This month we welcome Lynda Meeks and Ron Klutts, both newly minted CFIs. We
discuss the process of becoming an instructor, checkrides and learning to
teach. We also have a product review and the winner of our last Aviation
challenge.
Lynda Meeks (@GirlsWithWings) first learned to fly in the Army on UH-1 "Huey"
Helicopters. She also
flew C12s (King Air 200's) in the military in Germany and to South and Central
America. When she left the Army, she went to work for a regional airline flying
Beech 1900s, then to private (fractional) airline, on both the Citation V and
the Beechjet. Until a recent furlough, she worked for NetJets flying the Citation
X, which she LOVES!
Lynda also participated as a cast member the independent feature film
AcroCamp where she was
introduced to aerobatics in an intense 5 day "school", all under the constant
watch of a dozen high-def cameras.
Lynda Meeks is the founder and leader of Girls With Wings, a nonprofit organization using women in
aviation to inspire girls to achieve their full potential.
Ron Klutts (@Captain_Ron)
got back into flying when he had the opportunity to buy a share in a Cessna 172. After
earning his Instrument rating in the 172, Ron decided to turn his efforts toward
becoming an instructor. He first earned his commercial rating, then in the summer
of 2011 earned his initial CFI certificate.
As a new CFI, Ron created a blog titled Right Seat Flying where he shares a few things that he's
learning as a new CFI. His desire is to be a great CFI and not a time builder.
He has no intention of going to the airlines; He's teaching because he loves
to fly and he wants to share his passion with others.
PRODUCT REVIEW:
Mike reviews the Sporty's IFR Communications iPhone/iPad Aviation App,
part of the What You Should Know Series. The material is broken down
into 7 chapters showing the various phases of the IFR flights. The app
contains about 50 minutes of engaging 3D animations, in-flight video
and real-world communication scenarios. It gets two thumbs up from Mike
and is well worth the $29.99 price.
CONTEST:
Our Aviation Challenge from last month was for you to send us a picture you took
at Airventure 2011 in Oshkosh.
We had a lot of great entries, but the winner was Brad Kittner's photo of Fifi, the B-29 bomber
recently returned to the air by the Commemorative Air Force. Congratulations to Brad.
The photo is also featured as the album art for this episode.
This is a special AirVenture
episode featuring a forum session conducted by Senator James M. Inhofe, presenting
Senate bill 1335, "The Pilot's Bill of Rights".
In the forum, Senator Inhofe is joined by the legendary Bob Hover, and Kathy Yodice
of Yodice Associates, the law firm that oversees the AOPA Legal Service Plan.
In October 2010, Inhofe was investigated by the FAA after he landed on a closed
runway at Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport (PIL) in Texas. Inhofe, a long-time CFI,
who has logged more than 10,000 hours, eventually agreed to take remedial training,
but was so frustrated by the process of defending himself that he came up with the
Bill of Rights.
Inhofe said he flies to South Texas on a regular basis, having landed at PIL more
than 200 times over the years in his Cessna 340. On the day of his incident, he said
he was cleared to land by Valley Approach. He also said he checked the NOTAMs before
flying and didn’t see one for PIL. After he landed on the 8,000-foot runway, which had
construction workers on the first
200 feet, he said, he had to face the FAA. And what he found, he said, was disturbing.
“The way the law is written, when a pilot is accused of something, they have 10 days to
answer,” he said. “I don’t know of any other instance where you are guilty until proven
innocent.” And trying to prove himself innocent was an eye-opening experience, he said.
When he tried
to get recordings of his clearance from controllers, it took him four months — “and I’m a
U.S. Senator,” he said. That’s why the first article in the Bill of Rights requires the
FAA give a pilot all
relevant evidence 30 days prior to a decision to proceed with an enforcement action.
The Bill of Rights also addresses the appeal process. Right now, only the NTSB reviews FAA
actions and that board “too often rubber stamps the decision of the FAA, making the appeals
process meaningless,” Inhofe said. “I want to open it up to the federal courts, where it
can be judge on the basis of fairness.” He said this also will help pilots, because if FAA
investigators know their decisions can
be reviewed, this should create “a major change in behavior,” he said.
The third article requires the FAA to simplify NOTAMs, as well as create a central archive
for NOTAMs.
The last article in the Bill of Rights deals with a review of the FAA’s medical certification
process and forms. “There’s not a pilot in here who doesn’t have a story to tell” about
problems with medical certification, he said. To illustrate his point, Inhofe brought
legendary air show performer Bob Hoover to the forum and had him tell the story of what
happened after the FAA pulled his medical certificate in the early 1990s.
