CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 4 - 36

CHIEF'S CORNER
WHAT AN INTERESTING YEAR WE'VE HAD! You've lived

through it as have I, so I won't bore you with a recap;
instead, let's look forward to 2021. A new year, a new set
of aviation-related resolutions among all the others-and
if you're not one for resolutions how about a set of goals?
I hope to be able at the end of next year to check many of
these items as completed!
One of my continuing challenges is to find time to fly for
fun. Most if not all my flying is flight instruction. It is
rare that I take time to go fly just for the fun of it, to find
a new destination, an unknown airport, or a family trip
somewhere. I think that I would like to do that at least once
a month. Of course, the easiest way to accomplish this is
to put it on the schedule, right now, leave the destination
unknown but book the time in the airplane.
Another continuing challenge is staying IFR current
and proficient. Since most of my training flights are with
primary students or flight
review clients, I do very little
REGULAR PROFICIENCY FLIGHTS NEED
flying IFR. Getting current
TO MAKE IT ONTO MY PERSONAL FLIGHT
and staying that way has been
CALENDAR AS WELL. AND THOSE MAY
more an exercise in working
COME IN THE FORM OF A SPECIFIC FLIGHT
with a CFII to get up to
PROFILE, OR PERHAPS MANEUVERS I
speed for an IPC, completing
HAVEN'T DONE IN A WHILE (I'M LOOKING
it, and then not following
through with continued IFR
AT YOU, CHANDELLES, LAZY EIGHTS, AND

8'S ON AND AROUND PYLONS!).

flights. Again, I think the key to this is to just go ahead and
schedule regular IFR flights-get in the system and do it.
Grab a safety pilot if necessary or another experienced
instrument pilot and go fly. I have some specific ideas on
this and where I want to go and what I want to do.
Finally, I want to add some ratings to my certificate, and
a visit to warmer climes during the cold winter months
is just the ticket to add a long-time bucket list item-a
seaplane rating. Several colleagues have done that recently
and it's high time I do it. I'm already looking at schedules
and will be booking that soon!
The other rating that I am seriously considering is adding
a Rotorcraft-Gyroplane. I've been watching videos on
YouTube for a while and have become enamored with
this intriguing aircraft. It seems to be a fun cross-country
machine and something that is truly different. There are a
couple of gyro flight schools in my area so it's time to put
that on my schedule, too.
Of course, regular proficiency flights need to make it onto
my personal flight calendar as well. And those may come in
the form of a specifaic flight profile, or perhaps maneuvers
I haven't done in a while (I'm looking at you, chandelles,
lazy eights, and 8's on and around pylons!). I'll check my
budget and see if I can squeeze in a good Upset Prevention
and Recovery Training (UPRT) class or at least some
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 11 Issue 4

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