HONORING THE BEST IN FLIGHT INSTRUCTION

02.14

SPECIAL ISSUE

flighttraining.aopa.org

FLIGHT TRAINING
EXCELLENCE AWARDS

2013
BEST SCHOOL • BEST INSTRUCTOR
HONOR ROLL

FEATURING
Best Flight School p. 34
Best Flight Instructor p. 40
Full List of Winners p. 32
CONTENTS flighttraining.aopa.org
VOLUME.26 / NUMBER. 2 02.14

32
FEATURES AWARDS RECIPIENTS
AOPA's Flight Training
Excellence Awards winners.
The good, the best, and the very best.

29
COVER STORY »
FLIGHT TRAINING
34
ALL FOR YOU
'Community' is this flight school's
middle name.
San Carlos Flight Center is the
winner of the "Best" flight school
award—here are some reasons why.
EXCELLENCE By Jill W. Tallman
AWARDS
Celebrating the best
in the industry. 40
AOPA asked student pilots to rate their flight DREAM MAKER
training experience in the Flight Training
Excellence Poll. Here are the results. Why Conor Dancy is flight
instructor of the year.
By Ian J. Twombly Can a top flight instructor help a
harried student pilot? He can if
he's Conor Dancy of Aviation
Adventures.
By Julie Summers Walker

See page 29.

"THE ANSWERS
YOU GAVE WERE AT
TIMES WONDERFUL
AND INSPIRING,
AND OCCASIONALLY
CRINGE-WORTHY AND
DISAPPOINTING."
—IAN J. TWOMBLY

Honoring tHe best

in FligHt instruction
02.14

special issue
flighttraining.aopa.org

ABOUT THE
COVER » FLIGHT TRAINING
EXCELLENCE AWA
RDS
The Flight Training
Excellence Awards. 2013
best scHool • best
Honor roll
instructor

Featuring
Best Flight School p.
34
Best Flight Instructor
p. 40
Full List of Winners p.
32

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING /1

 CONTENTS flighttraining.aopa.org
VOLUME.26 / NUMBER.2 02.14

DEPARTMENTS
4M
 ember Benefits 44 Weather
Protect yourself as an Seeing beyond fog
aircraft renter By Jack Williams

22 Flight Lesson 53 A
 dvertiser Index
An odd cloud Aviation marketplace
By Terry Akins
56 D
 ebrief
23 Accident Report Col. Adrian Spain
Cold and calculating
By Dan Namowitz

22
COMMENTARY

6R
 ight Seat 24 A
 round the Patch
The very best Go large, go long
"IF THE By Ian J. Twombly By Heather Baldwin
TEMPERATURE
AND DEW POINT 8 Letters 26 F
 lying Carpet
ARE WITHIN 5 Let's be honest Easy IFR
DEGREES F OF EACH By Greg Brown

OTHER, AND IT'S

GETTING COLDER, PREFLIGHT
ADVANCED PILOT
SUCH AS IT DOES 47 Career Pilot
OVERNIGHT INTO 10 Fun on the Water
Oops, wrong airport
THE EARLY 12 Success Story By Pete Bedell
MORNING, WATCH News
OUT FOR FOG."

44 56
49 I nstructor Report
—JACK WILLIAMS 13 How it Works Training female students

By Rod Machado
14 After the Checkride

15 News 50 C
 FI to CFI
Abeam the Numbers Don't be the Big Bad Wolf
By Natalie Bingham Hoover
16 Training Products
51 Career Advisor
17 News
By Wayne Phillips
Final Exam

18 ASI News 52 Accident Report

The easiest thing
20 News By David Jack Kenny

47

FLIGHT TRAINING (ISSN 1047-6415), FEBRUARY 2014 (VOL. 26 NO. 2), is a monthly magazine produced and distributed by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Flight Training membership dues are $45 per year. Current FAA student pilot cer-
tificate holders can receive a complimentary six-month Introductory Membership by completely filling out a request form or by sending their name, address, student-pilot certificate number, and the name and address of their flight instructor and school
to P.O. Box 471, Frederick, MD 21705-0471. Periodicals postage paid at Frederick, Maryland, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Flight Training, P.O. Box 471, Frederick, MD 21705-0471. No material may be used or reprinted
without written permission. Printed in the USA. For change of address: Call 800-USA-AOPA or e-mail flighttraining@aopa.org

2/ FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
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A COMPLETE LIST of member
benefits is online (www.aopa.org/
membership/membership-options.
aspx).

PROTECT YOURSELF AS
AN AIRCRAFT RENTER

M
any pilots fly a rental or training aircraft with the assumption that insur- CFI INSURANCE. Whether you’re an
ance isn’t their responsibility—that the owner of the aircraft, the flight instructor/owner, borrowing or renting
school or FBO, is responsible. While it’s true the FBO or school insures aircraft, full-time or part-time, we can
the airplane, these businesses are protecting themselves, not you. provide comprehensive coverage for both
Often an aircraft renter is told he or she doesn’t need liability coverage—only $5,000 professional and personal use (www.
for aircraft damage. But here’s what that FBO doesn’t tell you: They have their own aopainsurance.org/cfi).
liability coverage and they aren’t worried about you— LIFE INSURANCE. We also protect you
the renter—being sued, as that won’t affect them. The and your loved ones in the air and on the
FBO will have hull coverage to cover the aircraft and ground with term life insurance, emer-
more than likely your $5,000 will simply cover their gency assistance, and AD&D insurance
deductible. (www.aopainsurance.org/life).
Buying renter’s insurance is quick and easy: PILOT INFORMATION CENTER. Experi-
Renter’s insurance ranges from $250,000/$25,000 to enced pilots and CFIs are available on
$1,000,000/$100,000 for liability coverage and optional our toll-free helpline (800-872-2672).
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makes protecting yourself and your assets the logical pilot-resources/pilot-information-
choice. For more information or to apply for a policy, visit center.aspx) for access to information
the website (http://aopainsurance.org/rent) or call 800- most often requested by our members.
622-2672. AOPA members earn a 5-percent discount. FLIGHT PLANNING. Robust flight-
planning capability; airport directory
MEMBERSHIP. Modify your student trial NEWSLETTERS. Customizable weekly information; and aviation weather for your
membership or take the next step and email newsletters offer aviation industry smartphone, iPad, or computer (www.
become an official member of AOPA. You’ll news, information, and tips. Sign up online aopa.org/flyq).
continue receiving all of the following (www.aopa.org/news-and-video/ WEATHER. Online graphical real-time
great benefits, services, and discounts newsletters.aspx). aviation weather information (www.aopa.
while supporting the organization protect- AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE. A wide org/weather).
ing your right to fly. Plus, student members array of interactive online courses, safety AIRPORT INFORMATION. Online
can join AOPA at a special reduced rate quizzes, webinars, and seminars to help directory with vital preflight information,
of just $25 (www.aopa.org/membership/ you increase your knowledge and become updated daily (www.aopa.org/airports).
membership-options.aspx). a safer pilot (www.airsafetyinstitute.org). LEGAL AND MEDICAL HELP. AOPA Legal
FLIGHT TRAINING HELPLINE. Dedicated AOPA LIVE. Weekly webcast show Services Plan/Pilot Protection Services
toll-free number (888-232-7456) for recaps the week’s news and showcases safeguards pilot and medical certificates
student pilot members to call for support, aviation feature stories (www.aopa.org/ from FAA action (www.aopa.org/pps).
aadvice, and answers to help you reach aopalive). AOPA FOUNDATION. Your tax-deductible
your flight training goals. CAR RENTAL DISCOUNTS. AOPA mem- donation provides funding for important
ADVOCACY. Taking on regulatory and leg- bers save on car rentals with our strategic work that membership dues alone cannot
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RIGHT SEAT By Ian J. Twombly
THE VERY BEST
JUDGED BY THEIR CUSTOMERS—YOU
T
his special issue of Flight Training is dedicated to the best
flight schools and flight instructors in the nation. It honors
those training professionals who, according to their students,
are the absolute best at what they do.
The training providers featured in this
issue are the winners of AOPA’s Flight
Training Excellence Awards. Those
awards were given as a direct result from
feedback of current and recent students
through an unscientific poll AOPA
conducted throughout last year. In it,
the association asked respondents about
more than 30 factors regarding their
flight training experience. Those results
were added on to a panel-scored verbatim
section to come up with three tiers of win-
ners—Best, Outstanding, and Honor Roll.
OK, so what, you may be thinking. I go
to a different flight school. The purpose of
the awards is twofold. From an industry
perspective they are meant to raise aware-
ness of the methods and tactics of great
flight training providers, in the hopes that
other schools and instructors will learn
what’s successful. But for you, the student,
the awards are equally important. That’s
because schools and instructors that score
well against the criteria provide a superior
product. Knowing this should empower
you to bring up at your own school. some
of the tactics used by the winners. It may
prompt you to go elsewhere for a better
experience. And it provides an avenue to
rate your current experience.
We say it a number of times in this
issue, but it bears repeating: Schools that
are shown to meet the poll criteria pro-
vide a better flight training product. We
know this from independent research into
the ideal flight training experience. It’s no
Check online (http://flighttraining.aopa.org/awards) for the next
poll to be held later this year. Your responses are critical for the
program—and your school and instructor.
6/ FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
big surprise that some basic themes come
through: An instructor who is interested
and involved, a school that is upfront
about costs and time to train; access to
simulation; a perception of value; intro-
duction to an aviation community; the use
of a syllabus, and so on. Whether or not
your school or instructor was a winner,
having these traits will greatly enhance
your success.
It was no question that winning flight
school San Carlos Flight Center has these
traits. Owner Dan Dyer is relentless in
pursuing the idea of the perfect school.
It comes through in everything a student
sees and does during flight training. Tech-
nical Editor Jill Tallman visited Dyer’s
California-based school for her story,
which begins on page 34.
To profile Conor Dancy, the best flight
instructor, we took a bit of a different tack
and sent Managing Editor Julie Summers
Walker up for a lesson. Walker has been
around aviation for more than a decade,
but her nervous flying habits would be
sure to put Dancy to the test. You can read
all about it, beginning on page 40.
Finally, don’t miss the full list of win-
ners, beginning on page 32. These schools
and instructors are the best at what they
do, as judged by the toughest panel—their
customers.
Email Editor Ian J. Twombly at ian.twombly@aopa.
org; Twitter: ijtwombly; and visit Flight Training on
Facebook.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE!
http://flighttraining.aopa.org
Publisher | Mark Baker
Senior VP, Media/Editor in Chief | Thomas B. Haines
Editor | Ian J. Twombly
Editor at Large | Thomas A. Horne
Managing Editor | Julie Summers Walker
Technical Editors | Mike Collins, Jill W. Tallman
Senior Editors | Dave Hirschman, Alton K. Marsh
Media Production Specialist | Sylvia Horne
Administrative Assistant | Miriam E. Stoner
Contributors | Pete Bedell, Greg Brown, LeRoy Cook,
Budd Davisson, Rod Machado, Dan Namowitz, Wayne
Phillips, Bob Schmelzer, Jack Williams
Design Director | Michael E. Kline
Art Directors | Elizabeth Z. Jones, Jill C. Benton
Senior Photographer | Mike Fizer
Photographer | Chris Rose
eMedia Managing Editor | Alyssa J. Miller
eMedia Editor | Sarah Deener
eMedia Associate Editors | Jim Moore, Benet Wilson
VP Advertising | Carol L. Dodds
Advertising Director | Brenda D. Ridgley
Online Advertising Manager | Michael Wilcox
Advertising Marketing Manager | Eryn Willard
Advertising Coordinator | Donna Stoner
Advertising Representative |
The Orison B. Curpier Co., Inc.
East, Central, International | 607-547-2591
South Central, West | 214-789-6094
Editorial and Advertising Offices
421 Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 21701
301-695-2350 / FAX 301-695-2180
email: flighttraining@aopa.org
Copyright © 2013, Aircraft Owners and Pilots
Association. All rights reserved. No part of this monthly
magazine may be reproduced or translated, stored in a
database or retrieval system, or transmitted in any form
by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
other means, except as expressly permitted by the pub-
lisher; requests should be directed to the editor.
This publication is presented with the understanding
that the information it contains comes from many sources
for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by
the publisher as to accuracy, originality, or completeness.
It is presented with the understanding that the publisher
is not engaged in rendering product endorsements or
providing instruction as a substitute for appropriate
training by qualified sources.
Flight Training will consider unsolicited submissions.
All manuscripts and contributions should be sent to
flighttraining@aopa.org. Reasonable care will be taken
in handling manuscripts, but the magazine assumes no
responsibility for material submitted.
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LETTERS Talk back
LET’S BE HONEST
REALITY CHECK, TIMES THREE
I
read Ian Twombly’s “Right Seat: Plan A” in the December issue.
I enjoyed what he had to say. I know AOPA is here to support
aviation, but I feel we owe it to our fellow pilots who are seeking
a career in aviation to be honest to them about the pros and cons
about the first steps into the regionals. A lot of regional pilots are
walking around depressed because of
such a large investment and big respon-
sibility of being a pilot and not being
compensated for what the job requires of
them, and the quality of life issues they
face. I thank you for being an advocate of
aviation but as the saying on the job goes,
“It’s the best job once the door shuts,”
and it shouldn’t be the only thing we talk
about. I would really appreciate an honest
report for the future generations on the
cons of being an airline pilot.
First Officer Erik Torrez
Topeka, Kansas
ARE YOU OUTSIDE IN, OR INSIDE OUT?
I’ve been fairly inactive as a flight instruc-
tor for the past few years, ever since I
landed a job flying wide-body Boeings
around the world. This past month, I had
some extra time off from work and one of
my friends who owns a local flight school
asked if I’d come help with some flight
training. I didn’t have much else going on
at home, so I decided to go help.
The first flight I did with a student
was a presolo stage check. One of the
maneuvers I asked him to perform was
the steep turn. He followed all the proper
set-up procedures, cleared the area,
and then began making the turn to the
left. Rolling past 30 degrees of bank, he
proceeded to add a touch of power and
continued to roll to 45 degrees. Then he
started a slow descent. I kept thinking he
was going to fix it any second, but by the
end of the first turn, he had descended
200 feet! I asked what he was looking at
during the maneuver and he said he was
splitting his view from outside and inside
8/ FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
WE APPRECIATE YOUR
COMMENTS. Please email letters
to flighttraining@aopa.org. Letters
will be edited for style and space.
to check his attitude indicator. I was
pretty sure he was spending at least 90
percent of the time focusing inside, so
I decided to try something different.
I took my sectional chart and covered up
all the flight instruments, and asked him
to do another steep turn. Since he didn’t
have anything to focus on inside the
cockpit, he spent the entire time looking
outside. The steep turn with sole refer-
ence on the actual horizon was perfect.
I peeked underneath the sectional a few
times; the altimeter and airspeed needles
never moved!
I know many of the new training air-
planes on the market these days have lots
of nice electronics and gadgets on them,
but it doesn’t change the fact that the best
information available to the pilot is right
outside the window.
Darren Murphy
San Antonio, Texas
YIKES!
Phil Scott’s “Aviation Speak” was very
interesting from the first sentence: “A
stall can occur at any speed [correct] and
any angle of attack [yikes!]." I am certain
I am not the only pilot that wrote about
this. I have been a CFI for a long time and
it is hard to believe that this made your
magazine. I believe it is collectively agreed
that a stall only occurs when you exceed
the “critical” angle of attack, not any angle
of attack. If Scott were correct I could
pitch an airplane straight down, build up
an airspeed of 130 knots, and the aircraft
can stall? Wow!
Mike Foy
Westfield, Massachusetts
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Several colleges and universities in the
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Directory (December 2013 Flight Training)
should have been designated as accred-
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State University should have included a
degree in air traffic control. Iowa Central
Community College (www.iowacentral.
edu), which offers an associate's degree
in aviation science/professional pilot, was
inadvertently omitted from the directory.
An updated College Directory is available
online (http://flighttraining.aopa.org/
magazine/2013/December/1312f_col-
lege%20directory2.pdf ).
Flight Training regrets the errors.

