We all practice short field landings. It is a part of the Recreational, Private, Commercial, and ATP practical tests. But how practical is it? continued»

As VFR pilots, we should first consider the terrain elevation and then the wind when we select an altitude to fly, but then there is that confusing Even/Odd plus 500 question. It may be more complicated -- and more important -- than you think... continued»

You know the old saying: “What can go wrong usually will.” But in reality what can go wrong usually goes right. continued»

It seems that, in the summer, the Flight Service Station weather briefers always hedge their bets by adding 'potential for afternoon thunderstorms' onto every briefing. continued»

What is the effect of first hooking up your computer to the Internet? You already know. It is like opening a door to an unlimited world of information. continued»

There are many airports that have control towers that do not operate 24 hours a day. continued»

If you fly to an uncontrolled airport that has a single runway and that runway has a direct crosswind, which direction should you land? continued»

At airports with an operating control tower it is vital that we protect ourselves after being given “position and hold” instructions. continued»

The largest number of mid-air collisions take place in a traffic pattern. continued»

Congratulations! You successfully navigated to a busy controlled airport, handled all the radio work, and even landed on the correct runway. continued»

It does seem logical that a 10-knot tailwind on the way back will 'pay you back' for the 10-knot headwind you had on the way out. continued»

Using the magnetic compass as the basis for in-flight direction comes with some built-in problems that have caused pilots to get off course and even lost. continued»

I have a friend who uses a GPS unit everywhere he flies. One day his GPS told him that the distance from Memphis to Nashville was 1,928 nautical miles on a heading of 280 degrees. continued»

From 1983 to 2000 there were 230 fatal takeoff accidents among pilots within their first 1,000 hours of flight experience. continued»

The FAA has standard turbulence reporting criteria, but there is a problem. continued»

Ordinarily the aircraft speed limit below 10,000 feet is 250 knots, but there is an exception that might surprise you -- or worse. continued»

In order to safely and smoothly fly through our system you must do more than just talk the talk, you must understand the hidden meaning behind the talk -- thinking you understand isn’t good enough. continued»

Are you sure we’re all speaking the same language? continued»

When there’s more to the meaning than the words show, you had better know what you’re saying -- here’s our final installment on talking the talk... continued»

A good pilot customarily calculates a ground speed, duration and estimated fuel burn before each flight -- all from forecast winds -- and that’s not so good... continued»

The airspeed indicator has colorful arcs that advise us about our speed -- and on every flight those markings lie. continued»

A pilot certificate (except for the student and flight instructor certificate) is issued without an expiration date, but there are things you must do -- and many more that you should do -- to maintain the privileges provided by that certificate. continued»

Your first solo was the challenge of a lifetime, but was it legal? continued»

Can you fly your airplane with that missing or inoperative equipment? continued»

It’s time to watch the Outside Air Temperature Gauge and determine your altitudes based less on winds and more on how cold it is ... or suffer the consequences. continued»

We all know the real reason for filing a VFR flight plan (to speed up a rescue should we not arrive at our destination), but there are places where even the flight plan is not fast enough… continued»

We learn to fly an 'S' turn down a road, a circle around a barn or to fly parallel to a railroad track when learning to fly ... but why? continued»

When was the last time a controller asked, 'Hey give me a Lazy Eight out there!' continued»

The Global Positioning Systems (GPS) we enjoy today appears to be the product of our new technology, but in fact it is not new. continued»

What happens when an air traffic controller tells an aircraft with the call sign of 'Six-Seven-Tango' that they are cleared to land, and the pilot of an aircraft with the call sign of 'Six-Sierra-Tango' says, 'Roger. Cleared to land.' continued»

The controller's use of an aircraft call sign is also a code within a code. continued»

When flying a light single engine airplane you would not expect to accelerated while climbing, but what if the instruments told you just that – do you believe the instruments or is something else going on? continued»

Ever since the second aircraft started flying, a primary concern among pilots has been the ability to see and avoid the other aircraft. continued»

Getting too close to an obstruction can make for a really bad day. continued»

Engine failure is rare (and usually the result of poor fuel management), but if you ever find yourself sitting behind a stopped prop -- with concurrent heart stoppage -- don't forget the most important fact: at least the wings are still attached. continued»

