Weekly inspiration and ideas here! One of the silent killers of true pilot proficiency in modern flight training has been the FAA’s acquiescence to “supervised solo time:” 14 CFR 61.129(a)(4). This weird permission – and a separate category in modern logbooks – started when insurance companies increasingly refused to allow “real solo” during multi-engine commercial training. “Performing the Duties of … The post PDPIC Kills “Command Authority!” appeared first on Aviation Ideas and Discussion ..read more

Weekly inspiration and ideas here! “Beginner’s Mind” is an attitude of openness to new experiences enabling awareness and flexibility in the face of challenges. Since every person has a built-in balance between novelty (new experiences) vs security (stability/sameness), embracing “beginner’s mind” may be more of a challenge for some people (e.g. pilots). The practice of shoshin [the Japanese Zen term … The post Tune Up Your “Beginner’s Mind!” appeared first on Aviation Ideas and Discussion ..read more

Weekly inspiration and ideas here! Every CFI has an awesome power for good (or harm) in the endorsements they sign. Most pilots think a DPE is “the gatekeeper” of aviation safety with initial certification. But the CFI is really the primary influencer of aviation safety with their extensive dual given. The CFI also wields equal – or greater – legal … The post Respect The “Power of the (CFI) Pen!” appeared first on Aviation Ideas and Discussion ..read more

Weekly inspiration and ideas here! It is almost inevitable that when the total eclipse finally comes across Upstate NY where I live, I will be in Florida for training and flying another PPL flight test – 3600 and counting. For those addicted to aviation, the clock is always running and I am continually grateful for these FAA privileges. Upstate NY … The post Eclipse, Learning, SnF24! appeared first on Aviation Ideas and Discussion ..read more

Weekly inspiration and ideas here! The “secret sauce” of effective education is caring, compassion, and empathy on the part of the CFI. This builds the trust of your learner and creates a safe “learning zone” for optimal education. This safe learning zone is free of fear, judgment, and criticism and is where optimal learning can occur. Our educational challenge in … The post Fear Poisons Learning; Create a Safe “Learning Zone!” appeared first on Aviation Ideas and Discussion ..read more

Weekly inspiration and ideas here! MOSAIC, translates into “Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates” and proposes changes to greatly expand the flight privileges of sport pilots (in addition to permitting new non-TSO equipment in current aircraft). The NPRM for this new rule closed this summer and a final rule is expected in 2025. The increase in sport pilot privileges is amazing … The post MOSAIC and New SAFE Webinars appeared first on Aviation Ideas and Discussion ..read more

Weekly inspiration and ideas here! Safety in any field requires understanding accident trends but also digging deeper to reveal root causes. For example, the fatal accident rate for automobiles has continued to decrease, but the number of accidents is still increasing. Pedestrian and impaired driving accidents have increased exponentially. If you get beneath the obvious fatal accident good news, people … The post Understanding (And Teaching) Synoptic Weather! appeared first on Aviation Ideas and Discussion ..read more

Weekly inspiration and ideas here! “Hand flying” (no autopilot?) is becoming increasingly rare during IFR (and even VFR) flying. We increasingly fly in a totally automated environment, and this deficit of hand-flying skill has huge safety implications when the “magic” fails. For all the hours professional pilots accumulate, less than 3% is probably “hand flown!” I recently flew with a … The post Essential IFR Hand Flying Skills! appeared first on Aviation Ideas and Discussion ..read more

Weekly inspiration and ideas here! Having personally been badly poisoned by CO several times, I highly recommend your careful attention to this article and the under-appreciated risks of CO poisoning! Aeromedical issues are also a traditionally weak area on all FAA Flight Tests. To manage this silent killer, my personal recommendation is a pair of the new "Delta Zulu" Lightspeed … The post The Hidden Poison You Fly With! appeared first on Aviation Ideas and Discussion ..read more

Weekly inspiration and ideas here! During primary training, most learners want to get to landings way too soon. Similarly, during IFR training, pilots push to begin working on approaches before they have mastered basic IFR control (“Gotta get to my Airbus dude.”) In both cases, a CFI can get lured into this error of “teaching final form” before the basics … The post Too Much, Too Soon & Psychological Strategies appeared first on Aviation Ideas and Discussion ..read more