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING /9

PREFLIGHT
TRAINING NEWS AND NOTES

FUN ON THE WATER. If low and slow appeals to

you, then surely low and slow over—and on—lakes
and rivers will offer even more excitement. Pilots
agree that floatplane flying is some of the most fun
flying you'll ever do. It can be tough to find fixed-
base operators who offer solo seaplane rentals,
so if you truly become hooked, you may have to
buy a Taylorcraft or Piper J–3 Cub fitted with floats
to get your fix. Or you could build your own. The
Searey LSA Elite shown here is a high-wing, pusher
aircraft—meaning the engine is mounted on top
of the wing—and configured as a taildragger. It is
classified as a Light Sport Aircraft. While the Elite is
a factory-built version, Searey also sells a kit pow-
ered by a 100-horsepower Rotax 912s engine.

WHAT: Searey Elite

WHERE: Lake Jackson, Sebring, Florida
PHOTOGRAPHER: Chris Rose

10 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
DOWNLOAD THIS PHOTO » http://flighttraining.aopa.org

FEBRUARY 2014 / FLIGHT TRAINING / 11

PREFLIGHT»

NAME: Gail Hammans

AGE: 71
EVENT: Private pilot checkride
WHERE: Tulsa International Airport,
Tulsa, Oklahoma
AIRPLANE: Piper Cherokee 140

and I—having raised three families,

SUCCESS STORIES
'I finally made it’
A dream since he was 18
THE EXCITEMENT OF flying and being
around aircraft started at an early age
when my folks’ best friend returned from
World War II after having served as a
Corsair pilot. His stories and pictures
were spellbinding. I took my first lesson
at age 18. During the first lesson I was
told that needing corrective lenses would
prevent me from flying for a living, so I
placed my desires on hold and went on
with my life.
Completing military service in 1965,
I went to work for Continental Air-
lines as a ramp agent, then ramp safety,
ticket agent, and finally as a director
of passenger services. Finally, my wife
retirement upon us, and still in good
health—decided that it was time to relight
the fires or forget it. I bought, sight
unseen, a beautiful 1976 Piper Cherokee
PA-28-140, and after three CFIs, medical
setbacks, a daughter serving in Iraq and
later in Afghanistan, over a span of two
years I finally made it.
My private checkride examiner, Lee
Romanek, made that experience interest-
ing, educational, exciting, and downright
enjoyable. Flying is all that I ever thought
it would be—and much more.
Share your experience on Flight Train-
ing’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/
AOPAFlightTrainingMag).

NEWS BY IAN J. TWOMBLY

King Schools launches helicopter FIRC

Paperwork can be completed remotely

HELICOPTER FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS often have to get by with standard flight instructor MUCH OF
refresher courses that focus on airplanes. Now they have another option with THE COURSE
King Schools’ new helicopter-specific FIRC (www.kingschools.com/courses/ CONTENT WAS
flight-instructor/refresher-course.asp). DEVELOPED
The FIRC is a variation of the company’s main refresher course that launched in IN PARTNERSHIP
2012. Many of the overall themes remain, such as teaching risk management and
WITH HELICOPTER
conducting flight reviews, but each has been optimized for the rotorcraft environ-
ASSOCIATION
ment. Much of the course content was developed in partnership with Helicopter
Association International, including some new videos that present the topics in a
INTERNATIONAL.
scenario-based approach.
King Schools’ helicopter FIRC is available for $99, or $129 with paperwork process-
ing. That processing is done entirely online, with no paperwork to send in or notary
visit required.

12 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
 HOW IT WORKS BY IAN J. TWOMBLY

Airspeed indicator
Aviation’s speedometer

THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR is an indispensable cockpit instru-
ment. It’s one of the few required by the regulations to be
operational on all types of flights, which demonstrates its
significant role in keeping us safely flying. A quick glance at
aviation’s speedometer can tell us much about the current state
of the aircraft.
The airspeed indicator is the only flight instrument that
uses the pitot tube. It takes the air pressure that enters
the front of the pitot tube (more speed means more pressure)
and directs it to the back of the instrument. There, it meets
a closed disc or diaphragm that sits inside the back case.
That case is sealed, except for a small hole that is directly
connected to the static port. As a result, the pressure
that enters the pitot tube is compared to the static air
pressure.
The differential pressure is the key to the instrument’s
operation. A gear or series of gears is attached to the dia-
phragm, which is then connected to a needle that indicates on
the face of the instrument. What comes out on the calibrated
face is the speed of the airplane through the air.

TYPES OF AIRSPEED
Indicated—Read on the face of the airspeed indicator.

Calibrated—Indicated airspeed corrected for inherent

instrument errors. Can be obtained from the pilot’s
operating handbook.

True—Calibrated airspeed corrected for nonstandard

pressure and temperature; in other words, the actual
speed of the aircraft through the air.

Groundspeed—True airspeed corrected for wind.

AIRSPEED ERRORS
The airspeed indicator is prone to certain errors, usually as a result of problems with debris or ice on the pitot tube or static
source. A blocked pitot tube will cause the airspeed to go to zero. A blocked drain hole and pitot tube opening generally will
cause the airspeed indicator to read its last setting, but then act like an altimeter on any climbs or descents. A blocked static
STEVE KARP

port will cause the airspeed indicator to falsely display an increase in a descent and decrease in a climb.

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 13

PREFLIGHT»
AFTER THE CHECKRIDE
Get your wings wet
An instrument rating will make you a better, safer pilot
THE ENTIRE TIME you were learning to fly, you
were told to stay clear of clouds. Take your flying
to the next level by learning how to fly safely
within them.
Instrument flying is intensive and often physi-
cally exhausting as you learn to handle an airplane
while interpreting what’s going on by scanning
the instruments. You’ll work within the air traffic
control system in a whole new way.
CHECKLIST...
To take an instrument rating checkride, a pilot must:
• Hold at least a private pilot certificate;
• Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English;
• Log 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command
if training under Part 61;
14 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
And you’ll become an expert at instrument
approach procedures.
The instrument rating is a rigorous exercise,
requiring many hours of dual instruction, a knowl-
edge test, and a checkride. But it will offer far more
utility than any other rating or certificate you’re
likely to pursue. The first time you use the rating to
safely navigate instrument meteorological condi-
tions, you’ll be glad you put in the effort.
• Pass the required knowledge test;
• Receive and log appropriate flight and ground training from
an authorized instructor, and obtain a logbook or training
record endorsement to take the practical test. The specifics are
MIKE FIZER
laid out in FAR 61.65.
 NEWS
New bill would expand driver's license medical
AOPA/EAA third class medical petition now with Congress
AFTER NEARLY TWO years of
FAA inaction on the AOPA/
EAA third class medical
petition, Congress has taken
matters into its own hands,
offering up legislation that
would vastly expand the
number of pilots who could
fly without going through
the expensive and time-
consuming third class medical
certification process. Reps.
Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), a
member of the House General
Aviation Caucus, and GA
Caucus Co-Chair Sam Graves
(R-Mo.) on December 11
introduced the General Avia-
tion Pilot Protection Act. The
legislation would dramatically
expand the parameters for fly-
ing under the driver's license
medical standard. Rokita and
Graves are both AOPA mem-
bers and active pilots.
"We have waited far too
long for the FAA to expand the
third-class medical exemp-
tion to more pilots and more
aircraft," said AOPA President
Mark Baker. "Congressmen
Rokita and Graves stepped
forward to take decisive action
in the best interests of general
aviation when the FAA refused
to act. We appreciate their
outstanding leadership on this
ABEAM THE NUMBERS
465 miles
New private pilot Greg Kaiser’s
cross-country distance to attend a
reunion (page 24).
issue and look forward to see-
ing this bill move forward."
The General Aviation Pilot
Protection Act would allow
pilots to use the driver's
license medical standard for
noncommercial VFR flights in
aircraft weighing up to 6,000
pounds with no more than six
seats. That includes virtually
all single-engine airplanes
with six or fewer seats, includ-
ing Beech Bonanzas, as well as
many light twins like the Piper
Aztec, Beech Baron 55 and
58, and Cessna 310. By way of
comparison, most large SUVs
on the roads today weigh more
than 6,000 pounds and can
carry six to seven passengers,
making them larger than the
aircraft that would be operated
with proof of a valid driver's
license under the new bill.
Pilots would be allowed to
carry up to five passengers,
fly at altitudes below 14,000
feet msl, and fly no faster than
250 knots. The bill also would
require the FAA to report on
the safety consequences of the
new rule after five years.
"As a pilot, I am pleased
to introduce this important
legislation with my colleagues
and fellow pilots," said Rokita.
"This bill eliminates a duplica-
1929
Year of the first instrument flight
(page 44).
tive and therefore unnecessary
medical certification regula-
tion that drives up costs for
pilots and prevents the general
aviation industry from fulfill-
ing its economic potential."
"For many recreational
pilots, the FAA's third class
medical certification pro-
cess is nothing more than a
bureaucratic hoop to jump
through," said Graves. "It
discourages new pilots and
does not truly improve safety.
As a pilot, I have gone through
this process several times.
However, like all pilots, I am
responsible for determining
whether I am medically fit to
fly during the time between
my mandated medical cer-
tifications. Expanding the
current exemption makes
sense and will promote
greater recreational aviation
activity across the U.S. with-
out an impact on safety."
The bill was co-spon-
sored by Reps. Collin
Peterson (D-Minn.), Bill Flores
(R-Texas), Richard Hanna
(R-N.Y.), and Mike Pompeo
(R-Kan.). They are members of
the GA Caucus.
The legislative action comes
after the FAA has repeatedly
declined to rule on a March
30 knots
The crosswind component one Alaskan
pilot unsuccessfully tried to land in
(page 23).
FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING
2012 petition filed by AOPA
and EAA. That petition asked
the FAA to expand the driver's
license medical standard used
by sport pilots for nearly a
decade. Under the petition,
pilots would be able to operate
noncommercial VFR flights
in single-engine aircraft with
180 horsepower or less, four
or fewer seats, fixed gear, and
a maximum of one passenger.
To participate, pilots would
need a valid driver's license
and would be required to take
recurrent safety training to
help them accurately assess
their fitness to fly.
More than 16,000 over-
whelmingly favorable
comments were filed during
the public comment period
on the petition. But despite
strong support from the
aviation community and solid
evidence that the exemption
would maintain or improve
safety, the FAA failed to act, so
AOPA turned to supporters in
Congress for help.
Building support for the
General Aviation Pilot Protec-
tion Act will be critical to
its passage, and AOPA will
be calling on its members
to show their support at the
appropriate time.
/ 15
 PREFLIGHT»

TRAINING PRODUCTS

Time to study
A variety of test prep options

» guides from ASA have long

» There are almost as many test prepara-
POWERFUL LEARNING’S ONLINE PILOT TRAINING
tion courses as there are student pilots,
so finding the right one can be difficult. If
your preference is comprehensive courses
that are web-based and allow self-paced
learning, Powerful Learning’s Online
Pilot Training is worth a try.
Unlike crash courses that seek only to
cram the minimum information neces-
sary to pass, OPT was designed as a full
knowledge course. The course is split
into 62 modules. Each module covers
the applicable information with a user-
controlled audio slideshow. Questions
are peppered throughout to make sure
users are paying attention. The student
must also pass a 10-question quiz associ-
ated with each module, with a score of
80 percent or better. There are also two
ASA CHECKRIDE APPS.The oral exam
been a staple
for pilots prepping for their practical tests.
Now the company is offering the library
through a series of applications.
ASA’s Checkride Apps are available for
private, instrument, commercial, multi-
engine, flight instructor, helicopter, and
flight review. Each includes hundreds of
questions that users can quiz themselves
with in preparation for the oral exam
portion of the FAA practical test. Since the
application lives completely on the user’s
device, there’s no need for any sort of
Internet connection while using it.
Price: $9.99 each
final exams that require a passing score.
Contact: www.asa2fly.com; Apple App
Store
OPT includes a robust library that’s easily
accessible anywhere in the course with
a number of FAA handbooks, advisory
circulars, and other guides. There’s also a
handy flashcard mode that works equally
well for quizzing and learning material. A
concise answer is supplied as a traditional
flashcard style, but a detailed explana-
tion also is provided to further enhance
learning. You can try OPT for free with a
demo lesson that comes with a nice perk
of 10 percent off the final purchase if it’s
completed. The demo is very representa-
tive of the entire experience.
Price: $179; Flight Training readers get a
30-percent discount until February 28.
Contact: www.powerful-learning.com/
flighttraining

» FAA tests that it’s really niceThere

ASCENT GROUND SCHOOL. are times when you’re studying for the various
to prepare with questions over and over again. Many free
websites exist for this, but Ascent Ground School is an option with nice features.Since
there’s no login, it’s easy to drop in when you have anything from a few minutes to a few
hours. A set of core learning material is broken down into 14 chapters. Each subsection
includes a quick question to reinforce the training. Corresponding to each lesson is a
series of subject-specific flashcards and quizzes. The website also includes a nice FAA
library that the developer hopes to soon make searchable by title. With its great user
interface, adaptive design that makes it work well on any electronic device, and solid
information, Ascent Ground School is one to bookmark for your FAA knowledge test.
Price: Free
Contact: www.ascentgroundschool.com

