"5 Ways to Save Money on Flight Training" ebooklet.
Excerpts from, "How to Save Money On Flight Training" ebook.
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WingsOfun.com BLOG #51: June 30, 2014
WELCOME PILOTS
I hope everyone is staying cool this summer. It's always neat to get in an un-air-conditioned aircraft in the heat to see the temp go down to comfortable levels at altitude.
You may have noticed the new design of the home page of WingsoFun.com that incorporates a large subscribe button as an easy reminder for new visitors. If you know someone who can benefit from the blog please pass along the website link. There is also a special offer to new subscribers for the FREE ebooklet, “5 Ways to Save Money on Flight Training.” If you missed it, the link can be found on last week's blog.
You may have noticed the new design of the home page of WingsoFun.com that incorporates a large subscribe button as an easy reminder for new visitors. If you know someone who can benefit from the blog please pass along the website link. There is also a special offer to new subscribers for the FREE ebooklet, “5 Ways to Save Money on Flight Training.” If you missed it, the link can be found on last week's blog.
“Keeping the fun in high performance aviation training.”
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NEW PRESENTATION
NEW PRESENTATION
“PILOT AND AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE"
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Your opportunity to continue the dialog is on Facebook:
Your opportunity to continue the dialog is on Facebook:
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PILOT SAFETY MINUTE VIDEO #51: WAKE TURBULENCE (Part I)
PILOT SAFETY MINUTE VIDEO #51: WAKE TURBULENCE (Part I)
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Need a Speaker for your Next Event? We Can Help. See the Article;
Need a Speaker for your Next Event? We Can Help. See the Article;
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MY “TWO CENTS WORTH” ABOUT THE USA TODAY ARTICLE,
“UNFIT FOR FLIGHT”
By TC FREEMAN
There has been quite a hornet’s nest stirred up as a result of the USA Today article, “Unfit for Flight” by Thomas Frank, that was published June 14, 2014.* The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) were quick to respond, and rightfully so I might add. No matter how much we as aviators are upset by the story, first and foremost we have to show due compassion to the families of the victims. The last thing we want is the families thinking we care more about defending a position rather than human life.
Personally, I don’t know any pilots that willfully take-off in an aircraft that is unsafe. Assuming that pilots, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aircraft manufacturers would willingly put people in harm’s way is misleading. The Airworthiness Directive (AD) system that corrects mechanical issues has overall been an effective system. If the situation is urgent the FAA can immediately ground an aircraft through an Emergency AD. For other Ads, not classified as an “emergency,” it can be corrected through a Service Bulletin and work its way through the system to AD status. The great thing about this process is that it is a “checks and balances” system. An airworthiness issue can be contested via the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), a process that allows anyone to comment regarding the justification of the proposed AD. The FAA will then take these comments into consideration before authoring the directive.
While some have questioned the FAA’s power in this process, as they can disregard public comments, the citizen has the opportunity to get an elected officials involved. Elected officials have sway over the FAA’s budget, hence the “checks and balances” angle. While not a perfect system, it has worked very well for aviation over the years. The issues cited in the story, such as the carburetor and seat track problems, have been well known by pilots and maintenance personnel for many years. The items in question have been covered in Service Bulletins and ADs. Aircraft owners and operators (pilots) that fly, disregarding Ads, are illegal when flying and subject to FAA citation. Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) that perform aircraft maintenance are also a primary part in the AD process by researching and correcting airworthiness issues. If the owner and/or pilot elects not to have AD maintenance done, the AMT has provisions by which to legally “ground” the aircraft.
Frank (author) takes a stab at the vintage nature of general aviation aircraft by stating, “The average single-engine airplane registered with the FAA was built 41 years ago” and don’t have the safety features like more modern aircraft. He references that the average automobile age is “11.4 years old,” implying they are safer. If what the author suggest is true, then we should take every hot rod club car off of the road for safety’s sake. Better yet, the government should save us from ourselves by outlawing all cars except the Volvo V40, the “Safest Car on the Planet,” according to Torque News (2013). Regulated airworthiness standards are exactly that, a benchmark that the aircraft conforms to its original design (unless otherwise approved). The two major reasons that pilots fly older aircraft is that they are good basic flying machines, dependable, have a good safety record and are easier to buy on a budget. For example, would you want to buy good 30-year-old Cessna 172 (the world’s most popular general aviation aircraft) for $60,000, or a brand new one for around $300,000? Most price conscience buyers see the added value of a quality used aircraft that has been updated and well taken care of verses a brand new one. Minus a seatbelt airbag system, some avionics and additional soundproofing, I don’t see too much difference between the two example aircraft.
When asked about the comparing the safety of older aircraft to newer Aviation Safety Expert, Harry Robertson was quoted, “Manufacturers get around the requirement (to incorporate modern safety standards) with a B, C, or D model (of the aircraft).” Sadly, the high cost of FAA certification has stopped the majority of new aircraft development. However, this doesn’t mean that a B, C, or D model aircraft don’t incorporate allowable upgrades to vintage designs.
