Tips from the Tower
By Alvin DeVane, Manager, ADS ATCT

Many years ago when I was a controller I was working the tower position at ADS. This was a time before we had radar in the tower and it was common to hear controllers say "rock your wings" to visually identify aircraft we were talking to. One clear day I had two aircraft inbound on final and I noticed the second one, a Cessna, was following their traffic too close. I instructed the aircraft to make a left 360. The pilot acknowledged and I watched, but no turn. I repeated the instruction, pilot acknowledged, I watched and still no turn. I repeated my instruction a third time and the pilot responded "I am making a left 360". Well the aircraft I was seeing was not turning, so I knew something was wrong. It was about then that I noticed a Cessna 150 holding short of the runway making 360's in the run-up area! I suspect it was a student that was thinking, "My instructor never told me about this, but whatever." Moral to this story is that if ATC asks you to do something that appears really strange, ask if they are sure they know what they are doing… in a nice way of course.

Easy Ways to Support Your Industry
If you ask a small child what he or she wants to be when he/she grows up, it's likely the answer would be, "I want to be a pilot… and a firefighter… and a ballerina (the girls, anyway!)… and a truck driver… and a teacher, and…" For some of those children, "wanting to be a pilot" will stick with them as they grow. It may take ten years or forty years but with a little luck and determination he'll become a pilot. And someday if you ask that grown pilot what sparked his desire to learn to fly, he'll reply, "It's always been my dream to fly."

Right now there are 609,737 rated pilots in the United States. That number is down significantly from 20 years ago. You, as a pilot, have an opportunity to help an industry you love and perhaps even rekindle someone's dream. The aviation community has been working hard developing programs that promote aviation.

AOPA's Project Pilot is a mentoring program that provides a student pilot with the wisdom and support of an experienced pilot mentor. A student with a Project Pilot Mentor is three times more likely to successfully complete their training. This exciting program is available free to all AOPA members. All it takes is someone who wants to share the joy of general aviation and a few minutes a week to help the aspiring pilot along.

The EAA Young Eagles program gives interested young people, ages 8-17, an opportunity to go flying in a general aviation airplane. These flights are offered free of charge and are made possible through the generosity of EAA member volunteers.

For our part, American Flyers has "Bring a Friend" BBQ/Seminars the second Saturday of every month, where you can listen to interesting speakers, enjoy lunch, talk with fellow pilots, fly in our simulators, and most importantly, introduce a friend to the world of flight

What all of these campaigns have in common is that they require the generous help of pilots. In return you will earn the satisfaction of sharing your passion and experience and giving back to a community of like-minded lovers of flight. Why not start by bringing a friend to American Flyers' next BBQ?

A Pleasant Diversion
There are many reasons you might decide to divert from your original destination to an alternate airport and not all of them have an urgent "uh-oh" factor; for instance, the slow but steady realization that you shouldn't have drunk that last cup of coffee... So when plans change, what do you do? The IFR pilot has already considered his options for an alternate airport during his flight planning. For the VFR pilot, however, there are a few items to think about when choosing a substitute destination at which to land. These rules of thumb will take the pressure out of inflight estimating and make getting to your alternate easier.

Once you have made the decision to divert, you're going to have to decide where to you want to go. Contact the Flight Service Station (FSS) on the local frequency or on the common frequency, 122.2 MHz. FSS is a service; one you should be comfortable communicating with. Don't hesitate to ask for some help. They can give you the current and forecasted weather at the airports you're considering, as well as distance and even vectors if you need them.

Now that you've decided which airport you're going to, based on forecasted weather and estimated fuel on board, turn to the approximate heading of the airport you've chosen. If unsure, turn to the cardinal heading closest to the proper heading (There are 8 cardinal headings: NE/045, E/090, SE/135, S/180, SW/225, W/270, NW/315, N/360.) Tune in and identify any available NAVAIDS to use as position cross reference or for guidance information. Work out the details of heading, ground speed, distance, time and fuel, while heading in the general direction of the alternate:

1. The Sectional Chart scale is 8 NM per inch. Use this to approximate the distance.
2. Apply the winds to your true airspeed, as shown in the chart below to approximate your ground speed.
3. Compute the time needed to reach the alternate by multiplying the distance by the "speed factor" closest to your approximate ground speed. Speed factor is the time in minutes required to fly one mile at the given ground speed.
4. Compare the ETE to your remaining fuel supply.
   
5. When time permits, contact the nearest FSS and inform them of the change in your flight plan. Obtain needed frequencies for approach and landing at the alternate from FSS if necessary.
   

These tips are excerpted from the American Flyers Private Flight Manual.

Our Private Flight Manual and many other items you're sure to find helpful can be found at our pilot shop at www.americanflyers. net/about/pilot_supplies.htm.

Laugh Out Loud...
Tower: "Airline XXX, it looks like one of your baggage doors is open."

Captain (after quickly scanning the FE panel): "Ah, thanks tower, but you must be looking at our APU door."

Tower: "Okay, Airline XXX, cleared for takeoff."

Captain: "Cleared for takeoff, Airline XXX."

Tower, during the takeoff roll: "Airline XXX, ahh ... it appears that your APU is leaking luggage..."

The Joy of IFR-ing
By David Menconi, Chief Flight Instructor

A Private Pilot, who is limited to flying in visual conditions, is sitting on the edge of the airport boundary waiting for the weather to improve so he can take off into the wild blue. He watches airplanes taking off and shortly after departure they disappear from site as if they are being absorbed by the low hanging clouds. At the other end of the airport he looks into the dark clouds only to find a lighter area in the cloud deck and as he stares at it, it gets brighter and brighter, the clouds seem to separate and -poof-, as if magic, an airplane appears right down the center line of the main runway. The brilliant landing lights and the vortices waving off its wingtips give an appearance of gladness as it is returning home after a long day. He says to himself, "WOW, I HAVE GOT TO GET ONE OF THOSE. What I have to get is an Instrument Rating."

Pilots have long understood the value of an Instrument Rating. An Instrument Rating not only increases your opportunities to fly but many pilots are surprised that it also increases their confidence and accuracy in all types of flying as well. It's the best of all flight training. An Instrument Rating enhances, safety, proficiency, efficiency, and excitement but most of all it is self-fulfilling and lots of fun.

Words of Wisdom…
Good decision making can prevent you from having to use your excellent flight skills to recover from a problem of your own making.

Experience is a hard teacher. First comes the test, then the lesson.

There are some flight instructors to whom the student is important, and there are some instructors to whom the instructor is important. Pick carefully.