16 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

» FLIGHT TRAINING APPS RELEASES
‘PRIVATE PILOT—GROUND PORTION’
If you’ve ever wanted to be a fly on the
wall of the ground session of a private
pilot checkride, Flight Training Apps
makes it happen in Private Pilot—Ground
Portion. High-quality HD camera work
employed in the company’s Private
Pilot—Flight Portion app (see “Preflight,”
December 2012 Flight Training) is at work
here as a designated pilot examiner sits
down with a private pilot applicant to
conduct the question-and-answer session.
There are no flying sequences, but the
app works hard to overcome what could
have been a static presentation. As the
examiner questions the student, pertinent
sections of the FARs appear on screen.
Chart segments illustrate flight planning
and lost procedures. Checklists pop up
during a discussion of emergency proce-
dures. A light gun signal chart appears
as the DPE and the pilot walk through a
scenario in which she has lost her radio.
The course is divided into eight
sections: eligibility; certificates and
documents; airworthiness requirements;
cross-country flight planning; perfor-
mance and limitations; national airspace
system; lost procedures and diversion;
and aircraft systems, as well as insights
from the examiner and a flight instructor.
Private Pilot Course—Ground Portion is
available for iOS, Android, instant down-
loads for PC and Mac, and DVD.
Price: $29.99
Contact: www.flighttrainingapps.com;
www.marvgolden.com
NEWS
'Flight Training'
contributor
publishes new book
CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSOR and
Flight Training contributor W. Scott Olsen
has answered the fundamental question
of why we fly in his new book Prairie Sky.
Ironically, Prairie Sky isn’t really a book
about flying. It’s a book about exploration
and the thrills of doing something unique.
With Prairie Sky, his tenth book, Olsen
has established himself as one of the coun-
try’s foremost creative writers on flying
and all things aviation. In it he eloquently
describes the landscape as seen from a few
thousand feet in a small airplane, in the
way we all try to do for friends and family
who don’t understand our passions. He
has the ability to take what many would
consider a normal flight and turn it into
something extraordinary. That’s primar-
ily because Olsen approaches the airplane
like Columbus approached a ship—as a
way to get to new worlds.
Prairie Sky should be required reading
on your next cancelled lesson. It’s avail-
able from the University of Missouri Press
(http://press.umsystem.edu) for $19.95 or
other online book retailers.
Europe-American
Aviation, Hodges
University partner
EUROPE-AMERICAN AVIATION (www.
skystead.com), based at Naples Municipal
Airport in Naples, Florida, will partner
with Hodges University (www.hodges.
edu) to offer a flight training component
with a bachelor’s degree in manage-
ment. Hodges University has campuses
in Naples and Fort Myers, and also offers
online degree programs. Flight training
was to be offered to students beginning in
January 2014, according to flight instruc-
tor Jon Wittoesch. Europe-American
Aviation offers Part 61 and Part 141 train-
ing using Diamond DA40s, a DA42, and a
Piper Lance.
Final Exam
Think you know your stuff? Quiz yourself
with some of these FAA test questions
1. VNO is defined as the
A. never-exceed speed.
B. normal operating range.
C. maximum structural cruising speed.
2. Which color identifies the normal flap
operating range on the airspeed indicator?
A. The lower limit of the white arc to the upper
limit of the green arc.
B. The green arc.
C. The white arc.
3. A stable air mass is most likely to have which
characteristic?
A. Poor surface visibility.
B. Showery precipitation.
C. Turbulent air.
4. To best determine general forecast weather
conditions covering a flight information region,
the pilot should refer to
A. aviation area forecasts.
B. weather depiction charts.
C. satellite maps.
5. If the airspeed is increased from 89 knots to
98 knots during a coordinated level 45-degree
banked turn, the load factor will
A. decrease, and the radius of turn will decrease.
B. remain the same, but the radius of turn will
increase.
C. increase, but the rate of turn will decrease.
6. Which instrument(s) indications will be
affected if the static port(s) become clogged?
A. Airspeed only.
B. Airspeed, altimeter, and vertical speed.
C. Altimeter only.
7. Frequent inspections should be made of
aircraft exhaust manifold-type heating systems
to minimize the possibility of
A. exhaust gases leaking into the cockpit.
B. a power loss caused by back pressure in the
exhaust system.
C. a cold-running engine because of the heat
withdrawn by the heater.
8. Which is true regarding flight operations in
Class A airspace?
A) May conduct operations under visual flight
rules.
B) Aircraft must be equipped with approved
distance measuring equipment.
C) Aircraft must be equipped with an ATC tran-
sponder and altitude reporting equipment.
Answers on page 53
PLUS Take the quiz.
FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 17
PREFLIGHT»

ASI NEWS

What goes up must come down

View the Air Safety Institute’s new Takeoffs and Landings video series
PROPER TECHNIQUES FOR safe and effi-
cient takeoffs and landing are judiciously
taught during flight training, but pilots can
lose some of those early acquired skills over
time. A new video series, made possible by
the Canadian Owners and Pilots Associa-
tion and the Donner Canadian Foundation,
unveils the finer points of practicing and
honing your takeoff and landing technique
beyond currency requirements. The first
installment in the series, Takeoffs and Land-
ings: Determining an Abort Point, helps you
learn how to choose an abort point if your
takeoff roll isn’t going as planned (www.
airsafetyinstitute.org/tol_abortpoint). Also
view the next three video segments on
short-field landings, normal takeoffs, and
crosswind landings, to understand simple
rules of thumb.
Think twice about ice
Take ASI’s Ice Flight Safety Quiz

YOU’VE LEARNED ABOUT the dangers of structural

airframe icing—and why it can accumulate quickly,
decreasing lift and increasing drag to the point where
continued flight is impossible—and heard of ways to
avoid a confrontation with ice. If you’re looking for
a fun and quick way to test your knowledge, take the
Ice Flight quiz, which involves a flight scenario up
the East Coast in an IFR-equipped Cessna 172RG.
You will quickly find out if you really know how to
anticipate areas of probable icing. It will also help you
explore what to do when faced with icing conditions
(www.airsafetyinstitute.org/iceflightquiz). This quiz
is made possible by AOPA Insurance Services.

New ASI Winter/Spring Seminar: Accident Case Study: Live Visit the website
(www.airsafetyinstitute.org/seminars) for dates and locations near you.

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KING_FT.indd 1 8/14/2013 10:57:40 AM

Renewing Your
CFI Certificate
Just Got a Whole
Lot Easier!
Announcing the AOPA Air
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Online Flight Instructor
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The FAA-approved eFIRC
offers unmatched benefits!
- Tablet-friendly
- Spread your training over
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- Receive credit for
completed AOPA Air
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and more included
No other course can match
ASI’s features, convenience,
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A DIVISION OF THE
AOPA FOUNDATION
PREFLIGHT»
NEWS
FAA issues final rule
on air carrier pilot
training
THE FAA, ADDRESSING a mandate from
Congress to update air carrier flight
training standards and regulations, has
published a final rule that stresses basic
pilot skills and better tracking of reme-
dial training for crewmembers to avoid
“events that, although rare, are often
catastrophic,” such as the February 2009
crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buf-
falo, New York.
The rule, to take effect March 12, 2014,
requires “ground and flight training that
enables pilots to prevent and recover
from aircraft stalls and upsets,” which
the FAA said would also affect future
simulator standards since all flight
training will be required in a full flight
simulator during all qualification and
recurrent training. The rule also requires
air carriers to use data to track the reme-
dial training given pilots found to have
“performance deficiencies, such as failing
a proficiency check or unsatisfactory
performance during flight training.”
Another provision is training for more
effective pilot monitoring. The rule
explains that “the pilot not flying must
monitor the aircraft operation.” Train-
ing under the new rule will enhance pilot
focus on runway safety procedures and
will expand crosswind training, “including
training for wind gusts.”
The FAA said the rule’s provisions stem,
in part, from the Colgan accident, and also
respond to the ensuing congressional man-
date to address flight crew training. The
agency identified 11 aircraft accidents over
a 22-year interval (1988 to 2009) including
Colgan 3407, American Airlines 587 (New
York City, November 12, 2001), USAir 427
(Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, September 8,
1994), Continental 1404 (Denver, Colo-
rado, December 20, 2008), and Comair
5191 (Lexington, Kentucky, August 27,
2006) that might have been prevented or
mitigated by the training requirements in
the final rule.
20 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
NEWS
AOPA opposes sleep
apnea policy
Rule would require screening
based on body mass index
AOPA IS ASKING the FAA to indefinitely
suspend implementation of a new policy
that would require some pilots to be
screened and, if necessary, treated for
obstructive sleep apnea before receiv-
ing a medical certificate. The screening
would initially apply to pilots with a
body mass index (BMI) over 40. Over
time, the FAA plans to lower the BMI
requirement, compelling more pilots to
be screened by a board-certified sleep
specialist. The policy is the result of
NTSB recommendations, but AOPA
argues that there is no evidence to sup-
port the need for such screenings among
general aviation pilots.
“This policy seems to be based on one
incident involving an airline flight. In
that case, the crew fell asleep and missed
their destination, but woke up and landed
safely,” said Rob Hackman, AOPA vice
president of regulatory affairs. “Analy-
sis of a decade of fatal general aviation
accidents by the General Aviation Joint
Steering Committee didn’t identify
obstructive sleep apnea as a contributing
or causal factor in any of the accidents
studied.”
AOPA has demanded that the FAA
withdraw the policy or submit it to the
rulemaking process, noting that there
was no public comment period before the
policy was announced. The new require-
ments potentially could affect thousands
of pilots, adding to the already significant
backlog for processing special issuance
medicals.
 NEWS

Shell reveals unleaded avgas

New formula 10 years in the making

SHELL AVIATION, a subsidiary of the multinational oil giant Royal Dutch Shell,
announced that its 10-year effort in the laboratory has produced a fuel that may put a
long-sought goal—once thought to be unattainable—within reach: a lead-free “perfor-
mance drop-in” replacement for 100LL that could power any aircraft in the piston fleet.
“That’s our definite goal,” said Michael Sargeant, avgas commercial aviation manager
for Shell Aviation. “We’ve tested it and had some exciting and successful tests.”
The lead-free formulation has a motor octane number (MON) above 100, a criti-
cal factor in formulating a fleetwide fuel that could power high-compression engines.
(Octane prevents premature ignition known as detonation, and is measured by more
than one scale.) Shell’s new lead-free formula has passed preliminary tests in Lycom-
ing engines on the ground, and a Piper Saratoga recently flew for about an hour on the
fuel—the first of many tests that will be required for certification.
The FAA has a goal of deploying a lead-free piston aviation fuel by 2018, although
Sargeant said the company may be able to achieve required approvals and start distribu-
tion sooner. “We believe two to three years might be possible,” Sargeant said. “That’s the
timeframe that we would love to work towards. The details need to be developed.”
Sargeant said another design goal is to keep the retail price similar to avgas, although
it is too early to know exactly what the new fuel would sell for. Shell has only just begun
conversations with the various regulatory agencies involved. The fuel will be submitted
for approval from the FAA, ASTM, and the European Aviation Safety Agency.
Shell is now among three companies that have announced unleaded formulations that
could replace avgas in piston aircraft in a matter of just a few years, pending additional
testing and regulatory approval. Shell is by far the largest of the companies known to be
developing unleaded aviation gasoline. Shell’s research team has been focused on find-
ing a single fuel that can work for all, rather than a multi-fuel approach with different
formulations to meet varying engine requirements.
“The industry doesn’t need bifurcation,” Sargeant said, noting that the company envi-
sions making it possible by licensing or other means for other petroleum producers to
manufacture and distribute the formula, which is made from existing components and
will not require major changes to the production and distribution infrastructure.
“We think the secret going forward is really working with as many experts as pos-
sible,” Sargeant said.

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 21

FLIGHT LESSON By Terry Akins
FLIGHT LESSON offers the
opportunity for pilots to learn
from the experiences of others.

At the same moment that I realized

what this thing was, the gust front hit me.
The wind sheared from a 15-mph tailwind
to a 25-mph headwind. Airspeed imme-
diately spiked into the yellow arc and my
little Musketeer was in an uncommanded
2,000-fpm climb while still in a level
attitude. I shoved the nose down, and the
tach went from 2450 to 2700. The words
of my CFII came to me from when we
were flying cross-country in instrument
meteorological conditions. “Don’t fight
the updraft with pitch, reduce power and

AN ODD CLOUD watch your attitude.” I reduced power to

keep from overspeeding the engine and I
was still climbing at 1,000 fpm.
LITTLE THINGS OFTEN BITE I fixed my eyes on the artificial horizon

T
wenty-five hundred feet mean sea level (msl), 1,500 feet in preparation for zero visibility, sure that
above ground level (agl), smooth air, 130 indicated at 65 this thing was going to eat me for lunch,
percent power, and my GPS is showing 146 knots over the when—as I passed under the cloud—the
ground because of a tailwind. I’m heading north into Mis- climb stopped. I skimmed the bottom
souri from a visit with my dad in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I left in clear of the cloud, keeping the airplane level
skies and cool morning air on the day after a summer scorcher. The by releasing forward pressure. Then the
humidity was 98 percent and last night’s thunderstorms were still thought hit me: Oh, no, this thing must
lurking to the north. For the past 30 minutes I had been watching the have a back side.
Nexrad as a blotch of bright red crossed the magenta line between Oh, yes—yes, it did. Just as I shoved
me and home. “No problem,” I said to myself, “these things run out of the throttle forward, the other side of
steam and fall apart this time of day.” It isn't always good to be right. this thing found me. Full throttle, nose in
climb attitude, and headed for the ground
Just 24 hours earlier, I was following Visibilities were greater than 10 miles, at 1,500 fpm. The sensation was just like
the same magenta line heading south. the air was smooth, and ceilings were so doing an autorotation in a rotary-wing,
That previous day I climbed to 8,500 feet far above me that I didn’t even bother to but this was my first autorotation-style
msl to catch the northerly winds up high check what they were. No clouds at my descent in a fixed-wing. The downdraft
and get out of the hot, humid air below. altitude, except—what is that odd cloud relented at roughly 500 feet agl, and I
The air at 8,500 was cool, cloudless, and up ahead? was able to resume normal flight, but the
smooth, but it was rough with thermals Wow, that’s an odd cloud. It’s all by itself, outflow from the storm had reduced my
below. I thought, This is going to kick halfway between the surface and the over- groundspeed from 146 knots to 109.
something up later. cast above, stretched across my path several This cold, dissipating storm outflow
Sure enough, by evening some nasty miles each direction. I wonder what kind of had a rolling wave at its leading edge as it
storms had built up to the northwest and weather anomaly would cause that? cut under the warm air blowing at it from
were headed southeast overnight. I kept I was about to find out. I was admiring the south. It’s similar to the dust cloud
a wary eye on them, but by the time I was what looked like a gray garden hose until you see rolling across the ground when
ready to leave on Sunday morning, red was I got close enough to see that this thing they implode a building with explosives.
mostly giving way to orange, which was was rolling backward as it moved forward. The cell that caused it had already moved
in turn changing to yellow. I decided to I was set to cross under this skinny little many miles off to the east, but it left this
launch at 8 a.m., as it looked like the path cloud (it was only about 600 to 800 feet in nasty little offspring in its wake. If not for
would clear ahead of me. diameter and four to five miles long) with my XM satellite weather, I wouldn’t even
An hour into the flight, the air was adequate VFR clearance. I could see that know what had caused it.
SARAH HANSON

smooth and the last red blotch on the there were no other clouds behind it. Clear In the future, I’ll stay well clear of odd
radar lay 20 miles east of my course from air. No big deal, right? Until I noticed the clouds near dissipating thunderstorms.
where it had crossed 10 miles ahead. backward roll of the cloud. They bite.

