Why I fly.

A few days ago, Flying Magazine published an article about why people learn to fly.  The article got me thinking about why I fly.  When I began training I believed flying was about becoming an airline pilot.  What better job to have than that of airline pilot, right?

In retrospect, I wanted to fly simply because flying was "it".  The freedom of flight and thrilling history of it all were the primary drivers.  The stories of the early aviators, particularly those flying during WWII, and the machines they crewed, captured my imagination then and now.  The passion for it was and still is there.  The desire to fly wasn't a result of wanting to become an airline pilot, it was because flying, in and of itself, was the end game.  Becoming an airline pilot appeared to be the best way to achieve that end.

With age comes wisdom, fortunately.  I've aged enough and hopefully gained enough wisdom to know that flying, whether low and slow or high and fast, is the thing that stokes the passion.  Engaging and fulfilling that passion or a regular basis is the key irrespective of whether or not I make a living at it.

Assuming I'm no different than most people who look aloft and say, "Wouldn't it be great to fly like that?" then the author of the Flying article is correct.  Learning to fly isn't about conscious decision making or opportunity / cost analysis.  Flying is about passion.  Finding it, unlocking it, making it happen, and enjoying every moment of it is why I and so many others fly. 

As I re-engage in flight training and begin talking to and working with people learning to fly, I must remember it's about the passion.  Helping people in the early stages of their flight training find their passion and stay with it long enought to become a pilot is the key.  It truly is the the flight, and not the destination, that stirs the soul, fires the imagination, and stokes the passion.  And that passion is why I fly.

Happy Landings

Flying Mavs, Redbird Simulators, and the Loening Trophy

Many years ago, and I won't say how many, I was a graduate student and instructor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha's Aviation Institute (UNOAI).  UNO's mascot is the Maverick and by extension flight team members were known as Flying Mavs.  The program was still relatively new.  It was located in an older building that still had chalkboard classrooms.  We used overhead projectors with the clear plastic foils.  That was about as high-tech as it got.  There were no flight simulators.  Heck, we didn't even have a flight training device (FTD).  We chair flew or we air flew.  Period.

Many years later, UNOAI, or the AI as it's known locally, has grown considerably in sophistication and recognized excellence.  Since I departed, the program has steadily grown its ability to deliver high-tech, sophisticated flight training.  I'm talking about flight training devices up through full motion simulators.  No longer do aviation students have to chair fly to get in their repititions. 

The Insitute began its growth many years ago with the old Jeppsen FlitPro flight training software.  From there the program graduated to Modular Flight Deck (MFD) trainers by Precision Flight Controls.  Now, the AI has added a G1000 equipped, full motion flight simulator from Redbird to the training mix.  The new simulator was highlighted on the local Omaha news.

Since my training days, the program has moved into the recently renovated engineering building on campus and seriously upgraded its digs.  Gone are the old chalkboards and overhead foils.  In their place are the latest in classroom technology capable of delivering multi-media training in a variety of forms.  The aviation curriculum and classrooms have become much more interactive and engaging helping to provide a deep, enduring education that will serve aviation students well throughout their careers.

UNOAI has also grown in recognition for its ability to provide a quality aviation education to its students.  In fact, the AI was awarded the Loening Trophy as the most outsanding aviation program in the country in 2012.  Way to go Mavs!

You've come a long way in the last, ahem, many years, UNOAI.  Keep up the great work!  I look forward to seeing what new endeavors you'll engage in the future.

Happy Landings,

     

Takeoff & Landing Checklist Acronyms

The greatest workload during any flight happens during the takeoff and landing phases.  The graph below shows peak workload periods during a typical flight profile.  In addition, the graph plots the performance capabilities of the pilot relative to the workload required thereby showing the safety margin a pilot might expect to have through all phases of the flight.

                                Reprinted from: Aviationknowledge.wikidot.com

Because the flying workload is significant during takeoff and landing operations, pilots have devised more than a few memory aids to help them work through procedural checklists and flows.  During my early flight training days I was taught the pre-takeoff acronym LHATTS to help ensure I captured many of the steps needed for a safe departure.  This acrynom covered:

Landing Lights - to meet the FAA's Operation Lights On safety recommendation
Heading Indicator - align heading indicator (HI) with compass and verify HI is aligned with runway heading
Altimeter - verify that altimeter was set to the proper ATIS pressure setting and field elevation
Transponder - verify that the transponder was set to the proper code and turned to ALT
Time - check the "time off" or takeoff roll time for flight planning and ATC reporting purposes
Switches - verify that appropriate cockpit switches are set e.g., lights, boost pumps (if required), etc.   OR
Seat Belts - verify that all souls are belted in appropriately

On the landing end of the flight, my initial instructors also provide me with the acronym GUMPS.