Having an AWOS at an uncontrolled airport makes getting local weather information easy -- but when this machine reports the weather, does that report become the 'official' and 'legal' report or is the information simply an advisory? continued»

They say every accident is the result of an unlikely chain of events: On a Friday afternoon, a student and a flight instructor prepared for a flight lesson. continued»

The purpose of becoming a student pilot is to become a private pilot, but there are some pilots that deliberately remain students and, in doing so, retain certain privileges, while bypassing certain requirements. continued»

Once you get your Private Pilot Certificate, you should celebrate -- take your family for a flight over your hometown, brag at work ... then, make a five-year plan. continued»

When problems arise in the cockpit there are many levels of concern and, when asking for assistance, your terminology should reflect the proper level of that concern. continued»

No matter how many checkrides you take, you never completely get rid of what is commonly known as 'checkride-itis' but there are some strategies that can reduce the fear-factor. continued»

Spin accidents don't happen every day, but when they take place they are almost always deadly. continued»

Private Pilot applicants once were required to perform a one-turn spin and recover within 10 degrees of original heading to pass the checkride -- things have changed. continued»

If the engine quits, flying the airplane at a speed greater than stall speed is the number one priority, but once the airplane glide is safely under control, the pilot must make the next most important decision. continued»

The pilot of a single-engine airplane and the pilot of a twin-engine airplane both prepare to takeoff on parallel runways. continued»

Two-way communication radios can be very frustrating, but there are some reasons that things get worse in the summertime. continued»

In the near future using barometric pressure to determine altitude will be a thing of the past, but until then, it will pay to know a few of the altimeter's tricks. continued»

I overheard two private pilots talking, recently, -- one was telling the other about the poor controller service received the last time he had gone into a particular Class C airport. continued»

What is the best thing to do if your engine quits while climbing out after takeoff? continued»

If you experience the full or partial loss of your two-way radio communications, you can still land at an airport -- even one with a control tower -- if you know how to get their attention. continued»

Flying 'under the influence' of alcohol or drugs can produce disastrous consequences, but there is a more common problem that is likely to affect us all -- abstinence or not. continued»

I gave a talk about a month ago at a Pilot Proficiency program and, just to satisfy my own curiosity, I asked all the pilots in the audience that were 50 years old and older to raise their hands. continued»

Flying in the clouds may be the most demanding of pilot skills, but does flying IFR stretch a pilot's capabilities beyond the limits of safety? continued»

The Pitot Tube is an essential part of an essential aircraft system and failure to understand exactly how that system functions or assure its proper operation has made for catastrophic results. continued»

Do the skills required to earn the Instrument Rating make for safer Private Pilots, or does the rating lure good pilots into dangerous situations, making them less safe? continued»

The primary privilege of holding a pilot's certificate is the ability to act as Pilot in Command of an aircraft, but that certificate is useless without a current medical certificate to go along with it. continued»

When you file a flight plan, either VFR or IFR, the procedure begins the same way: by calling the Flight Service Station. continued»

After the IFR flight plan has been filed and approved, it becomes a clearance. How a new clearance is passed from Air Traffic Control to the pilot depends on where you are and how bad the weather is... continued»

There exists an extremely high level of instrument competence that requires precision flying, but also the ability to understand not only what controllers say, but what they really mean. continued»

It seems that receiving, copying, and reading back an IFR clearance is one of the most anxious experiences of learning to fly IFR -- but it doesn't have to be that way. continued»

Anything that is not specifically prohibited by the Federal Aviation Regulations is therefore allowed. continued»

The most important back-up plan you may ever have involves the IFR Alternate airport. continued»

Today, Air Traffic Controllers use what they call 'flow control' in an attempt to prevent in-flight holding patterns. continued»

ATC is trying to keep things as orderly as possible and when they ask a pilot to fly a holding pattern, the pattern itself is only part of the problem. continued»

Beyond the loss of life
Beyond the jumble of sorrow and outrage
Beyond the courage of people helping people in need
continued»

At the conclusion of any IFR flight, the pilot must determine how to transition from the enroute phase to the landing phase of the flight -- there are five possible ways to do this... continued»

Like most other instrument pilots and instrument students in General Aviation, I must fly instrument approaches with precision... and hope. continued»

