AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2011 - 24

LETTERS
taking flying lessons in 1996 and dropped
out, started again in 2003, and didn’t complete
even a solo. Anxiety kept me from
completing the course and obtaining my
license. I have learned a lot about dealing
with anxiety in the last few years and
now am about to start flying again. I hope
to completely resolve the anxiety issues
and be able to enjoy flying and life in general.Thanks
for letting everyone know it
can happen, and it can be overcome.
Dave Massey, AOPA 4743352
Houston, Texas
Fulfilling its promise
I am disappointed to see Cessna’s
management double talk printed in
AOPA Pilot (“Cessna Skycatcher: Fulfilling
its Promise,” April 2011 AOPA
Pilot). Cessna states that the “best
way to meet” the target price on the
Skycatcher was to outsource the manufacturing
to China. Management
then states that they “aren’t contemplating
any such moves” to outsource
other models overseas. Today’s CEOs
care about one issue—stock price.
Sure as hell, if they can outsource
cheaper overseas and convince the
American public that Cessna is still an
American icon, they will.
The airplane is made in China, disassembled,
crated, taken to port and
loaded, shipped thousands of miles,
unloaded in port, transported to rail to
travel another 1,500 miles, unloaded
again, and trucked to Yingling, reassembled.
and then flown to Independence,
Kansas. If this truly is less expensive
than manufacturing in Kansas then
either Cessna is exploiting cheap labor
in China or it is Cessna’s way of busting
the unions or looking for deep concessions.
Time will tell, but I am willing to
bet a new 172 on it, as I would not want
to own a Chinese Skycatcher.
Jim Cowen, AOPA 936799
Lake Villa, Illinois
Unconventional wisdom
I enjoyed Barry Schiff’s article about
when to consider a turn back to the
runway and really appreciate the guidelines
he gave for improving the odds for
success (“Technique: Unconventional
Wisdom,” April 2011 AOPA Pilot). I get a
little miffed with some of the “unwritten”
golden rules of aviation, such as “land
straight ahead after a departure engine
failure.” What if there is a mountain
straight ahead? I think the best golden
rule is to be a prepared pilot and use
your best judgment for the emergency
and conditions at hand. I am glad to see
AOPA publish articles that talk about
using good judgment and not just citing
regulations or popular wisdom.
Gerard Randolph, AOPA 6367285
Warren, New Jersey
I started flying gliders long before
power. The rule with gliders is to call
out 200 feet on takeoff. That signifies
that a turnaround and landing at the
airport should be successful. Anything
below that 200 feet would be an automatic
straight-ahead landing. To get
a glider rating involves much practice
with “rope breaks” at 200 to 300 feet
involving a turnaround back to the
airport and a landing downwind. I feel
relatively comfortable turning around
with an engine failure at an appropriate
altitude because of this training. It
is almost automatic upon a rope break
(or engine failure) to drop that nose. As
airspeed quickly resumes, a coordinated
45-degree turn is not a problem as long
as you keep that nose down.
I would encourage pilots to get a
glider rating. When that engine quits,
you now have a glider and it is no big
AOPA PILOT • 24 • JUNE 2011
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2011

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