Some should master complex aircraft first
I have been approved for a loan that will enable me to pursue a multiengine rating. A local flight training academy almost guarantees the rating in four days or less--8.5 hours of dual instruction and 1.5 prep for the checkride. A woman recently told me that nearly four out of five pilots have passed with ease. I have no complex aircraft time, and no retractable-gear and no controllable-pitch propeller experience, which makes me concerned about my capability to do this. I have more than 70 hours in the Cessna 172M, 172SP, and 152. I was just wondering what the agenda normally is for this rating and how this might turn out, based on your assumptions.
Henry
Greetings Henry:
Without complex time, and considering your flight time, I think you're looking at a minimum of 15 hours of dual instruction to complete the multi rating. I suggest that you get checked out in a single-engine complex airplane first, then take multiengine training. Generally, it takes at least four to five hours for someone to acclimate to a complex airplane. There's no reason to spend $250 an hour doing this in a multiengine airplane when you can do the same for a lesser amount in a Piper Arrow (or something similar). In the long run, this strategy will save you a lot of money.
Which runway is which?
Dear Rod:
I'm having a real challenge trying to identify the proper runway for landing during my cross-country flights. I've made three solo cross-country flights so far and, when the tower or an airport advisory informs me of the landing runway, I seem to have a hard time identifying it until I get close. In other words, Runway 21 looks a lot like Runway 25 in terms of their alignment. Do you have any suggestions?
Runway Challenged
Greetings Runway Challenged Person:
Sometimes it's just hard to pick out the proper runway at a distance. That's why it's often best to overfly the airport and look at the runway from a bird's-eye view first. This allows you to identify the runway layout. You can do this by flying above the top of Class D airspace or asking the tower for permission to fly over the field at 500 feet above the traffic pattern altitude. At a nontowered airport, you can overfly the field at a minimum of 500 feet above pattern altitude and look at the runway layout.
To identify the proper runway, try this technique. Extend your index finger as if you're making a toy gun. Run that finger through the center of the directional gyro and point it to the number of the landing runway. The landing runway is now the one that's parallel (aligned) with your index finger.
Suspicious minds
Dear Rod:
I have a brand-new instrument student who is in his last year of college. We've done a couple of lessons, and he seems to be a fast and eager learner. Here's the problem. Other instructors at my flight school, as well as the dispatchers at the front desk, have commented to me privately that my student always looks as if he's under the influence of something. They cite bloodshot eyes, his ability to laugh at just about anything, and his overall demeanor, which apparently is likened to that of someone who is high.
I haven't really recognized his behavior as unusual, but then, I'm a bit naive in that area. After our flight lessons, he seems as if he has come down a little, maybe a bit more tired than you'd expect your average student to be, but still nothing out of the ordinary. He's sharp in the airplane and hasn't given me a reason to worry, but just hearing such comments from at least five other people has got me concerned. Aside from a well-planned ground lesson on aeromedical factors, what action do you suggest I take with this?
In sincerity,
Anonymous, please
Greetings Anonymous:
Hmmm? He laughs at nearly anything, appears high, and has bloodshot eyes? That sounds just like me after a Starbucks double espresso.
This can be a challenging situation to handle. It's always important to try to protect someone's integrity and not humiliate or embarrass anyone, as could happen if this situation was not handled carefully. The important fact here is that others have mentioned that your student looks like he's under the influence of something. If this were just one person, I suppose it might just be a personal quirk of the individual making the report. But that's not the situation here, is it? Therefore, the opinions of these instructors and the dispatcher are important to consider, and the student needs to be questioned. How should you do that?
If there is no chief instructor or flight school owner available to do this job, then it's up to you. I suggest you approach the student in the following manner:
"Bob, are you doing or taking anything prior to your flight lessons that might change your normal demeanor or performance?" I would leave the sentence open ended and see what the response is. If the guy says, "Yeah, I'm nervous so I take three downers and a shot of tequila. Is that a problem?" then his flight training days at your flight school are over.
Or maybe he just says, "No," at which time you might follow up by saying, "A few folks at the flight school find your behavior unusual in the sense that you tend to laugh quickly, easily, and seemingly at inappropriate times. This may be just be based on your love of life (or love of espresso), but combined with the occasional bloodshot eyes--perhaps because you stay up late studying--these folks are worried that you might be abusing some mind-altering substance. I don't share their concerns; nevertheless, I need you to tell me the truth if you're using some sort of mind-altering substance. Whatever you tell me will be kept between me and you. I just need an honest answer since your safety and the safety of others might be at stake here."
If he says that he's not using any mind/body-altering substance, then ask, "What could be causing the unusual reactions that others have noticed?" Perhaps he'll provide you with a satisfactory answer and all will be well. If, on the other hand, he becomes very aggressive and/or defensive in denying something you never directly accused him of (such as taking drugs), then you should consider additional action to prove to your satisfaction that drugs aren't involved. You might, for instance, ask that he take a drug test before continuing fight training.
As I said, these situations can be challenging, and there are no easy answers to these types of problems. It's likely that your student will feel offended at having to take this test. But life isn't about not having your feelings hurt--it's about doing what's right despite the emotions involved.
If your student is using illicit drugs, then you should stop his flight training immediately. If not, then I'd continue with his training until I have a strong reason to do otherwise.
Rod Machado is a flight instructor, author, educator, and speaker. A pilot since 1970 and a CFI since 1973, he has flown more than 8,000 hours and is part owner of a Cessna P210. Visit his Web site.
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