25 Ways To Be A Better Pilot

As long as there have been pilots, there have been instructors - and writers - who have been eager to develop cure-all lists of the magic ingredients required to become an ace aviator. And this is another of those lists. What's so special about this one? There isn't anything here that's new. And that's exactly what makes this information special, if not different.

The basic fact that so many of these "make yourself a better pilot" tips have been trotted out in front of generation after generation of pilots says that instructors are finding many of the same problems passed down through those generations. Much of what was true 30 years ago is still true today. Therefore, the concept behind this list is simple: If you follow all or most of it, your skill will improve. It's no more complicated than that, and it never has been.

1. Pay Attention To What Your Butt Is Telling You.

If you had to select just one skill area to improve, it would have to be coordination. Just knowing when and how to use your feet in keeping the ball centered would put you in the top few percent of pilots who "feel" what the airplane is telling them through the seat of their pants. Keeping the ball centered results in an airplane that is more efficient and flies a given line much more precisely.

One way to practice this is to climb to a safe altitude, then try to perform some basic maneuvers like turns and stalls without looking at the turn-and-slip indicator. Set yourself up in a shallow-banked turn and try to feel when the airplane is coordinated. When you think you've got it, check the turn-and-slip. If the ball's centered, try the experiment with a steeper bank. Continue this exercise until you can tell, without looking, whether or not you are in coordinated flight. If you can't feel it through your posterior, at least pay attention to the skid ball. A little time spent keeping the ball centered will pay big rewards.

2. The Nose Is Talking, Too. Understand What It Is Telling You.

Nose attitude is the primary instrument for airspeed control in light aircraft. The go-fast gauge just repeats what the nose told you a few seconds earlier. The nose also tells you what the airplane is about to do next. If you are always aware of what the nose is doing and can control it in all situations, you'll never get in trouble, plus you'll always have the right airspeed nailed.

To practice this one, try going from normal flight to best-glide configuration in your aircraft. When you're properly set up and the airspeed indicator tells you you've got it nailed, go back to a normal cruise configuration. Then try to get back to that perfect best-glide speed using only the site picture through the windshield to tell you when you've got it. When you think you're there, check the airspeed indicator for confirmation. This is a good exercise to try in other configurations as well, including all the configurations you use in the traffic pattern from climb-out to short final.

3. Understand The Airplane's Aerodynamics.

Most pilots have a basic knowledge of why an airplane flies, but few have spent the small amount of time necessary to truly understand the nuances that tie so many aerodynamic factors together into that fantastic thing we call flight.

It's not necessary that you become an aeronautical engineer. Just having a handle on the effects of angle of attack as well as the ramifications of the way control surfaces change the camber of the wing and tail would put you much more in touch with the machine. That kind of knowledge can also help you predict what will happen each time you change the airplane's configuration.

4. For Accurate Landings, Know What The Runway Numbers Are Doing.

The runway numbers talk to you all the way down final, but, as you get a little closer, they might start screaming at you. They are constantly telling you where the airplane is going to touch down on the runway.

If the numbers are visually moving toward you (down the windshield), you are going to go over them. If they are moving away from you (up the windshield), you'll be short.

The goal is to keep the numbers stationary in the windshield or drifting down slightly. If you keep the numbers stationary, you won't actually hit them, which isn't the goal anyway, but you'll come over them at a reasonable height and your flare will carry you no more than 500 to 700 feet past them (if you're on speed).

The idea here is to know where the airplane is going to touch down and control that touchdown point, rather than just accepting what happens.

5. Be Precise.

Precision in flying is the difference between getting the airplane to do more or less what you want and getting it to do exactly as it should. We want the airplane to go exactly where we want it to go - close isn't good enough. The only way we can do that is by striving for exactitude in our airspeed, altitude, and position.

Every flight provides plenty of opportunities to practice being precise. Try to be aware of everything the airplane is doing and correct for deviations instantly. On long cross-country flights, work on holding your heading precisely; don't wait until you're five degrees off course to correct. In the pattern, work on hitting the desired airspeeds and configurations exactly when you should. When practicing maneuvers, work on holding precise altitudes, bank angles, etc.

If the best-glide speed in the pilot's operating handbook, for instance, is 65 knots, that doesn't mean 63 kt or 68 kt. An altitude is supposed to be a given number, not within a hundred-foot range. OK, so none of us is always exactly on the number, whatever it represents, but if we don't try for "exact" we're always going to get "approximate," and that's not the way an airplane is meant to be flown. This is a basic attitude that permeates everything you do in aviation, and the payoff for trying to be exact is enormous.

6. Be Smooth; Make Love To The Airplane.

Airplanes really respond to pilots who caress them. OK, so maybe respond is too strong a word, but an airplane that is being guided in a smooth fashion is an airplane that is far less likely to find itself in the wrong place.

