Drop some wisdom that a flight instructor told you that you'll never forget!

[-]

crazymjb@reddit

Nothing happens in an airplane you can’t make worse

[-]

HurlingFruit@reddit

If all else fails, let go of the controls. The plane wants to fly and you are probably the problem.

[-]

propell0r@reddit

“Never let someone else fly you to the scene of your crash” and “the airplane is your bitch” are the two that stick with me

[-]

xasia255@reddit

Always think ahead, the next two things

The chart showing the forces that makes an airplane fly. Thurst vs Drag, Lift vs Gravity is wrong.....Money makes an airplane fly 😭

[-]

Germainshalhope@reddit

Just mute the dpe and don't pick up his dropped pen.

[-]

CapeGreg767@reddit

My Air Force T-37 instructor told me right before my first solo, "If you have a problem, make sure you sound like Capt Kirk and not Barney Fife on the radio!"

[-]

Anarye@reddit

Comes and rods, quickest way to remember

You give the girlfriend the rod at night!

[-]

QuantumDriver@reddit

I normally don’t enjoy this type of humor but this just hit the perfect crossroads for me. I don’t think I’ll forget this either!

[-]

huertamatt@reddit

There’s a runway at the end of every ILS.

In other words, don’t run yourself out of gas when plan A and plan B shit the bed.

[-]

There’s this one ILS west of phoenix with no runway at the end of it that the military maintains for practice and they allow civilians to shoot approaches using it as well when they’re not busy with it.

[-]

x4457@reddit

"They aren't trying to kill you, they just don't know how not to yet. Don't take it personally."

[-]

Actual_Environment_7@reddit

That’s a good one. It always rubs me the wrong way when people say students are trying to kill them.

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

DO-NOT-EVER-DO-THAT-AGAIN!

I was doing full stalls, a wing dropped and I tried to pick it up with aileron.

He just pushed the yoke down pressing it in the center with the palm of his had (he didn't even lost time to grab the yoke) and put us in negative G's, after which I just completed the recovery as if it was Wednesday without even realizing that something very bad had happened (I thought that I just was slow will lowering the nose and he helped me with that).

After that, he starred at me with a very grave look and a pale face and said that, in a very serious tone, word by word, making a pause between each word.

Then preceded to explain why. (doesn't work, can cause a spin, never use ailerons in a stall. recover the stall first).

It was a magical learning experience.

The flip side of that is that, we had done many stalls by then where a wing did not drop, and all of the above had not ben explained to me, let alone demonstrated or practiced. I suspect that if I hadn't had this fortunate incident, this is a lesson that would have not been taught to me and that I would have not learned by the time I got the PPL.

[-]

bees-are-furry@reddit

Not a pilot, but I've taken a intro flight. One thing I noticed was that real flying (as opposed to PC games) is more fluid and bumpy that I imagined, requiring much more aileron input than I thought to keep the wings level.

In your story, when the wing dropped, did you already feel that falling sensation of entering a stall, or did the wing just drop first so you automatically corrected like you would in any slow-flight, and then you felt it?

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

The wing dropped before the nose did. The plane banked briskly to the left and I instantly applied aileron to the right. That's when the instructor pushed hard on the yoke and THAT's when the nose dropped (due to the instructor's input, not due to the stall).

In hindsight, since the left wing dropped obviously due to loss of lift, the total lift must have reduced and so maybe the nose dropped some too. But I didn't feel it that way, maybe because the drop of the wing was so much more prominent that any drop of the nose that may or may not have happened.

[-]

bees-are-furry@reddit

Aren't all wing drops due to instantaneous loss of lift? I guess what I'm asking is: in a real, non-training scenario, is the difference so obvious that you'll know to not try to level the wings?

[-]

Complete-Machine-585@reddit

You know when you're nearing a stall if you're paying any attention. Airframe noise decreases, airspeed trends down, you'll have a stall warning blaring at you, you'll probably be applying some rearward force on your yoke etc. The idea is to avoid the stall once it's getting close like this. Also, training aeroplanes tend to not want to stall, so you generally have a bit of time to register what's going on.

[-]

bees-are-furry@reddit

Understood. Thanks for that.

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

Dude, we were practicing FULL stalls. Of course I knew we were nearing the stall. I was intentionally nearing the stall. The stall warning had been sounding for several seconds and the buffet was quite intense and evident. The instruction was to keep pulling up until the nose drops by itself.

And about training planes not wanting to stall, this was a Tomahawk. Rings a bell?

[-]

Complete-Machine-585@reddit

All good dude

[-]

Complete-Machine-585@reddit

I was obviously replying to someone else, answering a specific question they asked... lol.

