Coms

Gotcha

IFR learning for a VFR pilot

Great article by Greg Brown in the latest issue of Flight Training, regarding his friend’s ILS approach (“Flying

Carpet: Gotcha Switch,” May 2018). For a VFR-only pilot like me, I actually understood it. Must have been quite scary for him exiting the clouds and being that close to the trees. I hope all IFR pilots read that piece. It would be a lifesaver.

David Chuke
Oak Brook, Illinois

Sea legs

Our family looks forward to every edition of Flight Training, and it’s always a fight to read it first. I especially enjoyed the article about seaplanes (“Float Flying Fun,” May 2018). Ken Wittekiend was the examiner for my private pilot certificate, and I truly felt that if a pilot like him signed off on me, I’d be all right.

Mike Jennings and family
Georgetown, Texas

CFI squeeze

Perhaps I got a taste of Ian J. Twombly’s subject (“Right Seat: Supply Squeeze,” May 2018). Now that I have the means and time to take flying lessons, I went to the FBO at Linden Municipal Airport in New Jersey to inquire about getting a sport pilot certificate. The man gave me a business card of a CFI and told me to give him a call, which I did. The man seemed very pleasant, and we agreed to meet at this FBO last Saturday. He never showed up! I left my credentials with the man at the counter, and he told me he will make sure to give it to the CFI. I never heard from him.

Next weekend, I will try my luck at the Morristown, New Jersey, airport. If that doesn’t work either, I will consider your suggestion of a flying club.

Richard Magnan
Linden, New Jersey

Too close

I have observed students blindly follow a procedure without understanding the purpose behind it. To wit, your suggestion at the bottom of the page in “Flight Lesson: Switch the Tanks” (May 2018) to “switch tanks before reaching pattern altitude.” I certainly don’t want them switching from the fuller tank so my method regarding fuel is: Whenever you check one fuel item (quantity, selector, fuel pump), check them all. Waiting until close to the pattern is much too late for me. I want the first prelanding check completed before the students’ first call-in (10 miles out), and then continued as necessary until complete so that their primary focus is outside the aircraft as they watch for traffic, proper spacing, and pattern entry.

Bill Post
Custer, Washington

Thanks ATC

Not long ago I started my helicopter flight training with Eastern Helicopter Flight Training at Long Island McArthur Airport, Long Island, New York (ISP). Every month I look forward to my Flight Training magazine. I would not mind if there were more articles, here and there, about helicopters. I enjoyed quite a bit the one regarding the new procedures to recover from settling with power (“Advanced Pilot: Escape the Vortex,” February 2018).

My friends who are CFIs, mechanics, fixed-wing, and rotor pilots and students all agree: No maneuver is riskier and scarier than talking on the radio.

My cruel instructor, Sanders, does not like to help anymore. He’s decided that anytime I do not understand a radio call, I must let the tower know by asking them to repeat themselves. Fortunately, everything that’s been written and said about instructors and tower operations is true. They really are there to help you.

I recently visited the control tower at ISP. I wasn’t sure if they were going to receive me with open arms or baseball bats. My instructor was there for moral support. All my preconceptions were proven wrong. They were waiting for us with open arms. This is a close-knit group of people working in a stressful environment who enjoy what they do. And yes, they do enjoy when you visit and so will you. Go ahead and schedule a visit to your tower. They can teach you quite a bit.

Jaime Fernandez
Copiague, New York