The Eastman Method

Last week I read an article in CFI-to-CFI by Rod Machindo, about something called the Eastman method (by him).  Now Rod likes to write funny things, and much of what he write is not to be taken seriously.  But this was about a gentleman called - wait for it - Eastman, who built his own single seat airplane many years ago and taught himself how to fly it.

Yes, a single seater.  Illegal nowadays, but back then just following in the Wright brothers tradition.  So what Mr. Eastman did was to taxi slightly faster each time, until the airplane just started to fly, then he'd land it and taxi back.  That way he learned to land at the same time that he learned to fly, and by the time he gave it full power and took off around the pattern, he already knew how to land.

Student P has been ready to solo for the past 5 hours, but he's been unable to conquer landings.  At about 50 feet his careful co-ordination goes to pot, the nose starts to wander left to right, up and down, and he gets too slow and levels out too high and lands with a thump thump thump, and no matter what I say he doesn't get it.  So then we take off and 10 minutes later we've flown 8 miles around the pattern for 10 seconds of thump thump thump.

It wasn't working.

So last Saturday morning, P and I headed north to Grayson County airport, now known as North Texas Regional.  KGYI has a 9,000 ft runway, and a cooperative control tower.  I called the tower 10 miles out, and at 5 miles asked if we could do multiple touchdowns on each approach using the length of the runway.  "Sure!" they said.  "Cessna xyz cleared for the option runway 35 Right!"

Our first approach we did 4 touchdowns and used 8,000 feet.  They weren't good apart from the first one.  The rapid transitions were too much for poor P.   The next time around we got 3, which worked better, as I handled the take offs and handed controls back to P at about 30 or 40 feet.  The third time around we'd worked out the procedure.  He did all the landings, then I would take over, keeping the flaps down I would add power, climb to 30 feet and accelerate to normal landing speed.  Then I'd hand him the controls in a more normal configuration of speed, height and flaps.

By the end of 90 minutes, we'd done more than 20 touchdowns, and P was handing them like a pro.  Next step, SOLO!!

The keys for any CFI or student - allow about 3,000 for each touchdown, roll and take off (3 was comfortable on the 9,000 foot runway, using 7,000 ft and departing with 2,000 ft remaining; 4 was not).  The CFI should do the funny/weird stuff like taking off in landing configuration and only expect the student to do the actual landing.  Once airborne, the CFI should accelerate the aircraft to normal approach speed before handing over control - not doing that sets up the plane for a nose high, slow speed mush to the ground.  And find a place with a cooperative tower or a quiet uncontrolled field.

Thank you, Mr Eastman, and Mr. Machindo.  P thanks you too!

Winter Blues

I suppose I can't really complain.  I don't live (now) in Boston, where they have record snowfall.  I don't live in the midwest, where it's so cold that engines have to be pre-heated, and some people with north facing hangars can't get their airplanes out because the doors are frozen shut.  I've never had to learn how to land on snow covered runway.

The "normal" North Texas winter weather is clear skies and temperatures in the 50s and 60s, followed by a "Blue Norther", an arctic cold front that sweeps down, and drops the temperatures to around freezing for a day or two.  The front may drop some rain, or it might be freezing rain or snow.  But after a day or two or three, it will all be gone, and we will have very clear, deep blue skies with a decreasing north wind.  Then the wind will shift back to the normal southerly flow, and it will warm up for about 7 to 10 days.  Then the cycle starts again.

So our winters often have the best flying weather of the year.  No severe storms (apart from ice storms), few strong thermals, and great visibility.  We even get the novelty of occasionally taking off facing North!

But not this year.

Several of my existing students have dropped off the face of the Earth.  I don't know if D is flying much - he's signed off to solo and close to being ready to take his test, has his own Cessna 172, and I don't expect to hear from him until his 90 day sign-off expires in April.  A is flying his Bonanza from Addison, I think mostly with buddies acting as safety pilot - or more likely with this weather not flying much at all.  R is elsewhere.

I started a new student in February "P".  P has picked up flying very rapidly, his dad flew in the air force and he grew up on USAF bases, he's always dreamed of learning to fly, and now in his 30's he's decided to do it (about the same age I was).  With less than 10 hours of instruction, he's already flying complete patterns without my intervention, and making OK (not yet good) landings.  We've done all the airwork (stalls, turns, instrument flight) and most of the ground reference stuff (square patterns around a field, circles around a point) except S-turns.  He's not good yet, but he's well ahead of where most students are with his hours.

