“Thank goodness you use paper,” he said, going on to tell me that he wanted to learn using paper sectionals and navlogs, and once he mastered those, he might move into using an electronic flight bag (EFB).

He said he wanted to learn to use analog tools because that’s how he processed information best. Also, he said he knew devices could fail or go missing, and if you don’t have an analog backup, the mission would be over. He worked in the tech industry (space flight), where equipment and technology failures are planned for.

I have no problem teaching with paper. With primary learners, I prefer it, as learning to flight plan the “old-school” way provides a good base on which technology can be added at a later date.

According to multiple CFIs and DPEs I know, many pilots who are solely training using EFBs and an app for their cross-country planning are often weak in the elements of a VFR flight plan because they never learned how to do it beyond putting information into a computer and letting the app do its magic. They often do not understand where the data comes from, which makes it difficult to know if it is corrupt or incorrect for the given situation.

The Airman Certification Standards (ACS) note that the EFB is permitted, as the focus of that portion is that the applicant “demonstrate satisfactory knowledge of cross-country flight planning.” That includes route planning, airspace, selection of appropriate and available navigation/communication systems and facilities, altitude accounting for terrain, effects of wind, time to climb and descent rates, true course, distances, true heading, true airspeed and ground speed, estimated time of arrival, fuel requirements, and all other elements of a VFR flight plan.

It’s difficult to learn this past rote memory when the computer does all the planning for you. This is why many CFIs opt to teach both methods, and often begin with the basics, a paper sectional and looking out the window before adding in the use of the EFB. 

Analog Cross-Country Flight Planning

Flight planning begins with a paper sectional, navlog, plotter, and mechanical E6-B. I’m a fan of the E6-B because the wind side is very useful for determining crosswind components.

The instructions for the use of the device are printed on it. All the calculations are basically math story problems, and the instructions walk you through the process. The plotter also has instructions printed on it. The informational boxes on the paper navlog are labeled so you know where to put the information.

The lesson begins with reading the empty navlog. The CFI explains the terms true course, variation, magnetic heading, deviation, and compass heading. Now flip over the E6-B to the wind side, where the formulas for calculating this information are printed. Identify the directions for determining ground speed and wind-correction angle, noting that process is also printed on the device. 

• READ MORE: How To Use a E6B Flight Computer

Now it’s time to spread out the sectional and get to work, picking landmarks to use as check points for pilotage, determining the true course, finding the deviation, etc. The filling out of the navlog begins with the recording of the checkpoints and measuring distances between them. Put this information in the appropriate boxes. Always do this process in pencil and have an eraser handy.

Make sure the destination meets the definition of a cross-country flight for the certificate you seek. For private pilot airplane, it is 50 nm straight-line distance, and for sport pilots, 25 nm. Be sure you are using the correct scale on the plotter. 

I walk the learners through the first two lines of the navlog. This takes them from the departure airport to the top of climb, and then the first leg of the flight. Once the navlog is filled out, we go to the performance section of the POH to determine true airspeed (TAS), fuel burn, and time to climb. 

• READ MORE: Make Friends With the E6B

The wind side of the mechanical E6-B  is used to determine the wind correction angle. Pro tip: if you will be using more than one set of wind values for the flight, give them distinct symbols on the E6-B, such as an “X” for the winds at 3,000 feet and a “dot” for the winds at 6,000 feet.

Make sure to note the winds and the symbol on the navlog and do not erase the wind marks until after the completion of the flight. This is important, because if you need to divert (and you will have to demonstrate this on your check ride), you don’t want to lose time re-marking the wind dot on the E6-B.

Many learners find analog flight planning fun. There certainly is a sense of accomplishment after you’ve learned what makes a good checkpoint, how to measure the distances, determine aircraft performance and— the big kahuna— how to “spin the winds” on the mechanical E6-B to determine ground speed and time en route. Yes, those instructions are printed on the face of the device.

Applicants, please make sure you can navigate when technology—particularly the GPS—is taken away. By the way, DPEs are permitted to fail devices during the check ride. Fair warning: Don’t be the applicant who pulls out a second iPad or cell phone as backup because you’re missing the point. 