You can fly an instrument approach through the clouds perfectly; you can break out from under a cloud deck and catch a glimpse of the runway ahead, but that doesn't mean you can land on that runway -- you still must have the proper visibility. continued»

A pilot flying through the clouds on an instrument approach can break out below the clouds and see the runway, have the required visibility, but still be unable to safely and legally land on the runway. continued»

The regulations require that you have a two-way radio communications system in order to fly IFR, but radios don't read regulations. What do you do when you go IFR and the radios go AWOL? continued»

Next to an onboard fire, an electrical power failure in the clouds is the biggest challenge a pilot can face. continued»

The Instrument Rating requires more than mastery of instrument procedures and flight skills -- it also requires mastery of the paperwork that tells you when you're current and when you're not. continued»

The regulation that requires recent experience in order to exercise the privileges of an instrument rating mentions the possibility of using a 'Safety Pilot'... what exactly is a Safety Pilot? continued»

Since last July, my articles have been about Instrument Flight; the articles are filled with the 'nuts and bolts' of instrument flight -- procedures, facts, do's and don'ts, techniques, and regulations involved -- but there is more to flying IFR than all that. continued»

We all want to save money, and the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) outline the privileges and limitations of a Private Pilot in FAR 61.118 in that regard -- but how well do you understand them? continued»

Last week we looked at some 'shared expense' situations involving Private Pilots. continued»

When can a simulator replace an airplane and is simulator time logged the same way as flight time? continued»

People with disabilities must face many barriers in their lives, but learning to fly an airplane isn't necessarily one of them. continued»

To become a Private Pilot you must have a total of 40 flight hours: 20 with an instructor and 10 solo; let's see, 20 + 10 equals... hey, wait a minute! continued»

Every now and then a Student Pilot gets lost and never tells their Flight Instructor about it... continued»

With the Sport Pilot proposal right around the corner, a lot of people are anxious to see what comes -- while we're waiting, here's a look at the FAA's last effort. continued»

After you have made the big decision to pursue flying lessons one of the first items to accomplish is to become a Student Pilot. continued»

This is a true story and like most true stories that end up in print, it doesn't read like one... continued»

How could a student work with his instructor all the way to the Private Pilot checkride simply to be sent home by the Examiner? continued»

Airspace questions on knowledge tests are missed often, and pilots frequently violate airspace boundaries -- no wonder, the rules are very complicated. continued»

While conducting a Biennial Flight Review, I once asked a man to get his chart out and point out some uncontrolled airspace -- how would you have done? continued»

Last week we discussed where Class E (controlled airspace) reached the surface, where it met Class G (uncontrolled airspace) and associated VFR minimums... so, why should a cautious VFR pilot care? continued»

There are still a few control towers in the United States that operate like airfield bonfires did 75 years ago... continued»

Is it possible to have a controlled airport operating in uncontrolled airspace? continued»

When VFR aircraft share airspace with IFR aircraft, the pilots must have three miles visibility so they might avoid mid-air collisions -- but can both IFR and VFR pilots legally occupy the same airspace with less than three miles visibility? continued»

Airspace regulations and boundaries are hard enough to get straight under normal conditions -- but when the sun goes down everything changes. continued»

Class G, or uncontrolled airspace, is down low... most of the time, and not everywhere. continued»

If you can break the color code you can 'see' a lot more than the airspace on a sectional chart. continued»

Some airspace symbols on the sectional chart are not defined on the chart's legend; that's not so helpful, but maybe this is. continued»

The key to understanding what airspace boundaries look like is 'seeing' what the terrain looks like... continued»

Often when airports are located close together, their overlying airspace can conflict, and the resultant airspace overlap can be more than a little confusing. continued»

When airports and their associated airspace are in close proximity to each other, there can be congestion, confusion and conflict. continued»

There may be no better example of overlapping airspace than Chicago; the Chicago airspace has it all -- Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E, and yes even Class G airspace -- all under one roof. continued»

Several weeks ago I issued an interactive challenge; the iPilot readers have met that challenge -- and then some! continued»

Since the Airspace series began, many of you have written about your hometown airpace and its unique characteristics -- the best way to get to know your own local airspace is to 'slice' it and take a good look. continued»

