The Skills You Lose
Problem
The question is, how much time must pass before a pilot becomes unsafe? A student's who flys infrequently will need some review to get back the ability to perform past procedures. A delay of a week becomes a problem to a student. A week's pause is likely to be more serious for an older student. The space between lessons is a problem made worse if the study preparation for the next lesson is not properly directed, monitored and utilized. Often an instructor makes the assumption that the lesson of a week ago is a fresh memory of a student who has not flown recently. This assumption may be because the instructor just finished the same lesson with another student. Brings to mind how when teaching five periods of math in one day, I would become upset with the fifth perio d class not
remembering what I had taught to the first period class. Happens.

The length of time between each lesson is variable that is controlled by the instructor, student, weather and maintenance. I read on the internet the plaints of students who fault all the possible causes of delay. Their problems are real. Flying does teach very well not to try to do something about which nothing can be done. This is a part of flying. However, flying can be learned on the ground. Pilot sharing of events and problems is still learning to fly.  Over the years I have acquired a 'war story' for every occasion. Other pilots and students should start their collection and begin sharing.

Poor flying weather can be a teaching opportunity. The teaching will be better if it has been preceded by a preparatory flight such as I just did today. It was what I call a low-level VFR flight. We never got above 1200' nor below 800' but we flew as though we would be able to fly at 400'. We followd a route along a shoreline, avoided homes while cutting inland to avoid the high power lines in the vicinity of a bridge and again over a river. We made a point to avoid surface areas set aside as game reserves and stadiums. We flew across instrument approach routes at levels selected to avoid their step-down altitudes.

We flew to the right side of rivers, roads and valleys. We routed the flight past as many good landmarks as possible and at out destination airport overflew the airport runway before entering the pattern. All the way we monitored radio frequencies appropriate to nearby airports and IFR arrivals by radar. This flight was completely in good VFR weather but designed to show the student the preparation and knowledge required to deal safely with a MVFR situation.

Aircraft maintenance problems can be a very valuable experience if it can be done without disruption. A pilot can acquire knowledge not possible any other way just by watching and asking questions. I have been sumping aircraft for a few years now but a few days ago I noticed that a mechanic sumped somewhat differently than I did. Bad weather and mechanical problems can be turned into a learning opportunity.

I have always pushed the sump-cup pin well into the hole. I did this believing that it would allow any sediment to escape. The mechanic pushed it only enough to get a slow flow of the fuel enough to make a valid sample. I inquired as to why he sumped as he did. The answer was most revealing. It seems that the spring loading of the sump valve is such that a full insertion can cause the spring loaded plug to tilt and stick in such a manner as to prevent it to operate at all. All at once I understood what had happened years ago when I had to stand with my thumb over the sump hole for twenty minutes while waiting for a mechanic to come to my rescue. Lesson learned many years too late.

I have always taught with a personal policy about being late for a lesson. I will wait for ten minutes for a late student before contacting my wife as to whether he has called in. If not, I leave. I don't charge but he must get a different instructor after the next event. On my part, if I am late or fail to show, I do not charge for the lesson or the next lesson as the case may be. Because of my background as a child, I cannot abide by a situation where being late is a non-event. Promptness is a sign of respect between individuals. Tardiness is disrespect personified.

Judgments must be made as to what point it is time to break-off one activity an do something else. I limit Dutch roll practice to two minutes until they can be properly performed. I don't expect performance for at least five lessons.  Most ground reference lessons can achieve proper performance in two or three lessons if preliminaries are properly taught first. Review is a part of every lesson after the first. How much review will depend on the instructor's perception of student performance. One of the most difficult abilities to master is being able to detect the little things in performance that signal the beginning of fatigue.

There are differences in the symptoms of mental, emotional, and physical fatigue. As a teacher and instructor I have developed a sense that enables me to advise a student that a problem exists. I often make a statement somewhat like, "I am going to continue the lesson a bit longer because I want to build endurance (which I do) so don't worry about it." I don't know of a way to teach these skills to other instructors but if it comes to me I will. I do believe sensitivity comes to those who have overcome difficulties. I have had my share. Those of you reading this will take greater satisfaction in those areas of flying where the acquisition of skill took some special effort. You can be far more helpful to others when you have conquored the pain of failure. Been there, done that does not only
apply to places. Enough…I ramble…

My lessons always consist of a ground review of what will be considered new. The new is taught and performed first with the exception of things that can be reviewed enroute to the practice area. Since area familiarization is on-going (coming and going?) I try to take differing departure and arrival routes where possible. I try to plan every lesson so that we end on a student's successful high note. This is important since the last element of every lesson can always be a complement for things well done. The next to last thing covered is the study and preparation expected of the student for the next lesson.

The radio procedures are covered for all departures and arrivals to the extent needed to cover anything new.  Basic to the presentation of what to say is where to say it. This aspect is a part of every departure and arrival so that the radio work is integrated with situational and area awareness. A student must not only know where he is in relationship to the airport; he must know where everyone else is located according to radio calls by pilots and ATC. In my experience it is these aspects of radio work that fail/fall the most with the intervals between lessons and passage of time for even the most experienced pilot...

The longer the time between lessons or flying the greater will be the deterioration of the skills. The more complex the skills the more they will show deficiencies. Time is the eraser of all knowledge. Like riding a bicycle you will never forget how to fly. It is the flying well that goes. I have found that a student who quits after twenty hours of instruction will need ten hours to regain previous skill if resuming in less than two years.

