CFI Tony joins the hangar flying with Pilot Kent and Pilot Mike to talk about flying gliders and Kent's glider lesson with CFI Matt in a Blanik L-13 glider at KAMW in Ames, Iowa, USA.
WAAS up with Garmin? One Six Right and unwanted airports. A Bo lands on a Bo.
Pilot Kent gets a glider lesson! Join Pilot Kent with flight instructor Matt Michaels for a training flight in a Blanik L-13 glider at KAMW in Ames, Iowa, USA. Kent and Matt are launched by CFI Tony in a Super Cub tow plane.
Writer, CFI and aviation lawyer Rick Durden and CFI and AME Dr. Bruce Chien, M.D. join
the hangar flying on the Pilotcast with Pilot Dan and
Pilot Mike with disussion about the worst ever exhibition of pilots blundering in to Oshkosh during Airventure 2006.
Recorded Tuesday, October 24, 2006 - 01:03:31 - 29.1MB
I know that users with Internet Explorer don't see this page properly. Believe it or not this message should be at the top of the page, not below the left column. With not much chance to fix that we've decided that it's time to move.
I'm working on the new Pilotcast blog to replace this one. (I can hear the cheers already.)
It's going to take a lot of time to fully flesh out, but then this one took way too much to time just posting each page of show notes. In the long run we'll be better off with new one, which will be a standard Wordpress blog.
Pilotcast #047 Aviation Podcast - CFI Doug Stewart and Rinker Buck on the Cory Lidle Tragedy, Flying the Hudson Corridor, New Planes and New Pilots
Recorded Sunday, October 15, 2006 - 01:19:03 - 36.4MB
Master CFI Doug Stewart and author Pilot Rinker Buck join the hangar flying on the Pilotcast with Pilot Dan, Pilot Kent, and Pilot Mike with a frank, spirited, and informative discussion about the possible causes of the tragic Cory Lidle accident in Manhattan in New York City.
Doug Stewart is THE expert instructor on flying the New York City Hudson River VFR corridor around Manhattan.
Doug and Rinker discuss the multiple causes behind such accidents and what can be done to prevent them.
Among the topics discussed are the dangers of pilots with overconfidence and hazardous mental attitudes who fly with complacency, with too much dependence on technology.
Doug Stewart reveals what he teaches at his pilot seminars on Flying the Hudson River VFR Cooridor around Manhattan. Doug gives his recomendation for flights on the East River side of Manhattan.
Rinker discusses what he found in his extensive research for a series of articles on the JFK, Jr. accident.
Doug Stewart joined in on the hangar flying in Pilotcast #009 and talked for the first time on the Pilotcast about flying the Hudson River VFR corridor. Doug joins at 32 minutes in.
Rinker Buck - Pilot, Journalist, and Author
Rinker Buck does a reading from "Flight of Passage" on Pilotcast #37A
Rinker Buck joined in on the hangar flying in Pilotcast #25
Pilotcast #046 Aviation Podcast with U.K. Student Pilot Rick
Recorded October 03, 2006 - 00:59:06 - 27.3MB
Pilotcast listener Student Pilot Rick from London, U.K. joins the hangar flying with Pilot Dan and Pilot Mike to talk about flyig in Britain. Rick made a video for the Pilotcast of his
flight with his flight instructor on a (literally) cross country
navigation training flight from Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey, U.K.
across the English Channel to Le Touquet Airport in France. They have
crepes for lunch, visit the beach, and fly back in the haze.
Pilot Mike reports on the plans for the Pilotcast insipired by his recent trip to the Podcast and Portable Media Expo in Ontario, CA.
Mike was quoted in two stories from PPME in Information Week: 1st and 2nd.
We've added a Pilotcast tip jar for listeners who want to show support for the Pilotcast by dipping into the flying fund.
The tip jar is on the frame to the left.
For now you can make a one time donation. We'll add a monthly subscription option so you can make a fixed donation per month. We'll have exclusive benefits for subscribers.
The pilots of The Pilotcast appreciate your support.
The pilots of The Pilotcast have been contacted by media representatives looking for commentary on the tragic accident in New York City.
We'll be happy to make arrangements to talk but suggest for a more immediate response you should talk to the media relations team at AOPA - the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association at http://www.aopa.org You can call AOPA in Frederick, Maryland, USA 24 hours a day at +1 301-695-2162.
please listen to the detailed description from expert CFI - Certified Flight Instructor Doug Stewart on Pilotcast #009. Doug Stewart was CFI of the year in 2004. The Doug Stewart interview on flying the Hudson River VFR Corridor around Manhattan Island in New York starts at 32 minutes in. Doug created a DVD instructing pilots on flying the Hudson corridor. Doug Stewart's web site is http://www.dsflight.com
Pilotcast #046 - Video Fly Along with U.K. Student Pilot Rick - Aviation Podcast
00:10:11 - 59.5MB
Join Pilotcast listener Student Pilot Rick from London, U.K. as he flies with his flight instructor on a (literally) cross country navigation training flight from Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey, U.K. across the English Channel to Le Touquet Airport in France. They have crepes for lunch, visit the beach, and fly back in the haze.
The DVD is sure to be a pilot film shelf must have!
How the movie was conceived, financed, and made
Shot with Pangenesis 35MM digital cameras.
Can you tell the real planes from those created with computer graphics (CG)? Wanna bet?
Why the movie IS historically correct, in spite of the criticism.
Some actual historical events were so unbelieveabel they couldn't be put into the movie.
Why there WERE many Red German Fokker tri-planes.
Tony's favorite flying movie
The surprising answer to "How many planes were built in WW I?"
Dan talked Flyboys to stunt pilot and actor Andrew King in July in Oshkosh at EAA Airventure 2006
Dan joined world famous aerobatic pilot "Pilot Patty" Wagstaff and author "Pilot Rinker" Buck
at the Nantucket Island airshow September
30th featuring The Blue Angels.
Dan met Patty Wagstaff with the friend of the Pilotcast, author Pilot Rinker Buck.
Dan got a great job at the show!
Kent has started toward his twin rating, flying a Piper Seneca. Kent took his dad for a flight for the first time Kent is planning to go to back to fly the yellow planes on skis.
Pilotcast notes:
A reminder to join the Pilotcast forums at http://pilotcast.com/forums.
We've had great participation from Pilotcast pilots from all over the
world.
The Pilotcast is planning an open Pilotcast pilot roundtable Skypecast
for Saturday, October 14 at 2100Z (1700 U.S. Eastern, 1600 U.S. Central,
1400 U.S. Pacific). If you have a Skype
account, a PC headset or microphone and earphones you can join in for
free as the show is recorded. Listen on the Pilotcast and look on the
Pilotcast forums for updates.
Hangar Flying with Pilot Dan, Pilot Kent, and Pilot Mike featuring Pilot Kent's exclusive interview with Christian Dries,
CEO of Diamond Aircraft
Recorded on September 14, 2006 - 00:44:19 - 20.4MB
Hangar Flying:
Pilot Kent is on the phone from Dexter, MN. Pilot Dan spent his first ever two week vacation working on his house on Martha's Vineyard. Dan will be at the Nantucket Island airshow September 30th and October 1st with The Blue Angels, Patty Wagstaff and Rinker Buck.
Over the U.S. Labor Day weekend Kent returned to join "EdFred" at the reopened Prickett-Grooms Airfield in Sidnaw, MI discussed on Pilotcast #42
As he flew home Kent claimed 15 Wisconsin airports for the ConUS challenge discussed on Pilotcast #43. Door County, Wisconsin is popular destination in the Autumn for tourists to view the fall color show.
Mike and Kent have a "friendly discussion" on the short field performance numbers of their high performance planes, the real world experience they've had, and why they may look at short runways differently.
40D, Three Lakes Municipal Airport in Three Lakes, WI has a grass strip in great condition immediately next to a lake and across the street from the Sunset Grill.
68C, Central County airport in Iola, WI has a friendly bunch of pilots who have a BBQ every Friday afternoon and the best slogan on the hangar barn.
The Pilotcast pilots also talked to Tony Bill, producer and interviewed an actor pilot from the new thrilling. Flyboys movie. Look for the "Flyboys" interviews on the Pilotcast soon.
Pilot Kent interviews Christian Dries, CEO of Diamond Aircraft from EAA Airventure 2006 Oshkosh
Pilot Kent managed to talk to Mr. Dries in front of the the
Diamond D-Jet prototype just minutes before the D-Jet was towed out for
the flight back to London, Ontario!
The pilots discuss the position of the Diamond D-Jet and Javelin"personal jet" vs. the other "VLJ," Very Light Jets like the Eclipse 500. The D-Jet is designed to be simpler to fly and owner flown.
Pilotcast notes:
A reminder to join the Pilotcast forums at http://pilotcast.com/forums. We've had great participation from Pilotcast pilots from all over the world.
We've gotten great feedback on special Pilotcast with Pilot Kent's flight into Airventure Oshkosh. The Pilotcast will have more "fly-alongs" from all over the world. If you want participate or have ideas please add those to the forums.
