TC FREEMAN's WingsOfun.com blog #48, June 9, 2014: Understanding Adverse Yaw (video) and the article, "What's More Powerful, The Carrot or the Stick?"

WingsOfun.com BLOG #48: June 9, 2014

WELCOME PILOTS

I wanted to give a “shout-out” to Steve Flippin, one of the movers and shakers in youth aviation education. He runs the Air and Auto Program at the Winston-Salem, N.C. (KINT) airport. This past weekend I finally had the opportunity to attend the open house they held at the airport. I was blown away by the offerings they had for the community such as, the Berlin Bomber, RV/Yak Flight Team, T-6, flight simulators and much more. Steve and his crew have a passion to bring the great things aviation can bring to today’s youth (including autos). I salute the efforts of this fine group of folks.

~TC Freeman

“Keeping the fun in high performance aviation training.”

********************************************

NEW PRESENTATION

“PILOT AND AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE"

www.WingsOfun.com/books (products page)

********************************************************************

Your opportunity to continue the dialog is on Facebook:

http://tinyurl.com/woffb

********************************************************************

PILOT SAFETY MINUTE VIDEO #48 ~ UNDERSTANDING ADVERSE YAW

http://youtu.be/KH2CQ_RfueI 

********************************************************

Need a Speaker for your Next Event? We Can Help. See the Article;

How to Afford a Speaker for Your Group

http://www.wingsofun.com/how_to_afford_a_speaker.html

***************************************************************************

WHAT IS MORE POWERFUL, THE CARROT OR THE STICK?

By TC FREEMAN

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) press release states, “FAA Proposes $63,000 Civil Penalty Against Hixwood Metal, Inc.”* for not declaring the shipment of a flammable petroleum-based product. Employees at the shipping facility noted that the package was leaking and reported it to management and subsequently the FAA. While we all remember the ValuJet 592 accident** caused by the oxygen generators that were illegally shipped, I wonder if the stick-punishment approach, is more effective than the carrot-reward approach?

Being in the aviation safety business I have to remind myself of the victims and families connected to accidents such as ValuJet 592. Ultimately, it’s not about the oxygen generators and data, it’s about the families affected by the tragedy. For me, accident investigation is the beauty of the aviation, to make sure we honor the victims by never letting this happen again.

My question again is, do fines from some big bureaucracy (FAA) really work? Is the the only language we understand a financial penalty? I don’t know how much Hixwood Metal is worth, but maybe $63,000 is a drop in the bucket, financially speaking. On the converse, perhaps this amount causes the company to lay-off a key employee that takes pride in shipping efficiently and safely.

Speaking of financial penalties, I heard that in Sweden fines, for example traffic violations, are issued as a percentage of income. For instance, the guy in the Ferrari feels the same pinch as the fellow in the beat up Volkswagen Beetle. As progressive as this system is, I still wonder about the effectiveness of financial penalties.

Here’s a possible solution. How about having the FAA invest their time and energy into motivating and inspiring the employees of the company to do right? Send the FAA representative in to tell the shipping department (and management) about ValuJet 592 and develop a reward system (carrot) for years of efficient and safe shipping services.

True change is ultimately accomplished by getting away from the impersonal fine and move toward connecting on a personal level. My only disclaimer is that the financial penalty should always stay on the table for repeat offenders. A company that continues to break the law deserves to be broken financially; otherwise the safety system becomes a mockery. The FAA and aviation industry has to continually question “how, why and with what result” we expect from our initiatives.
 

*http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=16315

**https://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/1997/AAR9706.pdf

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.

*********************************************************************

“We are excited to donate this segment of the WingsOfun BLOG to this great program that promotes; airport visitation, education and tourism.”

~TC FREEMAN

OPERATION: FLY NC NEWS

Discuss OP: Fly NC with fellow pilots at: http://tinyurl.com/opflync

Stamp NOTAMS (See the previous stamp NOTAMS)

Upcoming Events: Good for OP: FLY NC stamp/signature, most posted to:www.SocialFlight.com.