The problem is the weather.  We're hitting about 50% of scheduled lessons, with the constant low clouds and intermittent rain.  We even flew a few times in MVFR weather - legal, but only just.  I generally prefer more margin, because I generally have it.  I'm not saying at all that we were unsafe, just that the normal winter weather here is so good that weather margins are usually a no-brainer.  I don't have to check ceilings and calculate cloud clearances in the pattern to see if they fit the definitions for VFR - when it's CAVU, there's no issue to be concerned about.

I can't wait for spring!

2014 - miles under the wings

Frequent blogger Gary just posted his year in review (http://gmflightlog.blogspot.com/2014/12/2014-in-review.html), which inspired me to do likewise:


Total time in 2014 (so far) - 88 hours.

Not so hot this year, although I might make 100 hrs by December 30th.  I had planned a trip to Las Vegas in September that fell thorough, the only other long cross countries were to and from Wisconsin, and to bring back the Cessna from North Carolina.  But my total time is now pushing 900 hrs, with over 200 of those as an instructor.  I've now given more instruction time than I've received (about 150 hrs)!  Since those 200 instruction hours were paid for my others, I suppose I could claim that my own flying instruction is now fully paid for - and that's something to smile about :)

Next year, I hope to top 1,000 total hrs!  That's my goal. 

January to March
Not much to talk about.  I flew my Bonanza 10 times, and shot three instrument approaches.

April to June
Formed a new Texas LLC (S&P Aviation), and seeded it with enough cash to buy a trainer, a Cessna 150 which I bought in Asheville NC.  I had a memorable flight to bring it back to Texas, flying IFR over the Smoky Mountains at 7,000 ft Westbound. The rest of the way was low and slow over the Tennessee and Arkansas flat-lands.  As part of the deal I gave an IPC to the seller.  No other instruction.

July to September
Took on a new student "J" who is planning to start his instrument training using my 150, and prior student "D" got his 172 back in the air after a major engine overhaul.  He and I did 10 hours of high power, mostly cross country flying to get his piston rings seated properly, and after some pattern work I signed him off to solo again.  "J" and I also flew the Bonanza to Oshkosh, a first for both of us.  I planned on flying the Bonanza to Las Vegas, but weather made me fly commercial instead.  The Bonanza also got it's annual in August.

October to December
Between J continuing to build hours, and new students "R" and "A", S&P aviation actually became profitable.  I did an IPC for "T" in his Bonanza, and once "A" got his G36 Bonanza airworthy we've started flying in that.  I used my Bonanza 3 times to fly my daughter to and from college in Arkansas.  Meanwhile, student R is flying my 150 and looking for a good 182.

Fly in the ointment: All through 2012, 2013 and most of 2014 I've been my own boss, working as an independent consultant able to schedule my own time. At the beginning of December 2014, I started working as an employee of a consulting company in Dallas (my wife is happy about the benefits), so my time is not my own.  I've made arrangements with an independent CFI to share the load and have her fly with my students when I can't due to work commitments.

What I have learned is that I can create a successful flying business, as long as my expectation is just that it will pay for itself and generate a little income on the side.  I've also learned that I can create a successful consulting business, something to consider down the road a bit.

Two More

"R" works in construction.  His family own a construction business and normally live a thousand miles East of Dallas, but happen to be here for 6 months on a contract.  His previous flying experience has been piloting his family's Cessna 337 SkyMaster with instruction from his Dad, but he just bought a Cessna 182 Skylane.

"A" is a retired tennis pro from an aviation family in West Texas.  He took the compressed private course from a local part 141 school at Addison airport (KADS), and takes his test today.  He just bought a G36 Bonanza, and wants me to transition him to high performance and complex aircraft, especially the Bonanza.  Then he will decide if I'll teach him instruments, or if he'll stay with the flight school to get it done faster.  Speed is more important than cost to him.

I've been flying with R in my 150.  He wants to get his private done while he's working in the DFW area, with little to do in the evenings and weekends.  As all of his experience has been in high performance aircraft, he's having to learn about precision use of the controls.  A SkyMaster will climb at a variety of pitch attitudes and speeds, but the 150 wants 77 mph plus or minus 10, or it won't climb at all.  The SkyMaster has very little "p factor" due to the twin engines rotating in opposite directions, and has the power and speed to line up with the runway without using the rudder much.  Not so with the 150, which is very light and needs good footwork on the rudders.