In 1993 the current airspace system that uses the alphabet to designate the different airspace types went into effect, replacing all the previous airspace designations, but one. continued»

Several weeks ago I issued the first airspace challenge question and 80% of the iPilot readers who took the challenge had the correct answer -- the second time it was different. continued»

Unfortunately many books, training manuals, and even FAA documents give a false image of the Victor Airways. continued»

The iPilot readers that took Challenge #3 did very well and bounced back from a poorer performance on the previous challenge! continued»

Did you know that a moving Prohibited Area always follows the President of the United States where ever he goes? The Federal Aviation Regulations make it illegal to fly over or near the President. continued»

Flying to one of America's National Parks and seeing the landscape that makes that area special is one of the greatest thing you can do with your pilot's certificate -- if you know what you're doing. continued»

As you study and learn the Sectional Chart symbols for landmarks and airspace you begin to notice a hidden message within the color codes. continued»

It looks like you really did your homework on this one. The Interactive Pilot readers who took challenge number 4 were almost unanimously correct. continued»

Across the United States there are Airport Surveillance Radar sites that do not have boundaries shown on the sectional chart, but you nevertheless should use them ... where are they? continued»

When we fly we are accustomed to scanning the ground for obstructions like building cranes, towers, buildings, and rising terrain -- but what about those obstructions above our altitude? continued»

I called out the Interactive Pilot readers a few weeks ago by asking them to get off the fence and into the Challenge -- you responded and overwhelmingly met the challenge. continued»

Navigating complex airspace takes preparation and understanding of the system -- it also helps to have a pathway cleared for you ahead of time. continued»

When an unauthorized airplane interrupts a Space Shuttle launch the results can be dangerous and expensive -- both to NASA and the pilot -- but the occurrence isn't as uncommon as you might think. continued»

Most all of the iPilot readers who responded to Challenge 6 knew what VFR Waypoints are (apparently, so does my GPS), perhaps it's time for more important questions. continued»

I flew for years with the metal image of the "up-side-down wedding cake" as the shape of Class B and Class C airspace -- and the perception I had in my head was completely wrong! continued»

Accident statistics indicate that pilots with the least experience have the most accidents -- but are there ways to turn that around ... are there ways to help you fly like you have 1000 hours? This week we start a new series on how to find out. continued»

Last week we defined a Danger Zone: A pilot who has between 50 and 350 flight hours is more likely to be involved in an accident than any other pilot. This week, we'll look at federal action taken to address the problem. continued»

What are the Airlines doing that we should be doing? The National Transportation Safety Board initially classifies 65-percent of the General Aviation accidents as "pilot error" accidents. continued»

The airlines use a form of training called Line Oriented Flight Training or LOFT. "Line" refers to the "flight line." In a LOFT scenario a pilot and crew are in the simulator but instead of practicing maneuvers, they fly through an actual flight from Seattle to Los Angeles as an example. continued»

Last week I described a project that involved volunteer general aviation pilots, a simulator, and a decision scenario -- this week we'll discuss how the pilots handled the situation. In short: Not very well. continued»

After all the pilot volunteers had flown the flight simulator for the first time, I invited them back for a seminar. Up to this point all the volunteers had the same experience with the project. continued»

After the volunteers had flown the first LOFT scenario and attended the workshop/seminars, they were scheduled back into the flight simulators for a second session. The second LOFT scenario was different from the first but it featured the same elements and decision prompting situations. The results were overwhelmingly positive. continued»

As the project continued -- and the General Aviation pilots continued to have problems -- I became interested in what an "expert's" performance might look like. So during the project, I invited other pilots who would be considered experts to come and give the simulator a try. continued»

What actually is experience and what does it give you? The dictionary defines experience as "gaining knowledge through direct observation or participation." For pilots, experience is being able to better deal with situations in the future because you have seen them in the past. continued»

The participants in the first simulator session all appeared to be reluctant to tell the controllers that they had an emergency. What were they afraid of? Do pilots risk their certificates and bank accounts by declaring an emergency? continued»

So what happens after notification of an emergency reaches the Flight Standards District Office? What is more dangerous -- the emergency or the FAA? I interviewed an FAA Flight Standards Inspector, about the subject. continued»