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

Well, evidently I didn't realize that time. I mean, the wing drop was very obvious but it was the first time that happened to me, I didn't connect the very obvious wing drop with "ok, full stall, time to recover".

In a real life non-training scenario, 2 things: a) Now I am very confident that I would be able to tell a wing drop and not try to pick it up with aileron, and b) and most important, in a real life scenario YOU NEVER EVER go to the full stall. First of all, you don't let the plane come close to the stall and, if you fail at that, the stall warning exists for a reason. If the stall warning goes off, recover at once, well before the actual stall and well before any wing drop. Exceptions are if it is a split second activation due to an updraft that stops by itself before you have time to react, if it's in the flare for landing, or if it is intentional (but that would be a training scenario).

[-]

bees-are-furry@reddit

Thanks for the reply and for indulging my questions :-)

[-]

yeahgoestheusername@reddit

Most wings, at least on trainers like Cessnas, don’t stall all at once. They stall in a Cessna or similar starts at the root and rolls to the tip of the wing due to washout. This is an added safety so that there is warning (buffeting etc) before the wing fully stalls. It also means the wing is less likely to drop is the stall is caught early.

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

This was a Tomahawk. It also stalls root first, it also has very clear buffeting*, but the stall is brisk and wing drops are not uncommon. This was my first one but not my last one. No big deal, as long as you don't try to pick it up with aileron. Lower the AoA enough to stop the stall warning, THEN roll wings level. The altitude loss is more or less the same with or without wing drop (if managed well).

* Buffeting in the Tomahawk is much MUCH more clear and intense than in the Cessna 150/152 which I also flew, because of the low wing the separated flow hits in the tail cone and fin, The fin, with the inertia of the stabilizer in the T-tail position, actually shakes quite a bit from side to side during a stall or close to stall, it looks scary, but never the fin of a Tomahawk separated in flight.

[-]

yeahgoestheusername@reddit

the traumahawk!

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

Yep. The infamous Piper PA-38-112.

[-]

Odd_Entertainment471@reddit

Not really, the wing dropping is ALSO a function of the wing on the other side. In an incipient spin, the outside or high wing is not AS stalled as the inside or low wing. So, the low wing begins to fall off and the high wing actually gains more lifting ability (AoA gets reduced) and the two forces will “snap” roll the aircraft into a spin. TONS of fun if you’re doing it on purpose (go get spin training, get lots of acro training if you can, it’ll make you 100X better stick and rudder pilot). Aileron use at this critical time works opposite the way you think it will.

[-]

morrre@reddit

I‘m training in planes that basically don’t roll even in a fully developed stall, but my FI made it a point to hammer „pitch, power, bank“ into my brain.

Especially in a curve stall!

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

Good! FWIW, I agree with your instructor!

[-]

keenly_disinterested@reddit

Q: What's the centerline for (runway or taxiway, take your pick)?
A: Professionals.

[-]

InfamousIndustry7027@reddit

Go dirty early.

[-]

Pacer39D@reddit

“The centerline is for professionals, but you can use it too.”

[-]

Dakovichzzz@reddit

Keep the greasy side down

[-]

bhalter80@reddit

If you can hold altitude at 4980 why can't you maintain 5k?

[-]

kytulu@reddit

Heavy feet.

I was teaching one of my MX coworkers how to taxi, and it was a constant back-and-forth across the centerline down the taxiway.

I finally figured out that he was overcorrecting, and had his entire foot on the pedal, so I told him to set his heels on the floor, pull power to just above idle, and use light pressure to keep centered.

[-]

Tits_in_the_sunlight@reddit

I think this is a perfect chance to start fine tuning how good of a job you have already done.

When I see studs do this, basic aircraft control clearly isn’t the issue. Maybe their sight picture for centerline is slightly off. Fixing on the ground will fix on landing.

Maybe they don’t have the “aggressive mindset” for staying dead on their altitude. It eventually becomes second nature, but you’re the last step to giving them the cue to perfection.

It could be a million things, but to me these issues mean the student is right on track.

[-]

bhalter80@reddit

It's usually just a nudge to have the discipline needed

[-]

Krysocks@reddit

can't hit my short field point but i'll hit 20ft before it 6 times in a row

[-]

Throwawayyacc22@reddit

Or 210ft after it.

[-]

Mick288@reddit

Better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground!

[-]

PureRiffery900@reddit

Used this countless times

[-]

PureRiffery900@reddit

“Better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground.”

