Wednesday, October 13, 2011
Improving Skill and Proficiency
by
David
Blakney, Chief Flight Instructor
A challenge common to
all of us as pilots is maintaining a high level of knowledge and
proficiency. There are a number of options available to the pilot
who wishes to sharpen these skills. Maybe you are not aware of the
resources available to you or, perhaps you are concerned about the
time it might require. So, what is a pilot to do?
1. A
great place to start is with your flight instructor. Simply put, if he or she
is not actively engaged in their own plan of continuously improving their skills
and knowledge, it is time to consider a new instructor. While that opinion may
not set well with my fellow instructors, it is a fact that pilots engaged in
ongoing safety programs or training are far less likely to find themselves in
trouble. There are many wonderful, talented experts in the field of aviation.
My experience in meeting these people is they have something in common….they are
constantly improving their own skills and have a passion to share their
knowledge with others.
2. Read the entire article
Monday, June 27, 2011
by
David Blakney,
Chief Flight Instructor
In this article I want to focus on
those pilots who come to SunState Aviation for hour building.
While often necessary for the
pursuit of higher ratings, or simply to explore areas of interest, hour building
can be a costly undertaking if the pilot is not prepared or have a plan. I have
seen some enormously successful hour building experiences during my time at
SunState Aviation and in all cases the pilot was prepared with a plan. In this
article I want to focus on those pilots who come to us for hour building. Let’s
start by taking a look at what this planning consists of.
Choosing a flight school
All too often, the first focus is
on cost. This is tempting, but the experienced pilot is one who weighs both
cost and quality. Will the school you rent from sit down with you and go
through the maintenance history of the aircraft you will be flying? Will you be
flying a late model, impeccably maintained aircraft with the latest avionics?
Will the Flight Instructor staff be available to you for questions on a day to
day basis before, during and after your flights? Is the entire staff helpful,
prompt and courteous in all of their communications during your stay?
Read the entire article
Friday, January 7, 2011
by
Mike Camelin
I'm
sure most people will recognize the picture here as the
famous ground school scene from the 1980's blockbuster movie
Top Gun starring Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer.
In this scene Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) and
Lt. Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) are being
"educated" about the proper way to dispatch their enemy
(MiG-28) in a dogfight by their teacher, Charlotte "Charlie"
Blackwood (Kelly McGillis).
In the movie, the ground school seems to be drastically
over-shadowed with all the F-14 Tomcat action in the air
over the California desert near Miramar. But what about your
ground school? How important is it, really? Is it really
enough to just pass the FAA written test? Is there not more
to it than that?
In my talking to prospective "pilots-in-training", I am
often asked about ground school. Sadly, all too often, the
perception of ground school is limited to the concept of
preparing the student for the FAA written test.
Nothing could be further from the truth!
The real purpose of a bonafide ground school is to teach the
pilot-in-training how to fly the airplane. Preparing the
student to pass a 60-question multiple-choice test from rote
memory should be a side-benefit of a legitimate ground
instruction program. Knowing the correct answers to the
FAA's test questions will help you pass a test. Knowing the
how's and why's behind those test questions can save your
life!
SunState Aviation utilizes an FAA Approved Computer Based
Instruction (CBI) program as the basis for all of our flight
training programs. These CBI applications are designed to
teach the pilot-in-training everything he/she needs to know
to prepare him/her for the next flight lesson. No guess work
or boring very expensive holes in the sky. The student knows
exactly what he/she is to do - and how to do it before the
lesson begins!
I often say, "the cockpit is a fun place to be, but it's a
lousy classroom." In other words: We LEARN on the ground. We
PRACTICE what we learned in the airplane. And unless your
pockets are very deep, this is an important concept to
understand to keep your flight training on-budget.
Ground school may not be the sexiest part of flying, but it
sure will help you to perform like a star!
Permalink
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Accelerated Flight Training is Truly the Most Cost-and-Time
Efficient Way to Earn a Pilot Certificate or Rating
by
Mike Camelin
Looking for a cheap way to get your pilot license?
Don't look for cheap. Look for VALUE.
Consider this: We have people who come to SunState
Aviation from all over the world to train because they have found that the money
they save doing one of our accelerated flight training courses, more than
offsets the expense of
staying in a hotel for two or three weeks.
As an example; the national average for completing
Private Pilot training course is about 70 hours of flight instruction (granted,
some finish in less time, but some take longer).