As flight students and instructors we work very hard to improve our skills and maintain our status as safe pilots. But can our methods of flight training actually create problems once the student has left the protected environment of the flight instructor? In some cases the answer to that question is YES! continued»

Every flight you will ever take consists of a series of decisions -- it's the quality of those decisions that determine the level of your safety. Unfortunately many pilots take decision making for granted. continued»

The following is an airspeed maneuver example of how the real-world element can be a part of everyday flight training, with the goal being not only to train as a pilot but to train to become Pilot in Command. continued»

I was giving a stage check to a pilot who had just soloed the day before and I asked him to do the "turn around a point" maneuver. He flew a great maneuver, but he had no idea why it was a good thing to know. continued»

To any student pilot the practice area is like the minor leagues is to a baseball player. In the practice area you learn your craft, yet -- with an instructor on board -- the stakes are not all that high. To the student pilot the traffic pattern is the major leagues. The pattern is the show. continued»

My first instructor told me prior to our first night lesson that the airplane does not know that it is dark outside. The airplane flies exactly the same, it's the human body that acts differently at night. Night flying can be wonderful. But it has dangers that the pilot must respect. continued»

You do not have to be an Instrument Flight Instructor (CFII) to give instrument flight instruction? No, the only time a CFII certificate is required is when a person is training for the instrument rating. Initial instructors give instrument training all the time. continued»

Flying away from the friendly confines of your home airport offers another great flying challenge. It also offers an unlimited number of "what if" scenarios. When the airlines use "LOFT" scenarios, they are always playing out a flight going to somewhere (LOFT is Line Oriented Flight Training -- Line, as in flight line or route). Creative instructors and inquisitive students can "war game" cross counties forever. Here is just one and it's a true story. continued»

Students who learn to fly at controlled airports never know any different, but students who learn at an uncontrolled airport can develop a fear of the radio. All pilots must eventually get past the stage fright associated with the radio and get to the point where communications become conversational. continued»

Pilots should practice cross country planning -- even on days when it does not look like a flight is possible due to weather. Call and get a weather briefing anyway. Get the wind and temperatures aloft so that you can still calculate the groundspeed and fuel requirements. Instructors, have your students practice making the Go/No Go decision. As an instructor I always go behind the student and get my own weather briefing. continued»

Emergencies are rare but that does not mean it's a good idea to be unprepared for them. Emergency possibilities offer an endless number of scenarios. Here are a few to get you thinking... continued»

I spent last week with 40 minority students who will be high school juniors and seniors in the coming academic year. I had applied for a grant to lead a workshop that would introduce these students to college life and careers in aviation. Later I received word that I had been selected and was awarded $50,000. It didn't take long to spend the money... continued»

The high school students in the In-Flight! program spent a week on a university campus and learned about going to college and aviation careers. They launched model rockets, watched movies, had a talent show, went to the recreation center, and ate pizza well after midnight. But it was not all fun and games. The students discovered that aviation is filled with great role models. continued»

In-Flight! was a weeklong summer workshop designed to show minority high school students what it was like to go to college and learn about aviation. The students in the program completed at least a dozen projects -- like learning to navigate using a Sectional Chart, making and launching their own rocket, and making an aviation history time-line. But we also wanted the students to read. The idea was to have every student read the same book so that later they could talk about it together. I selected one of my favorite books: Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull. continued»

"Where ever you are - be there!" This is a direct quote from Mr. Joel Smith who is a training coordinator for the Boeing 747 fleet of Northwest Airlines. Joel is a former student of mine, and he invited me to sit in on one of his CRM training sessions one time. continued»

It seems that the most obvious thing can become elusive when you don't concentrate on the details. A pilot and controller together looked past the obvious and almost caused a tragedy in Charlotte, North Carolina, one night. continued»

Pilots are confronted with an inflow of information (radio communications, spotting other traffic, flight and engine instruments, etc.) at all times during a flight. We can only do so much with this information and must decide which bit of information or which potential conflict should we attack first, second, and third. continued»

Pilots have enough problems in the dynamic flight environment without making things worse on themselves. But sometimes pilots impose unnecessary distractions on themselves that compound and aggravate an already challenging situation. continued»