Putting all your eggs in the tech basket isn’t going to help when the iPad overheats, there is a signal outage, or the device is otherwise rendered unusable. If you don’t have the ability to navigate by pilotage or the compass, are you really qualified to be in that cockpit?

Benefits of the EFB

The EFB is more environmentally friendly than paper charts and sectional because you don’t have to cut down trees to get the information. Updating the information is easier as it can be done with a keystroke rather than a purchase, and it creates a more organized cockpit as the tablet stores the information and it can be accessed with a swipe of a finger rather than doing an advanced yoga pose in flight to reach for your flight bag.

The tablets come in several sizes, and there are many options for mounting them, including yoke or kneeboard. I’m not a fan of the suction-cup-on-the-windscreen method as that blocks part of your view outside.

If you opt for a yoke-mounted unit, make sure it doesn’t interrupt the travel of the yoke or stick or put the aircraft in a permanent bank. There are some tablets that are just too large for the cockpit. If you opt for a kneeboard-mounted device, make sure your kneeboard holds it securely and the kneeboard stays in place.

• READ MORE: Who Wins the Battle of the Aviation Kneeboards?

As far as  data plans for navigation applications, you may find that the annual cost is competitive with that of replacing the paper sectionals and chart supplements.

The EFB is a wonderful tool, but like all tools it can be misused. It shouldn’t become a crutch for the pilot who has forgotten how to read a sectional because of disuse. Don’t be that pilot who becomes so reliant on technology for navigation that you forget to look out the window. 

The post The Wisdom in Not Putting All Your Eggs in the Tech Basket appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

1. Headset

The headset is often the most important piece of equipment a pilot carries. If you don’t think you need one, try conducting a flight in an enclosed-cockpit airplane without one—about 20 minutes into it, the noise and the vibration will leave you feeling like you’ve been flying all day. Don’t forget extra batteries for the headset if required. Add a flight helmet or leather cap for your headset if you’re flying an open-cockpit airplane.

• READ MORE: What Makes a Good Pilot Headset?

2. Kneeboard

The kneeboard is sort of a lap-desk that a pilot uses in flight. If you are using paper, this is where the pad or the navlog goes. If you are using an electronic device, this is where it lives if you don’t have a mount for the unit. You can also clip paper charts to a kneeboard with ease.

3. Writing Implements/Paper

There is a lot of writing in aviation. You will be copying down weather information, IFR clearances, instructions from ATC, etc. Even if you are doing this electronically on a tablet, it doesn’t hurt to have a back up. Paper is also handy to leave notes, like letting the owner of the FBO know you require fuel for your airplane—or if you do not want fuel.

4. Current Sectionals/TACs/Chart Supplement and/or Digital Equivalent

Notice the word “current.” Frequencies change, airspace changes, airports get towers—these are things you want to know. Many pilots use electronic information in the cockpit but carry the paper as backup.

Double-check the expiration dates. Electronic publications can be updated with a keystroke. Paper charts need to be replaced. When the paper charts expire, they become useful teaching tools on the ground—and of course they are excellent for gift wrapping.

If you use a tablet for navigation, be sure to have an extra power cord and/or batteries.

5. Aviation Flashlight

The flashlight should have a white light and a colored lens (green, red. or yellow) for night flight. You’d be amazed at how many pilots say they won’t be out after dark… and then it happens. Make sure you have spare batteries as well.

6. Multitool

You’ll want one with a knife blade and at least a flathead or Phillips head screwdriver. Get one that also has pliers large enough to give you leverage when and if you need it. The little multitools, the ones that fit on keychains are cute—and great for opening beverages—but seriously, Barbie called because she wants her tool back.

7. Flight Computer/Mechanical E6B/App

Use this to determine aircraft performance, ground speed, time en route, etc. You may have GPS in the airplane, but if something goes wrong, you’ll want the backup.

8. Fuel Strainer/Dipstick

Both of these items have a habit of wandering out of aircraft, especially when they are rental aircraft. Carry your own.

9. Survival Kit

Never leave home without one. Make sure it contains a first-aid kit, duct tape, a plastic bag, handi-wipes, parachute cord, knives, fire starting material, and so on. You never know when you’re going to need this stuff.