“There are those that have, and those that are going to, it’s better to make the mistake now while I’m with you.” (after forgetting to put the gear down at the end of a very long MEIR flight where he intentionally distracted me late downwind and final he admitted afterwards)

Here’s one I came up with to explain flaring “When I say hold, imagine holding the door open for me - even though you probably want to slam it on me right now and that’s what you’re doing anyway - but then as I get closer you realise I’m fat and need to slowly open the door wider but not so much that you offend me” - I know it’s a bit random but had to get creative with this guy and it worked 😅

[-]

MEINSHNAKE@reddit

Pull the tab off your beer can so it doesn’t get mixed up with anyone else’s…

[-]

thanksforallthetrees@reddit

Give the FO enough rope to hang himself but not enough to hang you both.

Most useless things in aviation are Fuel on the ground, runway behind you and altitude above you.

[-]

prometheus5500@reddit

I have an older student who added a fourth item: the urinal you didn't use back at the FBO.

[-]

kytulu@reddit

This plus one. I went on a break-in flight for a Cessna with a new engine. The CFI was a little nervous and wanted someone from MX along. I hit the urinal before I grabbed my headset and water bottle to head out to the aircraft. 10 minutes later, as she was going over the checklist, I was all, "I'll be back" and hit the urinal one last time. Took maybe 3 minutes.

Sure enough, at the end of the three-hour flight, I damn near had to sprint to the bathroom after we landed and secured the aircraft.

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

Most useless things in aviation are Fuel on the ground, runway behind you and altitude above you.

That is a good old one, but it does require a couple of asterisks,

Typical asterisk is that when you are on fire it is better to not have much fuel.

More serious asterisks, almost never mentioned, are:

Too much fuel means more wight than necessary, which can make you overweight, or even if within the weight limit it increases your runway length needed and reduces your rate of climb, reducing your overall margin of safety (possibly all the way down to zero, read high density altitude accidents).

Altitude, be careful with hypoxia (so many hypoxia accidents and close calls), and also be careful not to get behind the power curve (like in Pinnacle 3701).

Runway behind, I have nothing against that one. I am all for full-length take-offs.

But is similar to another one in Spanish that says "velocidad y altura conservan tu dentadura"

"Altitude and speed help keep your teeth"

All good until you exceed the red-line or pull up hard past Va or enter severe turbulence past Vb. Then speed will very quickly remove your teeth.

[-]

GetSlunked@reddit

when you are on fire it is better to not have much fuel.

Unless you're flying on fumes the entire time, fuel in the tanks is fuel in the tanks. Only way I could see this making sense is that...the fire burns for less amount of time? You are still on fire.

Too much fuel means more wight than necessary, which can make you overweight, or even if within the weight limit it increases your runway length needed and reduces your rate of climb, reducing your overall margin of safety (possibly all the way down to zero, read high density altitude accidents).

So plan for it? Only way you can be out of limits is by pilot error.

Altitude, be careful with hypoxia (so many hypoxia accidents and close calls), and also be careful not to get behind the power curve (like in Pinnacle 3701).

Just know the reg? If this needs an asterisks you probably shouldn't have a license.

All good until you exceed the red-line or pull up hard past Va or enter severe turbulence past Vb. Then speed will very quickly remove your teeth.

These are all quite literally skill issues.

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

Dude, what are you arguing?

The saying says that leaving fuel on the ground is useless:

"I have 2 passengers and I found the plane with full tanks, I will need to leave either a passenger or off-load some fuel. Since it's a short flight, I will off load some fuel."

See? Leaving fuel on the ground was useful. The saying was wrong.

The saying also says that altitude above me is useless. I am in a Cessna 182 turbo that can easily reach 18000ft, I have oxygen but my passengers don't. Additionally, the bases are at 10000ft and while the plane and myself are IFR rated, the temperatures may be conducive to icing for which the plane is not certified. So I decide to fly at 8000 ft. I just Ieft 10000ft above me, and it was very useful. Saying was wrong once again.

Of course they are skills, regulations, planning and judgement issues. Same as flying too low or with very little fuel. That's why the saying needs asterisks. You need the right amount of fuel and fly at the correct altitude. Fuel in the tanks is of course necessary, but sometimes so is leaving fuel on the ground. Having sufficient latitude is of course necessary, but so is not flying too high for the conditions.

[-]

dougmcclean@reddit

Leaving fuel on the ground can be useful. The fuel on the ground, having been so left, is not.

[-]

Palemka91@reddit

Reg is one thing, personal fitness is another. Some people may start feeling hypoxia before they get to 'oxygen needed' altitude.

[-]

thanksforallthetrees@reddit

Thanks Mr Pilot man sir, for taking all the fun out of some folksy pilot wisdom. We are all better pilots now just having you grace this post with your presence.

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

Well, it is a saying that I never fully liked and hence I don't consider it to be great wisdom. You do? Good for you. We disagree. Next!

[-]

dylanm312@reddit

Newish PPL here (150 hours) - what’s Vb? I can’t find that anywhere in the 172 POH. Is it a multi/turboprop thing?

