We all have them but what do we use logbooks for? The obvious answer is to record our compliance with the rules and regulations. For example, have we done enough instrument approaches in the last six months or do we have enough solo hours to take our commercial check ride?

After ten years and nearly 800 hours of flying, I’m coming to the end of my first log book.

When you think about it, saying that your logbook is just paperwork is like saying that your wedding ring is just a fashion accessory.

As I look back over the record of ten years’ flying, it makes me think that logbooks are more important than that. They do a lot more than record compliance:

• Names and faces. It helps me remember Tim Harvey my first instructor.
• Milestones. My first qualifying cross country, my first solo and “Satisfactory PL(S) requirements satisfied” which is the bureaucrats way of saying ‘you’re a pilot now’.
• Moments. The flight in NASA’s Space Shuttle simulator when I was a tech journalist (the remarks say: “One abort RTLS. Two approaches KSC RWY 15.”), that test flight in a PC-12 over the Alps or the flight to Old Warden with two WWII veterans.
• Friends and family. I took Ellie to the Isle of White, Claire to Stratford, Tim to Exeter.
• Weather. “TCUs after lunch”, “Sun in Haze”, 132 hours in real or simulated IMC.
• Exploration. All those trips to Holland to practice my Dutch. Flights to Germany, France, Belgium, Scotland and Ireland. Going out of my comfort zone.
• Learning. It really is a licence to learn. My log book records all the crazy new things my instructors tried to get me to do: “NDB tracking”, “holds”, “Chandelles”, “8s on pylons” and all those new systems to learn on the Garmin Perspective, Avidyne R9 etc.
• Lots of lunches. I think I can account for the extra pounds I gained in the last ten years by looking at all the restaurants I have visited.

If my log book is my best index to all those memories and significant moments, why is the ‘remarks’ section so small. In 150 years’ time when I am (just) too old to fly, my log book will be all I have to remind me of all those hours in the air and my overriding thought will be ‘did I have tiny handwriting?’

I fly a Cirrus SR22 for fun and on business and I’m based in England. Mostly I fly to Europe, especially Holland and Northern France and it’s fairly technical flying in airways and into big airports. But the other day the weather was beautiful and I just took the morning off and went flying. I went up to Wellesbourne Mountford solo VFR. A nice simple flight that I’ve done lots of times before. Sometimes the best flying is just going somewhere fun and familiar. It reminded me how many great airports we have in the UK that welcome light aircraft. Here are some of my favourites:

• Wellesbourne Mountford. This is actually near Stratford-upon-Avon and a great place to visit. There’s a classic English ‘greasy spoon’ airport diner on the field as well as a Vulcan bomber (see picture). Nearby, there’s Shakespeare’s birthplace and the Royal Shakespeare Company plus an old English country house.
• Newquay. Newquay is an old RAF base and it has a huge runway. But now it has been civilianised. What makes it special is that it is only a couple of miles from the North Cornwall coastline and a beautiful beach. You can have lunch at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant right on the beach or go to beautiful Padstow for lunch at Rick Stein’s.
• Duxford. Duxford is home to the Imperial War Museum’s aircraft collection. It’s a fantastic museum with a Concorde, a B52, an SR71 (just 49 higher than an SR22 – talk about turning it up to 11) and many other beautiful and famous planes. Even better if you can fly in during the Duxford air show. I was number 2 to a landing B17 last time!
• Cosford. Another airfield with a museum attached. This time it’s the RAF museum and more wonderful planes. The place is operated by the RAF but they welcome visitors and it’s a great place to fly into. I had a great day out there.
• Denham. My home base. It’s very close to London – just north of Heathrow Airport and there’s a train station within walking distance of the airfield  so you can land and be in Central London in 30-45 minutes. Unlike nearby Northolt or Farnborough, it doesn’t charge outrageous landing fees so you sometimes see four or five Pilatus PC-12s lined up by the tower as they ferry in their VIPs. (The runway’s too short for jets, however.)

Only a massive reserve of excess thrust will get you out of severe wind shear — and sometimes that’s not enough. In writing my last article on wind shear and inertia, I was reminded of the chilling tale of Delta Airlines Flight 191.

Delta 191 was a landmark aviation accident that shook the industry. Flight 191 proceeded much like any other airline flight, right up until the last 40 seconds.

First Officer Rudy Price was at the controls with the assistance of Captain Ed Connors and Second Officer Nick Nassick. The first sign of trouble came at 800 feet AGL while on final approach into Dallas Fort Worth with a 24 knot increasing-performance wind shear.

The crew rightly anticipated a loss of performance and pushed the trust levers “way up” as the airspeed dropped from 173 knots to 133 – a 40 knot wind shear. Despite the L-1011′s nearly 160,000 pounds of thrust, the aircraft still slowed to 119 knots and rapidly descended to the ground where it bounced and skidded into water tanks killing 134 passengers and one nearby motorist.

After the investigation, the NTSB concluded that Delta Flight 191 had entered a microburst. The probable cause faulted the crew for their decision to continue the approach into a cumulonimbus cloud with visible lightning and the airline for lack of specific training and procedures for avoiding and escaping low level wind shear. The NTSB also indicated the lack of real-time wind shear hazard information as another probable cause.

