If this is pointed out early in training, it can be used later to help understand how a traffic advisory is made with respect to the pilot's track and not the airplane's heading. Traffic at 12 o'clock might mean straight ahead in calm winds but two o'clock in a strong crosswind.
Pat Healy
Annapolis, Maryland
Rewards Not Punishment
In "Changing the Way We Learn: Teaching CFIs to Teach" (AOPA Flight Training, September 2000), Jeff Falkner provides a good overview of the new Aviation Instructor's Handbook. But Falkner's characterization of behavioral the- ory needs some clarification. He states, "Behavioral psychologists... know that the most effective way to influence behavior is by rewarding good behavior and punishing undesirable behavior."
The principle behind behaviorism is that you provide rewards (positive reinforcement) for the behaviors that you want to see repeated. Behaviorism was considered controversial as a learning theory because it discouraged the use of punishment (negative reinforcement). Punishment does teach people what not to do, but it leaves them searching for behaviors that don't get punished. This leads to random behavior, with the student trying to find the behavior that doesn't get punished. Behaviorists know that punishment is an very ineffective way to influence behavior.
The Handbook encourages instructors to use positive reinforcement (rewards, recognition) whenever the student does something that we want to see repeated. Positive reinforcement makes flying fun. Negative reinforcement makes students stop flying.
Emerson Smith
Columbia, South Carolina
When Ice Meets ASOS
"The Weather Never Sleeps: ASOS Insights" (AOPA Flight Training, September 2000) reminded me of my own experience earlier this year.
I had the joy of ferrying a friend's Cessna 180 from Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona, to Hallock, Minnesota. On the approach to an airport in central Nebraska, I tuned in the field's ASOS. The ASOS transmission included a zero wind report.
Fortunately, I could look down at the white caps on stock tanks to see this couldn't possibly be the case! We landed in 15- to 20-knot winds. When the gas truck pulled up it was still coated in ice from weather that had passed through about eight hours previously.
A caution to all: There's more than one reason not to believe everything you hear on ASOS. I believe the no-wind report was caused by the fact that the sensing equipment was iced over.
Bill Rummer
Via the Internet
Checking Compression
I have an observation concerning Mark Twombly's "What It Looks Like" article in the July issue of AOPA Flight Training. He states, "The minimum compression specified by engine manufacturers is 60 pounds per square inch...."
Unfortunately, this has been a common statement over the years, resulting in unnecessary and increased maintenance costs for owners as cylinders are pulled prematurely. Although some manufacturers may make this statement as a recommendation or specification, to my knowledge there is no FAA requirement nor is it true of all engines.
Teledyne Continental Motors requires that you use a "master orifice" to determine the minimum compression required on a given day, depending on current air density. For example, one of my Baron's engines has five cylinders in the 40s, the sixth being 53. The minimum allowed at the time of the test was 40. This does require that the low compression be the result of pressure loss through the rings and not through the valves, cracked cylinder heads, burned pistons, etc.
Interestingly, this engine burns less oil than its mate which has compressions all in the 60s. Both engines have approximately 650 hours on all cylinders with consecutive serial numbers on the cylinders. There has been no noticeable loss in performance.
Ron Vickrey
Spruce Creek, Florida
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