22 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
ACCIDENT REPORT Dan Namowitz
THE AVERAGE snowflake falls at a
speed of 3.1 miles per hour.

COLD AND CALCULATING

SLIPPERY CONDITIONS CAN CATCH YOU

T
he sun is dazzling, and a brisk breeze is snapping the wind- accident report. “Unable to circle to land
sock as you head for the airport the day after a winter storm into the wind, the pilot elected to land on
moved through the area. It’s been a few weeks since the holi- Runway 12 with a gusting quartering right
day interval created any opportunities for a cross-country or tailwind. During the landing roll, a wind
even just some simple practice sessions. So now, you’re headed to the gust pushed the nose of the airplane to
airport to fulfill that annual resolution to fly more. the right, and the airplane began to slide
momentarily on an icy patch on the run-
A certain fine edge of your flying skills slight crab during touchdown is too much. way. While sliding sideways, the left main
has been dulled by your sporadic fly- Ah, well, it was only technical impreci- landing gear contacted bare pavement,
ing opportunities. Landings inevitably sion, not a true safety concern…right? which resulted in the collapse of the left
unmask a slippage of skill more blatantly Not this time of year. main landing gear.”
than other elements of piloting. Passen- Snow melts rapidly on pavement under Winds were reported from “339 degrees
gers—who may not have been aware that this bright sun—and the crew does a great at 26 knots, with gusts to 35 knots.” The
your zigzagging track down the localizer job of scraping the surface bare—but NTSB added that “according to the pilot
course, or your one-dot-low positioning here and there an icy patch remains. And operating handbook for the accident
on the glideslope, wasn’t a great per- although daylight is increasing, the sun airplane, the maximum demonstrated
formance—are certain to notice if your need not be beneath the horizon before crosswind component for the airplane is
touchdown seems unduly interesting. temperatures plummet, the midday melt- 20 knots, and a plot of the current wind
You know that a slightly clunky arrival ing ceases, and wet patches harden into conditions at the time of the accident
is acceptable if the wind is high and traps for a sliding wheel. Under such sce- showed that the crosswind component
gusting. But don’t confuse making a firm narios, the adverse effects of drift or crab for the accident landing was 30 knots, 10
landing under lively conditions with a errors are greatly magnified. Throw in knots above the maximum demonstrated
failure to exercise precise control. Lapses some lingering post-frontal snow squalls component.”
you can get by with in warm-weather and variable wind directions and you Perhaps you have heard it pointed out
flying can put you on a very slippery slope have a tricky but common set of winter during hangar-flying sessions that a dem-
in winter. conditions. onstrated crosswind velocity is developed
Suppose you recall that the last time It’s not always the icy patch that gets in flight testing but does not constitute a
you landed in a gusty left crosswind, you you; sometimes it’s the bare spot waiting limiting value. That fine distinction did
had given yourself good marks for aggres- just beyond—especially if other condi- not stop the NTSB from assigning as prob-
sive rudder work to keep the aircraft’s tions have already teamed up to elevate able accident cause “the pilot’s decision to
nose (longitudinal axis) aligned with its the risk factor. A pilot landing a twin- land in wind conditions that exceeded the
direction of motion, but you were disap- engine Piper PA-31-350 in Dutch Harbor, airplane’s demonstrated crosswind capa-
pointed to find that your aircraft had Alaska, on February 16, 2013, “reported bility, which resulted in a loss of airplane
drifted half a wingspan downwind of the that during the flight the weather began control during the landing roll.”
runway centerline during the flare. Were changing and he arrived at the destina- Even if you have landed on slippery
you so fixated on tracking straight ahead tion airport in unforecast deteriorating surfaces many times without mishaps, and
that you failed to control bank angle to weather conditions,” said an online have tackled crosswinds near published
compensate for downwind drift? National Transportation Safety Board (if not limiting) values with ease, think of
Unsatisfied with that outcome, you gave the combined effect of those two win-
it the gun and flew another pattern. This Safety Quiz: Ice Flight ter hazards on an aircraft as if the wind
time during the landing you kept the air- were higher, the aircraft’s responsiveness
craft perfectly positioned over the runway Take a flight up the East Coast in an IFR- diminished, and the time available to
centerline, but a squeak of pique from the equipped Cessna 172RG and consider what make the save almost nil.
landing gear served to remind that even a you would do when faced with the icing Then go out and practice.
conditions on this flight in this Air Safety
Institute online Safety Quiz (www.aopa. Dan Namowitz is an aviation writer and flight
PLUS Hone your aeronautical
decision-making skills in this org/Education/Safety-Quizzes). instructor. He has been a pilot since 1985 and an
Air Safety Institute course. instructor since 1990.

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 23

AROUND THE PATCH By Heather Baldwin

GO LARGE, GO LONG
BREAKING THE COMFORT ZONE BARRIER

M
any of us are drawn to aviation for its promise of adventure, The return trip was no less uneventful.
but how many of us seek that adventure once the coveted Taking off out of Jefferson City to return
private pilot certificate is in hand? Adventure demands home, Kaiser entered clouds about 700
stretching the bounds of what is comfortable and famil- feet off the ground—more than 1,000 feet
iar, but so often as new pilots we are reluctant to stray too close to the lower than the METARs had reported.
edge of our comfort zones. Instead we fly well-worn paths to familiar He called ATC to request an immediate
airports, content in our mastery of these routes and the skills required return and, with winds calm and the air-
to navigate them. port deserted, accepted the controller’s
offer of a turn to land back on his depar-
And then there are folks like Greg Kai- scud run to Grove and instead sought the ture runway. When the ceiling finally
ser. In August 2013, with a mere 7.5 hours advice of a flight instructor at the FBO. inched up, enabling him to take off again,
of private pilot experience in his logbook, “It was 9 a.m. and he said things were he was forced to cruise at around 1,800
Kaiser loaded his wife and two children supposed to clear up by two or three feet for the first half hour or more until
into a rented Cessna 172P to attend a o’clock, so I had to make the decision,” the skies cleared. “It was lower than I
family reunion five hours and three states says Kaiser. “Do I wait until 2 p.m. or 3 was comfortable with,” he admits, “but
away. The trip—465 nm from Westosha p.m. and try to launch? Or just drive and the charts said I was safe and after about
Airport in Wilmot, Wisconsin, to Grove be there by 1 p.m.?” 20 minutes, it was no longer a big deal.”
Municipal Airport, Grove, Oklahoma, They drove. And that’s when he learned It was his final lesson of the trip—that
where scattered thunderstorms were fore- that sometimes foiled plans are the best redefining the bounds of comfort is one
cast—was one few novices would consider, possible outcome. “It worked out better of aviation’s great rewards.
let alone undertake. “My logic was that than if we had flown,” raves the unflappa- Kaiser says he is now eager to work
I’d passed the tests,” says Kaiser, “and you ble Kaiser. “The reunion ended a day early on his instrument rating and embark on
only learn by doing.” and we thought [that] since we have a car, another trip. That’s the thing about these
kinds of adventures, they make pilots
THIS APPROACH TO FLYING—GO LARGE, hungry for more. At a time when many
GO LONG, LIVE THE ADVENTURE—IS ONE flight schools say one of their tough-
THAT CREATES PILOTS WHO CRAVE MORE est challenges is keeping new private
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE, NOT LESS. pilots returning to the airport, we must
remember that this approach to flying—
He certainly learned. He learned let’s go exploring. We ended up discover- go large, go long, live the adventure—is
how to make a real-world emergency ing Lake of the Ozarks. We loved it and one that creates pilots who crave more
landing. Granted, it was for a bathroom want to fly back for another visit. It was a knowledge and experience, not less.
emergency for a 4-year-old and not a place we had always talked about going. We advocate caution and safety in our
mechanical malfunction, but the process Having the car let us finally get there.” industry and that is crucial, but could we
of quickly finding a nearby airport and perhaps do more to encourage venturing
slipping through 6,000 feet in two miles PLANNING AN ADVENTURE into the unknown and pushing outside
to get there felt, he says, like a very real- comfort zones within those bounds of
istic application of the procedure. Making a successful trip like the Kaisers safety?
He learned about tough decision requires a bit more planning than flying Kaiser thinks so. And he is now more
making under stress. As weather along to the next airport for breakfast. But even ready than ever to continue exploring
the route began to deteriorate, Kaiser the longest cross-country trip is simply a and stretching his limits, because wait-
diverted to Jefferson City, Missouri, bunch of waypoints strung together. There ing for him when he returned from his
about an hour from his final destination. are a bounty of resources available for trip was an envelope from the FAA: his
Low clouds and scattered storms per- flights of any length. Check out AOPA's official pilot certificate. A ticket to many
free flight planning resources, including
sisted and, although anxious to reach his more adventures.
an online planner and mobile application
reunion, he decided they’d stay the night  
online (www.aopa.org/flight-planning).
in Jefferson City. The next morning, with Heather Baldwin is a Phoenix-based writer and
ceilings still low, he fought the urge to (somewhat rusty) commercial pilot.

24 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
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FLYING CARPET By Greg Brown

PLUS View the slideshow of the

author's visit to San Antonio.

“EASY IFR” over West Texas (left). Wall mural at

San Antonio’s Mi Tierra restaurant (below).

EASY IFR in the clouds was unsettling, at best. Cow-

ering under a dripping wing, I phoned for
FLYING LOW CEILINGS AND RAIN one last weather update.

W
e awoke in San Antonio, Texas, to low ceilings and steady “The heavier precip ends just west of
rain. At bedtime last night, a massive stalled cold front San Antonio,” said the briefer to my relief.
curved eastward from El Paso in a great northerly arc to Even so, Jean and I cached rags within
Canada. Today’s forecast called for inches of regional rain, reach, draped a blanket and plastic under
thunderstorms, and flooding. the rear window, and pledged to land at
any sign of leaks. Then we launched into
Following a week touring Texas, Jean to Flagstaff. If not, a long westerly detour clouds and headwinds for El Paso. Sure
and I were eager to return home to Ari- would circumvent them IFR. Either way, enough, within minutes after takeoff we
zona; instead, it appeared we’d be stuck we had an instrument ticket home! exited the rain, and soon found ourselves
here for days. Futilely, we’d hoped the Where I live in sunny Arizona, pilots skimming cloud tops in and out of sun-
front would accelerate past during the spend far more time practicing instru- shine at 6,000 feet. Flying instruments
night, leaving clear skies and tailwinds ments than cloud flying, all to prepare rarely requires endless hours in solid
behind it. Now, resisting the urge to for occasions like this. Instrument sorties clouds; more often you transit to warm sun
roll over and sleep, I fumbled through a earlier this trip had confirmed my skills on top, coast between layers, or glimpse
weather briefing. Considering the gloom and equipment were up to snuff. Providing the ground through stunning cloudscapes.
outside, the news was surprisingly good. the weather remained near forecast, we When rain rematerialized on our data-
Yes, the front remained stationary as should make El Paso without difficulty. link weather display, I compared notes
forecast, but thunderstorms no longer In cold rain at San Antonio’s Stinson with Flight Watch radar and, collaborating
threatened. And while a few stations along Municipal Airport, we fueled the Fly- with air traffic control, detoured south
our route reported ceilings below 500 ing Carpet, stowed our drenched cockpit toward Del Rio to avoid it. That put us
feet, most were “easy IFR” at 800 to 1,500 cover, and loaded our soaked bags. My one back “in the soup” for a while, but with a
feet. Finally, the freezing level was high concern about facing hours of rain was smooth and uneventful ride.
enough to relegate any icing threat above that the Flying Carpet had once sustained “What’s that whining noise?” asked
our planned altitudes. While it meant bat- window leaks. The windshield had long Jean. I laughed. There’s nothing like
tling 500 miles of clouds and rain, it was ago been replaced and the rear window the whistle of wet Cessna wing struts to
entirely feasible to fly to El Paso on instru- resealed, but following years in bone- renew your relationship with clouds. No
ments. Beyond there, New Mexico was dry Arizona, new leaks seemed entirely longer threatened by weather or leaks, I
forecast to clear by afternoon. If so, we’d possible in a continuous downpour. Any found myself tremendously enjoying this
proceed visually through the mountains thought of water dripping on radios while extended instrument journey—I rarely

26 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
employ such skills anymore beyond pierc-
ing shallow coastal California marine
layers. Moreover, Jean and I could now
relax and talk. Upon arriving in San Anto-
nio two days ago, we’d enjoyed a pleasant
few hours sightseeing the Alamo and
historic San Fernando Cathedral. Yester-
day during Jean’s meetings, I’d toured
La Villita, San Antonio’s original Spanish
settlement, and the renowned River Walk.
But most memorable for both of us was
dining at 73-year-old Mi Tierra Tex-Mex
restaurant with compadres Joe and Gloria
Llanes. Along with great company and cui-
sine, the decor was unforgettable. Tinsel
and foil piñatas shimmered colorfully from
the ceilings. Toreador costumes decorated
the walls. Mariachis serenaded diners, and
patrons queued for treats in the bakery.
Best of all were fabulous wall murals pop-
ulated by famous Spaniards, Mexicans, and
Mexican-Americans through history. Just
as our previous destination of Fort Worth
reveres cowboys, San Antonio celebrates
its Hispanic heritage. That’s delightfully
apparent at Mi Tierra.
We’d now journeyed halfway to
El Paso at 6,000 feet, but continuing
westward toward the mountains neces- KEEPING PILOTS SAFE.
sitated carefully monitoring our charts
and eventually climbing to clear rising SAFEGUARDING THE
terrain. From here we’d need 10,000 feet FUTURE OF GA.
to proceed direct. To avoid ascending
unnecessarily into increasing headwinds,
I investigated minimum en route alti-
tudes along nearby airways. Sure enough,
a worthy alternative paralleled our route.
I negotiated direct Fort Stockton, then
Victor 222 to El Paso, at 8,000 feet.
Nearly four hours after takeoff, we
descended through clearing skies on an
instrument approach to El Paso Inter-
national Airport. We’d hardly landed
when Jean noted lingering mountaintop
clouds to the west. But by the time we had
topped our fuel tanks and coffee thermos,
they’d dissipated. Three long flight hours
remained, but from here the way was clear DONATE TODAY!
to Flagstaff and home. Call Toll Free 800-955-9115 or Donate
Online www.aopafoundation.org

Greg Brown is an aviation author, photographer,

and former National Flight Instructor of the Year.
(www.gregbrownflyingcarpet.com).

