Comments | willworker: Maybe I need me a new CFI

willworker

Maybe I need me a new CFI

Sep 12, 2010 17:20

So on preflight I noticed that the right fuel tank was completely topped off and the left, well, not. The fuel selector is generally left on "LEFT" when the airplane's on the ground. He just got back from a flight with another student. Now, I know some airplanes will suck from one tank more than the other, but the right tank was topped off-- the ( Read more... )

Comments 10

canis_ridens September 12 2010, 21:25:38 UTC

Er, yeah, I would agree with that. If your own cursory reading and additional info from even non-instructor pilots is saying that this guy is ignoring basic safety concerns, he's setting you up to be a small plane crash statistic.

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willworker September 13 2010, 00:38:52 UTC

First mention of it was about a week ago in said LJ.

As for flight training, be also aware of the Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft stuff-- came out in the '90s, and basically defines some fairly light weight 2-seat aircraft types flyable with only a driver's license for a medical and an abbreviated training course. Unlike the Recreational license, it's actually reasonably useful.

::needs to get his license so he can get his dad's airplane if he and his flying partner stop flying it:: :)

Steve

willworker September 13 2010, 00:39:44 UTC

Oh, and you can find new Light Sport aircraft for only the price of a sports car, rather than the price of a new house. :)

Steve

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Thread 5

I think the Chief flight instructor's going to get a call tomorrow. derhofnarr September 13 2010, 02:41:40 UTC

Yeah, I think that's a good idea. When I was at the age I was in this picture I thought the stall horn was just the coolest thing and associated it with the kind of "free-fall" feeling you get in your gut. There's a recording called "What Goes Up Must Come Down" by a former British Airlines pilot about what it's like to fly a Boeing 747. You might like it. I'm not sure if it's still in print. I have a partial copy on cassette. One of the bits was when he was describing a situation when a warning klaxon goes off due to a problem, and in his British accent asks "And what do you do then? Well, the first thing you do is turn off the bloody alarm!" There was another bit about looking both ways on the runway before take-off, and if you're at Tenerife . . . look twice. I'll see if I can look up the data on it - if you'd like me to make a cassette copy of what I have - or maybe burn it to CD? let me know.

Re: I think the Chief flight instructor's going to get a call tomorrow. willworker September 13 2010, 03:14:00 UTC

Ooh, that'd be kind of cool! And yes, when I'm doing skills with paramedics and the like, the first procedure at a code is to turn off the damned monitor alarms. Yes, I know the blood pressure's below the lower limit of normal-- THEY'RE DEAD! I'M WORKING ON IT! ::ding ding ding ding ding ding::

Huh, that is kind of neat. MP3/WMA and email it?

And www.airdisaster.com looks a lot cooler than the NTSB Accident Database I've been looking at. :)

Steve

Re: I think the Chief flight instructor's going to get a call tomorrow. derhofnarr September 13 2010, 03:53:40 UTC

MP3/WMA . . . umm - I'm kinda old-school . . . the alphanumerics look familiar but I've not a clue how to do a cassette tape transfer to that/those formats. I have a friend who can burn to a cd - he helped me take LPs of cardiac sounds -> cassettes -> CDs for jerseyjess

Re: I think the Chief flight instructor's going to get a call tomorrow. willworker September 14 2010, 01:43:44 UTC

Ahh. Had just figured a computer-readable format'd be easier, since then you could just email it rather than having to send a CD through the mail. I have means of playing any of the above, so as long as it's not microcassette or reel-to-reel, anything'd be fine. :)

Steve

katmerlin September 14 2010, 02:06:02 UTC

You'll make sure you have a different flight instructor next time, won't you?

Very smart of you to call your Dad after flights.

How much more training do you need to be licensed in some form? * curious *

May things be excellent with you over there, Steve.

willworker September 14 2010, 02:17:44 UTC

I will. Which basically amounts to "no more flight trainign for a while" since everyone else is crazy booked up (I guess because they all want competent CFIs, go figure) and my schedule's far from open.

Well, 2 hrs in an airplane's pretty minimal. :) For Sport, 30 hrs are required, but for the reasons above, it's probably a less ideal license. Private requires 40 minimum, but most people take closer to 60. I might be able to get in ahead of the curve, since I've spent a fair amount of time in my dad's plane to get familiar with some things.

I miss you!

Steve