Stratos 716X

King Schools Updates Check Ride Guidance

ByHank Gibson August 1, 2016August 17, 2016

Most in the aviation industry are familiar with John and Martha King, the faces of the myriad of Kings Schools aviation training courses.  Thousands of pilots have gone through their ground school courses for a variety of certificates or ratings, taking in the videos on original VHS, DVD, or streaming online depending on what the current technology is.

With the advent of the Airmen Certification Standards (ACS) replacing the Practical Test Standards (PTS) for the private and instrument certificates, King Schools didn’t take long to update their material.

To help private students prepping for their check ride (and their instructors who aren’t familiar with an ACS check ride yet), John King plays the student pilot in the latest King Schools prep video.  The streaming online video is about 5 hours long, includes the oral portion and the flight portion of the check ride, and runs $139 (you can still get the DVD, too!).

I have recommended King Schools and their courses to all of my customers.  They have always put out a great product as they reduce the fear felt for a check ride applicant.  If you are prepping for your private pilot check ride, checkout the King Schools video today.

The Importance of Slowing Down

ByHank Gibson June 4, 2018June 4, 2018

Technology has made our job as pilots simpler, streamlined, and safer.  With all the new GPS & autopilot technology that seems to come out every month, flying an airplane is getting easier every day (and when I say flying, I mean programming!).  I can’t tell you the last time I actually used a VOR for navigation, other than a practice approach.  The AIM even has guidance in it now allowing pilots to use the GPS overlay on a VOR or LOC approach instead of switching to the actual NavAid on the course needle (you have to WAAS in order to legally do this).

I hear the argument already.  I am young (31) and used to all the different touchscreens because I have grown up with them.  Tech is nothing new to me.  It’s not that easy for everyone, I do understand.  There is also the argument that all the tech causes pilots to not know how to fly the airplane, which is also valid. This is why I put an emphasis on hand flying in any kind of training I do.

For the sake of argument in this article, yes, I am young and I adapt to technology pretty easily.  I’m not afraid to press buttons to figure out what they do, but I usually do it while sitting on the ground with a GPU hooked up (or I go look in the manual).  And yes, all the autopilot ability has caused a decrease in base pilot skills.  I actually encourage every customer I have to go get a tailwheel rating so that they can actually learn how to fly better.  You don’t use a rudder much in a Cirrus compared to a Super Cub or a Citabria.

What I want to focus on for a few minutes is how to alleviate the frustration that comes with getting so wrapped up in the technology when it doesn’t do something that you want it to, or the wrong button gets pressed, then you end up somewhere you had no intention of being.

The biggest thing a pilot can do when it comes to technology is NEVER to get in a hurry.  Good training is first and foremost, but, after that when flying without an instructor or even in recurrent training, SLOW DOWN and think through what you are doing and what you want the system to do.  This will alleviate a ton of frustration.

It can be very easy in hot, turbulent weather to get tuned in to the GPS programming, trying to do five or six different things in the span of five or six seconds, before looking up and realizing that plane is 500 feet off altitude (without an autopilot) or you blew through the course you were supposed to be intercepting (with an autopilot).

What I teach is to slow down, whether or not you have an autopilot, and do one thing at a time.  Once that item is done, look up at the instruments or the horizon, check on things, make sure the airplane is still flying properly, then do the next thing.  Don’t try and do a bunch of things all at once or in a hurry.  It will usually get you off course and off altitude, plus it distracts the pilot from his main job:  Flying the airplane.

So, next time you want to do something on your GPS, pause, take a breath, think through what you want to do, then do one item at a time.  The outcome will be less frustrating and you’ll keep flying where you want to go.

Drones: A Brief History

ByAndrew Robinson April 18, 2016April 22, 2016

Drones; these technological wonders have, seemingly, come out of nowhere over the course of a few years. Although they bring with them the promise of convenience and fun, they have also brought problems and uncertainty for the government, general public, and, specifically, the aviation community. But, where did drones come from and are they really something to be worried about? Let’s take a look at Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and hopefully put to bed some of the concerns which seem to be following them around.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone when I say that drones have recently become overwhelmingly popular. The military, businesses, and hobbyists are increasingly utilizing them for all kinds of purposes, which range from enemy surveillance to package delivery. Drone pilots are in high demand and several aviation universities are even offering majors designed to produce graduates which specialize in UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).

Drones are relatively new to the landscape of unmanned flying machines. Although model airplanes have been popular since the dawn of aviation, the first “drones” didn’t start becoming commercially available until a few years ago. As electronic technology advanced, so did model aviation. Models became more and more sophisticated and could be flown remotely as long as they remained within sight of the person flying it.

It wasn’t until about 3 or 4 years ago that the technology became available to develop drones. This is due to the need for very small and light electric motors, batteries, and stabilization systems. Once these started to become popular, it didn’t take long for drones to become bigger, cheaper, and completely automated.

It is important to note that there is a difference between drones and conventional model airplanes and helicopters. Drones are defined most simply as an unmanned vehicle which can be operated without user input from the ground. Conventional model aircraft can take all shapes and sizes, but must be operated within line of sight from the operator; as they have no ability to fly, takeoff, land, or navigate without input via a radio transmitter. So, if you happen to see a model aircraft flying, don’t assume automatically that it is a drone. Most of the time, model airplanes, helicopters and even drones are being flown safely and legally.