The very act of being smooth means that all changes of attitude, power, and configuration are made using a whole bunch of tiny nudges which are knitted together into a big change rather than being one big change done all at one time. If you are gently nudging the airplane into position, the chances of overshooting that position drop to almost zero, and you'll have an airplane that magically seems to always be where it's supposed to be in the configuration it is supposed to have.

7. Understand What "Plan Ahead" Actually Means For Each Flight Situation.

If a student hears the phrase "plan ahead" once during training, he or she hears it a thousand times. Unfortunately, once the certificate is issued, there isn't anyone around to repeat that all-important phrase. So, we should be mentally saying it to ourselves.

We should also realize that it means different things at different times. It's obvious that planning is necessary for fuel stops. Maybe it's not so obvious that on downwind you need to look ahead and plan where you're going to put the base leg and where the flaps will come out. At the same time, you need to be assessing the effects of the wind and deciding how you're going to modify the various parts of the approach. The same thing is true in all other phases of flight; you need to have your head well out in front of the airplane at all times.

8. Make Each Flight A Learning Experience, Especially If You Don't Fly Often.

It's a given that you should try to make every flight of your aviation career better than the last one. However, if you aren't flying regularly, it's necessary that each flight include elements that will help you maintain your proficiency. Even if you're just going over to a neighboring airport for a hamburger, plan the flight to include a couple of different types of landings (short-field, soft-field, simulated engine-out), and make at least one landing a touch and go so you can get more landings in the hour. Even if it's just a short flight to a local field, check your takeoff time and work out an ETA in your head. Do as much as you can on each flight to stretch your limits and maintain your proficiency. Don't just go out there and drone around, learning nothing.

9. Make Your Landings More Accurate.

Make it a personal goal that you will always try to touch down in the first 600 to 800 feet of a runway, regardless of how long it is. The goal is to be comfortable landing on a 2,000-foot strip.

If the average light airplane touches down in less than 800 feet, it will need little or no braking to stop in what's left of 2,000 feet. We're not looking for carrier landings that hit the numbers every time. Just come over the numbers at a reasonable height and at the correct speed, and landing in 2,000 feet (the shortest length commonly seen) will be a no-brainer.

10. Read Stick And Rudder By Wolfgang Langwieche At Least Twice.

Langwieche's classic flight training book is a half-century old, and as a result, it is sometimes quaint in its verbiage and terms, but it is dead-on in its approach to basic aviating. It's a must-read for anyone who wants to know how to actually fly an airplane, as opposed to driving it.

11. Take At Least An Hour Of Dual At Least Once A Year.

Everyone, regardless of how much they fly, gets sloppy or develops bad habits. That's why we have such safeguards as flight reviews, airline flight checks, and other recurrent check programs. But, two years is a long time, and you can build up a lot of bad habits between flight reviews. Why not go out with an instructor at least once each year - more often if you're a low-time pilot or aren't flying as often as you believe you should. Because it's an unofficial flight, there will be no pressure to "pass." Focus on pattern work, since flying the pattern takes every aspect of your flying skills, except navigation, and bundles them together.

12. Say Rpm, Altitude, Attitude, And Pattern To Yourself Every 30 Seconds.

This is an old instructor's mantra that should be repeated constantly throughout any flight as a form of mental scanning. Rpm means check the power. Altitude is obvious. Attitude means check on where the nose is and what it is telling you. Pattern is a reminder to ask yourself how your ground track relates to where you really want to go.

Keep saying these words and you'll develop a continuing scan that keeps the airplane exactly where you want it. You'll also improve your situational awareness because you'll constantly be checking on the vital statistics of the flight.

13. Land At New Airports Just For Practice.

If you fly a minimum amount a year and stay in the local area, it's easy to become airport-specific. You get so used to your own airport that new ones feel strange, even frightening.

The way to handle that is to actively seek out new airports. Maybe make it a goal to land on every airport in your county, state, or local area. The more strange airports you have under your belt, the more you will expand your overall skill and adaptability. And, of course, you're going to touch down in the first 600 to 800 feet, right?

14. Put Yourself In "Airplane Mode" Before Leaving Home.

Don't jump into your car, race out to the airport, and strap into the airplane without giving your mental and emotional state some thought. If necessary, after parking at the airport, sit in the car for a minute or two and try to push everything out of your mind but airplanes. This is a good opportunity to use the I'M SAFE checklist, asking yourself if you're impaired by illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, or emotion. Then, after you've strapped in, do the same thing again and make sure you are focused on flying and aren't letting life's distractions pull your brain in other directions. If, at that point, you can't focus, get out of the airplane and come back to fly on another day. If your head isn't in the game, don't walk onto the playing field.

