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Checklists: Why do I Need To Use Them?
As you go through your flying career, whatever flying from GA to Part 121, there is always the checklist! Some pilots have said "I've owned my plane for years and have everything memorized." Or the...
Flying Requires Continuous 'License to Learn'
Often, as pilots, we hear that upon earning our Private Pilot License (PPL) we now have a license to “learn.” We are, hopefully, always learning. Every experience teaches us something. There’s...
Taking Responsibility For Engine-Out Proficiency
Think back to the last time you practiced engine failure procedures. Was it your most recent FAA checkride or Flight Review? Then ask yourself how PROFICIENTLY you'd perform today if your engine...
Picking Up Your Aircraft After Maintenance
Not all aircraft owners have had anyone teach them about owning an airplane. I always tried to pass on some of that knowledge as I instructed, but many pilots lack a mentor in that area. One of the...
Pilot Report Can Aid Fellow Pilots
The pilot report, or PIREP, is an often appreciated bit of information, but how often do you actually submit one? PIREPs are, generally, only useful in a given area and for a small amount of time....
Flight Controls in Four Phases
It's no wonder that students become frustrated with controlling an aircraft when there doesn't seem to be consistency between flight control inputs and aircraft response creating thoughts and...
Don't Bounce On Porpoise!
Inappropriate bounced landing responses can lead to spectacular (and pricey) landings! You must avoid stalling and avoid a porpoise. (No, Flipper is not on the runway!) First, if you bounce EXCESSIVELY or you’re just not comfortable, execute an...
Under Pressure: Don't Forget Tire Maintenance
One of the simplest tasks in aviation can also be one of the most overlooked…tire care. Our tires spend most of their time not turning, whether sitting on the ground or flying in the air. One would assume that they should require very little...
Information Is Best Shared In Both Directions
With the new ADS-B mandate taking effect last year, many people have recently upgraded their aircraft to include ADS-B Out. This meets the requirement but may not be the absolute best outcome when trying to increase your safety. As with many things,...
Four Steps To Master Safety Risk Management
Among my many tools is a 12-pound splitting maul (half sledgehammer/half axe). Many of my larger tools hang on the garage wall next to my car. Except for the splitting maul. Why is that? I occasionally bump into one of the tools and it falls down....
Avoid 'Expectation Bias' In Critical Situations
“Money is the the root of all evil.” Did you notice the extra “the” in that sentence? Expectation Bias led us to expect the same familiar phrase. This concept can apply in many aviation situations such as the following: Coming in from the...
'The Perfect Pilot' Requires An Honest Appraisal
Although we can dream, there is no such animal as a perfect pilot. It’s a myth, much like strong tailwinds roundtrip! Consider this, though: if you STRIVE for perfection and fall short, you land in a very good, safe place making you a more...
Fire Resistant Clothing: A Pilot Tool With Function
Everyone likes having their little toys. I feel, as pilots, we are especially attracted to new toys. The latest iPad mount for the cockpit, new avionics, a better headset, the list goes on. I am guilty of this as well. I have so many books and...
Well-Executed Takeoffs Require Planning
“Nice landing.” We sometimes hear that from passengers or fellow pilots after we greased it in with a gusty cross-wind, or pasted the mains on the numbers and made the first turnoff. However, when is the last time someone complimented you on...
Handy Calculations While Flying
If we wish to navigate through space with a level of precision, it is necessary to determine numbers such as: Top of Descent, Required Rate of Descent, and other information we usually have to look up or plug into our EFB or E6B. For some situations...
Use of a Checklist
In my years of flying, I have either done or instructed people that have done just about anything that can happen to a GA plane. One of the highest things that pilots don’t do or forget is the use...
Owner Preventive Maintenance?
“Hey Kurt, can you come over and sign off the new wing bolts I installed in my Bonanza?” or similar is a much too often request made of me as an A&P. But I will say God bless the owner for even asking for another set of “licensed” eyes to...
Hazards Of Non-Towered Operations
It was a warm fall afternoon. Pilots were enjoying the last nice flying weather until winter made its appearance. An incoming aircraft was arriving at an uncontrolled airport from the opposite side of the traffic pattern. In the process of joining...
KCFM Saturday Morning Seminars Move Online
Looking for some aviation education, a Wings credit or two, or maybe just something to do while enjoying your Saturday morning coffee? Look no further than the KFCM Saturday Morning Webinar Series....
Do You Like Your Checklist?
Is your checklist doing everything it should for you? If not, how can you make it better? Checklists are wonderful things. They turn us from forgetful mortals to clear minded creatures that get every step in the operation of a complex machine...
Prep for Cold Weather Flying
With the unseasonably warm weather, many of you likely took advantage to get in some flying. With cold weather on the forecast, we now have to prep for flying in cold. That might include making sure we have adequate cold weather gear in the aircraft...
Control Tower vs Non-Towered
Whether you fly in a towered environment or non-towered, the two are very different and require you to be aware of other traffic. While the towered environment is much more controlled, you still have...
Weather Flying Again
The summer is fading fast and the weather change is inevitable; no more high clouds and light rain, its low clouds, fog, and yes snow for the general aviation flying. If you have an instrument rating...
When do you cancel IFR?
When do you cancel IFR? How do you make that determination? Lets examine a little about what your IFR clearance actually does for you. It means you have a cylinder of protected airspace around you where no other IFR traffic should be. What about VFR...
Taking Advantage of Webinars
Taking Advantage of Webinars It is likely that your flying has been impacted somehow by the unusual reality that we find ourselves in. Perhaps you haven’t been able to fly much and find your currency slipping. The gatherings at the airport,...