10. Cash for Vending Machines

Have you been that pilot who got to the airport after hours and the only source of food was a vending machine? I have. Carry some crisp $1 bills and quarters so you can eat.

11. A Handheld Radio

When your radio fails it can ruin your whole day. Use it as a backup in the cockpit, or on the ramp when you’re waiting for a friend to arrive, or (for CFIs) when you are watching a learner on their first solo. Make sure to bring the charging cord or extra batteries.

The post 11 Things You Should Carry in Your Flight Bag appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Sadly, many pilots in training see private pilot ground school as a means to pass the knowledge exam (it hasn’t been a written test since the 1990s—it is completed on a computer) and that’s it. Some student pilots have a “just get it over with” mentality for the knowledge test, with the idea that 70 percent is the minimum passing grade, and anything higher than that is overkill. 

There was a time when memorizing the questions and answers was done on a regular basis and even encouraged by some—but the FAA threw that out the window when they started changing up the questions on a semi-regular basis, as digital publishing made it easier to do.

The Knowledge Test Dictates the Check Ride

In the last few years, the applicant’s knowledge test score has taken on a greater significance, impacting the structure of the private pilot check ride. It used to be that the designated pilot examiner wouldn’t see the applicant’s knowledge exam results until the day of the check ride. The DPE would note the areas where the applicant was found deficient—meaning where you had wrong answers—and would start asking questions in that area. These days, the DPE receives the applicant’s test results in advance. DPEs can get creative when creating a scenario testing the applicant’s knowledge of “areas found deficient.” If there are a lot of deficient areas, then it’s going to be a mighty long oral exam.

If you fail the knowledge exam, you are required to get additional training, an endorsement from the instructor stating that you had the required additional instruction and are now capable of passing the test. Be advised, the knowledge exam now costs $175 a shot. You want to pass the first time and with a good score. This can be achieved by applying yourself during ground school.

Options for Ground School

Ground school can be accomplished face to face, online, or through self-study. Since the pandemic, hybrid classes done F2F and via Zoom have also become more popular. It doesn’t matter if you intend to train under Part 141 or Part 61—the knowledge requirements are the same. You will learn about flight instruments and parts of an airplane, aircraft systems, aerodynamics, airspace, weather, flight operations, cross-country flight planning, regulations, sectional charts, aircraft performance, human factors, electronic navigation, and weight and balance. 

Expect to use a textbook, either virtual or hardcopy, such as the FAA’s Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, the Airplane Flying Handbook, and a current FAR/AIM. These can also be purchased through a third-party provider such as Aviation Supplies & Academics (ASA), or Jeppesen. You should be taking notes during class.

For people who do best with a face-to-face class held in a brick-and-mortar classroom, check with the local FBOs or colleges. If you take this route, expect to spend 4 to 5 hours a week in class for eight to 10 weeks. Expect to take quizzes at the end of each subject area, as well as a test at the end of each section, and at least one final exam—more often, two versions that are drawn from the actual question bank used on the FAA’s knowledge exam. 

When you pass the final in class or online (in most cases), you will get a certificate of completion and an endorsement that gives you 60 days to take the knowledge test at an FAA- approved testing center. Flight schools usually have a list of locations where you can take the test. It comprises 60 multiple choice questions.

The scores you get on quizzes and stage tests in ground school are not reported to the FAA. The important thing is that you learn the material—and remember, there is something about getting a question wrong on a test, and then learning what the correct answer is that makes you remember the correct answer that much more.

Online Ground School

If you would like to learn on your own schedule and at your own pace, an online course might work best for you. Online courses require you to have access to a reliable internet connection. 

Gold Seal, King Schools, and Sporty’s Pilot Shop are among the online courses most recommended by instructors. 

Many online courses allow you to sample a few classes for free. If the videos are too long, or you can’t stand the sound of the presenter’s voice, or they have a distracting habit, like rocking back and forth or squirreling off on tangents, move on. You’re going to spend at least 40 hours with this person, and if you feel like you can’t bear this thought, find another course.

When doing ground school online, pace yourself. Binge-watching ground school lessons usually doesn’t work well for retention. Don’t even think about skipping ahead to the quizzes or end-of-course exam as many courses have built-in software to prevent you from doing that.

