8/17/2019 25 Tips to Be a Better Pilot

1/5

5/13/2016 25 Ti PS to be a better pi lot

to make you

better pilot

Budd Davisson

lane and ilot

As long as there have been pilots, there have been instructors, cum w riters, who ha ve been eager to develop

cure-all lists of the m agic ingredients required to becom e an ace aviator. And this is ano ther of those lists.

W hat's so special about this one? There isn't anything here that hasn't been included on many o f the self-

improvem ent lists, which have g one before. An d that's exactly wh at makes this one special, if not different.

The ba sic fact that so many of these "m ake yourself a better pilot" tips have been trotted out in hunt of

generation after generation of pilots says that instructors are finding m any of the same p roblems are passed

down through those generations. What w as true thirty years ago is still true today. Therefore, the concept

behind this list is simple: if you follow all

or most

of it, your skill will improve dramatically. It's no more

complicated than that and it never has been.

Yes, there are lots of other tips that could have be en included, but these will do for a starter:

Pay attention to wh at your butt is telling you

If you had to select just one skill area to improve, it would have to be coordination. Just knowing w hen and

how to use yo ur feet in keeping the ball centered would put you in the Lo p few percent of pilots who

'Ted

what the airplane is telling them through the seat of their pants. Keep ing the ball centered results in an airplane

that is more efficient and flies a given line m uch m ore precisely. if you can't feel it through y our posterior, at

least pay som e attention to the skid ball. A little time spent keeping the ball centered will pay big rewards.

The no se is talking too. Understan d what it is show ing you.

No se attitude is the primary instrument for airspeed control in light aircraft. The go - last

gage just repeats what

the nose told you a few secon ds earlier. The nose also tells you wh at the airplane is about to do next. If you

are always aw are of wh at the nose is do ing and can control it in all situations, you'll never get in trouble plus

you'll always have the right airspeed iiailed.

Understand the airplane's aerodynamics

M ost pilots have a basic know ledge of why an airplane flies, but few have spen t the small amount of time

necessary to truly understand the nuan ces that tie so ma ny aerodyn amic factors together into that fantastic

thing we call flight. It's not necessary you b ecome an aero engineer. Just having a han dle on the effects of

angle of attack as well as the ramifications of the way control surfaces chang e the camb er of the wing and tail,

would put you m uch more in touch with the machine.

ht tp :1 lwwairbum conVart ic les/Art icle25Tips ht rn l

15

8/17/2019 25 Tips to Be a Better Pilot

2/5

5/13/2016

5 Ti PS to be a better pilot

For accurate landings fixate on the runw ay num bers in the windshield

The run way n umbers talk to you all the w ay dow n final, but, as you get just a little closer, they literally start

screaming at you. They are constantly telling you where the airplane is going to touchdown on the runway. If

the numbers are visually moving towards you (do wn the windshield), you are going to go over them. If they

are moving aw ay from yo u (up the windshield), you'll be short. The goal is to keep the numbers stationary in

the windshield or drifting down slightly. If you keep the num bers stationary, you w on't actually hit them,

which isn't the goal anyway, but you'll come over them at a reasonable height and your flair will carry you no

more than 500-700 feet past them (if you're on speed). The goal here is to know where the airplane is going

to touch down and co ntrol that touchdow n point, rather than just accepting what happens.

Be precise

Precision in flying spells the difference between flying an airplane in a specific manner and flying it in an

approximate way. We want the airplane to go exactly where we want it to go and the only way w e can do

that is by striving for exactitude in ou r airspeed, altitudes and positions. Tithe glide speed in the P OH , for

instance, is 85 mph, that doesn't mean 8

3

mph or 88 mph. A n altitude is supposed to be a given number, not

within a hundred-foot range. O kay, so none of us is ever exactly on the num ber, whatever it represents, but,

if we don't try for "exact" we're always going to get "approx imate" and that's not the way an airplane is

supposed to be flow n. This is a basic attitude that permeates everything you do in aviation and the pay-off for

trying to be exact is enormo us.

