any other resource with the exception of Pilot Reports which remain scarce among the general aviation community. Categorical outlooks continue to provide clear guidance on expected conditions and any phenomena that would result in MVFR or IFR conditions for en route weather and all airports not served by TAFs.
While suggested alternative weather products may provide similar information as contained in an Area Forecast, an equivalent level of information is not available in all cases. This information remains critical to flight safety and in particular, to pilots operating at airports not served by TAFs. Until an equivalent and readily accessible level of information is available, Area Forecasts should continue to be issued for the existing seven forecast locations.
Please provide comments by August 4, 2014 to:
Kevin Stone
National Weather Service
1325 East West Highway, Room 13342
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
301-713-1726 X130 [email protected]
or
Michael Pat Murphy
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
Aviation Weather Center
7220 NW 101st Terrace, Room 101
Kansas City MO 64153
816-584-72048 [email protected]
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Learning to fly is hard, challenging, nerve-racking (at times), but also a lot of fun. When I was first taking flight lessons, my head was full of questions. Most of which I was either afraid to ask or had forgotten by the time I drove to the airport. Let’s face it, many instructors are underpaid and overworked, and may be the single most influential person in your flight training history. I had some amazing instructors, but there are a few details that they might have missed that you may find helpful as you’re advancing through your flight training.
It will cost more than what is quoted.
Flight Schools do have to compete with other flight schools. As a result, they often will try to quote a best-case scenario price. Sure, if you can get your private license in the minimum amount of flight time that estimate may be accurate, but the average license usually requires much more time. For me, the largest portion that I didn’t consider was the materials investment. You will need a headset, charts, plotter, fuel tester, books, training course, flashlights and a load of t-shirts to brag about being a pilot. Obviously, these are not included in most quotes. Plan on having approximately $500-$1200 invested in gear by the time you have your checkride.
Some of the things learned during training will never be used again.
Much like having to learn calculus or advanced economics, there are things that must be taught to fulfill FAA requirements that you’ll probably never use in real life. I remember filling out my first cross-country plan form with waypoints and headings and leg times. I really questioned my future job choice if I had to do this for every single flight. Looking back, I’m glad I learned it, but it would have been less intimidating if I knew this was more for show than for future use.
If you are planning to get a job flying commercial airlines know that the starting pay is terrible.
Choosing aviation as a career path has its advantages, but starting pay is not one of them. After investing tens of thousands of dollars (if not more) into your flight training, your starting pay will probably be less than if you were working full time at a fast food restaurant. Not to discredit the burger makers, but think about that next time you hop in a regional airliner. The guy in the right seat probably also has a part time gig to help make ends meet.
You can save a lot of money by using a training course.
Flying requires a lot of knowledge, some of which is not taught in a cockpit. Attending a concentrated ground school or buying a video-based training course will save you a lot of money in the long run. Instructional rates vary from $30 to $65+ per hour. A good training course will save you tons on ground instruction and help your instructor focus more on flying and less on teaching regulations.
No matter the hurdles you face during your flight training, don’t let them deter you from joining the rank of pilot. Flying is an amazing experience that few are lucky enough to enjoy. Welcome to the club.
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Stop and smell the avgas
/in Having fun/by studentpltnewsWe all set goals as pilots, whether it’s completing the first solo, earning a private pilot certificate or simply getting current again. There’s nothing wrong with that (in fact, I think it’s part of what makes flying so rewarding), but we need to be careful that the destination doesn’t overshadow the journey.
I was reminded of this timeless lesson recently, and all it took was a grass runway and a trailer…
This summer I took part in the annual pilgrimage to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the AirVenture fly-in. Like many pilots, the flight to Oshkosh is the highlight of my year—a chance to make a fun cross-country flight, to meet new friends and to see what’s happening in aviation. It should be on every pilot’s to-do list.
As your flight instructor has probably mentioned, stronger than forecast headwinds should immediately set off alarms about fuel planning, and they did for us. Chicago now looked unreachable, so we began the search for an alternate fuel stop—a task made very easy by modern iPad apps and panel-mount GPSs. After considering a few options, I remembered a small airport in northwestern Indiana that I had almost landed at before. It has the distinction of being one of the few public airports in America with an instrument approach to a grass runway.
Since I have a real affection for grass runways in the country, we headed for this new goal: Lowell Airport (C97). The iPad said they had fuel, but a call on Unicom didn’t raise anyone. With a shrug, we flew on and soon landed, trying to hover as close to the self-serve fuel pumps as we could get. It was time to get fuel and keep heading for Oshkosh—after all, we had a schedule to keep and the winds were not helping.
