Smart Shopping Lands Phenomenal Airplane Deal!

Meet Al Zollitsch, [photo left - click on it to enlarge] private pilot based at the Akron, NY Airport.  Al had been looking to replace his Piper Cherokee 140 for quite some time.  He had been doing what most airplane shoppers do, including scanning Trade-a-Plane and searching the Internet.  Finding nothing that appealed to him, he decided to change his tactic. 

Al tumbled upon a website that lists all current aircraft owners in the United States.  This list is searchable by state, by airplane model and model years.  He already had already picked out the make, model, and year range of the airplane he wanted to purchase and the price range he could work within. 

Al's dream machine was a Piper Cherokee 180, an early version of the popular Piper Archer.  He was willing to pay no more than $50,000.  The year of the airplane really didn't matter to Al . . . as long as it had been well cared for and was mechanically and cosmetically sound.

Here's the Good Part . . .

Using the previously mentioned website, Al searched the states of Massachusetts, New York,  Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Ohio for current owners of older model Piper 180s.  He then sent a mass-mailed letter to the 215 owners he located.  His letter simply stated that he was looking to purchase a Piper 180 and that he was NOT a broker or dealer.  Anybody interested in selling was invited to phone or write back.

Al received back 21 letters and calls!  Most of these respondents freely admitted that they had not considered putting their airplanes up for sale until Al's letter arrived.  Many of these owners simply were no longer flying very much due to business, personal, or medical reasons.  But since Al was asking, many were willing to talk.

Going on the Road . . .

Al's conversations with respondents to his letter produced about a dozen qualified airplane candidates. He reviewed the specification sheets for each, then went on the road to review the finalists.  What Al came home with was a pristine, 1966 Cherokee 180 . . . for less than $50,000!  It had a custom design, high gloss paint scheme that reflected the gleam in his eyes, meticulous log books, no damage history, and very low total time.  Al did his homework, created a plan, then made it all come together masterfully.

Al Zollitsch began flying in 1972.  He purchased a "project airplane" in 1974 . . . a Taylorcraft which he rebuilt from the wheels up.  Then in 1999 he purchased a 1968 Piper Cherokee 140, which he sold last May to make ready for the airplane he just purchased.  Al typically flies VFR only between 80 and 100 hours annually and now has over 1,000 hours total PIC time.  He is a retired Buffalo City school teacher.

Al proves that with a little diligence and some very savvy shopping, anybody can purchase a quality four seat airplane for about the same price as a reasonably equipped, new SUV.

On the VASI or on the Glideslope . . . Could be the WRONG Place To Be:

Proper risk assessment practice suggests that pilots should always be within engine-out glide range of a suitable landing site.  While good in theory, it doesn't always work out that way.  Take-off is one phase of flight where the proficient pilot has precious few options in the event of engine failure.  And, if we were to believe everything we've been taught, the landing phase is another place where a failed engine could result in a tragic end.

Let's focus here on what we can and cannot control from a risk management perspective.  About the ONLY way we can mitigate the adverse effects of an engine failure on take-off would be to have a second engine.  For the single engine pilot and airplane, this is not an option.  Another option would be to take off only from those airports that have no obstacles on the extended centerline of the departure airport.  Here again, this is an unrealistic option.  Thus, we must resign ourselves to the fact that, in most instances, take-offs are the most risky part of any single engine flight operation.  That is, of course, if we forget about much of what is being taught about the landing phase of flight.

Most pilots have been taught to maintain a three to four percent descent gradient or 400 to 600 feet per minute when on the final approach leg of the traffic pattern.   This teaching is reinforced through the use of airport installed Vertical Approach Slope Indicators (VASIs) and glideslopes associated with the Instrument Landing System (ILS), each of which are typically inclined at a three to four percent gradient.   There's absolutely nothing wrong with VASIs and glideslopes as long as we understand that their sole purpose is to insure obstacle clearance while landing.  The only exception would be the use of the glideslope during IMC (instrument meteorological conditions).  Here, the pilot is rightly instructed to remain ON the glideslope.