Be smooth make love to the airplane

Airplanes really react to pilots who caress them rather than poke at them in an irritating fashion. O kay, so

may be "react" is too strong of a w ord, but an airplane that is being guided in a sm ooth fashion is an airplane

that is Jar less likely to find itself in the wrong p lace. The very act of being smo oth means that all changes of

attitude, power and con figurations are made via a whole bun ch of tiny nudges w hich are knitted together into

a big change rather than being on e big change d one all at one time. If you are g ently nudging the airplane into

position, the chances of over- shooting that position drop to alm ost zero and yo u'll have an airplane that

seenis to magically always be w here its supposed to be in the configuration it is supposed to have.

Under stand *hat plan ahead actually m eans for each flight situation

If a student hears the phrase "plan ahead" once, he or she hears it a thousand times. Unfortunately, once the

license is issued, there isn't anyone left to repeat that all-important phrase. S o, we sho uld be m entally saying it

to ourselves. W e should also realize that it m eans diflrent things at different times. It's obvious that planning

is necessary for fuel stops. Maybe it 's not so obvious that on downw ind you need to look ahead and plan

whe re you're going to put base leg and w here the flaps will come out. At the same time, you need to be

assessing the effects of the wind and how you're going to rnodiIi the various parts of the approach. The sam e

thing is true in all other phases of fight; you need to have your head well out in front of the airplane at all times.

If flying less than 35 hours a year make each flight a learning experience

It's a given that every flight of your aviation career should be an attempt to m ake it better than the last one.

How ever, ifyou aren't flying regularly, it's necessary that each flight include factors that w ill help you maintain

your proficiency. Even if you're just going over for a ham burger, plan the flight to include a couple of different

types of landings (short field, soft field), make at least one landing a touch and go so you can get m ore

landings in the hou r. Even if it's just a short fight to a local field, check yo ur takeoff time and work out an

ETA in your head. D o as mu ch as you can o n each flight to stretch your limits and maintain your proficiency.

Don't just go out there and drone around learning nothing.

http://wwairbum.conilarticlesIArticle25Tips.htnil

/5

8/17/2019 25 Tips to Be a Better Pilot

3/5

5/13/2016

5Tips to be a better pilot

Make your landings m ore accurate

Mak e it a personal goal that you will always try to touch dow n in the first 6 00- 800 feet of a runway,

regardless of how lon g it is. The go al is to be com fortable landing on a 2,000- foot runw ay. Ifthe average light

airplane touches dow n short of 800 feet, it will need little or no brak ing to stop in w hat's left of 2,000 feet.

We 're not looking for carrier landings that hit the numbers every time. Just come o ver the numbe rs at a

reasonable height and on-speed and 2,000 feet (the shortest length com mon ly seen) wifi be a no-brainer.

Read Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langwieche at least tsice

Langwieche's classic flight training book is a IiaIfcentury- oId and, as such, it is sometimes quaint in its

verbiage and term s, but it is dead-on in its approach to basic aviating. It's a must-read for anyon e who w ants

to know how to actually fly an airplane, as opposed to d riving it.

Take at least an hour of dual once a year

Everyo ne, regardless of how m uch they fly, gets sloppy or develops bad habits. That's the theory behind the

BFR airline flight checks and other recurrent check programs. But, two years is a long tine. W hy not go out

with an instructor once a year, because it's an "unofficial" flight there will be no pressure to "p ass." Focus on

pattern work, since flying the pattern takes every aspect o f your flying skills, except navigation, and bundles

them together.

Say RPM altitude attitude pattern to yourself every thirty seconds

This is an old instructor's mantra that is to be repeated constantly through ou t any flight as a form of m ental

scanning. RP M m eans check the pow er. Altitude is obvious. Attitude, where is the nose and w hat is it telling

you? Pattern, what is your ground track and how does it relate to where you really want to go? K eep saying

A and it'll develop a continuing scan that keeps the airplane exactly wh ere you w ant it.

Land on str ange airports just for practice

If you fly a minim um am ount a year and stay in the local area, it's easy to become "airport-specific." You 're

so used to your ow n airport that new ones feel strange. The w ay to handle that is to actively seek out new

airports. Maybe m ake it a goal to land on every airport in your county, state or local area. The m ore strange

airports you have under your belt, the more it expands your overall skill and adaptability. And, of course,

you're going to touchdow n in the first 600-800 feet, right?

