Tips From The Pro’s

Apply Professional Acrobatic Skills to Your Safety Practices

Tip provided by Julie Clark

You might think of flying the professional aerobatic circuit as an extreme sport where pilots fly outrageously fast, 500 feet above a crowd while they perform seemingly outrageous maneuvers and play with G-forces like a yo-yo. One second they are in the middle of an Immelmann maneuver with a slow roll out to a half reverse Cuban eight and the next moment they seem to be plummeting towards earth in a hammerhead stall. It’s almost magic, the aircraft’s movement seems choreographed to the music and pyrotechnics often illuminate the sky. It appears as though such performers are blessed with daring, incredible skills, split second timing and a lot of luck.

Upgrading to Jets

By Mitchell Ange

President, Arizona Type Ratings

More and more, we see private owners of light jets deciding to upgrade their personal flying skills and obtain the training and ratings needed to operate their jet aircraft personally. Doing so allows them to lower operating cost and enhance schedule flexibility.  But, what is it like to move up to these high performance, turbine aircraft.  Let’s take a quick look at speed control.

One jet characteristic that takes getting used to is the amount of thrust lever movement required to effect a significant airspeed change. Pilots transitioning from anything with propellers, whether piston or turbine powered, are accustomed to gently “tweaking” thrust levers, with the correct expectation of being rewarded with a rapid response. This gentle thrust lever movement makes the flying experience in propeller-driven airplanes smooth and comfortable. In turbocharged piston-powered aircraft, being smooth with power changes is desirable from a maintenance point of view as well, reducing shock-cooling concerns. In addition, the cabin altitude of many pressurized piston aircraft responds uncomfortably to brisk thrust lever movement. None of these “comfort” concerns apply to small, modern, civilian jets. But speed changes in a jet may require significant movement of the thrust levers.  Fortunately resulting acceleration or deceleration will be gentle and comfortable.  Don’t be afraid to aggressively move the thrust levers on a small jet, nothing bad will happen.

When is the “Truth” a “Bad Habit?

By Mitchell Ange, President

Arizona Type Ratings

So you’ve been flying your single engine Cessna, Piper or Beech for a few years and consider yourself a pretty good pilot. You’ve earned your instrument rating and then your multiengine rating in the Seminole or other light twin-engine trainer with several hundred hours total time logged. Now you’re looking for a new challenge, perhaps to advance your flying skills or even move into a new career. Many small businesses are discovering that ownership or time-share of a small business jet makes a lot of sense in today’s environment of hostile airline travel.

Ever wondered what it’s like to fly a jet? What pilot hasn’t? “But,” you may ask yourself, “is the flying experience I have in that Cessna or Piper really applicable to flying a jet?”  Well, the answer is “yes and no.” Of course there are differences, but not as many as you might have been led to believe. And those differences are manageable with a reasonable amount of training. Let’s take a look at a few of the new skills you will learn as a jet pilot.

Training to be a Pro

By Vesna Ajic

Vesna AjicMuch is said about improving the skills of general aviation pilots, but what about those pilots who plan to make a career out of aviation?  How can men and women who dream of turning their passion for flight into a life long career improve their skills in a way that is meaningful to potential employers?

Emergency Maneuver and Unusual Attitude Training, WHY?

By Judy Phelps, Master CFI-A

CFII
 Vice President,
CP Aviation, Inc.

“2011 National CFI of the Year”

Judy Phelps of CP AviatioEmergency Maneuver and Unusual Attitude Training is a must for all pilots.  As a new pilot it was this very training that took the fear out of flying and gave me a new sense of comfort that I hadn’t experienced before in an airplane.

I absolutely hated stalls and was terrified of the thought of doing one by myself.  Could this be you?  If so, you need to learn about and explore the unknown.  Even if you have no fear, every pilot can benefit from experiencing spin entries and recoveries.  Equally important is being turned upside down in an airplane and recovering from the unusual attitude.

Although Emergency Maneuver and aerobatic training go together, a majority of the pilots I train come with the same purpose and that is to gain confidence.  Many however become hooked with their new found freedom and continue with basic aerobatics.

“Tips from the Pros” is a new feature dedicated to allowing the In Flight USA family of aviation professionals to share tips and information regarding flying skills, airframe care and engine operations.

Are you a pro? Send in your tips for consideration. Please send 400 to 600 words describing your tip to editor@inflightusa.com.

Reduce the Risk of Hypoxia

Do you or your passengers sometimes arrive after your flight feeling tired with a headache? Rest easy, you are not ill with some weird virus but more likely are suffering from the insidious effects of hypoxia.  Between 5,000 and 12,000 feet, hypoxia may cause the first signs of fatigue, drowsiness, sluggishness, headache, and slower reaction time. At 15,000 feet, the hypoxic effect becomes increasingly apparent in terms of impaired efficiency, increased drowsiness, errors in judgment, and difficulty with simple tasks requiring mental alertness or muscular coordination. These symptoms become more intensified with progressively higher ascent or with prolonged exposure