I'm really not trying to be an old-fogey about this, but I guess I can't help myself. My flight school has just purchased 25 brand new airplanes and each one has a fully IFR capable GPS moving map system. The systems are wonderful, and I should be happy that students will have a very hard time ever getting lost again. I should be happy that calculating an in-flight intercept angle on a vectored NDB approach is a thing of the past. I should be excited that holding patterns are now drawn out for us, but I still have to pause and reflect on what we're giving up. continued»

My previous series of articles was written to help pilots stay "ahead" of the airplane, but if you are a pilot I'm confident you have at some time felt "behind" the airplane. I remember my first takeoff in a complex airplane. Between the landing gear retraction, faster speed, manifold pressure adjustments, and propeller control settings, I never looked outside the airplane once. I thought, "I'm glad this flight instructor is in here taking care of everything." I was so far behind the airplane, it felt like I was sitting in the back seat! The real problem is that "behind the airplane" feeling is a sure sign that situation awareness is gone or on its way out. continued»

If we can spot where a pilot goes wrong on a flight, will it be easier to recognize the same point during our own flights? Last week we heard from a pilot who got in over his head with weather. He learned. Can we? continued»

Bad things can happen when a pilot flies without understanding the complete situation that surrounds them. Last week we learned from three pilots who did not have complete awareness and because of it, each had an accident on takeoff. Let's recap... continued»

Common sense and calculations were missing when two pilots ran out of fuel in flight and experience off-airport landings. Did you see where the pilots went wrong in last week's POD examples? continued»

Should the title of last week's accident report be, "When you gotta go, ya gotta go." Or, "Always know where the nearest airport is." A pilot who needed to make a restroom stop crash-landed instead of landing at an airport 2 miles away. The pilot was not thinking straight -- but he was dealing with a big distraction. continued»

I told you last summer that I would give the new technology an honest try (Trying not to be an Old Fogey) and I am doing that. Here is what I've learned so far: Some old methods are still necessary even with the new equipment. But I'm afraid some of these methods may become Lost Arts. continued»

I have been learning to use the new technology and along the way I have discovered a few situations where the old technology is not only still relevant, it's more important that ever. One of these situations is planning to divert to an alternate airport... continued»

The accident numbers and NASA reports seem to cluster around particular areas of operation. This fact should serve as a warning sign. If pilots are repeatedly having problems in predictable situations, then whenever you find yourself headed into a similar situation you should know to get ready. continued»

The lack of position awareness takes place more often than we want to admit. In a post 9/11 world, even more than before, it is absolutely vital that pilots know exactly where they are all the time. continued»

Every year it happens. Pilots press on into deteriorating weather conditions. It is the leading cause of fatal accidents among pilots. But some pilots do survive their encounters with the clouds and live to tell about it. continued»

The lack of awareness continues to be a source of problems when aircraft move on the ground. Not too long ago, you would not find runway incursions listed as an accident category, but it is just as easy to get lost on the ground as it is in the air... continued»

Although not yet reflected by a huge wave of incident reports. Regardless, technological distractions are a growing problem and one of the Big 5 accident/incident producers. Recently designed aircraft (like the Cirrus SRV, Diamond's Katana line, their DA-40 and Lancair's 300 and 400) greatly expand the performance envelope made familiar to pilots by Cessna 172s and Piper Archers. They also often offer avionics that are exponentially more capable than those with which many pilots are familiar. It may be ironic, but along with the simplicity of flight and improved situational awareness these packages offer, there is a greater need for care when using and learning to use these systems. continued»

The more I use our airplane's new technology the more I appreciate what it gives us, but I have also discovered some areas that, so far, the technology appears to have missed. One skill that I fear may be lost is chart reading. There is a big difference between a chart and a map. The new technology provides moving maps -- not moving charts. continued»

Two weeks ago in North Carolina I was flying en route to teach a flight instructor workshop. It was very early on a Saturday morning and during my weather briefing I was interested in learning about the cloud tops. When I asked about pilot reports of the cloud tops, the FSS briefer just said, "general aviation pilots don't give many pireps (pilot reports) and certainly not this early on a weekend day." continued»

It is becoming more and more possible to include Radar "overlay" information into everyday general aviation flying as new technology emerges. But lets not forget that flying and flight training, both VFR and IFR, has been taking place for decades without onboard radar assistance. Are the techniques of avoiding hazardous weather, even without having onboard radar information soon to be included as a Lost Art? continued»