One of the biggest problems with the medical certification process is the 8500-8 form pilots
must fill out when they get their medical exam, added Kathy Yodice of Yodice Associates,
the law firm that oversees the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) legal services
plan. “The medical form is so antiquated that pilots make innocent mistakes,” she said.
And those innocent mistakes can lead to the FAA revoking all your certificates, grounding
you until the mistake is cleared up. “People who falsify their information deserve that,”
she said. “But people who don’t understand the question because the question is written
poorly don’t deserve that.”
Question 18, Medical History, creates a lot of problems for pilots, she noted. For instance,
it asks if you have had an admission to a hospital. Does that trip to the emergency room
count as an admission? Most pilots would say no, but the FAA says “of course, you were
admitted to the ER,” she said.
Or how about 18V, which covers arrests, convictions and other actions. “It is a 35-word
question that requires a Yes or No answer in no less than 12 circumstances,” she said.
“We think the question needs to be broken down into separate questions so pilots can answer
them correctly.”
Inhofe has called on GA groups, including AOPA, to serve on a advisory panel to review the
medical certification process and forms, as well as the NOTAM system.
At the conclusion of the Oshkosh forum, Inhofe passed out copies of the Bill of Rights and
told each person to contact their elected representative to support S. 1335. (See below)
Lamar Alexander [R, TN]
John Barrasso [R, WY]
Mark Begich [D, AK]
Roy Blunt [R, MO]
John Boozman [R, AR]
Richard Burr [R, NC]
Saxby Chambliss [R, GA]
Daniel Coats [R, IN]
Thomas Coburn [R, OK]
Susan Collins [R, ME]
John Cornyn [R, TX]
Michael Crapo [R, ID]
Michael Enzi [R, WY]
John Hoeven [R, ND]
John Isakson [R, GA]
Mike Johanns [R, NE]
Ron Johnson [R, WI]
Joe Manchin [D, WV]
Jerry Moran [R, KS]
Lisa Murkowski [R, AK]
Mark Pryor [D, AR]
James Risch [R, ID]
Pat Roberts [R, KS]
Marco Rubio [R, FL]
Olympia Snowe [R, ME]
Debbie Ann Stabenow [D, MI]
John Thune [R, SD]
Patrick Toomey [R, PA]
Roger Wicker [R, MS]
Non-supporters:
Barbara Boxer [D, CA]
Maria Cantwell [D, WA]
Kay Bailey Hutchison [R, TX]
Daniel K. Inouye [D, HI]
John F. Kerry [D, MA]
Amy Klobuchar [D, MN]
Frank R. Lautenberg [D, NJ]
Claire McCaskill [D, MO]
Bill Nelson [D, FL]
John D. Rockefeller IV [D, WV]
Tom Udall [D, NM]
Mark Warner [D, VA]
OTHER LINKS:
Pilots Journey Listener Line: 330-3JOURNEY (330-356-8763)
This is a special AirVenture
episode featuring comments and stories related by the legendary Bob Hoover
in a press briefing.
Bob Hoover is considered by his peers as the "pilot's pilot". He has served
his country in war and peace as a fighter pilot, test pilot and as a master
of aerobatics.
During World War II, he was sent to Casablanca where his first major assignment
was test flying the assembled aircraft ready for service. He was later assigned
to the Spitfire-equipped 52nd Fighter Group in Sicily. In 1944, on his 59th mission,
his malfunctioning Mark V Spitfire was shot down by a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 off the
coast of Southern France and he was taken prisoner. He spent 16 months at the
German prison camp Stalag Luft 1 in Barth, Germany.
He managed to escape from the prison camp, stole an Fw 190, and flew to safety in the
Netherlands. After the war, he was assigned to flight-test duty at Wright Field.
There he impressed and befriended Chuck Yeager. Later when Yeager was asked who he
wanted for flight crew for the supersonic Bell X-1 flight, he named Bob Hoover.
Hoover was Yeager's backup pilot in the Bell X-1 program and flew chase for Yeager
in a Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star during the Mach 1 flight. He also flew chase for
the 50th anniversary in an F-16 Fighting Falcon.
He left the Air Force for civilian jobs in 1948. This included a brief time with
Allison Engine Company and finally test/demonstration pilot with North American
Aviation where he went on to Korea teaching the pilots in Korean war how to dive-bomb
with the F-86 Sabre, and visited many active-duty, reserve and air national guard
units to demonstrate the plane's capabilities to their pilots. Hoover flew flight
tests on the FJ "Fury," F-86 "Sabre," and the F-100 "Supersabre."
