Letters from our July 2019 issue

Thomas A. Horne had a nice explanation of the circling and missed approach procedures (“On Instruments: Circling Challenges”). Probably not a single approach is flown more poorly during my experience giving instrument practical exams. And as for the last sentence? I wish! I have enough stories of circling approaches into Chicago Midway behind the yoke of a 737 to write a book.

Ron Cox
AOPA 1178194
Athens, Georgia

Thank you, thank you, thank you. After reading dozens upon dozens of articles regarding executing missed approaches, I believe you are the first to mention lost communication procedures. As a former military pilot, the lost com briefing and coordination was required. I had one occasion when I actually used lost com procedures in nine years of military flying.

I was an instructor pilot at Castle Air Force Base, California, coming off an IFR approach, touch and go, when during the climbout it was no contact with approach control. We continued the climb we briefed until I could switch back to tower and stay with them since we were in visual conditions. Better to have a plan you can execute than execute a plan you don’t have.

Francis Gibbons
AOPA 1079610
Rockwall, Texas

Pie in the sky

The need for solutions to urban congestion on the roadways is clear (“Waypoints: Future Flight”). Millions of people get into their cars every day wishing they had a better way to get somewhere in less than an hour or two for what should be a 15-minute drive.

But all this talk about vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (VTOLs) solving this problem is like the Uber guys telling you they are here to help solve congestion. The truth is that transporting, say, a couple million people to work in downtown Los Angeles during rush hour is totally absurd using VTOL technology. The air would be filled with vehicles and collisions would be impossible to avoid, and that is assuming millions of people could afford the ride.

No, the solutions are much more obvious. Ground-based mass transportation systems must be improved and implemented in all major metro areas. We should be looking for ways to eliminate the need for travel (better video conferencing systems), and more widely distributed places of work with more flexible use profiles, for example. I love to fly, but the last thing I want is thousands of VTOLs taking off and landing all over town, and then converging on the local GA airport when most of them have to go to bed.

Jeff Fitzsimmons
AOPA 1042381
Gainesville, Florida

Barry Schiff’s July “Test Pilot” question number two asked about the Westinghouse chicken gun. If it is known as the Rooster Booster, is the projectile appropriately called Pullet Bullet? Hap Rocketto, AOPA 451631, Westerly, Rhode Island

To the races

My husband pointed out your July issue because he knows I like horses and follow the Triple Crown races every year. Julie Summers Walker’s article “First Saturday in May” was an interesting read for both of us. I enjoyed the racing aspect of the article while my husband noted the airports surrounding Churchill Downs. We have front-row seats at our hangar at Ocala International Airport here in Ocala, Florida, when Air Horse One flies in several times a year; it’s an impressive sight. I would have loved to have learned more about how those million-dollar horses are housed inside the plane. I think they build the stalls around the horses. Is there a business class available, or does everyone fly economy? Keep up the good work. While my husband enjoys all your technical articles, I always find something of interest to read, too.

Grace Stroud
AOPA 9340664
Ocala, Florida

I really enjoyed Julie Summers Walker’s article on her trip to the Kentucky Derby. Great work and a very nice article. I have loved horse racing since I was a kid. I always watch the big three races, the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont, each year on TV. Charlie Abell, AOPA 1170795, Frederick, MarylandSeat of your pants

In “Safety Logic” by Ian J. Twombly, the author discusses the use of modern avionics for helping to control and prevent aircraft accidents. General aviation is riddled with loss of control and stall/spin accidents. The author presents a broad list of angle of attack indicators that can help avoid these accidents and save lives. Nevertheless, nothing was discussed about “flying by the seat of your pants” for avoiding these dominant aircraft accidents.

Alaska’s elite pilots still use this valuable style of flying to prevent deadly accidents. It has worked extremely well over many decades, and these top pilots have no need to change their way of flying by using AOA indicators. These pilots are free and unencumbered and would change in a heartbeat if they found AOA indicators better than the old-fashioned way for avoiding loss of control and stall/spill accidents. Although antiquated, flying by instinct is still relevant and Alaska’s top pilots depend on it as the best way to fly airplanes. Rod Machado reported in “License to Learn: Take Notice” in the September 2015 AOPA Pilot that no study has shown AOA indicators as being effective in preventing loss of control and stall/spin accidents.

William A. Quirk III
AOPA 5053580
Anchorage, Alaska

Propeller pitch

I greatly enjoyed Catherine Cavagnaro’s article “Proficiency: On Target.” The section on propeller pitch really caught my attention. Many, many years ago a CFI had me fly emergency patterns with the prop pulled aft (gear up, flaps up, prop full aft). Why? To develop habit patterns. I’ve had more than one CFI since then ask, “What are you doing?” when we did a loss of engine in flight scenario during a biennial flight review. Some of the younger ones told me I couldn’t do that. Why leave all that drag on the airplane?

Francis Gibbons
AOPA 1079610
Rockwall, Texas

Errata

“Test Pilot” (July 2019 AOPA Pilot) incorrectly stated the number of engines powering the X–15 for its record-setting flight in 1967. The X–15 reached Mach 6.7 on a single rocket engine.

“Proficiency: Making It Happen” (June 2019 AOPA Pilot) omitted words at a page break. The text should explain that, “accelerating an airplane from 50 knots to 60 knots will take less time (and distance) than accelerating from 60 knots to 70 knots. Furthermore, the rule ignores the distance needed to stop if a safe takeoff cannot be made.”

The cover the July 2019 issue of AOPA Pilot featured a Pilatus PC–6 Porter with the right fuel cap open. AOPA staff was not the pilot in command for this photo flight, but we should have caught it before the flight or including it on the cover.

AOPA Pilot regrets the errors.

We welcome your comments. Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701 or email ([email protected]). Letters may be edited for length and style before publication.