And I have been taking notes. Over the course of many years I have had the opportunity to watch pilots at work. As an instructor I have seen students of every skill level flying and working the system. In flight simulators I have seen pilots handle problems that we hope we never face in the air. By collecting and grouping these observations, I think I have a fairly good idea of what good piloting is. For most, good piloting is one of those things you have a hard time describing, but you know it when you see it. Well, through prolonged engagement, I have seen the traits that make up skilled piloting ... and the traits that indicate the problems. continued»

After observing pilots in action for several years I started seeing trends in how they handled stressful situations. These trends made it clear that pilot performance varies widely but can loosely be broken down into categories. In the two previous articles on these trends, I characterized pilot performance groups as the "Information Managers" and then the "Non Assertive Decision Makers." continued»

I have performed simulator studies with large groups of pilots and found that among them there are sub-categories ... different "types" of pilot. The name of this category should speak for itself. The pilots of this group are characterized by being oblivious to the safety concerns that are all around them. They are simply driving the machine with no comprehension of their surroundings. They have little or no situation awareness. Points of decision in a scenario can arrive and they are unaware of their existence. It is not that these pilots make poor decisions, the problem is they do not even know that a decision is called for. They make no correlation between actions that are going on around them and the consequences of those actions. They get into real trouble and never even know they are in danger. continued»

Some pilots have good habits. Others don't. After watching pilots for many years, I tried to understand what was going on in their heads and what lead to some of their flawed decisions. It started becoming evident that pilot traits fall into definite categories and later I named these categories with descriptive names that defined pilots as groups. A single pilot will often display traits from different groups and I don't intend to attempt to "label" a pilot, but instead provide tools pilot self-assessment. continued»

In my past several articles, I have been telling you about pilot observations I have made and categories of pilot performance.  After identifying four broad pilot categories, I started to realize that there are some traits that are present across categories. I saw some sub-groups that were not tied to any of the broad categories and could show up in any category. The broad categories were... continued»

Watching pilots at work can be very informative, but sometimes you see things you didn’t want to see. The past several articles have chronicled pilot observations that I have made over the years in both airplanes and flight simulators. With careful observation and notes, patterns started to appear. I eventually grouped the patterns and named the categories. The broad categories were 1) The Information Managers, 2) the Non Assertive Decision Makers, 3) the Snowballers, and 4) The Lost in Space – see previous iPilot articles. But I also identified two sub-groups and one of these I call the Good Decision Makers/Poor Fliers groups. continued»

In September the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pulled the prescription pain killer Vioxx off the shelves and last week its chief rival Celebrex was pulled from a clinical trial. It was learned that these two drugs may have dangerous side effects that were previously unknown. The FDA has now come under fire for allowing drugs on the market without completely testing their side effects. Will the FAA have the same problem with new glass cockpit technology in the near future? continued»

There have been some unexpected airline pilot retirements lately - unexpected because the captain had not reached age 60. This early retirement was not because of pay cuts or poor working conditions, it was because he or she was asked to move to a ‘glass cockpit” airplane and the upward technology transition was just too much. Is it hard to teach an old dog new tricks? continued»

When I am sitting back in the coach section of an airliner (row 28F) on a dark and stormy night, I don’t much care that the airplane’s captain can execute a perfect Lazy Eight maneuver. What I care about is his or her ability to make good decisions in tight situations and get me on the ground safe and sound (at my intended destination). So if the goal is to complete the ‘mission’ of the flight, why do we place so much emphasis on ‘maneuvers’ that may or may not have direct application to the flight? continued»

If you have a system onboard the airplane that can turn a dark night into a sunny day and turn a cloud layer into clear skies, would there really be a difference between VFR and IFR? continued»

As a flight instructor, I have made several thousand touch and goes – but I don’t do them anymore. The only real reason to do a touch and go is economy not learning or proficiency. It is true that you can get more landing practice in during an hour if you never stop, but I have concluded that the benefits don’t out weight the risks. continued»

As pilots we understand that our decisions are crucial and the safety of every flight depends on them, but now other fields that require decision-making are looking to aviation as the model of how it should be done. continued»