AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2022 - 18

WAYPOINTS
Out of the pattern
Build new skills by flying beyond the horizon
BY THOMAS B. HAINES /
AOPA Foundation Legacy Society member
HERE'S A profound thought: Experience matters. You're awestruck,
I know. But remember that experience comes in many flavors. The
more flavors you try, the more finely tuned your palate becomes.
In aviation, we gain experience in many ways. We can become
really good at flying the local traffic pattern-hitting that base
turn at just the right place every time-but, really, how useful is
that experience when you fly to the next airport and the landmarks
are all different?
The controversial regulation requiring that airline pilots have
an ATP certificate and its requisite 1,500 hours of experience is
seen as a joke by many in aviation, because the quality of most
of those hours as obtained by many pilots does not relate well to
actual airline flying. Flight instructing is an admirable trade-and
we need more flight instructors-but let's not pretend that spending
1,500 hours teaching students how to land a Cessna 172 brings
a lot of skill into day-to-day airline flying.
As pilots we should seek healthy challenges to build
robust skills that increase our safety and broaden
our horizons.
I've owned a Beechcraft Bonanza of one sort or another for
more than 23 years. I have thousands of hours flying Bonanzas,
and I think I'm fairly competent at it, but if that were my only aviation
experience, I wouldn't consider myself all that skilled. If all
those flights were from long, paved runways on nice days with
calm winds, how well would I do if I were to find myself flying
into a challenging weather situation, or attempting to land in a
crosswind, or flying over mountains into a short runway?
As pilots we should seek healthy challenges to build robust
skills that increase our safety and broaden our horizons. Imagine
if Capt. Chesley " Sully " Sullenberger's entire aviation experience
consisted only of flying an Airbus on that day when a flock of geese
took out both his engines, forcing that miraculous landing on the
Hudson River. Undoubtedly his military flying and particularly
his glider experience helped save the day.
Famed pilot R.A. " Bob " Hoover entertained millions, and he
demonstrated the amazing capabilities of the Rockwell Shrike
Commander only because of his breadth of experience flying
18
AOPA PILOT / December 2022
all manner of military airplanes during all types of harrowing
missions and test flights earlier in his career.
I've written before about how earning a seaplane rating helps
me to better judge the winds from above. I'm a low-time seaplane
pilot, but better on every flight for the couple of techniques
I learned during those sessions on the water. Similarly, I don't
have a lot of experience flying in the mountains, but I've learned
enough to advise a pilot I was flying with recently over some challenging
terrain that we should be hugging the sunny side of the
canyon to increase lift and to give us more radius to turn around
should we need it. Another tip, cross a ridgeline at a 45-degree
angle to give yourself a chance to turn away if winds at the apex
become problematic. All basic stuff for experienced mountain
fliers, but helpful insights upon occasion for the rest of us-all
learned by stretching our aviation experience beyond the local
area or our favorite model of airplane.
Tailwheel and glider flying are other often-cited skill- and
experience-builders. But, really, any flying beyond your day-to-day
can bring new insights. I have the opportunity to fly business jets
occasionally. I've learned a lot about preflight planning, descent
planning, autopilots, and fuel management that have helped me
hone my Bonanza flying. I've also learned a lot about wing loading
and crosswind landings from flying light sport aircraft.
Getting access to different types of aircraft and experiences can
be challenging. However, opportunities can be found. Not that long
ago it was rare to find a flight school with a tailwheel airplane on
the line. Both the flight schools at my home airport in Frederick,
Maryland, offer tailwheel training these days, and I've noticed other
schools doing the same. Joining a flying club can be another way to
gain access to a variety of aircraft. I know several aircraft owners
who also belong to a club, just to be able to fly aerobatic or tailwheel
airplanes occasionally. There are many seaplane schools in Florida
and the Upper Midwest. Specialty mountain courses are offered
frequently in the Western states. Flights in any such airplanes can
be used to accomplish your
required flight review.
Put those training hours
to good use by trying something
new that will help you
fly better every day.
TOM HAINES, the former
editor in chief at AOPA, has
flown hundreds of models
of airplanes over the past
four decades.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2022