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 27

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FLIGHT TRAINING
EXCELLENCE AWARDS

2013
CELEBRATING THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY
» By Ian J. Twombly

A GOOD FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND FLIGHT SCHOOL have a significant impact

on a student pilot’s ability to finish flight training. Honoring those great flight training
providers—and helping connect them with other schools in an effort to increase the
quality of flight training across the country—is the focus of the AOPA Flight Training
Excellence Awards.
In 2013 AOPA asked you, as student pilots, to rate your flight training experience in
the Flight Training Excellence Poll. You answered the call to the tune of more than 3,300
poll completions spread over 508 flight schools and 956 flight instructors. Every ques-
tion focused on a specific aspect of learning to fly that is statistically proven to create a
positive flight training experience. The answers you gave were at times wonderful and
inspiring, and occasionally cringe-worthy and disappointing. In the end, three clear cat-
egories of winners emerged.
Best Flight School and Instructor: The winner of the Best Flight School and Instruc-
tor categories each scored the highest in their respective areas. And as each had dozens of
poll completions, the result was averaged over a large sample size. That made it clear the
winners provide an exemplary product.

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 29

 Outstanding Flight School and
Instructor: The winners in this upper tier
had a minimum of five reviews and scored
in the top 20 percent of all schools and
instructors.
Honor Roll: Schools and instructors
listed in the Honor Roll were shown to
provide a good flight training experience
through positive poll reviews that aver-
aged 70 percent or more.
FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE
TO STUDENT SATISFACTION
There are many reasons flight students perceive their training as valuable
or not. In the poll, AOPA asked students to rate their overall impressions of
flight training value. Their answers are then compared to a number of specific
factors, such as access to flight simulators, how many lessons were cancelled,
and so on. A clear correlation between these factors and a positive value
experience came through in the data.
OVERALL PERCEPTION OF FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONVALUE
Bad value No opinion Good value

INGREDIENTS OF GOOD INSTRUCTION.

Each question in the Flight Training
Excellence Poll was derived from research
into the ideal flight training experience,
which AOPA commissioned to better DID YOU HAVE ACCESS TO FLIGHT SIMULATOR?
understand why some students finish
flight training and others do not. In that
research it became clear that a number of Yes 3% 96%
key factors have a significant impact on
student success. Factors such as access
16% 63%
to a simulator, perception of value, and No 21%

accessibility of flight instructors play a 63%

16%
large role in how we feel about our overall
flight training experience.
The Flight Training Excellence Poll
was analyzed to determine how current DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN GROUND SCHOOL STUDY SESSIONS?
students feel about their experiences in
relation to those key factors that we now
Yes 4% 92%
know influence success. Value is a good
example. Poll respondents were more
likely to indicate they received a good No 27% 13% 60%
flight training value if they had access
to a simulator at a reasonable rate; were
provided ground school opportunities;

WAS YOUR FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR READILY AVAILABLE?

“THEY TAKE THEIR
TIME TO SHOW YOU Yes 4% 92%
THEIR FACILITY AND
AIRCRAFT. ALL STAFF No 64% 27% 9%
WORK TOGETHER
TO HELP THE
STUDENTS. THEY
ALSO TOOK THE TIME
HOW WELL WERE AIRCRAFT AND EQUIPMENT MAINTAINED?
TO INTRODUCE ME
TO OTHER STUDENTS
TO HELP WITH MY Very well 3% 95%

TRAINING.”
—SURVEY RESPONDENT Neutral 19% 28% 53%

Not well 48% 20% 32%

30 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
 “THEY BUILD DID YOU BELIEVE YOUR TIME WAS PUT TO THE BEST USE?
A GREAT
ENVIRONMENT Yes 3%
THAT MAKES YOU 96%

ALWAYS WANT
Neutral 21% 53%
TO BE AT THE 26%

AIRPORT—THEY No 64% 26% 10%

MAKE IT A
WONDERFUL
PLACE TO LEARN.”
—SURVEY RESPONDENT

WERE YOU GIVEN A SCHEDULING PROCESS

had access to flight instructors outside of TO PLAN YOUR TRAINING?
lesson times; were made to feel their time
was well utilized; knew what concepts Yes 4% 94%
to study before a lesson; were provided
with an appropriate lesson scheduling Neutral 28% 17% 55%
mechanism; and had access to reliable
rental aircraft. No 57% 24% 19%
Transparency also came through as
a key factor. Students who knew their
instructor’s background were more likely
to feel safe, for example. And those who
were provided with online weather
resources were more likely to trust their
instructor’s decisions regarding weather
and aircraft readiness. We already know
WERE YOUR LESSONS CANCELLED?
from the previous research that transpar-
ency about costs and the time involved to
finish flight training also are major factors Often/Sometimes 24% 21% 55%
for success. The charts on these pages
illustrate other important considerations Rarely/Never 3% 94%
that came through on the poll results.
After everything was tallied, the most
poignant finding was just how much
students at the winning schools love their
experience. Going to a great flight school
and working with a superb flight instruc-
tor really do matter, which is why we’re
proud to feature San Carlos Flight Center DID YOU RECEIVE A GOOD VALUE FOR YOUR INVESTMENT?
and Conor Dancy on the following pages
as the winners of the Best Flight School
and Best Flight Instructor, respectively. Male 5% 5% 90%

But if you don’t live in California or

Virginia, make sure to check out the full Female 2% 97%
list of winners on pages 32 and 33. Maybe
your school is there.

Ian J. Twombly is editor of Flight Training magazine.

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 31

AOPA'S FLIGHT TRAINING EXCELLENCE AWARDS RECIPIENTS

BEST BEST
FLIGHT SCHOOL FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR

2013 2013

San Carlos Flight Center Conor Dancy

San Carlos, California (SQL) Leesburg, Virginia (JYO)
www.sancarlosflight.com/

OUTSTANDING OUTSTANDING
FLIGHT SCHOOL FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR

2013 2013

Aviation Adventures Dileep Anne

Leesburg, Manassas, and Warrenton, Virginia (JYO, HEF, HWY) Denver, Colorado (FTG)
www.aviationadventures.com/
Ray de Hann
Panorama Flight Services Inc. Leesburg, Virginia (JYO)
White Plains, New York (HPN)
www.flypfs.com/ Kelby Ferwerda
Rochester, New Hampshire (DAW)
Riverside Flight Academy
Riverside, California (RAL) Eric Florence
www.riversidepilotsflyingclub.com/ Warrenton, Virginia (HWY)

Rochester Aviation Christopher Freeze

Rochester, New Hampshire (DAW) Oakland, California (OAK)
www.flyskyhaven.com/
Michael Gilbert
Sporty’s Academy Leesburg, Virginia (JYO)
Batavia, Ohio (I69)
http://sportysacademy.com/ Bob Hepp
Leesburg and Manassas, Virginia (JYO, HEF)
Summit Aviation Inc.
Bozeman, Montana (BZN) Randall Holliday
www.flysummit.net/ Bozeman, Montana (BZN)

The Flight School Inc. Robert Keleti

Houston, Texas (EYQ) Farmingdale, New York (FRG)
www.theflightschooltexas.com/
Buchanan Smith
Valley Aviation Leesburg, Virginia (JYO)
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (WBW)
http://flyvalleyaviation.com/ Brent Tuchler
Manassas, Virginia (HEF)
Western Air Flight Academy
Denver, Colorado (BJC)
www.flywafa.com/

Worcester Regional Flight Academy

Worcester, Massachusetts (ORH)
www.allenaviationllc.com/

32 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
 FLIGHT TRAINING
EXCELLENCE AWARDS

HONOR ROLL
2013

FLIGHT SCHOOL HONOR ROLL Orlandi Flight Center (1N7) Kenneth Fukayama (PRC)
Peak Aviation Center (COS) Jon Fussle (ASW)
Above All Aviation (SBA) Premier Flight Academy (BKL) Paul Georgelas (JYO)
Advanced Helicopter Concepts Inc. (FDK) Rainier Flight Service (RNT) Andy Geosits (SQL)
Aero Atlanta Flight Center (RYY) Redbird Skyport (HYI) David Hall (CSG)
Aero-Tech Inc. (LEX) Regal Air (PAE) Rich Harowitz (WBW)
AIA Flight center (CNO) Seminole Lakes (6FL0) Hal Harris (PWA)
Air Associates of Missouri (SUS) Sheble Aviation (A20) Dana Holladay (CRG)
Airborne Systems (FXE) Skill Aviation (UGN) Dave Hooper (3CK)
Airwolf (GMU) Skybound Aviation (PDK) Tom Horton (5K6)
All American Aviation Services (FAY) Skyline Columbus (CSG) Mitch Inmann (UTS)
American Flyers Atlanta, GA (PDK) Slipstream Aviation (RBD) Bob Kintner (RYY)
Andover Flight Academy (12N) Southern Maine Aviation (SFM) Darryl Knoop (RVS)
Angel City Flyers (LGB) Spencer Aviation (DLZ) Carson Lee (SFB)
Arizona Aviation Flight Services (FFZ) Sterling Flight Training (CRG) Adam Lockamy (SPA)
Aspen Flying Club (APA) Sunrise Aviation (SNA) Mark Makee (LNN)
Blue Line Aviation LLC (RDU) Sunstate Aviation (ISM) Danny Malcarne (SBA)
Blue Skies Flying Services (3CK) Superior Flying Services (SUW) Gary McBurney (APV)
Brazos Valley Flight Services (CLL) Superior Flight School Inc. (RYY) Barry Morris (SAC)
Brett Aviation (MTN) Tailwheels Etc. (LAL) Aaron Norris (JYO)
Cardinal Air (HBI) Takeflight Professional (FXE) Janine Nunes (BZN)
Century Air (CDW) Texas Taildraggers (AXH) John Nutt (BED)
Chandler Air Service (CHD) The Worcester Regional Flight Academy (ORH) Geoffery Orlandi (N17)
Chesapeake Sport Pilot (W29) TNT Air (N47) Kyle Pack (X04)
CP Aviation (SZP) United Flight Systems (DWH) John Panton (COS)
Dean International Inc. (TMB) University of Dubuque (DBQ) James Payne (AHN)
Destinations Executive Flight Center (RVS) University of North Dakota Aerospace (GFK) Bill Peterson (SBA)
Diamond Flight Center (U77) University of Oklahoma (OUN) Lynn Postel (BKV)
Dream Flight School (DMW) Utah Valley University Aviation (PVU) Taylor Price (HEF)
Eagle Aircraft (VPZ) Ventura Flight Training (FRG) Sophie Repolt (MSL)
Eagle Flyers Inc./Montgomery Aviation (TYQ) Waco Flying Service (ACT) William Rose (7B3)
East Coast Aeroclub (BED) Wayman Flight Training (OPF) Jason Schappert (X35)
East Hill Flying Club (ITH) Wings of Carolina Flying Club (TTA) Mary Schott (HYI)
Executive Flyers (SAC) Bill Schwabenton (HBI)
First Landings Aviation (X04) Michael Schwahn (BZN)
FL Aviation Center (TLH) Mike Schwartz (JYO)
Fleming Aviation (GAI) Ted Scott (RYY)
Flight Training Professionals (ORL) Todd Shellnutt (CSG)
Frederick Flight Center (FDK) FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HONOR ROLL Robert Shepanek (JYO)
GIFT Academy (F05) Asher Sherburner (RAL)
Glass Cockpit Aviation (BOI) William Allen (ORH) Bryce Siegel (CVO)
Hampton Ground School (7B3) Joel Anderson (HEF) Paul Smythe (LOU)
Heritage Aviation (SEG) Marc Ashton (O69) David St. George (ITH)
Horizon Flight Center (CPK) Sue Ballew (PAO) Kurt Stiefel (DBQ)
Hortman Aviation Services Inc. (PNE) Michal Bangert (W29) Mike Thomas (ITH)
Houston Flight Training (EYQ) Franklin Burbank (X04) Adam Valencic (X04)
Hub City Aviation (LBB) Kevin Carmody (HEF) Jack Vandeventer (TYQ)
Inflight Pilot Training (FCM) Ken Colston (RYY) John VanPasschen (EYQ)
Lanier Flight School (GVL) Kevin Cox (RDU) Steve Walker (F95)
Louisville Aviation (LOU) Damian DelGaizo (12N) Ryan Wangerin (DAW)
Lunken Flight Training Center (LUK) Andrew Dilworth (RHV) Fred Webster (BFL)
Maui Aviators (PHOG) Dan Dyer (SQL) David Werntz (EMT)
Montgomery Aviation (TYQ) John Ekhoff (HYI) Charles Wright (BED)
New Horizons Aviation (RDG) Brian Eliot (SQL)
Ocean Helicopters Inc. (F45) John Fadok (0A7)
Oklahoma Aviation (PWA) Art Fritzson (HEF)

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 33

 ALL FOR YOU ‘COMMUNITY’ IS THIS FLIGHT SCHOOL’S MIDDLE NAME

» By Jill W. Tallman
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD MORGANSTEIN

SAN CARLOS FLIGHT CENTER’S slogan is “Safety—Com-
munity—Adventure.” While it strives to place equal emphasis on
all three of those standards, SCFC might as well trademark the
“community” part. Offering everything from fly-outs to barbe-
cues to support groups for student pilots, the flight school puts
out the welcome mat in innovative ways. That emphasis on com-
munity is one of many reasons why SCFC was named Best Flight
School in the 2013 Flight Training Excellence Awards.
“If somebody comes by the office, it should be like stopping
by your buddy’s house,” says Dan Dyer, owner and chief flight
instructor. He founded SCFC at California’s San Carlos Airport
in 2012, starting with one airplane, one staff flight instructor, and
a half-dozen clients. Twenty months later, SCFC has 14 aircraft;
three simulators; three staff instructors and another 23 indepen-
dent CFIs on call; four line employees; and a receptionist. The
six or so clients mushroomed to about 175.

34 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
 PLUS Learn more about San Carlos Flight Center in this video.