Despite the lack of training cited by the NTSB, this crew really did a great job. There isn’t much to wind shear escape other than applying max thrust and pitching for best climb. That’s probably going to be Vx for your aircraft unless the manufacturer or company training program specifies something else. The chilling truth about Delta Flight 191 is that sometimes you just don’t have enough power to get out of it – and that’s not a comforting thought. As with most weather-related issues, the best strategy is avoidance.

Perhaps the greatest challenge to future professional pilots is overcoming the financial hurdle inherent in flight training. According to recent estimates, a private pilot’s license in 2010 will cost between eight to ten thousand dollars, with the commercial pilot certificate topping out at forty to sixty thousand! The dirty little secret to these bloated numbers is the fact that much of that money is spent renting an airplane and “building hours” — something you could be doing for free!

The Quest for Aeronautical Experience

Buried deep within the sacred stones of the ten thousand commandments of aviation, the FAR/AIM, lies the Aeronautical Experience requirements for each airman certificate. You can find these tucked away under 14 CFR Part 61 or Part 141, depending on what sort of training regimen your instructor follows. These flight time requirements are rarely an issue for sport and private pilots, but quickly become a fiscal nuisance to would-be instrument and commercial pilots who are required to meet their 50 hours of cross country experience, or to hit the 250 hours of total time for a Part 61 commercial rating.

Ways To Save

Offer yourself as a right-seater. You might be surprised at how many professional pilots are willing to help you build your time. By simply cooing over how cool it would be to fly a King Air or Pilatus, you might find yourself being invited to ride along and fly right seat. Ask if the captain is an instructor and don’t let him leave without signing your logbook! And remember to return the favor when you find yourself in the left seat.

Befriend local pilots. There is no shortage of opportunities in having a plethora of flying buddies. You could find yourself riding along in their plane and getting a little hands-on time which, if you’re appropriately rated, is loggable. Others own airplanes that simply aren’t flown enough. They may offer access to their airplanes to you, provided you always top the tanks or keep it clean.

Wash airplanes. Washing an airplane can be a chore, one that many people will gladly do without. By talking to local airplane owners, you may be able to arrange a deal where you can fly someone’s airplane in exchange for a thorough bug-scrub.

Hang out at the airport. Weird missions come up at FBO’s across the nation. If you have a good relationship with the FBO management you just might be asked to take the local trainer to some po-dunk airport to pick up a sack of machinery, free of charge. It’s happened to me many times.

Above all else, be friendly. There’s a real sense of karma in the aviation community, and opportunities always seem to come to those who deserve it most. Participate in local events and be courteous to everybody. If you make your ambitions known, somebody is bound to help you out along the way.

This is by no means a complete list of every way to save money on flight training. If you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment below for the benefit of future pilots.

Flying for a regional airline has been bastardized by pilots, the media and passengers alike. Sure, there are a lot of outstanding issues that need to be resolved, but working for a commuter isn’t all that bad compared to other entry-level flying jobs. These are my top ten reasons to work for a regional airline.

1. Safety – Regional airlines are airlines and as such, they are watched very carefully by the FAA for compliance with established rules and regulations. They simply can’t get away with the sort of questionable procedures you might find at any number of night freight and charter companies. Pilots generally experience less pressure from the company to fly when it is unsafe and have plenty of resources to draw upon when that line is crossed.
   

   A portion of American Eagle's ERJ fleet.

2. Support and Teamwork – Airline pilots have a large support network comprised of flight attendants, captains, first officers, check airmen, dispatchers, maintenance controllers and members of management that they can draw upon when things get difficult.
3. Maintenance – All airplanes run into issues, and it’s good to know that a mechanic is only a radio call away. In many cases airline maintenance will be able to fix the problem on the spot. When it doesn’t work out, items can be deferred and operated under approved MEL procedures. Even when the list of deferrals grows long, it’s rare to find a more impeccably maintained commercial aircraft than an airliner.
4. Solid Training – Airlines operate their own in-house training programs designed to keep all pilots on the same page. Pilots are trained and re-trained both in class and in the simulator to cope with any number of emergencies and to ensure a safe and standardized flight deck environment.
5. Steady Pay – Flight instructors, charter, and corporate pilots often live from paycheck to paycheck. Though they may be compensated quite well per flight, there are periods of time where business is poor and budgets are tight. Although regional pay is far from what it should be, it is good to be able to count on a guaranteed paycheck from month to month.
   

   One of Pinnacle Airlines' CRJ-200s in flight.

6. Benefits – Airline work offers affordable medical and dental insurance in addition to company matching 401(k) retirement plans. Benefits like this are hard to find at Ma’ and Pa’ charters and flight schools and can save a fortune on overpriced hospital bills.
7. Free Travel – By flying for the airlines, you are privy to the greatest perk in any industry – free travel! Depending upon the airline, travel benefits could extend to your immediate family and even to your friends with discounted buddy-passes. Want to see Paris on your day off, just hop on the next flight, no problem!
8. Having a Set Schedule – After flying for an airline for a while and accruing a bit of seniority, pilots are no longer on call and are awarded set schedules known as lines. After working your life around student and client demands, it is simply fantastic to know your days off a full month in advance.
   

