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Yesterday I was interviewed by Fox 13 Tampa Bay concerning the stowaway mechanic on a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. Press the play button to watch the video below. Afterwords is an excerpt from the story on MyFoxTampaBay.com.

Was stowaway trying to get to work?: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

TAMPA - A U.S. Airways mechanic is in the hot seat after stowing away on a flight from Tampa to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Authorities say the airline worker snuck in one of the cargo areas of the plane; then, when he arrived in Charlotte, he bought an employee ticket to complete his journey to Pittsburgh.

From all accounts, it appears the mechanic was a trusted employee: he went through a background check, went through training and had a valid identification badge -- so there was really no reason to question him when he showed up on the tarmac.

Airline employees explained what may have led to the situation.

"Lately, the flights have been so full you can't get on the plane," said Captain Carl Valeri, a commercial airline pilot.

Valeri commutes from his home in Tampa to his base at Newark Airport - something a lot of airline employees do. He says when flights are full and the crew seats are taken, you're basically out of luck.

Read more at MyFoxTampaBay.com

There were a lot of topics covered in Episode #3 and the show ran about 1hr 20min in length. BUT, it’s chock full of golden nuggets about Staying Safe in the Traffic Pattern, Class C Airspace, Pilots With Disabilities, and a whole bunch more! So stay tuned to the whole episode because it’s worth it.

The full topic list includes:

1. Believe What You See, Not What You Here – Staying safe in the traffic pattern
2. The 3 Tenants of Radio Calls
3. Operating at Non-Towered Airports
4. The Effects of Pilot Fatigue
5. Transitioning to Visual Approaches
6. Students and Pilots With Disabilities – ChallengeAir.com, WheelChairAviators.org, DeafPilots.org
7. Merits of a Thorough Pre/Post-Flight Inspection
8. Practical Guide to Operating in Class C Airspace
9. The ILS Breakout

And now for our picks of the week – this is where each of the co-hosts shares an aviation related product, service, or website they’ve used, found helpful, and recommend to you.

Rick – USairnet.com – forward looking weather planning
Carl – The Pilots’ Guide to the Airports of Historic Massachusetts
Len – Electronic Logbooks – Logten Pro and LogBook Pro

Listen Now:

[audio:https://expertaviator.com/podcasts/StuckMicAvCast_-_Episode_3_-_Staying_Safe_In_The_Pattern-Class_C_Airspace-Pilots_With_Disabilities.mp3]

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Many times airports are renamed to honor a historic figure, important individual, or heroes from our past. When we rename an airport to that of a military hero we honor the individual but also in a greater vain all who served.

The heroic actions of Pappy Boyington will be forever remembered in the renaming of the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Airport to Pappy Boyington Field. Most importantly we will remember the many heroes who served with Pappy Boyington, the heroes who served as Marines in WWII, and all those that have served our country.

Pappy Boyington Field from Kevin on Vimeo.

"Pappy Boyington Field : A Campaign To Honor A Hero" does an outstanding job of documenting the struggle to rename an airport in honor of a hero. The documentary depicts the battle with a reluctant local government, while weaving the story of the hero throughout the film. You will be taken back to WWII and hear from Marines who served with Boyington and listen to their own accounts of the historic Black Sheep Squadron.

Learning our aviation heritage is as important to me as understanding the technical aspects of flying. We must never forget our aviation pioneers and heroes. After viewing this video you will learn a great deal about the hero honored, the effort to rename the airport, and the organizations that contributed to this historic event. Watching this video spurs your interest to learn more about some fine organizations including the Marine League, and the Disabled American Veterans Association.

The television show, Bah Bah Black Sheep, which bears the squadrons name starred Robert Conrad. Robert Conrad was interviewed during this show and brings an interesting perspective about Pappy Boyington who helped as a technical advisor on the show. Conrad eventually would learn to fly from the encouragement of Pappy himself during the filming of the show.

About the Hero:

Pappy Boyington was commanding officer of the Black Sheep Squadron stationed in the Pacific during World War II. Boyington was an ACE Fighter pilot, prisoner of war, and Medal Of Honor recipient.

Born in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho he earned a degree in aeronautical engineering and then moved on to join the Marines. Before long he joined the American Volunteer Group, known as The Flying Tigers, in China to help fight the Japanese.