**************************************************************************

IMPORTANT AUDIO PRESENTATION AVAILABLE:

“OPERATIONS AT NON-TOWERED AIRPORTS”… for pilots flying just for the fun of it.

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)

*********************************************************************

NEWS FROM THE WEB

Brought to you by:

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON FLIGHT TRAINING

eBook by WingsOfun Media
*INCLUDES SPECIAL CAREER PILOT SECTION!

Available at Amazon.com (click here) or

http://tinyurl.com/lw2s674

* ”New Times Call for New Executive Recruitment Methods”

http://www.airportimprovement.com/content/story.php?article=00578#.U444z4XesJk.facebook

* ”FAA considers approving drones for filming movies”

http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20140602/ff1f9089-5a0c-45af-85bc-c2f514ed804f

* FAA promotes new weather initiative.

http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/got_weather/

* 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

OUR FAVORITE VIDEOS FROM THE WEB ~ Pat Finds the Ground

Long time pilot Pat Barber gets back in the cockpit after a year hiatius due to eye issues. It’s always great to see Pat and her husband Frank out and about in the aviation community. Looks like she still has it!

http://youtu.be/D4tbBY5Akkc

*Articles
*Aviation Presentations (live)
*Videos
*eBooks
*Special Event Announcements
*Operation: Fly NC program

Questions? Contact: tom@wingsofun.com

TC FREEMAN's WingsOfun.com blog #47, June 2, 2014: Surviving the FAA Ramp Check (video) and "Getting the Big Picture (aviation education) article

WingsOfun.com BLOG #47: June 2, 2014

WELCOME PILOTS

I’ve been a bit infatuated by a quote from an AvWeb article titled, “Redbird Filling the Vacuum.” The story mentioned the benefits of the new Redbird “Flying Challenge” program that is attracting potential pilots interested in competitive activities that are tied to technology and gaming. Reflecting on the program, the author Paul Bertorelli stated, “When I was instructing primary students, I always felt that with the right resources, any reasonably able person could largely teach himself to fly, with the instructor intervening only as a problem solver and coach.”

When people ask me about learning to fly, I point out my top suggestion, use flight simulators extensively. This includes all varieties; from FAA approved Redbird simulators to unapproved PC based simulators such as, Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Planes. The cool thing is that later Microsoft versions of Flight Simulator come with virtual flight instructor Rod Machado (he’s also a real person). I could see an initiative to offer free copies of a flight simulator program to prospective pilots along with information on earning a pilot license.

I agree with the author of the AvWeb article that technology (and a fun competitive environment) can bring more people into aviation. We should embrace the positive aspects of flight simulation that can give potential pilots a nudge in the right direction.

Many of you know my long-time friend Mark Grady through his work with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute (ASI). A little known fact about Mark is his work writing and producing independent films. I encourage you to check out his last film, “Whistling Pines,” a southern based comedy. While not an aviation theme, the film is “family friendly,” and you might recognize the actor that plays the mayor of the ficticious small southern town. The best part is that it can be seen free on YouTube at; http://youtu.be/jYTgoFQ1OvM.

 ~TC Freeman

“Keeping the fun in high performance aviation training.”

*http://www.avweb.com/blogs/insider/Redbird-Filling-

the-Vacuum-221746-1.html

********************************************

NEW PRESENTATION

“PILOT AND AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE"

www.WingsOfun.com/books (products page)

***********************************************

Your opportunity to continue the dialog is on Facebook:

http://tinyurl.com/woffb

************************************************

PILOT SAFETY MINUTE VIDEO #47 ~ SURVIVING THE FAA RAMP CHECK

http://youtu.be/yzAEiT-xqY4

*************************************************



Need a Speaker for your Next Event? We Can Help. See the Article;

How to Afford a Speaker for Your Group

http://www.wingsofun.com/how_to_afford_a_speaker.html

************************************************

GETTING THE BIG PICTURE

By TC FREEMAN

I might be “speaking out of school” as the expression says, but I want to let you in on a conversation I've been having with aviation educators from high school, college and university programs across North Carolina. It all began with the question, “Is there a benefit to bringing aviation program leaders together for cooperation on making aviation education better for students?” The answer seems like a “no-brainer,” a resounding “Yes.” Unfortunately, below the surface there exists an element of competition between aviation programs in the state that I think serves no one. While these institutions have seats to fill, the changing landscape of aviation and education has signaled a major paradigm shift. The way I see it, the aviation education system is stronger working together than apart.

