AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2011 - 23

I just read Marsh’s article and I, too, consider this to be a new day. What’s up with all these stuffy guys? Weren’t any of them military? My grandfather was an aviation mechanic in World War II and he sure had tattoos! AOPA is always talking about how we need to encourage a new generation of pilots. Well, guess what, many of the new generation (including myself) have tattoos, so maybe these stuffy guys need to start being a bit more open-minded. You wouldn’t know I have a tattoo unless I want you to see it—it’s above the sleeve line, as it should be. But when I display it in public at airshows, or even just around my airport, I get nothing but positive responses—even from the old guys! Addrian Alcon, AOPA 6876035 Tracy, California I was shocked to see that anyone associated with aviation would adorn themselves with garish tattoos. Even more disquieting was the fact that AOPA would publish such trash. Primitive societies from ages past employed tattoos, but in today’s circles such adornment can only be labeled as being associated with the motorcycle element of sport aviation which, unfortunately, seems to exist. I am amazed that the AOPA editorial staff would even consider the publication of an article such as this. Charles C. Forrester, AOPA 968557 Fairfield, Pennsylvania The ‘panic pull’ I was surprised that the article “The ‘Panic Pull’” (October 2011 AOPA Pilot) made no mention of glider instruction as an effective means of stall/spin avoidance training. In gliding flight, pilots experience the principles of energy management and attitude flying in a very clear way, with none of the confusion that occurs when thrust enters the picture. Soaring pilots develop an innate reflex to push the stick forward at the first sign of an incipient stall or spin, even in close proximity to the ground. This lifesaving reflex transfers nicely to power flying, helping pilots react appropriately to near-stall situations in all phases of flight. Please keep soaring in mind as a valuable tool for developing and strengthening the stick-and-rudder skills that are so critical for safely flying GA aircraft. Matthew Sawhill, AOPA 4832545 Ankeny, Iowa Finally, an article that gets much closer to the real reason why we have accidents in aviation. The FAA and NTSB do a great job
AOPA PILOT • 23 • DECEMBER 2011

of gathering data that we can put a finger on and say “The pilot did this wrong” and that is why this accident happened. But nowhere do we see true human factors being taken into consideration—the panic response in an unexpected situation, the lack of realistic training, the fear many pilots and instructors have of anything beyond 30 degrees of pitch or bank. Unexpected stalls and loss of control on the runway are two of the most frequent incidents or accidents and both have the same underlying factors—the airplane is doing something unexpected and the pilot responds in the same man-

ner he does 99.9 percent of his life—he uses that steering wheel to drive the airplane back where it should be. When it doesn’t work, they just try harder. Nadine Yeager, AOPA 2684677 Memphis, Tennessee 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 - December 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2011