Flight Forum

Having read Chris Parker's excellent article on teaching stalls in June's "Instructor Tips," the following comments may complement his ideas. Stalls are poorly taught for many of the reasons Parker touched on. Isolating the pure stall by making the airplane into a "glider" is the only effective way to introduce the stall to a student.

Parker refers to the "law of primacy" and suggests that his method may be violating this "law." The FAA flight training literature refers to six laws of learning, and my 1978 flight instructor guide, published by Transport Canada, includes a seventh law. It's called the "law of relationship" and may be described as presenting instruction in a logical sequence. i.e. known to unknown, simple to complex, easy to difficult.

When teaching stalls, and many other flight maneuvers, the law of relationship is more important than the law of primacy. Perhaps we should consider adding the "law of relationship" or some similar concept to our instructional theory.

D.S.Cowan
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Manual review

After reading April's "Manual Review," I'd like to clarify something the author wrote. Even though a pilot operating handbook (POH) isn't required on aircraft certified before March 1, 1979, some aircraft are required to have an owners manual or an approved flight manual even if placards are installed. The Mooney M20 series is an example of this requirement. Also the Piper PA-24 series has a similar requirement. The only real way to know if the aircraft is required to have an approved manual on board the aircraft is to have your A look it up in his aircraft specification or the type certificate data sheet.

David B. Loewen, CFII, A
Catoosa, Oklahoma

IFR omission

I enjoyed January's "IFR - To a Point" because I, too, make it a practice to file IFR on all cross country flights. The author's suggestion to cancel IFR within 5 to 10 miles of the airport in busy airport environments in order to facilitate more flexibility and options for arrival is a good one; however, I find a serious omission exists in its application. This procedure works fine in Class C and D airspace, but canceling IFR within Class B airspace leaves the pilot without a clearance for entrance or existence in Class B airspace, and thus an airspace violation. For Class B operations, either cancel prior to entering the special use airspace and then request a VFR clearance to enter, or more practically, remain IFR for the duration.

Dennis C. Jokerst
Sterling, Illinois.

Mr. Jokerst makes a good point. However, remaining IFR for the duration means you may be needlessly vectored around as described in the column. The reason for canceling IFR is to give the controller more flexibility to work you into terminal traffic. You can cancel just after being cleared into Class B airspace - ATC won't stop working with you, or as you approach the Class B boundary ask the controller if it will help if you cancel IFR and continue VFR. More than likely the answer will be yes and a clearance into Class B.
- Mark Twombly

Pay perspective

In the July "Flight Forum," Bob Allen laments the sad state of flight instructor pay and relates it to a form of indentured servitude. He even goes so far as to compare flight instruction with medical doctors. This argument sounds no different today than it did in the 1950s.

Airline pilots who make good money make that money for two reasons. 1. They work for an aviation economic powerhouse that processes millions, or billions, of dollars annually, and they haul 150 to 400 paying passengers on every flight. 2. They have a union that makes sure those pilots get their fair share of the big dollar pie.

Medical doctors spend eight years or more in intensive academic training to prepare for their profession. Even then, with the advent of HMOs and managed health care controlling the vast medical money pie, the docs are beginning to realize that perhaps they need what airline pilots have - a collective bargaining unit.

Flight instruction is in an arena that simply doesn't have a big money pot. If you want to make $100,000 per year as a CFI, try charging the rates to achieve that objective (make it about $140,000 to fund benefits and retirement at a presumed $100,000 W-2 wage equivalency). If you can get the students to pay it, then you are worth it. Don't forget about part-time, underbidding CFIs, or the airline pilots at some commuter airlines who are on food stamps.

Wally Roberts, CFII
San Clemente, California

Web weather addition

April's article on weather images available on the World Wide Web provided invaluable information for computer-savvy pilots. One useful URL address, where "old fashioned" charts such as the surface plot, radar summary chart, or weather depiction chart can be found, was missing a hyphen. It's address is www.awc-kc.noaa.gov/fax/ nwsfax.shtml. You don't need a fax machine to get these charts, just software for viewing TIFF images.