Pro-tip: Find an online ground school that allows you to automatically share your quiz results with your CFI via email. When you take a quiz, the CFI gets an email telling them how you did on it. This helps the CFI tailor your flight lessons to address any soft spots revealed by the quizzes. For example, if you have difficulty with an aerodynamics quiz, a good CFI can demonstrate the concepts using slow flight, stalls, and steep turns.

Self-Study—Do It on Your Own

In order to be eligible for the knowledge test, the applicant needs to have an endorsement stating that they are ready to take the test, per sections FAR 61.35(a)(1) and 61.105.

You can do this with books too. If you choose this route, a CFI or advanced ground instructor (AGI) must review your course supplies and evaluate your retention of the material—and then sign you off for the knowledge test. 

Hands-On Learning Takes Repetition

Some private pilot concepts—such as cross-country flight planning and filling out a navlog—need to be reviewed more than once, and are often best done face to face with a CFI. It is one of those skills that is often best taught by the “instructor tells, student does” model, starting with a paper sectional, paper navlog, and plotter—and the E6B flight computer, often called the “flight confuser” by some learners.

I wish I had a dollar for every time a learner described the E6B as “the bane of their existence”—I could buy pizza for the entire Cal Poly Humboldt marching band—the E6B can be your friend if you have the patience to learn how to use it. This can be done in a one-on-one session with a flight instructor. But here is the scary part: There are lots of CFIs who never learned to use an E6B or don’t remember how to because they have an app on their smartphone. 

That’s all well and good until the learner goes to take the knowledge test and their phone is taken away because electronic devices are not allowed—the learner is handed a manual E6B that belongs to the testing center and hijinks ensue. Save yourself some heartache and learn to use the mechanical E6B.

Another pro tip: The instructions for how to solve the equations for time/speed/distance, density altitude, etc., are printed on the E6B. What a glorious day it was when the instructor of my private pilot ground school allowed us to remove the painter’s tape he’d used to cover this information on our E6Bs—he was old school and insisted we learn the formulas. We spent so much time with the E6B we were instructed to give them names. I still have a 30-plus-year-old one that I named Wilbur. It’s made of metal and some of its numbers have rubbed off because of heavy use. One edge is sharpened because I turned it into a knife and a shovel during a survival drill, and it’s missing a screw on the wind side. It resides in a place of honor on the bookshelf in my office.

• READ MORE: FAA Updates Bank of Sample Knowledge Test Questions

Practice Tests are a Good Idea

The purpose of practice and drill is to help you develop your skills. This is one of those tests you want to practice. Sporty’s has practice tests that you can take online for free. You can customize them to an extent to address your soft spots—for example, if FARs are not your strong suit, you can create an exam that is all FARs. You may find it helpful to take shorter quizzes of no more than 10 questions at a time, then work your way up to the 60 question practice test. Keep notes on what areas you had difficulty with.

Another pro-tip: Do not take the official knowledge test until you have scored at least 90 percent on three 60-question practice tests in a row during the same week. I offer this advice as someone who has been teaching ground school for 20 years: There is something about walking into that testing center that makes most people lose 10 points—or more—off their score. 

Tips for Taking the Knowledge Test

1) For the cross-country distance questions, use the scale on the figures referred to in the testing booklet—do not use your plotter or the scale on the manual E6B, because the scale will be wrong. Instead, create a plotter that matches the scale printed on the figure in the test booklet. Use the piece of scratch paper that is issued to you in the testing center to do this.

2) Read the questions twice, silently to yourself moving your lips. This makes your brain slow down to really take a look at what is being asked.

3) Put your test results in a safe place—I am a big believer in photocopying them as a precaution and carrying the photocopy in the logbook because your instructor will be going over the test results with you; the codes for what was missed are printed on the test results. Your CFI will give you more instruction in those areas.

4) Make sure an instructor goes over the test results with you, and then signs off that you have received remedial training in that subject area. You will need this for your check ride.

Remember, the purpose of private pilot ground school is not just to pass the knowledge test, it’s to learn the skills and knowledge required for safe flying—apply yourself and reap the rewards.