Here's the problem

Should the engine fail while descending on a three or four percent glidepath, most general aviation single engine airplanes do not have sufficient engine-out glide range to reach the runway.    Typical POH (Pilot Operating Handbooks) glide charts state that from an altitude of 6,000' AGL, most airplanes with a failed engine can glide 9 nautical miles (54,684' in zero wind - gear up, no flaps, best glide speed).  Obviously, with gear down, flaps in the landing configuration, and landing into the wind, the glide distance would be considerably less.

If a typical single engine airplane, with a 9:1 glide ratio, operating at best glide speed of 65 knots, lost its engine one mile from the runway while on a VASI or glideslope, it would impact the ground 3,214' short of the runway.  If the same airplane lost its engine one-half mile from the runway, it would impact the ground 1,607' short of the runway.  Remember, whether you impact the ground 1,500' or 100' short of the runway, the results are just as disastrous.

Here's the solution

Plan your final descents so that you can reach the runway if your engine should fail on the way down.   This may require a 1,000 to 1,200 foot per minute descent rate and an aggressive application of forward slip technique instead of the coordinated 400 foot per minute rate and a substantially lower indicated airspeed than you're accustomed to.  Obviously, if you haven't followed this steep descent profile before, practice it with your instructor.  Try it first in stages. Find the descent profile that works best for you and your airplane . . . but be certain that you can reach the runway should your engine fail anywhere on the final approach leg (or anywhere in the traffic pattern for that matter).

IFR pilots . . . this same technique works when cleared for visual approaches.  When cleared for the visual, you are NOT required to follow the descent profiles published on the instrument approach plate.  Operating in IMC conditions, on the other hand, does require you to comply with the profile view of the IAP.

If you really want to get good at this, learn and practice overhead approaches. This involves arriving over the approach end of the runway at pattern altitude, or slightly higher, then breaking left or right, chopping the power, and descending in a one turn 360 degree steep spiral and touching down within the first one-third of the runway.  This is a fun maneuver, but should only be performed after proper training and initially with a qualified CFI on board.   Another benefit of the overhead approach . . . . it reduces the risks of being hit by small arms fire when landing over hostile, enemy territory [just tuck this fact away in case you ever need it]!  For more information on the overhead approach, click HERE.

One more word about risk management . . .

Steep descents at slow airspeeds adds an element of increased risk to your landing operations.  The proficient pilot has to measure this risk against the risk of losing your engine on final and not being able to reach the runway.  Good risk management practice says, increase your proficiency in areas of controllable risk (steep and slow descents) in order to reduce the consequences from uncontrollable risks (engine failure on final). 

From the ultimate risk management perspective, a proficient pilot - skilled in steep descents, can eliminate the risk of landing short of the runway and possibly losing his life.  The operative word in the previous sentence is proficient.  Don't allow yourself to get by with only the mandatory bi-annual flight review (BFR) to maintain your flight proficiency.  Get with your flight instructor as often as you visit your dentist . . . every six months!

Travel Log:  Bemus Point, Chautauqua Lake, New York

You don't have to fly far to visit Bemus Point. Located on the eastern shore of Chautauqua Lake, must minutes from the Jamestown Airport, this romantic little hide-away is a favorite fly in spot for local aviators.

Jo and I flew down to Bemus Point on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend to what has become an annual event for us and other close flying friends.  The evening includes live music by the Chautauqua Symphony, waterfront seafood dinner, a spectacular sunset, and fireworks - all courtesy of The Italian Fisherman Restaurant and its proprietor, Dan Dalpra.  The theme of this year's Labor Day concert was LOVE!!!  And the music and singing spoke of love . . .

Click HERE to view a series of photos I took of this quick one-day trip to Bemus Point.