I am presently trying to bring to proficiency one of my favorite students who overcame great difficulties.  The student went on into an instrument rating and has over three-thousand hours in complex high performance aircraft. After the death of the spouse the student gave up flying and sold the plane. Now, after a three year hiatus I am trying to rebuild the lost confidence and proficiency. It is not easy to overcome the inertia caused by years of habit, to rebuild the FAR knowledge required, to replace the gaps of disuse and the changes that occurred with time. In my opinion the old pilot needs more careful treatment and hand holding than would a younger person because there is less time for flying remaining.

Spending Makes the Cost of Flying Lower
--The more you fly the lower per hour your fixed costs
--Use home equity to reduce interest costs of airplane
--Spend the moony to buy the best aircraft you can.
--Don't buy a plane that needs upgrades. Installed upgrades lose 50 percent
--Buy a popular model
--Cosmetics are as important to price as mechanics
--Never over-price an airplane
--Outside labor costs are beyond affordability
--Cosmetics are easiest to fix
--Parts cost triple what you want to pay and twice what you will pay
--New paint (good job) gives fastest price boost
--Don't buy into internal corrosion
--Radios only get half value back.

With a Little-bit, with a Little-bit of Bloomin' Luck
There is an old pilot superstition accepted by my wife that all things bad happen in threes. When we work in the pattern the three areas where mistakes accumulate are altitude, airspeed and rate/angle of descent. These factors individually can be adjusted or ignored. Adjustment is the most likely instructional option. Instructors do not want students to develop a tolerance for inaccuracy. Aircraft flight manuals provide little guidance for precision except for gross weight performance parameters. Shortly after takeoff these aircraft recommendations no longer apply because the aircraft is below gross. In my analysis of techniques and procedures for VFR and IFR, I do not mean that my
way is the only way. Rather my way is a way that has worked for me.

Pattern altitude can be any one of three things, high, right on, or low. One of my first instructional mantras is that it is just as possible and EASY to fly precise altitudes, as it is to fly a few feet high or low. I teach level flight with the setting of a constant power (rpm), a set trim position and release of the yoke. Very small changes can be achieved by head position and more by use of the hands and arms. Rudder keeps the wings level and hands are best kept off the yoke.

In recent times, I have had to initiate IFR training with several different pilots. The one that I taught basic level flight using the above system was able to proceed directly into instrument approaches and in less than ten hours was performing at the 35 hour IFR training level. The others had an intense emotional transition from various yoke grips into recognition that a well-trimmed aircraft allows the use of two hands for things other than flying the airplane. Just last week I had a former student fly her first hands-off ILS to landing and this as a part of a flight review two years after getting the IFR ticket. A proficient pilot does not need an autopilot to hold altitude.

Now back on course, slight errors in altitude are not to be ignored. The pilot must develop a sensitivity for precise altitude. The sound of the engine and wind in the cockpit can be recognized for at least three power settings and three airspeeds. These are the minimums required for IFR or VFR. With the altitude tolerances required/allowed of private pilots it is no wonder that most pilots are less than proficient in acquiring and holding a selected altitude hands-on or -off.

Airspeeds are trimmed speeds. Trim an aircraft for a pre-selected level flight speed and additions and decreases in the power setting will give a climb or descent rate quite close to the trimmed level flight speed. With the fixed pitch propeller rpm is the measure of power. The aircraft will fly the trimmed flight speed in climb or descent with power changes and a bit of pilot controlled damping of initial oscillations.

The difficulties of changing from one speed to another lies in anticipation the throttle and trim setting required.  The smoothness of any transition is the criteria of excellence. Fixed pitch aircraft are supposed to climb at full throttle because excess fuel is used to cool the engine. This means that prior to takeoff your trim should be set for the best rate given in the POH and adjusted for density altitude. Anticipation of the takeoff settings is as easy as it gets. Leveling off at cruise and low cruise requires different techniques. For cruise you begin to level off at 10 percent of your climb rate. Make your initial trim adjustment which is usually one full turn of nose down trim, hold pressure to maintain altitude during the acceleration to cruise and then immediately reduce power to predetermined rpm and then make any fine trim/power adjustments required. Check with hands off.

To level off for low-cruise from a climb, you would again begin to level off before reaching the altitude but you reduce the power to the predetermined setting for low cruise and make the trim adjustment required. This is a trim movement you should keep track of and practice until you get is very close, quickly. Practice reversing the process to get a quick smooth transition from low cruise into a climb. Going from low-cruise to full cruise by anticipating the required trim change while holding altitude with yoke pressure while using full power. This will require holding forward yoke pressure which would be zero if you reduce to cruise power setting the moment you reach cruise speed. You should also practice the transition from cruise to low-cruise by reducing power so that it will bleed to the low cruise setting or become proficient in taking off extra power and adding it the moment low-cruise speed is reached. Again, anticipation is the name of the game.

Descents can be either cruise or low-cruise speeds. You should practice specific feet-per-minute descents at cruise and low-cruise. You will find that the lower rates of descent are more difficult to maintain and that the increased air density during descent requires very fine power and trim adjustments to maintain airspeed and rate of descent. Even VFR training should introduce the 500 fpm descent while making a 180 degree turn. Training should be given in changing airspeed during descent through the use of power and again with power and flaps. The procedures are different and require practice.

These airspeed transitions are an integral part of both VFR pattern flying and IFR procedures. Learning them in a two-place VFR trainer will make the transition to a more powerful IFR trainer logical even though requiring quicker anticipation of trim and power changes required. What I am getting at is that VFR training can and should be a logical progression into IFR training. I feel that setting achievement levels for private pilots too low is doing a disservice to the abilities and expectations possible.

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