After America entered the war Boyington returned to the US and fought in the Pacific Theatre. He then went on to command a group of pilots on Guadalcanal who had not yet been assigned a squadron. This squadron eventually was named the "Black Sheep Squadron".

A Great Tale With Interesting Guests

This is a wonderful documentary depicting the struggle to rename an airport in honor of an American Hero. I was excited to hear from some unique public figures I had not seen in years such as Robert Conrad and Mark Fuhrman, who where both interviewed for this film.

Although of interest to us as aviators, all should watch this movie in remembrance of those who served in WWII. The producer, Kevin Gonzalez, keeps our aviation heritage alive in this skillfully produced and interesting documentary.

The voices and memories of those described as our greatest generation need to be heard for they are quickly losing their collective voice. As of this writing three of those who appeared in this film have already made their final flight on earth to soar in the heavens above. This is one DVD I will keep on my shelves for a long time to share with my friends and family.

Order The DVD Online:

For More Information:

Marine Corps League Pappy Boyington Detachment

Pappy Boyington Field Documentary Website

Marine Aviation Centennial

The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum

Related Books and Videos:

As I traverse this wonderful world by air, I enjoy viewing the many airports below and in my mind imagine the planes taking off and landing. Many times I will pass over an airport with large runways with only a few planes and a small building. Some have the typical triangle shape design made popular during World War II. My imagination takes me to a time when the airport was busy with cadets training to become pilots.

Some times I will write down the airport name from my chart so I can later search for information on the history of those airports that interest me. While flying over Massachusetts I don’t need to look far for information because I recently discovered a book “The Pilots Guide To The Airports of Historic Massachusetts” by John Fiske.

I enjoyed John Fiske’s guide because it relates the historical significance of the town each airports is located within. Fiske continues by describing the history of the airport and its owners.

Each chapter gives a wonderful historical summary. You will want to use other sources such as the internet for complete histories of the communities, events, and the airports.

In The Pilots Guide To The Airports of Historic Massachusetts you will find a listing for all of the 38 public use airports which includes:

Basic aeronautical data.

A history of the town and any historically significant events.

A history of the development of the airport.

The current owners and a history of the previous owners.

John Fisk’s “Airports of Historic Massachusetts is a handy reference for those interested in the history of the public use airports and the communities they serve. I like this book because it highlights the significant historical events in each of the towns giving me some great information for conversation amongst my Massachusetts based aviators. I suggest this book to pilots interested in the aviation heritage of a state rich in American History. At $10.00 this book is a bargain.

You can find this book at :

JohnFiske.com

In Episode #2 we started out discussing the findings of the Air France 447 black box. Air France 447 disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on June 1, 2009 killing all on board. After years of extensive searching for the aircraft black boxes, they were recently found. Read the findings here – Black Box Reveals Last Minutes

Other podcast topics include:

1. Deep Stalls – described in depth by Carl Valeri
2. Using ForeFlight – for FAR Part 91, Part 121, and an overlooked special feature
3. Fly-cations – the joys of personal air travel
4. Ground Operations – taxiing, airport diagrams, parking. Calling ahead and viewing aerial images
5. FunPlacesToFly.com
6. Fly2Lunch.Com
7. Re-tracing the first scheduled airline flight
8. Surprises while flying around Boston’s Class Bravo airspace
9. SERMN Routes – a great tool for departing New York airspace during bad weather and delays

And now for our picks of the week – where each of the co-hosts shares an aviation product, service, or website they’ve used and found helpful.

Rick – LiveATC Air Radio
Carl – Flight Guide iEFB iOS app
Len – Aircraft Audio Patch Cable

Listen Now:

[audio:https://expertaviator.com/podcasts/Stuck_Mic_AvCast_-_Episode_2_-_Air_France_447-Deep_Stalls-LiveATC.mp3]

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We’d also want to send a BIG shout out to Jim Cutler for our professional Voice Over work for the Stuck Mic AvCast intro and closing. Thank you, Jim!

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Blue skies with an occasional puffy white cloud and a slight breeze made this the perfect day to practice landings with my student training for his commercial pilot certificate. As my student taxied to the runway I opened my window and stuck my hand out scooping up the cool morning air. I kept thinking what a perfect day to fly. That would soon change.