The Pilotcast is planning an open Pilotcast pilot roundtable Skypecast for Tuesday, October 10 at 2300Z (1900 U.S. Eastern, 1800 U.S. Central, 1600 U.S. Pacific). If you have a Skype account, a PC headset or microphone and earphones you can join in for free as the show is recorded. Listen on the Pilotcast and look on the Pilotcast forums for updates.
In the news:
New York Governor Pataki signs a law to mandate criminal background checks for anybody getting flight instruction. The nearby states have no such law.
Followup on the Lexington, KY Comair crash. The news media reports that the printed airport diagram was not current.
Pilotcast videocast #2 from EAA Airventure 2006 Oshkosh
A Pilotcast Exclusive! Pilot Kent interviews Christian Dries,
CEO of Diamond Aircraft
Recorded on July 27, 2006 - 00:04:45 - 23.9MB
Pilot Kent managed to talk to Mr. Dries in front of the the
Diamond D-Jet prototype just minutes before the D-Jet was towed out for
the flight back to Germany!
Hangar Flying with Pilot Kent and Pilot Mike, joined by Pilot
Nick and CFI Chip
Recorded on September 1,
2006 - 01:14:55 - 34.4MB
Hangar Flying:
Pilot Kent and Pilot Mike are
joined by Pilot Nick from New
Mexico and CFI Chip from Arkansas. Nick and Chip have founded the Con
US Challenge, which challenges pilots to land at every airport in the
United States in one year. Nick tells how the idea came about
from personal target to land at every airport in New Mexico.
Chip built the great web site on the challenge at http://www.goflyamerica.org
In the
news:
The new AIM specifically bans the phrase "any traffic in
the area please advise." Nick figured out why pilots can't
agree on the phrase being a problem.
A Cirrus passenger deploys the BRS parachute when the pilot
is incapacitated saving three at Eagle Creek near Indianapolis.
The crash of a Comair commuter jet talking off of the wrong
runway at Lexington, KY.
Chip tells about taking Pilot Kent up in his Extra for
another session of aerobatics fun. Chip talks about the lessons and the
fun he has giving aerobatic training to pilots and instructors.
Hangar Flying with Pilot Dan, Pilot Mike, and Pilot Kent for
our first post-Oshkosh show
Recorded on August 8,
2006 - 01:09:30 - 37.3MB
Hangar Flying:
The crew have all made it back to their respective home base
after a grueling week at Oshkosh. They saw a showing of the wonderful
aviation movie, One Six Right, on a new high definition theatrical
projection system. The movie tells the history of the Van Nuys Airport,
but is really a take off point for any discussion of general aviation.
Next, Kent does an interview with Alan Klapmeier, co-founder
and
president of Cirrus Design. There is also a link to the vidcast version
of the interview available in the Show Links section. Afterwards, they
engage in a bit of a rant about Cessna's vaporware
showing at Oshkosh. Dan then talks about his experience of attending
his first Oshkosh Airventure. The conversation shifts to a discussion
of Very Light Jets, and how they could revolutionize corporate air
travel and air taxi services. We end our Oshkosh chat with Dan giving a
big shout out to "Simple Green" for the new aircraft cleaner samples he
managed to
wrangle.
Dan bids adieu as he is called back to a late night session at
he day job but Kent and Mike continue the chat in the hangar.
Kent tells of his second excellent flying adventure with Rick Durden
and his friends at KCAD in Cadillac, MI, this time flying Cubs on
floats! Kent describes what it's like landing on water. Kent also got
to fly a Stearman biplane.
Then Kent tells of the great time had
by all as
he joined our buddy, "EdFred" for the grand reopening of
Prickett-Grooms Airfield in Sidnaw, MI. Ed bought the airport
from the state of Michigan and then put in many long days of work on
the runway and property and in getting a new license for the airport.
Just about the whole town showed up in appreciation to celebrate and
greet the planes. Congratulations, and a Pilotcast THANKS to
Ed!
A reminder to join the Pilotcast forums at http://pilotcast.com/forums.
Please vote and leave your comments in support of the Pilotcast! The
pilots mention the roots of Zulworks and Kent tells how
much he enjoys his new Mini-Z kneeboard.
As you may have heard, we were concerned that not every Pilotcast subscriber would want to receive the video casts automatically, either because they will be larger files, or they don't a have video capable player.
We have the separate audio-only and video-only feeds working.
If you want to get both new audio and video Pilotcast shows, you don't need to change a thing!
If you do not want your podcatcher to automatically download the videos, you'll need to change the feed URL for the Pilotcast. For audio only the feed is http://pilotcast.com/rss/audio
If for some reason you want only the video shows, the feed is http://pilotcast.com/rss/video (Hmmmm. I wonder if that works on a newer TiVo? Dan???)
The existing feed, which is http://pilotcast.com/rss will have both types of shows.
You can subscribe to more than one feed if you want separate the show types.
In iTunes, you should copy and paste the URLs above into the window under Advanced->Subscribe to Podcast I'll add some one click subscribe buttons on http://www.pilotcast.com soon.
If you didn't know, iTunes and other podcatchers are capable of playing Quicktime video files, even if your portable player can't. You may want to try viewing a video show before you change feeds.
If you have any trouble with this please let us know.
Fly along with Pilot Kent on his IFR flight across Lake
Michigan after he enjoyed the seaplane flying in KCAD in Cadillac, MI.
Kent cancels IFR and flies the special NOTAMed Fisk VFR
arrival to Oshkosh, joining compact line of planes of
all types, through the tight and unusual landing pattern and parking in
the camping area area south of runway 9-27.
Live from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006, a sleep deprived Pilot
Mike, Pilot Kent, and Pilot Dan host a Pilot Roundtable discussion
Oshkosh Roundtable:
Joining the crew are:
CFI Jason Miller, host of the "Finer Points" PodCast
Pilot Ron from Mountain View, CA, a member of the Apple Air
Force
Pilot William Foster, host of the "Pilot's Log" PodCast
Mike starts off by telling the story of how, just over a year
ago, the Pilotcast began. Then we move on to the real reason for the
discussion, Oshkosh. Pilot Dan gives his impressions as the only one of
the three who had not attended before this year. Everyone joins in to
talk about all of the sites and sounds they experienced at the show.
Three of the group flew into the Airventure, two from California, and
they talked about their flights. This was the fourth long cross country
that CFI Jason has flown, and it was done in the ZuluWorks DA-40. Pilot
Kent had the shortest flight, flying his Cessna 182 from Cadillac,
Michigan. For Pilot Ron, this was his first long cross country flight,
and he flew it from California, in a Cessna 172. Kent introduces a
recording, thanks to LiveATC.net, that shows how not
to fly into Oshkosh. Back on the ground, the group gets back to talking
about what they've seen at the show. There is a lengthy discussion of
the new Very Light Jets and whether or not they're good for aviation.
Moving on, Dan and Mike begin an examination of the pros and
cons of the two DUAT online briefing services, losing their current
contracts with the FAA. The conversation ends up coming back around to
what exhibits the group thought were the most interesting. Mike informs
us the FAA has made, and is making, improvements in the handling of
medical certifications. A microphone is passed to Pilot William(Will),
who flew into Oshkosh in a 1958 Cessna 310, and tells a bit about his
fight in and some his favorite displays at the show. We finish up the
roundtable with the crew describing some of the Oshkosh related audio
and video clips that will be in upcoming Pilotcasts.
Stay tuned for a special audio treat at the end of the show.
Pilot Kent gives us our first live report from the EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2006
Oshkosh:
Kent flew into Oshkosh, this year, and gives us a little taste
of the approach and landing procedures. There are a lot on non-standard
procedures so you need to be ready. If you are not current and
proficient in these procedures, you shouldn't attempt flying into
Oshkosh. To prove the point, he mentions a pair of fatalities that
occurred when an aircraft stalled on the base to final turn. Kent
parked in the Cessna Base Camp, new this year, and is spending the week
camping under the wing of his 182. Cessna announced their Light Sport
Proof of Concept as well as a new Single Engine Proof of Concept, the
NGP.
Cessna:
Cessna President, Jack Pelton, announced their entry into the
Light Sport Aircraft arena with the first public showing of a Proof of
Concept aircraft. The craft will take it's first flight later this
year, and is expected to be competitively priced with other LSAs.
Cessna emphasizes they have not yet made the decision to enter the LSA
market. That decision will be made in the first quarter of 2007, after
assessing the LSA market. Here are some specifications on the concept
aircraft:
High wing, tricycle gear, two seater
Maximum Gross Weight of 1320 pounds
Level flight speed of 120 kts.
Powered by a 100 hp, Rotax 912 engine
Wingspan of 30 feet
Dual control sticks
Upward opening doors
Toe brakes and a castering nose wheel
Primarily aluminum, with some composite parts
Mr. Pelton, also announce Cessna will be developing a new
generation of single engine, piston airplanes to augment the 172
Skyhawk, the 182 Skylane, and the 206 Staionair. No timeframe has been
set, but they hope to unveil a Proof of Concept in the not to distant
future. The prototype has been flying since June 23rd, and did a fly-by
at the show.
