Aviation Mentor

Thoughts on Practice Approaches

2013-05-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I was doing a checkout with an instructor and after various steep turns, stalls, Vmc demonstrations, and the like, I was asked to fly a practice approach. I dutifully donned my view-limiting device and dialed in the approach control frequency. That's when the other instructor scoffed "We don't need to talk to them, we'll just fly the approach." I demurred, saying there could be someone else doing the same thing. He relented and after contacting the approach controller and stating my request, I was immediately given a heading to fly and informed I was number three for the approach.

Much has been written about midair collisions and how they happen: VFR weather, clear skies, good visibility, near a VOR or non-towered airport are the usual ingredients. This makes sense because when you are near a VOR or the traffic pattern of a non-towered airport there are bound to be other pilots flying a similar or identical ground track at a similar or identical altitude. I'd like to point out that flying a practice instrument approach without coordinating with the controlling agency is yet another way to occupy the same airspace as another aircraft, especially if you are flying something faster than the average GA trainer. Remember that midair collisions often involve one aircraft over taking another?

Adding to the problem are procedures that air traffic controllers must follow before clearing you for a practice instrument approach. First, the controller must essentially provide you the same traffic separation as if you were IFR. Second, if you are flying into a non-towered airport the controller cannot allow any other practice approaches or IFR approaches or departures until you have completed your practice approach. This is meant to enhance safety, but it can have the opposite effect.

All of the regulations and responsibilities make it common for Center controllers in my neck of the woods to simply not issue practice approaches. Instead they'll tell you "maintain VFR, no separation services provided ..." You won't hear the usual IFR-style clearance phraseology and you'll get traffic advisories on a workload permitting basis. This is pretty standard stuff for VFR flying, but things can get interesting if you are practicing instrument approaches and you add a wildcard into the mix: A pilot who decides (possibly with an instructor on board who condones this behavior) to fly an instrument approach without talking to Center. "Hey, they won't give me a practice approach anyway. So why bother?" Why indeed.

I had mostly forgotten this possible training hazard until last week. Flying an approach to a non-towered airport, we were talking to Center. They had provided the usual caveats: "Maintain VFR, I'll provide flight following only ..." Descending toward the final approach fix in a G1000-equipped aircraft, I noticed traffic being displayed on the multi-function display, directly behind us, 400 feet higher. "Where's this guy headed?" I wondered aloud. Then I noticed the traffic was descending, just like us, only this aircraft appeared quite a bit faster. The target was close enough to make the G1000 scold "Traffic!" and it was now at our altitude. I took the controls and initiated a climb, but the traffic behind us climbed, too! Just then the Center controller, who was admittedly busy with evening arrivals, finally issued a traffic alert: "Six o'clock, less than a mile, same altitude!"

The traffic was now behind and slightly to our left, so I initiated a climbing right turn and told Center we were abandoning the approach until we had the traffic in sight. Turning 180 degrees to the right, I spotted a fast-moving, single-engine turbo-prop. My student resumed the approach and when cleared to the common traffic advisory frequency, my suspicions were confirmed. The turbo-prop was flying the approach. On their own. Without talking to Center. I politely, but firmly suggested on frequency that what they were doing was a really BAD idea. I didn't go into basic right-of-way rules or procedures for overtaking a slower moving aircraft. Thank goodness for the G1000's traffic information service.

If you are an instrument student, pilot, or instructor, PLEASE don't engage in this sort of maverick practice approach flying. It's lazy. It's sloppy. It's dangerous. It's stupid. If you want to take risks while flying, fine. Just don't involve others in your risk-taking.

Quick Wx with Takeoff HD

2013-05-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

Amazing when you think about it, but the iPad has been out for over three years and there are plenty of mature aviation weather apps are available. There's still room for innovation and improvement and Takeoff HD provides something new: A quick view of the local weather tailored for your personal weather minima and it is supported on both iOS and Android devices. Cross-platform support isn't the only unique feature, you can define multiple profiles for different levels of experience and different weather minima. Here's a quick tour of what Takeoff HD has to offer. Note that my testing was done on an iPad mini running iOS 6.1.3, but all of the same features are advertised under Android.

Pilot Experience

Launching Takeoff HD for the first time you'll be asked to what sort of pilot experience you possess. Choose from one of the four selections and default weather minima will be created for you describing personal limitations for ceiling, visibility, and crosswind component. You can edit these and make them more or less stringent.

With your personal minima defined, Takeoff HD will color-code the surface weather reports for your home airport, nearby airports, and airports along a route so you can see at a glance if the conditions are below your weather criteria (green), approaching or at your limits (yellow), or beyond your limits (red). You can also create multiple profiles which is handy for instructors who teach a variety of pilots at different levels of experience.

METARs, TAFs, and More

You can display color-coded information for airports that are nearby (based on your device location), from a list of favorites, around an airport that you specify, or along a route. Just for kicks, I tried getting weather for the area around Aéroport de Marseille Provence (LFML) to test the international weather support.

Tap on a particular airport shown in the list on the left and you access the TAF, METAR history, NOTAMs, winds aloft, and more. You can also access DUATS and a variety of graphical and textual weather products like surface analysis, animated radar, significant weather prognostic, to name just a few. One nit: AIRMETs are grouped under SIGMETs, which seemed counter-intuitive to me.

Ease of Use

Takeoff HD certainly can make a student pilot's life easier as well as their instructor's by providing a quick view of how the reported surface weather matches the student's limitations for surface winds and crosswind component. And if you're unfamiliar with a particular airport, you can quickly access the AF/D, Airnav airport information, and even a Google Earth view of the area.

Room to Grow

Though you can access DUATS to file flight plans and get an "official" weather briefing, doing so is not as intuitive or straightforward as the area weather display. Still, for a one-time cost of $9.95 (no subscription fees), Takeoff HD could save you a lot of time and effort. And did I mention it runs on iOS and Android? Check it out!

May Flying, 2013

2013-05-19T14:46:00.003-07:00

Hot Off the Press

2013-05-17T17:30:00.001-07:00

With the kind help of the iBooks support team (seems there's a bug in iTunesProducer 2.9), the 4th edition of my book the Concise Guide to IFR is now available on the iTunes store. This edition contains some editorial changes as well as information on the FAA's recent changes to:

Use of GPS in alternate airport instrument approach planning
Information on Radius-to-Fix legs in approach procedures
Changes to circling approach obstacle protected airspace

Get 'em while their hot!

Pretty Talk

2013-05-12T19:45:00.003-07:00

Congress got off it's rusty-dusty and passed legislation allowing the FAA to shift funds to apparently end most air traffic controller furloughs, which allows said members of congress to fly home on the weekend with fewer delays. It remains to be seen how the funding shift will affect the proposed closure of control towers at smaller airports, but rumor has it they have been spared until November. The original plan to close control towers led many groups (including the FAA) to publish tips, pointers, reminders, admonishments, and general advice for aircraft operations at airports without operating control towers.