The Dreaded Slipping Stall/Spin in the Traffic Pattern:

The pilot turns base to final and notices a following wind is causing him to overshoot the centerline.  He adds a little left uncoordinated rudder in an attempt to bring the nose of the aircraft back toward the runway.  The aircraft rolls a bit to the left and he compensates by adding some right aileron to hold the 30 degree bank angle.  The nose also drops slightly, so he compensates by pulling back  a bit on the yoke or stick and adding a little power to maintain airspeed.  Suddenly, the aircraft snap-rolls left to 150 degrees of bank.  He instinctively pulls back on the yoke or stick to get the nose back to the horizon and, at the same time, uses aileron to turn the aircraft back to the right.  Without warning, the airplane stalls, rolls inverted and spirals into the ground. 
                                                - The Last Spin, Phillip Oppenheimer, Instructor Pilot, Fighter Combat International, Plane & Pilot, August, 2004

This is not a hypothetical description pulled from some aeronautical manual.  It's real and it happens all too often, primarily because of poor training, lack of recurrent training, and plain old rusty flying skills.  What makes this particular spin scenario so insidious is because it happens instantly, without the customary stall warnings, e.g., stall horn, wing buffeting, etc. 

Here's why . . .

Conventional straight wing airplanes typically stall first at the wing root then the stall progresses toward the wingtips.  The airflow over the top of the wing near the wing root starts to separate (boundary layer separation).  The resultant turbulent air flows over the elevator and we feel it in the yoke as the airframe begins to shudder.  This alerts us of an impending stall.  Swept wing airplanes, on the other hand, stall first at the wing tips.  The resultant turbulent airflow does NOT strike the elevator thereby giving NO warning of an impendent stall.  This is why mechanical stick shakers are incorporated in jet aircraft . . . to artificially alert the pilot of an impending stall.

The stall/spin scenario described above is a classic skid-induced stall that yaws the airplane in the direction of the turn from base to final.  The inboard or left wing, in effect, slides rearward while the outboard or right wing slides forward.  If you were to observe this maneuver from above, the left wing is changed from a conventional to a swept wing design.  In this case, the stall begins at the wingtip, WITHOUT sending stall-warning turbulent air over the elevator.  Since there is no artificial stick shaker on conventional wing airplanes, the pilot is totally clueless about the impending stall.  This is why the skidding base-to-final turn stalls are so deadly. 

How fast does this happen?

In a skidding stall, the typical training airplane will roll 150 degrees in less than a second!  When this happens, the nose suddenly drops. The hapless pilot instinctively pulls back on the yoke or stick which pulls the nose into a straight down pitch attitude.  He also instinctively turns the yoke or stick to the right in an effort to roll back wings level.  Not realizing that at this pitch/bank attitude, he's in an area of reverse aileron command.  The result is an even more rapid roll to the left!

So what should you do?

You should get with your instructor and climb to a safe altitude, the higher the better, but at least 4,000' AGL.  Allow him or her to demonstrate the proper recovery from a skidding stall/spin entry. 

Training of this kind differs substantially from the conventional approach that is patterned after the private pilot Practical Test Standards (PTS).  In the conventional training model, the CFI has the student execute a power-off stall, then warns the student to keep the ball centered to avoid a yaw-induced spin.  That's as far as most such training goes.  When the wing stalls, more aggressive instructors might kick the rudder to demonstrate a one turn stall, before recovering.  This is better, but it still does not prepare the student for the unexpected, sudden stall/spin scenario.

CAUTION:  There is a better way to prepare the student for this unexpected event but the instructor must be proficient in this maneuver before attempting it.  The best way to prepare a student for a skid induced stall/spin is to have him initiate slow, level flight, at least 4,000'AGL.  Have him reduce power while maintaining altitude.  As the airplane approaches the stall, have him deliberately apply full left rudder to induce a skidding turn to the left.   Then hang on as the student watches in horror as the left wing falls out from under him and nose drops to a 60 degree down attitude!   

Remember the spin recovery sequence:

• Pitch:  Pitch down to reduce the AoA (angle of attack) below the critical angle.  This will break the stall.
• Rudder:  Press the rudder peddle opposite the direction of rotation.  If spinning left, press the right rudder ("step on the high wing") peddle to stop the rotation.
• Ailerons: Return the aileron to the neutral position.
• Power:  Unless in a steep down pitch attitude, add power to build airspeed.
• Pitch: Pitch up to regain lost altitude.

Note:  Always check your airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) for special instructions regarding spin recovery.

How About Preventing the Stall/Spin in the First Place?