After doing his preflight checks my student taxied into position to practice a short field takeoff which requires a constant airspeed until we clear an obstacle. Most airports don’t have many obstacles so we normally pretend there is a one hundred foot tall obstacle at the end of the runway.

Since the airport was surrounded by many tall trees I told my student to climb at best angle of climb until we clear the trees. Then we would accelerate to best rate of climb. Best angle of climb, or Vx, is the airspeed which will give us the greatest increase in altitude over a given distance. Best rate of climb, or Vy, is the airspeed which will produce the greatest increase in altitude over a period of time.

We taxied into position and he applied full power and accelerated quickly to rotation speed. Then he did the unexpected, he aggressively pulled back on the yoke pointing the nose skyward at a much higher pitch attitude than normal. It was fairly obvious we would stall if he kept the nose high but he seemed to do nothing.

This is when natural instinct conflicts with the pilots aeronautical knowledge. To go up the pilot wants to pull up but if he pulls up to far the aircraft will stall and then come down quickly. Therefore, I spend much of my time with my students teaching them that to gain airspeed and to reduce the angle of attack we must push the nose forward. A very difficult thing to do at low altitude but necessary.

My student succumbed to his natural instinct instead of his airmanship and pulled further back because we where not climbing. As I reached for the yoke the stall horn began blaring and the wing began to buffet. As I recovered from the incipient stall I told my student to look out in front of us at the trees. And then I calmly said we sometimes must point our nose at the trees to prevent ourselves from crashing into them. After gaining airspeed I then climbed out at best angle of climb speed and gave him back the controls.

After debriefing my student I realized he did not have much practice in recovering from stalls and incipient stalls. I explained to him that as a commercial pilot you must be better at understanding when you are approaching a stall and how to recover immediately. I only pushed the yoke forward slightly and we where flying again.

This is why with all my students I do many stalls and even more incipient stalls to get them in the habit of reducing the pitch attitude immediately when they feel a buffet or hear the stall horn. This is especially important for my commercial students who are moving onto the airlines and swept wing jets. Swept wing aircraft stall abruptly with few indications.

I have noticed a lack of understanding concerning stalls in the past few years. This is especially true with pilots who only want to get their ratings quickly and move up to the airlines as opposed to actually learning how to fly the plane properly. This is a training issue and can be solved through practice. Let’s review some aspects of stalls and what you can do to prevent yourself from getting into this same situation no matter what type of aircraft you fly.

Stalls:

When we hear the word stall we normally think about our car engine quitting. This is what some of us thought the first time we heard our instructor tell us we where going to practice stalls. Who in there right mind would want to fly and stall the engine in the aircraft?

After some introductory ground school we learned that a stall has nothing to do with the engine but more to do with the aircraft. An aircraft stalls when it exceeds the critical angle of attack resulting in separation of airflow over the wing and a rapid decrease in lift. The point that the airflow no longer can produce enough lift to sustain level flight is the point at which the airplane stalls.

It is important to remember the aircraft is stalled but portions of the wing are still producing lift. The coefficient of lift increases as we increase our angle of attack and at the maximum coefficient of lift we are at the critical angle of attack. Any increase in the angle of attack will see a dramatic decrease in the coefficient of lift but we still have some lift. This can be seen in the diagram below.

Most light aircraft will tend to pitch down when a stall has occurred due to the forward center of gravity. Since the tail is still effective and is not stalled we only need to push the control column forward slightly to recover from the stall.

Deep Stalls:

Some aircraft will enable us to continue to increase the angle of attack even after the wing has stalled. This is the case with most t-tail aircraft. As we pull back the stall becomes greater, or deeper, and eventually we may have trouble recovering. It might be impossible to recover if we pull the aircraft tail into the area behind the wing where the airflow is disrupted by the wing during the stall. This is a condition that has led to accidents in some light aircraft.

Much of my instruction was in a Piper Tomahawk which has a t-tail and has been known to get into unrecoverable stalls and spins. Due these accidents, stall strips were attached to the front of the wing to cause early airflow separation and a stall at a lower angle of attack. Larger t-tail aircraft such as airliners have a device called a stall shaker and pusher which prevents an actual stall and will reduce the angle of attack automatically without pilot input. The most important thing to remember when flying a large jet or any aircraft is to always be aware of your airspeed and react properly if you find yourself getting slow. This can be accomplished through training and practice.