Every certificated pilot (and solo student pilots) should be familiar with non-towered airport radio communications, so these aforementioned reminders are either a way to fill empty column inches in a newsletter, blog, or tweet (Hey! Look at me!) or it's an acknowledgement of how quickly piloting skills may erode once the plastic certificate has been received. Or it's a stinging indictment of how inadequate recurrent training can be for US pilots. You can draw your own conclusions, but a big part of safe and successful aircraft operation is effective radio communication in any airspace. Funding of federal agencies is quickly becoming the legislative equivalent of Survivor, so who knows if or when control towers might get closed. So here are my observations, suggestions, and tried-and-true techniques for effective radio communication (Hey! Look at me!)

I've written before about radio communications, but hopefully this post will add something new to the mix.

Quality Equipment

Few things in aviation will waste a pilot's time and money (especially a student pilot's) more than a cheap, low-quality headset. If you low-ball the amount you spend on your headset, you'll likely end up with poor noise suppression and a crappy microphone that won't stay in position resulting in an awful double-whammy: You'll have a hard time hearing what other pilots (and controllers) are saying and they'll have a hard time hearing you. The solution is to get a quality headset from the get-go. You don't have to buy new. You may be able to find a used, quality headset and save some dough. I'll throw out some names: LightSpeed, Bose, David Clark, Sennheiser, and Clarity Aloft. There may be other reliable brands, but those are the ones that come to mind. Bite the bullet, buy one of those, and in the long run you'll be glad you did. And so will the rest of us.

Microphone Placement and Windscreen

Now that you have a good headset, you'll need to position the microphone properly and that means close to your pie hole. Close placement is required for noise-canceling microphones to work effectively. If the microphone is too far away, your transmissions will sound ... weak ... and far ... away ... Also ensure the microphone is oriented so that you're speaking directly into it. Some mics have a flat surface that needs to be oriented so that it is parallel to your lips.

That foam windscreen that came with your headset will greatly reduce high-frequency sounds of your breathing and sounds related to the pronunciation of consonants. I've flown with pilots who lost or damaged the windscreen or simply took it off because they didn't like the sensation of a piece of foam next to their pie hole. I point out to them how bad they sound on the radio and if they don't get the point (often they don't) I take the windscreen of my microphone and give them a demonstration using "She sell sea shells at the seashore." This is usually all it takes to realize that a windscreen is an important part of effective radio communication.

Resonate

Maybe it's a generational thing or perhaps I'm becoming a grouch (it's inevitable with age, right?), but what's the deal with people talking like Millhouse? You know, a whinging/gravelly speaking voice that wanders into an unnaturally low speaking register, especially toward the end of a sentence, reminiscent of tuvan throat singers? Combine that with a nasal way of swallowing consonant sounds and you've got all the ingredients for a terrible radio speaking voice. I'm not a voice coach or speech therapist, but if you find yourself exhibiting this problem an antidote could be joining a barbershop quartet. Think of keeping your voice toward the front of your mouth, avoid swallowing your words, and keep the air moving through your vocal cords right to the end of each sentence.

Consonant sounds are what help us distinguish words heard over a weak or static-ridden radio. To make effective consonant sounds, you have to open your mouth, move your jaw, and enunciate. If you don't open your mouth you will likely spew a stream of nasally, whining vowel sounds that will leave your listener baffled as to what you are trying to say.

The above mentioned problems plague both pilots and controllers. If you're unsure how you sound on the radio, why not record yourself? Here's a great link that describes how to build your own audio splitter and use it with Notability running on an iPad to record and then self-evaluate your radio voice.

Too Fast, Too Many Words

Many pilots seem to have been taught that they must speak over the radio at a rapid fire pace. It's true that you don't want to hog the frequency when things are busy and lots of people need to talk, but if you speak so fast that no one can understand you, you'll be asked to repeat what you said and you haven't really saved anyone's time, have you? The problem is usually not the tempo of the pilot or controller speaking, it's the content: Too many unnecessary words and vocalized pauses (aaahh, ummm, ...). We all spent our formative years learning how to correctly use prepositions and grammar, but when you become a pilot (or a controller) you have to winnow out all the unnecessary words and pare your speech down to the bone.

A great way to develop a clear and concise radio style is to ... practice. You can do this while stuck in traffic in your car, while taking a shower, or while walking the dog. Here's how:

Imagine a scenario - you're about to request taxi, or you're asking for an instrument approach clearance, or you're entering the traffic pattern at a non-towered airport. Next, say out loud what you think you should say. Then evaluate what you just said (the evaluation step is what many people skip). How many unneeded words did you include? Did you use accepted phraseology? If you aren't satisfied, try it again. Repeat this sort of practice regularly and you'll find your radio style will improve, others will understand you, you won't waste other people's time, and controllers may just start to respect you.

Say Intentions

One thing many pilots seem to leave out of their communications (especially at non-towered airports) is what they intend to do or what they want to do. Maybe NextGen will eventually provide us all with a mind-reading function, but until that happens it's important to let others know your intentions. At non-towered airports (just one example), when you've departed and announced you're turning crosswind, remember to include whether you are remaining in the pattern or departing. Same goes for when you are on final: Will you be making a full stop landing or a touch and go? You know, but the rest of us don't have a clue and are dying to know. So tell us. Remember that radio communications, especially at non-towered airports, is verbal TCAS that might keep you from running into another aircraft.

The Last Word

So those are my few suggestions for effective radio communication. If you use good equipment, speak up, enunciate, and use clear, concise phrases, you'll be less likely to run into problems. With practice, any pilot (or controller) can talk pretty.

The Flying Life

2013-04-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

Sure the hours are long, you get paid by the hour, and the wages aren't great, but being a professional flight instructor has many advantages. One benefit is that you fly regularly and spend a lot of time in aircraft and at airports, which allows you to encounter and experience things you otherwise wouldn't. Just the other day I had the opportunity to fly four different aircraft types in one day. But in addition to the variety of aircraft and types of flying, you never know who you might mieet and what sights you might encounter.

I was walking across the ramp at Palo Alto last week, when I noticed a gentleman next to a classic Meyers with a strange-looking contraption on a tripod. I approached him, introduced myself and asked what the deal was. The device, he told me, was a three-dimensional digitizer. He used it in his business, and what pray tell was that? Turns out he makes aircraft covers and the next words out of my mouth were "Are you Bruce? Of Bruce's Custom Aircraft Covers?" An aircraft owner I know had just purchased a new cover from Bruce for his Piper Arrow. "You're famous!" I kidded. His response, "Could you please call my wife and tell her that?"

It's Bruce!

