If you are one of these CFIs who believes it is perfectly reasonable to troll for a Friday night companion while in flight, I would like to offer you this well thought out and carefully crafted piece of advice without reservation or conditions: Cut it out.
Opinion
What you need to know about oil analysis to protect your airplane
Oil analysis can be a very effective tool if used properly. What do you need to know to get the most out of an oil analysis?
The unconventional way works too
I began flying just as a hobby initially. I had no intention of turning it into a career. But it turned out that some of the twists and turns along my personal road put aviation into a much more prominent position than I’d have imagined possible.
Questions from the Cockpit: What’s so mean about mean sea level?
Cassandra, working on her Sport Pilot ticket on the Florida coast, writes: I’ve just started my flight training, and have learned about the two different ways that altitude is expressed: AGL and MSL. Above Ground Level is self-explanatory, but I’m having a harder time wrapping my head around Mean Sea Level. I mean, I get that it’s the altitude above sea level, but what’s the “mean” all about?
Dear Billy
If the FAA stood up and told my state, and all states, that an approved fuel is on the books and will be making its way to all states as soon as possible, I believe that would go a long way toward calming the anti-lead crowd and encouraging those in the business of making and delivering fuel.
The other DECIDE model
Students cancel lessons, show up unprepared, and generally fail to make significant progress toward their goal of learning to fly for one specific reason. They don’t really understand the process of learning a complex subject that includes multiple components of knowledge combined with mechanical skill.
When is the best time to take an oil sample from my aircraft engine?
I usually take my oil analysis samples when the engine is cold. The logic is that all the oil has drained, and the volume removed should be a bit better. Should I be doing something differently?
The powerful importance of scheduling well
A CFI is a service provider. We charge the customer a specified dollar amount for instruction. If the service is good, customers come back. If the service is lacking, customers tend to go elsewhere. And as service providers we win or lose based on the quality and timeliness of the service we provide.
Human Factors: No gentleman
In a strange case of life imitating art, an Oregon pilot crashes into the ocean after learning he has Stage 4 cancer. Can we learn anything from this crash?