   The CRJ-1000, Bombardier's next generation regional airliner.

9. Commutability – When most people take on a big job, they have to relocate to a new city. Airline pilots can live anywhere so long as they can commute into their base. So long as you live within driving distance of a large airport, and don’t mind losing time riding around in jets, there is simply no need to move into domicile.
10. Protection – Flying the ‘line offers a level of personal protection for pilots. On the one hand, if the FAA comes after you while operating “by the book” under company guidance, the airline will absorb all or most of the blow. If, on the other hand, you mess up, you do have the benefit of a union representative who will fight to protect your interests. It’s rare that these issues come up, but it’s nice to know that somebody is watching your back.

Yesterday I crossed the proverbial railroad tracks to see how the other half lives. I stepped out of my fancy flight deck and took a tour of Memphis TRACON and tower during Delta Airline’s five o’clock arrivals. What I saw gave me a greater appreciation of the delicate dance of the national air traffic control system.

Memphis TRACON had the feeling of a sports bar on game day. In the corner were big-screen monitors that everybody could glance at to get the big picture: weather radar, a string of airplanes along each arrival corridor, and a nifty one dimensional view to convey aircraft spacing as clearly as possible.

Then there were the rows of controllers casually seated before their respective scopes. These guys made it look easy. In a single breath one controller held a conversation with me, gave a descent clearance to one airplane, and made an inside joke to another controller. Everything looked so effortless.

What an easy job! At least that was my thought until Sean began to give us the play-by-play. As it turns out, there’s an awful lot to keep track of when you are responsible for sequencing an endless line of airplanes converging into one runway. Even after flying in this environment for a few years, my mind was already approaching overload. Continue reading →

Red Flag is an air combat mock-war fought between the best pilots from countries all over the world. Now you can watch the IMAX documentary in it’s entirety on the web – very cool!

Finally, day twelve of The 12 Days of Christmas Pilot Gift Guide has arrived. We’ve seen some big wishes (sorry Vincent, I just can’t afford to buy that Cirrus SR-22 for you this year), we’ve seen some practical gifts, and we’ve seen affordable stocking-stuffers. For the final day of Christmas, allow me to suggest decorating the house with quality aviation artwork.

• Vintage Wooden Propellers. Every pilot and aviation enthusiast secretly wants a wooden propeller hanging from the wall. It’s a universal symbol of flight and bespeaks a simpler time where stick and rudder meant everything and barnstormers were regarded as hometown heroes.

• Aviation Art Prints. What better way to showoff your interest in aviation than bits of aviation artwork? I’m particularly fond of Jack Connelly’s classic World War II paintings. Sporty’s Wright Brothers’ Collection also features a great selection of art prints evoking the freedom of the golden age of general aviation.

• Warbird Nose Art. Looking for something to hang in the hangar or garage? Sporty’s comes through with their series of aviation nose-art panels. And for the real collector, you could get the Frenesi panel, personally signed by such legends as Chuck Yeager, Bud Anderson, Thomas Hayes, Arval Roberson, John Kirla, and Charles Weaver.

From all of the writers participating in the Twelve Days of Chistmas pilot gift guide, I’d like to wish you a Merry Christmas. Fly safe, and please – keep the ice off your wings!

Finding the perfect Christmas gift is a daunting task. And finding the right gift for a pilot can be next to impossible. That’s why six aviation bloggers have joined forces to ease your shopping woes with the Twelve Days of Christmas.

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |

Special thanks to Vincent from PlasticPilot.net for the idea.
And thanks to all the participating bloggers and pilots:
PlasticPilot, GolfHotelWhiskey, Making Time for Flying, Max Trescott, Fear of Landing, & AviationChatter

After a week of Christmas gift ideas for pilots, it’s time to acknowledge the aviation enthusiasts in the crowd. And what gift could be better than the gift of flight? No, I don’t mean a simple airplane ride, I’m talking about hooking your friend or significant other up with their very first flight lesson. For armchair aviators, a discovery flight at your local airport would make the perfect gift.

A discovery flight is a short and affordable flight in a training aircraft with a certificated flight instructor (CFI), and it’s an experience that won’t soon be forgot!

I still remember every detail of my first flight – some thirteen years ago: The smell of AvGas. The “wow this is really happening” feeling when I nervously pulled back on the controls and felt the wheels leave the earth. Even the view of my home and neighborhood from above. To say it was thrilling would be an understatement.

Thanks to the efforts of AOPA (The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) and PilotJourney.com, it’s easier than ever to get started. AOPA pieced together a great multimedia resource for would-be pilots at the new Let’s Go Flying website, including a list of flight schools, frequently asked questions, and blogs.

But how do you get started with a discovery flight? It’s easy – find a local flight school and get a certificate online. It’s money well spent and the experience of a lifetime.

For more information on flight training, I suggest you also check out the free Learn to Fly eBook written by Max Trescott, the 2008 National CFI of the Year.

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