Last night, climbing out from Oakland to the northwest with an instrument student, NORCAL cleared us into class bravo to five thousand. That's an a unusually high altitude, but then we were given a heading of 250 for traffic. My student complied and while we were turning I was wondering what might be afoot. Earlier, I had been sitting in lounge of the Business Jet Center waiting for my student, taking note of a lot of activity. There were a lot of people speaking French with lots of camera equipment. At least person was wearing what looked like a rock-climbing harness. A helicopter photo mission, perhaps?

The controller called traffic, an experimental solar aircraft at twelve moving to one o'clock at three thousand five hundred. "You gotta take your foggles off and look at this" I told my student. The controller had given us a rare treat: The 250 heading would have the one-of-a-kind, Swiss-made Solar Impulse right underneath us. Sadly, I didn't have my good camera with me so here is a cropped iPhone photo.

Solar Impulse over the Berkeley Marina

When the controller was asked where the Solar Impulse was headed, his reply was "He's flying all over the place." The Solar Impulse had departed Moffett Field for a morning flight and then again yesterday evening in preparation for a cross-country flight to promote electric-powered aircraft technology and development. You can find more information about the gathering of electric aircraft this weekend at the Santa Rosa airport here.

April Flying, 2013

2013-04-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Approaching South Lake Tahoe

Colorado River, California on the Left, Arizona on the Right

Crossing the Mojave

Los Angeles

Near Gnoss Field

Starting VFR descent to KOAK

Pilatus at Rest

En Route from Vegas

Starting Descent

Checking O2 saturation ...

Salton Sea

Mission Bay, San Diego

Sierra Stratus

Central Valley Haze

Over Yosemite Falls

South Lake Tahoe

Finding New Legs

2013-04-08T21:18:00.001-07:00

Take a look at these two approach charts and you'll notice something usually not seen on RNAV (GPS) approaches and non-RNAV approaches: A curved approach segment called a Radius-to-Fix or RF leg. Previously RF legs were only used in RNAV (RNP) approaches that require special authorization and were not available to GPS-equipped GA aircraft, but soon RF legs will start appearing on RNAV (GPS) approaches. So let's delve into what exactly an RF leg is, why the FAA is allowing them in GPS-based approaches, and what it will take to fly one.

Do Not Use For Navigation

RNAV Path Terminators

Radius-to-Fix is just one of 14 different RNAV path terminators and you can think of these as the primitives used to translate the textual specification of an instrument procedure (SID, STAR, or instrument approach) into instructions that a machine (GPS receiver) can execute. Now my opinion is that instrument pilots shouldn't be required to have a detailed knowledge of how instrument procedures are coded, but a summary view of the process may help you appreciate the amount of work that goes into creating GPS database updates. Yes, it is a lot of work and this is why Jeppesen charges for database subscriptions!

RNAV Path Terminators

Some of the RNAV path terminators shown above are already supported by GA GPS receivers. For example, the G1000 uses VA (Heading to Altitude) legs on a missed approach to tell you to fly a heading leg until reaching a particular altitude as well as HM (Racetrack manual termination) for a missed approach holding pattern.

The RF leg is simply an arc around a defined point, similar to flying an DME arc. What's different is the protected area along an RF leg is narrower (2 nm on either side the leg, AKA RNPx2) when compared to a DME arc (4 nm either side of the arc).

What I've learned from the FAA is that RF legs have technically been permitted for RNAV (GPS) procedures for some time, as long as the RF segment terminates before the Final Approach Fix. In addition, RF legs are currently not allowed on the initial missed approach segment. Until recently, there just haven't been any charted RNAV (GPS) procedures that took advantage of RF legs. Then there is the issue of certification of GPS receivers and aircraft installations to allow them to display and fly RF legs.

Garmin Gathers Hard Numbers

Back in January, Garmin published the results of their research into whether or not GA aircraft could hand-fly RF legs with the necessary accuracy. It seems the FAA believed that flying RF legs within the required Flight Track Error (FTE) required a flight director and/or an autopilot capable of tracking a curved approach path, and a moving map. The Garmin paper points out the FAA's conclusions came from studies done several years ago using larger, faster aircraft flying MLS approaches. There just wasn't any data on how well a slower category A and B aircraft might perform, that is until Garmin stepped up to the plate.

For their research project, two sample approaches were created by Mitre Corporation for the Paolo/Miami Country airport (K81). They purposely created some wacky approach paths as a way to stress the pilots who would hand-fly the approaches.

Two aircraft were used to study the best and worst case scenarios for GA aircraft flying RF legs. The "worst case" was a Cherokee six with a 430W and a simple CDI. The "better case" was a Cessna 400 Corvallis equipped with a G2000. Several pilots with a wide range of experience were used and the approaches were flown in simulated instrument conditions at speeds ranging from 85 knots to about 200 knots.

The results of Garmin's research showed that though there was some variation in the flight track accuracy, all of the pilots remained well within the required FTE limits. No surprise given that instrument pilots fly DME arcs with ±1 nm on their check rides.

What to Expect

The Carlsbad approach shown at the beginning of this post has created some confusion, in part because there is just a small note on the plan view near the start of the RF leg that simply says "RF REQD." In the future, if only one portion of the procedure outside the intermediate segment uses an RF leg, a note will be placed at the Initial Approach Fix indicating that RF capability is required. If all routes leading to the intermediate segment require RF capability, a note will appear in the pilot briefing strip. In addition, an RF leg in the plan and profile view will not have a course, only a distance and altitude.

Flying an RF leg with the G1000/2000 should be relatively straightforward since the electronic HSI will automatically and periodically slew to the course required to fly the leg. With a manual CDI, the pilot will have to periodically adjust the OBS when prompted by their GPS, not unlike the way they must when flying an instrument approach procedure that incorporates a DME arc.

How and when GPS manufacturers will overcome the certification and training hurdles remains to be seen, but it seems likely that only WAAS GPS receivers will be certified to fly RF legs. It would be ideal if the FAA and the industry leaders could make a cogent and formal announcement of RF leg support/authorization so that pilots, instructors, and operators will have time to prepare and rather than scramble for answers (which is how I felt researching this blog post). Until a formal announcement is made, we will have to wait. But the widespread implementation of RF legs in non-RNP procedures is coming and with all the VORs the FAA is planning to decommission, it may be just in time. And when RF legs do start appearing, don't expect them to terminate at the FAF or be part of the initial missed approach segment. At least not right away.

2013 Spring Photos

2013-03-31T10:25:00.000-07:00

A few photos from various trips over the last month or so.

Altamont Fog

Final Approach, KSAC

Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta

Sacramento Delta Stratus

Delta Windmills

Sierra Snow Showers

Approaching Left Base, 31L at KPSP

Klamath Falls Ramp

Klamath Valley

Clouds Over Livermore

Mt. Shasta

Dodging Build-ups, NE of Shasta

Why didn't he get the BIG tires?