Generally, a drone is designed with several arms which come off of a central body. Each of the “arms” typically has a motor with a rotor mounted on it to provide lift while the main body is home to the radio equipment, landing skids and camera gear. If you see a model flying that looks like a conventional airplane or helicopter, odds are it isn’t a drone. Most likely it is being flown recreationally by someone nearby.

Historically, model airplanes and helicopters have been difficult to learn to fly. Before the times of pre-built foam airplanes and ready to fly drones, a modeler had to build their flying machine and find someone to teach them how to fly it. (Otherwise, they would likely only get one short flight). New modelers would be directed toward the local model flying club and would get plugged in with a group of established fliers who could outline the rules for model aircraft as well as get them up in the air safely.

However, because most everything is purchased online in today’s market, drones are bought and flown by enthusiasts who have not been taught the rules, safety protocols, and procedures necessary to safely operate their new kits. In addition, the drones incredible stability and ability to be flown without any skill means that anyone with great enough funds and an equally great lack of common sense can buy a model and program it to fly over any location they choose. Unfortunately, sometimes that includes places which cause problems.

Andrew Robinson is a 135 Charter Pilot and flight instructor who lives with his wife and 2 daughters in Pennsylvania.  He flies Pilatus PC-12s and instructs in Beechcraft Bonanzas.

Present Position Hold

ByHank Gibson February 1, 2015

When I was working on my instrument rating back in 2007, my instructor and I did a lot of unpublished holds.  In ground school, I heard a lot about holding for weather or holding due to a traffic delay.  At my first job, my chief flight instructor was also a Continental (now United) captain and he told me a lot about having to hold for weather going into different places.

I heard all this, but I figured it would never happen to me when I’m flying GA airplanes.

Boy was I wrong!

I was flying a Piper Malibu into Phoenix with two passengers for Super Bowl weekend and the weather was awful.  No thunderstorms, but moderate precipitation and low ceilings.  We were coming into Deer Valley (KDVT) on the north side of Phoenix and about an hour out, ATC advised me that arrivals into DVT were having to hold and to expect a delay.  The controller said the delay would be about 30 minutes, so by doing a quick calculation, I determined the delay would probably be all cleared up by the time I got in the area.  At the time, I didn’t know if the delay was due to weather or traffic congestion.

Twenty minutes later, the controller advised me that there was still a delay.  I queried what it was for and he informed me it was due to weather.  He asked me if I wanted to hold or divert.  I listened to the ATIS and heard the ceilings were variable from just below the minimums to just above.  I told him I would hold as the TAF I saw predicted the ceilings to go up.

“Malibu, hold present position, hold east, expect further clearance 2140 Zulu.”  Gulp.

At this point, my autopilot had gone out, it was turbulent and I was definitely in the soup.  This was going to be fun.

After recovering my wits, I read back the clearance, then set about setting up this hold without getting too far from my present position.  The Malibu I was flying had a Garmin 530 which I was using as my primary means of navigation.  I was on V190, but I didn’t have all the fixes in my flight plan.  What to do?  And what to do fast?

The 530 has a rarely used function called a User Waypoint.  It comes in handy in situations like these.  On the moving map, you can turn the cursor on, move the cursor to any point on the map, and, by pressing enter, create a User Waypoint.  This is what I did on V190.  After I created it, I had to go to my flight plan, find the right spot, and input the User Waypoint just like I would any fix.  Just a note here, when you create a User Waypoint, make sure you remember what you named it so you can find it again.

After I input the User Waypoint in the flight plan, I had to go back and activate the leg that the User Waypoint was the end point on.  Then, to make sure the flight plan didn’t go to the next waypoint once I crossed my User Waypoint, I had to press the OBS button on the 530 in order to put the GPS in suspend mode.

Keep in mind, my autopilot wasn’t working, so this involved a lot of multi-tasking!

That’s how to do a present position hold using the Garmin 530.  Got all that?  Here’s a concise review:

• Create a User Waypoint
  • Turn the cursor on by pressing the FMS knob
  • Move the cursor to the point where you want your User Waypoint
  • Press enter and name the User Waypoint
• Press the Flight Plan button
• Input the User Waypoint into your flight plan at the proper point
• Activate the leg that the User Waypoint is the end point on
• Finally, press the OBS button to put the GPS in suspend mode
• After you’re cleared onward, just press the OBS button again to take the GPS out of suspend mode

Airspace Alert: Houston Executive Tower Opens

ByHank Gibson October 13, 2014

For those of you who frequent the Houston area, make sure to check your NOTAMs.  The Houston Executive Airport (KTME) in Katy recently opened a control tower.  The Houston Executive tower information won’t show up on the sectional chart till the new chart comes out in the spring.  The only way to get the information about the tower and the airspace will be via NOTAMs or when the new Airport/Facilities Directory comes out on November 3rd.  The tower opened October 1st.

According to AOPA, the airspace will remain Class G around the airport, even though there is a control tower in place.  Since the Houston Executive tower is there, it will be mandatory to contact the tower when passing through the airspace.  KTME’s airspace stretches up to 2,000 feet MSL and goes out to a 4 sm radius around the airport.  It is a VFR Only tower, so the controllers do not have radar.

The tower is open from 6am-10pm, local time, 7 days a week.

Frequency Information

Houston Executive Tower:  126.975

Houston Executive Ground Control/Clearance Delivery:  132.075

Houston Executive ATIS:  119.525