Last Pilotcast report before Oshkosh. Hangar Flying with Pilot Kent, Pilot Dan and Pilot Mike
Oshkosh:
The Pilotcast crew is planning to have a live recording ession with a Pilot Roundtable on Thursday night from the grounds of EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. Stayed tuned here for the update on where the gathering will be.
Dan's flying club's Cherokee 140 has an engine shudder.
Kent's club's Cessna had a prop strike when the intermittent light went out at night.
An Oshkosh preview with Pilot Dan, Pilot Kent, and Pilot Mike
along with returning special guest Rick Durden,
aviation attorney and author of AvWeb's "The Pilot's Lounge" column,
and Pilot Ron, who will be flying to Oshkosh from Palo Alto, California.
This will be the first in a series of shows on surviving
Oshkosh. First, though, we start off with the crew talking about their
latest flying experiences. One of Pilot Dan's club planes, the Cherokee
140, has developed a hard to find shudder at high RPMs. There's a short
discussion of Tach Time vs. Hobb's Time, and which to use when billing
by the hour. Pilot Kent took a flight on the 4th of July and managed to
see multiple fireworks shows from the air.
Rick Durden joins us and Pilot Mike asks his legal opinion on
almost busting the St. Louis Class Bravo, due to an out of date marking
on a sectional chart. Then there's a short discussion on the new
changes to AVweb's site and how difficult it is to find articles,
including Rick's series on Oshkosh. They mention a news item about a
Grandfather who lands his Cessna 180 on a road, but clipped power lines
and crashed on takeoff. Pilot Mike then brings up the new proposal that
would make taking an online course on flight procedures within the
Washington DC ADIZ mandatory for anyone flying VFR within 100 nm of it.
In more news, they discuss the Southwest Airlines co-pilot who was
arrested for being under the influence of alcohol. Pilot Dan has a
friend at the Miami Herald, who just complete a 3 part series about
fatalities in the air cargo industry. Before Pilot Ron joins us, Rick
mentions his Fly In Fest' at Cadillac, Michigan. Pilot Kent will be
attending to do some seaplane flying and possibly get some dual time in
a P-51D Mustang.
Surviving Oshkosh:
Pilot Ron, a member
of the Apple Air Force, joins us and we move on to a discussion of
Oshkosh. Rick has written a series of columns, available from AVweb, on
"Surviving Oshkosh." Pilot Kent has put together a simple flow chart
for the Fisk arrival NOTAM. Rick identifies the biggest risk to flying
into Oshkosh are planes going too slow on their final approach, forcing
planes behind to go slower than they should, causing a stall. Pilot Dan
asks for a walkthrough of the VFR approach, during the busiest arrival
period.
Read and understand the NOTAM!
Make sure you can fly your airplane at the appropriate
approach speed
As you're approaching, listen to the ATIS and do
not make any calls
Arrive over the town of Ripon and set up on speed
Get in line with the other aircraft and follow along the
railroad tracks
As you approach Fisk, listen on the appropriate frequency
for the controllers
At Fisk, you will be called by airplane color and type,
given instructions on which runway to set up for, and given the next
radio frequency
Acknowledge the call by rocking your wings (Do not call!)
Be aware, you will be flying a lower than normal patter
altitude
If landing on 36, you'll be on a left base and the
controller will call you by color and type, and give you either 36L or
36R
If landing on 9, make a gently right turn to 45 degrees,
and you will be told to land on one of a series of colored dots
If landing on 27, you'll be on a right downwind, low and
close in, and flying a tight pattern, unless instructed otherwise
Maintain the 90 kt speed until a 1/2 mile final to not slow
the traffic behind you
Once down, you'll be instructed to exit the runway, immediately,
without stopping
Follow the flag people to parking, keeping full back
pressure on the yoke because you're taxiing on grass
For entertainment before the airshow, Rick suggests sitting by
the runway, with a cooler of beer and an air band radio. You'll witness
some amazing flying, both good and bad. Just a few more points to keep
in mind:
If departing on 27, stay below the maximum altitude in the
NOTAM, to prevent entering the stream of arriving aircraft
At 30 nm out, switch your transponder to standby
Make sure all eyes on the cockpit are looking outside
If you're unable to hold your speed, altitude, and
direction, you shouldn't be flying into Oshkosh
Student pilots are prohibited from flying arriving or
departing aircraft
Use the busses that take you from aircraft parking to the
admission gate
Join EAA before going in order to get the admission discount
There is a shuttle bus that takes you to the seaplane base
If driving in, enter in the center lane which heads you to
the red lot, which is about 1/2 mile closer than the yellow
Pilot Mike has a secret method for getting a closer parking
space, but you'll have to listen to get it
Pilot Ron asks about getting an IFR reservation and for any
tips on surviving the crowd or 800,000 people for a week, once you get
on the ground. The IFR procedure is explained in the NOTAM. Rick noted
that if the airport is in VFR conditions, you will be encouraged to
cancel IFR, but they can't require it.
Rick comments on camping on the field. Be prepared for sometimes oppressive hot and humid weather and occasional violent thunderstorms. Mike has some tips on routes and parking for those driving in.
Rick and Mike review a list of items to have, from Rick's Survival Guide:
poncho
money
lightweight cooler
lightweight folding chair(s)
video camera
flip flops/thongs
EAA membership card
extra tent stakes
aspirin/ibuprofen/acetaminophen
extra toilet paper
jacket
mosquito repellent
hat
bandanna
money
small umbrella
inexpensive vinyl rain poncho
extra dry socks
money
tie down stakes and rope
comfortable walking shoes
small backpack
sunscreen
water bottle or CamelBak
light snacks
money
plastic sheet/tarp
duct tape
extra rope
lightweight cardboard for signs
marking pens
money
the NOTAM for OSH (The FAA's version might be hard to print
or read; you can try the PDF version instead.)
We start off this week with Pilot Kent telling the harrowing
story of his recent truck accident. Luckily, the only fatalities were
the truck and his PowerBook. He's already replaced the PowerBook with a
new MacBook Pro, with the help of Pilot Bill of the Apple Air Force.
Apple couldn't help with the truck, though.
Pilot Dan and Pilot Mike mention an NPR story about a 1956,
in-air collision of two passenger planes, over the Grand Canyon, that
was the impetus for todays nationwide ATC coverage. And lastly in this
section, we give many thanks to Rinker Buck for allowing us to record
and publish his reading from his book, "Flight of Passage", to the
Oxford Flying Club.
News and Interviews:
Pilot Dan attended
the Westfield International Airshow at Barnes Air National Guard Base,
in Massachusetts, where the Blue Angels were performing. He explains a
bit about how the Blue Angels Team is configured and how they
coordinate maneuvers during the show. We also hear about a conversation
he overheard about why the full Blue Angels team almost didn't make it
to the show. From there, we move on to some interviews he was able to
get with performing pilots.
Bill
Horrigan, Stearman pilot: Bill is a former airline pilot
who now occasionally flies a Stearman at airshows. He gives us a bit of
the history of his plane along with some of it's flying
characteristics. Bill talks about how tough the Stearman is and some of
the maintenance issues. We hear about what instrumentation is
installed, it's range, and how to hold a chart in an open cockpit
aircraft. Bill finishes up with a discussion of takeoff and landing
distances and how some of it's characteristics could be modified.
Jim Vocell, Chief Pilot for
the American Airpower Museum, Farmingdale, NY: Jim was displaying a
1944 C-47, a derivative of the DC-3, the first really reliable
transport plane, for both passengers and cargo. He gives us a history
of this particular plane, and how the American Airpower Museum came to
own it. We get a comprehensive overview of the flight characteristics,
including takeoff and landing distances, useful load, engines and
props, range, and fuel usage. Jim gives some tips to pilots who may
want to fly into Republic Field, where the museum is located.
Billy
Segalla, pilot with the Iron Eagles Acrobatic Team:
Billy starts off with a little info on the two Christen Eagle aircraft
flown by the team and a bit about their overall show schedule. The
Eagle aircraft have an amazing power to weight ratio, allowing
extremely tight turns. He talks about the differences between Eagles
and Pitts as well as the custom modifications they've made. The
aircraft are flown from show to show, including 3 1/2 hour over-water
flights from Florida to Guatemala and El Salvador. Billy finishes with
the upcoming schedule for the Iron Eagles.
Capt.
Emily Naylor, C-5 pilot for the Air National Guard:
Pilot Dan started off on the wrong foot by asking Capt. Naylor, "Are
there any pilots around?" After a vain attempt at an apology, he went
on with the interview. She starts off with how long she's been flying
the C-5 and informs us the C-5 is the largest aircraft in the U.S.
military. Capt. Naylor says it actually a very easy plane to fly, it
just reacts a little slower to control inputs. She describes a typical
long flight. She then talks about how she got her ratings and how it
felt to go from piloting a small plane to the C-5 and finishes with why
she thinks there are so few women in aviation and how to encourage them
to get involved.
