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| OCTOBER
2009 Volume 3, Issue 10 |
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| Welcome
to Reach for the Sky, EAA's monthly
e-newsletter written and created for people who
are interested in learning how to fly.
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In
this issue...
- Developing
Self-Confidence - Steve Krog, CFI,
Editor
- What You're
Asking - Questions for your instructor
- A Personal
View - Learning to fly later in life - Steve Krog
- Aviation
Glossary - Learning the language of
flight
- This
Month's Poll - Have you ever flown as an
EAA Young Eagle, or flown one as a pilot?
- Did You
Know? - Facts and information on the
world of flight
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As always, feel
free to forward your copy to someone who might
like to receive the newsletter. And remember,
you don't need to be an EAA member to subscribe.
Note: If you're a
pilot just starting out and would like to share
your story, or if you have a question about flight
training, drop us an e-mail at LearnToFly@eaa.org.
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Developing
Self-Confidence
By Steve Krog
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"I
love the idea of flying…but I don't
think I can do it!"
"I really feel uneasy when we do
stalls. Do I really have to do
them?"
"Flying close to the ground makes
me uncomfortable."
"I love to fly but anytime I get
over a couple hundred feet I'm
petrified!"
"I can do all the maneuvers as long
as my instructor is in the airplane, but
I scare myself just thinking about going
solo."
"I can make perfect landings
repeatedly when I'm with an instructor,
but the thought of doing them solo
scares me."
Current
and prospective students have candidly
shared these and many other comments
with me over the years. Pilots already
holding either a sport or private pilot
certificates have also made some of
these comments. Is it truly the fear of
flying? The fear of the unknown? Fear
from lack of self-confidence? Or more
realistically, a combination of these
fears?
[ Read
more ]
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Q&A:
What you're asking
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| Common
questions for the instructor from beginning flight students
Q: I
took some glider lessons many years ago
when I was a kid, but had to quit.
(college, marriage, kids, etc.) I've
always wanted to fly but cost has been a
problem. Recently, I found a glider school
and started taking lessons again. It's
great to be back in the air! I think I
would like to go on to flying powered
aircraft. What is required to go from
private pilot glider to either private
pilot powered aircraft or an LSA rating?
A: If
you choose to pursue a sport pilot rating
after obtaining the private pilot-glider
license, you will need to obtain the
necessary dual and solo flight instruction
in an LSA aircraft to meet the proficiency
levels required for the sport pilot
rating. Next, you will need to take a
combination of an oral exam followed by a
flight checkride with a qualified
certificated flight instructor (CFI). The
sport pilot rating is considered an
"add-on" to your private
pilot-glider license. [ Read
more ]
[ More
questions ]
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A Personal
View - Learning to fly later in life |
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By
Steve Krog
"Flying gives you an opportunity to see and
do things you never have before. But flying
depends a lot on physical motor skills, so my
recommendation to anyone who might be
considering it, especially over the age forty,
is to go for it sooner rather than later.
Learning does not get easier with age. Do it
now!" says James "Sandy" Wilson.
Sandy, 63, has
devoted his life to the military, growing a
successful business, and raising two sons, but
he decided it was finally time to pursue one of
his life-long goals: learning to fly powered
aircraft. "I've always wanted to learn to
fly but family and circumstances prevented me
from doing so until now," he said. [ Read
more ]
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high-wing airplane
- a monoplane with the single supporting surface
mounted on top of the fuselage.
leading edge flap
- a portion of the leading edge of an airplane
wing which folds downward to increase the camber
of the wing to increase both its lift and drag.
Leading-edge flaps are extended for takeoffs and
landings to increase the amount of aerodynamic
lift that is produced at any given airspeed.
navigation lights
- lights on the aircraft consisting of a red
light on the left wing, a green light on the
right wing, and a white light on the tail. FARs
require that these lights be displayed in flight
during the hours of darkness.
[ more
glossary terms
]
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Last
month's poll: We
asked, "After earning your pilot's license,
who was/is going to be your first
passenger?" The most popular response was
"A Significant Other" with 48 percent
of the total votes. "A Friend" was the
second most popular response with 17 percent of
the votes, while "A Parent" and
"A Relative" tied for third, each
receiving 14 percent of the votes. "A
Sibling" was the least popular answer with
7 percent.
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Did you know .
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Contrary to
widespread belief, a person doesn't need perfect
eyesight to be a pilot. The FAA allows for
vision correction, either by glasses or contact
lenses, so long as your vision can be corrected to
within the required limits (20/40 or better for
private pilots, 20/20 or better for commercial
pilots).
In the U.S.
there is no minimum age to start taking flight
lessons, but most flight instructors would
encourage you to wait until you are at least 14. At
age 16, you can legally solo a powered airplane and
you can earn your private pilot's license at age 17.
If you are interested in glider flying, you can solo
a glider at age 14.
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A moment to
join, a lifetime to fly
|
 If
you’re preparing to become a pilot, the EAA
community is here for you. Membership gives you
access to the collective passion, knowledge,
experience, and support of 170,000 members
worldwide. You'll get to participate in EAA
events, connect with fellow members, and have
access to the tools and resources to get you
airborne. Join the fun by visiting http://www.eaa.org/membership/benefits.asp
today.
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Reach for the Sky - EAA's Guide to Learning
to Fly and Light-Sport Aircraft
|
 EAA’s
guide to learning to fly and light-sport aircraft
is a resource to help anyone take the first
steps toward becoming a pilot. Whether you want to
have fun in a powered parachute or one day want to
command a Mars mission, Reach for the Sky is a
great place to start. It is
available
as a PDF
that will take a few minutes to download with a
high-speed connection.
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