A few months ago, I saw a link on twitter to the following video: I recently remembered this and thought I might post it here and offer some analysis of the overall situation. The biggest talking point I've come up with is "Attitude is everything." I mean that in two ways: attitude of the pilot... Read more »
Continue ReadingAviation In Schools Foundation
So recently I've been kicking around an idea. It isn't particularly innovative since all the pieces exist in other programs, but I want to combine them into one big thing. It is something I'm passionate about, and I want to find a way to make it work. The basic idea is based on the fact... Read more »
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Three maneuvers to improve your flying
The practical test standards are FAA established standards for flight maneuvers required on check-rides. Each of these maneuvers are required because they elicit some sort of indication of the abilities of the applicant. There are many maneuvers that do not appear in these publications, but perhaps they should. The following three maneuvers are ones I feel will positively impact your flying.... Read more »
Continue ReadingWake Turbulence Avoidance
"Caution wake turbulence" is a phrase I heard a lot in my flight training. It seemed like every time I went out to fly there were KC135s in the pattern. Wake turbulence is not something I want to encounter, so I paid attention in the ground school session about it. In case you need a... Read more »
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Aircraft, Blog, Flight Lessons
DA20-C1 Checkout
While on our way back to TYS, we heard some T-6A TexanIIs coming in from the local training area. I was thinking how cool it would be a to see one, but focused more on the tasks at hand. Well, once in the traffic pattern, a lone T-6A overflew us on our base leg. It was pretty awesome to look up and out the canopy to see the underside of the T-6A. Once we were on the ground he landed and joined up with his compatriots. Also, while we were taxiing back in to secure the plane, I noticed that Remote Area Medical was loading their DC-3 to take some relief supplies to Haiti. It was pretty neat to see the DC-3 again.... Read more »
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Private Pilot! (Part 2)
After landing, he asked me to stop by the FBO so he could grab some coffee "and then we'll get to the paperwork." The scary thing about the examiner, and the hardest part about the exam, is that he is impossible to read. You never know what is going through his mind or what is coming next. So I drop him off at the FBO completely unaware of whether I've passed or failed. If we go by my self - assessment I'm sure I've failed at this point, but there is nothing else to do but secure the plane and wait for the paperwork. So I taxi over, shut down, and secure the plane. As I am finishing the last tiedown, which is always the tail for me, the examiner comes up behind me and says, "Well, congratulations." I'm thinking..."Congratulations, you failed, but we didn't die here's a pink slip."... Read more »
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Private Pilot! (Part 1)
I said I'd see him in about an hour, and I set out to find doughnuts since the coffee is already good and free at the FBO. I showed up about 20 minutes early and walked in to meet the examiner. Despite my early arrival, he had beat me. We exchanged pleasantries and he led me to the room he uses for oral exams. We made small talk while I got my stuff out. Then, once I seemed ready, he asked "Do you believe in checklists?" This made me incredibly nervous. My response slipped out, "absolutely." An affirmative answer is the only answer worth giving. He produced the examiner checklist for the entire event and started working his way down it.... Read more »
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Stall practice
I am mostly ready for my check-ride. I was 1 hour short or 40 and I need some work on controlling my stall recovery. That was the plan for this lesson. In the last lesson we had done a lot of work on the maneuvers and revisited stalls. This idea behind this flight was to get some more practice with stalls to make sure that the procedure sticks. The last thing I want is to get out and spin it on the check-ride.... Read more »
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Practical Test Prep
Just to clear the air, I am getting very close to the check-ride. Prior to this lesson all that was left to complete is an hour or so of practical test prep. The plan for this lesson was to perform all the maneuvers required for the check-ride and then work on anything that needs improvement. That means we will do stalls, steep turns, slow flight, ground reference maneuvers, and unusual attitudes.... Read more »
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Oral Test Prep
While the test is fairly regimented and unsurprising, the oral exam is less structured than the practical exam. There are the standard parts, legal questions and cross country planning, and there are the questions that the examiner chooses to focus on. This lesson is about those questions specifically.... Read more »
Continue ReadingAbout Me
Hello, my name is Matt Everett and as of 1/1/2010 I am a private pilot ASEL. I started this blog early in my training and used it primarily as a place to keep notes of my lessons. Since then it has grown to much more than that, but my main focus is still on aviation experiences.
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