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

Va and Vb are FAR nomenclatures for the structural design requirements (the old part 23). You will find the as "Maneuvering speed" and "Turbulent air penetration speed" (or rough-air speed).

[-]

dylanm312@reddit

Ah, so Vb would be the beginning of the yellow arc? Va I’m familiar with

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

Actually you are right, the rough air airspeed is Vno. There are some points in the V-n diagram (the diagram that gives load factors in function of airspeed and gust speed) that ae called Vb, Vc and Vd, and they have some relationship with Vno but I don't remember what it was.

In any case, the point was that while flying too slow is indeed dangerous, it is not always true that the faster the safer.

[-]

buabl@reddit

Turbulence penetration speed. In a 172 it would be Vno

[-]

dylanm312@reddit

Thank you!

[-]

things_most_foul@reddit

Good instructor.

[-]

pelagic_cat@reddit

On emergency landings in central Illinois: If you have a choice between beans and corn, pick beans.

[-]

kindofastud@reddit

Ok, I’m curious why he chose beans. I would choose corn

[-]

pelagic_cat@reddit

Presumably beans would damage the airframe less. I didn't test the advice!

[-]

MNSoaring@reddit

It’s ok to be wrong. It’s not ok to stay wrong.

[-]

chuckop@reddit

Love that.

[-]

minfremi@reddit

Ask your flight instructor what his goals are. If he says anything other than “to get you your license” he ain’t really thinking about you.

[-]

SoManyEmail@reddit

I bet like 90% of instructors would say their goal is 1500 hrs.

[-]

chuckop@reddit

Always read the notes on any tables and performance charts.

[-]

things_most_foul@reddit

Fly as hard as you can into any crash.

[-]

QuantumDriver@reddit

Can you help explain what that means?

[-]

m00f@reddit

Keep flying the plane until it is not moving

[-]

QuantumDriver@reddit

Like don’t give up right before or after a crash. Got ya. Thank you this seems important.

[-]

vicious_delicious_77@reddit

I might also add, it could be less about giving up, and more about incorrectly prioritizing something over flying the plane. You might survive landing it on rough terrain, but you are less likely to survive low altitude stalling it into the ground because you were trying to reach a nicer looking patch of grass.

[-]

Sonny_Jim_Pin@reddit

A lot of CVRs will end with some variation of:

"Over there, away from the houses"

:(

[-]

things_most_foul@reddit

Never give up, even if hope seems lost. Keep flying the plane, even if you end up driving it.

[-]

happierinverted@reddit

I use a slightly different version [from memory it was a Bob Hoover quote]; fly the airplane as far into the crash as you can.

[-]

things_most_foul@reddit

Yes! Thank you for sharing the source of that. My CFI just told me that after we had a flap failure (30° on a 172 that would not retract) and he let me adapt and complete the circuit.

[-]

fighting_gopher@reddit

If you tell yourself you can’t do something then you definitely won’t do it…(basically saying you need self confidence)

[-]

schphinct@reddit

Flight control check, hold your thumb up. It points to the up aileron. I still do this after 37 years

[-]

SoManyEmail@reddit

Wow... this would have been handy (no pun intended) when I was studying for my PPL written last month.

[-]

poisonandtheremedy@reddit

same 😂

[-]

Weasel474@reddit

Don't practice until you can get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong.

[-]

SoManyEmail@reddit

I like this one. 👍🏽

[-]

stmiba@reddit

"If you do that again, I will take my headset off and beat you with it."

[-]

Working_Football1586@reddit

There is a runway somewhere at the end of every ILS

[-]

EngineerFly@reddit

One of my first instructors told me that if the engine quits on takeoff, when the airspeed is low and the nose is high, your reaction of pushing the stick forward needs to be about as intuitive as putting your arms out when you trip.

[-]

Sk1900d@reddit

I had an instructor that would pull the power to idle a few hundred feet off the ground for a second or two. He beat the reflex of pushing the yoke into me (not literally)

[-]

EngineerFly@reddit

Yup, that’s the method mine used as well.

[-]

bjornvil@reddit

In the Airbus Training Center in Toulouse doing my A320 type rating. Older dude with a lisp told my sim partners who'd been struggling a bit with the manual handling:

"Just treat the stick like another man's cock.... Don't touch it unless you absolutely have to.

Imagine it with a thick French accent. It was hilarious but definitely stayed with us.

[-]

key_lime_vulture@reddit

Airspeed is life

[-]

yeahgoestheusername@reddit

Altitude is insurance.

[-]

Outrageous-Many-2928@reddit

“If you have to give it that much thought, don’t do it”. You are talking yourself into a bad decision.

