WELCOME PILOTS
We have had some good feedback on the stories shared from our Facebook Group pages. After some discussion with our editor we wanted to make sure everyone has the opportunity to view the stories on the newsletter as well. We will include links to articles of interest within the appropriate newsletter section. For example, a student pilot that purchased“How to Save Money on Flight Training” will find scholarship information in the Flight Training area.
My door is open for any feedback you may have to make this newsletter more valuable to our subscribers. I hope to hear from YOU!
~TC Freeman
Chief Executive Aviation Ambassador (CEAA)
********************************************
NEW PRESENTATION
“PILOT AND AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE”
AVAILABLE SOON ON CDBABY!
********************************************************************
Your opportunity to continue the dialog is on Facebook:
**********************************************************************
PILOT SAFETY MINUTE VIDEO #31 ~ COLLISION AVOIDANCE
********************************************************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.
(Run time: 34 minutes)
***************************************************************
HOW MANY HOURS OF FLYING DO YOU NEED TO BE SAFE?
By TC FREEMAN
I shouldn't have been surprised by a recent AvWeb poll asking pilots asking how many hours they flew in a typical month. My aircraft insurance buddies commonly comment that the majority of pilots fly 50 hours a year. If you break that down it works out to be 4.2 hours a month. The poll concurred with this finding showing that most check the selection stating they flew less than five hours a month. This bares the question, “how many hours does it take to be a safe pilot?” Well, it depends. Let us start with looking at the type of flying a pilot is doing.
As an stereotypical example of the pilot flying 50 hours a year, I would venture to stay that he/she takes a couple of cross-country trips (or cross-county for our ultralight folks, ha!), with a liberal amount of local airport hops. Depending on the climate, this pilot will fly more in the fall and spring and less during the summer and dead of winter.
In our new audio presentation, “Pilot and Aircraft Performance” I talk about the book, Talent is Over-rated by Geoff Colvin. In supported research, he points out that to be an expert at a sport/activity that you need to have put in 10,000 hours of quality time. Taking the expert part out of the equation, I ask, what does it take to be really good? 5,000 hours? 2,500 hours? To play Devil's advocate, it's hard to believe that in WWII pilots were being put into B-17's with less than 250 hours. Amazing! In my opinion, after gaining a certain amount of hours, such as the 100 hour milestone (to name one), it is more about practicing consistently (a.k.a. Recency of Experience) rather than total hours.
Over and beyond clear weather Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flying, what does it take to be proficient at your basic in-the-clouds Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flying? I would really like to know how many pilots flying less than five hours a month fly IFR. Staying proficient VFR is difficult enough, much less adding in IFR flight. I'm not saying it's impossible to stay IFR current, but very challenging without a concentrated effort.
Before each flight we should be doing an honest assessment of where we stand proficiency-wise before stepping into the cockpit. I believe it is possible for our example pilot to maintain proficiency by examining their personal flying habits and national accident statistics.
Landings, for instance, are a small example of how to stay proficient by examining accident data. As one of the highest reasons for accidents, it behooves pilots to be good at landings. Fortunately, landing accidents are not fatal a high percentage of the time, but they do require the most effort and skill from a pilot (source: FAA Task Saturation Graphic, approach and landing phase of flight). If the FAA was really concerned about using data to negate accidents pilots we would be required to do more than the three landings every 90 days as part of minimum proficiency requirements. I strongly feel that additional FAA regulation is not necessary, but rather a grassroots effort by the flying community to increase safety. That means a personal dedication to safety from each of us.
Let us make a pact to each other to take a hard look at our personal flying habits and current accident data. Perhaps we can start this journey by doubling our normal amount of take-off and landings every month just to see if we can lower the accident rate.
****************************************************************************
NATIONAL TAKE FLIGHT DAY, SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2014
******************************************************************************
OPERATION: FLY NC NEWS
OPERATION: FLY NC NEWS
Discuss OP: Fly NC with fellow pilots at: https://www.facebook.com/messages/?action=read&tid=alsnt5SzT1aq%2FJy8joa%2B7g#!/groups/189450767792238/
Stamp NOTAMS
*(Date Change) Saturday, March 15, 2014 (Time To Be Announced) B Bar D Flight Training (Allegro), Raleigh Executive South Jetport (TTA). Seminar topic: Operations at Non-Towered Airports. Contact: B Bar D at: (919) 775-2224
**************************************************************************
FLIGHT TRAINING NEWS
Brought to you by:
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON FLIGHT TRAINING
eBook
*INCLUDES SPECIAL CAREER PILOT SECTION!
*INCLUDES SPECIAL CAREER PILOT SECTION!
"Epic Aircraft Hiring," although pilot positions were not posted a bunch of other jobs are listed. Go to:
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Chapter 1240 (Sebring, FL) is offering a scholarship for those wanting to learn to fly. For more information visit:
http://highlandstoday.com/hi/local-news/flight-training-scholarship-available-20140204/
http://highlandstoday.com/hi/local-news/flight-training-scholarship-available-20140204/
"Technical training program helping high school students find their way." This program provides free aviation maintenance training in an effort to attract youth.
Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2014/01/29/3256779/technical-training-program-helping.html#storylink=cpy
Western North Carolina Pilots Association (WNCPA) is offering a grant to prospective pilots that live in the western part of NC. See the details at:
*Applicants must live in the following counties; Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wiles and Yancey. Additionally, those interested according to WCPA officials must be,“seriously pursuing a certificate or rating.”
US Pilot Shortage story on the Wall Street Journal (WSJ):
FAA Allows Angle of Attack Indicators to be Installed in Small Aircraft. See the FAA Press Release:
OUR FAVORITE VIDEOS FROM THE WEB ~ GoPro: Red Bull Stratos - The Full Story
TheGoPro camera footage makes you feel like you are right there!
********************************************************
