CONTENTS flighttraining.aopa.org VOLUME.24 / NUMBER. 1 01.12 FEATURES 24 POWERPLANT Unwrapping the mystery behind your airplane's energy source. An airplane's engine can be mysterious, confusing, and inaccessible, yet it is our lifeline. Things you need to know about your engine but were afraid to ask. By Ian J. Twombly 30 YOUR FRIEND IN THE RIGHT SEAT Considering the CFI factor. The most influential element in a student pilot's flight training experience is the CFI—how's it working out for you? By Steve Lundin 34 Six keys to safety. The steps you can take to keep your skills sharp so that you can walk away from an emergency with a lesson learned—and nothing bent or broken. By Clint Robson HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE AN EMERGENCY? See page 34 Rectangular course. TECHNIQUE 38 "WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PRACTICED A MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION, OR PERHAPS A SIMULATED IN-AIR ENGINE START?" —CLINT ROBSON The forgotten ground-reference maneuver. By Ian J. Twombly ON THE COVER » Mike Fizer photographed a Continental O-200 engine to accompany Ian J. Twombly's story "Powerplant," which begins on page 24. JANUARY 2012 FLIGHT TRAINING /1http://flighttraining.aopa.org