Aero-Tips!
A good pilot is always learning -- how many times have you heard
this old standard throughout your flying career? There is no truer
statement in all of flying (well, with the possible exception of
"there are no old, bold pilots.")
Aero-News has called upon the expertise of Thomas P. Turner,
master CFI and all-around-good-guy, to bring our readers -- and us
-- daily tips to improve our skills as aviators. Some of them, you
may have heard before... but for each of us, there will also be
something we might never have considered before, or something that
didn't "stick" the way it should have the first time we memorized
it for the practical test.
Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you
through the Aero-News Network.
Aero-Tips 10.01.06
Airmanship is a quality we all strive to achieve and display in
our flying. It's an unusual word, one without a common-use
definition outside the context of aviation. So what is meant by
"airmanship"?
Webster's defines (aren't these things always supposed to start
"Webster's defines...?) airmanship as "skill in piloting or
navigating airplanes." Not to slight our glider, lighter-than-air
or powered lift friends, we'll extend this definition to include
those aircraft as well.
But airmanship is not pass/fail. There are specific qualities
that define whether a pilot (or other crewmember) exhibits "skill"
in aircraft. The FAA's Airplane Flying
Handbook defines the qualities of airmanship in its
opening paragraphs-setting the tone for the entire publication
aimed at creating airmen and airwomen (I wholeheartedly believe in
equality, but still like the honorifics "aviator" and
"aviatrix").
The AFH says good airmanship includes:
- A sound acquaintance with the principles of flight,
- The ability to operate an air[craft] with competence and
precision both on the ground and in the air, and
- The exercise of sound judgment that results in optimal
operational safety and efficiency.
Prepare for every flight by asking yourself to honestly evaluate
your airmanship based on the three characteristics identified
above. Conduct your flights and make decisions en route taking into
account the airmanship reflected in your actions. End each flight
with a conscious post-brief to review areas and events when you
displayed good airmanship, and instances when you could have done
better-and will do better next time.
Aero-tip of the day: Strive to use good
airmanship, and evaluate every flight in terms of the airmanship
you display.