Yet, even as the Part 61 flight school expanded, SCFC

DAN DYER, owner
never lost sight of its community. For example, even though of San Carlos Flight
the school uses an online scheduling system, Dyer still Center, wants SCFC to
wanted a friendly face at the front desk as a first point of be a pilot's home away
from home (top). SCFC
contact.“The connection is key,” Dyer says. “Somebody has offers shuttle service to
to walk in and say, ‘Hey, Bob, how was your flight to airplanes (right).
Monterey last week?’”
THE CLUB MODEL. SCFC is a for-profit
flight school that utilizes a membership
model widely practiced among flight
schools in the San Francisco Bay area.
Customers pay a monthly fee in addi-
tion to hourly aircraft rental and flight
instructor charges. Depending on the
flight school, they may or may not receive
additional benefits for their membership
fee—and they may belong to multiple
clubs so that they can rent and fly out of
different airports.
SCFC offers two levels of membership.
The base ($20/month) yields access to
members-only events, web streaming
of safety seminars, and unlimited use of
the school’s office areas for Internet use,
weather briefings, or flight planning, plus
discounts on merchandise and certain
training events. The next level ($40/ SIMULATOR room
month) includes those benefits plus dis- features a G1000 simulator
that helps pilots grasp the
counts on aircraft and simulator rentals, avionics before flying the airplane.
access to the school’s online flight sched-
uling system, and ability to act as pilot in MEMBERS can hone crosswind skills
on a special simulator.
command of a SCFC aircraft following a
checkout. Dyer likens the membership GROUND SCHOOL, safety seminars,
levels to Netflix. and many other events take place
in the main classroom.
“We run it as a club,” he says. “I think
that’s what pilots want to be a part of. BULLETIN BOARD reminds club members
Even pilots who own their own airplane about the many events they can attend.
want to be part of a club. Being a pilot is a FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR office. Any of
solitary responsibility, and yet it’s so much SCFS's CFIs can use this office to
fun to be alone in that responsibility with work with students.
a bunch of people. When you can bring
a bunch of lone wolves together, it’s an
exciting energy.”

SCFC FOUNDER DAN DYER

Dan Dyer came to aviation in a roundabout way.
In 2002, employed at a software company, he
realized he no longer liked his job. He cashed out
his stock options and quit. After mulling various
new career paths for a few months, he learned to fly helicopters
and eventually became a CFI. “I’d always done teaching or train-
ing at various jobs; I really loved teaching,” he says. In aviation,
he’d finally found “a subject worth teaching.”
Dyer added a fixed-wing rating while waiting to find a helicop-
ter CFI job. “I had no interest in [fixed-wing aircraft] before,” he
says. “I thought it was silly you had to keep moving or you’d fall
out of the sky. I started flying them, and they’re so easy and so
fast, and you can carry people and go great distances, and there’s
so many more jobs.”
He worked at other clubs in the San Francisco Bay area before
founding SCFC. Not surprisingly, Dyer struck out on his own so
that he could create the kind of club he’d want to belong to. “The
only reason the place exists is for members to have a great time,”
he says. “That seems like the final metric. If people are having a
great time, you’ll be successful, and if not, why do you exist?”

36 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
 SCFC Facts
Launch date:
March 2012
Number of
members: 175
Aircraft: 14
Instructors: 23
(20 independent;
three staff)
Line personnel: Four

FRONT DESK/LOBBY
Expect to be greeted immediately.

KITCHEN, where free drinks are

available from a large cooler.

CLASSROOM for pre- and

post-flight debriefs features large
blow-ups of the airspace around
San Carlos.

DAN DYER’S office faces the front

and he greets members as they
come in.

ALL HANDS ON DECK. That energy
extends throughout the organization.
SCFC’s schedule is bursting with events—
safety seminars, fly-outs, support groups,
and more (see “Seminars Like Nobody
Else,” page 36). And, in true club fashion,
Dyer and his staff invite all to become
BRYON THOMPSON
member who joined SCFC after earning
his private pilot certificate at another
flight school. “He’s got such an attitude
of ‘Let’s just do this!’ Every day he would
eat, think, and dream how to be the best
flight school, offer the best flight-line
experience, and the best ground-school
ship and, because he loves teaching, has
begun to assist Dyer with ground school
classes. He appreciates the camarade-
rie, too. “I like walking into a flight club
where either I feel like I know everyone,
or if I don’t know someone, I feel like I
can strike up a conversation with them. It

involved in SCFC’s many programs in experience.” seems like it’s encouraged here.”
whatever capacity they choose. Now working on a flight instructor Lisa Dyball joined SCFC’s roster of inde-
“What drew me initially was [Dyer’s] certificate, Patten belongs to a committee pendent flight instructors in 2012. While
enthusiasm,” says Herb Patten, a club that administers a flight training scholar- she has teaching privileges at other flight

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 37

 ‘SEMINARS LIKE
NOBODY ELSE’

“We do safety seminars like nobody else in the

country,” Dan Dyer says. “Last year, in the
San Jose FSDO area, we did 50 safety seminars
in the course of the year, out of a total of 58.
We just dominate in that.”
In November 2013, SCFC’s calendar looked
like this:
• Private pilot ground school
• Transition to tailwheel training
• Introduction to iPads in the cockpit
• Monthly barbecue
• Fly-out group lunch
• Student and new pilot support group
• Sound like a pro on the radio
• Three-day fly-out to Disneyland
• CFI roundtable
• Noise abatement procedures
• Cirrus SR20 aircraft systems workshop
• Cirrus Perspective familiarization
• Full moon fly-out
• Flying with your kids
• Tour of Oakland ARTCC
• Tour of San Francisco International Tower
• Dream trips and how to make them happen

schools, she estimates that she spends
about 95 percent of her time at SCFC.
“The big thing is the community of
flying [that] is one of the core values that
Dan has brought into aviation,” Dyball
says. “Other flight schools might just be
rental centers or have some kind of social
events here and there, but Dan tries to
make aviation an opportunity for other
people to build on their skills and explore
the world.”
THE MEMBER EXPERIENCE. Beyond the
friendly atmosphere at SCFC is a level
of customer service that Dyer and his
staff refine continuously. As an example,
line service workers coordinate mainte-
nance, fuel, and reposition aircraft—as
well as keep them spotless for the next
person on the schedule—and shuttle
pilots to their airplanes in a golf cart
named Flighty.
There’s never a hard sell of products or
services—in fact, SCFC doesn’t even have
a pilot shop because there’s already one at
the main airport terminal.
Dyer says he is a fan of Disney and its
ability to manage the customer experi-
ence at its theme parks. He flew his staff
to Disneyland for two days of customer
service training. “We spent a lot of time
talking about what is good customer
service and what’s not,” he says, and they
brought back ideas that they could incor-
porate at SCFC.
MARKETING FOR THE LONG HAUL.
Dyer believes in marketing and brand
awareness. He works with Terry Fiala, a
marketing and events manager, to ensure
that SCFC’s website, advertising materi-
als, and newsletter perpetuate the school’s
image in a consistent fashion. “We see that Jill W. Tallman is technical editor of Flight Training
as a way of communicating the way we
want things to be: professional, respectful,
but let’s not forget how fun this is,” Fiala
says.
SCFC had a marketing intern in 2013,
and Dyers says he’ll look for another one
this year. He invests in things like branded
merchandise and aerial tour advertise-
ments placed in hotel lobby kiosks.
“It took a long time before the first
referral came off those cards,” Dyer says.
“We could have pulled the plug on it after
six months, but awareness building is a
long-term game and you just have to stick
it out.” He equates marketing to mining
for gold: “It’s nothing, nothing, nothing,
and then you hit a nugget. If we build the
brand and the culture, it will be easier for
people to find us, since it’s hard for us to
find them.”
magazine.

38 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
WHEN YOU ENTER
San Carlos Flight
Center, the first things
you see are photos
and T-shirts that give a
sense of what it's like
to fly in the Bay Area,
including the lengthy
departure clearance.
Clockwise from top
right: Kyle Smathers
checks the aircraft
schedule. Flight instruc-
tor Lisa Dyball and
Matthew Herbert
debrief a flight.
Herb Patten (left) flies
an approach in the
multiscreen G1000
simulator with Dan
Dyer. The back wall of
the main classroom is
decorated with photos
from solos, checkrides,
flyouts, and other
events.

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 39

 BEST
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR

2013

DREAM MAKER WHY CONOR DANCY IS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR » By Julie Summers Walker PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS ROSE

40 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

SO HERE’S THE SET-UP: Take a “challenging”
student and hook her up with the best flight
instructor of 2013. Have her be at her most chal-
lenging, and then have her rate this 23-year-old
phenom on the criteria the Flight Training
Excellence Poll sought from its 3,375 respon-
dents. How would the winner do? And
would our heroine even make it through a
lesson (see “Flying with Conor,” page 42)?
Conor Dancy of Aviation Adventures in
Leesburg, Virginia, is the recipient of the
first AOPA Flight Training Excellence Award
for Best Flight Instructor. His fans scored
him higher than some 950 other instructors
from across the nation. The individual
PLUS Learn more about Conor Dancy in this video.
instructors were rated on 31 criteria
ranging from professionalism to
personality, safety issues to financial
concerns.
Four key elements concerned our
challenging student, however. First
was “first impression.” This was
especially important to our student as
she’s 55 years old and obstinate. Dancy
is 23 and is younger than her sons.
Second was “why him?” Why choose
this instructor if she could have anyone
in the nation? Third, how could he help her
become a part of the aviation community, feel
welcome, and assimilated as one of the gang?—a
desire expressed by many new students in the
Flight Training Experience research AOPA
conducted in 2010 (see “The Flight
Training Experience: Making
It Work,” March 2011 Flight
Training). Finally, what
characteristics of our
phenom should be
emulated by other
instructors? The
research also revealed
that CFIs can have the
most positive impact
on training—and a stu-
dent’s success rate.
FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 41
FIRST IMPRESSION. “Wow, young kid!”
That was one of the respondents to the
poll’s first impression of Dancy. And it’s
the truth. Not only is he just 23, but he’s a
young-looking 23. Like 12 maybe.
But never judge a book by its cover.
There’s a lot of substance under that baby
face. And knowledge. And experience.
And confidence. And intelligence. And
poise. He knows his stuff. He’s also not
bashful about letting it be known that he
knows his stuff. Yet there's no sense of
arrogance here. No sense of entitlement.
He’s been flying since he was 12 and grew
up in an aviation world (his father, Chris,
is the director of communications and
public relations at Helicopter Associa-
tion International and former director of
communications for AOPA). The younger
Dancy holds a bachelor’s degree in geology
from George Mason University in Fairfax,
Virginia, and graduated with a 3.4 GPA. He
has 2,000 flight hours and is a commercial
pilot ASEL and AMEL, Gold Seal CFI,
CFII, MEI, AGI, IGI—and he’s working on
his multiengine ATP. He is newly mar-
ried and expects his wife, Sam, to get her
private pilot certificate. “Anyone married
to me better learn how to fly,” he quips.
“He walked up to me with a smile and
put out his hand, introduced himself,
and said let’s talk about flying,” said one
respondent. “He is very personable and
professional.” Dancy has been instruct-
ing since he was 19 and has trained 14
students from start to finish, 12 of whom
passed their private pilot checkride on
the first try, which is why he is a Gold Seal
instructor (the FAA bestows this honor
on instructors who have recommended
at least 10 students in a two-year period,
eight of which must pass on the first
attempt). He also teaches pilots how to be
CFIs. He’s taught one multiengine student
so far and is currently working with one
initial CFI student and one CFII appli-
cant. He is now the chief flight instructor
at Aviation Adventures in Leesburg (the
school operates three locations)—a job he
took November 1, 2013.
He exudes confidence, and he has a
great sense of humor about his age and
looks. “You mean I look like a baby,” he
said.
WHY HIM? A lot of instructors can boast
the same credentials as Dancy—many,
probably even more impressive. Why
him? This respondent said it well: “I
chose Conor for two reasons: The first
was that I noticed that many of the
other—and more experienced—instruc-
tors came to him for guidance and advice
on aviation matters. That made it obvious
to me that he was knowledgeable in the
aviation field and since I had no flying
experience, I wanted the top guy in the
organization to train me. The second rea-
son I chose Conor was that I noticed that
his schedule was more busy compared
to the schedules of his peers, and that
indicated to me that the students were
satisfied with him as well.”
Dancy brings something to his instruc-
tion that is palpable—he truly loves to
teach. He’s an evangelist for flying in
that he can’t imagine why anyone would
not want to take to the skies. And while
he acknowledges that his upbringing in
aviation is different from 99.9 percent of
the population, he believes in spreading
the gospel of his chosen avocation. He’s
said that he would be happy being a flight
instructor for the rest of his life.
“He is a great teacher and made the
whole experience fun. Conor has a great
way of instructing that really helped me
grasp all of the concepts. Also, I obviously
didn’t want to die during flight training so
I clearly trusted Conor and was very com-
fortable with his safety skills.” Amen.
ONE OF THE GANG. Being part of the
aviation community was cited as one of
the key components to successful flight
training in AOPA’s industry study. The

FLYING WITH CONOR

I’m the “challenging” student. Unlike
many of my colleagues at AOPA, it
wasn’t a love of aviation that brought
me here; it was a love of magazines.
But I soon realized that key to being
a member of this group was a passion
for flying—a fear of flying wasn’t
going to cut it. So I gave it the old college try. I sweated out 65 hours of
training with various instructors—who sweated out hours of my shriek-
ing, panicking, manipulation, lying, crying, and obstinacy—only to get
felled by an illness that put the brakes on my student days. But some-
where along this turbulent path, I fell in love with flying—the sitting in
the right seat part. The getting there in half the time part. The look at what
you can see from up here part. Kinda like Flying Miss Daisy.
What we wondered about Conor Dancy was whether he knows some
magic that could help a freaky flier like me want to try out the left seat
again. I’ve flown right seat or “baggage compartment” for so many years
now that when I took the left seat with Dancy, I felt it should be his seat.
And I didn’t do very well, at least in my estimation. I grew antsy during the
preflight, agitated in the left seat, danced on the rudder pedals and brakes
so we jerkily tangoed up the taxiway, and plotzed at the run-up area.
Dancy stayed calm. “I’ve sat in the right seat so much more; you’re
safer with me here.” “I’m not going to let anything happen; I’m in here
too.” “You’re fine. You know what you’re doing.” “Stay on the centerline,
slowly on the throttle, pull on the yoke…look, we’re airborne! That was
perfect.”
But then I lost it. I said “Your airplane!” and for the next 45 minutes
whined about never being able to do this. Finally Dancy said, “You can do
this if you want to. You just have to want to. Do you?”
Flying with the nation’s number one flight instructor was pretty great.
There was a difference in instruction—I’ve been through my share of flight
instructors—but for me what sets Dancy apart is one thing. It may seem like
a small thing, but for me it is not: honesty. We all don’t have to be Top Gun,
or Amelia Earhart, or Buzz Aldrin. We just have to try, and we just have to
know our limitations. Dancy is a dream maker for many people, but he’s not
a dream killer, and that’s important too. —JSW