The challenges of today’s aviation flight student are multi-faceted. Student debt, the high cost of flight training and the large hurdle between graduation and the right seat of a regional airline is a formidable challenge. While most graduate with approximately 250 hours of flight time, what happens between 250 and 1,500 hours is important.* Fifteen hundred hours of flight time important because it is the new minimum experience requirements set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to get into the right seat of a regional airline. Bringing in the aviation industry, such as flight schools, corporate flight departments and regional airline representatives can start a dialog on how to better prepare students for a career track and beneficial networking opportunities for internships.

Community Colleges have historically survived by serving their local communities. If a college representative were to go outside of his or her county to solicit opportunities it was seen as extremely improper. Times have changed, the Internet allows students to take classes from anywhere in the world. In fact, when I was attending a university last year there was a soldier that was taking his class online from the Middle East. He would literally sign off from class stating he had to go on patrol. Amazing! Back to the point, the key component of harnessing the power of online classes is that class credits can be easily portable to another program. For instance, a student taking an online course at a community college should have no problem getting full credit for the course at the university level, commonly called an Articulating Agreement. Creating a smooth transition is a win-win situation for the community college and university.

Cooperation is not only limited to pilots but also Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) students. The industry is recognizing the importance of lifelong education. Earning an A&P and never touching a book (or computer) again is a thing of the past. Educational institutions should make it easy for aviation professionals to go back and pick up a Minor degree or certificate in a specialty subject, Non-Destructive Testing-NDT) for example, no matter where they attended originally.

I'm excited to be a part of the initial dialog in bringing together the aviation institutions across the state for the betterment of aviation as a whole. As with any such endeavor it's important to get beyond networking (which has its merits) and solve some of the “big picture” issues facing aviation students. We should never forget that doing something significant is what makes life rewarding. Can you think of a better example we can set?

*The “1,500 hour rule,” as it is called by the industry, can be reduced up to 500 hours if the student earns a four-year degree. Two-year schools can qualify for 250 hour reduction.

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.

*********************************************************

“We are excited to donate this segment of the WingsOfun


BLOG to this great program that promotes; airport visitation,


education and tourism.”                            ~TC FREEMAN 

OPERATION: FLY NC NEWS

Discuss OP: Fly NC with fellow pilots at:




http://tinyurl.com/opflync

Stamp NOTAMS (See the previous stamp NOTAMS)

Upcoming Events: Good for OP: FLY NC stamp/signature, most posted to:





www.SocialFlight.com.

*June 7, 2014 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) NC Aviation Museum and Hall



 of Fame Fly-in, Asheboro Regional Airport (HBI). Community




and pilot fly-in event featuring “Angels Playmate” P-51





Mustang, vendors, hot rods, youth activities, museum and




  more.

****************************************

IMPORTANT AUDIO PRESENTATION AVAILABLE:

“OPERATIONS AT NON-TOWERED AIRPORTS”… for pilots flying just for



 the fun of it.

Available at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tcfreeman

(Run time: 34 minutes)

***************************************************

NEWS FROM THE WEB

Brought to you by:

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON FLIGHT TRAINING

eBook by WingsOfun Media



*INCLUDES SPECIAL CAREER PILOT SECTION!

Available at Amazon.com (click here) or

http://tinyurl.com/lw2s674

FAA promotes new weather initiative.

http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/got_weather/

*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

OUR FAVORITE VIDEOS FROM THE WEB ~ Candy Bombers Remembered

http://youtu.be/1obiI4RVAw0

*Articles
*Aviation Presentations (live)
*Videos
*eBooks
*Special Event Announcements
*Operation: Fly NC program

Questions? Contact: tom@wingsofun.com