AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2011 - 23

under the leadership of Craig Fuller and the editorial staff there are wonderful changes being made. Erik Fulkerson, AOPA 3675310 Fullerton, California Hurry up and slow down Thomas B. Haines’ recent column “Waypoints: Hurry Up and Slow Down” (August 2011 AOPA Pilot) referred to the useful recitation of GUMPS even as he landed a fixed-gear Cessna. It reminded me that a while ago Bruce Landsberg solicited ideas to reduce the gear-up landings. I suggested that Cessna include on its checklists—and even have a toggle for—a gear up/down action even though it didn’t really do anything. And that every primary student learn it so it stays fixed in habit when moving to a retractable-gear airplane. After all, we learned about fuel pumps, complex airplanes, high-performance airplanes, et cetera, that we were not yet flying. So it’s not so weird to memorize an action that is not yet critical, but may well be in the future. Cornelia Sheahan, AOPA 4871200 Alexandria, Virginia I really enjoyed reading Tom Haines’s recent article “Hurry Up and Slow Down.” If more pilots could apply this key lesson, I think many problems and difficulties could be avoided. His recognition of managing a normal workload is right on. I am reminded of a critical teaching strategy from my 10-plus years of flying and instructing F–16s and T–38s for the U.S. Air Force. A common and similar technique that we always referred to was called “go slower to go faster.” As was always the case just about every time we would go air-refuel, a younger, or more inexperienced guy would have trouble perfecting this fine art of high-speed precision. He would have trouble connecting to the boom, which on the F–16 connects to some mysterious unseen spot about 10 feet behind your head. Aligning sometimes by sheer luck, and often with a few choice words, you could stabilize below the big tanker and hope that you were smooth enough to receive the rewarding thump of the boomer sticking the boom into your jet and topping off the tanks. Now, add in weather, night, turbulence, a full weapons load, and see what happens. Fun. Often even experienced guys would have trouble if the visual cues just weren’t working for them that day. It wouldn’t take much for a young guy
AOPA PILOT • 23 • OCTOBER 2011

to lose his cool, and on his second or third attempt lose focus and rush the approach. This happened to all of us. Yet as if Obi-Wan himself were there speaking to you, it was possible to hear your sage instructor saying go slower to go faster in the brief. You did it, and it worked. There were many things in flying fighters that we would use the go slower to go faster tactic. From checking all switches before a weapons delivery to the simple task of setting up for an approach. Taking your time (within reason) equated to thinking ahead a

little more, and in the long run it helped reduce the time needed to get the inflight task done. Thanks for bringing this technique to the public. Nate “Buster” Jaros, AOPA 6742621 Las Vegas, Nevada We welcome your comments. Address letters to: Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Send email to pilot@aopa.org. Please include your full name, address, and AOPA number. Letters to the Editor may be edited for length and style before publication.

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2011

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