There are many reasons for this, but the main reason
this high number of hours to completion but the main reason the number is so
high is because the lessons are spaced too far apart to be effective. The
student spends much of his time and money re-learning what he learned on his
last lesson.
Our average completion time for a Private Pilot
course is 47 hours of flight instruction in 21 days for someone starting from
zero-time. At an average of $200 per hour (airplane, fuel and CFI) for flight
instruction, this is a savings of $4,600. Cost of hotel stay for 21 nights is
$819, add another $400 for food and personal spending, so the net savings for
the student is $3,381
AND you would be receiving the best QUALITY flight
training from seasoned professionals in
newer, technically advanced airplanes.
You just can't beat that!
If the student is training for multiple ratings, the
savings is compounded even further!
Your New Year's resolution? Yes, pursue that dream.
Become a pilot or add that
instrument rating, or
multi engine rating.
And do it the smart way, with a SunState Aviation
Accelerated Flight Training course!
by
Mike Camelin
News headlines
and talk show fodder this recent Thanksgiving holiday were
centered around the National Opt-out Day as it was called,
protesting the new intrusive security measures at airports
by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Although the
protest was not all that well organized and most people
traveling for the holiday did not "opt-out" of the full body
scan, the point was made: Airline travel is getting more and
more difficult and more travelers "opting out" of flying on
scheduled air carriers and opting for alternative means of
getting from point-A to point-B.
Well, why not
fly yourself?
That's right.
In just 21 days and for about the price of a used car, you
can
become a certificated pilot and "opt-out" of long lines,
full body scans, pat-downs and rude TSA agents. Forever!
Not only that,
imagine flying your own airplane (one that you own or one
that you rented) directly to your destination, not some
International hub 200 miles from where you want to be, but
right where you want to be! Even back-country airstrips. And
imagine flying when YOU want to fly, not when the airlines
want you to fly
You could
actually arrive at your destination hours before you would
have had you not "opted-out."
Let us help
you "opt-out" in 2011. Join SunState Aviation in declaring
2011, National Opt-Out Year!
by
David Blakney, CFII
A
topic of great interest to all of us in aviation appeared in
an article entitled, “AOPA Embarks on Quest to Fix Flight
Training”. While certainly not a new topic, it is admirable
to see the issue addressed by the AOPA.
The article states, in part, that
“although many in the industry feel like they may know the
reasons, no one has ever conducted a systematic qualitative
and quantitative study to validate assumptions”. Well,
that’s certainly saying a great deal and is very true.
I offer here no quick fixes or secret
recipe for fixing the “70-80 percent of student pilots
dropping out before they earn a certificate”, but will take
the position that not all flight training providers are
experiencing this rate of attrition. Further, I will
provide examples of some of the qualities and
characteristics of a provider that are likely to contribute
to a higher rate of success.
Let’s start with the product itself.
As a colleague of mine frequently states, he has the best
job in the world…discussing aviation with current and
prospective pilots from all over the world. While an entire
article could be written on this alone, I believe many would
agree that aviation is still a respected field. People
undertake flying for a number of reasons, but the point here
is, the wonder of flight still sparks imagination and desire
to
learn to fly. It then stands to reason, how we package
and offer the product is vitally important. Some qualities
and questions that come to mind are; do we offer it with
honesty, integrity, passion and the desire to produce safe,
knowledgeable and proficient pilots? If a provider can not
answer yes to all of the above, we are doing a disservice to
the product and potential pilots.
The next point may seem very pointed,
but we also need to acknowledge the role of cost. On the
surface flying seems to be very expensive but frankly
potential customers who are shopping around on price alone
are often left frustrated and disillusioned when the process
costs far more than they originally were quoted. We need to
be honest with customers in this area. Usually, people who
are researching flight training are already aware it is not
a “cheap” process and when asked, these people will tell you
they will absolutely pay for a product that delivers value.
We all understand that in our day to day purchases.
When we read the AOPA article, we
started thinking about our own attrition rate and, at the
risk of sounding like we have all the answers (we don’t!),
our rate is actually far less than the 70-80 percent
referenced in the article. The question then is, “why”?
There is no one answer that much is
clear. Some things do immediately stand out and, perhaps
surprisingly, many of them cost little to nothing to
deliver. At SunState Aviation, we deliver the product
honestly and we’re passionate about the product. Our
vision, mission, values and standards have not changed since
the doors opened.
Our surveys clearly reveal it is
working. Our customers come from all corners of the world
and we see them return to pursue additional ratings or
simply to enjoy flying with SunState Aviation.
