Flight Training - April 2013 - 4

RIGHT SEAT

By Ian J. Twombly
VISIT OUR WEBSITE!
http://flighttraining.aopa.org

A DIFFERENCE
OF OPINION

AVIATION HAS MANY OF THEM

F

lying has few absolutes. Gravity, critical angle of attack,
runway lengths, and fuel burn rate are a few that come to
mind. Our world may seem like one of strict guidelines and
unforgiving limits, but there’s more to the story. Behind the
limitations, placards, “musts,” and “shalls” are myriad different ways
to perform this or that, or get from here to there.
There will come an “aha” moment in
your flying, maybe during training, maybe
after, when you will realize there are
multiple ways to approach what you do in
the airplane. Nowhere is that more clear
than the one document one would expect
to be free from any whims—the practical
test standards. The PTS may appear to
make it clear there is no room for creativity. But the standards are just that—testing
standards one must meet to earn a pilot
certificate, not the steps to do so.
Steep turns are a good example. The private pilot PTS says the applicant must stay

five different ways to perform the same
maneuver. But sometimes the uninitiated are left to discover some of these
arguments on their own, which can be
frustrating or embarrassing. In extreme
cases, not being informed could lead to
wasting money or a breach in safety. This
month we’re tackling five of the biggest
arguments in flight training (“Hangar
Talk,” page 36).
I doubt we’ll be settling any centurylong debates with the story, but it will
expose you to multiple viewpoints,
techniques, and methods in aviation, not

WHAT ONE MUST DO IS SPELLED OUT; WHAT
ONE CAN DO IS READ BETWEEN THE LINES.
within 100 feet of the initial altitude. Some
instructors teach the application of Up
trim. Some think this is lunacy. The FAA
doesn’t care one way or the other, so long
as you don’t lose or gain too much altitude.
Like many quasi-regulatory documents,
what one must do is spelled out; what one
can do is read between the lines.
How much trim to use in a steep turn is
a minnow in a sea of disagreements. Pilots
often have significant conflicts over topics
as basic as what makes an airplane fly.
You’d think we would have figured that out
by now—but we pilots are an opinionated
bunch. Combine a bit of ambiguity, equivocality, and some Type-A personalities, and
the disagreements continue.
It’s probably a good thing that instructors generally shield students from these
conversations. Learning to fly is overwhelming enough without having to learn

4/

FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

to mention the mere existence of those
debates. Join in the debate at flighttraining@aopa.org, or catch up with us on the
Flight Training blog (http://blog.aopa.org/
flighttraining).
•••
Welcome AOPA Senior Vice President of
the Center to Advance the Pilot Community Adam Smith and his new column,
“Centerline,” taking the place of AOPA
President Craig Fuller’s column. Craig
believes the unique Flight Training audience will be better served to learn about
the important work Smith and his team
are doing. However, expect to hear from
Craig from time to time on other studentrelated initiatives under way at AOPA.
Email Editor Ian J. Twombly at ian.twombly@aopa.
org; Twitter: ijtwombly; and visit Flight Training on
Facebook.

Publisher | Craig L. Fuller
Senior VP, Media/Editor in Chief | Thomas B. Haines
Editor | Ian J. Twombly
Editor at Large | Thomas A. Horne
Managing Editor | Julie Summers Walker
Technical Editors | Mike Collins, Jill W. Tallman
Senior Editors | Dave Hirschman, Alton K. Marsh
Editorial and Production Assistant | Sylvia Horne
Administrative Assistant | Miriam E. Stoner
Contributors | Pete Bedell, Greg Brown, LeRoy Cook,
Budd Davisson, Rod Machado, Walter Miller, Dan
Namowitz, Wayne Phillips, Bob Schmelzer,
Jack Williams, Kathy Yodice

Design Director | Michael E. Kline
Art Directors | Elizabeth Z. Jones, Jill C. Benton
Senior Photographer | Mike Fizer
Photographer | Chris Rose

eMedia VP | Chris Ward
eMedia Managing Editor | Alyssa J. Miller
eMedia Editor | Sarah Brown
Web Production Manager | Lezlie Ramsey