Training:

I feel stall training and recovery is important in every aircraft you fly. To be able to recover from an inadvertent stall is very important. Stalls seem sudden when we are not paying attention but they normally develop gradually as we pull back on the flight controls. When an inadvertent stall occurs we rely on our past experience and training to recover properly.

I also feel it is just as important to learn how to prevent a stall because you cannot have a deep stall if you never stall the aircraft in the first place. That is why I practice many imminent stalls with all my students. I want them to have an immediate reaction of reducing the angle of attack any time they hear the stall horn or feel a buffet.

I will take my students up and increase the angle of attack until the stall horn or light comes on. Then we will reduce the back pressure slightly and the horn will go off. Then I will have the student apply enough back pressure on the yoke until it comes on. Next I will have them turn it off by reducing the back pressure. We will do this over and over again in many different configurations until the student automatically responds to the stall horn in the correct manner. It never correct to keep increasing the back pressure and the angle off attack.

Conclusion:

It is important to practice stalls and stall prevention at all levels of flying. Over the years it concerns me when I see pilots, especially commercial pilots, react incorrectly to an imminent stall. It is important that instructors teach all skill levels, from student to airline transport pilots, and validate the pilot has the skill and instinctive reaction when recovering from an imminent stall.

As you can see using the incorrect input of pulling back on the flight controls with great force can cause the nose of the aircraft, especially a t-tail aircraft, to reach a high angle of attack that it may cause a deep stall. If you feel uncomfortable with your ability to recover from a stall, you need to tell your instructor and review the procedures until the recovery becomes second nature. Do not be embarrassed to ask your instructor or check airman if you work for an airline to review the procedures with you. I”m sure they would be happy to help. Remember, a good pilot is always learning.

Safe Flying!

For More Information:

Stuck Mic AvCast Episode #2 : Air France 447, Deep Stalls, & LiveATC.net

USA Today: Air France crash calls for better pilot training, experts say.

As with numerous rule making decisions the persons affected the most are the least likely to be part of the process in designing the rule or analyzing the outcomes. There has been much said in the media and by politicians concerning the results of the long tarmac delay rule. Having been Captain of 2 out of 10 of the most delayed fights in the United States I thought I would give my perspective and try to dispel some myths. As you will find the solutions brought about by the new ruling are more nuanced than might be expected so let me try and explain.

Flights Are Cancelled As A Result Of The New Long Tarmac Delay Rule.

The long tarmac delay rule has had many benefits for both the traveler and the flight crew without a noticeable difference in the number of cancellations. The largest change in cancellations is where you are sitting when your flight is cancelled. Before the rule you would have been sitting on the taxiway when you got the message that your flight was cancelled. Now you are more likely to hear about the cancellation while sitting at home or in the terminal. The reason for the cancellation has not changed.

There are both positive and negative affects from this rule being implemented. To help you better understand the nuanced affect of the new rule let me relate to you some real life scenarios and the before and after affect of the new Tarmac Delay rule on these scenarios.

Scenario 1 - Four Hour Take Off Delay Due To Weather At the Departure Airport:

You are scheduled to fly from Newark Airport to Chicago O’Hare. Prior to boarding there is an announcement that departure delays out of Newark are up to four hours but the situation might change since the weather causing the delay is now moving away from the airport.

Pre Tarmac Delay Rule:

We probably would have pushed off the gate and waited on the taxiway for two reasons. First, if we can get in line and there is a break in the weather or the traffic flow out of the airport decreases, Air Traffic Control (ATC) may let us takeoff early. There are times when only a few planes are able to get out and then they shut down the departures again. If we are first in line we might be one of the planes able to take off and our decision to taxi to the runway early was a success.

One consideration during this process is there are only a few predefined departure routes away from Newark and if the weather along our departure route is bad then we will probably sit on the ground for awhile. If we look at the radar and see the weather along our departure path is clearing then we might want to start making our way to the runway. The risk we run is in other aircraft asking to be rerouted along the same departure path if they see the weather getting better.

The down side is that we might be number thirty in line and when they shut down the arrivals again we are still waiting on the tarmac, although now we are number twenty five for departure.