RIP Nyal.

[-]

CombCultural5907@reddit

The throttle makes you go up and down. The joystick controls speed.

[-]

permexpat01@reddit

Once you learn that concept flying becomes easy, takes many students too long to grasp this simple principle

[-]

permexpat01@reddit

Something minor that always stuck with me, to quickly know the reciprocal of heading +/- 2 from first 2 numbers so heading 180 reciprocal is 360, 145 reciprocal is 325, 090 is 270 etc

[-]

Akephalos95@reddit

Pull yoke, houses small. Push yoke, houses big.

[-]

yeahgoestheusername@reddit

Pull yoke more houses get big faster.

[-]

flyingseaplanes@reddit

One my first flights was with an old Vietnam pilot. He was known for scaring weak wanta be pilots off. We go to 4000 feet. He puts it into a hard spin. As we rocket toward the ground, I yell “Jesus Christ!” He comes back instantly, “Jesus won’t save you save yourself!”

Second time, I memorized the spin recovery. I instantly recovered, then I said, “we doing that again?” He goes, “naaa you got it, just head to the north.”

That always stuck with me, even now, 19 years later.

Last weekend, dual digital HSI and attitude indicator swapped and then the HSI died, all while in IMC. I sorted it. In the back of my head, I could hear that grumpy old timer yelling, “Jesus won’t save you, save yourself.”

[-]

JimTheJerseyGuy@reddit

“We are our only saviors…” - The Hold Steady

[-]

yeahgoestheusername@reddit

“My airplane”

[-]

Baystate411@reddit

Don't let a student outfly your abilities as an instructor.

Let the student take it to their limit plus some, but never let them take it past yours.

[-]

DonnerPartyPicnic@reddit

They sure as shit try sometimes

[-]

Avia_NZ@reddit

“There are 2 things you can control as a student, your attitude, and your effort”

And another:

“a mistake is just a lesson that you didn’t intend on learning”

[-]

snipe1968@reddit

Every checklist is written in blood

[-]

Adventurous-Ad8219@reddit

Whenever something goes wrong, never understimate the probability that it's because you are an idiot

[-]

Tight_Ear888@reddit

CFI: You got a dog? Student: Yea CFI: Do you love your dog? Student: Of course CFI: Would you choke your dog by the throat? Student: No CFI: Imagine the yoke is your dogs throat

-CFII Munden

[-]

happierinverted@reddit

Like that. Using it. Please thank Mr Munden for me :)

[-]

Throwawayyacc22@reddit

You can yourself! He has a good YouTube channel! I think it’s CFI munden IIRC, seems like a good guy and instructor

[-]

happierinverted@reddit

Thnx.

[-]

bustervich@reddit

I went an entire checkride with a message light flashing on my shitbox GPS that was notorious for dumb unimportant messages. The instructor said “If it’s flashing, it’s important!”

Turns out the message that had been flashing the whole time was not important, but keep me from having any turn anticipation and kinda made me fly like shit. Bottom line was clear though. Take the time to at least acknowledge the nuisance messages because you never know when it’s actually important unless you take the time to read it.

[-]

Throwawayyacc22@reddit

Oh shit, I’m in IR training and I am very guilty of ignoring the always present not-important messages, I need to bust that habit before the ride.

[-]

dylanm312@reddit

Ugh I hate how the GNS430 will keep messaging you to set the OBS knob when you’re flying a GPS course. It doesn’t matter and just creates unnecessary workload. I guess it’s good practice to always make use of every piece of equipment available (and if you tune a VOR backup as a contingency plan for a gps failure, then you would want the OBS set correctly). But it’s not strictly necessary if you’re flying a GPS course and it only adds noise to the cockpit.

[-]

Sharp-Beyond2077@reddit

"Hurry up it's almost 5pm, I need a beer"

[-]

IrishConnection97@reddit

“Your girlfriend must be very happy based on how you control the flaps on approach”

[-]

captcoug@reddit

The centerline is for professionals, but we’re allowed to use it too

[-]

happierinverted@reddit

Yup borrowing that one too :)

[-]

NevadaCFI@reddit

The three most important things are airspeed, airspeed, and airspeed.

[-]

iwinulose@reddit

Beg to differ in helicopter

[-]

happierinverted@reddit

He was talking about machines that were meant to fly ;)

[-]

NevadaCFI@reddit

Good thing they don’t let me fly helicopters. 😂

[-]

RunSimilar1154@reddit

Assume every approach to landing will end with a go-around/missed approach. Mentally prepare and anticipate for this.

[-]

happierinverted@reddit

A version I use; every landing is a failed go around…

[-]

YourSpanishMomTaco@reddit

The DPE drove this one home on my IR checkride. Some of the best advice I've received.

