Aviation Pilot Blog

All pilots have taken at least one, and possible several check rides in their flying career. The check ride, most often taken with an FAA Designated Examiner, is the practical flying test administered by the FAA to determine if the pilot applicant’s piloting and aeronautical decision making skills meet Federal Aviation Administration standards.

While it may not seem like it to the applicant, the examiner must adhere to a rigid set of flight standards. These standards are set out in the Practical Test Standards (PTS) book, which is usually included in the ground school set of books. The examiner is required by the FAA to vary the tests to the extent that the examiner does not ask the same oral questions or follow the same pilot exam scenario. However, the practical test standards are exactly that, a minimum standard or tolerances that need to be met in order to complete your checkride with confidence.

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There’s a class of aircraft incidents that most of us probably don’t think about much because to avoid them seems so obvious: runway incursions. The FAA defines a runway incursion as “any occurrence at an airport including an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that creates a collision hazard or results in a loss of separation with an aircraft taking off, intending to take off, landing, or intending to land.” At a towered airport, for example, who in the world would get onto an active runway without a clearance? How could he do it? And then, why would he do it? I mean, like, we all know the regulations, and besides, the ground controller will watch out for us, even if we do make a mistake, right?

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Aviation accidents come in all shapes, sizes, and colors—there just isn’t a “one size fits all” (or even “… most”). However, many studies, research, safety articles, books, trend analyses, and mishap reports, all—virtually all—point up the fact that 80% to 90% of all aviation accidents have human factors as the primary cause. We have met the enemy and it is us!

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As an instructor I’ve learned to love slow flight and delight in the stall. But I can still remember what it was like to feel differently, to be afraid—even though it seems a long, long time ago. And, because stalls usually came at the end of slow flight practice, I learned to fear slow flight, as well.

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Flying isn’t about filling in the squares and checking off requirements on some list. Sure, we have to meet all the requirements, and some of us use checklists for teaching as well as flying, but it all comes down to competency and professionalism. Do poorly on the airman knowledge test and you can expect the examiner to grill you during the checkride. Worse yet is Mother Nature, who, along with her old friend Murphy’s Law, will see that each of us gets a thorough test of our knowledge someday when we least expect it.

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Most pilots are familiar with winter conditions in their particular area; however, often a distance of a few miles may change the environment enough to present new problems to an inexperienced pilot. There are certain precautions that are significant to winter flying. Flight planning during winter months will require special knowledge in order to protect the aircraft as well as the pilot. Extra precautions should be used. Often roads that are well traveled during the summer months will be abandoned in the winter. To be forced down far from civilization may create a serious problem of survival. With today’s extensive highway system, most flights in small aircraft would not be extended more than a few minutes if a well-traveled route were followed. Even the vehicles on the road can give valuable information. You may see cars and trucks coming toward you with fresh snow adhering to the front of the vehicles. In most cases, you may as well start making a 180-degree turn due to reduced visibility ahead.

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When you decide to take flying lessons , it will change your life forever . Why? Because flying lessons will expose you to experiences that are stimulating to the mind and “soul”. This helps to keep you motivated and succeed during the “hard” parts of flight training . When people accomplish things in life that are really meaningful (and maybe hard) like learning to fly – other parts of life get better!

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