John Hoadley
Washington, D.C.
Never Too Old
In the November 2001 issue ("Flight Forum") you ran a letter from Robert H. Smith of Los Angeles in which he stated that he was too old to take a checkride. To him I say, "Don't give up" - you can do anything you want to.
I, too, was 68 years old when I started flight training. I took my checkride one month short of my seventieth birthday. Examiners seem to know whether you know the task or not. Don't give up.
Jim Freeland
Statesville, North Carolina
I just read Robert H. Smith's "Flight Forum" letter in AOPA Flight Training magazine (November 2001). I am a manager for a flight school that specializes in succeeding with pilots who are stymied in their flight training due to fear, discouragement, or technical difficulties. I would like to offer Mr. Smith an hour of time with myself or one of my instructors at no charge to see if we can pinpoint what is going on and encourage him to get back in the air and complete his certificate.
As for too old, I know at least two designated pilot examiners in the L.A. Basin who have no problems giving checkrides to folks at any age (starting at 16; one's a glider examiner also) and know that the hours in the logbook, as long as they meet the minimum requirements, don't matter as much as the knowledge gained.
Bridgette Doremire
Van Nuys, California
Articles Available Online
I'm an AOPA member and a big fan of AOPA Flight Training magazine. I'm not yet a CFI, so I've been subsisting on a friend's subscription hand-me-downs. When I became an AOPA member, I looked forward to being able to get the current issue online. I've been sorely disappointed by the online version of the magazine.
It seems that most issues have less than a third of the magazine's print content available. Is there a move to make more of the magazine available? Am I going to have to become a CFI to get a current copy?
Please let me know what's in store for the online version. I hope that it can get at least close to the standard that the print version has set.
Eric Hanselman
Waltham, Massachusetts
Although some AOPA Flight Training articles are posted online at www.aopaflighttraining.org , the full text of all articles can be found on AOPA Online (www.aopa.org/members/ftmag/). Although these are located in the members-only section of the site, AOPA Flight Training members and trial members have full access to that information. We plan to do a better job of reminding readers about this valuable resource. - Ed.
Understanding Landings
Thanks for the great publication. The articles are interesting and informative. I am an airline pilot and FAA-designated pilot examiner. I also carry a few students every now and again.
One area that is often misunderstood is landings. I find that many students have no idea how to determine the proper approach speed. I also find this true with many CFIs. Often during flight tests I will ask an applicant about landing and how to do good ones. The conversation will get into crosswind and no-flap landings. The usual response is that the approach speed is slightly lower than normal for the no-flapper (because the runway may be short), with normal speed and a reduced flap setting for crosswinds. As we all know, these actions will put a pilot dangerously close to the stall as VSO decreases as flaps are added.
As an examiner conducting 200 flight tests per year, I can see why there are so many landing accidents. I think that it would be very beneficial to see articles about landings that emphasized approach speed instead of simply emphasizing "how to grease it." A "greaser" is a bonus that results from a well-planned approach. What good does it do to teach one how to grease a landing if we don't first teach how to get to the runway instead of beside it, before it, or off the end of it?
Kevin Spaulding
Cadillac, Michigan
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