Praise for Pipers
The Archer II is a wonderful airplane (" Budget Buys: No Reservations," March Pilot). My wife and I have owned ours for approximately 20 years. It is a 1981 model (chevrons on the tail) completed in 1980. I fly it to work every day; we have flown it in races; we have flown across the country several times and deep into Mexico and up into Canada. Approximately 3,800 hours of my flying time is in N8304L, which we call the Red Bird.
I flight plan at 120 knots, 10 gallons per hour, 400-nm legs to be conservative, but 130 knots is no problem. The greatest speed I ever saw was south of a wide tornado-filled storm front flying from Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Columbus, Indiana — 205 knots groundspeed. What a rush! We always carried four adults, full fuel, and baggage with no sweat.
I have been building an RV-6A as a retirement airplane that I can maintain myself, but when we let the Red Bird go it will be a sad day.
Bob Axsom AOPA 783915
Laguna Hills, California
As the director of aircraft maintenance for F.I.T. Aviation LLC, I enjoyed the article on Piper Warriors and Archers. The F.I.T. School of Aeronautics uses a fleet of 14 Piper Cadets, four Arrows, three Seminoles, and six Warriors. Maintaining these very sturdy aircraft for the rigors of daily basic flight training is for the most part simplistic. They generally offer no surprises for a mechanic and stand up strongly to training uses. A few of our Cadets, which we acquired brand-new, have more than 10,000 hours. These sturdy little birds just keep right on going.
Sherman F. Childers AOPA 875386
Melbourne Beach, Florida
Touchdown tips
I enjoyed the article on landings in the recent Pilot (" Out of the Pattern: Consistent Landings," March). Thank you. I have 4,500 hours in Vikings, and many people seem aghast at my close-in downwind approaches in a rather "hot" airplane. I was taught this when I began flying in the 1950s in a Cherokee 140 and have stuck to it since.
I have two points to add to your fine analysis. One, at nontowered airports it would be so much safer and more convenient if all pilots flew in this manner as it is much easier to spot other traffic (so often without proper radio announcements). I have pulled in behind many very slow aircraft and had to fly excruciating downwind patterns into the next county before turning base leg. Two, in the event of an engine failure you can deadstick it to the runway with no problem. I flew on the U.S. Precision Flight Team some years ago and one of the required landings was a power-off spot landing.
David Alger AOPA 356960
Leander, Texas
Reading about Ron Fowler's emphasis on using trim controls to aid in making "perfect" landings struck home with me. Early in my flight training, my instructor taught me to make good use of "trimming up" the aircraft regularly. He had me fly the aircraft using trim and throttle for takeoffs and landings so I would learn to let the aircraft fly itself, which proved to be a blessing later during my commercial and instrument training. Having the aircraft properly trimmed during instrument approaches sure made maintaining the proper track and angle a lot easier. It's aviation's answer to power steering.
Fred J. Brunjes AOPA 176749
New Port Richey, Florida
I just read the article about landings, and I have to say it's right on the money. I did, however, pick up a tip from our local examiner. He suggested having everything set up for the landing no later than base. Then the work is done and it's just a matter of managing airspeed and being visual. The half-mile visual reference might be fine for the larger airstrips, but I prefer just a little more spacing.
George Mitzel AOPA 1329429
Mantua, New Jersey
Lt. Col. Martha McSally
In reference to the article on Lt. Col. Martha McSally (" Pilots," March Pilot), it is always encouraging to see information included about the opportunities available at the Air Force Academy for young men and women.
Lest some be misinformed, the Air Force Academy awards a bachelor's of science degree. There is no graduate or medical school at the academy. About 3 percent of the graduating class has an opportunity to attend a medical school. The Air Force Academy offers 30 undergraduate academic majors, but there is no medical school at the academy.
Lt. Col. Robert P. Milich AOPA 1098294
Admissions Liaison Officer
U.S. Air Force Academy
Colorado Springs, Colorado
I was appalled to see that AOPA Pilot featured Lt. Col. Martha McSally in the March issue. No one who has served honorably in the fighting forces of the United States should stand by and allow selfish mediocrity to be held up as virtuous. I served with Martha McSally. She is bright, personable, aggressive, driven — desirable traits in a military officer. The problem with Martha and others of her ilk is that for them it's all about them, and in this case her résumé amply proves it.
Why would an aviation magazine lionize anyone with a single operational flying tour who wasted the government's time fighting orders and who pursues promotion-accelerating jobs rather than flying assignments? The real blame for letting her succeed despite questionable judgment and priorities falls squarely on her superiors, who lacked the courage to take her considerable talents and shape her into a more complete officer.
Martha's parents bequeathed her the brainpower to attain academic excellence. They also gave her a body too short to meet Air Force standards for pilot training. Those are the breaks. Many people enter the academies with hopes of flying fighters, but see their dreams evaporate as either their eyes or grades deteriorate. Not many need to be reminded what they owe the country for four years of room, board, tuition, and salary. They cheerfully accept orders as tanker navigators, supply officers, or "some missile silo job" because that is what their service needs them to do.
We should applaud the other 2,500 graduates of our military academies each year who demonstrate their patriotism and gratitude to their country by not contesting their orders and professional fate. We might write an article about the person who didn't get the pilot training slot that was given to Martha by a system that didn't have the courage to enforce its regulations when challenged by an assertive woman.
Martin O'Loughlin AOPA 1382947
South Ogden, Utah
The value equation
I just read " Waypoints: The Value Equation" in the March issue of AOPA Pilot, and being a corporate pilot whose passengers hate fuel stops (don't they all!) I am considering having an EDM 800, well, two in fact, installed in our Navajo Chieftain. It makes perfect sense to have such accurate fuel indications and may save me a fuel stop or two as well.
I enjoy Tom Haines' articles immensely; however, I would like to bring an error to your attention. The section of the FARs dealing with fuel requirements says specifically that an aircraft needs only 30 minutes of fuel unless flying into weather conditions that 0equire operation under instrument flight rules.
The section does not mention anything about an IFR flight plan. Thus, regardless of the flight plan you file, if you are in visual conditions (or if those conditions are forecast for the period one hour before to one hour after your ETA) you need only 30 minutes of reserve.
My personal comfort also relies on landing with an hour of fuel.
Shannon L. Baker AOPA 1206208
Albany, Indiana
Reverse CRM
I've just found a new favorite author! Marc K. Henegar had tears of laughter rolling down my cheeks for hours after I read " Turbine Pilot: Reverse CRM" in the March AOPA Pilot magazine. Been there, done that. It's so obvious he has too.
Please make sure Henegar continues to write lots more of these gems in the future.
Harold Bemis AOPA 1067951
Daytona Beach, Florida
Erratum
In the April issue of AOPA Pilot (" AOPA Action: Silent Auction Raises $50,000 for Safety Seminars," p. 26), we inadvertently failed to mention that Don Wylie, president of Aviation Safety Training Inc., was the donor of a one-day upset recovery training program for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's Silent Auction. Wylie has since increased his donation to the full two-day upset recovery training program. The ASF Silent Auction is available online.
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