Recent content by Baron 55

I am assuming that 800 lb. is among four people, since you are considering 4-seaters. Someone or several someones are pretty large folks, and you should, I think, try them out in whatever you get serious about. I agree with the 182/Dakota idea. Some larger people hate getting into and out of the...

A renter taxied over a tie-down chain in a leased-back 172RG I had on line at the club and the chain came up and hit the prop. It nicked it to the point it couldn't be filed out, and the incident cost my partner and me $4000 for a new blade and etc. [Club's insurance refused to pay, said it was...

Our school had a taildragger for a while [Super Decath'] and wouldn't allow any solo flight in it. Ever. Except for the owner [leaseback] who was also the CFI doing training in it. After a few pilots flew enough dual to get the endorsement, business dropped off and eventually it left the school...

I owned a Cutlass for nine yr. It was in a club at which I taught and, yes, it was mostly used for commercial and CFI training. I taught advanced training and had occasion to use it for many hours. They are great little planes, I think, and are just fine for what they were designed. Besides...

Under most circumstances, there is no reason not to slow to appch speed PRIOR to reaching the IAF. Many twin pilots [and pilots of high-perf singles] do this. This means you are flying the procedure turn [if appropriate], holds, etc. at appch speed. Many Baron pilots use 120 kts. It isn't...

My wife and I were waiting to board an airliner when a pilot stopped near us to answer his cell phone. [Airline pilot, I mean] He set a flight bag down and I saw an E6B sticking up, an inch or so of it showing. I pointed to it, said something like, "I still use one of those, too, sometimes." He...

I used to take mine on x-co's, but now we have 5 golden retrievers and it's too much. But what you do is spread a bed sheet or blanket over ALL the seat area he or she will be occupying. Saves on hair clean-up, which can really be a long chore [and I was using rental planes...] as the stuff will...

I remind the student to relax. Sometimes, I have him or her release the yoke, place their hands in their laps and fly with rudder for a few moments. We fly here in an area with frequent turbulence [as in, most of the time it seems] and higher winds. So it is quite understandable that the death...

Then, when you've read Ron's stuff and AOPA's info', it probably goes without saying that finding someone who's owned the make/model and picking his or her brain is invaluable. Or more than one someone. Add their info' to the mix. Also, and I have a buddy who is an A & P, so it is easy for me...

I cannot recall anyone ever being confused or otherwise about the term "flare" in all my flying. Not that I really care whether one uses the term or not.

Hard to imagine paying to rent a complex/HP then not being able to fly it except dual, ever. That is extreme. However, I don't doubt the posters who have seen it. The only such restrictions I've seen in clubs/schools/FBOs over the yr. in my area is for twins. Since the mid 80s, it seems the...

Our school tried to institute a uniform thing, though they mainly wanted ties. Well, long pants and etc., uniform shirts would be "nice." Ok, ok, I leave out that the rules applied only to male CFIs. The women CFIs were allowed to wear shorts, etc., summer time. Didn't matter to me or a couple...

There is a ton of stuff to go over for the CFI. My own ride was in 1987, so roughly two decades ago. I cannot speak for longer back than that, but my practical took around 5 hr., including the oral. So it's been going on at least that long. [I was told, back then, and cruelly just before I took...

There is a ton of stuff to go over for the CFI. My own ride was in 1987, so roughly two decades ago. I cannot speak for longer back than that, but my practical took around 5 hr., including the oral. So it's been going on at least that long. [I was told, back then, and cruelly just before I took...

There are numerous ways to deal with this and continue to fly, as has already been posted and I won't go over it again and bore everyone. But I'll tell you about a friend of mine who I taught to fly about twenty yr. ago. He has a really nice complex retract' and because of his work schedule...