Thanks,
Terry
Greetings Terry,
Learning to fly with an assembly of plastic strapped to your head is one of the tougher parts of instrument training. Years ago, when my instrument instructor clamped the hood on my noggin, it took some getting used to. At first I thought, "Oh good, we're going to do some welding." Well, not quite.
But wearing a view-limiting device isn't the hardest part of becoming an instrument pilot. The greatest challenge is having the patience to spend the time learning how to scan your instruments properly. It's only natural for instrument students to want to breeze right though the instrument scan lessons and begin flying instrument approaches. Big, big mistake! Learn to control the airplane on instruments first, then the other skills you'll need as an instrument pilot will be much easier to learn.
What To Expect From Ground School
Greetings Mr. Machado,
What the heck is ground school? Is it in a classroom? Is it reading a book? Is it on CD-ROMs? Is it shooting the breeze with the CFI before a flight lesson? Every Web site I visit seems to have a different answer. Perhaps it's all of these. I'm committed to getting my private pilot's certificate soon in the least expensive way possible, without sacrificing quality of learning.
Sincerely,
Mike
Greetings Mike,
Ground school is a term that often refers to time spent in a classroom acquiring the knowledge necessary for a particular pilot certificate or rating. This form of education usually qualifies a student to sit for the FAA's knowledge exam. Ground school can take many forms - from an intense two- or three-day weekend course to a formal class taught at one of your community's local colleges. These classes often last for an entire semester.
You don't, however, have to attend a ground school to become a pilot. If you are motivated toward self-study, there are other ways to acquire the knowledge you need to fly and pass the FAA knowledge exam. You may, for instance, use videotapes or interactive computer software. Several companies produce video courses and interactive CD-ROM programs that thoroughly cover the material needed to pass the FAA knowledge exam. There are many good books on the market that allow you to do the same. There are even test preparation guides that are specifically designed to get you through the same exam. You and your instructor should decide which method is best for you.
Foreign Objects In Your Fuel
Dear Rod Machado,
Recently I was preparing for a solo flight when I saw something that disturbed me. I witnessed a pilot in another of our flight school's airplanes drop a fuel dipstick into the left wing fuel tank. He and his passenger talked about it, but it didn't seem to bother them because they later departed in that airplane. To the best of my knowledge, he never reported the problem to the owner of the flight school. My question is, if a dipstick falls into a fuel tank, does this present a hazard? Should I tell the owner of the flight school about it? What would you advise that I do?
Thanks,
Julie
Greetings Julie,
There's only one thing that should ever go into a fuel tank, and that's fuel. There are many types of fuel dipsticks made from many materials. There's no telling how the material that was dropped into the tank will degrade in the presence of avgas. Even if the dipstick was made from glass, which doesn't corrode in avgas, it could rub against the bottom of the tank and, over the long run, damage its internal structure. It's possible that a sunken dipstick may never create a problem. Then again, it might melt down, becoming a sticky plastic mass that eventually plugs up a fuel line.
Neither you, nor I, nor the dipstick-dropping pilot is qualified to assess the risk posed by a foreign object in a fuel tank. The best thing to do is to have the object removed by an aviation mechanic before the airplane is flown. This usually involves draining the fuel and using foot-long grappling tongs to fish the object from the bottom of the tank.
Common sense is the issue here. No one would buy a TV from a man on a street corner who is out of breath. Nor should anyone drop something into a fuel tank without reporting it. I can't help but wonder if the pilot you observed would have reacted the same way had he dropped the plastic cap (or cap ring) from a quart of oil down the airplane's oil filler tube. The proper thing to do is to inform the flight school owner now, so he or she can have that object removed.
Accelerated Instrument Training
Dear Mr. Machado,
I'm having trouble finding a good instrument instructor for my instrument training. I was curious about your opinion of the two-week, accelerated type of instrument training programs advertised in many aviation publications. Do you think these programs are worthwhile? Can you really learn to fly instruments in two weeks? What are the drawbacks of this type of training?
Sincerely,
Dr. Thomas
Greetings Doc,
Here's what I think. Over the years I've flown with several pilots who've been trained in these accelerated instrument courses. They were, for the most part, competent and qualified instrument pilots. They were at least as qualified as some of the instrument pilots trained via the traditional method. In fact, when I was doing programs for ABC's Wide World of Flying video series, one of our producers earned his instrument rating at an accelerated programs. His training was filmed and became an episode for a video. He passed his checkride, by the way.
Do these programs work? Yes. Perhaps the most important reason they do is that they have a reputation for providing highly experienced and competent instructors. I believe that this, above all, is the reason for their success. Nothing is more important than a good instructor. Nothing! This is the best reason to pursue this type of training.
Another reason that accelerated programs work is because they rapidly reinforce the skills learned during instrument training. Consolidated training prevents the learning gaps that are common with a traditional instrument education when life intervenes or students run short on funds.
These programs are a little more expensive because, in many cases, the instructor comes to your hometown to provide the training. It is, however, convenient for those who are too busy to travel. Passing the written exam is usually a prerequisite for beginning one of these courses.
The only drawback to this type of training is that if they don't fly on instruments right away, pilots trained in the accelerated method tend to lose confidence a bit faster than others. If you're considering an accelerated program, plan to do enough instrument flying to keep your confidence high.
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