Other than that, R is almost ready to solo - once he gets his student license and medical.  His family seems to play a little looser than I like with the rules.  He didn't actually need them before going solo, but I've never heard of anyone that advanced in his training not having them already.  Once he solos in my 150, we'll move over to the 182 and use that for his cross countries and preparation for taking the test.

A is a very precise pilot pilot already.  We flew in my Bonanza last Saturday, and after some pattern work which he picked up very quickly (the speed and number of checklist items can be over-whelming at first), we did emergency procedures.  He was a bit shocked at how much more violent a high performance stall is compared to a trainer, and by how poorly a heavy, high performance airplane glides, but that's the reason for the training.  You can't assume one airplane flies like any other.  The good things about him are how quickly he learns, and that he is not afraid.

"D" has been my student for over a year.  In late 2013 he was almost ready to take his private license test when the engine in his Cessna 172 Skyhawk decided it needed an overhaul.  In the late summer of this year his airplane was ready to fly again, and after a few hours I signed him off to solo.  We've done 80 hours together and he's still not ready to take the test - he is a bit fearful and learns slowly.  He's more than twice as old than either R or A, and I think that slows him down a lot. 

Breaking Through

October is a break through month.  The little Cessna 150 masquerading as a T-51, the slowest warbird on the field achieved a milestone this month, finally paying for itself thanks to new students.

J. is an 18 year old who graduated from high school last spring, and used a financial windfall to get his private pilot license over the summer.  He started at the local community college this fall, and plans to become a professional pilot.  I wish I'd had his drive and commitment at his age.

Following his PPL, J wants to start on instrument training, and use my little 150 to build time.  We did about 3.5 hours in the Cessna for transitioning into the new airplane (he learned using Piper Sport Cruisers, a Light Sport Aircraft or LSA).  The 150 is slightly too heavy to count as an LSA, but flies similarly with like speeds and performance.  I also used the 150 or my own purposes, and paid the LLC that owns it a dry rental rate.  The combined income well exceeded the costs for the month, and paid for the annual inspection and minor repairs it needed.

So it's moving to the big airport at McKinney (KTKI) next month, where although the tie down cost is more, the runways are better for students and the nice FBO more comforting and comfortable than the rat shacks at T31.  And two more students have said they'll start flying with me in November.  It looks like S&P Aviation and N61EA are lifting off!

Oshkosh - B'Gosh Part II

To follow up - this is what happened.

I flew from Dallas to Dubuque (KBDQ) with a fuel stop in Kansas City Downtown (KMKC) on Thursday 7/31, an easy 2.5 hrs plus 1.5 hrs, and stayed in a decent Holiday Inn downtown with a free shuttle ride to and from the airport.

On Friday morning, I took off from Dubuque at about 8am, and an hour later flew the RIPON/FISK VFR arrival at 2300 ft and 135 kts. The other choice was 1,800 ft and 90 kts.  I debated about which speed and altitude to use, but just ahead of me a cub on the low arrival reported he couldn't maintain 90 kts, and I decided to stay high.

Approaching FISK along the railroad tracks, the controller asked the "low wing 1/2 mile from Fisk please rock your wings", which I did, and he asked to make an immediate right turn East to follow the road. I was surprised not to be called a Bonanza with the distinctive V-tail, and I wasn't sure he was talking to me until I rocked the wings and he acknowledged.

I landed on 36R, really a taxiway, and as instructed kept my speed up to the end. With the big VAC sign printed from the online NOTAM PDF in the window, I got clear taxi guidance from the marshals, and ended up in row 68 (near the center of the field). I talked to others (including a couple from Ohio who won an award for their spotless 1958 (M35?) V-tail), and those who arrived mid week had problems getting parked, and ended up on the far south end. I was very close to the Machine Shop concessions, parked in a triangular shaped area filled with Staggerwings and Cessna taildraggers.

It took about an hour to get the tents set up and the airplane staked down (using flyties - an easy and secure product), and then I started wandering. I got back to my tie down in time for a late lunch, and watched the Friday airshow under intermittent rain and an occasional distant flash of lightening. The best parts - the V-22 Osprey and the USAF Thunderbirds.