The only problem? Those self-serve fuel pumps weren’t very self-serve. With no sign of a credit card reader anywhere, we walked up the hill to the “FBO,” which was really just a trailer by the parking lot. No one answered our knock, and after walking in the open door, it immediately became apparent that no one was at this airport.
I had already made one bad decision by not planning my alternate airports better and not verifying that fuel was available. Now the temptation was strong to make another bad decision and fly to the next closest airport to find fuel. But after double-checking my fuel burn math and the fuel gauges (at my personal minimums), I made the call that we were staying put—one way or another, we were getting fuel at Lowell.
We eventually found a phone number inside and got an airport employee to agree to come fuel us, but we were told it would be half an hour before he could make it. My initial reaction was impatience and frustration: could we still make Oshkosh when we wanted to?
I had been so focused on hitting our schedule that I had forgotten why we were flying in the first place. The whole point of Oshkosh is getting there, not checking something off your to-do list. And what better way to soak up aviation than to spend some time at a throwback airport like this?
So with a newfound patience and an open mind, I wandered around the airport to admire the surroundings. When help finally did arrive, we found the man to be an absolute delight. After mentioning that they don’t accept credit cards, he casually offered that we could send a check in the mail when we got back from Oshkosh. “I trust you guys,” said this complete stranger. Try that move at your local BP station!
After initially hurrying to get in and out of Lowell, we were now reluctant to leave a place that seemed to embody so much that is right about general aviation. We made it to Oshkosh just fine, but I spent the rest of the trip a lot less worried about details and a lot more focused on being in the moment. In the end, this speed bump turned out to be a much-needed wakeup call for me.
It’s a reminder that, whether you’re struggling with crosswind landings or trying to master VOR navigation, flying is not about written tests and checkrides. Checking off goals is great, but being a pilot is really about mastering a challenging task, becoming a better person and (most importantly) enjoying the ride.
So next time you find yourself focusing too much on your aviation goals, stop and smell the avgas.
Own your training experience
/in Get Started, Personal stories/by studentpltnewsI have written several times about topics concerning students and their learning process or about how to find the right flight school for you. Unfortunately, once training begins, students often feel as though they are on a one way track that has no options or ways to change. Nothing could be further from the truth. A quality flight school will understand your concerns that you are having with your flight instructor as well as accommodating any changes that you will request as a result. When two people who have never met socially begin to work together as a team, there are bound to be problems. Your flight school and your instructor have seen this before.
Having a problem with your instructor should never be a reason to abandon or delay your training. Remember, YOU are the customer! Here are some suggestions on how to proceed.
• First, try and be open with your instructor about your feelings or concerns about the relationship or training material. If your instructor is a true professional, this is not the first time he/she has addressed a student’s concerns. The most common area for friction between and instructor and student is miscommunication. Whether it is the instructor’s style, tone, or word choices, most of the time if you are feeling put off, put down, or upset at the situation, it was likely unintended or a difference in style. Start with asking your instructor for a few extra minutes at the end of a lesson. Address your concerns directly, making sure to use clear terms on how you are feeling and what it is that you would like from your instructor.
• If you have addressed your concerns and feel like there has been little or no change, then don’t hesitate to contact the flight school manager or chief flight instructor. This person’s job is to make sure the instructors are doing what they are supposed to and ensuring that you are getting the experience that you expect. Customer service issues fall squarely in their purview and they are concerned with your experience at their school. Your issue should be addressed with great tact and privacy so any feelings or concerns that you have about going around or over your flight instructor are unwarranted. These issues are handled with professionalism and can only get better if they are discussed openly. The manager will either choose to counsel the instructor privately, as a group setting with you and them, or ultimately suggest a possible instructor change. In any case, the resolution of your issue is the sole objective.
• If you have gone through all the channels, addressed your concerns promptly and in a clear manner and still feel as though no improvement has been made, only then should you consider a change in flight schools. Never use your experiences at a single school or with a single instructor to determine your willingness to continue flight training.
Above all else, remember that if you are not being treated properly, or feel as though learning would be better served with another instructor, YOU ARE THE CUSTOMER! Respectfully request that issues be addressed, a meeting be held between you, management and your instructor, or a change of instructor take place to ensure joyful, quality training is taking place.
Enjoy your learning.
A pilot looks at 60
/in Having fun, Personal stories/by studentpltnewsMother, Mother Ocean
I have heard your call.
Wanted to sail upon your waters
Since I was three feet tall.