Hangar Flying:
First off, Pilot Kent did some flying to get some aerial
photos of his accident site so it could be included with his accident
report. Pilot Dan talks about the really terrible weather they've been
getting on the East Coast, forcing quite a few flight cancellations.
Pilot Mike describes his flight back from the 2006 Gaston's Fly In, and
how he almost busted the St. Louis Class Bravo airspace because of an
out of date marking on sectional chart. Chart updates can be found in
your local AFD's. For you non-pilots who are listening, the crew give
some explanation of the "pilot-eese" they were using to describe the
different altitudes, airspace, charts, and AFD's. You can self report
any infraction, and Pilot Mike tells you how and why you would want do
that.
A hangar flying session with
pilot, author, and journalist Rinker Buck, reading from his book,
"Flight of Passage".
Caution:
Mildly explicit language.
Hangar Flying:
In this special
feature of Pilotcast #37, we have a recording
of author, journalist, and pilot Rinker Buck, presenting a reading from
his book, "Flight of Passage" to the Oxford Flying Club at an FAA
safety seminar on June 30, 2006. "Flight of Passage" is Rinker's recollection of the saga of his trip as a teenager with his brother Kernigan flying a Piper J3A Cub across the country to California. Keep
listening for the great Q&A session at the end. Among other topics Rinker discusses his extensive research into the JFK, Jr. accident. Rinker likes to use
"colorful" language at these readings so be aware that it should carry
a PG rating.
Pilot Kent is on the road is unable to join us. He had been
involved in a serious truck accident, and is doing fine. As a matter of
rehab, he went flying the very next day. His Macintosh PowerBook was
destroyed, though, but has since been replaced by a brand new MacBook
Pro.
Hangar Flying:
To start things off, Pilot Mike follows up on some of the
goings on from last episodes, 2006 Annual Gaston's Fly In show.
Coming up on Pilotcast #37A, author and journalist Rinker Buck
reads from his book, "Flight of Passage" about his cross country flight
with his teenage brother across the U.S to California in a Piper J3A
Cub in
the 1960s. Caution: The next show file has mature
language.
Looking
ahead, Pilot Dan talks about some of the plans the crew have for the
upcoming EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006. We're planning on doing a
roundtable Pilotcast from the show and are looking for a vendor area to
record from. Next, as part of our Oshkosh 2006 preview, we play a
segment from CFI, aviation author, and humorist, Rod Machado's talk
from the 2005 Oshkosh.
On the next Pilotcast Dan will be reporting from the Westfield
International Airshow where he will meeting with the Blue Angels and
CMDR. Steven "Boss" Foley.
Hangar flying with Pilot Kent and Pilot Mike from the 2006
Annual Gaston's Fly In.
Pilot Dan is unable to join us.
Hangar Flying:
We've got a little different show for you, this week. The crew
is doing their very first "live" Pilotcast from the Gaston's White
River Resort, in Lakeview, Arkansas. They start out with a little bit
of history about the resort and the fly in, including who started the
event when it first occurred. Pilot Kent tells us why he was so
determined to be at Gaston's on Saturday morning, and how flew in and
landed at 11:30 Friday night. He also describes his aerobatic flight in
an Extra 300, with CFI Chip Gibbons.
Next we listen to a pilot roundtable, that includes Pilot
Mike, Pilot Kent, CFI Dr. Bruce Chien, Pilot Lance Flynn, CFI Chip
Gibbons, Pilot Steve See, Pilot Grant, Pilot Leslie, Pilot Spike Cutler,
Pilot Kathryn, and Pilot Nick. To start things off, Pilot Lance retells
the harrowing story of an engine failure while flying his Mooney from
Atlanta, Georgia to Teterborough, New Jersey. Then there's a short
discussion on some of the difficulties you can expect when landing on
Gaston's 3200' grass runway. CFI Chip talks about how he got into
aerobatic flying and how he got over the nausea he had when he first
started. We hear a little about some of the different aircraft the flew
in and CFI Chip give his reaction to learning that someone flew 20
hours cross-country in a Pitts. CFI Bruce describes the amazing mix of
social activities that are going on, from a drive-in movie theater to
an illicit card game. Pilot Steve, who acts as Gaston's unofficial air
traffic controller, talks about his very unusual aircraft, an IAR-823.
Everyone talks about why they keep coming back to the Gaston's Fly, and
why the attendance grows every year. Pilot Grant and Pilot Leslie are
husband and wife, and they tell about their experiences while training
for their Private Pilots License at the same time. Pilot Spike has a
little fun and show the "Gaston's International Airport Security"
passes, he made. Pilot Katherine wins the award for the furthest
distance traveled, coming from Anchorage, Alaska, to attend the fly in.
The group talks about the wide variations in the condition of rental
aircraft. Pilot Nick gives a quick description of bringing his new dog
along from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and how you shouldn't make your
cross country legs too long with a dog aboard. Lastly, Pilot Kent
suggests that if you're not able to make it to Gaston's next year, put
together a fly in of your own at a local airport.
Special guest "CFI Terry" Lankford, aviation author, weather
expert and retired FAA flight service briefer, returns to join the
Hangar Flying with Pilot Dan and Pilot Mike.
Pilot Kent is on the road and unable to join us.
Hangar Flying:
A while ago, we were contacted by Pilot Ron, who will be
flying from California to Oshkosh, asking to get Terry back on the show
to talk about long cross-country flights. Terry recently made a flight
from California to Sun 'n Fun, in Florida, and details that trip for
us. He starts out by telling us about the planning, including building
in some "just in case" time, what charts and publications to carry, and
what sorts of equipment you should have with you. We get tips on
getting a long term weather outlook and using that forecast to plan
your route and schedule. Then we hear about the actual trip, and some
of the weather conditions he had to fight along the way. He also gives
some tips on battling fatigue and choosing just what airports to land
at. Terry gives some recommendations on what types of facilities you
need to verify will be available at your destination. Pilot Mike gives
an explanation of a "NOTAM Approach" that's typically used at larger
fly-in events.
In the followup hangar flying, they talk about how the trip
was done entirely without the aid of GPS, and Terry describes some of
the avionics he used in the early '70s. He talks about the reduction in
the Flight Service workforce and how to use some of the commercial
services to compensate for possible delays. With his tongue stuck
firmly in his cheek, Terry explains that, "Controllers are people,
too." They all have a lengthy discussion on the procedures that are
used when departing a large fly-in event at the same time as all of the
other attendees. We then hear a description of his return flight,
including an interesting approach pattern he was ask to fly at Wichita
Falls Airport. He also talks about some of the best places to cross the
Rockies and some of the flying techniques needed for high altitudes.
We finish up our hangar flying with a discussion on the risks
of summer flying, with respect to weather. Terry gives some excellent
tips on what to watch out for and ways to avoid getting into trouble.
Thunderstorms, high density altitudes, and inversions/haze should all
be carefully monitored. Pilot Mike also describes how some of the
conditions that can cause a thunderstorm don't always show up on the
weather monitors.
We're providing a couple of different ways to view the routes
that Terry took to and from Sun 'n Fun. The first is to simply click on
either of the thumbnail images to the right to load larger static
depictions of the routes.
The alternate way to view the routes is with Google
Earth. It's a free, downloadable application that allows you
to view detailed satellite images of almost any point on the earth. If
you don't already have a copy, you can get one here.
Once you've got it installed, start it up and we'll set up a network
link. To see the route Terry took to Florida, copy this entire address:
and go back to the application. Now, select "Network Link"
from the "Add" menu. Type in "CFI Terry's Route" in the name section,
paste the route address into the "Location" section, and hit
return/enter. You should now have an overview map of the US showing all
of the stop-over locations on Terry's trip. To view the return route,
add another Network Link, but now use this address:
You may wonder why the Blue Angels flight movie didn't show up on your podcatcher, like iTunes. We were concerned that Pilotcast subscribers wouldn't expect a video. Not all podcatchers can handle a Quicktime movie. Mainly, our concern was that at 89MB, the movie is pretty big.
We've also had some feedback that some Pilotcast subscribers are on dial-up and have to patiently wait for a long time just to get the audio files. (We appreciate that kind of dedication.) The movie file is going to take 3 times as long for to get to those folks.
For iTunes users and maybe users of other programs, media content is handled best if it's in the feed. For one thing, otherwise you have to add it to the correct playlist.
We've decided that we will add the movie to feed some time this holiday weekend, once enough subscribers have had a chance to see it early. Now, that decision would mean that you might end up with two copies. You can decide for yourself whether to download the movie when it shows up in your feed.
Let us know if you have strong objections to putting the movie in the feed.
Update: The video is now in the feed. With Pilotcast #34 being more current it may allow a chance for subcribers to choose whether they want to download the video because it won't be the newest show.
We've got another great show for you, this week. In our
Feedback and Followup section, Pilot Kent continues to get his
Instrument Ticket wet and describes a wicked cool IFR night flight.
Pilot Mike talks about the frustration trying to get ATC services while
flying the Chicago Lakefront route and
lastly, the whole crew talk about some of the most interesting
airport names they know about.
