We’ve all heard many times that aircraft can stall in any attitude and at any speed. What’s seldom mentioned, however, you can recover from a stall in any attitude too — given enough airspeed. If this seems immaterial, or even dubious, read on.
Read MoreOn my very first flight lesson I got a half hour of solo time before receiving any dual… honest! It was too windy at first so my instructor settled me in the front seat and showed what the stick and pedals do, then said, “Don’t take off without me,” and walked away.
Read MoreEver since the popular advent of bungee jumping, many who inquire about gliders seem to equate these entirely unrelated activities as similar ways to fling themselves into space and take their chances. Some also needlessly fear both games, exposing fundamental misunderstanding of each.
Read MoreAmong the more peculiar of my many defects is willingness to admit mistakes as if unabashed by them — just imagine the faux I’ve pass’d that even I’m too vain to reveal! One fiasco I always mention to student pilots is my worst landing ever
Read MoreWay back in the early Eighties my eagerness for any chance to fly any glider got me involved in several lengthy aero tows ferrying planes I’d never seen before from one unfamiliar place to another. Those summer afternoons trended bumpier by the hour, predictably, and one time about halfway along I noticed the port wing of that particular 2-33 flexing much more than…
Read MoreLike most primary students I was in a hurry to get past the private pilot check ride ASAP. Summer was almost over, and after all the yakking I’d done at work, a long winter without that paper in my wallet would have been unbearable. Was I ready?
Read More
