Checking cross checking
I must take exception to the statement, "Crosscheck is nothing more than seeing what's going on," in the article "Easier Than You Think: Getting Your Instrument Rating is as Easy as 1-2-3" in May's AOPA Flight Training. Crosschecking is the habitual practice of verifying the consistency of the flight instruments with one another to detect error or downright failure. Introduction of this need from the very beginning harnesses the law of primacy and plants a potentially life-saving practice firmly in the student's mind.
In olden times, a turn indicator failure was only a tug on a circuit breaker away. I was sometimes appalled at the IPC-seekers who could fly for an hour without noticing that the turn indicator was dead. Sadly, the newer airplanes tend to use "non-pullable" circuit breakers, so a vital lesson has become harder to teach. Maybe that means we should start teaching cross-checking of the flight instruments for consistency earlier and harder.
David F. Shaw, CFII
Penn Yan, New York
Listening in on a lesson
Andrew Sarangan's article "Listening in on a Lesson" in the May 2009 issue reminded me of a similar tool that one of my primary students used in his training. He chose to use a video camera to document his entire training experience. Before every lesson he would tape an introduction, then when we went to fly he simply stuck the camera to the roof behind the seats in our Cessna 152 and recorded the whole lesson. Afterwards he would debrief to the camera. He also posted his lessons online. Unknown to us at the time, his podcast was the first of its kind and turned out to be hugely popular, especially with other student pilots.
Casey Allen
Melbourne, Florida
A letter to Sully
In response to Wayne Phillips' story in the May issue, "A Letter to Sully," Captain Sullenberger's comments in front of Congress were exactly on point. Captain Sullenberger is a 20-year airline veteran who had his seniority cut and his retirement decimated by one of the most horribly mismanaged airlines this country has ever produced. Sully should get an A-plus for telling Congress how it is in our business in the new millennium. Sully also gave great credit to his crew, including First Officer Jeff Skiles. What was lost on the public was that Jeff Skiles' proper title is Capt. Jeff Skiles. Captain Skiles was operating as a first officer that day because the mismanagement at USAir had furloughed roughly half of its pilots before merging with America West.
Capt. Lawrence Beck
Branford, Connecticut
Adventure in fun and utility
I read Mike Collins' article ("Adventure in Fun and Utility" May AOPA Flight Training) and found his Army story familiar. Back in 1981 I had been out of engineering school for only a year. I had always wanted to fly. I walked into the Air Force recruiter's office and said, "You teach me to fly and I will sign up today." His response was, we don't need pilots, we need engineers. I walked away. Later I found out that if I had walked into a Navy recruiter they would have probably said welcome aboard.
Last September at age 50 I decided to learn to fly. I had been kept away by the problem of having money but no time, or having time but no money for years. In October I got my private pilot certificate, and in February I picked up my instrument. I'm with Collins; who'd want to fly a tank?
Bob Arasmith
Sunnyvale, California
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