[-]

ziksy9@reddit

The FAA rules are written in blood. It took a lot of blood to add all those pages. They are each there for a reason.

[-]

happierinverted@reddit

I tell my students that but about every item on the checklist.

[-]

Felicia_Bastian@reddit

There are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.

[-]

iwinulose@reddit

Aviate navigate communicate. I don’t care how cliche the logic is it’s the truth.

[-]

Funghie@reddit

Yup

[-]

Funghie@reddit

It’s a well known cliche but I’m say it anyway:

It’s better to be on the ground wishing you were up there, than to be up there wishing you were on the ground

[-]

Budfox_92@reddit

"when aircraft ground good" while motioning with his hands with one being an airplane touching down and the other a flat runway surface.

[-]

wilburpilot@reddit

Your first 3 students make the ultimate sacrifice as they deal with you learning to be an instructor. Be patient with yourself!

[-]

Prefect_99@reddit

If it flies, floats or fucks. Rent it.

[-]

stevenpam@reddit

“avoid all hazards”

[-]

DatabaseOutrageous54@reddit

Let the plane fly itself.

[-]

flighty3024@reddit

when I took an intro flight I actually landed pretty well the first time and felt so happy. the instructor said “flying is a pilot’s second greatest thrill— landing is their first.” and I always loved that.

[-]

Kiss-My-Class@reddit

You can always sleep in your plane, but you can’t fly a house.

[-]

Riverboated@reddit

Only idiots fly a Cessna in a snow storm.

[-]

hatenamingthese17@reddit

You can only die once atleast make it a good story

[-]

Ifinallylaughed@reddit

Fix it! Fix it! Fix it!

[-]

Bitter-Eagle-4408@reddit

My first flight instructor and mentor told me “make the plane your bitch” while struggling with crosswind landings one day. Don’t necessarily agree with the language but that really changed things for me, don’t let the plane control you…

[-]

AWACS_Bandog@reddit

.... this sounds like my old boss... wasnt Curt was it?

[-]

PuzzleheadedBell7236@reddit

“put your dick on the dash” was my instructor’s way of phrasing this and I literally think about it nearly every flight I do years later lol

[-]

Bitter-Eagle-4408@reddit

I have so many phrases like that that I think about daily but can’t say on Reddit without being downvoted to oblivion…

[-]

Icy-Bar-9712@reddit

That's fascinating. I teach the profound opposite. Ask, don't tell the plane to do what you want and she will happily comply.

You are in a relationship with the plane, communication between the two of you is critical. She will always listen to you, but if you don't listen to her, you are going to have a very difficult time.

[-]

No_Mastodon8524@reddit

That’s very Zen

[-]

Bitter-Eagle-4408@reddit

I see it like riding a horse, never stop telling it what you want it to do, always listen. You can make a plane do some wild things by not listening to it… stall horn blaring? More right rudder and more power and you can get it uncomfortably slow… things like that

[-]

Icy-Bar-9712@reddit

I use the ask concept with my heavy handed students, stop telling, start asking. Cause if you are too busy yelling at the plane, you cannot listen to her responses.

[-]

Bitter-Eagle-4408@reddit

Touché, as a student I was always super light handed and scared id break something, makes sense I was told what I was told… really helped me out.

[-]

DarthSkier@reddit

In the same vein “fly the plane, don’t let the plane fly you”

[-]

Icy-Bar-9712@reddit

That's fascinating. I teach the profound opposite. Ask, don't tell the plane to do what you want and she will happily comply.

You are in a relationship with the plane, communication between the two of you is critical. She will always listen to you, but if you don't listen to her, you are going to have a very difficult time.

[-]

nixt26@reddit

I wish this applies to when you're too high. Not much you can do sometimes.

[-]

Bitter-Eagle-4408@reddit

Slip while doing S turns, if you’re in a early Cessna with the 40° manual flaps there’s no such thing as to high

[-]

night_flight3131@reddit

Learning power off 180's, I'm quickly learning I can get it lower faster than I ever believed possible

[-]

fine_ill_join_reddit@reddit

I say “you control the plane, don’t let it control you” but honestly some students might connect more with your version.

[-]

Bitter-Eagle-4408@reddit

It certainly worked better for me lol

[-]

csmicfool@reddit

"so you chose to be the horse, not the jockey?"

[-]

KCPilot17@reddit

Shack. This applies to about 99.9% of things while flying. If it's doing something you don't want it to, fix it.

And I'll say the language, make it your bitch, otherwise it'll make a bitch out of you.