Saturday had brilliant blue skies and hotter temps, but nothing compared to Texas. I bought a vented EAA hat with a round brim to protect against the sun, waited in line for an hour to get a ride around the grounds in a Bell 47D helicopter, and enjoyed another Thunderbirds show, this time the high show (with climbs up to 15,000 ft). The fireworks capped the day off nicely.

My plan was to stay until Monday morning, but work pressures and 50-60% likelihood of stormy weather on Monday made me decide to leave on Sunday morning. It took less than 30 minutes to get packed up ready to go, and at 10am I started the engine and joined a long line of taildraggers taxiing alongside 18R. After taking off on the left side of the wide runway, I overtook the gaggle easily, despite keeping the power down to 19" and the altitude less than 1300 ft until clear of the class D airspace.  Once clear I advanced the throttle to 100% and climbed to 8,500 ft.

My take-aways - Despite the intimating super long NOTAM, and all the war stories I hear, as long as you are on the ball Oshkosh isn't that hard to safely navigate. Thousands do each year (I kept telling myself). Study the NOTAM and make crib notes (I laminated the VFR arrival NOTAM on the backside of my "VAC" parking card for the window, and highlighted the frequencies and routes). Arrive if you can late morning - many people leave starting at 6am and by 10am departures are in full swing, and favorable parking spots will have opened up. Food choices are ample but monotonous - burgers, chicken tenders, hot dogs and fries, fries, fries. Vintage parking is close to the show, but N40 parking is closer to shops and has better bathroom and shower facilities. Taking off is easy, but once again read the NOTAM and know the routes.

You don't have to be some kind of aviation savant to safely fly into and out of Oshkosh, but you do need to be prepared and know and follow the procedures.

The flight back was interesting - bad weather over Kansas City led to a diversion to KVIH (Rolla National) in Missouri for a fuel and potty break, followed by skirting a developing line of storms on the climb out.  I was able to stay VFR (although I debated about asking for IFR), but climbed to 12,500 to stay above the developing cumulus.  After almost an hour up there I noticed a marginal deterioration in mental faculties, although not too much, despite the density altitude being almost 14,500ft.  The pulse-oxometer was showing 84%, and that seems to be about my limit, as well as being the FAA limit for extended flight..  


I'll be back at Oshkosh next year!

Oshkosh, B'gosh!

After 30 years of flying (albeit with long ground-bound periods at times), it's finally time, and I'm going to Oshkosh at the end of July.

For those who don't know, Oshkosh is the largest, busiest airshow in the world.  What makes it busy is that unlike most airshows this is one that you fly to.  The airport is littered with hundreds of private planes parked all over the place.  It started as a gathering for home builders (and still maintains some of that flavor), but grew into a celebration of all private flying.

https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure

And the sheer size or AirVenture, to give it it's proper name is daunting.  There is apparently (and I say apparently because I'm still learning this) only one visual method of arriving - you fly to a small town called Ripon in Wisconsin, follow the railroad track to Fiske, and from there follow directions radioed to you from the ground.

Because it's so busy you don't respond to the commands over the radio as is normal, and the controllers don't know your registration number call sign anyway, so they will address you as "Red Skyhawk"; "Blue RV"; or in my case "White V-tail Bonanza".  To acknowledge a command, you waggle the wings and comply.

You can arrive at one of two altitudes - a low arrival for those who can fly at 90 kts, and a higher arrival for those who fly at 130 kts.  I haven't decided yet which I'll do - my Bonanza will fly at 90 kts safely, but it's a bit uncomfortable and only 27 kts above my stall speed and at a pretty low altitude.  I think my choices are to fly the low approach with wheels down and 10 degrees of flaps to lower my stall speed, or to fly the high one at 130 kts.

Unless you book very, very early you won't get into a hotel.  So for this first visit I'm going to camp next to my airplane.  I have a 6 man tent, air mattress, sleeping bag and battery powered camping lamps.  And a solar powered charger for my cell phone.  I understand there is lots of food available, and a Kroger grocery store, so I plan to take some breakfast foods and nothing else.  And there are showers - so its not exactly roughing it........

Getting excited about it!  I plan to be there the 2nd weekend, arriving on Friday August 1st in the morning.  I plan to park in the Vintage area, which is open to all aircraft built before 1971.  Look me up if you are there!