In our hangar flying with Capt. Rod, he tells us how and why the Civil Air
Patrol was formed. We learn about their role in today's world, how
their Cadet program trains for leadership, and what adult members can
achieve as part of CAP. Capt. Rod talks about the current fleet of
aircraft and what a typical mission in support of Homeland Security,
would involve. He describes his most memorable mission, which didn't
even involve his piloting a plane. And finally, he talks about how a
pilot can best outfit himself to prepare for an emergency.
OK, already! We finally published Pilotcast #30 and #31. Thanks again to "Pilot Bill" for doing the show notes.
Pilotcast #30 and #31 are dated when they were recorded, which was before the recent update episode, which might cause a problem with some podcatchers.
I noticed in iTunes that when you have selected "When new episodes are available: [Download the most recent one]" it will not download episodes dated before the last one. So iTunes users and users of other podcatchers may have to check the podcast listing and press the [Get] button to download the previous episodes.
We have Pilotcast #32 and #33, which will have some surprises, "in the can." Those will be published in the next few days. We are scheduled to record #34 Wednesday. We have more than a few more special treats coming.
Pilotcast Exclusive in-flight video of an F/A-18 flight with a U.S. Navy Blue Angel!
This is the Blue Angel flight video mentioned in Pilotcast #33,. This movie is premiering to the public exclusively on The Pilotcast! Watch as Patrick Raycraft, a Photojournalist for the Hartford
Courant gets a thrilling ride in the two seat U. S. Navy Blue Angel F/A-18 Hornet with "Kojack," Blue Angel 7.
The first week of March, Pat was in El
Centro, California, photographing the winter training of the U.S.
Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron.
Pat flew almost 55 minutes in the cockpit. This is an amazing QuickTime
video of the highlights of that flight, taken with a cockpit camera recording directly on to a DVD recorder built-in the the two seat FA-18.
The Pilotcast crew offers sincere thanks again to Pat, his friend CMDR. "Boss" Foley, the U.S. Navy, and the Blue Angels.
We're also joined this episode by our first in-studio
guest, Patrick Raycraft, a Photojournalist for the Hartford
Courant and longtime friend of Boss Foley.
Pat was also lucky enough to get a flight in one of the F/A
18 Hornet jets used by the Blue Angels. He got almost 55 minutes in the
cockpit. We've got a link to an amazing QuickTime
video of parts of that flight, taken with a cockpit camera.
A short bio of Boss Foley
Commanding Officer of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight
Demonstration Squadron
Assigned Flight Leader of the Blue
Angels, in November, 2004
Has more than 5800 flight hours and 788 carrier landings
Several decorations and awards, including 2 for
Distinguished Combat
Recently selected for promotion to Captain
Talking with Boss Foley:
Where does the title "Boss" come from?
Goes back to the early days of flight demonstrations
where the flight leader is recognized as the Boss
As the first Naval Demonstration Team, the Blue Angels
adopted the term for the flight leader of the team
The flight leaders of both the Thunderbirds
and the Snowbirds are also referred to as Boss
Someone who is charge of an Air Show is known as the
Air Boss
What does it take to become a Blue Angel?
The Blue Angels were formed in the mid-1940's, by Admiral
Chester Nimitz, to promote the legacy of Naval Air Power
The primary purpose of today's Blue Angels is to reach
out and bolster our military readiness through recruitment of young
sailors and marines
To become a Blue Angel it only takes a typical Naval
Fighter Pilot, or...
There are a host of Blue Angels with duties other than
flying the aircraft, such as Public Affairs, Administration,
Maintenance, Supply, and Aircraft Technician
The public seems to think of the Blue Angels as sleek
blue jets and fighter pilots in blue flight suits, but they are much
more than that
The Blue Angels are a collective representation of
Naval Aviation
Members consider it a phenomenal opportunity to promote
the legacy that has ben bestowed on them
Caveat: There are specific selection criteria including
hours of flight time, experience, dedication, and commitment to the
Naval core values
Pride, heritage, and legacy are all terms that are
affiliated not only with the Blue Angels, but all the Naval Services
Talk a little about the Blue Angel Training Facility at El
Centro, California
Each year, the season concludes in mid November and
begins again, in earnest, in late November
There is a 50% turnover for officers, and a 30%-40%
turnover for enlisted personnel
The Blue Angel Team consists of 110 personnel and 14
aircraft, including a C-130 known as "Fat Albert"
Because of the high turnover, there's a very rigorous
training program, steeped in tradition
The training applies to all members of the team, not
just the pilots
Training continues through the winter months, before
embarking on an 8 month demonstration season, from mid March to mid
November
El Centro is the training facility for the Blue Angels
as well as many other Naval assets
The Angels chose El Centro because it provides a
"sterile environment" for team personnel instead of the distracting
family environment of Pensacola, Florida, with the goal to be
completely in tune with each other by time the show circuit starts
Every aspect of how the Blue Angles conduct business is
choreographed like the flying maneuvers, from maintenance to signing
autographs
The desert of El Centro also provides phenomenal
weather conditions for flight operations, during the winter
What's it like transitioning from an F/A-18 to a Cessna?
There aren't many pilots who have the time to do any
Cessna flying
It's been a while since Boss Foley has done any GA
flying
You need to ensure you are as qualified to fly a GA
aircraft as you are flying a high powered combat aircraft
There are currently no GA enthusiasts on the Blue
Angels Team
Even with 32000 lb. of thrust available, is it still
possible to stall an F/A-18 with too much angle of attack?
The Boeing F/A-18 was originally developed by
McDonald-Douglas
It's not easy to find another aircraft with the thrust
to weight characteristics, maneuverability characteristics, weapons
systems, and ergonomics of an F/A-18
The Hornet is exceptional in it's high angle of attack
maneuverability capability and thrust to weight performance
characteristics
Are those solid fuel JATOs (Jet-Assisted Take-Off) on Fat
Albert?
Yes, they use solid fuel propellant
There are 3 Marine Corp. C-130 pilots on the team
The remaining support for Fat Albert is from 3 Marine
Corp. officers and 3 Marine Corp. enlisted personnel
There's also Marine Corp. F/A-18 pilot on the team
As a Blue Angels pilot, seeing a Fat Albert takeoff is
very exhilarating, because it's the only time we get to see our own demo
Just like any other maneuver, the team trains for the
asymmetrical firing of the JATOs
At air shows, what is the relationship between the Blue
Angels and the FAA?
The team of the Blue Angels and the FAA are all focused
on the same issues, the primary one being safety for both the
performers and the spectators
The groundwork for any show is laid many months in
advance
Every airshow site has a list of very specific
procedures, objectives, and milestones they need to work through to
make the site appropriate for a jet demonstration team
Even though the FAA has further restricted the airspace
around these airshows in the last few years, these were not triggered
by 9/11 but rather by general safety concerns
Pilot Dan: General
Aviation owes a huge debt to these demonstration shows because of the
large crowds that attend and reminds them that this country created
General Aviation and have a great tradition with it
What did it feel like the first time you were catapulted
off an aircraft carrier?
We were mustered at 4:45 on a rainy morning, for our
briefing
Had been training for the previous month, at Meridian,
Mississippi
Lot's of butterflies in my stomach, at the briefing
After a weather delay, we took off, in formation, from
the Naval Air Station, Key West, and headed for the carrier
The training is so rigorous, that the tasks tend to to
become automatic
Carrier landings are very difficult, but the take-offs
are relatively easy
Was screaming with exhilaration during that first
take-off
Then you realize you got to make a landing if you want
to do it again, and the training takes over
Carrier landings at night are a much more difficult,
and never becomes routine
All of the Blue Angels members came from the
operational force and will return to it when their tour with the Angels
is complete
How do you counteract the G-forces involved with flying a
high powered jet?
As a high powered jet fighter pilot you get accustomed
to the G-forces, but there's also a very rigorous training program to
prepare for those Gs
The training involves physical, mental, and
physiological aspects
One of the best ways is to keep in good physical
condition, with emphasis on anaerobics
Be well rested, well nourished, and well hydrated
Even as little as a couple of days of not being exposed
to the G-forces can be enough for the onset of it's effects
G suits are not worn by the Blue Angels pilots
During a low level practice run in Chicago, Pilot Mike saw
the jet pass so close to his office building, he was able to see the
lightning bolts on the pilots helmet.
Do you make a conscious effort to delay your appearance
after the previous act in order to make a big entrance?
The performance has been choreographed for the highest
level of effect and to be entertaining
We want to make sure the spectators see what a team can
do when they focus on dedication, teamwork, and hard work
Even though they put on an amazing show, we should
remember it's the same kind of flying our operational forces are doing
every day
Some final thoughts from Boss Foley
We are very blessed to be a part of the Blue Angels
legacy
Those blessings are not just from the previous members
of the team but from our fellow countrymen
My vision is that we are a team recognized for our
excellence not only in flight demonstration, but for the public visits
we make
Our official mission is to enhance the recruiting of
our Naval Service, but we also need to be good samaritans and good
citizens and demonstrate what one can achieve with with a high degree
of scrutiny, preparation, dedication, teamwork, and a focus on what's
good and right
Seeing some of the children attending our shows, I hope
to inspire them to become good people and responsible, great Americans
and great patriots
Steven "Force" Tupper does an online radio program, Airspeed
Online. He recently aired an informative episode on the Blue Angels which we used as a resource for the interview with Boss Foley. Thanks, Steve! You can listen to it by clicking on the mp3 icon.
