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I would like to see 123.45 specifically called out in the AIM as prohibited. Few pilots read the FCC regulations on frequency use. The FAA found room in the AIM to prohibit "Any traffic in the area...." calls, so they can be sensitive to these issues. Bob Gardner

I agree with Deelee about Shappard based on forum posts. The written is just a hurdle you must get past in order to progress, so get past it as quickly and easily as possible and concentrate on flying skills. Your score on the written has little impact on your future success. Bob

"I don't know one pilot that has their a&p that worked on the airplane they flew." There was a time when I was backup pilot to a Learjet operation...when one of the regular crew was not available I got to add to my turbine hours. That ended when the mechanic they had been using got his Lear...

There are procedures, set out by the manufacturer in the POH, and there are techniques, based on an individual instructor's opinions and practices. Do not get hung up on what one instructor calls for, because the next instructor you encounter will probably teach another technique. Stick with the...

"DPE: “What does the commercial certificate allow you do do?” Me: “People can pay me to fly their plane.” DPE: “Great. Let’s move on.” The answer I got most often as a DPE was "fly charters, air taxi, etc." In most cases the commercial oral was the first time some applicants ever heard of Part...

Please have someone with aviation credentials review those portions of your text that deal with the aircraft, flying, and procedures in general. I developed a relatioship with Marcia Muller after gently chiding her about some real clangers back when her protagonist, Sharon McCone , was learning...

Capt Thorpe has it right...use Google Earth, www.runwaymap.com or (if you are an AOPA member) www.aopa.com to see an aerial view of a destination airport and its surroundings so that you have a pretty good idea of what easily visible landmarks will help you find it. I like to use Google Earth...

Other than snap rolls, there are few things in flying that happen instantaneously. My mantra with students was always "Don't just do something, sit there!" The book landing speeds of Vs 1.3 on final and vs x 1.3 over the threshold afford you a cushion, but that is the only place I can think of...

Is there a lesson in the syllabus that incorporates all of this? Seems like a "what should we do next?" mixture of disparate things. Bob Gardner

A savvy instructor will know when what s/he says is just bouncing off instead of being absorbed. Two hours is for cross-country lessons, not for learning fundamentals. You are the customer, and you should decide what it is that you are paying for. A good instructor uses a syllabus that lays out...

Right decision for ten hours. If you had 30 or 40 hours I would be calling you up to say "Come on down, it's time to kill the wicked witch of crosswinds!!" IMHO it could be a confidence killer at your stage of training...you must learn to establish and maintain a specific airspeed on final...

"Many CFIs" know nothing more than what they were taught. IMHO many of GA's problems can be traced to bad instruction. Why is a higher approach speed taught "for safety" when the time=tested Vs x 1.3 on final and Vs x 1.2 over the fence provide a safety cushion in and of themselves?? Isn't a...

I can't imagine how a tower controller could help. They are responsible only for operations within their airspace and do not get involved with flight plans,etc. If you file a flight plan, your relatives could call 1-800-wxbrief to talk to someone at Flight Service who could track down the flight...

Not entirely on point, but in a previous life I flew round trips between Boeing Field in Seattle and Oakland six nights a week in the middle of the night, in all weather, in non-pressurized, non FIKI airplanes (OK, twins...but that is not relevant to this discussion) and ice was never a problem...

"Why wouldn't the Sectional Charts be aligned with the Centers?" Because sectionals are used by VFR pilots and Air Route Traffic Control Centers are used by IFR pilots. There is some overlap, such as flight following, but thousands of pilots fly millions of VFR hours without ever talking to a...

The scale of the scopes I have seen when visiting ATC facilities back in the day was such that a holding pattern (if displayed) would take up about an inch, so unless your entry method is wildly wrong the controller would probably not see it. "Where are you going?" is the unofficial controller...

"... There's relevant samples of females in fighter cockpits..." ...and a few of them are running for Congress in November. Bob Gardner

As I have posted many times, good landings are slow landings. Speed control is paramount, and too much speed leads to problems. There are a number of YouTubes that might be helpful in your "visualizing." Bob

My first student was a diminutive young lady who went on to fly for United. She would not have qualified for the USAF under the old standards. Bob

Forgets? Doesn't everyone make a last minute check of controls and instruments before adding takeoff power? Landings are mandatory, takeoffs are optional. Bob