CONTENTS flighttraining.aopa.org VOLUME.24 / NUMBER. 4 04.12 FEATURES COVER STORY » Using short- and soft-field techniques in the real, challenging world. MASTER CLASS 28 34 CONFIDENCE IN THE CLOUDS How to gain, regain, and maintain the right mindset in the weather. Ten tips from our staff pilots on how to maintain your cool when flying in challenging weather situations. By Flight Training staff 38 You may have been schooled in it, but putting soft- or short-field techniques into practice on a real runway makes you a graduate student. By Ian J. Twombly TECHNIQUE Calculating density altitude. Know exactly how your airplane will perform. By Ian J. Twombly See page 28 "USING THE BASIC SKILLS IS ONLY PART OF WHAT'S INVOLVED IN PUTTING AN AIRPLANE DOWN ON A CHALLENGING RUNWAY." —IAN J. TWOMBLY GET OUT OF THE CLOUD S WAYS TO GAIN VISUAL CONFIDENCE p. SPECIAL SECTION P. 53 THE CARBURETOR p. HOW IT WORKS . flighttraining.aopa.org Tips for Tough Approaches SITUATIONS TRICKY p. CALCULATING DENSITY HIGH ANXIETY ALTITUDE p. THEORY UNDERSTANDING THUNDERSTO RMS p. GET READY FOR THE HIRING BIG BOOM POLISH THAT RÉSUMÉ BOOM p. ON THE COVER » George A.Kounis photographed this Cessna Corvalis TT on approach to Catalina Airport (AVX) in California. On this page: Chris Rose photographed the approach to Tangier Island Airport (TGI) in Virginia. APRIL 2012 FLIGHT TRAINING /1http://flighttraining.aopa.org