[-]

aceeglz@reddit

When transitioning to a faster airplane "don't think faster, think ahead"

[-]

AWACS_Bandog@reddit

Get your first divorce out of the way when you are young and have nothing

[-]

ChaBoiJamesCG@reddit

“KISS…Keep it simple, stupid”

[-]

morrre@reddit

„No aerobatics in the pattern!“

[-]

foulminion@reddit

Fly the plane, not the windsock.

My instructor noticed me staring too much at the windsock during final on my first crosswind touch and go. Taught me to focus more on feeling how the plane moves on final, and not relying on visual cues alone.

[-]

missionarymechanic@reddit

If, on your discovery pre-flight, you have to point out to your instructor:

"What's the point of a checklist if you're not going to follow it?"

Just walk back to the office and get your money back. Nothing good will come from them or that school.

(The tires were not only to the wear bars, but flat-spotted through the cords. That psycho was heavily put-upon to just utilize the other unbooked planes on the line. The actual flight with her did not go well, to say the least...)

[-]

PotentialReading8861@reddit

“If we were perfect Go arounds wouldn’t exist “

[-]

Aggravating-House620@reddit

For my IFR written one thing that made compass errors totally click in my mind was when he said to me “the compass always wants to point north, that’s its home.” And if you think about it that way it will answer almost all of the turning error questions.

[-]

perspic8@reddit

Takeoffs are optional Landings are mandatory

[-]

BrogerBramjet@reddit

As an Air Force friend once said, "Flying is safe. We've never left anything in the air. EVERYONE lands. The trick is landing when and where you want to."

[-]

Caleb_loves_snow@reddit

Not my story but I saved it in my phone and thought it would belong here so here it is: One day, my flight instructor-an old, grizzled pilot who smelled like avgas and broken dreams-looked me dead in the eyes and said: "Son, flying an airplane is like dating a supermodel. The second you get too comfortable, she'll remind you who's really in charge. And if you don't pay attention, she'll throw you into a death spiral so fast your soul will file for early departure." Then he took a long sip of coffee and continued: "There are three things you never trust in aviation: a fuel gauge, a forecast, and a pilot who says, 'Watch this.' You hear a pilot say that, you run. I don't care if you're in the plane with them-jump out if you have to. Your chances are better with gravity than with that guy." At this point, he stood up, walked to the window, and stared at the sky like he was waiting for it to owe him money. Then he whispered: "You ever hear about the time I almost landed on the wrong airport? Yeah. Because I was at the wrong airport. Took me a full minute to realize it wasn't supposed to have a McDonald's at the end of the runway. If you ever see a McDonald's where your runway is supposed to be, go around. Or order a McFlurry. Either way, something's wrong."

And just when I thought he was done, he turned to me, leaned in real close, and said: "Remember this: There's nothing more useless than the altitude above you, the runway behind you, and the fuel you thought you had. Also, never trust a student pilot who lands smoother than you. They got lucky, and luck is contagious—but only in the bad way." Then he patted me on the shoulder, walked outside, and got into a car that was definitely not his. I never saw him again. And that's how I learned everything I needed to know about flying.

[-]

CRUNCHYpretzel20@reddit

With respect to ground reference maneuvers, when attempting to get to ~1KAGL, if you can clearly ID that an animal is a cow, you're at about 1K. If you can break out all four legs, you're closer to 500' so you better start climbing some.

Obviously it's all a guesstimate, but it works pretty well.

[-]

graaaaaaaam@reddit

"Fly good, don't suck"

[-]

Turbo_SkyRaider@reddit

If clueless, act confident.

[-]

norcalis1@reddit

Gear down to go down.

[-]

Significant_Low9807@reddit

When taking a checkride make sure you do everything smoothly.

[-]

leeway1@reddit

“Rescue always finds the crash site the next day in good weather.” —My Old Man

[-]

Correct-Currency3635@reddit

6ft off the runway.

Don't you dare let this fucking plane land... I've never "flared" since.

[-]

ma33a@reddit

There are 3 things you need to survive.

Speed

Altitude

A good idea

At any time, you need at least two of those things.

[-]

Moose135A@reddit

Don't fly at night.

Don't fly in weather.

Never touch the red-guarded switches.

[-]

dumptruckulent@reddit

If we’re not going to fly at night, why fly at all?

[-]

QuantumDriver@reddit

Huh? Student pilot here can you explain?

[-]

KindaSortaGood@reddit

Keep wiggling your toes, especially on short final.

Don't forget that your feet need to keep the rudder moving

[-]

NoSoup4Ewe@reddit

Avoid thunderstorms like your crazy ex-girlfriend. If it’s hot, wet, and unstable, just avoid it.

[-]

Spaceinpigs@reddit

Could also say this about cold, dry and stable. That’s just boring

[-]

360_bratXcX@reddit

icing 😎

[-]

Sunsplitcloud@reddit

Choose one: Weather, IFR, Night.