Two words:  FLY COORDINATED!  Here's a couple of additional things you can do:

• Make no turns in the traffic pattern at an indicated airspeed below Vso + 20 knots (stall speed in the landing configuration plus 20 knots).  This should keep your AoA (angle of attack) well below the critical angle. 
• Make your turn from final to base at one-half standard rate.  This offers several advantages: (1) You'll minimize your loss of lift due to banking, and (2) you'll have a better view of potential traffic making a long straight-in approach.
• Keep the ball centered:  Heard this before?  An airplane with a centered ball CANNOT spin!

Would You Believe A Twin Averaging 5.74 GPH on Both Engines Combined!

That is just was the new Diamond DA-42 Twin Star did recently on the first non-stop trans-Atlantic crossing of a diesel powered airplane!  It consumed a total of 72 gallons on the crossing for a total fuel cost of less than $200.

The DA-42 is a four seat, 203kt airplane with an IFR payload of 1,366 lbs and a service ceiling of 20,000.  It burns either diesel fuel or conventional Jet-A. It is powered by two Thielert TAE 125, 135hp turbocharged diesel engines.

Part of the role of a good flight instructor is to introduce his or her students to the rapidly evolving technology of general aviation aircraft.  These new breeds of airplanes will be driving down the cost of flying as manufacturers incorporate newer, stronger materials and the latest avionics into their production aircraft. 

Some TFRs to Become NSAs on Next Round of Sectional Charts:

Fly through one of these areas without permission and you can expect an automatic 120 certificate suspension - no questions asked!  To ease the possibility of an inadvertent TFR incursion, the feds will be converting a number of long-standing TFRs into a new airspace designation called National Security Areas (NSAs).  These areas will be depicted on the next round of sectional charts as white blocks with heavy blue segmented lines surrounding them.

This is another reason why infrequent flyers should sit down with a CFI every six months or more to review these frequent changes to the national airspace system.

Hottest New Portable GPS - The Garmin 296

If you're looking for the very best portable GPS on the market today, it's the new WAAS-enabled Garmin 296.  Not for the faint of heart price-wise (street price $1,695), its features include  terrain cautions and alerts, sectional chart-like topographic data, a built-in obstacle database of the U.S., and a transparent navigation arc view for course, speed, and distance information. The GPSMAP 296 also features USB data transfer, faster processing speed, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack. Press a button, and you have your choice of the unit's automotive or marine modes.     Unlike earlier color models, the Garmin 296 has a long (10hr) rechargeable battery life.

Garmin’s new GPSMAP 296 is one world-class navigation value. You’ve never seen so much map-based nav detail in a portable GPS before. With its sunlight readable 256-color TFT display and self-contained topographic database, the GPSMAP 296 takes terrain awareness and hand-held navigation to a whole new level. Detailed sectional-like shaded mapping and an extensive Jeppesen® database help you visualize your flight path in relation to nearby navaids, terrain, SUAs, obstructions, etc. Users can view the elevation or relative altitude of any obstacle within the unit's built-in database (Available only with Americas database).

A unique color instrument panel displays five vital instruments to serve as a backup to panel-mounted instruments. Offers many of the same features found in expensive in-dash car navigation systems, including automatic routing. Just select a destination and the 296 automatically calculates a route from your current location and displays turn-by-turn directions. For added versatility, optional MapSource® CD downloads and user-selectable formats let you transfer this portable GPS from aircraft to auto to boat without skipping a beat. (Detailed street maps and marine cartography are available with the optional auto kit.)  Click HERE for ordering information.

Learning to Fly or Securing that Next Rating . . .

There is a story, perhaps more legend than truth, about a 19th century silver prospector named P. J. Darby.  Mr. Darby, an eastern businessman, decided to dabble in some silver prospecting.  He left his family and friends and traveled west to seek his fortune.  Sure enough, he discovered a vein of silver in Western Nevada, not far from Reno.

Mr. Darby immediately returned to his home in the east, sold his house, business, and all of this earthly possessions to finance a major silver mining operation at the site of his discovery.  Well, as so often happened, the vein of silver he had discovered went dry. 

He sold his mining operation for a penny on the dollar . . . and returned home, a broken and destitute man.

Here's the rest of the story . . .

