Greetings!
If April showers are any indication of the possibility of May flowers we should all have a botanical garden developing in our back yards. This has been an active weather season and it seems we are in for an interesting summer battling thunderstorms.
Upcoming articles on our website this month:
To help you navigate your way through this month's weather I will be posting my safety seminar "Thunderstorms: Hazards and Avoidance". You will discover methods of avoiding thunderstorms and learn when you should not trust the weather forecast. If you find yourself caught in the middle of a storm learn methods that will help you survive your encounter.
We have received a number of interesting questions from our readers this month. See answers to their questions posted at expertAviator.com.
Also in next month's issue I will present a unique viewpoint of the long tarmac delays from an airline captains perspective. You will learn some of the nuances of the new tarmac delay rule. I will also try to dispel some of the misinformation from both sides of this issue.
Thinking of a career in aviation? This month also look for articles concerning the upcoming pilot shortage and how to take advantage of this if you are thinking of a career in aviation.
Look for a video review of Sporty's IFR Communications in conjunction with ThePilotReport.com. The Pilot Report is a unique website with video reviews of aviation products. In the future look for more reviews of aviation training aids and products at this website and at The Pilot Report. Additionally the Pilot Report will be producing podcasts which I will be cohosting so stay tuned.
Look to our website for these articles or follow us on Twitter or Facebook by clicking on the links on the left of the page. If you have any aviation questions please send them to carl@expertaviator.com. We have an ever expanding team of aviation experts that will help you with an answer to your question. If we use your question on our website you are eligible for sponsorship and free advertising on our website.
Fly Safe!
Carl Valeri
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It was a great day to practice some touch and goes since the winds were blowing and my friend, we will call him Jim, needed some crosswind practice. Jim and I fly out of Peter O. Knight Airport in Tampa Florida which is only a few miles from MacDill Air Force Base, home to some important military commands. We often see the military transport aircraft flying overhead, and occasionally with some very important people. These VIPs, especially the Joint Chiefs Of Staff will cause a Temporary Flight Restriction, TFR and today was one of those days where we had a TFR right over the airport.
Jim left work early to do some local flying from Peter O. Knight. Taxing to the runway Jim saw one plane depart and another plane call with their intentions of departing. After listening to the weather Jim switched back to the CTAF and announced his intentions of crossing a runway on his way out to depart.
This is when he heard someone calling his N number on the CTAF. He answered and it turned out to be the local FBO trying to contact him. The FBO asked if he knew about the TFR because of the Vice President's visit? Jim said no, but then thanked him and taxied back to the hangar.
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Ask Expert Aviator
Feel free to ask us anything related to aviation.
Want to know what a ground stop is and why you have to wait for three hours in Orlando before leaving for New York? Ever wonder what it means when the controller says "resume own navigation"? Looking for clarification on something you heard in the media, from a pilot friend, or flight instructor? For answers to these and all your aviation questions send us an e-mail at carl@expertaviator.com . |
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 A reader asks "I know the airplane must have a magnetic compass but I heard the compass error cannot be more than ten degrees". My friend flies a plane with more than a ten degree error. Is this legal? Also how is the compass tested and how often is it checked?
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 On Monday April 18th a Boeing 737 carrying the First Lady was required to discontinue their approach to Andrews Air Force Base because they came too close to a C-17. For those of us who fly often we know air traffic control may accidentally bring us too close to a larger plane in front of us and we must execute a go around, but when the First Lady is on board it makes the news. All the media attention to this event gives us a perfect opportunity to review the concept of wake turbulence and the regulations and procedures we should use to avoid an encounter with the wake of a large aircraft.
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 I could see the frustration on my student's face. She really wanted to make better landings but seemed to have reached a plateau in her progress. I could empathize with her because I was a student and remember having the same experience. While taxiing back to the runway after a bounced landing but a good recovery I started thinking how I could encourage her. It was a silent cockpit and the air seemed thick as oil. One thing I have learned over the years is pilots are more critical of their own landings than of others and I am sure she was thinking that was the worst landing in the history of flight. The plane rolled to a stop in the middle of the long taxiway as she gently pressed the brakes. Not saying a word at first she looked in all directions to make sure no other planes were in the way and then looked at me in desperation and said "Do you think I will ever be able to make good landings?" Read On...
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