Speaking of vintage aircraft, the author notes that shoulder harnesses were not installed in “13% of accident aircraft.” Not mentioned was the root cause of the accident and if a shoulder harness would have prevented injury or death. Most aircraft owners have the option of installing “after-market” shoulder harness systems to increase safety. Again, what is needed is a simpler FAA process for getting these to the marketplace, which the new certification process should rectify.
I won't take the time to go “point for point” with Frank. I will conclude with his argument about a delayed reaction from the FAA with respect to Cessna Caravan icing issues and specified Mitsubishi MU-2 training. Interestingly, these stories are (again) not new “news” by a long shot. While FAA action could have been a bit quicker, as usual, I commend Cessna for taking their message “on the road” by bringing top-notch educational events (I personally attended) to venues around the country. With respect to the MU-2, most pilots agree with the FAA that some “high performance” aircraft simply require additional training. General common sense dictates that a pilot should get training anytime they upgrade in aircraft, not to mention reminders via FAA regulation and aircraft insurance companies.
The author points out that the Federal Department of Transportation puts a value of $9.2M on each human life lost in an accident. The sad part about safety is that it comes at a human cost (most importantly) that is tied directly to a financial cost. It’s nice to hear a CEO after an accident say, “We are prepared to do everything to make this operation safe,” which is not true. The best case scenario translation should be, “We are going to invest in safety technology and training to provide what the workers and society deem reasonable for the risk taken in the performance of this task.” The first statement is used because it sounds good to the listeners and as a “sound bite” to the media. However, we don't live in a bubble. Risk is a part of life and despite the high number of deaths on the road every year, drivers are still willing to get behind the wheel of a car. One of the major reasons that I'm in aviation is that we have a good safety record and, more importantly, we learn from accidents through National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA investigations. Conversely, when a motorcycle crashes down an embankment people shrug and say, “must have been going too fast,” end of story.
Those of us that love general aviation feel like we have been sucker-punched once again by the media. Aircraft accidents make good news regardless if it’s proportional in nature to the other news of the day. If the media were to fairly report the news to be representative of the activities of the day the entire broadcast would consist of automobile accidents. Frank reports, “Crashes of private flights — a sector known as general aviation — have killed nearly 45,000 people since 1964, almost nine times the number killed in airliners.” Guess what? Approximately 40,000 people are killed in automobiles each year.*** That’s like taking a small American town and erasing it off of the map, again, every year. As many in aviation quip, “If the media sees a propeller, it must be a Piper Cub. If they see a jet, it has to be a Boeing 737.” Lovers of aviation cry out for the media to get it right for once!
*http://www.usatoday.com/longform/news/nation/2014/06/14/unfit-for-flight-part-3/10533813/
**http://www.torquenews.com/1084/2013-volvo-v40-safest-car-planet
***Thanks to Mark Grady, Aviation Speaker, for pointing this fact out in his informative seminars.
About the author:
TC Freeman has been flying since he was a teenager and is now an aviation speaker and author. Being employed as an Aviation Safety Specialist for state government, he has a passion for spreading the thrill of flying just for the fun of it via the website,www.WingsOfun.com.
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OPERATION: FLY NC News
“We are excited to donate this segment of the WingsOfun BLOG to this great program that promotes; airport visitation, education and tourism.”
~TC FREEMAN
Discuss OP: Fly NC with fellow pilots at: http://tinyurl.com/opflync
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IMPORTANT AUDIO PRESENTATION AVAILABLE:
IMPORTANT AUDIO PRESENTATION AVAILABLE:
“OPERATIONS AT NON-TOWERED AIRPORTS”… for pilots flying just for the fun of it.
With the issue of sequestration, the shut-down of many Air Traffic Control Towers is a possibility. Regardless, it is important to know how to safely and efficiently operate at Non-Towered Airports. In this audio book TC Freeman discusses; straight in approaches, dealing with aircraft on extended downwind and traffic pattern entries.
Available at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tcfreeman
(Run time: 34 minutes)
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NEWS FROM THE WEB
Brought to you by:
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON FLIGHT TRAINING
eBook by WingsOfun Media
*INCLUDES SPECIAL CAREER PILOT SECTION!
*INCLUDES SPECIAL CAREER PILOT SECTION!
*”FAA considers approving drones for filming movies”
* FAA promotes new weather initiative.
* WingOfun Call to Action: “Senate Acts On Third-Class Medical Exemption” (AvWeb). A quote from the article from Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, "The FAA has had two years to review this request for an exemption.....Let's get this thing moving."http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Senate-Acts-On-Third-Class-Medical-Exemption221581-1.html
Contact your elected officials in support of the “expansion of the driver’s license medical exemption to more (non-commercial) pilots. To find your senate representatives go to:http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
It's a little basic initially but is very informative overall.
*Articles
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Questions? Contact: tom@wingsofun.com
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*Aviation Presentations (live)
*Videos
*eBooks
*Special Event Announcements
*Operation: Fly NC program
Questions? Contact: tom@wingsofun.com
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