Flight Training - September 2019 - 6

ALWAYS LEARNING BY KOLLIN STAGNITO

EDITOR'S PICKS OF THE MONTH
ONLINE RESOURCES

Vice President of Publications/Editor
KOLLIN STAGNITO loves the challenge
of learning to fly different airplanes.
kollin.stagnito@aopa.org

CHECKING OUT

"This isn't going to work. We're going to have to go around," my
instructor said. I wasn't prepared to accept responsibility for
being way too high on final. In my mind, I had done everything
right-I had deployed full flaps, engine power was at idle, and
airspeed was at the recommended 60 knots-but this slick little
Van's RV-12 just didn't want to descend.
I had heard the RV-12 is aerodynamically slippery and a challenge for first-timers
to slow down in the traffic pattern, so I was happily receiving a checkout from a flight
instructor. Just as I experienced on this flight, you may find your well-honed proficiency in the airplane you are currently flying doesn't always translate to a different
make and model. Procedures can be subtly-or drastically-different. There is a lot to
learn during the typical one-hour checkout flight.
I discovered the benefits of transition training early in my flying career. Eightyfive percent of my primary flight training was in a Cessna 150. Unfortunately, I
graduated from college and moved just before I finished my training, so I spent the
final few hours prepping for my private pilot checkride in a Piper Warrior. Ultimately,
that was an invaluable lesson for me: I had a chance to see how two very different
airplanes flew, and I quickly learned that with the proper training I could be comfortable in both. I would encourage students to consider flying several kinds of airplanes
during their primary training (high wing and low wing, for example) to experience
the differences for themselves.
It's easy to get overloaded with information during checkout flights-sometimes
to the point of degrading your performance as pilot in command. You may spend
6 FLIGHT TRAINING SEPTEMBER 2019

AOPA's Aircraft Fact Sheets provide overviews,
performance summaries, and specifications on
more than 80 popular aircraft.
aopa.org/aircraft-fact-sheets
Aircraft Flash Cards. The AOPA Air Safety
Institute offers detailed flash cards you can
download and customize to learn the new
airplane you are transitioning into.
airsafetyinstitute.org/eflashcards/aircraft

hours studying the pilot's operating handbook and the avionics manuals, but once
you're in the aircraft you may initially
struggle to find controls or instruments
you are looking for-particularly if you
are transitioning from steam gauges to a
glass panel. Even taxiing to the runway
at an unfamiliar towered airport can
become a challenge if you are getting
distracted by your well-intentioned
instructor offering a constant stream of
advice and information.
It helps to force yourself to slow down,
be intentional, and really absorb the differences between this new airplane and your
regular ride-starting with the checklists.
Use your instructor as a resource to help
you become comfortable. Ask for clarification if you are unsure how something
works or for the best procedures to follow.
At the end of the checkout, you should
feel confident to safely take this bird up
on your own. It's OK if it takes several
training sessions in the new airplane
before getting checked out-especially if
it is more complex or powerful than what
you're used to. Over time, practice and
repetition will enable you to start flying
the aircraft with precision.
What continued to elude me on the
RV-12 checkout was learning how to get
that super-clean airplane to descend when
I wanted it to on final approach in calm
wind conditions. Evidently, I'm used to
flying some pretty draggy airplanes. My
instructor suggested pulling the power
back as soon as I turned downwind and
performing a forward slip on final, even
with full flaps. Her advice worked perfectly.
What I love about learning to fly a new
airplane is that it adds to your bag of tricks,
skills that can ultimately be applied to every
type of aircraft you fly in the future. Not
only is learning to fly a different airplane
fun-it will make you a better pilot. FT

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft-fact-sheets http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/eflashcards/aircraft

Flight Training - September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - September 2019