Mr. Darby was a speculator, who worked on hunches.  The folks he sold out to, on the other hand, were geologists.  Based on the best science available at that time, they were convinced that what P. J. Darby had discovered was simply a spur from a much larger vein of silver.  Sure enough, they were correct.  Digging just three feet further into the dry rock at the end of Darby's worked out mine, they discovered the largest silver mine in world . . . the famous Comstock Lode!

There are a lot of parallels between P. J. Darby's experience and learning to fly or securing that next rating.

As an avocation or occupation, pilots tend to be self-assured, self-confident people who are accustomed to getting what they want.  Generally speaking, they succeed at most things they do.  This is good.  So why does a pilot stop short in receiving his or her pilot certificate or next higher rating?

Like P.J. Darby, most pilots do not like to fail.   When unsuccessful in pursuing a new activity, many would rather throw in the towel, quit, go on to something else.  Ever wonder why pilots, for the most part, don't make great golfers (Arnold Palmer excepted)?  They quit the game rather than investing the time necessary to master it.

That's so sad!  Like P.J. Darby who quit too soon, pilots who quit before receiving their certificate or next rating will never experience the many benefits that their achievements would have brought them.

So Why Do Pilots Get Discouraged and Quit Too Soon?

There are lots of reasons, but here are a few common ones:

• Poor Instruction:  Even the very best instructors have bad days or even bad moments.  A CFI's harsh word or an undeserved criticism can sting like a shark-bite!  The cockpit is a closed space and the instructor holds all of the cards.  Why would any student return to an unfriendly environment where immediate escape is not possible!  Poor instruction also includes DULL instruction.  Repetitious trips to the practice area, turns on a point, S-turns, and landings and take-offs are BORING!  Cross-country flights, on the other hand, can be fun.  Make nearly every flight a cross-country experience!  Good instructors sprinkle their training with side trips to ATC, FSS, and the U.S. Weather Service.  Cross-country flights should be scheduled to fun locations, e.g., U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH, the National Warbird Museum in Elmira, and the National Air & Space Museum at Dulles Int'l Airport in Washington, D.C.
• Irregular/Infrequent Training Schedule:  In many ways, the process of learning to fly is like exercise and diet.  To be effective, it must be frequent and it must be consistent - - - rain or shine, wind or snow - - - the training must go on uninterrupted.  No "cheat days" are allowed.   Beware of the student who skips lessons . . . to recover from a cold, to attend to mounting pressures at work, or whatever explanation they offer.  His or her training days are numbered and he will likely not achieve his training goal. Be equally wary of the instructor who cancels at the last minute to fly a charter, who opts not to fly because the winds a kicking up a bit, or the ceiling and visibility is a bit low.  Remember . . . the private pilot PTS requires a minimum of three hours of instrument time - logging instrument time under a hood or in a simulator is okay . . . but nothing compares to the training effectiveness of building instrument time in actual instrument conditions.

Here's a couple of additional irritants that contribute to flight student drop-outs:

• Poor Hygiene:  Believe it or not, this unpleasant reason for quitting occurs more frequently than you think!  I once refused to get back in an airplane with a student whose breath was so bad that I could not fly without the windows open . . . and this was in January!  Instructors are just as vulnerable to bad breath, neglected deodorant, and/or the after effects of a Mexican bean lunch at Taco Bells.  Take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves.
• Absence of Personal Interest:  Flight training is a very personal activity, conducted in very tight quarters, and often under stressful conditions.  Good flight instructors take a personal interest in EACH of their students.  Ineffective instructors, on the other hand, view students with disdain, blow off their questions, chuckle behind their backs at student flying foibles, etc.  If this kind of behavior characterizes your instructor, run . . . . don't walk, to another instructor who really cares about their students. 

The Jury is Still Out on the Sport Pilot Medical Requirement:

Two different people with the same troubling medical condition desire to fly light sport aircraft.  One of these people previously failed an FAA pilot medical exam.  The other never even took an FAA medical exam.  The latter fellow (who never took an FAA medical) can step into a light sport aircraft and fly it.  The fellow who failed a previously administered FAA medical is out of luck!  That's one of the strange paradoxes of the new light sport pilot rule. 

