Preflight

Do you feel confident in the cockpit? Are you safe, and do you nail altitudes and airspeeds? Would airline pilots be jealous of your landings? If you’re anything like most pilots, your answers are probably mixed at best.

There is a common theme in these questions. They are all indicators of symptoms related to proficiency. Being proficient in the airplane means different things to different pilots, but suffice to say, basic safety is a prerequisite. Landing perfectly, and nailing altitudes and airspeeds? That depends on who you might be talking to at that moment, but many would agree that strong fundamentals are an integral part of proficiency.

There’s so much more to it, however. Estimates on the ratio vary, but flying is without a doubt primarily a mental exercise. In “Keep It Up Ace: Tips for Staying Sharp,” beginning on page 30, author Wally Miller provides his take on the issue, surmising that flying is 95 percent mental. My guess would be more around 80 percent, but Miller’s point is well taken. We spend most of our time working on the mechanics of flying, although it’s important to remember that mental preparation is perhaps even more important than flying the perfect instrument approach or stall recovery.

So why do we focus on the mechanics? For one, it’s easier. Getting into an airplane and flying to the practice area to perform a steep turn is an exercise in hand/eye coordination. It provides instant feedback and allows us a perfect opportunity to repeat the skill and thus solidify the maneuver. There’s a tangible benefit, in other words. Plus, it’s fun. Who wouldn’t rather go out and experience flying than study a book about it?

Miller’s story spans a bridge between the two. Reading it is a mental exercise to keep you sharp when you’re not flying, but taking the tools he provides and putting them to use will strengthen your flying skills.

When in training, keeping sharp is easy. Training is often fun, the instructor sets the pace and dictates the routine, and you couldn’t get away from practicing the basic skills if you tried. After you pass the checkride and go out on your own, however, it’s a different story. Even pilots who fly often can struggle to maintain proficiency for a variety of reasons. I think most fly their mission and don’t think about the skills. To use a sports analogy, the repetitions of spring training and batting practice are over and we’re into the regular season. But don’t forget that ballplayers take batting practice and shag fly balls before a game, just as you shouldn’t neglect practicing those basic flying skills.

Miller advocates setting aside flights to practice, but that may not be practical for everyone. Another option is to integrate basic maneuvers and goals into everyday flying. If you’re flying on a long cross-country, use the opportunity to focus on hitting the altitude perfectly or making succinct, professional radio calls. Takeoffs and landings are the easiest and most fun skills to integrate into your flying routine. If you’re a new pilot, make up a cycle of landings that include short field, soft field, crosswind, no flap, normal, and those with an unusual approach. You’ll find that doing so will negate the need to rent an airplane for an hour just to stay in the pattern.

Experienced pilots can have fun with this as well. My uncle flies for FedEx and makes friendly wagers with his co-pilots to see who can make the best landing on a multi-day trip. It’s a way for them to have fun, maintain a challenge in their flying, and most important, stay sharp in all phases of flight.

Next month when you get this magazine in your mailbox, at your flight school, or on the newsstand, things will look much different. The March issue represents the culmination of months of work for our staff on a complete redesign of the magazine.

The reason for the redesign is manyfold. We recognize that today’s reader is not the same person they were more than 10 years ago when AOPA acquired the magazine. We digest our information now in much shorter, more targeted ways. And we know that readers can get their information from a variety of sources. So we set out to make sure that our content is the most respected, most relevant you can find. That also goes for the Web site, which will relaunch with a new look and new content.

From a design perspective, we wanted a more fluid, more engaging design. To that end, we hired a national magazine design firm that has produced what we think you’ll find to be a beautiful, contemporary look.

So when you open that mailbox or go into your flight school, please take the time to browse the magazine and let me know what you think ([email protected]).