Top Letters And Comments, September 30, 2022

Why Your Performance Charts Are Wrong

In my youth I once took off on a golf-lawn quality but slightly wet runway that was sufficient by book figures, only to make it over the fence and adjacent road with shaking knees and at barely enough height not to touch crossing cars. Based on that experience the 25% increase should probably go to the difference between ordinary pilots and test pilots alone. This is even more true for landings where most of us won’t smash their plane in for optimum performance like a pilot will do.

Ages ago Sporty offered a slide rule calculator to adjust for various factors not contained in more sparse manufacturer’s take-off tables.

Siegfried L.

Once you begin flying transport category planes you soon realize just how true this article is about performance charts for normal category planes. Planes certified prior to 1979, those charts are even worse. Having computer/IPad based programs/apps make getting performance numbers for the jet I fly so much easier than using the spaghetti charts in the AFM/POH.

Matt W.

When Airplanes Ruled The Movies

Great subject Paul!

Nice article! You brought to us good entertainment, history and some good memories. So nice to see such a movie and the way movies were made back in the days. I’m born and raised in Brazil, lived in Rio for three decades, late 60s to late 70s and 80s so I am suspicious to say how beautiful the city is from above. Especially at that time. just few houses not high rise buildings yet. What a treasure! Copacabana Palace Hotel, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon all from above filmed at that time is just wonderful.

Thanks for the mix of art and aviation. We need more of this approach to GA. Too much of “safety” and “accidents” talks kills the poetry and the spirit of adventure.

I am all for adventure when comes to GA.

Again, thanks for the article.

Made my day.

Lewis M.

“Hollywood” and GA don’t mix. Like a fast car driving on a winding mountainous road, within a few minutes it will end up in a 500gallon gasoline fed fireball tumbling down, a GA airplane will have the engine “sputtering” in minutes (even turbo props…), crash uncontrollable in a lake or desolate wilderness. Booooring.

Richard B.

Paul, you find the most wonderful treasures and you write about them so well. Thank you for your skilful eye and pen!

Bob G.

Air France Relaunches All-In Pilot Training Program

I understand the need but see longer run issues. Pilots going through the normal system are exposed to a lot of variability and information about the state of the sector before they seek out jobs in the big carriers. They have a breadth of experience it would be hard to replicate in a program like this. Especially if bean counters are running the show instead of pilots. And any cultural safety issues seem more likely to be perpetuated.

Cosmo A.

Poll: Should GA Adopt More Virtual Reality For Training?

• A blended mix works but it does not replace time in the air. It can, however, reinforce training making the next hour airborne way more cost effective. I ran a school that trained rescue swimmers, hoist operators and pilots for SAR. We introduced VR in 2001 and it had a huge reduction on the failure rate for hoist operators.
• Why not? IF it reduced costs.
• As long as it’s in addition to, and not in place of, other training.
• Sure. It will allow students to practice emergencies in a safe way, and provide environmental challenges not normally experienced in day-to-day flying.
• Not only expense saving. Time saving. You could practice 4x the number of approaches on a sim then in the real world.
• Absolutely. It is more effective tool than traditional simulators.
• Reduce cost, yes, but also allows the instructor to introduce material which is not safe in an aircraft, even a C172, to the student.
• Only to the extent and for the hours and purposes currently allowed for other computer-based flight training devices.
• It’s an invaluable training tool.
• For procedures and flow, yes, but not for logable hours. Nothing like being in the aircraft itself.
• VR and other sims would be great for practicing or demonstrating th8ngs that would be too dangerous to do for real.
• Sure, for supplemental experience. Not to replace existing requirements.
• With 3 axis full motion. Stick and rudder skills are “seat of the pants” skills.
• May as well go for it. Since it is extremely expensive and getting worse to get real time in actual hardware. Maybe training could actually get 1 out of 10 into the cockpit.
• If reality is not worth it, VR is less so.
• Sim for all ratings is better training.
• If it can be made to be a benefit as opposed to yet another game.
• Purports to reduce costs, yet will somehow increase costs. Wait and see.
• If you need to reduce costs you should pick a different hobby.
• Let’s just stay home, and watch somebody else fly our airplanes.