The second reason we would have pushed off the gate is the terminal is now filling up with passengers and the flight crew is under pressure to push the plane off the gate. This is an uncomfortable position to be in and prior to the long tarmac delay rule the Captain may have opted to get more gas and then taxi out because we know we are going to be waiting for a long time before takeoff and burning gas while we are waiting.

While we are waiting we are burning gas similar to a car’s engine idling. The one difference is that airliners have an auxiliary power unit (APU). The APU is a small turbine engine producing adequate electricity and air conditioning to allow us to shut down the engines. Normally we will taxi out to a position on the taxiway or tarmac and then shut down the engines using the APU for power and air conditioning therefore burning much less gas than the engines. On most of the jets I have flown, an airplane sitting with the engines shut down and the APU running will burn in 2 to 3 hours the same amount of gas as just one engine running for one hour or both engines running for thirty minutes. This is the reason why we normally shut our engines down if we know there will be a long delay.

Post Tarmac Delay Rule:

We normally will not leave the gate because the delay will be longer than the three hour limit imposed by the rule. This is good for business in the terminal because you will be spending more time waiting in the terminal instead of on an airplane. The only exception is if we feel that there is a compelling reason that we would be able to take off earlier. This is rare and the Captain would coordinate with both the airlines operations and ATC. This is now very rarely done because we don't want to risk our ability to get back to the gate within the three hour time limit and face large fines imposed by the new rule.

It might sound odd that we would have a problem getting back to the gate but if there are more planes on the airport taxiing than there are gates available we might me one of the unlucky ones unable to find a gate. This was more of a problem before the new rule which has for the most part been eliminated. Now we would not leave the gate if we think we will not be taking off in the next hour or two.

Scenario 2 - Delay at Destination While Taxiing To The Runway:

You board your flight from Memphis to Cincinnati and begin taxiing to the runway. The plane comes to a stop and the engines shut down and your thinking this is not good. The Captain makes an announcement that some weather has moved into the Cincinnati area and there is now a Ground Stop and there will be an update from ATC in two hours.

A Ground Stop to an airport is a delay issued by ATC to hold aircraft on the ground at their departure airports instead of letting them take off and hold in the air. This is both safer and more efficient since the plane on the ground will not be burning the extra fuel that we take along on every flight. This will also prevent the aircraft from diverting because if we hold long enough we will burn our reserve fuel and therefore not have enough to make it safely to our destination and divert. Therefore the Ground Stop is a good tool implemented by ATC.

There are times especially in the summer months when a storm will suddenly grow and then pass over the airport. They usually don’t last very long but arrivals to the airport must be stopped because landing while a thunderstorm is over the airport is not safe due to the high probability of wind shear. Wind shear is a sudden change in direction or speed of the wind which can be dangerous especially if the aircraft is close to the ground and there is not enough altitude to recover from the wind shear.

After waiting two hours we hear from ATC that the weather has moved away from the airport but we have an expected departure clearance time one hour from now. Since we have already been waiting two hours and one more hour would put us at the three hour limit we decide to go back to the gate and open the doors allowing passengers to deplane but we tell them that we are only going to be here for a few minutes since we have a departure time in one hour.

Another problem has arisen because if we are not off the ground in two hours from now we are going to “time out”. We use the term “time out” when referring to maximum duty times. The FAA mandates that pilots cannot be on duty more than 16 hours and we are now approaching that limit.

While sitting back at the gate ATC calls us and tells us that we can go if we can be ready in five minutes for takeoff. We tell ATC we need to get people back in their seats and then we will call them back. After fifteen minutes all passengers are on board and we are ready to go. We push back from the gate and begin to taxi when we get more bad news.

Another ground stop has been issued due to volume of planes flying into Cincinnati and we will get an update in two hours. This really isn’t our day. We tell ATC about our situation that we will time out in two hours and ask if they could try and put us at the front of the line if the ground stop is lifted. He reminds us that we could have taken off when he asked us before. We then remind the controller that we have new long tarmac delay rules which require us to go back to the gate. He says point taken.

After an hour of waiting we get some good and bad news. The ground stop is lifted but our departure time is in 90 minutes from now. We tell the controller we can only wait 60 minutes before we time out and if he can get us in earlier that would be great.

