Coms

What’s in a name?

Nothing to fear in stalls

Just finished reading Ian J. Twombly’s article on stalls in December’s Flight Training magazine (“Right Seat: Shake Off Stalls”). I couldn’t agree more. By the way, I like his idea about using aerobatics as a training tool for CFIs to better understand how to teach stalls. Unfortunately, I don’t think either one of us will live long enough to see that happen; but great idea nonetheless. In terms of the name, “stalls,” I think they should be reclassified as angle-of-attack drills. With all the talk these days about installing AOA indicators in aircraft, the former has the potential to reinforce the latter, thereby increasing awareness and fostering sound recovery techniques—à la “relaxing back pressure.”

In closing I’d like to mention that as a Cessna 182 “diver driver” I frequently find myself “pitching up a bit” trying to eke out 100 or 200 more feet of altitude prior to opening the door at 14,000 feet, and then maintaining that while the jumpers exit the aircraft. More than once or twice I’ve had to make small changes in pitch (by relaxing back-pressure) to avoid stalling, particularly with four jumpers on the step hanging on to the strut. Talk about a drag demo! Reading Twombly’s article reinforces what I do and practice on a daily basis in my line of work. Some might call that “real world.”

Tom Slavonik
Pueblo West, Colorado

I would just like to thank Scott Hotaling and Flight Training for a very well-written article. “Critical Thinking” in the December 2018 issue was short, sweet, and to the point.

The sidebar “Just a Little Bit” also made a very salient point. An inherently stable aircraft (like the one shown) can recover itself.

David Schulte
State College, Pennsylvania

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