For a great film on the principles of flight with amazing footage of The Blue Angels taken from the jets IN FLIGHT check out "The Magic of Flight" DVD from Amazon:
An extra added bonus:
For those of you who have been asking, here are some more Pilotcast crew images - of Pilot Mike during the recording of Pilotcast #33, and Pilot Mike and Pilot Kent in Madison, WI:
The larger versions of these images may be frightening to small children and to regular listeners, compared to the images they had in thier minds.
Pilot Dan, Pilot Kent, and Pilot Mike host a CFI Roundtable
discussion on "Learning to Fly"
Roundtable:
We're joined this episode by 3 CFIs
CFI Ron "the Rev"
CFI & AME Dr. Bruce Chien, M.D.
CFI Joe, Pilot Mike's CFI
The two most common questions are how much does it cost and
how long does it take?
CFI Joe: The time depends
on how much to you put in to it and how you approach it and the cost is
related to the time.
CFI Bruce: Once taught a
General Surgeon who passed his checkride after 19 sequential days of
instruction at a cost today of about $5500. More typically, the cost
would be about $7000.
Potential students usually only listen to the low time
and cost estimates
Why is the percentage of students who actually complete the
certification, so low?
CFI Bruce: Some people
just realize that flying is not for them. Sometimes it's the student,
sometimes the CFI, and sometimes just the teaching technique
CFI Joe: Agrees that
flying is not for everyone, but also agrees that anyone can learn to
fly.
What should a student look for when selecting a CFI?
CFI Joe: Recommends the
first 4 to 6 hours of instruction be taken with 4 to 6 different CFIs.
Realize that the first few hours of instruction will be almost
identical across instructors, so use that time to learn the personality
and teaching style of the instructor so you can choose someone who's
compatible
CFI Bruce: Also recommends
flying with several instructors and use your gut feeling to choose the
one who could be a mentor. There's a difference between instruction and
education. Even an excellent student, though, can learn from a
miserable teacher.
CFI Ron: Come to it from
the perspective that you are the customer, choosing a service provider.
Look for compatibility first, but ask a lot of questions about who the
person is, their background, their experience, their capabilities, how
they do business, and previous students. You are hiring a person and
need to make sure they fill your job requirements.
Which is better, a full-time CFI building hours for an
airline job, or a part-time CFI who just enjoys the job?
CFI Bruce: The connection
and relationship between the student candidate and the CFI is the most
important. Some CFIs just seem to have an ability to easily make that
connection.
CFI Ron: Take a close look
at the training environment. A new CFI who's working for a structured
flight training school is much more desirable than one who is working
independently. The less structured the training environment, the more
important it is to have an experienced instructor.
CFI Joe: The third option
is a full-time CFI who has lots of experience but has no interest other
than to stay a CFI.
CFI Ron: Agrees that those
CFIs are usually the best choice, but can be difficult to find.
CFI Joe: Those CFIs are
not necessarily the best choice, but are just another option. It all
comes back to the match between the student and CFI being the most
important ingredient.
There are resources where you can check an instructors
experience:
CFI Bruce: The best way to
find those full-time CFIs is to ask other pilots
How should a student candidate handle a less then
enthusiastic response when they first contact an FBO about learning to
fly?
CFI Ron: It's an old
problem that exists because the people that run FBO's are pilots, with
little or no experience in business, marketing, and customer relations.
CFI Joe: The industry as a
whole has a profit structure that doesn't attract entrepreneurs
CFI Ron: If you're treated
well when you first enter a flight school, and get the impression they
are customer oriented, that's a good sign.
What is the most difficult stage of private pilot training?
CFI Ron: The near-solo
phase is the most difficult and the most frustrating for the students
CFI Bruce: Agrees with CFI
Ron but adds the stabilized approach and crosswind landings
CFI Joe: Teaching
crosswind landings is also a tough time for the instructor
Are there different tendencies between the young, middle
age, and elderly students?
CFI Joe: Younger students
tend to immediately accept the different aspects of flying, but an
elderly student wants a more comprehensive understanding of the whole
picture before he or she will accept them.
CFI Ron: Younger students
to to be more motivated and have good hand/eye coordination, but often
don't have very good learning skills. Older students tend to be better
learners, but lack some motor skills.
CFI Bruce: The teaching
has to be appropriate to the student. This is why you need to find a
mentor.
Some students seem to think they can buy their way to a
license
CFI Ron: Sometimes the
hard charging attitude of a successful businessman can be the wrong
attitude for a pilot
CFI Joe: Sometimes an
instructor has to refuse to sign a pilot off because he doesn't believe
he is or ever will be a safe pilot
Is there a problem with CFIs and flight schools not
emphasizing the medical certificate prior to solo?
CFI Ron: Always recommends
obtaining the medical early, but sometimes students put it off assuming
all will go well. A flight school needs to be up front about everything
a student needs to do.
It's important to research any possible medical issues
before getting checked. AOPA can help with this.
CFI Bruce: The average
pilot age is older than it used to be so they will have more
disqualifying conditions. There also seems to be more of a acceptance
to take medications that may disqualify you.
CFI Joe: CFIs need to
remind students to check how any medications they may be taking will
affect a medical examination, before they go too far with their training
CFI Bruce: Find a AME you
can honestly discuss any potential issues with, without filling out the
actual form.
It was much more difficult than getting the Private
License
Required two checkrides after descending too far on an
approach
Instrument currency requires 6 approaches and 1 hold
within 6 months
Pilots should have their own personal currency
requirements that are better than the minimums
Got his ticket "wet" just a few days ago by returning
from an impromptu fly-in under instrument conditions
During his training, he found it both disconcerting and
cool when flying an approach in actual IMC and not seeing the runway
until descending through 100 feet
Pilot Mike had real scare
On his first flight after his planes annual, he had
trouble maintaining lateral control while in the pattern
Managed to get some control and got it back down on the
ground in one piece
Looks like it was just the rudder trim cranked too far
over
In a previous incident, he had a door pop open in flight
Pilot Dan's club bought a 1966 Piper Cherokee 140
He finds it difficult to get used to the mechanical
flap lever
Also finds the overhead trim adjustment interesting
Agrees with Kent that it's easier than a Cessna to
control on the ground
The sink rate is higher than a Cessna
It has vortex generators on the wings to allow a higher
AoA before stalling
"The Podfather" "Pilot Adam" Curry has posted another great flying adventure on the Daily Source Code #370
Join "Pilot Adam" as he flies the local area around Fairoaks
Airport near Guildford, UK.
From The N277DS, in and around Guildford, UK
A very different type of soundseeing tour of the Guildford area on a
short local flight (edited for your listening pleasure). We also find
out how very important those pre-take-off checks are!
Adam said that he's gotten some complaints about the show being boring,
but it's GREAT for us pilots.
Senate Bill SB520 has made it out of
the Finance Committee with a unanimous recommendation, and will
probably pass the Legislature with a few modifications. The target date
to take effect is July 1st.
Pilot Dan and his Club bought a plane, but the sale will be
completed before SB520 goes into effect so they will probably lose out
on the tax advantages
An AOPA Lobbyist is looking into the remote possibility
that the bill will be retroactive
Pilot Mike's plane is due for its annual
It's up to you, as owner, to remember when scheduled
maintenance is due
Talking with A&P
Tom:
Tom's rates:
$50/hour flat rate
$350 for an annual inspection
It may be worth a trip to Washington State for rates
like those
A short bio:
Currently, an aircraft mechanic
A Navy veteran
Was an aircraft mechanic in the Navy, and still does
work for them
Aircraft mechanics liability insurance can be expensive
Some airports will not allow uninsured mechanics to work on
planes
What should a pre-purchase inspection include?
Talk to the potential buyer and see what homework
they've already done
Is the seller also the owner, or just an agent for the
owner?