Gas - set the fuel selector to the appropriate (fullest) fuel tank
Undercarriage - verify gear down, primarily for retractable gear aircraft to ensure you got the gear down before landing
Mixture - adjust the mixture to the landing setting as you descend to more dense air at a lower altitude
Prop - adjust the prop setting (adjustable speed only) to high RPM in case a go-round was required
Switches - verify that appropriate cockpit switches are set e.g., lights, boost pumps (if required), etc.  OR
Seat Belts - verify that all souls are belted in appropriately

These were only two of the acronyms I, and many other pilots, have been taught over the years to help reduce workload and improve cockpit efficiency.  To be sure, an acronym or similar flow check should never be a substitute for the aircraft procedures checklist.  However, acronyms are a good way to quickly make needed configuration changes, before verifying they have been done properly with the aircraft checklist.

The use of acronyms in aviation, not only as memory aids, but also as shorthand for a variety of flight related items, is so prevalent that understanding what they all mean can be a daunting task for new pilots.  That's why it's a good idea to start collecting and understanding them early in your flight training.

Happy Landings

Big Iron Career Outlook

The spring of 1993 is when I started flying.  I went to a flight training program in Colorado Springs, CO, that would take me from zero time through an MEI.  It was a full-time program spending 5 days a week over the course of a year in the cockpit or the classroom.  My intent was to move through the training as directly as possible, get a flight instructing gig to build time, then move into an airline slot and work up from there.

While I enjoyed the training process and loved flying, I hadn't done any research up front to determine what the demand for pilots might be when I completed my training.  This resulted in a lack of situational awareness on my part.  Knowing all there is to know about your flight when you're the PIC is vital.  Being fully aware of your industry and chosen craft is critical as well if you plan to fly big iron for a career.

When I finished my flight training with a CFII in 1994, the airlines were furloughing pilots left and right.  The commuters weren't hiring and nobody was moving up the food chain.  Getting a flight instructing position wasn't easy, but I managed to get on board with an FBO in Colorado Springs. The students and flight hours were few and far between and the pay thin.  What's more, there was little indication the industry would break loose to absorb all those furloughed pilots for years to come.

How times have changed since then.  An entire cadre of airline pilots will begin retiring this year opening up positions that need to be filled.  In addition, the industry is expanding, not only domestically, but internationally as well. The industry outlook is remarkably different than it was in 1994.  In fact, a recent industry forecast projects a need for 500,000 new pilots in the next 20 years. That's 25,000 new pilots each year.  That number doesn't sound daunting, but when you consider there were only 202,020 private pilots (initial step toward an airline career in many cases) in the U.S. in 2010, you begin to see how a large gap may develop.    

Because of this impending gap, the demand for pilots is considerably greater than it was when I first became a CFI.  The training requirements and price tag to acquire said training are still formidable, but the pay-off potential appears to be much higher than it was in 1994.  Wish I'd known then what I know now.  Better still, it would be nice if today's conditions were present 18 years ago.  Oh, well.

As they say, there's nothing more useless to a pilot than the air above or the runway behind which, in this case, is the industry outlook when I completed my training.  Fortunately, the "air above" or future hiring boom, is very promising for the new crop of private pilots.  If you're thinking about a career path to a seat flying heavy metal, now's as good a time as any to dig in, do your research and planning, then launch.  With the hiring projections being what they are, your career may have an early tailwind and an extended range.

Happy Landings    

IFR Flight Training

Flight training, whether IFR or not, is a never ending process.  You don't start, work at it, and finish... unless you want to be finished flying.  It was drilled into my head many, many times during the course of my training that a good pilot is always training.

Training can take many forms.  Sometimes it's "chair flying", reviewing the FAR's, or racking up flight time in the cockpit.  At others, it's about reading professional publications regarding your topic of study at that moment.  To that end, I thought I'd include a brief list of articles related to IFR flying.  Fortunately, there are a host of publications devoted to, or otherwise covering the topic, a few of which I include below.

Thanks to the great work these writers are doing, there is a wealth of information available to help me train (and you too!).

IFR Insight: Staying safe as a beginner - Flying Magazine, July 27, 2012
Safety pilot in IMC - IFR Magazine, August 1, 2012
IFR Fix: What's 'visual'?- AOPA Training Article, June 25, 2012
IFR Flight Prep: A Whole New Game - Flying Magazine, April 30, 2010

Plenty to digest just in these articles.  Until next time,

Happy Landings