Put yourself in airplane m ode before leaving hom e

Do n't jump into your car, scream o ut to the airport and strap into the airplane without giving the flight some

forethought. If necessary, after parking at the airport, sit in the car for a m inute or two an d try to push

everything out of your mind b ut airplanes. Then, after you've strapped in, do the same thing again and m ake

sure you are focused on flying an d aren't letting life's distractions pull you r brain in o ther directions. lf, at that

point, you can't focus, get out of the airplane and come b ack to fly on another da y. If your head isn't into the

game , don't walk onto the field.

Take three ho urs o f acrobatic instruction

You d on't have to plan on challenging Patty W agstafl but acrobatic training will make yo u a better, more

confident, safer and more aw are pilot. No, it won't help you, if that 747 flips you on your bac k, but having

the training means yo u'll correct before the 747 gets you in that position. Besides, it's an enorm ous am ount of

tim and it may open up a whole new arena to you.

http://wwairbum.com articlesIArticle25Tips.htnil /5

8/17/2019 25 Tips to Be a Better Pilot

4/5

5/13/2016 5 Tips to be a

better pilot

Challenge the nastiest crossw ind you can find with an Instructor

Crossw inds are everyone's big buggaboo. So, look the dem on right in the face and go out with an instructor

to fly in winds that are right on the ed ge of the airplane's envelope. You'll be am azed w hat you find.

Visualize all flight paths

In the pattern and on cross-country be aw are of your ground track an d constantly visualize the path you want

the airplane to fly. Then, m ake it fly that exact path.

Get a tailwhe el endorsem ent

Like aerobatics, this isn't a real necessity, but you w on't believe m uch it improves your flying skills. It also

opens the do or to flying some really neat airplanes, both old and new . And, again, it's lots of ftin.

Get an instrum ent ticket

Even if you never plan on using it, getting an instrument ticket teaches you precision and gives you a better

understanding of the entire airway system. Ho wever, if you do get the ticket, either use it a lot or don't use it

at all. It's not the kind of skill that you ignore for a year or two and then decide to use.

Mak e at least every third landing a touch and go.

There is no such thing as making too many landings. Landing s teach you everything you need to know about

flying an airplane. So, as often as possible, double up on your landings and m ake them a touch and go. it puts

another five minutes in your log book and increases you r proficiency another notch.

Be aware of holes in your knowledge

Periodically we all see som ething we don 't totally understand, whether it's weather, technology, techniques or

whateve r. If you get that uneasy feeling that you don't know the answ er, look it up. Unan swered q uestions

are the ones that can sometimes cause us heartburn.

Include a POH in the stack of bathroo m literature

There are times in life when no one ca n reasonably expect you to be wo rking or in a hurry. Take advantage

of the moment. Carpe comm odium.

Make one out of five landings a short or soft field

Although few folks actually have need of sho rt or soft field techniques, just practicing them hones you r landing

skills in every way possible.

Land on runways much shorter than your norm

W hile 2,000 feet actually isn't that short, to some folks it looks that wa y. So, get an instructor who is

shortfield savvy and go land on the sho rtest runways you can Jind. There's no sub stitute for the real thing.

Pick out geographic features and fly to them.

As Bo y Scouts, we learned to navigate in the wood s by taking sightings with the compass. This included

picking out a tree or rock which lay on our compass heading and w alking towards it where we took another

sighting. W e can fly airplanes the same w ay. Get it on course and look over the nose. Pick out something you

know is where you w ant to go and go there. It 's not as sophisticated as keeping your nose stuck to the GPS ,

but you don't have to worry ab out batteries dying either.

Is this a complete list? No way It's impossible to compile a list that covers each and every aspect of flying.

http://wwairbum.conilarticles/Article25Tips.htnil

/5

8/17/2019 25 Tips to Be a Better Pilot

5/5

5/13/2016

5 Tips to be a b et te r p i lo t

But, this is a good place to start. Besides, by the time y ou've worke d your w ay through all of these, you will

have adde d a bunch of you r own to the list. So, enjoy

http://wwairbum.comfarticles/Article25Tips.htnil /5