In the early sixties, Hoover proposed the idea promoting the North American name
by demonstrating one of North American's most famous products, the P-51 Mustang
fighter, at airshows around the country. N51RH, known as "Ole Yeller" was flown at
airshows all over the country. AirVenture 2011 fans were privileged to have it on
hand for an up-close inspection thanks to it's current owner, John Bagley of Rexburg, Idaho.
Bob's famous demonstrations in Old Yeller and the Shrike Commander, in which he
performed his legendary energy management maneuvers with both engines shut down
were also nothing short of spectacular.
LINKS:
Pilots Journey Listener Line: 330-3JOURNEY (330-356-8763)
This month we're joined by Adam Fast, creator of OSHPlanner.com, to discuss how you can optimize your time at
AirVenture. We also discuss
FAA testing practices, flight training and a product review.
This episode of the Pilot's Journey Podcast is brought to you by
CrazedPilot.com
where you can get the stuff you need to keep flying from people you trust.
Use the discount code journey for 15% off your next purchase.
PIREPs:
At the time of recording, Adam was at Kennedy Space Center awaiting the
launch of the Space Shuttle mission STS-135.
Stew describes his recent flight at American Flyers where he renewed his currency in multi-engine
and instruments.
Stu flew with American Flyers as well and finally received his long awaited
sign-off to take the Commercial Pilot checkride.
The crew also discusses the effectiveness of the current FAA written and
practical exam process.
SPECIAL GUEST:
Adam created OSHPlanner.com
as a way to plan his own schedule and maximize his time at AirVenture. After
a bit of tweaking, he opened it up to the pilot community as a free tool to
help anyone organize and attend as many forums, presentations, events, etc.
as possible during the hectic but limited time in Oshkosh.
You can browse for programs by name, by presenter, by location
or by category. You can also search by program title and presenter. If you
select two or more programs which conflict with each other, OSHPlanner will
alert you and ask you to choose which one you will attend.
Once you have completed your schedule, you can print it out, save it to
your mobile device or integrate it into your calendar.
Product Review:
Mike reviews the Pilot's
Elevator Cushion from Sporty's.
This is a seat cushion for "vertically challenged" pilots or their passengers which allows them
to see over the cowling and be more comfortable in an aircraft.
CFIStew Aviation Challenge:
Last month's challenge was posed by Steve Tupper of Airspeed. He wanted to know the grossest, strangest, or
funniest thing you've found on the belly of an aircraft.
Scott Barnett sent in the winning (and somewhat disgusting) description
of bird entrails he found dangling from an ADF antenna after landing. Scott
will receive an Altimeter shirt from WindTee.
Stew announced this month's contest where we want you to send in a photo
you took at AirVenture 2011. The winner will get one of the cool aviator caps
from CrazedPilot.com.
Steve Tupper, AKA Stephen Force,
joins us as we discuss the movie AcroCamp,
Civil Air Patrol and
AirVenture. We also battle the
Skype gods as Mike transitions between human and cyborg forms.
This episode of the Pilot's Journey Podcast is brought to you by
WindTee
where you can find high quality T Shirts with creative
aviation designs.
PIREPs:
Mike discusses the recent aviation expo presented by the
Idaho Aviation Association
and execution of his first paid commercial pilot gig.
PilotStu juggles with scheduling and vacations as he and his checkride
examiner manage to avoid each other for another few weeks.
Steve fills us in
on his recent trip to Mackinac Island Airport (KMCD).
SPECIAL GUEST:
In May of 2010 Steve started principal photography on the movie AcroCamp where four ordinary pilots from around the country gathered in southeast
Michigan. The two men and two women had experience ranging from 300 hours to 12,000 hours, but
none had a tail wheel endorsement or any aerobatic experience.
Over the course of five days, these pilots flew almost constantly, challenging themselves
to perform maneuvers many had never even thought of trying. Steve and his volunteer crew
spent those five days (and frequently sleepless nights) feeding cameras, charging batteries,
ingesting video, coordinating logistics and all other manner of manic production activities.
Now, Steve, not even done with last year's film, is already deep into planning for
AcroCamp II. At the time of recording, the casting call was out and applications were
starting to come in. Shooting is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid or late August 2011.