More Shasta Build-ups

Sierra Snow

Over South Lake Tahoe

More Sequester Fallout

2013-03-05T20:32:00.001-08:00

So AOPA has been concerned about the future of GA for some time, but it seems they didn't see this one coming. For those still doubting the effects sequestration will have on general aviation, here is a link to an Airports Council International/North America briefing on the latest details on the FAA's planned closure of 173 "contract towers" (aka Non-Federal Control Tower or NFCT).

Walt Cochran, ATO's Vice President of Terminal Operations stated the FAA was "unable to consider local community impacts" and the only criteria would be how the "national interest" would be affected. "National interest" was not defined. Affected non-federal control towers are free to seek local or state funding to keep their facilities open.

The FAA is still considering closure of the remaining 49 towers, but since these are federally operated, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association will need to be involved in the negotiations.

At my home airport, KOAK, the North Field tower may be closed due to reduced staffing levels. Such a closure could limit or completely preclude touch-and-goes/pattern work, practice instrument approaches, and could even impact noise abatement procedures.

So let's review: Safety will suffer as Class D airports become non-tower airports, a flurry of NOTAMs will have to be issued, many pilots will not read said NOTAMs, and flight training operations will be adversely affected. Pilots who are planning to do check rides will be affected as will professional instructors trying to earn a living.

If this doesn't sound like your cup of tea, this would be a good time to let your federal, elected representatives know how you feel.

Mountain Flying

2013-03-03T17:21:00.000-08:00

Some recent photos of flying the DA42 to Shelter Cove as well as through the Sierra Nevada and the Trinity Alps area.

Approaching Shelter Cove from the southwest.

They call it the Lost Coast for a reason.

Dog-leg final, RWY 30.

Short final, under an approaching cold front.

Departure in light rain.

Returning under the frontal boundary

Another "boring" sunset ...

South Lake Tahoe

Mt. Shasta

Trinity Alps at 11,500'

Trinity Lake

Mt. Shasta

Approaching Trinity Center

45 Entry to downwind

About to turn right base

Trinity Center ramp, mostly deserted.

Sequestration and the GA Pilot

2013-02-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

As the US government marches inexorably toward sequestration, this might be a good time to pause and see how across-the-board cuts could affect GA. Work on capital improvements (like the new, unified control tower at the Oakland airport) could slow or stop completely. Other FAA services could be reduced or curtailed. Here's a list of airports just in California the FAA has identified for possible tower closures.














APC	Napa Tower	Napa	CA
CCR	Concord Tower	Concord	CA
CMA	Camarillo Tower	Camarillo	CA
EMT	El Monte Tower	El Monte	CA
FUL	Fullerton Municipal	Fullerton	CA
HHR	Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne Municipal	Hawthorne	CA
LVK	Livermore Tower	Livermore	CA
MER	Castle	Atwater	CA
OXR	Oxnard	Oxnard	CA
PMD	Palmdale Regional/USAF Plant 42	Palmdale	CA
POC	Brackett Tower	La Verne	CA
RAL	Riverside Municipal	Riverside	CA
RNM	Ramona	Ramona	CA
SAC	Sacramento Executive	Sacramento	CA
SCK	Stockton Tower	Stockton	CA
SDM	Brown Field Municipal	San Diego	CA
SMO	Santa Monica Tower	Santa Monica	CA
SNS	Salinas Municipal	Salinas	CA
SQL	San Carlos	San Carlos	CA
STS	Charles M. Schultz-Sonoma County	Santa Rosa	CA
VCV	Southern California Logistics	Victorville	CA
WHP	Whiteman	Los Angeles	CA
WJF	General William J. Fox Airfield	Lancaster	CA

You can view the complete list of 200 towered airports that could be affected by clicking here. When towers close, ATC workers will be idled, safety will suffer (can you imagine all the NOTAMs that will come out to explain this?), flight schools and FBO will be affected. These cuts will hurt a lot of people.

That includes me. My wife is a contractor for a department of the federal government and her "contract" could be terminated, leaving us scrambling to make ends meet. Say what you will about austerity programs and reducing the deficit, but given the weak economy this seems like a particularly bad time to reduce federal spending.

Even the redoubtable Chairman Ben Bernanke is warning that our bad-to-mediocre economic situation could get a lot worse if the sequestration proceeds. On the other end of the political spectrum is Paul Krugman, who has been saying that austerity (whether in the US or in Europe) is a bad idea at this point in time.

Left? Right? How about FORWARD? How about a legislative branch that serves its citizens rather holds them hostage? I wish I had more answers that questions ...

January Flying

2013-01-27T17:25:00.001-08:00

January 2013 Flying, a set on Flickr.

Some random photos from the last few weeks of flying and instructing.

Memento Mori

2013-01-20T19:32:00.000-08:00

Anyone involved in GA who spent any time at the Oakland Airport undoubtedly knew, met, or had heard of Lou Fields. Lou was an accomplished pilot, instructor, and examiner with well over 25,000 hours of flight time, but I only know a few details of his storied career. A graduate of the US Naval Academy, he served during World War II. Lou flew Corsairs and later the first Navy jets, operating on the old, straight-deck aircraft carriers. He retired with the rank of Commander and I believe it was in 1969 that he became a designated examiner and started his flight school at Oakland.

Photo courtesy of Hamish Reid

Lou was already in his 80s when I met him, but he seemed younger. His flight school fleet was gone, but he had two remaining aircraft: A Pitts S2A and a 1969 Piper Arrow. When Lou needed to do his flight checks with the FAA, he confided they often used the Pitts so they could have a bit of fun in the process.

If you had a check ride with Lou, you know he conducted business in a mobile home-office trailer, in a far-flung area of the North Field known as the Old Tees. Many a candidate sat in that trailer, sweating nervously as Lou probed their knowledge. I know because I did my instrument rating, commercial, and instrument instructor practical tests with Lou. He was a thorough examiner, but he was fair. There was no doubt that he loved general aviation and he did his part to keep the dream of flying alive and well for many a pilot

Lou was an instructor's instructor, but he was never interested in being Master Flight Instructor, Flight Instructor of the Year, or any of that. At one point I mentioned I'd passed enough candidates to be eligible for a gold seal designation on the first renewal of my instructor certificate. "Who the hell cares about that stuff, John?" he said. "You're a conscientious and competent instructor, end of story."

When he was in his 50s, Lou ran marathons faster than I could when I was in my mid-20s. As he aged, he always seemed more vital that his contemporaries. Several years ago, Lou discovered he had a health problem and that he'd have to undergo a procedure in the hospital. He called me into his office and explained the situation, then produced a hand-written living will that detailed what should be done if things went bad. He wanted me to witness and sign the document. I watched as he signed and as I picked up the pen to add my signature, I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

Photo of Lou with the "Thunder Chicken," courtesy of Hamish Reid

Lou made it through, but he knew he'd no longer be eligible for a medical certificate. He sold the Pitts but kept the Arrow since it was being flown by several renters and instructors, including myself. He acquired an Aeronca Champ that he flew under sport pilot privileges and became one of the country's first sport pilot examiners. A few years later, Lou sold the Arrow and the activity around his office began to slow a bit. His office became more disheveled with each passing year and Lou slowed down a bit, but he kept showing up. He kept going. He kept flying.