42 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
 ANDY PEARSON,
a 26-year-old from
Hamilton, Virginia,
(above on left) met
Dancy when he signed
up for CFI lessons.
They've become good
friends, and Pearson
says the friendship is
almost more important
to him than what he's
learning from Dancy.

camaraderie, friendships, and the feel-
ing of being part of a group are high on
the list of reasons why students seek
out aviation—and then choose to stay.
“Conor ensured that I was invited to many
planned trips, classes, and seminars. He
has also introduced me to many other
members at the school (senior aviators,
FAA instructors) who have included
me in various trips, seminars, and other
events in the aviation community,” said a
respondent.
Instructing is more than a paycheck to
Dancy. The airport is his home. Although
he has no ownership interest in Aviation
Adventures, the flight school he helps
run, he speaks of it as if it is his own. He
and the owners, Bob and Ronnie Hepp,
are “we” in his conversation, and any
plans or changes at the school are equally
his responsibility.
“He has included me in activities that
he does with other pilots and members
of the community. He wants me to meet
more pilots and network. He has done so
many positive things for me,” said another
survey respondent.
MORE LIKE HIM. When asked what it is
about Dancy that makes him stand out,
one word came to many: passion. It is
very clear that Dancy is passionate about
aviation. It makes one wonder how his
wife feels about her husband’s avocation.
After all, he flew off to Texas to accept his
award just two days before their wedding.
“She said she was OK with it as long as I
got back on time,” Dancy smiles. “I did. It
was quite a month for me.”
“Conor has invested a significant
amount of time in my success as a flight
student. He absolutely cares about each
and every one of his students. Conor is
very approachable and personable and
he is the type of individual who provides
unmatched value to the aviation commu-
nity, because of his passion for teaching
and the manner with which he carries
himself,” said a respondent.
Dancy says he has been working with a
student who turned out to be very fright-
ened when he got in the air—a surprise to
both the student and Dancy (the student
flies in helicopters regularly because of
his job but has no fear there). It’s become
Dancy’s personal mission to help him. So
far the student is spending a lot of time
in the simulator, a place where Dancy
says one can experience all those things a
student fears, work them out, and see the
consequences and the solutions. “Simula-
tor training has so much promise; it’s a
great addition to instruction,” he says.
His student is coming along.
As a respondent said of Dancy, “He
wants me to accomplish my dreams.”
Julie Summers Walker is managing editor of Flight
Training magazine.

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 43

WEATHER By Jack Williams
POINT REYES, California, has more
than 200 foggy days a year.

SEEING BEYOND FOG

HOW AN IMPENETRABLE WALL FORMS

A
s student pilots learn the first time they fly under a hood, retaining
control of an airplane—much less finding your way—is impossible
without being able to see the horizon and the ground. Impossible,
that is, without the equipment and training needed for what we call
instrument flying.

An instructor teaches a student the very
basics of instrument flying in a simulator and by
sitting next to the student in the airplane as the
student wears the visibility-restricting hood. An
instrument rating is well worth earning since
it will increase your flying opportunities and
safety. Even so, an instrument rating will not
make it safe to fly in all kinds of weather, such
as the obvious example of thunderstorms. And,
PLUS Try this Air no matter how skilled you become at flying on
Safety Institute instruments, fog could still ground you or pre-
interactive course to
help minimize risks vent you from safely landing or taking off.
associated with low We can trace instrument flying and training
ceilings and restricted
visibility. back to September 15, 1929, when a New York
Times headline announced: “Blind Plane Flies 15
Miles and Lands; Fog Peril Overcome.”
The story described how Army Lt. James
H. Doolittle had taken off, flown 15 miles, and
landed “without seeing the ground or any part of
his plane but the illuminated instrument board.”
During the flight the safety pilot, Lt. Ben Kelsey,
showed observers that he never took control by
keeping both hands on the cowling of the front
cockpit of the Consolidated NY-2 Husky biplane.
A canvas cover prevented Doolittle from seeing
anything outside the rear cockpit.
Doolittle used a sensitive altimeter, gyro-
scopic instruments, and radio navigation—the

44 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
basics of today’s instrument flying—for
what was called “blind” flying in the 1920s.
While Doolittle demonstrated that with
the proper instruments and training, pilots
could fly through clouds, he did not “over-
come the fog peril.” Thick fog produces
zero ceiling and visibility. That is, a pilot try-
ing to land in such conditions can see little
outside the airplane except fog. Ordinary
flight instruments don’t make this possible.
Until late in the twentieth century
pilots had no safe way to land with zero
or near-zero ceiling and visibility. Today,
to legally and safely land in thick fog you
have to be qualified to make Category
III C instrument landings, be flying an
airplane that meets stringent equipment
requirements, and land at an airport
equipped and approved for such landings.
THE AMOUNT OF water vapor the air can
hold before the vapor begins condensing
into water depends on the air’s tempera-
ture. The colder the air, the less water it
can hold. Ordinary reports of weather con-
ditions include the dew point temperature,
which is the air temperature at which the
water vapor in the air at the observation’s
time and place will begin condensing.
When the air chills to the dew point
temperature, water begins condens-
ing onto objects near the ground, such
as grass, to create the tiny water drops
called dew—thus the term “dew point.”
Meteorologists say that air is “saturated”
when it reaches the dew point tempera-
ture. When air becomes saturated above
the ground, water vapor begins condens-
ing on tiny, invisible aerosols in the air
such as dust to form water drops floating
in the air. High above the ground these
drops create clouds. At ground level, tiny
water drops floating in the air are called
fog. In other words, fog is a stratus cloud
that’s touching the ground.
The most common kind of fog forms
when humid air cools to the dew point.
This occurs in various ways, but one of
the most common is when heat radiates
away from the ground overnight, which
cools the air right above the ground to
the dew point. This forms radiation fog,
which is also called ground fog.
Radiation fog is most likely to form
when the sky is clear, which allows the
Earth’s heat to freely radiate away to
space. For fog to form, winds have to be
relatively calm. Brisk winds stir up the
air, mixing cold air next to the ground
with warmer air higher up and prevent-
ing the air from cooling to the dew point.
If the sky stays clear and the winds
light, radiation fog continues forming
until a little after sunrise when sunlight
begins warming the ground. This is why
the fog is often thickest around sunrise,
before sunlight begins burning it off.
Advection fog forms when light wind
pushes humid air across cold or snow-
covered ground, which chills the air to
the dew point. Widespread, dense advec-
tion fog can form when warm air moves
north following a storm that has covered
the ground with snow. (Meteorologists
use “advection” to describe the horizontal
movement of air or meteorological prop-
erties such as temperature or humidity.)
Upslope fog forms as air that’s mov-
ing uphill cools to the dew point as the
air’s pressure decreases to match lower
pressure aloft. You sometimes see streaks
of upslope fog on hills or mountains.
Thicker, heavier upslope fog forms when
humid Gulf of Mexico air gains eleva-
tion and cools as it flows across the Great
Plains from close to sea level to roughly
5,000 feet elevation on the eastern side of
the Rocky Mountains.
Water that evaporates from falling rain
or drizzle can increase the air’s dew point
to match the temperature of the sur-
rounding air to form precipitation fog.
Forecasting when and where fog will
form and how long it will last requires
detailed information about the atmo-
sphere—especially how much water vapor
is where. You should be ready for fog
when the temperature and dew point are
close together, the air is cooling off—or
having more water vapor added, such as
from evaporating drizzle—and the winds
are calm or nearly calm. If the expected
fog doesn’t form, take it as another
example of how tricky forecasting can
be. This is the reason for the general rule
pilots often hear: “If the temperature and
dew point are within 5 degrees Fahrenheit
of each other, and it’s getting colder, such
as it usually does overnight into the early
morning, watch out for fog.”
You’re flying at night to land around
dawn. The temperature at your arrival air-
port is now 59 degrees F and the dew point
there is 55. You should be ready to find fog,
possibly reducing the visibility to less than
a quarter-mile when you arrive.
Jack Williams is an instrument-rated private pilot.
His latest book is The AMS Weather Book: The Ultimate
Guide to America’s Weather.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: Fog Definitions

Mist is a visible aggregate of
minute water particles sus-
pended in the atmosphere that
reduces visibility to less than
seven statute miles but greater
than or equal to five-eighths of a
statute mile. METAR code: BR
Fog is a visible aggregate of min-
ute water particles that are based
at the Earth’s surface, which
reduces horizontal visibility to
less than five-eighths of a statute
mile. METAR code: FG
Freezing fog consists of super-
cooled water drops that
instantly turn to ice when they
hit something, such as an
airplane. METAR code: FZFG
Dense fog reduces visibility to
one-eighth mile or less over a
widespread area. This term is used
in public forecasts but not in
METARs and TAFs, which charac-
terize all obstructions to visibility
such as fog in terms of how far
you can see—“visibility.”

FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 45

Required Reading
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 ADVANCED PILOT
TAKING YOUR TICKET TO NEW FLIGHT LEVELS
CAREER PILOT
OOPS, WRONG AIRPORT
Easier to happen than you think
» By Pete Bedell
IT’S NOT UNUSUAL for the news media and the
public to hyperventilate over an incident such
as last November’s Atlas Air Boeing 747 Dream-
lifter landing at the wrong airport in Wichita.
But some pilots also were incredulous trying
WITH GPS AND ALL to understand how a crew of two professional
THE WIZARDRY IN pilots could screw up so royally.
THE COCKPIT, Non-airline-pilot friends of mine were
HOW DID THESE wondering why a giant airplane like this was
GUYS END UP on a visual approach. Many of them didn’t
believe that we airline types ever fly visual
LANDING AT THE
approaches. I can’t speak for all professional
WRONG AIRPORT?
pilots, but many of us do accept and fly visual
approaches. In fact, I prefer them when flying
into a familiar airport. It’s still a thrill to click
AP IMAGES
off all the automation and simply fly using the
seat of your pants and your eyeballs. Going from
an 8,000-foot midfield downwind to a smooth
landing in the touchdown zone is a great exer-
cise in energy management for us jet pilots. And
for controllers, the visual approach takes the
burden of vectoring and clearing aircraft for an
instrument approach off the table. It’s a win-
win for both groups—most of the time.
At night, it’s easy to get trapped by a beauti-
ful set of approach lights on display in front
of you, especially in an area such as Wichita,
where there are many runways running north
and south in the vicinity. McConnell Air Force
Base, Beech Factory Airport, and Col. James
Jabara Airport all have north-south runways
and are located within eight nautical miles
of each other. Beech lies between Jabara and
McConnell and the pilots initially thought they
FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 47
ADVANCED PILOT»
Jabara
Beech
McConnell
(intended
destination)
ONE LOOK at the sectional chart and it's easy to understand how a Dreamlifter
can land at a small airport.
had landed there. After several
exchanges with air traffic control,
the pilots figured out where they
were. After all, there were likely no
charts on board the airplane that
depict smaller airports, except per-
haps a low-altitude en route chart.
The nav database likely didn’t
depict Jabara.
This brings up another point
many pilots raise: With GPS and
all the wizardry in the cockpit,
how did these guys end up landing
at the wrong airport? Doesn’t the
airline have requirements to load
the approach into the flight man-
agement system even when flying a
visual approach?
The answer to the first question
is pretty simple: No matter what’s
set in the box, if you turn off all the
automation and fly visually, you’re
simply flying a 900,000-pound
Piper Cub. All you need is a wind-
shield, the seat of your pants, and
occasional glances inside to check
48 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
airspeeds for flap/gear deployment
and target approach speed. There’s
no alarm that will signal you are
flying an approach to the wrong
airport.
Most airlines do have a require-
ment for the crew to load an
approach in the box to have a
back-up display. But since the
runways at McConnell and Jabara
are the same alignment and Jabara
is located on the extended final for
McConnell, it probably appeared
to the crew that the airplane was
right on the magenta line depicted
on the nav displays. Throw in a
IFR QUIZ: LDA Into Hartford
Hartford-Brainard Airport (HFD) in Connecticut is home to one of the
most unique instrument approaches in the world. Try your hand at the
LDA (localizer directional aid) approach and see if you have the skills to
find the runway in instrument meteorological conditions in this Air Safety
Institute Safety Quiz online (www.aopa.org/asf/asfquiz/2013/131129/
ldaintohartford).
pretty set of approach lights on
a dark night, not much cross-
checking inside the cockpit by
either pilot—and next thing you
know, you’ve landed at the wrong
airport.
If it sounds like I’m defending
these pilots, I’ll admit that I am. It
is easy to confuse airports at night.
It’s easy to be lured by the siren
song of a well-lit runway after a
long day of flying. Throw in some
fatigue as many cargo pilots expe-
rience, and the temptation is even
stronger. I, too, have fallen for all
the same lures that likely trapped
these pilots. Thankfully, something
triggered my brain or my copilot
realized that something was amiss
well before we dropped in on the
wrong field.
Ironically, during the time that
the Dreamlifter incident occurred,
pilots were being vilified for
spending too much time eyes-
inside rather than flying visually.
“Pilots relying too much on auto-
mation,” the headlines read. This is
a perfect example of what can hap-
pen when pilots spend too much
time eyes outside at night.
All of us, at some point in our
careers, will do something dumb in
an airplane. Some will be dumber
than others. To err is human. To
say “That’ll never happen to me!”
is just an invitation for karma to
show up someday and remind you
to keep your ego in check.
Pete Bedell is a pilot for a major airline. He
holds type ratings in the BAe Jetstream 41,
Canadair RJ, and Boeing 737.
 INSTRUCTOR REPORT
Training female students
Never assume there's a difference—unless one becomes apparent
» By Rod Machado
HE NEVER LETS me preflight the air-
plane. He always assumes that I need
more help than I actually do during
my flight lessons.
These are just a few of the com-
ments I’ve received over the years
from female students regarding
male flight instructors. Clearly,
some male instructors aren’t sure
how to behave around or train their
female students. Having taught
quite a few women to fly over the
years, here are a few things I’ve
learned along the way.
In the mid-1970s I made the
acquaintance of Cindy Rucker—one
of the first women airline pilots
with Western Airlines. To say that
Cindy was a competent pilot and
flight instructor was a galaxy-sized
understatement. One day I asked
her about the difference between
teaching men and women. She
replied that I should never assume
that there was a difference unless
one became apparent. With a
single sentence she neutralized
any preconceptions I had about
teaching female students. Over
the years, I learned that there are
biological, cultural, personality, and
experiential differences between
men and women. For instance, 30
years ago you could almost always
count on male students having
more mechanical experience (think
automobile repair, Lincoln Logs,
and fort building) than females.
Today, this is a distinction with-
out much of a difference. We live
in a computerized, digital world.
We’re more likely to replace things
(or hit them with a shoe) than
repair them because repair often
is not a do-it-yourself task. Think
about it. How many men do you
know in their 20s or 30s who have
ever worked on a car? Today, if an
engine stops working and a fellow
lifts the hood to fix it, he’s hoping
to see a gigantic circuit breaker
down there that simply needs reset-
ting. Then there’s this thing called
chivalry, where men are inclined to
perform manual duties for others,
females in particular. It is best, how-
ever, that male instructors not take
their suit of armor onto the flight
line. Don’t do for a female student
what you wouldn’t do for a male
student. That means you shouldn’t
help her with the difficult parts of
preflighting unless she needs help.
If she’s not tall enough to check the
GENERALLY SPEAKING, WOMEN TEND TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS
BETTER THAN MEN.
fuel, then get her a ladder. If she
doesn’t have enough upper body
strength to perform certain maneu-
vers, don’t avoid or dumb down
the maneuver. Instead, find a way
to compensate. I’ve taught several
women who didn’t have the upper
body strength to hold the elevator
aft in a Cessna 210 during a steep
turn. So I let them use trim, whose
purpose is to reduce pilot workload.
Then there was my female student
who couldn’t continually depress
the rudder pedal with one leg dur-
ing single-engine flight in a twin
Cessna. She asked if she could use
two feet on the rudder pedal for
single-engine operations. No regu-
lation prevents this, nor was her
behavior unsafe (as decided by me
and the FAA inspector who signed
her multi rating). Of course, if your
students—male or female—can’t
meet your minimum standards for
safe flight, they shouldn’t fly. Period.
There is, however, one very dis-
tinct difference between female and
male students: Generally speaking,
women tend to follow directions
better than men. They’ll do exactly
what you tell them to do. Men are
inclined to improvise and test the
limits of the behavioral envelope.
That’s why a good instructor might
begin the training of male students
by placing special emphasis on the
need to listen carefully and follow
directions precisely during the early
stages of training, while promising
them improv opportunities later.
This is why women become
proficient at what they practice,
but generally only at what they
practice. Men tend to interpret
directions liberally, often resulting
in the exploration and acquisition
of a larger range of behaviors. Your
male students might mischievously
stumble onto the idea of combining
a crab and sideslip for crosswind
correction; your female students
will certainly acquire the technique
if and when you teach it to them. If
you need proof of this assertion, just
take a look at who’s doing the drag
racing on your local street.
Of course, these differences
between men and women are
generalizations, which is a good
thing. There can be no such thing as
wisdom without them. So become
wise. Don’t assume a female student
needs to be taught differently than
her male counterpart. But do recog-
nize and utilize any difference that
might exist to train all your students
properly.
Rod Machado is a flight instructor, author,
educator, and speaker. He has been a pilot
since 1970 and a CFI since 1973. Visit his blog
(www.rodmachado.com).
FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 49
ADVANCED PILOT»
CFI TO CFI
Don’t be the big bad wolf
Helping your students recognize their weaknesses
» By Natalie Bingham Hoover
HAVE YOU EVER felt like a nagging
flight instructor during the post-
flight briefing?
“You need to watch your airspeed
on that short field takeoff…you have
to do a better job of controlling your
heading during the stall recovery….”
After the third critical comment
or so, your student starts to look like
a chastised puppy, head down and
tail tucked. But these things have to
be said in order to help our students
improve, right? Isn’t that our duty
as flight instructors to point out our
students’ deficiencies so they can
THE SIGN OF ANY
GREAT TEACHER IS A
SELF-SUFFICIENT
STUDENT.
50 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
grow into the safe, skilled pilots
they are meant to be? Well, maybe
that’s not our job at all.
The FAA says there is a better
way to approach the evaluation
and critique of our students’ flying
capabilities. The Aviation Instruc-
tor’s Handbook presents a technique
called “collaborative assessment”
in which the instructor facilitates a
student’s assessment of his or her
own performance in light of a set of
preestablished standards. Student-
based critiques are good for several
reasons.
First, lessons will become a lot
more enjoyable for both of you
when it feels as if you are on the
same team, working together
toward a common goal. Second,
and more important, helping your
student develop sound habits of
self-assessment is a critical skill
of a safety-minded pilot. It will
help you feel less like the big bad
wolf and more like a helpful men-
tor on your student’s self-led path
to becoming a successful, compe-
tent pilot.
In order for a student to be able
to accurately assess his or her own
performance, you must lay out a
clear set of standards before you
ever leave the ground. If a student is
preparing for solo, those standards
should look different than if one is
preparing for a checkride. This is
where a well-organized syllabus
comes in handy, complete with
lesson objectives and end-of-flight
performance standards. Tell your
students that in order to get your
solo signoff, you expect very specific
margins of altitude and airspeed,
as well as safe decision making. By
the time the student approaches the
checkride, he or she should be well
versed with the practical test stan-
dards and understand that the goal
of every maneuver is to perform
well within those boundaries.
Once you actually make it to the
air, however, it’s time to scale back
the instructor-led communica-
tion so you can function more as
observer and safety pilot, allow-
ing your students to focus as they
work through the lesson. After each
maneuver, ask your students how
they thought it went. Then—only
if they don’t come to the conclu-
sions on their own—you can offer
some guidance to help improve the
second attempt.
Although it may be tough to
do for us talkative instructors,
sometimes the biggest lessons occur
when we allow students to see the
natural outcome of their decisions
in the airplane (provided those
natural outcomes still have you
arriving home safe for dinner). For
example, we all know it’s tempt-
ing on a cross-country flight to
help students locate waypoints and
airports before they pass them by.
But how much more of a learning

experience would it be if you let
them pass that airport, and maybe
even get a little lost, before you
guide them through the process
of finding their way again? That
way, you don’t have to harp on the
importance of a well-prepared
flight plan; they can come to that
conclusion from seeing it firsthand.
When the flight is over, the real
learning can begin. Start by asking
your students open-ended ques-
tions to facilitate the discussion:
How do you think the flight went?
What things did you do well? What
areas need improvement?
Listen to your student, and pay
special attention to the areas where
his or her perceptions differ from
your own. If your student thinks
he’s ready to solo, but you still have
concerns about his safety, you may
have to ask more specific ques-
tions relating to the performance
standards in order to guide your
student to the appropriate conclu-
sions. Remember that the sign of
any great teacher is a self-sufficient
student, who no longer has to rely
on the instructor in order to com-
plete the task.
Helping your students to
become more self-aware by rec-
ognizing their own weaknesses
and deficiencies may be the most
important skill you can teach them,
far more important than nailing
that short-field landing or perfectly
maintaining altitude during a steep
turn. And what’s more, you’ll never
have to hear your student say,
“Why flight instructor, what big
teeth you have!”
Natalie Bingham Hoover, ATP/CFII/
MEI, has given more than 3,000 hours of
dual instruction. She lives in Germantown,
Tennessee.
CAREER ADVISOR
For love of flying
Why consider an airline flying career?
» By Wayne Phillips
» Q: Why should I consider becom-
ing an airline pilot? Please tell me
some real facts. —Russ
» A: I recall a feature I wrote titled,
“Three Wise Men” (Career Pilot,
July 2007 Flight Training). Three
retired airline veterans, who each
spent more than two decades at a
major airline, provided their own
sentiments about their careers. One
common thread bound them all
together: the love of flight.
Not one single aviator stated
that their primary career goal had
been to put food on the table for
their families, acquire an upper-
class lifestyle, or secure a six-figure
paycheck. They simply had a
passion for flying, and an airline
career allowed them to satisfy that.
Getting a paycheck was important,
but secondary.
As any student of commercial
aviation knows, there is a tremen-
dous entry fee to join the exclusive
club of paid flyers. A quality
aviation college or academy will
siphon anywhere from $50,000 to
$150,000 from one’s bank account.
Once graduating with a wallet
full of FAA certificates and rat-
ings, look for a first-year salary of
about $22,000. By year five, that
might increase to $50,000 annu-
ally, whether flying a regional jet
or corporate aircraft. All the while,
imagine trying to retire the debt
at a monthly payment of $700 to
$1,000.
CAREER RESOURCES: Get Your Answer Here
A compilation of previously published and recently submitted career
questions for Wayne Phillips, Flight Training's careers columnist and a
Boeing 737 instructor, is available online (flighttraining.aopa.org/
careerpilot).
So, why do they do it? Ask them.
Here’s what they will say, guaran-
teed: “I just want to fly.” It’s that
internalized emotion that causes
airmen to subdue rational financial
thinking and press on with a plan
to satisfy the flying urge, while
hoping that—in about seven to 10
years—a $125,000 or higher annual
paycheck and a goodly amount of
days off will materialize.
Frankly, it is the unattractive
financial realities of aviation that
have contributed to the present
state of affairs in the industry: the
pilot shortage. Fewer people will
think through and embrace the
thought of even learning to fly on
the private pilot level. To a financial
realist, it is absurd to blow two
weeks’ worth of grocery money
or a car payment to blast around
the traffic pattern for a couple of
hours or truck on down to the $300
hamburger, yet alone fork over
$375,000 for a new single-engine
airplane when that will buy you a
beachfront condo.
So, again, it boils down to an
affair with flying. Thankfully, there
are more than 70,000 airline pilots
and probably twice that in other
forms of commercial flying who
have managed to quench their
flying thirst first and still make a
living. Otherwise, we’d all be tak-
ing the bus.
Send your career questions to careers@
aopa.org and we’ll publish the best ones here.
FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 51
ADVANCED PILOT»
ACCIDENT REPORT
The easiest thing?
Even a ‘simple’ maneuver can go wrong
» By David Jack Kenny
THINK BACK TO your own student days,
and you’ll probably remember feeling that
takeoffs—at least normal takeoffs—were
the easiest part of each lesson (short- and
soft-field work, maybe not so much). Once
you got onto the runway and pushed the
throttle forward, it was just a matter of
nudging the rudder enough to keep from
running off the sides until the wings
caught enough air to start lifting.
Less-than-perfect takeoff technique is
the second leading cause of accidents dur-
ing primary instruction. To be sure, that’s
a distant second after pranged landings;
still, 164 airplanes got cracked up that way
during the past 10 years. That’s about one
out of every eight accidents in all phases of
primary training. Worse yet, in 63—more
Scan the QR Code on your smartphone to access discounts faster!
than a third—the instructor was on board.
So what went wrong? Not what you
might expect. Some of the usual suspects
can be ruled out almost entirely: Only
three accidents were blamed on density
altitude, four on contaminated runways,
and five on delayed decisions to abort
when aircraft performance seemed ques-
tionable. (These, by the way, were equally
divided between solo and dual flights.)
A slightly larger number (13) were
attributed to errors configuring the air-
plane, chiefly flap settings and carb heat.
Just more than half of those were on dual
lessons, too—though surprisingly enough,
only four were specifically reported to
have happened during touch and goes. The
big problems were the same two things
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that initially seemed so simple: keeping it
on the runway, then lifting off.
Two-thirds of those 164 accidents were
losses of control while the airplane was
still on the runway, or should have been;
they included three-quarters of all takeoff
accidents on student solos and almost half
of those during dual instruction. Another
30—almost 20 percent of the total—were
departure stalls, and two-thirds of those
were on dual flights. That might not be so
surprising—most students don’t try many
of those short-and-softs on their own.
The conscientious CFI might see a
familiar pattern here: Nothing in aviation
can safely be taken for granted. That might
be the most durable—and important—les-
son you’ll ever teach your students.
David Jack Kenny vividly remembers the day his
instructor’s quick feet were all that prevented a runway
excursion during soft-field takeoff practice.
PREFLIGHT» ADVERTISER INDEX Aviation's marketplace

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FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 53

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54 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
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FEBRUARY 2014 FLIGHT TRAINING / 55

DEBRIEF A pilot's perspective
SPAIN had 1.7 hours in
a Cessna 172 prior to Air
Force training.

COL. ADRIAN SPAIN STARTED IN AVIATION… I got inter-

ested in the military as a way to
pay for college. I thought I would
TOP AIR FORCE INSTRUCTOR go in, be an engineer, and then get
a real job. This was during Desert
To go through the Air Force’s Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, you Storm and a couple of guys came
have to be one of the best pilots in the entire branch, which makes you one of the back and were passing photos of
best pilots in the world. The school is a graduate-level course on tactical fighting their B-52 crew. I noticed there
taught to instructors, with the intent they will go back to their home units and better were no black pilots. I thought I
the group’s proficiency. As commandant, Col. Adrian Spain is in charge of ensuring have a shot at this and I have the
those 250 or so pilots a year are not opportunity to be the guy on that
only the best at flying, but also the picture that some kid sees and
best at teaching. With experi- thinks 'I can do that too.'
ence as a former commander of
a fighter wing, in Operation Iraqi LOVE OF FLIGHT… Once I got over
Freedom, and in both the F-15 and the initial steps, it really became
F-22, Spain is well suited to lead this thing that clicked with me.
this critical mission. The joy of being up there and
executing, and having it be an
extension of yourself. When you’re
in control. When you have the
aircraft and you are making it do
what you want it to do. There’s
this bonding that occurs that you
can never get out of your system.

A GOOD INSTRUCTOR… We
inspire instructors to reach their
potential. We say they have to be
humble, approachable, credible.
Being humble and approachable
means they can reach the broadest
audience possible.

FAVORITE AIRPLANE… That’s an

impossible question. I’ve always
been partial to the F-15C. Always
a special place in my heart. I love
the F–22 though. It’s amazing
how capable it is and how much it
allows the pilot to focus on other
important things.

ADVICE FOR STUDENTS… You have

NAME: Col. Adrian to be a sponge. You have to be will-
Spain
ing to learn anything you can from
OCCUPATION: Com- anyone who knows more than you.
mandant, Air Force Number two for me is to chair fly.
Weapons School
In pilot training I would spend the
EXTRA: Spain led his entire sortie on the ground before-
squadron into Iraq on hand on every single step. That’s
the first night of
RYAN REASON

Operation Iraqi when it started to click.

Freedom.

56 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG
 JULY 22,
2012

APRIL 10,
2004
©2013 CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

THE CIRRUS
AIRFRAME

72 Lives Saved To Date.

PARACHUTE MARCH 15,
SYSTEM (CAPS™) 2009

The jury is in. The case is closed. CAPS works

and it saves lives. In fact, there are 72 people alive
today because a Cirrus pilot deployed the parachute
in time to avert a tragedy.

Hear their stories at cirrusaircraft.com/caps.

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