CFIStew Aviation Challenge:
Steve threw out this month's challenge and asks you to describe for us the nastiest,
grossest, strangest, funniest or most unusual thing or condition you've encountered
on the belly of an aircraft. The winner will get one of the prized Windtee shirts.
Entries should be tweeted to @PilotsJourney, emailed to
, or posted to our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/pilotsjourney. You can also describe your
gross belly to us on the Pilot's Journey listener line at 330-3-JOURNEY (330-356-8763
for the more digitally oriented).
The deadline for entry is 2400 Zulu, 30 June, 2011.
Last month's challenge was for a cap from CrazedPilot.com.
The challenge was to:
Send us a picture of you and an aircraft (you did not necessarily have to be the pilot of
that aircraft.)
The winner was Adam Fast (@AdamCanFly)
who sent (via telephone!) this picture of himself and the orbiter Endeavour.
OTHER LINKS:
Pilots Journey Voice Mail Line: 330-3JOURNEY (330-356-8763)
This month we welcome Lynda Meeks and Ron Klutts, both newly minted CFIs. We
discuss the process of becoming an instructor, checkrides and learning to
teach. We also have a product review and the winner of our last Aviation
challenge.
Lynda Meeks (@GirlsWithWings) first learned to fly in the Army on UH-1 "Huey"
Helicopters. She also
flew C12s (King Air 200's) in the military in Germany and to South and Central
America. When she left the Army, she went to work for a regional airline flying
Beech 1900s, then to private (fractional) airline, on both the Citation V and
the Beechjet. Until a recent furlough, she worked for NetJets flying the Citation
X, which she LOVES!
Lynda also participated as a cast member the independent feature film
AcroCamp where she was
introduced to aerobatics in an intense 5 day "school", all under the constant
watch of a dozen high-def cameras.
Lynda Meeks is the founder and leader of Girls With Wings, a nonprofit organization using women in
aviation to inspire girls to achieve their full potential.
Ron Klutts (@Captain_Ron)
got back into flying when he had the opportunity to buy a share in a Cessna 172. After
earning his Instrument rating in the 172, Ron decided to turn his efforts toward
becoming an instructor. He first earned his commercial rating, then in the summer
of 2011 earned his initial CFI certificate.
As a new CFI, Ron created a blog titled Right Seat Flying where he shares a few things that he's
learning as a new CFI. His desire is to be a great CFI and not a time builder.
He has no intention of going to the airlines; He's teaching because he loves
to fly and he wants to share his passion with others.
Mike reviews the Sporty's IFR Communications iPhone/iPad Aviation App,
part of the What You Should Know Series. The material is broken down
into 7 chapters showing the various phases of the IFR flights. The app
contains about 50 minutes of engaging 3D animations, in-flight video
and real-world communication scenarios. It gets two thumbs up from Mike
and is well worth the $29.99 price.
Our Aviation Challenge from last month was for you to send us a picture you took
at Airventure 2011 in Oshkosh.
We had a lot of great entries, but the winner was Brad Kittner's photo of Fifi, the B-29 bomber
recently returned to the air by the Commemorative Air Force. Congratulations to Brad.
The photo is also featured as the album art for this episode.
This is a special 
This is a special 
During World War II, he was sent to Casablanca where his first major assignment
was test flying the assembled aircraft ready for service. He was later assigned
to the Spitfire-equipped 52nd Fighter Group in Sicily. In 1944, on his 59th mission,
his malfunctioning Mark V Spitfire was shot down by a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 off the
coast of Southern France and he was taken prisoner. He spent 16 months at the
German prison camp Stalag Luft 1 in Barth, Germany.
He left the Air Force for civilian jobs in 1948. This included a brief time with
Allison Engine Company and finally test/demonstration pilot with North American
Aviation where he went on to Korea teaching the pilots in Korean war how to dive-bomb
with the F-86 Sabre, and visited many active-duty, reserve and air national guard
units to demonstrate the plane's capabilities to their pilots. Hoover flew flight
tests on the FJ "Fury," F-86 "Sabre," and the F-100 "Supersabre."
Bob's famous demonstrations in Old Yeller and the Shrike Commander, in which he
performed his legendary energy management maneuvers with both engines shut down
were also nothing short of spectacular.
This month we're joined by Adam Fast, creator of 
At the time of recording, Adam was at Kennedy Space Center awaiting the
launch of the Space Shuttle mission STS-135.
Stew describes his recent flight at 
Adam created 
Mike reviews the 
Steve Tupper, AKA 
Mike discusses the recent aviation expo presented by the
In May of 2010 Steve started principal photography on the movie 
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