All Rod's Posts

By  Rod Machado  Before you read article this please note that there are some folks who believe that the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! is a film about Biblical scholars who...

By Rod Machado Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale describes the confusion that James Bond initially felt as a new “Double-O” agent who’s licensed to kill. Bond’s troubles stemmed from his doubts...

Excerpted from Rod Machado's How to Fly an Airplane Handbook. Fanning? While flying? Yes, but it is not something you do after landing hot. Fanning is a technique used to...

By Rod MachadoAn FAA designated examiner once told me about the most anxious private pilot candidate he ever experienced on a checkride. Aside from sweating and mumbling during the oral...

By Rod Machado Audio Version Download (MP3)  There are many ways to activate the pleasure center of a pilot’s brain. Speak the words “Broken Hobbs meter” or “pilot supplies, 75% off,”...

By Rod Machado News flash! The Mona Lisa’s eyebrows are missing. That’s right. Gone! Some say they were scrubbed off during an early restoration. I suspect they were vaporized when...

 Albert Einstein gave us E=mc2, one of the most venerable of physics equations. It’s an equation that allows us to understand the relationship between mass and energy. Then again, I’ve...

How to Get the Most Out of a Flight SimulatorBy Rod MachadoThe 1984 movie The Karate Kid revealed a rare pedagogical truth of immense value to flight instructors. The movie...