Verify that AD's have, or have not, been complied with
General mechanical checks, including avionics
The internet makes it fairly simple to determine fair
market value of an aircraft
Time since last overhaul is not as important as the engines
current condition
Lycoming engines that are run regularly should not have an
issue with corrosion
Engine displacement upgrades are probably not worth doing
until an overhaul
Use of auto fuel should be determined on a model by model
basis
Auto fuel is cheaper than aviation fuel, but has it's own
unique set of problems
A potential buyer is suing a mechanic who recommended he
not buy the plane
A twin Bonanza, that was purchased in Canada, has been
parking at Tom's airport for about 4 years
The aircraft still has a Canadian registration number,
but...
a check with Canada shows the plane as exported,
meaning it should no longer have a Canadian number
The Seattle FSDO somehow became interested in the plane
and asked Tom if he knew anything about it
The FSDO invited the Transport Canada Airworthiness
Inspector to look at the airplane, and...
a cursory check found 21 major airworthiness
discrepancies
A registered letter is sent to the registered owner's
Canadian address, the man's wife, who is a Canadian citizen
The letter comes back undeliverable
Their US address is tracked down and another registered
letter is sent to the local Sheriff to be hand delivered
The letter was signed for but there was no response to
the request for log books
Transport Canada levied 5 penalty fines, rescinded the
airworthiness certificate of the aircraft, and placed a cease and
desist sticker on the airplane door
A second registered letter was delivered to the owner,
informing them of the cease and desist operations order
The next day the plane was gone
Tom and 3 other witnesses were called to British
Columbia to testify on what they knew about the plane
The owners didn't show up for the tribunal so a lien
was placed on the plane
Unfortunately, since the plane is in the US, the
Canadian judgement is unenforceable
And, because no one actually saw the owner fly it after
it was stickered, the FAA is powerless
If you have any questions for Tom, send us an email
Thanks, again to A&P Tom
Contact us at by email:
pilotcast (AT) gmail.com
Songs:
"Flying Away" by Empyrion from the State of
Washington.
There is a bill (SB 520) in Connecticut that would repeal
aviation taxes in order to prevent pilots from going to other states
for repairs or parts
Who is Pilot In Command?
A CFI from Ohio was on a flight, as a passenger, when
the plane went down, fatally injuring the other two occupants. The NTSB
has determined he was PIC because he had the highest rating on-board
the aircraft
CFI's should determine who is PIC before any flight as
a passenger
The best way to protect yourself is to leave a signed
letter with the FBO, stating who is PIC for that particular flight
You can not be considered PIC if you are not rated for
the type of flying being done
You are PIC on your checkride
Pilot Ryan suggests a future Pilotcast on home builts
An upcoming article in Kit Plane magazine, describes
building a Glasair
Sportsman in just over two weeks
Pilotcast show notes are at http://www.pilotcast.com
The Pilotcast sends sincere THANKS to "Pilot Bill" of the Pilotcast's Apple Air Force for writing the show notes!
There were some complaints about the audio quality of Pilotcast #27. There was an excessive and very audible phasing effect due to the noise removal process.
A new version is now posted, as of 12 noon CST, March 20, with reduced noise reduction which has less of that problem. Subscribers may or may not get the new version depending on when their client program downloaded the feed. The updated mp3 file has a "-r" in the filename, Pilotcast-027-2006.03.09-r.mp3.
You can re-download the show directly by clicking on the [Pod] icon.
It seems that the libsyn player on this page may make the effect worse, or has some issues of it's own, like skipping, especially if your bandwidth is limited. Please download the entire file as above to hear it at the best quality.
We think the noise reduction is necessary and useful for shows like this one which were recorded with the guest on a phone. We're learning how to best process the recordings as we go along. As always, please let us know how we're doing.
Special guest "Doctor Bruce" Chien talks about
medicals and multi engines as he joins the hangar flying with Pilot
Dan, Pilot Kent, and Pilot Mike.
Introducing "Dr. Bruce" Chien, M.D..
Dr. Chien is an FAA certified Aviation Medical Examiner
(AME) and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
Dr. Chien serves as a member
of the AOPA Medical Advisory
Board.
Dr. Chien is a volunteer pilot, board member, and the
past chairman of Lifeline Pilots, the volunteer
pilots
association serving the Midwestern U.S.
Kent just got his second class medical. He's
going for a commercial rating.
You don't need a second class unless your going to exercise
the privileges.
Due to the oppressive workload, there has a been a change
of policy at the FAA Medical Certification branch in Oklahoma City.
They will no longer review medical records unless they
accompany an application for medical certification.
This change means you need to consult with an experienced
AME before applying now more than ever.
Because there may not be a second chance, the AME has to
give any chance to talk to OKC the highest priority, which is a huge
burden on the AME's practice.
A review of the Sport Pilot "driver's license medical"
Catch-22.
The government's lawyers have to look out for potential
legal liability.
The public has been made to fear small aircraft and has
no sympathy.
Find a good AME!
How Dr. Chien became an AME.
The part 121, commercial and airline pilots, "the first
class guys" don't need as much help with medical
certification because they have resources, do the research,
and come in prepared. It's the "third class guys"
who tend to have complicated medical issues.
If need to obtain or renew a special issuance medical
certification.
Have your information ready BEFORE you visit the AME.
Gather the information specified in the special issuance
letter 90 days before your certificate expires. So you can
make this date, Make the appointment(s) with your doctor 120 days
before.
Put your name and pilot certificate number on every page
of your documents.
Send the documents to OKC via Certified Mail with return
receipt.
It is good to let OKC you are "interested." Call OKC in
about 6 weeks and politely and patiently inquire. If you don't call
your file may move DOWN in the queue!
ALWAYS tell the truth, and the whole truth. You
DO NOT want be caught in a lie.
You can get some help from resources like the AOPA medical
desk.
If you decide against applying or are advised not to apply
for medical certification you should work to qualify for Sport Pilot.
Ask your personal doctor(s) for an opinion on whether you
are qualified to fly.
If you have no information that you are otherwise not
qualified you are legal to fly Sport Pilot.
If you think have an issue call your AME for advice. Don't
give up before you give it a try.
Find an AME who have experience with your condition who is
willing to call OKC on your behalf if necessary.
Doctor Bruce's tips on flying a twin safely.
Have a list of the minimum critical takeoff
distances.
He developed his own list the hard way!
Brief on EVERY TAKEOFF. Decide what you are
going to do before your apply the power.
Use the scale to know the actual load.
He always flies his Piper Seneca with a safe margin under
maximum gross weight.
The critical V speeds in a multi engine.
The best rate of climb on a single engine.
V1 : Decision speed. Generally the speed at which the airplane can either stop
in the remaining runway distance, or continue to takeoff with the loss of
the critical engine. Corrected. Thanks, Len
In the News: A
Cessna hits terrain and shears off the wings while talking to
a buddy on the ground on his cell phone.
Some automated flight service stations are requesting you
have "Advisory Information Alpha," which is the multi page blanket
security advisory NOTAM. Not all of them have that
message.
Special guest "Pilot Rick" Durden, host of "The
Pilot's Lounge" column on AVweb.com, joins the Hangar Flying with Pilot
Dan,
Pilot Kent, and Pilot Mike. Kent reports on
Rick's annual ski plane fly-in
Some feedback and followups:
Email from "Student Pilot Clayton:" A pilot in
his RC flying club near Madison, WI flew a
model J3 Cub to 6100 feet. Congratulations to newly minted
"CFI AA," Pete Aarsvold.
"Pilot Rinker" Buck reads the audio book version of the
"Flight of
Passage" book available from the iTunes
Music Store and Audible.com.
The movie rights to "Flight of Passage" have been optioned
again.
In the news:
A 14 year old boy and his buddy
running away from home steal Dad's Mooney in Palm Springs.
They crash in the desert. AOPA's "GA Secure"
program worked.
A surprise guest:
A surprise guest pilot for Pilot Dan has been invited to
join the Pilotcast. His
comments may be of concern to his wife...and his AME.
It was around 0 degrees F on Saturday, warming up to 20
degrees F on Sunday.
You can rent and get your seaplane rating in 65HP Piper
J3 Cub or a 150HP Super Cub ski plane or seaplanes at Northwoods
Aviation at
KCAD
in
Cadillac, MI. In the summer they are equipped with floats.
How do you brake?
What about others on the lake like ice fishermen and
snowmobilers?
How do you know if the ice is thick enough to land on? A
"ski float and go."
The Pilotcast hosts a fun and informative hangar flying
conversation with "Pilot Rinker" Buck.
Rinker's books
Flight of Passage: A Memoir
Rinker's father "Tex" Buck was a great pilot and
well-known aviator and barnstormer
The Buck Family has 11 children.
Rinker accompanied his 17 year old brother
Kern on a cross country flight to California in a Piper J3 Cub
It was a record for the youngest pilot ever to make a
flight of that distance.
The "Passage" in the story is not only the
trip but the life passage of the brothers.
"If We Had Wings: The Enduring Dream of Flight" is a fun,
informative, and colorful "coffee table book" with a celebration of
aviation and it's history..
"Shane Comes Home" is the story of the first
U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, a Marine who had made great achievements
and stood up for principles in the academy.
First Job is Rinker's biography with details of
how he became a journalist
Rinker's gives his take on:
Modern aircraft
Modern aircraft systems
New pilots
Can flying be "safe" now?
Rinker on how the news media covers aviation
Editors see little need to have aviation experts.
There are very few journalists who are pilots.
Some reporters called him when he wrote about
the J.F.K., Jr. crash
In the news:
Steve Fossett made it!
The Global Flyer set a new record for distance flown
non-stop in an aircraft.
Did he have it easy because he's rich and had modern
systems and resources?
Would YOU try it?
Song: "Flying Away" by Empyrion from the State of Washington.