According to Dr. Guy Baldwin, member of the EAA Aeromedical Council writing in the September 3 issue of General Aviation News (p. 9), this may change!  Stay tuned. . . .

Runway Mishaps Continue to Plague Local Pilots:

It happened, again!  Just this past week, another experienced local pilot landed hard on his nose wheel, then skidded off the runway and across 100 yards of grass before coming to a stop at the edge of the woods.  The weather conditions at the time were near perfect, with a calm breeze blowing less than four knots right down the runway.  Fortunately, there were no injuries and only minor damage to the airplane.    Had he veered off the runway to the right, instead of the left, he would have crashed into three rows of tied-down airplanes . . . and the outcome would have likely been tragic.

Witnesses to this accident were at a loss to explain what could have happened . . . and the pilot wasn't talking.

So what happened?

This accident had all of the appearances of a botched landing . . . which could have happened for any number of reasons.  The problem, however, was not the botched landing.  The real problem was the pilot's incorrect response to the botched landing!   Instead of trying to salvage the botched landing by standing on the brakes as the airplane careened off of the runway, the pilot should have simply restored full power and gone around for another attempt.

I know the pilot of this airplane.  I've flown with him several times and found him to be quite competent at the controls.  Every landing he made with me was a "greaser."  But herein lies the problem.

Pilots, whether experienced veterans or emerging students, who always make good landings never have an opportunity to practice botched (ballooned, bounced, or porpoised) landings!   While this sounds like a silly statement, it is quite profound.  Unless a pilot botches a landing or two, s/he never has an opportunity to develop his recovery skills.

Unlike most flight instructors, I encourage my students to occasionally botch their landings . . . the worse the better (as long as they do not hurt themselves or damage the airplane)!  I want to see them bounce, balloon, and porpoise, just so I can help them develop proper recovery techniques.  I want them to pick the worst runway to land on as far as cross-winds are concerned.  I figure that it's much better for them to encounter strong cross-winds for the first time with an experienced instructor on board than it is encounter them for the first time by themselves. 

Instructors who seek only smooth landings from their students are doing them no favors! 

My students know that the better they get at landing, the more likely I will surreptitiously give a yank on the yoke or mash a rudder just as their main gear settles on the runway.  I want them to be spring-loaded for a go-around anywhere in the landing sequence.  I want their right hand on the throttle, instantly ready to run it to the wall if a safe landing is not assured.  This is the ONLY way they will be ready for the unexpected botched landing

Photo above:  A Cessna 172 that skidded off of the end of the runway in Florida and into a lake!

Did You Check Those Airport NOTAMs?

Far 91.103 requires that the pilot have all available information pertaining to his or her planned flight PRIOR to departure.  This information includes the current status of your destination airport.  True confession time:  I recently departed, without checking NOTAMs, for the Clarence Aerodrome on Transit Road, just south of Lockport, NY.  The photos below reveal the condition of this airport left by the remnants of Hurricane Frances.  Fortunately, I was traveling by car rather than by airplane!  Click on each photo to enlarge.

The Clarence Aerodrome is one of WNY's throw-back airports to an earlier time in aviation.  Its manicured grass runway, friendly owners and users, and quiet ambiance make it a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon.  Most of the time, you need either wheels (summer) or skis (winter) to operate at this airport.  Heavy rains associated with Hurricane Frances added yet another operational requirement:  FLOATS!

Fortunately, all of the privately owned hangars were constructed on higher ground, so no real damage was done by these flood waters!

The point of displaying these photos is to emphasize the importance of checking NOTAMs before departing for any airport, whether local or distant.  If this seems like an obvious thing to do, you might want to inquire about a couple of USAir B-737 pilots who, several years ago, taxied their airliner down a taxiway that had a NOTAM stating "snow piles along the south edge of Charlie."  Their right engine struck a snow bank and ingested enough snow to necessitate its replacement.  It's likely that the flight crew of this airplane were also looking for replacement jobs!

Remember FAR 91.103.  If you fail to heed that regulation and suffer as a result, the FAA will also charge you with a violation of FAR 91.13 [careless and reckless operation]! 

