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Cubbin—Low and slow—can you smell the vines? Feeling the summertime air of the Cape wineries. The best views. Thanks James for the fun flight in your J–3 —@deonmitton
Clarifying the rules on slow flight
I enjoyed Ian Twombly’s discussion about the new definition of slow flight (“Technique: The New Slow Flight,” February 2017 Flight Training). But I have to share my concern about his Step number 4 and its conflict with PA.VII.A.S2.
The items in the article listed as “Test Standards” are actually the “Skills” that must be demonstrated on a private pilot practical test. Skill 2 mandates that the stall warning system not be activated during the maneuver. Although Twombly’s technique for determining VS0 + “5-10 knots” is a good training method to learn your aircraft, if the stall warning system is activated during a private pilot flight test the examiner would be forced to issue a notice of disapproval.
Larry Taylor
Mesa, Arizona
I am a Canadian pilot who also holds an FAA private pilot certificate and has flown throughout the United States, so I read Greg Brown’s article (“Flying Carpet: Full Circle,” February 2017 Flight Training) with much interest to get his take on flying on this side of the forty-ninth parallel.
Brown mentioned there are nearly as many U.S. airplanes flying around southern Ontario as Canadian ones, and I would add that the opposite holds true in northern New York state. I used to fly IFR from Kingston, Ontario, to Cornwall, Ontario, on a regular basis and would get handed off from Canadian controllers to Boston Center as I crossed the St. Lawrence River. In this case there was no requirement to file with eAPIS as I did not plan any stops in the United States. The opposite is true when flying IFR from Victoria, British Columbia, to Abbotsford, British Columbia. There is a small portion of U.S. airspace involved in this flight that is controlled by Canadian controllers due to the proximity to Vancouver. In every case they are totally professional and easy to talk to.
Pilots on both sides of the border enjoy much more freedom to fly than our fellow pilots in other countries.
Darren Rich
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
What was your first experience in a tailwheel airplane?
Chipmunk for me, felt so weird having to zigzag on the apron! —Abby Austin
Super Cub in Bartow, Florida. No radio. I flew around the interior, landing at orange groves and small municipal strips. Cheap fuel, 300-foot landing and takeoff performance. Very cool little aircraft. —Andrew Southard
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