We reminded the controller 55 minutes later that we can only wait another 5 minutes. The controller comes back and says the best he can do is let us depart in 15 minutes. We tell him we will wait the 5 minutes and if any opening comes up please let us know so we can take off. The controller allows us to taxi to the end of the runway and wait just in case they can let us go early.

Five minutes goes by and the controller says that unfortunately he can’t let us take off early. We thank him for his help and ask to taxi back to the gate because we have reached our duty time limit. We get back to the gate and the flight is cancelled due to crew duty time.

Pre Tarmac Delay Rule:

We would have stayed out by the runway waiting for the chance to take off which in this scenario did happen. This would have prevented the flight from canceling.

Post Tarmac Delay Rule:

Most airlines will return to the gate well before spending three hours on the tarmac. This has lead to us missing an opportunity to depart due to changes in our wheels up time. In some cases early returns to the gate have caused cancellations.

The Good. The Bad. The Unpaid

The Long Tarmac Delay Rule has been successful in reducing the amount of time you will spend on the ground in an airplane. One negative affect of the new rule is that it has caused an increase in the number of flight cancellations. We as pilots know there is an increase but because of the difficulty in collecting data due to the nuances in the way delays are subject to real world conditions we may never see valid statistical data concerning cancellations. Especially since the total number of cancelled flights has not increased appreciably.

Data collection and reporting of such instances would be difficult but not impossible. For instance my second scenario would be reported to the Department of Transportation as a Cancellation due to the crew duty limits. It would be beneficial if we could see additional comments on the cancellations or more cancellation codes that reflect the real world situation. For example, in our scenario it would be better for our analysis if we could put comments on the “cancelation due to crew duty limits” with additional comments “crew determined if not complying with the long tarmac delay rules the flight would not have been cancelled”.

Pilots are now required to comply with the new Long Tarmac Delay rule which as I have show will in some cases cause a cancelled flight. Since pilots are mission oriented and want to complete the flight as originally planned it leads us to frustration and at times I hear from fellow airline pilots about the frustration because a flight was cancelled. But remember that not only is our mission to fly people safely we must also take into consideration the passengers’ comfort and resign ourselves to the fact that a flight cancellation is better for the passenger than sitting on the Tarmac for hours on end.

We only need to look towards the media, government, and the consumer protection organizations to realize the majority of passengers are happy with the Long Tarmac Delay Rule. So even though some flights are cancelled due to the new Long Tarmac Delay rule it would be rare to see any statistics showing a cancellation due to this rule because of the way the cancellation is recorded.

One more way the rule has affected flight crews is the loss of pay if the flight is cancelled. Flight crews are normally paid only when the door is closed and pushed back from the gate. Therefore, if we are delayed five hours and are parked at the gate we are not getting paid. Most airlines will pay the flight crew for their scheduled flight whether they fly the flight or not. There are some airlines that do not protect the flight crews pay if the flight cancels. For example if a flight crew member is scheduled to fly one hundred hours in a month and has a flight cancel which was five hours they will get paid for ninety five hours.

Conclusion:

The long tarmac delay rule has been a resounding success in limiting the number of hours passengers stay in the airplane on the taxiways. There also has not been an appreciable increase in overall flight cancellations. Many have interpreted this to mean there are no cancellations due to the new rule. As I have illustrated there are cancellations due to the rule. Until there is a methodology of measuring the nuanced decisions involved in making a decision to return to the gate we will not have a true statistical measurement of cancelations due to the long tarmac delay rule.

One of our readers sent us this scenario:

Departing Albert Whited Airport in St. Petersburg, Florida I receive the clearance “Cessna 1234X cleared for take off RW 18 turn eastbound after departure”.  During climb I hear tower call a Grumman and note in my mind a Grumman is up here somewhere.  The Grumman pilot responds. 

I take my turn to the east and about 10 seconds later I hear a call to a Grumman and start trimming and watching altitude.  I don’t hear the response from the Grumman and then I  hear the the tower call the Grumman again but I listen more attentively because I could tell the controller was trying to get the Grumman’s attention and he isn’t responding. While listening I hear the 1234X with the Grumman proceeding it.  I immediately call back with 1234X an politely remind the controller I am a Cessna not a Grumman.

