Dear Rod:
I am only 13 and am so eager to learn about flying. I have taken my introductory flight, and I nearly wet my pants. Just fantastic! I didn’t care if I threw up. I have the flying bug. Anyway, I want to start learning the ropes. I can’t afford to fly a real airplane, so what do I do? Please tell me where to start learning how to fly. —Cheers
Greetings Cheers:
OK, if you want to fly, then you’ll have to work on bladder control and not throwing up. Either of these will make your passengers nervous—your co-pilot, too. All right, I know you’re kidding, but I am happy that you found aviation so exciting.
So here’s what you should do (and it’s not a shameless plug, either, because I receive nothing for this recommendation). Purchase MicrosoftFlight Simulator and take the flying lessons in that program. I guarantee you that you’ll learn more about flying an airplane than you would ever learn by just reading a book.
Dear Rod:
I’m a flight instructor teaching a very short student how to land a Cessna 172. I’ve placed her on cushions (two of them), moved the seat as far forward as possible, and have done all the other things that are considered general advice on landings. With more than 10 hours of landing practice, I’m stumped—she still doesn’t seem to know when to flare. Any advice? —Marty
Greetings Marty:
Without reiterating all the things you probably know, here’s one thing to consider. You said you placed her on two cushions. That’s great. In the Cessna 172, her eye level should be a bit below the top of the left window pane, so she can look to the left without dipping her head. What you didn’t say was whether you have also placed cushions behind her to move her closer to the panel. Did you do this?
In most Cessna 172s, full forward seat travel doesn’t move smaller students close enough to the panel. That may be your problem. The closer students are to the panel, the longer they are able to maintain a view of the runway as the nose rises during the flare.
The student should be taught to look to the left of the cowling during the flare, to see both the runway and the horizon. That doesn’t mean she should be kept from seeing the runway directly over the panel during the very beginning of the landing flare. Moving her closer means she’ll be have a better view of the runway before and during the early stages of the flare.
Dear Rod:
I have only been a CFI for a few years, and I have a primary student who wants to fly the pattern for night solo touch and goes. He has completed the required night takeoffs and landings and night cross-country requirements. I have never endorsed a student for night pattern work. I have asked other instructors if they have signed a student off at night and they all have said absolutely not. Is it because night is too dangerous for low-time students and not being able to see weather coming in? —Michael
Greetings Michael:
The federal aviation regulations require five miles visibility at night for student pilot operations, but I have made it a practice to never let students fly solo at night, even if it’s just doing touch and goes. In my opinion, the risks are just a bit too great. Why? Mainly, because it gets dark at night. And when it’s dark, we can’t see as well (what a concept, eh?). It’s just too easy for a student to get disoriented at night, to get lost at night, to not be easily able to identify the trajectory of other airplanes at night, to not see weather as well at night, and so on.
I’m all for giving students experience at night, but only when an instructor is with them. When students reach the private pilot level, then I believe they have sufficient experience to fly safely at night.
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