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Some of us find it helpful to write down this stuff, and not depend on the magic in our hand or on the panel to figure it out, even if its published. We use to be able to write it on the chart, but nothing beats a pen/pencil and a paper pad.

Anytime we use a personal airplane as regular transportation, we risk running afoul of the weather, mechanical failures and other schedules. It can be done, and done safely, but doing so requires flexibility. In the end, youll likely be as punctual on the airlines or by driving, but it wont be as much fun unless you fly yourself.

Last year I read in a major aviation publication that lifting off in zero-zero conditions was one of the riskiest and dumbest decisions in all of flying. In late October 2014, I attended the annual convention of a major flying club, where I heard basically that same conversation and conclusion. If I had any hair on my shiny bald head, I would pull it out in frustration.

According to the FAAs Instrument Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-15B, The pilot of an aircraft, which is certificated for flight in icing conditions can safely operate in the conditions for which the aircraft was evaluated during the certification process but should never become complacent about icing. Even short encounters with small amounts of rough icing can be very hazardous. The pilot should be familiar with all information in the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) or Pilots Operating Handbook (POH) concerning flight in icing conditions and follow it carefully.

Lets take a quick look at what the FAAs Airplane Flying Handbook has to say when describing three of the performance maneuvers in the commercial pilots practical test standards.

For certified aircraft, the FAA permits major modifications via many regulatory pathways, but the two most common in the GA fleet are via a Form 337 or a supplemental type certificate (STC). A Form 337, Major Repair and Alteration (Airframe, Powerplant, Propeller, or Appliance) is the documentation required for one-off repairs or modifications to an individual airframe, engine or prop. Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) modifications are more of a blanket approval designed to cover an entire family of aircraft types.

In our February 2013 issue, we briefly discussed the late USAF Col. John Boyds famous OODA Loop, a decision-making process originally developed to assist fighter pilots in air combat training. We noted, Key to understanding and implementing the OODA Loop, according to Boyd, was the accuracy and rate with which we step through the decision-making process. If we fail to accurately assess our environment, we cant make effective decisions. If we fail to make those decisions quickly enough, external events will overtake us and also result in poor decisions. The OODA Loop is derived from the acronym formed by it’s four basic steps: observation, orientation, decision and action.

You want me to do what? You didnt say it aloud, but you may well have been thinking it when the controller directed, N12345, hold northeast of XYZ on the 050 radial, 20 DME fix, three-mile legs. Expect further clearance at 45 past the hour; time now 20 past the hour. A hold? Who holds anymore?

My 1954 Cessna 180 was mostly stock when I bought it. That didnt last long. I quickly added a STOL kit, wing extensions and bigger tires. As a result, the stall speed went down, useful load went up and, to a degree, the pilots operating handbook, POH, became a work of fiction because it no longer matches the actual airplane. This outcome is not uncommon.

Around 600 BCE, Lao Tzu quit a good government job to seek his fulfillment in nature. He summarized his resulting thoughts in the Tao Te Ching, which can be translated as something like The Way of Nature. Its central tenet is that wisdom can be achieved by accepting reality and its causes, and responding accordingly. Questioning or pushing back against nature causes disharmony. In essence, one must go with the flow of nature to avoid unhappiness.