The tower responds while laughing saying “well I got the last part right." He then gives me the clearance “Cessna 1234X contact Tampa Approach on 119.65."   The rest of the flight went as hoped but just learned lesson #3,520, controllers make mistakes and sometimes they laugh about them too. 

This scenario illustrates two important things to remember while you are flying. First, controllers are people and make mistakes just like us. So it is important to try and listen to all of the controllers transmissions and speak up if you hear an incorrect transmission or one you don't’ understand. This might save you or someone else’s life some day.

Secondly, If you are afraid of speaking on the radio you should take the time to talk to a controller face to face or take a tour of an air traffic control facility. I remember the first time I toured a tower and had my Wizard of Oz moment. When I got behind the curtain, control tower door in this case, I realized controllers are people just like me. Having this epiphany I began speaking to Air Traffic Control more as an equal than as if I was speaking to the all powerful OZ in the control tower.

As you gain experience listening to Air Traffic Control you will be able to process what they are saying quicker and will also be able to hear what is going on around you with more accuracy. A great tool for gaining experience and not spending money running the engine of your aircraft is by listening to Air Traffic Control with a hand held radio or listening on the internet at Live ATC.

For More Information:

Aviation Scanners and Radios from Sporty’s Pilot Shop

Aviation Scanners and Radios from PilotMall.com

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It was a typical rainy day in Newark and I was getting ready to board a flight to Tampa when I saw the crew for the flight and we started talking. One of the flight attendants is taking flying lessons and was describing her experience. The excitement in her description of her experience in learning to fly was invigorating.

After talking about learning to fly the captain mentioned he renews his CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) certificate every year but has not taught in decades. He then related how he was able to solo in only 8 hours which you never see these days. I told him the reason it takes longer to solo is there are additional requirements these days for solo including a presolo written.

The first officer looks at me and then the captain with a puzzled look and said it has always been that way and I flight instructed in the early nineties. The next sentence she caught herself as I could tell she was about to ask "how old are you?" but stopped mid sentence.

She then asked me what year the FAA change the rule because it was in effect when she received her license. I didn't know the answer but promised I would research the topic. It turns out a few months after I soloed in May of 1989 the FAA changed the rule.

The rule has been in effect since 1989 but it still amazes me when people still ask if they must take a presolo written because their instructor said they do not need to take " the written exam” before they solo. This is when I realized the confusion. I think instructors might be trying to tell their students they don't need to take the private pilot written exam before they solo, but I am hoping they stress that the presolo knowledge test is required. The private pilot written exam is the exam which must be completed before you can take your practical test and is administered by the FAA. The presolo knowledge is the exam your instructor or flight school gives you before you solo.

The Regulations

Part 61.87 states a student pilot must demonstrate satisfactory aeronautical knowledge on a knowledge test. The knowledge test must address the student pilot’s knowledge of:

Applicable sections of parts 61 and 91
Airspace rules and procedures for the airport where the solo flight will be performed
Flight characteristics and operational limitations for the make and model of aircraft to be flown.

The student's authorized instructor must administer the test and at the conclusion of the test, review all incorrect answers with the student before authorizing that student to conduct a solo flight

Tools for the Flight Instructor and Student

There are many commercially available course materials which include a presolo written exam in the curriculum so creating the knowledge exam has become easier. If you are a student wanting to prepare for the exam or if you are an instructor and don’t have a presolo written exam there are some available for free on the internet.

AOPA Air Safety Foundations Instructors Guide to the Presolo Written Exam is a great resource for instructors and for students preparing for the presolo written exam. Here is the link:

http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/sa04.pdf

Conclusion

I have noticed there is some confusion as to the requirement of a presolo written exam, most of which I see posted online. If you are a student pilot you must complete a presolo written exam administered by your flight instructor prior to solo flight. The instructor must review all of your incorrect answers prior to your solo flight and endorse your logbook.

For those of you wanting to get back into flight instructing after decades away from the right seat, this is just one of the many rules that have changed. By the way, don’t feel bad when pilots look at you strange when you say you never had to take a presolo written exam. Think of it as a sign of experience instead of a sign of old age. Oh and by the way you don’t have to teach spins prior to solo anymore.

Safe Flying!

For More Information:

CFR Title 14 Part 16.87

Student Pilot Guide

FAA Advisory Circular 61-65E Which includes a sample solo knowledge exam logbook endorsement.

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