The post Ground Knowledge Is Important appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

I own both mechanical and electronic E6B flight computers. And, I teach both because as long as they are both used in the aviation world, it is my responsibility to show them to learners.

Price Can Dictate Use

The mechanical E6Bs run from $12 to $15, while the metal ones are typically $40 to $50. The electronic versions result in more precise calculations and cost about $80 to $120. Batteries, usually AA, AAA, or the lithium coin type are extra.

The Mechanical E6B

The mechanical E6B is the more versatile descendant of the government issued G-1 True Airspeed flight computer from World War II. The G-1 was round, about 8 inches across and made from Bakelite, an early form of plastic. It was issued to flight crews in the U.S. military. (I have one of these vintage devices—it is dark brown with light brown lettering. It was used on a B-17 and even has the old Boeing logo including the totem pole on it.)

The modern E6B can be made of cardboard, plastic, or metal. No matter what material it is made from, it looks intimidating—all those numbers, all those scales—but once you read the directions (which are printed on the instrument) and do a few practice calculations, learning can take place.

Start by simply looking at the device, noting the different scales. Most of the devices come with instruction manuals to help you figure them out. There are also numerous videos online that can help you get up to speed. On the calculation side, you find the instructions to determine density altitude, time, speed, and distance, plus fuel consumption and the true airspeed to calibrated airspeed conversion. For visual and kinetic learners, seeing the big picture on the mechanical E6B and how the scales relate to each other can be very useful. 

Note the scales for distance measurement on the sides of the instrument and the temperature conversion scale at the bottom. 

The wind side helps a pilot determine ground speed and wind correction angle. When marked up to determine ground speed and the wind correction angle, the device can be very effective to teach the concept of crosswinds and even VORs, because the wind side resembles a VOR compass rose.

Pro tip: When using the manual E6B for cross-country flights—mark the different winds with different symbols. For example, 3,000 feet with an *, 6,000 feet with an X, etc., and do not erase the mark until the end of the flight because if you have to divert, you save the step of re-marking the wind dot.

Electronic E6B

The electronic E6B tends to be favored because it resembles a calculator, which most people (by the time they are old enough to begin flight training) have used a few times. The formulas for the calculations are often printed on the backside of the instrument. Just like the manual version, it takes time to read all the instructions. The electronic version is more precise than the manual device; however, the screen can be difficult to read in direct sunlight. Also, some of the devices go through batteries quickly, so always have spares—and the instructions can wear off or be scratched off if the unit is stuffed in a gear bag or dropped on the ramp. 

E6B Apps

We live in an app-happy world. There are several E6B apps to choose from, including apps from flight training powerhouse Sporty’s and flight planning powerhouse ForeFlight. For the pilot who uses an iPad, the app can be a good fit—provided you know how to use it before you need to use it. There are pilots who use a hybrid approach—using the app or the electronic one when they do their flight planning and navlog, then switching to the mechanical E6B in the airplane.

• LEARN MORE: Previous Editions of “What a CFI Wants You to Know”

It can be distressing when the learner has only used the apps that generate an electronic navlog and hasn’t learned the basics of flight planning, such as how to calculate ground speed, time en route, density altitude, or wind correction angles—all things determined with the E6B and necessary when completing a navlog.

Some learners present the attitude that they do not need to know how to use an E6B or complete the navlog because “there is an app for that.” A few claim they’ve been told it is an antiquated skill, as an app is more efficient. That may be true, but when the GPS and ForeFlight are turned off and the magenta line goes away (and you know that will happen during your check ride), you lose the ability to determine ground speed or time en route, and the ability to divert goes missing as well. Learn how to do a paper navlog and use an E6B as a backup—just like you learned basic math with a pencil and paper. 

While I appreciate anything that increases efficiency and reduces a pilot’s workload in the cockpit—like having an app do all the math or the magenta line showing you the way—it concerns me when it comes at the expense of basic cross-country skills. For the VFR pilot, nothing can replace pilotage, and looking out the window and locating those landmarks you put on your navlog is one of the best parts of being a pilot. You can’t get that from an app.

The post Make Friends With the E6B appeared first on FLYING Magazine.