The Web presentations have a couple of advantages over the old paper charts. First, for some of the charts you can see not only the valid time (VT) chart but charts for VT+3, VT+6, etc. Also, instead of the continent-wide take-it-or-leave-it paper chart presentation, a computer user can zoom in to a specific area of interest, making it more easily readable. Viewers should be warned, however, that some of the charts will appear on the monitor upside down or sideways - the printed page will sort it out.

Also, the FAA has recently announced a new web page for ASOS/AWOS stations. Listed by state, the page includes the radio frequency and telephone number for each observing station. Use www.faa.gov/aua/ipt_prod/terminal/asos/asos.htm. This page links to hundreds of other weather sites.

Bob Gardner
Via the Internet

Aerobatic connection

Thanks for Budd Davisson's thoughtful and informative July article on the positive effects that learning aerobatics can have on all pilots. I've always dreamed of flying upside down, and after reading about all of the positive aspects of learning aerobatics (outside of it being just "plane" fun) I finally talked myself into investing the money!

By the way, I had some difficulty connecting to the International Aerobatic Club Web site listed in the sidebar, but the following - http://acro.harvard.edu/IAC/iac_homepage.html - connected without a hitch!

Thanks for a great publication, and for the extra push into the world of aerobatics!

Troy Abel
Topeka, Kansas

CFI financial limits

After reading June's "Critical Shortage," I couldn't agree more. I've been a full-time flight instructor for four years, and during that time I've seen wages go up for other professionals, but not flight instructors. We are the lowest paid, most highly regulated professionals I can think of. Which brings me to my next point.

Most CFIs are at our financial limit in belonging to professional organizations, such as NAFI, EAA, and AOPA, and attending CFI renewal courses, which cost $150 to $180, every two years. Then there is the $95 fee to achieve a Master CFI designation. Most CFIs I know have to invest in other equipment necessary to the trade, such as training materials and headsets. This equipment is expensive for the lowest paid guy in the pecking order. I believe that the Master CFI program is a wonderful way to show that we are truly professionals. But until CFI wages catch up with the industry, I'm afraid I'll have to wait until I can afford it.

Frank Ogborn, CFII MEI
via the Internet

Base decision on more than one FBO

Just wanted you to know that July's "Base Decision" didn't present a true picture of the situation at Palwaukee Airport. Fuel is also available from another PWK FBO for $2.09 a gallon and maintenance for $44 an hour. This other FBO charges no fee or overnight charges, either. Don't judge an airport by a single FBO - when there are two - and soon to be a third!

Madeleine Monaco, CFII
Palwaukee Municipal Airport Commissioner
Wheeling, Illinois

You're absolutely right that the only fair way to judge an airport is to investigate all the operations on the airport. With this done, the aircraft owner can then compare different airports to make his (or her) base decision.
- Editor

Why headsets?

"Why should I buy good headsets?" This is a common question asked by many students. Throughout flight training, much is said regarding aeromedical factors. Yet, for some reason people tend to shy off from the subject of hearing. Planes are loud, and loudness is bad for the ears. Can you guys put together a good informative article on hearing?

F. Casas, CFI
via the Internet

An article on hearing and how a good headset will protect it is in this issue's "Medical Briefing."
- Editor

Forgotten light

In "Are You Checking Everything During Your Preflight?" ("Flying Smart," March 1998), the author pointed out that one of the many important things to check on a preflight are the aircraft's position lights. She mentioned that one should check that the red and green wingtip lights are on the correct side and function, but she forgot to mention the white rear position light. Recently, after checking the strobe light, landing light, and red and green wingtip lights during the preflight for my first night flight, my instructor pointed out that I should also include the white tail position light.

John Vano
via the Internet

VSSE Safety

In July's "Dangerous Procedures," which discussed VMC demonstrations in a multiengine airplane, VSSE was, because of an editing error, incorrectly defined as the single engine stall speed. As defined by Federal Aviation Regulation 23.149, "Minimum Control Speed," VSSE is the "safe, intentional, one engine inoperative speed."
- Editor