[-]

FBoondoggle@reddit

I heard it as mountains, ifr, night

[-]

YugeFrigginGoy@reddit

“Dont fuck up”. Changed my life

[-]

thebubno@reddit

My first CFI would ask me the same question before every flight:

“Are you willing to bet your life that this airplane is safe to fly?”

[-]

cmdr-William-Riker@reddit

Don't tell the tower that you're north of the airspace when you're actually south of the airspace or they will tell you to get the hell out of their airspace! Except that he didn't tell me this, he demonstrated this

[-]

Helpful_Corn-@reddit

I have had multiple students make a similar mistake. I guess it is a common thing if you have not already developed a strong sense of direction and the difference between direction from and direction to.

[-]

cmdr-William-Riker@reddit

Oh, I should have mentioned! My instructor was doing the radio calls :-/

[-]

Helpful_Corn-@reddit

I gathered that from what you said. Kind of a silly mistake for an instructor to make, but maybe he was tired.

[-]

Icy-Bar-9712@reddit

Everyone in the sky is trying to kill you. Notice I didn't say everyone else in the sky is trying to kill you.

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

OMG, love that one! Let me write it down....

[-]

RandalPMcMurphyIV@reddit

After my solo, local turns around a point and all that, we had thoroughly gone over emergency procedures. When it was time for my introduction to night flying we took off and at a couple of thousand feet, I asked my instructor "what do we do if we have an engine failure at night?". His reply: "When you think you are getting close to the ground, turn on your landing lights. If you don't like what you see, turn them off.".

Also, when turning base, always do a Bozo check to look for Bozo doing a straight in.

[-]

awh@reddit

During my discovery flight my instructor said “pushing in the throttle makes the engine spin faster; pulling it out makes it spin slower”. I like to think I’ve used that advice every time I’ve gone flying since then.

[-]

flyingcanuck@reddit

And when it turns off, you start sweating a lot.

[-]

Far_Top_7663@reddit

Yep, the propeller is a fan to keep the pilot cool.

[-]

Bounceupandown@reddit

When all else fails, speak plain English.

[-]

JSTootell@reddit

Don't fuck up.

Okay, that was me.

[-]

kevinw1526@reddit

If you’re about to do something stupid, think how it would look in an NTSB report, and how you’d react reading it

[-]

Desirable_Username@reddit

As we were flying at night, in clouds and descending over the far side of a mountain ridge on one of my first night IFR flights, my instructor said something along the lines of:

"If you miscalculated your descent point, you wouldn't see the mountain until it's too late."

I know it's more or less true for all of your night / actual IFR flights, but just something about being in the clouds and seeing nothing but endless greyness and strobes flashing felt super eerie at the time. I think he was just trying to hammer home that unlike VFR where you could just look outside and see you might be descending too early without looking at the GPS, you really need to know where you are and what the terrain below you is doing.

[-]

Copperjacket762@reddit

You’re not a CFI until a student tries to kill you.

[-]

Sad-Hovercraft541@reddit

Is that really my job..?

[-]

jacknosham@reddit

More shudder, more power! More shudder, more power! More shudder, more power!

[-]

RGN_Preacher@reddit

“You’re higher than snoop dogg”

[-]

Independent-Good926@reddit

“The government is just a bunch of scumbags”

“Being poor sucks”

“You young whippersnappers get this stuff down fast”

Just a few, I’m sure I’m missing some.😂

[-]

SMELLYJELLY72@reddit

if you ain’t clacking you’re slacking

[-]

LightedAirway@reddit

“If you cut corners on the ground, you’ll cut corners in the air!”

(justification for being extra picky about staying directly on the taxiway center line)

[-]

EnderDragoon@reddit

Safety is a way of life.

[-]

QuestionMean1943@reddit

There are old pilots. And there are bold pilots. But there are no old bold pilots.

[-]

pilotpete152@reddit

Never look for a reason to fly…

Treat flying like a chore, and if there’s any reason not to do it, don’t… I like that one lol

[-]

1x_time_warper@reddit

“It’s better to be down here wishing you were up there than be up there wishing you were down here.”This was in the context of flying in questionable weather and getting yourself in dangerous situations.

[-]

sixdemonbag79@reddit

1, Open containers away from you

2, don’t shit where you eat

3, “Flare!!!”

[-]

Embarrassed-Way9812@reddit

“Never go someplace in an airplane your head hasn’t already visited.”

Meaning do your research about your destination; the airport, runways, approaches, frequencies - you name it.

[-]

Please downvote this comment until it collapses.

Questions about this comment? Please see this wiki post before contacting the mods.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. If you have any questions, please contact the mods of this subreddit.