Music on the Pilotcast is from the Podshow Podsafe Music
Network. Check it out at http://music.podshow.com
Note how the "ghost walrus" completely duplicates the dance moves of Cab Calloway at the beginning. This was hand drawn, folks. There was no motion capture, unless maybe they traced the film.
"CFI Ron" and "Pilot Brian" got in touch and figured out
that the "VFR corridor" Ron mentioned between Dulles and the ADIZ is
inside the Dulles Class B airspace.
"Pilot Jim" says that it is Airbus who needs to be able to
land at Las Vegas as the alternate airport to LAX.
In the news:
AOPA awarded the 2005 Sweepstakes Commander to a pilot in
Colorado.
The secret almost got out ahead of time. If you won
a $300,000
aircraft could you keep it?
Special guest "CFI Terry" Lankford, aviation author, weather
expert and retired FAA flight service briefer, joins the
Hangar Flying with Pilot
Dan, Student Pilot Jason, and Pilot Mike.
Pilot Kent is on the road. Student Pilot Jason joins.
Jason has correction on the the story of the "drunk pilot"
who stole a Cessna in Connecticut. The tower was not in operation.
Jason joined a fly-in at LNS, Lancaster, PA on January 28th.
A good time was had by all.
Terry is a Gold Seal Certified Flight Instructor, 1997 Flight Safety Award winner, former FAA Aviation Safety Counselor.
Terry is a partner in a Cessna 172.
Terry is a retired FAA weather briefer from the FAA Oakland AFSS and a weather enthusiast.
What does "VFR not recommended mean?"
Briefers are following the handbook.
Will a briefer EVER say, "VFR is recommended?"
One pilot who called Terry hung up too fast.
You can get the TIBS information on the same
"1-800-WX-BRIEF" call.
Terry's take on the outsourcing of FSS to
Lockheed-Martin.
National Association of Air Traffic Specialists http://naats.org
FSS is not used for airline or corporate flights.
The pilots who have the least experience and the least
capable aircraft need FSS the most.
Does a FSS give briefings to other than pilots?
The problem with regional FSSs is that not all are kept
busy.
Do FSSs get enough PIREPS?
The best way to give reports.
Be subjective.
What is severe turbulence?
When you read a PIREP note what kind of aircraft is
making the report.
Almost any ice report from small aircraft means the
pilot is a test pilot.
Calling the FSS for TFRs in region.
Mike's story about a near encounter with a TFR after
getting a FSS briefing.
Jason's plane called FSS Radio while airborne and ended
talking to two FSSs at once.
How to call up FSS in the air.
Call the nearest FSS "radio"
Give your location and what frequency you're
monitoring.
What does Terry think of DUATS?
Decoded briefings vs. coded.
Do the FSS briefers resent outside vendors like DUATS?
How the technology handles changing weather conditions.
If DUATS is down you can call the FSS, not vice-versa.
FSS will fail over calls to provide coverage.
Terry's book on aviation charts.
There are reports that GPS receivers have failed.
Terry's take on weather.
ICE!
Forecasts of icing.
The aviation weather center in Kansas City is
developing a graphical AIRMET.
If there are no clouds there will be no ice.
If you are IFR and you pick up ice advise the controller.
Worry about a FAR violation later.
Advise the controller if an instruction will
subject you to ice.
Always have an escape plan.
Weather is a hard thing for pilots to learn.
Weather is not a certain thing. You have to
learn to deal with probabilities.
Weather forecasters cannot be held liable for weather
forecasts.
Briefers must provide all information they have.
Pilots learn by observing the weather they encounter.
Terry is developing a new program for educating
pilots on weather.
In the news:
A CFI and student crash in Michigan
Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta again says
the FAA needs users Fees. The AOPA is protesting.
Please send comments on the NPRM for the permanent
Washington ADIZ before February 6. Send copies of your comments to congress. See Pilotcast #007 for instructions on how to send your comments.
The Las Vegas airport says, "No thanks" to
accommodating the Airbus A380.
A passenger jumps out of a taxiing 737.
Author Rinker Buck of "Flight of Passage" will
join the Pilotcast soon.
Some of Jason's pictures of the Fly-in on January 28th at KLNS, Lancaster, PA.
Using the panel vs. "steam gauges." The steam
gauges are not placed well.
The high resolution makes any change on the AI look
large.
Critical speeds are marked on the "tape" but are not
placed intuitively.
Traffic display was very useful.
The engine display. It was nice having an engine
analyzer
for tasks like leaning.
Data like winds aloft is always displayed.
Avidyne vs. Garmin.
Avidyne is self contained.
Garmin has remote modules.
The Sagem is scheduled to be installed in the Seawind.
You get a choice of Garmin or Avidyne panels in Diamond
and Columbia aircraft.
Kent's pictures of his Florida flight
in the G1000 equipped 172
The DC ADIZ
"CFI Ron" and "Pilot Brian" are BOTH right about the
VFR
corridor around Dulles.
The NPR is open for comments on the permanent
ADIZ until
February 6th. Send your comments. Send a
copy to your
congressional representatives. See Pilotcast #007 for instructions on how to send your comments.
Mainstream media is reporting that the decision on the
permanent ADIZ is a "done deal."
The 24 hour annual TFR for the State of the Union
address
will close DC to GA.
The Superbowl Sunday TFR is 30 miles, which would
extend
into Canada. The U.S. asked Canada to co-operate to close the circle.
Canada doesn't have TFRs!
How much a threat is a Cessna 150? One was
almost
brought down by a kite.
Kent dealt with the real ADIZ, hostile terrian below, and
a
restricted area for a balloon tether in Florida.
AOPA is reporting that a large number of members
are reporting being ramped checked.
AOPA's advice:
DON'T CARRY your pilot or aircraft LOG BOOKS.
Be polite.
You do not have to allow the inspector to enter your
plane.
In the news: PIREP: "SR22 at 7000 feet, encountered
icing,
aircraft descending under parachute" in Alabama on Friday the 13th.
Author Rinker Buck of "Flight of Passage" will
join soon.
Coming up on Pilotcast #23: Terry Lankford,
author, Gold Seal CFI, Flight Briefer and weather expert
Thanks to Pilot Ryan and Pilot Mark for letting us know that The Pilotcast was mentioned along with Jason Miller's The Finer Points in the Volume 6, Issue 2 January 13, 2006 AOPA ePilot Flight Training Edition. AOPA members can get a copy of the January 13 issue on the AOPA Flight Training site.
The AOPA ePilot is a great resource for everybody in aviation in the US. Besides the periodic ePilot newletters, AOPA sends immediate timely warnings about TFRs and other urgent news to the potentially affected pilots int he area. AOPA members can subscribe to ePilot here. Note that there are two editions of AOPA ePilot: AOPA ePilot and AOPA ePilot Flight Training Edition.
Special guest "Pilot Rick" Durden, host of "The Pilot's Lounge" column on AVweb.com, joins the Hangar Flying with Pilot Dan, Pilot Kent, and Pilot Mike.
Ken owns a formerly factory-new Citabria, and is looking at buying a Pitts biplane.
Update: Ken bought the Pitts! Here's a picture of the Citabria with the new Pitts: The new Pitts:
Ken, Kent, "CFI Ron" and Mike will join a large group of pilots from all over the U.S. at a fun fly-in at Gaston's White River Resort in Arkansas June 9-11 2006.
The crew of The Pilotcast (and that includes YOU) appreciates it when you spread the word about "The show for pilots, by pilots." Mention us the next time you go hangar flying at YOUR "old hangar."
The iTunes Music Store has just added ratings and reviews to the iTunes podcast directory. Please stop by the The Pilotcast listingto rate The Pilotcast and leave your comments. An Apple user account is required.
As always, we ask that you please do the same on podcast directories like Podcast Alley and Podcast Pickle. See the directory links on the frame to the left.
THANKS! We're looking forward to flying with you in 2006!
"We have met the enemy and he is us."
Special guest "CFI Ron" returns to join the Hangar Flying with Pilot Dan, Pilot Kent, and Pilot Mike to talk about the need for all pilots to help in the efforts to help the "Problem pilots."
Special guest "A&P Tom" joins the holiday Hangar Flying with Pilot Dan, Pilot Kent, and Pilot Mike to talk about aircraft engines and winter operations and much more in very informative show for pilots and aircraft owners.
Introducing "A&P Tom" from Whidbey Island, Washington.
We'd like to know what you think about having entire songs at the beginning and end the show. We've found these podsafe songs that we think are pretty good, fun, and sometimes appropriate to flying.
We figure if you decide you hate the song that it is fairly easy to skip ahead on an MP3 player or computer.
Is it annoying to have to hear a whole song on our talk show? Do you want us to identify the artist and the length? Do you want us to cut it out?
Here's a gift suggestion, although you may have to check to see if you can get delivery in time for the holidays: O'Reilly's "Podcasting Pocket Guide." Its official publication date is January 2006.
It looks like a good guide for podcast listeners. If you want to know how to get the most out of podcasts like The Pilotcast and how to get podcasts easier, check this book out. O'Reilly books are consistently great.
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Hangar Flying:
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