As he aged, Lou naturally became convinced of the sanctity of all life. He once confronted the USDA folks who where shooting birds at the airport as part of a bird-strike prevention program. He confided to me that he had faced death so many times, but only recently had he understood that all life was sacred. He even protected the ants that inhabited his hangar. I recently told him that he'd become a Buddhist. "But I don't believe in god" was his response. "Neither do Buddhists" I replied. I thought about giving him a book on Buddhism, but Lou didn't need it: His own satori was more meaningful than any book I could have offered.

Last year, Lou came down with a bad cold that he couldn't shake. It turned into pneumonia and he ended up in the hospital. Our paths hadn't crossed much, but as soon as I heard he was ill I made time to visit him. Sitting in a hospital bed, wearing an oxygen cannula, he looked weak. But he was in good spirits and was as clear-headed as always. And he kept moving the conversation away from himself, asking about what I was up to. I offered him whatever assistance he might need once he got out, but he refused in that gentlemanly fashion he was known for. A few days later, he was released and sent home. They'd given him all the treatment available, so he went home to either recuperate ... or not.

Recuperate he did, though he remained weak. I made a point of stopping by once a week to chat with him and hit the tennis ball for his rescued pit bull, Champ. I chatted with Lou on the phone right after Christmas and he seemed in good spirits. And so it came as a shock to learn that Lou passed away early this morning. It's hard to put into words what Lou meant to me, to his students, and to all the friends who knew him. To me he was a role model, mentor, and an open-hearted friend.

If you knew Lou and have a story to share, please do. I like to think that Lou would have wanted it that way.

Conceptual Flying, Part 1

2013-01-14T10:23:00.002-08:00

It’s happened to all pilots: You’re struggling to learn in an unfamiliar aircraft or you haven’t flown in a while and you’re rusty. The aircraft seems to have a mind of it’s own and your control inputs are gross and poorly timed. Then your flight instructor (or a more experienced pilot) asks to take the flight controls. Almost immediately the beastly aircraft becomes a stable pussycat. What just happened? Control the voice in your head that’s telling you your flying sucks, avoid the temptation to gaze out the window to escape unpleasant thoughts, and you’ll find the path to more elegant flying is right next you: The other pilot, for whatever reason, has a well-formed flying concept.

Whether you are a pre-solo student pilot or you have several hundred hours in your logbook, developing a conceptual flying style can fundamentally change the way you pilot an aircraft. Instead of forcing the plane to do your bidding, the conceptual approach involves developing kinesthesia, the ability to visualize, and an appreciation of your aircraft’s stability characteristics to establish a plane/pilot partnership. You can begin this partnership with a gaining a deeper understanding of your aircraft's pitch stability at different airspeeds and in different configurations, but first you have to let go.

Don’t Do Something, Just Sit There

A clear understanding of your aircraft’s pitch stability will pay big dividends, from how promptly you can trim the aircraft to how accurately you can hand-fly a predetermined altitude. It can also determine whether your passengers think you are a smooth operator or a ham-handed G-junkie. Most aircraft are inherently stable: When the flight path is disturbed, most aircraft tend to re-establish equilibrium by themselves. Since longitudinal (pitch) stability is closely linked with the wing’s angle of attack, the amount of lift being generated, and the resultant drag, the first experiment in pitch stability flying involves hands off flying.

Establish most any single-engine training aircraft in a level cruise attitude, start a timer, and then momentarily apply forward or backward pressure on the yoke. Using rudder inputs to keep the wings level, keep you hands off the yoke (or stick) and observe what the aircraft does. The aircraft’s initial response to being upset is referred to as static stability. Most GA aircraft are designed with positive static stability - the aircraft will tend to recover by pitching a direction opposite from which it was disturbed. Once the aircraft has made it’s initial response to the disturbance, continue watching with minimal control inputs and see what happens next.

Aircraft's initial response = Static Stability

How an aircraft responds over time to an upset is referred to as dynamic stability, which explains the suggestion of using a timer. In addition to positive longitudinal static stability, most GA aircraft have positive longitudinal dynamic stability: They will slowly oscillate, pitching up and down, gradually reducing amplitude until equilibrium is restored.

Positive Static and Dynamic Longitudinal Stability

Using a timer helps you discover the length of time between each pitch-up and pitch-down oscillation (sometimes called a half wave). Cessna single-engine aircraft generally have positive static and positive dynamic longitudinal stability with a 5 to 7 second interval between the initial half-wave oscillation. Most Piper singles also have positive static stability, but a weaker positive dynamic stability that includes an initial half-wave oscillation of around 10 seconds. Once you’ve figured this out, you can apply it to normal flight procedures. A good resource for visualizing these oscillations is the UND Aerodynamic Training software, specifically the stability app (used to create the screen shots above).

Dampening Oscillations

Once you understand your aircraft’s static and dynamic stability characteristics, it should be clear why trying to fly an altitude using just trim may not be a useful strategy in some aircraft (there are exceptions). Let’s say you feel back pressure is required on the yoke and decide to immediately add nose-up trim. If the aircraft was in the middle of a pitch oscillation, it was eventually going to recover on its own: Your pitch trim input just made things worse. If you find yourself becoming a trim-junkie, there is a solution.

Hold the aircraft in the desired pitch attitude using the primary flight controls for the number of seconds equal to the aircraft half wave oscillation
Briefly let go of the primary flight controls and see what the aircraft wants to do
Re-stabilize the desired pitch attitude using the primary flight controls
Make a trim adjustment, return to step 1.

But don't stop there. Experiment with how the addition or removal of power affects pitch stability. Try extending flaps or landing gear and see how the aircraft behaves. By all means maintain positive aircraft control, but try to make minimal flight control inputs so you can observe your aircraft’s natural pitch stability tendencies. Some aircraft will pitch up when flaps are configured, others will pitch down, while some will not change pitch attitude at all. Knowing how the aircraft responds to these changes will allow you to develop successful strategies for configuring your aircraft so that it naturally tends to do what you want it to do. Cessna singles tend to pitch up when flaps are extended and they tend to pitch down when power is removed which is why a good strategy during approach to landing or setting up for slow flight is to reduce the throttle first and then add flaps. Keep in mind that the strategies you develop will depend on your particular aircraft.

In the next installment, I’ll talk about how visualization and kinesthesia can help you avoid common errors made during takeoff.

Long Time

2013-01-09T22:55:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy past few weeks. Lots of flying. Lots of cycling. Not much energy or time for blogging. I have some posts in the hopper, but need to find time to finish them. In the mean time ...

En Route to Watsonville

When did this private runway get built?