VP Advertising | Carol L. Dodds
Advertising Production Manager | Brenda D. Ridgley
Advertising Sales and Marketing Manager |
Liz Tarver
Online Advertising Manager | Michael Wilcox
Advertising Coordinator | Donna Stoner
Advertising Representative |
The Orison B. Curpier Co., Inc.
East | 732-946-0130
Central, International | 607-547-2591
South Central, West | 214-789-6094
Editorial and Advertising Offices
421 Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 21701
301-695-2350 / FAX 301-695-2180
email: flighttraining@aopa.org
Copyright © 2013, Aircraft Owners and Pilots
Association. All rights reserved. No part of this monthly
magazine may be reproduced or translated, stored in a
database or retrieval system, or transmitted in any form
by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
other means, except as expressly permitted by the publisher; requests should be directed to the editor.
This publication is presented with the understanding
that the information it contains comes from many sources
for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by
the publisher as to accuracy, originality, or completeness.
It is presented with the understanding that the publisher
is not engaged in rendering product endorsements or
providing instruction as a substitute for appropriate
training by qualified sources.
Flight Training will consider unsolicited submissions.
All manuscripts and contributions should be sent to
flighttraining@aopa.org. Reasonable care will be taken
in handling manuscripts, but the magazine assumes no
responsibility for material submitted.


http://flighttraining.aopa.org http://blog.aopa.org/flighttraining http://blog.aopa.org/flighttraining http://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

Flight Training - April 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - April 2013

Flight Training - April 2013
Contents
Right Seat
Centerline
Letters
Get Your James Bond On
Success Story
How it Works
Since You Asked
Tech Tip Final Exam
Flight Training Excellence Award Winner ASI News
Member Products
Membership
ASI News
Flying Carpet
Flight Lesson
Accident Report
WORRY-FREE GUARANTEE
ON YOUR OWN
HANGAR TALK
TECHNIQUE
Weather
Little Fish Among Whales
Career Advisor
Tech Talk
The Fallible Flight Instructor
Supervising Our Students
Higher, Faster—and Harder?
Advertiser Index
Debrief
Flight Training - April 2013 - Flight Training - April 2013
Flight Training - April 2013 - Cover2
Flight Training - April 2013 - Contents
Flight Training - April 2013 - 2
Flight Training - April 2013 - 3
Flight Training - April 2013 - Right Seat
Flight Training - April 2013 - 5
Flight Training - April 2013 - Centerline
Flight Training - April 2013 - 7
Flight Training - April 2013 - Letters
Flight Training - April 2013 - 9
Flight Training - April 2013 - Get Your James Bond On
Flight Training - April 2013 - 11
Flight Training - April 2013 - Success Story
Flight Training - April 2013 - How it Works
Flight Training - April 2013 - Since You Asked
Flight Training - April 2013 - Tech Tip Final Exam
Flight Training - April 2013 - Flight Training Excellence Award Winner ASI News
Flight Training - April 2013 - Member Products
Flight Training - April 2013 - Membership
Flight Training - April 2013 - 19
Flight Training - April 2013 - ASI News
Flight Training - April 2013 - Flying Carpet
Flight Training - April 2013 - 22
Flight Training - April 2013 - Flight Lesson
Flight Training - April 2013 - Accident Report
Flight Training - April 2013 - 25
Flight Training - April 2013 - WORRY-FREE GUARANTEE
Flight Training - April 2013 - 27
Flight Training - April 2013 - 28
Flight Training - April 2013 - 29
Flight Training - April 2013 - 30
Flight Training - April 2013 - 31
Flight Training - April 2013 - ON YOUR OWN
Flight Training - April 2013 - 33
Flight Training - April 2013 - 34
Flight Training - April 2013 - 35
Flight Training - April 2013 - HANGAR TALK
Flight Training - April 2013 - 37
Flight Training - April 2013 - 38
Flight Training - April 2013 - 39
Flight Training - April 2013 - TECHNIQUE
Flight Training - April 2013 - 41
Flight Training - April 2013 - Weather
Flight Training - April 2013 - 43
Flight Training - April 2013 - 44
Flight Training - April 2013 - Little Fish Among Whales
Flight Training - April 2013 - Career Advisor
Flight Training - April 2013 - 47
Flight Training - April 2013 - Tech Talk
Flight Training - April 2013 - The Fallible Flight Instructor
Flight Training - April 2013 - Supervising Our Students
Flight Training - April 2013 - Higher, Faster—and Harder?
Flight Training - April 2013 - Advertiser Index
Flight Training - April 2013 - 53
Flight Training - April 2013 - 54
Flight Training - April 2013 - 55
Flight Training - April 2013 - Debrief
Flight Training - April 2013 - Cover3
Flight Training - April 2013 - Cover4
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