Flight Forum

As with many educational ideas, one often stimulates another. Dave Hensley suggested changes to an Air Force acronym to help new pilots remember important tasks when diverting to an alternate airport ("Teaching the Divert," August AOPA Flight Training). F2T2 was modified to "Find, fix, track, and time." If this is combined with the T5 acronym taught by one of my Army instructor pilots for instrument turns, another memory jogger could be F2T5.

Find and fix remain unchanged. Diversion requires finding a suitable alternate on a chart and fixing a magnetic course from the aircraft's current position to that location. T5 for IFR turns stands for "Time, turn, torque, tune, and talk." The time since last instrument fix is changed to the present time before making the diverting turn. Hensley suggested marking position and time on the chart. Next, turn to the desired course. Calculate a new wind correction angle later. In helicopter terminology, torque refers to the power setting. This really means selecting an airspeed (and level, climbing, or descending altitude), regardless of aircraft category. Once on the way, tune in voice and navaid frequencies as appropriate for the new route and destination. This may be followed by listening to weather reports or confirming station identification. Finally, talk to flight service, air traffic control, or self-announce to communicate your situation and intentions.

Magnetic course must still be converted to magnetic heading, groundspeed and time en route must be estimated, and fuel consumption must be calculated; but use of any effective memory jogger such as F2T2 or F2T5 will get the new pilot well on his or her way to an alternate landing site.

Lt. Col. John Wightman
Dayton, Ohio

No Airspeed (Indicator)

I was surprised to see that the author of "Learning Experiences: Getting Hosed" (August AOPA Flight Training) had never flown an approach and landing with a simulated airspeed indicator failure. Early in my flight training, my instructor had me fly several patterns with both the airspeed indicator and altimeter covered up, reminding me that pitch and power are what make an airplane fly, not instruments.

Now a flight instructor myself, I also have all of my students fly several traffic patterns this way - first one with the airspeed indicator covered and then one with both the airspeed indicator and the altimeter covered. I find that this reinforces basic flight concepts and builds student confidence, in addition to preparing them for dealing with a possible anomaly in the future. Most of the time students fly the pattern at least as well as, if not better than, if they had all the instruments available to them.

I think that today's students are often overly reliant upon their instruments and lack basic understanding of what makes an airplane fly. I routinely cover up the gyro instruments during initial student training and will cover up all of the instruments if I think a student is fixating too much on them. I try to teach that pitch and power are what make an airplane fly - the instruments are there to verify that the airplane is actually doing what you think it should be.

Although I applaud Mr. Stone's resourcefulness in using his GPS to help with his problem, I can't help but think that if he had a better understanding of how his airplane flies in the first place, he may not have bothered to use the GPS except to perhaps help him navigate to his intended point of landing.

Eileen Bjorkman
Via e-mail

Sage Advice

The old saying, "No two pilots are alike," is a phrase I have heard from my Uncle Pete, an old-time aviator.

He's absolutely right - you have to tailor your needs, wants, and safety to settle on a happy medium. Suggestions in the cockpit can't be looked upon as being negative; it's not about authority or who has the upper hand. Two-pilot operation is about one looking out for the other - "you watch my back and I'll watch yours." I am always up for pointers, and I'll take any tip into consideration. The valuable lesson is to never hold a grudge against your colleague.

Let's ask ourselves, are two pilots better than one? I'd say, "absolutely." Four eyes are better than two, four ears are better than two, and two brains are better than one. Two-pilot operation is a negotiable regime. Respect a "heads up," and don't neglect it.

Chad M. King
Syracuse, New York

Erratum

AOPA Flight Training received an incorrect price for Stephen Casner's Cockpit Automation for General Aviators ("Pilot Products," August). The correct price is $32.99.