All Rod's Posts

If you've ever wondered why Vx (best angle of climb speed) and Vy (best rate of climb speed) change with altitude, here's a short explanation of the concept by Rod...

Not knowing how to select the proper attitude for departure from a high density altitude airport means you might accidentally clip the top of tall pine trees near the end...

Here is a simple but very effective behavior modification technique I've used with my students over the years to train them to think ahead of the airplane. It's based on...

Here is a 5-Step teaching strategy that I've used for decades—both in and out of an airplane cockpit—with great success. It's useful by any teacher in any training situation because...

Here's a short video showing you several ways to lean your airplane's mixture for a high density altitude takeoff. This piece covers leaning for normally aspirated engines having fixed pitch...

Take a look at this video if you’d like to improve your ability to evaluate your glidepath visually. The skill shown here is an essential component of landing any airplane...

Here's an easy method to help anyone identify when to begin the landing flare in a small airplane. The best part is that it requires no math or geometry skills....

Not sure where to look when flaring an airplane for landing? Let me help you find the correct spot to spy during the roundout and flare. It turns out that...

By Rod Machado Over the years, I’ve seen my grandfather do a number of strange things. One time, while watching football on TV, he sat there yelling at the players....