FAR CHANGES THAT BENEFIT GENERAL AVIATION - BIG TIME! June 2018 The FAA has just released several "final new rules" that will have a positive effect on general aviation. The FAA deserves props for these changes and I want to be...
ACS Changes? Don't Celebrate Yet June 2018 Flight instructors! Remove those party hats, collect the confetti and deflate those balloons because this is no time to celebrate. Celebrate what? I'm speaking of celebrating the FAA's semi-reinstatement of full-stalls in...
How Is Maneuvering Speed Determined? May 2018 If you've ever wondered how engineers find an airplane's maneuvering speed, here's your chance to understand the concept in non-technical terms. That's right! No math here. Sit back, relax and...
Why Maneuvering Speed Changes With Weight May 2018 In the previous video titled, "Understanding Maneuvering Speed," I explained how maneuvering speed helps prevent structural damage to the airplane. In this video, I explain why maneuvering speed changes with...
Why Vx & Vy Change With Altitude May 2018 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...
The Proper Attitude for Making a High Density Altitude Takeoff May 2018 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...
Teaching Students How to Think Ahead of the Airplane May 2018 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...
Rod Machado's Five Step Teaching Process (For Any Teacher/Instructor) May 2018 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...
Leaning the Mixture for a High Density Altitude Takeoff May 2018 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...