Marine Hauler

East Bay Regional Parkland

Near Pt. Reyes

En Route Las Vegas

Near Mamoth

Sierra Snow

Central Valley Fog

City of Lost Wages

Leaving Las Vegas

December Flying

2012-12-11T21:44:00.002-08:00

Approaching South Lake Tahoe

Headed home, into the sun

Heavenly Light

Lake Tahoe

More Layers

Sierra Smoke

Oakland Departure

Oakland Hills

After the Cold Front passes

Vectors SCK RNAV 11L

Here's that rainy day ...

More smoke

Sierra Snow

Lots o' screens!

Holiday Flying

2012-11-25T15:13:00.003-08:00

A few new photos. Some are from last week's numerous Thanksgiving flights. A kind of busman's holiday for me, but enjoyable nonetheless. Enjoy ...

Approaching Lake Havasu

Approaching Palm Springs

About to cross Tehachapi

Bermuda Dunes ahead

Base leg, Lake Havasu

On top ...

Downwind, Lake Havasu

Mojave Sunset

On top, en route KUKI

Briefing the approach

Approaching MDA

MDA, approaching MAP

Missed approach over KUKI

Airlift of injured hiker, Cowles Mt., Thanksgiving Day

Another Mojave sunset ...

Whole lot of nothin', but pretty nonetheless

Surreal missed approach

When able, proceed direct REBAS

Thankfulness

2012-11-22T13:39:00.001-08:00

A beautiful sunny day in SoCal and I found myself hiking to the top of Cowles Mountain to enjoy a beautiful view, to pause, consider true happiness, and to be thankful.

I have the week off with my lovely wife and the best inlaws anyone could ask for.

I have the best job in the world, albeit at the bottom of the aviation food chain, self-employed, and with a passel of good pilots to teach, from student to budding CFI.

I enjoy excellent health, the vital signs of a twenty year old, and take no medication (save a daily baby aspirin).

While none of these things can be purchased at a shopping mall or online on Black Friday or any other day, they nevertheless embody true happiness. To all my readers, newfound or longtime: This Thanksgiving I wish you a wonderful day filled not with ephemeral thrills offered by material goods and gains, but with the true contentment of open-hearted friendship and above all, love.

Posted with Blogsy

FlyQ - YAEFB

2012-11-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

Borrowing an idea from Hamish's YAFB (Yet Another Flying Blog), it's time to test drive Yet Another Electronic Flight Bag - FlyQ. FlyQ is the result of a partnership between Seattle Avionics and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and while the app does pretty much what many other EFBs do, this marketing partnership has created some controversy (more on that later). FlyQ is available for both iOS and Android, but I'll only be reviewing the iOS version (with so few people clicking on this blog's "donate" button, I can only afford one tablet device). The app provides five main features accessed by the buttons on the bottom of the screen: Airports, Weather, Plans, Maps, and Procedures. Along the top of the screen are buttons allowing you to toggle a split screen view, search for airports, lock the current view, adjust screen brightness, control chart downloads, and control app settings. The arrangement of functions is fairly logical and generally will let you access information quickly and with a minimum of taps.

Airports, but no Fuel

One of FlyQ's claims to fame is that it lets you access the AOPA airport directory. The search feature works very well, allowing you to enter any part of an airport's name and get relevant results. Still, AOPA's airport information doesn't contain one piece of information that virtually all aircraft owners desire - Up-to-date fuel prices. While ferrying an aircraft across the US, I found out the hard way that ForeFlight's fuel information is often lacking. We needed Jet-A without Prist and ForeFlight gave us several bum steers, but at least they were trying. Below is a list of nearby airports. I always get a kick out of seeing the Little Hands airport being shown (halfway down the list). I've flown over Bollinger Canyon many times and have searched Google Earth, too. Near as I can tell, there's no runway at that location.

Nearby Airports

Weather Where you Are

The weather interface is easy to use and helps you get a quick overview of the local conditions and forecasts. The winds aloft interface is confusing, or maybe it's just me? The gallery lets you access NWS graphics for freezing levels, icing potential, and radar for virtually all of the US. A serious oversight is no PIREP interface.

Flight Planing

The flight planning interface lets you enter the departure, destination, and a desired routing, but why no alternate airport? You can enter your own waypoints or let FlyQ do the work for you. Information on multiple pilots and aircraft can be stored. Finally an app that appears to account for fuel- and time-to-climb/descend! FlyQ also attempts to determine which altitude is more cost effective using forecast winds aloft.

Note the "Begin Cruise" and "Begin Descent" waypoints? Cool!

One problem is that if you define an aircraft that uses Jet-A, the app assumes you want all fuel calculations to be in pounds rather than gallons. Oh, contraire! With many Diamond aircraft using Jet-A and more manufacturers sure to follow, there should be an option for using the gallon measure for diesel-engine aircraft. Another problem is that you when you tap on File button to submit flight plan to the FAA, there's no confirmation dialog. If you tapped by mistake, well bummer about that ...

En Route Charts

As you'd expect, FlyQ provides electronic VFR and IFR charts. And it offers something ForeFlight currently doesn't - track-up display. Yes, there are folks who prefer track-up, even if the labels and printing on the chart are upside down. To their credit, Jeppesen is able to provide true track-up support with their data-driven charts while keeping all the writing right-side-up. That's easier to do when you control the chart data.

FlyQ lets you select various overlays on en route charts provided you have a network connection, but I couldn't find a way to animate the weather radar overlay on en route chart. The radar representation is not as smooth or professional-looking as ForeFlight's.

The TFR overlay is pretty good and should keep more than one pilot from coming to grief. The winds aloft overlay is a bit amateurish, with big, garish arrows that look like they belong with circus clowns.

Procedures

Seattle Avionics' claim to fame is geo-referencing on most FAA charts (yes, there are a few FAA charts that were not laid out to scale and cannot be geo-referenced). There is no way to create groupings of frequently used charts nor is there a way to quickly access charts for the current planned trip (departure, destination and alternate). So if you want a different terminal procedure, you'll have to search for the airport and access the procedures from the airport tab.

Subscription Costs

Download FlyQ from the iTunes store and you'll discover that you can test drive the app for free for 30 days. After that, you'll need to pony-up some cash. How much depends on what sort of flying you do. Non-instrument rated pilots will need to shell out $99 a year, which gets you geo-referenced VFR charts. If you want IFR en route charts and terminal procedures, you'll need to cough up $149.99 a year. The VFR subscription is less than what a Jeppesen Mobile FD subscription would cost, but more than a basic ForeFlight subscription. ForeFlight gives you geo-referenced VFR and IFR charts for $25 less per year, but you have to pay extra for geo-referenced approach charts. And ForeFlight doesn't really offer a full-featured EFB for Android users. Bottom line: The FlyQ subscription may be attractive for Android users where there are few EFB options. For iOS users with access to ForeFlight, not so much.

