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How To Fly Twins
While the idea of ignoring the throttles and instead grasping the propeller levers on takeoff is intriguing, such a habit may be the wrong thing to do. While it is assumed that an aircraft is at full power during takeoff, it is important to note that not all aircraft use full power on departure. Therefore, it is wise for pilots to continue to push up the power to squeeze as much power out of the remaining engine as possible, resulting in a superior climb rate.

Another reason to test ones selection of which engine to secure by retarding the throttle is that this action provides one extra layer of safety, one extra hoop through which pilots must jump, to…

Got Game?
I just finished reading the article Big City IFR (July 2005). It was enjoyable and very timely. I recently took my F33A Bonanza into Chicago Midway (twice in two days). It was, well, an interesting experience.

I earned my Instrument ticket last fall and frequently travel into controlled airports within Class B, C and D airspace. But even with my experience at airports with high traffic volume, its just not the same as airports with high volumes of airliner traffic.

It was clear as I approached Chicago airspace that I was the small fish that was going to mess up everyones already busy day. It was obvious (and I somewhat expected it) that I would be worked int…

Turbines, Plus Cirrus
I disagree with many of the points in Are Turbines Safer? (June 2005). To start, the argument that turbines are prohibitively expensive to fabricate is no longer true. Widely available and relatively inexpensive CNC machining equipment is easily capable of the necessary precision. When/if small (200-300 hp) turbines are built in the same numbers as piston engines, the manufacturing costs will end up being very similar (greater precision, but fewer parts).

The author says replacing piston engines with turbines wouldnt help safety. The assertion is that a higher-performance engine will cause people to be in more accidents (weather, loss of control). As ad…

Planes, Or Pilots?
I read with great interest A Sober Look At Cirrus (April 2005). Im a Cirrus owner and decided to go through the NTSB accident data and look at the 30 reported Cirrus accidents. After reading these reports I conclude that the Cirrus aircraft is not the issue.

Of the 13 fatal accidents, 10 were pilot-related, two could be attributed to the pilot/controller and one remains undetermined. Seven of the fatal accidents involved IMC.

What can be concluded from this subjective analysis or the accident data? Statistically, it appears that a relatively high number of Cirrus pilots are getting into accidents, if the fleet hour estimates are accurate in the article….

Stuck On Top
I just read Stuck On Top (February 2005) and wanted to add the importance of taking as much fuel as possible (as long as weight is not a problem) whenever flying, no matter how short or long the flight. This gives more options in case you get stuck. Also related to this is properly leaning the fuel mixture, which will increase your range.

Alan Lawrence
Via e-mail

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Reckless Stupidity
In my view, Mr. Stephens self-described misadventure (Stuck On Top, February 2005) is one of the most egregious examples of reckless stupidity, pride and selfishness I have ever heard of. I am completely puzzled at your positive comments concer…

NTSB Summaries
Having just resubscribed after a several-year hiatus in flying, and having just received the February 2005 issue, I am disappointed in the sparse information included in the NTSB summaries of recent accidents. For example, the Canadair CL-601 accident at Montrose, Colo., makes no mention of the fact that the runway was in the process of being cleared, that only a 40-foot-wide section had been plowed, and that a four-inch-high berm of slush surrounded the cleared part of the the runway. The other runway at Montrose was also in the process of being plowed. There was no mention of the fact that the aircraft did get airborne but then struck a wing tip, which tore off…

Patterns, Tailwheels
I love the information quality and the casual yet serious writing style of your authors. In See And Avoid Works (January 2005), Tom Turner did a wonderful job of describing how to avoid running into our peers in the skies. However, he also did a good job of calling virtually every one of your readers a nonconformist idiot who flies a left-hand pattern when right turns are appropriate, or makes the hazardous straight-in. Who among us has not made the right-traffic mistake at some point (cmon, think about it)? Straight-ins may not be the wisest choice at some fields, but different situations warrant different actions. And in an emergency, anything goes…

Surveying Risk
I really enjoyed the risk assesment quiz (December 2004). It really generated a lot of thought and discussion on the Cessna Pilots Association bulletin board. I particularly liked the questions where you had to make a snap judgment. In my opinion, they are the more accurate measures of ones attitude towards risk, because you dont have time to try to add in details. (Okay, what kind of equipment am I flying? How much recent experience do I have?) You either like the situtation or you dont. Very effective.

My score was a 67, which I feel is very conservative for an ATP with 5000 hours. Keep up the good work.

Bob Thomason
Via e-mail

Bob…