My bride of 30 years and I have made several trips to the islands of the Bahamas. We embarked on our “Millennium Tour” in 2000 where we started by flying to Memphis spending time listening to the Blues on Beale Street before moving on to San Antonio to see the Alamo. We flew N44647 up over Oklahoma and stopped for fuel in Oakley, Kansas where the taxiway to the FBO takes you through a John Deere dealership. We continued on up to Rapid City, South Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore where, even though it was June, we were greeted on the ramp by line personnel wearing insulated coveralls. We had brought only summer clothing so we shivered in the 45 degree weather visiting with George, Thomas, Teddy and Abe.
I now know the only place you have to be is where you are and that no matter where you are stranded you will likely find a friendly pilot, who has been stranded themselves and needed a friendly pilot; and that I should be that friendly pilot when I find a stranded pilot. I have learned to make funnels from old oil containers and to ALWAYS double check the master switch before walking away from an airplane. I now understand when flying into a busy, non-towered airport yielding the right of way may make more sense than taking it. And just because the FBO is supposed to be open at 4PM on a Sunday afternoon, it is best to call ahead and confirm.
Giving Back to Aviation
/in Having fun, Personal stories/by studentpltnewsWorking at Sporty’s Academy occasionally affords some opportunities that I probably wouldn’t otherwise see. Last week at AirVenture 2014 in Oshkosh, I was afforded one of those opportunities. Thanks to the generosity of Sporty’s founder, Hal Shevers, I had the chance to spend some time with another generous aviator, world-renowned aerobatic pilot, Sean D. Tucker.
…… –Sean D. Tucker & Young Eagle (EAA/Team Oracle photo)
You may know Sean as one of the best air show pilots in the business, but did you also know that he is the current Young Eagles Chairman? Sean has held this title since AirVenture 2013 when he took over from Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles. Only a few people have held this title over the years and Sean is as hard working as they come.
In an August 1st, 2013, article on EAA’s AirVenture news website, Mr. Tucker was quoted as having this to say about his role as chairman: “I will be the voice, but it’s the men and women who volunteer their time that really make this program so successful,” he says. “I want to honor them; they are the unsung heroes.”
According to the Young Eagles website, more than 1.8 million kids have enjoyed a free flight with one of these volunteer pilots since the program was introduced in 1992. Over the last 5 years Young Eagles have also received the added benefit of free online access to Sporty’s Learn to Fly course. This is the same Learn to Fly course that adult students will pay $199.99 to prepare them for the knowledge, oral, and practical exams. Nearly 27,000 Young Eagles have taken advantage of this benefit meaning that Sporty’s Pilot Shop has given away over $5 million in free courses to youth in the program.
If you are a pilot and you would like to volunteer to fly Young Eagles, contact your local EAA chapter or find out more at YoungEagles.org. Young Eagles is a great way to give back to the aviation community and perhaps ignite the passion for aviation in a young person in your community.
Speaking of community and igniting passion, Sean uses the Young Eagles program as a stepping stone to further experiences in his own community. Sean’s passion for the Young Eagles program and the youth of his community are obvious when you talk to him. In fact, Sean even has a Cessna 152 to allow the underserved and at-risk youth in his community to gain experience up to their first solo flight. He tells me that the kids must first take a Young Eagles flight and gain access to the Sporty’s Learn to Fly course. Sean then tells the kids, “do your homework” because they aren’t allow to fly in his program until they get that done. Sean likes the fact that the Sporty’s course gives the kids and this program a structure to follow. “It’s not like reinventing the wheel, because you guys have already invented it.”
Now, I need to go and fly some Young Eagles for my own little part in giving back to aviation.
FMI
YoungEagles.org
Video: Meet Sean D. Tucker: Young Eagles Chairman
FAA proposal could eliminate critical forecast information
/in Personal stories, Regulations/by studentpltnewsVoice your opinion now to stop the elimination of Area Forecasts
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in coordination with the National Weather Service (NWS), has submitted a notice to the Federal Register announcing its intent to transition seven Area Forecasts (FAs), used as flight planning and pilot weather briefing aids to digital and graphical “alternatives”. Existing potential alternatives identified in the recommendat
ion include surface weather analysis and prognostic charts, public forecast discussions, Significant Weather charts, National Digital Forecast Database, Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs), and Airmen’s Meteorological Information. It’s worth noting that the proper use of the suggested alternatives is not yet available.
The FA is an abbreviated, plain-language forecast of specified weather phenomena, covering a geographical area designated by the FAA and produced by NWS. The FA is used to determine en-route weather and to estimate conditions at airports that do not have a Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) which are, in fact, most airports. The limited availability of TAFs makes the FA vital to those airports utilized heavily by general aviation aircraft.