One could argue that the justification for the additional cost of a FlyQ subscription is the synthetic vision feature, but frankly it seems a bit half-baked. Without AHRS input the PFD-like display seems more like a cockpit distraction, but I'll reserve judgment on this nascent technology.

Without AHRS input, the climb pitch attitude isn't shown.

Another nice feature (reminiscent of WingX) is a split screen view. Not so usable on an iPad mini, but very useful on a full-size iPad.

AOPA's Thirst for Revenue

Others have pointed out and I'll second the observation that it's odd to see a pilot and aircraft owner advocacy group marketing an EFB app. This isn't too surprising given AOPA's odd choices in the past (the short-lived and ill-fated wine of the month club). Since Phil Boyer's departure, AOPA seems to be on a never ending quest for "mo' money, mo' money, mo' money." This PR-driven approach has many pilots re-thinking whether or not they should continue their AOPA membership. Still, this marketing arrangement should not detract from FlyQ as an EFB app. It's a thoughtfully designed product with cross-platform support and the tablet marketplace needs more hardware competition. iPad owners who are happy with their EFB app of choice probably won't be jumping ship anytime soon, but FlyQ may be just what the doctor ordered for those pilots who prefer Android over iOS. Check it out!

Jeppesen: A Tale of Two Apps

2012-11-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

With the latest refresh of their iPad app, Jeppesen is slowly catching up. The operative word in that topic sentence is "slowly." Version 2.0 of Mobile FD offers some cool, new features combined with a few things that has made many users wonder "Why the heck did they do that?' It seems that Jepp has a history of offering up a mixed bag for their users, but here's a run-down on the new Mobile FD and it's companion web site, Flite Plan Online.

Reluctance Makes the App Take Longer

Any review of the latest Jepp iPad app would be incomplete without mentioning that while SkyCharts, ForeFlight and X-Wing all hit the ground running when the iPad came out, it seemed that Jepp didn't foresee what was about to , um ... unfold in the world of aviation charting. Jepp seriously missed the boat by not realizing how radically the iPad would change the charting marking for general aviation and commercial operations. When their app was eventually released, it received a sitting ovation: It had some unique features (and still does), but in other ways it seemed to have come out of the oven too soon. No course line drag-n-drop routing and an update process that required an app restart whenever a new database was downloaded were just two issues, but the biggest problem was no geo-referencing on approach charts and uncompetitive pricing. Yet for pilots itching for a viable version of electronic Jepp charts, this app was a start.

Airport Face Lift

Version 2.0 has a newer and improved user interface. The task buttons have been moved from the narrow, top edge to the longer, side of the screen. This provides more room for buttons (features) on the top-most level of the interface. On the left side, from top to bottom, there's the route planning button, airport view button, and a slider that conveniently groups airport information by reference, standard terminal arrivals (STAR), approach procedures (APP), taxiway diagrams (TXI), standard instrument departures (SID), and the weather button (WX). Selecting the airport button will list the airports for your route or let you search for all airport. When you search for an airport you'll find that the Favorites category has been removed, which has raised the ire of many long-time Jepp users.

On the lower right edge are two new buttons that allow you to highlight on a chart and back out any highlighting you may have made. There's only one color highlighter offered and the line is wide and a bit crude, but it can be useful for depicting a taxiway route. In a busy world where runway incursions are all too common, score one for Jepp!

You can also use the highlighter to mark NOTAMed descent minima or other chart peculiarities (lord knows that some charts are very complicated). The best part? Any notations you make will persist, presumably until a new version of the chart is downloaded. A very handy feature, indeed!

En Route, Planning, Weather ... Sorta

Jepp added course line drag-n-drop routing a while back, but there's no support for accessing routes recently assigned by ATC. There's no way to store a route you've created on the iPad app, but there is a way to create routes on the FlitePlanOnline web site (which is currently in beta) and transfer them to the iPad. Strange that the planning interface is asymmetrical, but there you go. I wanted to include some screen shots from beta FlitePlanOnline, but the server appears to be down. One big advantage that Jepp has offered from the beginning was the ability to specify two alternate airports, something ForeFlight still lacks.

Jepp has long needed to integrate flight planning and real-time weather. With the latest release it appears they have succeeded in a very basic way. You can select weather to display on an en route chart and you can access METARs and TAFs for individual airports. To file a flight plan, you'll need to access the FlitePlanOnline site. Not being able to do all your preflight and in-flight tasks on the iPad obviously needs to be fixed.

Company Docs

Operators can distribute company documents electronically, but without an account it's not possible to evaluate the interface in this review. This feature should be very useful for distributing documents like Operations Specifications.

Price/Performance

The biggest detraction for the Jepp iPad app is the cost of the subscriptions, though Jeppesen has recently lowered the price for larger area subscriptions. Still, for the price of a Western US subscription you could buy a ForeFlight subscription with geo-referenced approach charts for the entire US and have money left to buy an bluetooth GPS receiver or a downpayment on a Stratus ADS-B weather/GPS receiver. As of this writing Jepp still only supports geo-referencing on taxiway diagrams and en route charts, but not on instrument approach charts.

Forecast: iPad Mini with occasional IFR

2012-11-10T11:12:00.002-08:00

A few photos and some more observations about the suitability of the iPad mini for instrument flying and VFR flying. Enjoy!

Peace and quiet at dusk.

Approaching San Francisco Bay

Flying the pattern at Santa Rosa

Preparing for Launch

Over Suisin Bay

Piper Arrow yoke mount: ForeFlight Checklist Pro on the iPad mini

Not underwater - in the clouds

Merced Localizer Backcourse approach

Direct SUNOL

Ram X-Grip II with yoke mount on the Piper Arrow

Shot through a Rosen Visor! (forced slow shutter speed to eliminate prop artifacts)

ForeFlight on the iPad mini

iPad mini on practice approach at dusk

iPad mini Takes Flight!

2012-11-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today's three instructional flights (two instrument candidates and one commercial) provided a great venue for testing out the new iPad mini. The goals were to test mounting options as well as the readability and usability of the smaller form factor. My iPad workflows utilize Notability (for recording the ATIS and ATC clearances), LogTen (for recording starting Hobbs/Tach, block in/out, and off/on times), CloudAhoy (for documenting instructional flights for later critique), ForeFlight (for charts, weather briefings and more), and ForeFlight Checklist Pro (to help me keep track of all the different types I fly). These uses may or may not resemble other pilot's typical use of an EFB, but they provide a good way to evaluate the iPad mini. Two different aircraft types were used: The Cessna 172 Nav III (G1000) and the Diamond DA40 DiamondStar.

