EAA Sport Aviation - October 2011

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

From EAA’s Forums… Frank Giger, a self-described low-time sport pilot, started a discussion on EAA Forums called “Things I’ve learned about piloting.” Frank kicked it off with a number of his own favorite aviation aphorisms, and then asked other readers to chime in with theirs. Here are a few that we really liked:

There are no missed approaches, just practice ones, and they’re free.

Whenever two windsocks shall be placed on opposite ends of a runway they will disagree.

In Alabama in the summer, remember that reported gusting is to be applied vertically as well as horizontally.

Never assume others understand the difference between uncontrolled airspace and a post-apocalyptic world of anarchy where any pattern or approach is okay.

Keep your head on a swivel.

Slipping is good for the soul.

Whether or not one is truly lost on a cross-country is directly related to how much fuel is in the tank. If you have plenty, you’re just exploring alternate routes to your destination.

Birds have the right of way.

If you didn’t touch it, you didn’t inspect it.

A loose sectional on the kneeboard on preflight is going to be collected from the floor on post-flight.

Never write a freq or other information on the inside of the hand that holds the stick.

If you can’t remember if you turned the fuel off or not, you didn’t. Go back.

—Frank Giger

Below 10,000 feet with me at the controls, there are few exceptions to the sterile cockpit rule. But, “Hey, is that other plane supposed to be that close?” is one of them.

Never trust a mechanic who won’t go along with you on the test flight after a repair.

Just because you can understand the FAR, does not mean you should. This applies to design, construction, maintenance, operations, and all other aspects of flight.

Never design something in aviation for the best pilot you know.

Redundancy is your friend.

If you have the thought “I wonder if that’s going to be a problem,” it is, and you already should have started taking corrective action. —SteveInIndy

On my last flight with my instructor before my first solo in a C-152 a few years ago, he said, “Now remember, this plane has a lot of go-arounds, but just one ‘Oh sh*t.’”

—Matt Gonitzke

Anxiety is nature’s way of telling you that you’ve already goofed up.

—Bob Meder

“Clear prop” is not a suggestion.

If “You have the controls” is delivered as a question, the reason that your turns aren’t coordinated has been solved. —Frank Giger

Never take off if you have this
uneasy feeling in your stomach. Maybe
it’s just luggage left in the car, but then again, did I miss something in flight planning or
preflight? —Joe LaMantia