While it’s safe to assume that pilots already use many of these suggested alternatives during normal flight planning, there is critically important information contained in FAs not readily available in suggested alternative reports. FAs continue to serve an important role in gathering complete weather information for a specific route of flight especially for general aviation pilots.
The value of area forecasts is when used in conjunction with a number of the suggested alternative weather reports and vice versa. The critical importance of FAs is in the necessity to interpolate conditions at airports which do not have a TAF. In addition to TAFs being issued at relatively few airport locations as mentioned above, TAFs only include weather conditions expected to exist within five statute miles of the center of the airport’s runway complex.
The limited area serviced by TAFs represents only about 1.5% of the contiguous United States based on the current number of TAF sites. Further, TAFs tend to be issued at major airports with air carrier service and therefore, the general aviation community must rely heavily on FAs for interpolating conditions at airports not served with a TAF and for complying with regulations related to flight under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).
FAR 91.169 – alternate airport requirements for IFR flights – specifically requires an alternate airport be filed when certain weather conditions are forecast to exist at the airport of intended landing. Further, FAR 91.169(c) requires certain weather conditions be forecast to exist at the chosen alternate airport to conduct an IFR flight. Without the existence of an FA, compliance with FAR 91.169, as well as the fuel requirements for IFR flight contained in FAR 91.167, would conceivably be impossible if operating to any airport not served by a TAF.
Area Forecast content remains critical in building a complete weather picture. The FA Synopsis section may make references to low ceilings and/or visibilities, strong winds, or any other phenomena that the forecaster considers useful. The VFR Clouds/Weather section may contain elements on sky condition to include coverage, cloud bases and cloud tops. Cloud top information would not be available in any other resource with the exception of Pilot Reports which remain scarce among the general aviation community. Categorical outlooks continue to provide clear guidance on expected conditions and any phenomena that would result in MVFR or IFR conditions for en route weather and all airports not served by TAFs.
While suggested alternative weather products may provide similar information as contained in an Area Forecast, an equivalent level of information is not available in all cases. This information remains critical to flight safety and in particular, to pilots operating at airports not served by TAFs. Until an equivalent and readily accessible level of information is available, Area Forecasts should continue to be issued for the existing seven forecast locations.
Please provide comments by August 4, 2014 to:
Kevin Stone
National Weather Service
1325 East West Highway, Room 13342
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
301-713-1726 X130
[email protected]
or
Michael Pat Murphy
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
Aviation Weather Center
7220 NW 101st Terrace, Room 101
Kansas City MO 64153
816-584-72048
[email protected]
Four things most instructors won’t tell you during your training
/in Get Started, Personal stories/by studentpltnewsLearning to fly is hard, challenging, nerve-racking (at times), but also a lot of fun. When I was first taking flight lessons, my head was full of questions. Most of which I was either afraid to ask or had forgotten by the time I drove to the airport. Let’s face it, many instructors are underpaid and overworked, and may be the single most influential person in your flight training history. I had some amazing instructors, but there are a few details that they might have missed that you may find helpful as you’re advancing through your flight training.
Flight Schools do have to compete with other flight schools. As a result, they often will try to quote a best-case scenario price. Sure, if you can get your private license in the minimum amount of flight time that estimate may be accurate, but the average license usually requires much more time. For me, the largest portion that I didn’t consider was the materials investment. You will need a headset, charts, plotter, fuel tester, books, training course, flashlights and a load of t-shirts to brag about being a pilot. Obviously, these are not included in most quotes. Plan on having approximately $500-$1200 invested in gear by the time you have your checkride.
Much like having to learn calculus or advanced economics, there are things that must be taught to fulfill FAA requirements that you’ll probably never use in real life. I remember filling out my first cross-country plan form with waypoints and headings and leg times. I really questioned my future job choice if I had to do this for every single flight. Looking back, I’m glad I learned it, but it would have been less intimidating if I knew this was more for show than for future use.
Choosing aviation as a career path has its advantages, but starting pay is not one of them. After investing tens of thousands of dollars (if not more) into your flight training, your starting pay will probably be less than if you were working full time at a fast food restaurant. Not to discredit the burger makers, but think about that next time you hop in a regional airliner. The guy in the right seat probably also has a part time gig to help make ends meet.
You can save a lot of money by using a training course.
Flying requires a lot of knowledge, some of which is not taught in a cockpit. Attending a concentrated ground school or buying a video-based training course will save you a lot of money in the long run. Instructional rates vary from $30 to $65+ per hour. A good training course will save you tons on ground instruction and help your instructor focus more on flying and less on teaching regulations.
No matter the hurdles you face during your flight training, don’t let them deter you from joining the rank of pilot. Flying is an amazing experience that few are lucky enough to enjoy. Welcome to the club.