Pilot Tips of the Week

 These are provided by Pilot Workshops...

• Avionics / Equipment
• Camera, legality of an external camera.
• Glass cockpit - the distraction.
• Glass cockpit - the secret.
• GPS, suspending the GPS to hold.
• GPS, tracking heading with GPS.
• GPS, WAAS GPS, is it worth the cost?
• Instant Voltmeter.
• Minimum Technology List.
• Simulators:
• Using a SIM at home?
• Uses for a simulator.
• WAAS GPS, is it worth the cost?
• Also see Systems/Equipment.
• General / Planning
• Alternates: filed alternate fallacy.
• Alternates: having a 'fuel alternate'.
• “Avionics … Set” - what does it really mean?
• Charts - what about paper charts?
• Clearance (IFR) - see Instruments below...
• Cockpit, disinfecting a modern one.
• Flying with children.
• Fuel - Selecting fuel stops.
• Fuel - when to stop for fuel.
• Getting back in the air.
• GO-NO-GO, the RON mentality
• Icing - Overlooked icing trap.
• Insight from flying jets.
• Instructors, finding a good one.
• Letters to Airmen (FAA), why they matter.
• Logbooks - digital and paper.
• NASA Form - Should you fill one out?
• NOTAMs, do you have them?
• Risk - Is this flight too risky?
• Rusty IFR pilot.
• Rusty pilot - getting back in the saddle.
• Sectionals: What does *RP mean?
• Sectionals: VFR checkpoint codes.
• Sightseeing flights.
• Survival essentials.
• Three Strikes Rule.
• Also see Planning.
• Ground Ops
• "Avionics Set" - what does it mean?
• Carb heat: Runups with a carburetor. 
• Cowl Plug Strap - avoiding a deadly habit.
• Cycling the prop.
• Fuel, Fire, Flight Controls.
• Ground, when to contact after landing.
• Grounding while fueling.
• Ignition - correct check.
• Leaning during taxi.
• Magneto check - a correct one.
• Manifold pressure check
• Navigating on the ground.
• Oil:
• Checking for leaks after oil change.
• Leaking too much oil?
• Performance calculations confidence.
• Preflight:
• 360 Check.
• After annual.
• Common omission.
• Nose wheel strut.
• Preflight checklist?
• Preheat, do you leave it on constantly?
• Propeller - inspecting yours.
• Propeller - surprise motion.
• Propeller - turning it by hand.
• Ramp Check.
• Spark plugs, clearing when fouled.
• Starting - priming for a cold start.
• Starting - zero throttle start.
• Tipping line workers, when to do it.
• Windshield cleaning mistake.
• Also see Maneuvers.
• Takeoff / Landing +
• Common control oversight.
• Crosswinds
• How to think about them, landing errors, too much?
• Departure - turning onto a runway.
• Flaps:
• Flap sink, avoiding it.
• Full flaps all at once?
• Go around - common mistakes.
• Go around or not.
• Go around safely.
• Go-arounds - giving them the run-around.
• One-Bounce Rule.
• Landing - fly the PAPI?
• Landing - practicing on a highway?
• Landing - where does tower expect you to land?
• Landing / Takeoff - distances.
• Landing / takeoff - calculating distance.
• Lights:
• Lights for day VFR.
• Lights - keeping them on.
• Lights - none on final.
• No gear-up landings.
• Power-off 180, the drag.
• Spot landing contest benefits.
• Takeoff briefing.
• Takeoff - final runway checks.
• Takeoff - Go/No-Go.
• Takeoff - high terrain departure.
• Takeoff - intersection.
• Takeoff - manifold pressure check.
• Takeoff - performance skepticism.
• Takeoff - when to retract gear.
• Takeoff - slushy departures.
• Takeoff / landing - distances.
• Takeoff / landing - calculating distance.
• Turnback - how to plan for one.
• Wake turbulence separation (ATC).
• See also Takeoff or Landing.
• In Flight
• Altitudes - assigned under VFR.
• Altitudes - choosing the best cruise.
• ATC - Read back the numbers.
• ATC - right way to contact ATC on initial call.
• ATC - which airspeed?
• Autopilot - using the "Blue Button".
• Best glide simplified.
• Checklists - using them in flight.
• Clouds - avoiding them at night.
• Communication
• Abbreviate callsigns.