15. Take Three Hours Of Aerobatic Instruction Or Upset Training.

You don't have to plan on challenging Patty Wagstaff, but aerobatic or upset training will make you a better, more confident, safer, more precise, and more aware pilot. (See "Emergency Maneuver Training: Saving yourself from sticky situations," AOPA Flight Training, August 2001.) No, it won't help you to recover from an unrecoverable situation, but having the training means you'll correct before you get yourself into that kind of position. Besides, it's an enormous amount of fun, and it may open up a whole new arena to you. When you sign up for lessons, let your instructor know that you're doing this to improve your everyday flight safety rather than to become an aerobatic competitor. That way, he or she can focus on situations that could happen in real life, such as spins, spirals, and wake turbulence encounters.

16. Challenge The Nastiest Crosswind You Can Find With An Instructor.

Crosswinds are everyone's big bugaboo. So look the demon right in the face and go out with an instructor to fly in winds that are right on the edge of the airplane's envelope. (If this frightens you, start with something a little more tame and work your way up to that howling gale.) Remember that crosswind landings are a perishable skill. Once you feel you've mastered them with the help of an instructor, go out and practice - in less severe conditions - on your own. If necessary, go to a nontowered field when it's not too busy and practice takeoffs and landings on a crosswind runway.

17. Visualize All Flight Paths.

In the pattern and on cross-country flights be aware of your ground track and constantly visualize the path you want the airplane to fly. Then, make it fly that exact path, using visual checkpoints to help keep yourself in line.

18. Get A Tailwheel Endorsement.

Like aerobatics, this isn't a real necessity, but you won't believe how much it improves your flying skills - especially when it comes to that seat-of-the-pants coordination. It also opens the door to flying some really neat airplanes, both old and new. And, again, it's lots of fun.

19. Get An Instrument Ticket.

Even if you never plan on using it, getting an instrument ticket teaches you precision and gives you a better understanding of the entire airway system, not to mention the navigation tools in your airplane. However, if you do get the ticket, either use it a lot or don't use it at all. It's not the kind of skill that you can ignore for a year or two and then decide to use. If you do find yourself taking a hiatus from instrument flying, get into the airplane with an instructor and get some actual instrument time before launching on your own.

20. Make At Least Every Third Landing A Touch And Go.

There is no such thing as making too many landings. Landings teach you everything you need to know about flying an airplane. So, as often as possible, double up on your landings and make the first one a touch and go. It puts another five minutes in your logbook and increases your proficiency another notch. Along the same lines, it's a good idea to practice go-arounds. There's a lot to do in a short period of time if you need to abort a landing. Why not make planned go-arounds from time to time. If you stay proficient in this maneuver, you'll be ready when you really need it.

21. Be Aware Of Holes In Your Knowledge.

Periodically we all see something we don't understand - weather, technology, techniques, or whatever. If you get the feeling that you don't know the answer, look it up. If you don't find an answer in the federal aviation regulations, the Aeronautical Information Manual, or other reliable sources, call AOPA's technical specialists at 800/ USA-AOPA for help. Unanswered questions are the ones that can bite us.

22. Include A POH In The Stack Of Bathroom Literature.

The pilot's operating handbook for the aircraft you fly is just one of those informative resources that is easy to overlook until you really need something. Since there are times in life when no one can reasonably expect you to be working or in a hurry, take advantage of the moment. Carpe commodium.

23. Make One Out Of Five Landings (And Takeoffs) A Short- Or Soft-Field Technique.

Although few folks actually have need of short- or soft-field techniques, just practicing them hones your landing (and takeoff) skills in every way possible. Such practice also helps you understand how your airplane is likely to feel and behave under different sets of circumstances. You'll know what to expect if you ever find yourself making an approach to an 1,800-foot grass strip beyond a row of tall trees.

24. Land On Runways Much Shorter Than Your Norm.

While 2,000 feet actually isn't that short, to some folks it looks that way. So, get an instructor who is short-field savvy and go land on the shortest runways you can find. There's no substitute for the real thing.

25. Pick Out Geographic Features And Fly To Them.

Boy Scouts learn to navigate in the woods by taking sightings with a compass. This includes picking out a tree or rock that lies on the compass heading and walking toward it. We can fly airplanes the same way. Get on course and look over the nose. Pick out something that is where you want to go, and then go there. It's not as sophisticated as a GPS, but you don't have to worry about batteries dying either.

Is this a complete list? No way! But, it is a good place to start. Besides, by the time you've worked your way through all of these, you will have added a bunch of your own ideas, and you'll have given yourself a set of new challenges designed to make you a better pilot.