Brief Comparison

When placed side-by-side, it's surprising how the iPad mini offers almost as much screen real estate as the full-sized iPad. The weight difference can't be described well in words. You'll need to experience it firsthand and once you do, you'll probably be surprised at the difference the lighter weight makes. I know I was.

iPad mini (red) and original iPad

iPad mini Cases and Mounts

All iPads can benefit from the protection of a case or skin. Just one bump or a hard drop is enough to dent the edge of the iPad's metal case which will likely fracture the glass, leading to an expensive repair. This is somewhat academic since there are limited options for iPad mini cases, but the presence or absence of a case will affect your mounting options. RAM makes two basic mounts for the iPad mini: One that holds the mini sans case/skin and one that will hold the mini with a case. Assuming I'll eventually acquire a case or skin of some sort, I opted for the RAM Universal X-Grip II.

RAM X-Grip with Yoke Mount

iPad mini in the C172

On today's flight, I tested the X-Grip with a yoke mount in the Cessna 172. Unlike the full-sized iPad, the lighter weight of the iPad mini makes it ideal for yoke mounting. While the yoke mount worked well on the right seat yoke. The chart holder clip that is standard equipment on the left yoke in a late model Cessna aircraft would need to be removed for the yoke mount to work, which could be problematic for renter pilots.

In the yoke mount, the iPad mini sits at an ideal distance for readability and accessibility. The lack of anything sitting on my knee had me thinking I was forgetting something, but I soon adjusted! I also liked the fact that checking the flight controls was no longer hazardous to the health of the iPad screen.

Having the iPad mounted higher up limits head-down movement, making it easier to quickly refer to the screen. But having the iPad mounted higher up also makes screen glare an issue. I found it manageable and there are sure to be anti-glare screen protectors for the iPad mini (if they aren't already available). I find the loss of screen sharpness caused by non-glare screen protectors to be a bigger distraction than occasional glare on an unprotected screen, but you may feel differently.

Spread out! The yoke mount causes a bit of interference ...

Cessna suction mounting options are a bit limited ...

iPad mini in the DA40

The full size iPad is a bit of a problem in the DA40 and DA42 since the flight control stick makes it virtually impossible to use a kneeboard style solution. Enter the iPad mini with a RAM suction mount and you have ... blessed relief! The only issue I encountered was the slight interference between the suction mount and the side window. With some tweaking, I was able to make it work.

Seemed like a good idea ...

As in the Cessna 172, having the iPad mini mounted higher paid big dividends - less head-down time, easier to quickly locate and use apps, and more time spent controlling the aircraft (or teaching and looking for other aircraft). Mounted for right seat use, the iPad mini doesn't obscure much, save a few circuit breakers.

Hey! With a stable surface, my handwriting doesn't suck so badly!

Engine start, in progress ...

Unlike the Cessna, there aren't many limits in mounting the iPad mini with the RAM suction mount on the left seat. So not wanting to be the only one having fun, I offered the pilot I was flying with a chance to see how the iPad mini works. The photo below doesn't really capture the display - too much contrast for the camera to render. And the pilot's response? "Damn you! Now I'll have to buy one!"

mini Conclusions

Now that I've experienced the iPad mini with the above mentioned applications, it's hard for me to see lugging around a full-sized iPad. Granted, I've only done one day's flying with the iPad mini, but all the apps that I use in my usual workflow worked just fine. The smaller screen size was not an issue because the lightweight of the iPad mini makes it easier to hold or mount closer. And check this out! I even found a way to get a track-up display with ForeFlight on the iPad mini!

Look Tyson! Track up!

If you haven't yet purchased an iPad for aviation use or are thinking about upgrading from an earlier model iPad, choosing the iPad mini is a no-brainer. Whether you get a Wifi unit or one with cellular data capability (due out later this month) is up to you. I still recommend 32Gb as the minimum size unless you are extremely frugal in the apps and charts you use. Over the next few days I'll be testing the iPad mini in Pipers, Cirrus and some other types, but I don't expect to run into any surprises. Other than my flight bag being lighter!

iPad Mini: First impressions

2012-11-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

While doing some ground instruction today at my house, we heard the familiar rumble of the UPS truck. Soon I was signing for my package from Apple: a WiFi iPad Mini 32Gb. Of course this completely disrupted the ground lesson, but we were about finished anyway. With my CFI candidate watching, I anxiously opened the carton and began the unboxing experience.

I'll post my in-flight impressions of the iPad Mini after I finish teaching three lessons tomorrow. For now, here are some details on the device. First, the iPad Mini is indeed lightweight. It's hard to appreciate this until you hold it in your hands, but it definitely changes the iPad user's experience in a big way. In fact, after handling my iPad 3 the Mini felt remarkably light.

Easy to scratch? Time will tell ...

The lighter weight of the iPad Mini actually offsets the smaller screen size: You naturally want to hold the device closer and the weight allows you to do just that. Also, it should be easy to yoke mount or to attach with a suction mount and keep the device closer to your eyes. Right now it doesn't seem practical to my 50-something eyes to lay the iPad Mini in my lap while flying, unless I intend to pick it up when I use it. Mounting the device closer seems natural and desirable.

Like the iPhone 5, the iPad Mini uses the Thunderbolt connector. And like the iPhone 5, the back of the black iPad Mini appears to have a black-anodized surface. Not sure if it will be as easy to scratch and scuff as the iPhone 5, but that seems a safe bet.

The Smart cover for the iPad Mini has fewer panels, but works pretty much like the cover on its larger cousin. I found the iPad Mini to be oddly less appealing with the cover attached - it adds just enough weight to be noticeable. There are no skins or case covers as of this writing, but those are sure to add to the device's weight, too. Like the bigger iPads, the Mini just cries out for some sort of skin that will protect the edges of the device from bumps and dings that could crack the screen. Can you say "Apple Care?"

Screen resolution didn't seem like it would be an issue, but perhaps I misjudged how good the iPad 3's retina display really is. The one place where I noticed the iPad Mini's lower resolution was using ForeFlight Checklist Pro: Compare the Mini and the iPad 3 side-by-side and the retina display wins, hands down.

iPad3 resolution, side-by-side with iPad Mini

After loading the latest iOS 6.0.1 update, I began syncing all my apps. Before using ForeFlight on the Mini, I first had to launch the app on my iPad 3 and "sign off." And there was a lot of housekeeping to be done - apps rearranged, logbook synced, charts downloaded. In short, my first impressions are very favorable. Given that I frequently commute by bicycle and take a minimalist approach to flight bags and accessories, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship ...

A Flight Instructor's World

2012-10-18T22:00:00.001-07:00

Midfield Downwind

Near Mt. Hamilton

Pretty plane, but why do they run that noisy APU for hours and hours?

RNAV Y 27L

Steep turns at dusk

Sonoma Valley Sunrise

Circuit Breakers and Sunlight

Don't see these everyday

Another Bay Area Sunset

Over SFO, vectors EUGEN ...

Four Fundamentals, under the hood ...

Somewhere near Healdsburg

Hang on, hang on!

DME arc to CCR

Old stomping grounds, different airplane

Santa Rosa Six, over HWY 101

Stalls at Sunset