Wanted: Earlier Go-Arounds, More Go-Arounds
how complacency can erode safety margins

Teaching / / ,

I didn’t have ‘runway excursion’ on my personal bingo card for 2024. Some of the reasons it happened were pretty mechanical, like my student needing more right rudder in landing. Some are more subtle, like complacency and not adjusting to changing circumstances.

What I (and hopefully now others) learned from this experience is how we can unconsciously erode our safety margins.

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Wanted: Earlier Go-Arounds, More Go-Arounds
how complacency can erode safety marginsRead More »

How to Leverage a Simulator for Flight Training
using a simulator for private pilot training while avoiding the drawbacks

Tools / / , , , , ,

There’s significant debate on how much, or even if, a student pilot should use a simulator for flight training.1 They are a fun and inexpensive way to practice, but they can build bad habits.

This post highlights a few private pilot lessons where a flight sim can be beneficial, and a few areas where it can be problematic.2

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How to Leverage a Simulator for Flight Training
using a simulator for private pilot training while avoiding the drawbacksRead More »

6 HITS: Beautiful Practice Approaches of Minnesota and Wisconsin
handy circuit of practice approaches for a trip around Minnesota and Wisconsin

Travel / / , , , , , , ,
Practice Approach into Sky Harbor

My colleague1 Edward Abraham and I departed from California to Minnesota in N81034 to train for our CFI-I ratings.2 We laid out a training program to test our CFI-I syllabus, including a day of practice instrument approaches.

These practice approaches were chosen for challenging variety, interesting destinations, and efficiency when stringing several together.

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6 HITS: Beautiful Practice Approaches of Minnesota and Wisconsin
handy circuit of practice approaches for a trip around Minnesota and WisconsinRead More »

How to Convert Knots to MPH, and More Unit Magic
using conversion factors to change units and confirm results

Math and Physics / / , , ,

The boring way to convert knots to mph is to multiply knots by 1.15.1 But this skips over some awesome unit magic.

Specifically, we can use conversion factors to change between related units. Let’s look again at how to convert knots to mph.

Suppose you’re traveling at v\ \text{knots}=v\ \frac{\text{nautical miles}}{\text{hour}}. Then,

    \[v\ \frac{\cancel{\text{nautical miles}}}{\text{hour}} * \frac{1.15\ \text{miles}}{1\ \cancel{\text{nautical miles}}} = v * 1.15\ \frac{\text{miles}}{\text{hour}}} = v * 1.15\ \text{mph}\]

Did You Just Cross Out the Units?

I did! This is called a conversion factor,2 and is based on the principle that anything multiplied by 1 equals itself. It is an easy way to convert between units, and allows us to solve a variety of aviation problems.

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How to Convert Knots to MPH, and More Unit Magic
using conversion factors to change units and confirm resultsRead More »

The Lost Airports of California’s Bay Area
locations of 60 historic Bay Area airports with several georeferenced airport images

History / / , , , , , , ,

Given its rich aviation history, from early experiments in lighter-than-air flight to the modern Fleet Week1, it’s no surprise there are old Bay Area airports waiting to be discovered.

What I didn’t understand, until finding this incredible resource by Paul Freeman2, was just how many airfields there used to be. With Paul’s blessing, I created this map of 60 airports in the areas of San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, and Monterey.3

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The Lost Airports of California’s Bay Area
locations of 60 historic Bay Area airports with several georeferenced airport imagesRead More »

10 Important Figures on the Instrument Knowledge Test
info about figures that are likely to appear and may be easy points

Knowledge Test / / , , , , ,

It turns out there is only a handful of figures on the instrument knowledge test that:

  1. Are likely to be asked about, and
  2. Could be easy points on the test.

These are the 10 figures I believe are worth a closer study.

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10 Important Figures on the Instrument Knowledge Test
info about figures that are likely to appear and may be easy pointsRead More »

How to Pass the Instrument Written Test
an approach to preparing for and taking the knowledge test

Knowledge Test / / , , , , ,

Update: The r/flying community strongly recommended using Sheppard Air to prepare for the instrument written test. I can’t personally recommend the software, but wanted to pass on the tip to future readers.

I had only planned to write about the figures in the testing supplement1, but two experiences on the instrument written test motivated a second post.

  1. I was much more stressed than I expected during the test. This testing strategy helped me avoid (several) silly mistakes.
  2. My approach seemed to work! I only missed two answers (97%) on the final test.

It’s useful to break preparing and testing into three stages.2

  1. Months Before ~ Learn the Material
  2. Weeks Before ~ Find and Fill Knowledge Gaps
  3. Night/Day Of ~ Make the Most of Test Day
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How to Pass the Instrument Written Test
an approach to preparing for and taking the knowledge testRead More »

Learn ForeFlight the Easy Way: With a Flight Simulator
a collection of simulator resources to build proficiency with ForeFlight

Tools / / , , , , ,

The best time to learn ForeFlight is on the ground. With a bit of practice, you can safely leverage its many features while flying. (And avoid figuring them out in the air!)

This post collects together several resources on how to connect and use ForeFlight with a flight simulator.

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Learn ForeFlight the Easy Way: With a Flight Simulator
a collection of simulator resources to build proficiency with ForeFlightRead More »

How to Upgrade Your Personal Task Management System
an approach to keep daily and weekly tasks focused on your priorities

Productivity / / , , , , , ,

I found this task management system useful as an Engineering Manager and Program Manager at Apple, as a student pilot, and now as I study to teach others how to fly. It helps align tasks with priorities, then focus on completing them efficiently.

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How to Upgrade Your Personal Task Management System
an approach to keep daily and weekly tasks focused on your prioritiesRead More »