We heart LA!

The sunny skies of Southern California attract the eyes and hearts of many. The Hollywood hills, the ever so exploited downtown LA, the beaches; it all has a wonderful mystique that, as I'm concerned, has keep me enthralled my entire life. There's nothing like LA, and I can't imagine being anywhere else at the moment. Especially when it comes to my students and the opportunities and challenges they must face and contend with on a daily basis. My students have so much more experience than I ever had upon their completion dates it's almost unfair

 

 

The obvious monster around here is the airspace. Departing out of Torrance your immediately challenged with LAX, Hawthorne, and Long Beaches' airspace. That of which takes all but a short brain fart to be encroaching on someones' practice ILS approach, and let's hope their in the right place. As a student, your immediately forced to contend with controllers, airspace regulatory requirements, and traffic...Lot's of traffic. There's not one student that doesn't learn, sooner than later, that ATC is your best friend and all almost immediately learn how to put them to work for them. After all, that's what they're there for

 

 

Something I've always found to be amusing is that when I have friends come visit LA for the first time, they're always astonished at the multiple different landscape features we poses. I always chuckle to myself thinking..."if you only knew (what it looks like from up there)". In reality, they're actually quite right. We have terrain features, that let's say within 75 NM, can emulate an array of destinations. From high density altitudes, to solid IFR, to mountain wave turbulence, and challenging cross winds, we have it all!... And let's not forget that landing at Catalina

 

 

One thing that always makes me find a bit of hope in the daring is when I get out-of-towners that call me to take them on a lesson or two. They're very aware of the challenges and adversities that face our everyday pilots in LA and want to take some extremely valuable exposure home with them. I'm always obliged to these folks and very much enjoy exposing them to our everyday flight environment

 

 

I make it a point to all my students to appreciate and respect the training that they're receiving, especially with regards to the area, and to make sure everyone walks a little taller, with a bit more pride around the airport knowing that they're receiving the tools and know how to adapt to several adversities and scenarios

Landing Obsession

Landings, the bane of the private pilots existence and the point in time where every commercial flight receives a seal of approval, or not, from the passengers. It's the single maneuver that can magically erase a prior ruined hold or botched approach from students memory. It's the icing on the cake to every flight and something that any, and most pilots, will boast too

So what makes a good landing? Or better yet, what characteristics through out a landing lead to a "greaser"? I'm not admitting to being the brightest crayon in the box, but it's been my experience that there's always a few traits that stand out before I see a student put the airplane down like a champ

First, they require flexibility. The pilot needs to be able to adapt to any and all changing conditions with fluid control inputs as to always maintain a "stable approach". This should never be in question

Second, center line. It's there for a reason. Although I believe the statistics say only 9% of pilots can maintain within six inches of center line on a consistent basis, you should always be close. I tell students to "keep the center line between their legs". Besides, if your not using center line how are you, in any way, effectively using rudder? Hopefully your not looking at the ball still, yikes!

Third, dissipation of energy. I tell everyone to think of a landing as a controlled stall, because it is. A superior landing is going to require the pilot manage every bit of energy leading to ground effect. Too much leads to the "roller coaster", as I like to call it. Hands raised as you ride the waves of a ballooning airplane. And the opposite leads to a nice and sturdy touchdown where you all crawl out of the plane with chipped teeth and sore tailbones

Lastly, finishing the landing. It seems that when those mains touchdown somewhere in the vicinity of center line, a sigh of relief overcomes most pilots who then immediately let go of the controls. Your not done! Hold that nose wheel off until your completely out of elevator authority and let the nose wheel touchdown ON IT'S OWN

Let's be honest, at the end of the day a good landing is any that you walk away from and, as the owner of a flight school, one that the plane gets to fly again after. I remember in my grandpa's bathroom a plaque that said "...flying is the second greatest thrill known to man, landing is the first". Maybe it is, and maybe that's why we'll continue to be intrigued by such