Recent content by Ryan Ferguson

Odd. I count slightly fewer than 50 messages in the last 24 hours. Maybe my math is wrong?

Dave, I love that avatar of yours.

Ye dare to question the mighty Gleim? :) Where you went wrong was looking at Pilot certification requirements (61.35) rather than Flight Instructor certification requirements (61.183, 185, 187.) As is often the case with 14 CFR 61, the answer lies in omission. Shift focus to 61.183(e), and...

Right. The advantage of the PFD is that it presents a greater amount of information, with more clarity. I don't think you could cram a 'steam gauge' representation of the Avidyne or G1000 indicators onto the PFD. Remember, in addition to the six-pack we're dealing with multiple pointers/nav...

Richard, thanks for your insightful reply. Yep, sometimes it does fail. The CVR of the recent Pinnacle Flight 3701 crash - which resulted in two fatalities and a destroyed CL-600-2B19 - is an example of abysmal CRM. But usually, it works, and works very well. However, I don't think this a...

Richard, the best example of what you're referring to is a trained crew in a multi-crewmember airplane. Modern CRM training practices call for a division of duties between the PF - pilot flying - and PNF - pilot not flying. The PF may or may not be the PIC. The PF's sole responsibility is...

Airman vs. pilot... I like it!

There probably are some true 'boneheads' in the bunch, but for the most part I think the CFI ranks are composed of earnest, eager-to-succeed young pilots who only have a few hundred hours of experience under their belt. It's not their fault, it's just the way our system works and it's not...

Umm, I think back to a long, dark period of toil and misery... I try not to remember. -Ryan (5 CFI ratings)

Right. Check the aircraft type... if you see some small planes flying the routes, it's one that you'll probably get.

Didn't Wile E. Coyote simply step on the air brake pedal? Pure genius!

Been reading Don Brown or sum'n? File direct! It's your avgas, and your taxpayer dollars at work. Or, file to a fix right on or close to your route within the departure terminal area, then direct. That's one little bit of help you can give to a controller if you're going to "1B1" from...

I'll let you in on a little secret. There IS sometimes a way to find the "classified" preferred routes. Get a free account at fltplan.com and learn how to use their site. When you file an IFR flight plan, one of the options is to choose popular routes instead of your own or direct. If you...

Who cares? File what you want, take what you get, negotiate later. BTW, in some regions, many controllers are completely unaware of the "preferred" routes. In fact, they might (i.e. probably do) prefer something altogether different, and you have no way of knowing what that is unless you...

I tip for: lav service, catering, bringing ice/coffee/newspapers out to the airplane, pinning the gear after shutdown, removing the pins after the airplane's been brought in front of the FBO, and washing the windows. But not for fueling the airplane. :)