AOPA President, Phil Boyer, to Speak Before Aero Club of Buffalo on Thursday, September 23

Mark your calendars for this informative event.  Phil will bring us up to date on recent legislation impacting general aviation, new aircraft technology, and national airspace issues.  Phil has been at the center of EVERY important recent rule and regulation-making activity impacting general aviation.  He and the AOPA have been a great friend to the GA pilot. If ever we need a friend in high places in this business, it's Phil Boyer!  A big thanks goes to Aero Club member, Ron Grimm, for bringing in Phil Boyer this year.

The meeting will be held at Salvatore's Italian Garden on Transit Road, Depew, NY.  Social hour begins at 6pm, supper at 7pm, and speaker at 8pm.  The cost will be $25.00 per person.  This promises to be one of the best programs of the new year.  Be sure to make your reservations EARLY.   Click HERE for a meeting registration form.  You do NOT need to be member to attend this program, but your membership in the Aero Club of Buffalo is graciously invited!  Click HERE for a membership form.

Note to Out-of-Town Readers:  Salvatore's is less than 10 minutes away from the Buffalo/Niagara Airport.  Make this a "fly-in" event!

Sign Up for "Over the Airwaves"  . . . . .

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Hurricane Charlie Flattens Ranger Aviation's 18,000 Sq. Ft. Hangar at Kissimmee, Florida!

Not only did the roof fall in on this five year old hangar built to current hurricane-resistant codes, it destroyed 30 airplanes in the process including a WWII SNJ.  Other Florida airports suffered similar losses due to Hurricane Charlie.   The Punta Gorda Airport lost 30 airplanes.  Nearby St. Mary's Airport lost virtually every hangar. Orlando's Executive Airport lost 40 airplanes including a vintage DC-3.  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach lost 12 Skyhawks and a Diamond.

The only defense against a hurricane, as far as airplanes are concerned, is to evacuate them before the storm hits!

"And anyone who has flown much knows that safety in not about avoiding risk, it's about identifying and managing flight risk."
                            -Paul Bertorelli, Editorial Director, Flight Saftey Magazine

The author of this quote, Paul Bertorelli, and I have been friends and colleagues for many years . . . primarily via our frequent exchanges on AVSIG.  He and I spent some time together this year at Oshkosh.  We talked a good deal about today's flight training environment, specifically the need to provide students with meaningful, real-world flight training experiences.   Learning the fundamentals is important, but that's it . . . they are just fundamentals. Today's national airspace system and the airplanes we fly in it are NOT the same steam-gauge driven bugmashers that were the norm when the Private Pilot and Instrument Practical Test Standards (PTSs) were developed.

Today's new pilots are buying Lancair 400's, Cirrus SR-22s, and similar side stick, high speed, high altitude performers.  Yes, the factory will supply them with a few days of intensive instruction . . . but certainly not enough to create the necesssary risk management, decision making skills that will be required soon after they leave the factory training classroom.  Just where are they suppose to acquire, develop, and master these lifesaving skills? 

If they didn't acquire them as part of their primary or instrument training . . . and the factory didn't provide them - these hapless pilots will likely become sad statistics for next year's accident reports.

Over the Airwaves is not intended to be your typical training, official news, or club-type social journal.  Instead, its intent is to stimulate thought, enhance aviation critical thinking skills, to encourage the strong pilot, and to disturb the weaker pilot.  With this breadth of scope, Over the Airwaves will evoke a number of reactions.  Please feel free to share these reactions with me by clicking HERE. 

Past Issues of 

Click on any of the links below:

Vol 1, No. 1 -  May 28, 2004
Vol 1. No. 2 - June 15, 2004
Vol 1. No. 3 - July 9, 2004
Vol 1, No. 4 - July 15, 2004
Vol 1, No. 5 - July 23, 2004
Vol 1, No. 6 - August 10, 2004
Vol 1, No. 7 - August 18, 2004
Vol 1. No. 8 - August 26, 2004
Vol 1. No. 9 - September 5, 2004

Wonderful World of Flight Homepage

Safe Flying,

Bob Miller, CFII
rjma@rjma.com
716-864-8100