• 'Any traffic please advise'.
• Should you monitor 121.5 (Guard/Emergency)?
• Using callsign on CTAF.
• CRM - keys to good CRM.
• Decelerating - right time to slow down.
• Descents:
• Mixture during descent.
• Departure - high terrain.
• ELT - what's better than one?
• Emergencies +
• ADS-B failure.
• Airspeed indicator, flying without one.
• Alternator failure at night.
• Checklist memorization. Version 2.
• Counteracting panic.
• Declare or not?
• Ditching in water vs trees.
• Emergency return in IMC.
• Engine failure #1 Rule.
• Engine failure (simulated) - dangerous practice?
• Engine out to a field.
• Field landing.
• First action for any emergency.
• Forced landing at night.
• Forced landing priorities.
• Glide ring, old school.
• Landing spot.
• Military mindset.
• Off-field landing choices.
• Open door in flight.
• Partial power loss.
• Split flaps.
• Staying sharp on procedures.
• See also Emergencies.
• Fatigue, the impact of.
• Flaps...
• Extending while banked.
• Slipping with full flaps.
• Flight following...
• Benefits.
• Changing altitude.
• Flight following and ATC.
• From non-towered airports.
• Is it a clearance?
• See also Cross Country.
• Fog - un-forecasted.
• Fuel gauge accuracy.
• Glass cockpit - the secret.
• Gliding distance.
• Hypoxia below the O2 altitudes?
• IMC - can a VFR pilot survive in IMC?
• Involuntary Control Inputs.
• LAHSO clearance.
• Learning the numbers of your aircraft.
• Military Operations Area (MOA).
• Mistakes - Letting go of them.
• Navigation...
• Can't find the airport?
• Finding the airport.
• Tracking heading with GPS.
• VFR Through a TFR.
• See also Cross Country.
• Passengers - should they stay quiet?
• PIREPs, what to include.
• PIREPs: what to report.
• Play the game of “What If?”
• Practice every flight.
• Propeller, how to move it quietly. (silent prop)
• Propeller, overspeed.
• Right-of-way: rules and realities.
• Rudder coordination.
• Rudder coordination exercise.
• Slips...
• Left or right?
• Slipping with full flaps.
• Slow flight - getting there quickly.
• Spins - will training really help?
• Stall speed while banked and descending.
• Staying ahead of the aircraft.
• Steep turn secret.
• SVFR - when it makes sense.
• Thermals - when they turn turbulent.
• Traffic, finding it.
• Traffic pattern / pattern operations:
• Traffic pattern, departing it.
• Traffic pattern ground track.
• When to announce each leg in the pattern.
• Where is the upwind leg?
• See also Maneuvers - Execution - Techniques.
• Trim - five-second rule.
• Trim - set trim in one shot?
• Instruments (IFR) +
• See also Instruments and Approaches.
• Approaches:
• Activating.
• Practice in VMC.
• Preparing for one.
• Simple fix to a common problem.
• Second attempt.
• Visual do's and don'ts
• ATC - anticipating cancellation instructions.
• Bearing pointers, using them.
• Circling to land in low visibility
• Clearance - airborne IFR.
• Clearance - copying IFR.
• Clearance - non-towered airport.
• Clearance - writing down clearances.
• Clearance Delivery - using published phone numbers.
• Contact approach in practice.
• Departures:
• Graphic ODP - what is it?
• Must you fly the ODP?
• Glideslope - the secret to a perfect one.
• IFR Routes - preferred routes.
• IPC (airplane) vs simulator practice.
• Missed approach, multiple.
• Standard-rate turn - a secret.
• Vectors to final - custom.
• VOR phase-out.
• VOR tests.
• Weather:
• ATIS/AWOS - a better way to get it.
• Clouds to avoid?
• Forecast, MOS - what is it?
• Lightning - how far is “Distant Lightning”?
• No ice in snow clouds?
• Outlooks, Watches and Warnings.
• Rain - flying through heavy rain.
• SIGMET, Convective
• What conditions warrant a Convective SIGMET?
• TAFs - why they get amended.
• Turbulence:
• Hidden pockets.
• Reducing speed in turbulence.
• See also Weather.

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