In summary, while it is clear the
numbers of pilots not finishing training is incredibly high,
we also need to recognize what does work. High quality
instruction, honesty, integrity, excellence, teamwork,
recognition and fun…these are the values of SunState
Aviation and the proof is in the results.
Permalink
by
David Blakney, CFII
Introduction
The
Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) is one of the most
important steps an Instrument Rated pilot performs. No
doubt you worked exceptionally hard to attain the
instrument rating and maybe you just have not had the
time or opportunity to exercise the privileges of the
rating. While the need for an IPC is determined by
regulation, to maintain confidence, knowledge and
proficiency in the instrument environment, why not consider
taking this check voluntarily?
While the
reasons for performing an Instrument Proficiency Check can
vary greatly by individual pilot, did you know that
statistics show that pilots who have not received
instrument flight training or those whose instrument
skills have eroded will lose control of an airplane in about
10 minutes once forced to rely solely on instruments?
Instrument Refresher Course. Upon completion of the IPC,
you will regain confidence or enhance your existing skills
when operating in the instrument environment.
General
As mentioned
earlier, there are regulatory requirements to be met when
performing an Instrument Proficiency Check. One should
consider these are only the minimums and, in most cases, are
not sufficient to develop a high level of confidence in the
instrument environment.
At SunState
Aviation, we will work with you to develop a plan that meets
your needs. Perhaps you are in need of assistance in
matters of weather, or understanding new approaches, or
maybe you have recently purchased a new aircraft and need
assistance transitioning to operating in instrument
conditions.
Once you have made the decision to
undertake an IPC, now you need to determine where to do it. Some questions to
ask yourself as you do your research include: do they have expertise in
instrument training, do they utilize or have available a
simulator approved for instrument training and can I simulate approaches
that I would frequently fly, are the
airplanes late model
and exceptionally well maintained, will I have a dedicated
instructor.
Summary
The Instrument
Proficiency Check is a vitally important step in regaining
instrument currency and should be approached with the goal
of training that not only meets, but exceeds, the minimums
required to be a legal IFR pilot. It is also an option for
those pilots who simply want to have their instrument skills
challenged and improved. You owe it to yourself, your
passengers and fellow pilots to be the absolute best you can
be. At SunState Aviation, we are ready to help you achieve
this goal
Once you've
settled in your mind exactly what your goals
are for learning to fly, the next step in
this process would be to decide when and
where you should train. If your schedule and
finances will allow, we recommend attending
one of our accelerated flight training
courses. Why accelerated training? Remember,
we talked about MAXIMUM VALUE and MAXIMUM
QUALITY. In an accelerated course the
student is removed from his/her normal day
to day environment and completely immersed
in the subject matter of learning to fly an
airplane for the duration of the training
course. The goal here is not so much
drinking from the proverbial fire hose, as
much as it is maximizing your learning
curve. Concentrating your efforts over a
short period of time maximizes the retention
of information as well as quickly
reinforcing the required motor skills. Quite
simply, it is the difference between earning
your pilot license in 45 to 50 hours instead
of 75 to 80 hours..
We strongly recommend shopping around and
checking out all of your options. Right now
you are visiting SunState Aviation's web
site, but we would encourage you to shop,
call, email, browse, take notes and then
make an informed choice. To be totally
honest; we may not be the flight school that
is best suited to your own personal needs
and goals, but the only way you would know
that for sure is if you have done your
homework!
Here are some things you should look for as
you are shopping for that perfect place to
learn to fly:
-
New and
late model aircraft that are
meticulously maintained to meet or
exceed FAA standards.
-
A
structured training syllabus (ground and
flight) that is FAA approved
-
Experienced flight instructors who are
closely supervised by an experienced
Chief Flight Instructor
-
All
flight instructors consistently follow
the training syllabus (no lone rangers
doing their own thing. Lone rangers are
only out to milk you and build hours. If
they are not all following the syllabus,
they are not doing you any favors)
-
Flight
instructors who are completely
knowledgeable about the avionics in the
training aircraft
-
Itemized
cost estimates for absolutely everything
involved with reaching your goals
-
Does this
flight school require full payment in
advance? (If they do, run, don't walk in
the other direction!!!)
-
Does the
flight school have an FAA approved level
III or better flight simulator?
-
Does the
flight school return your phone calls
and/or emails? Is the support staff
courteous and helpful?
-
Where
will you take your FAA Knowledge Exam
(written test)? Where will you take your
Practical Test?
-
