Letters from our June 2020 issue

I read with interest Tom Haines’ “Waypoints” column in the June 2020 AOPA Pilot magazine. Thank you, Tom, for the thoughtful evaluation of whether GA pilots should fly or not during our current times.  

My vote is fly! I am fortunate to live in Iowa, where we have fewer restrictions than more urban states. And while travel opportunities have been sharply curtailed, during the pandemic I have been able to transport PPE to help nursing homes; rescue dogs with Pilots N Paws; fly with a CFII for a flight review; stay current for both VFR and IFR; and plan a family Colorado trip in June. None of it has felt medically risky.

GA pilots are extraordinarily lucky to have the freedom to fly. But currency matters. We need to fly to remain safe to fly. And my experience also has been that ATC wants us to fly, to keep controllers sharp. While it might take gumption and creativity to plan and execute flights right now, the upside to doing so far outweighs the downside.

Vernon Squires AOPA 2508387
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Although I understand the reservations of the “no-fly” group, my primary reason for flying initially was preservation of my investment. As we all know, you cannot let an airplane engine sit indefinitely without risking serious damage and expense. That in addition to the recreational aspects and ability to social distance were compelling to me. I don’t know how to fit this into the reasoning (so I won’t attempt to), but I was only recently signed off on this new-to-me airplane (a Debonair, by the way) and I really can’t let those new skills get stale for safety reasons (maybe that’s the reason!). That’s my situation. Thanks for inviting comments.

Larry Wickter
AOPA 1044714
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Pandemic flying has been a great opportunity for normalcy (for an aviator) in this strange time. Even in the early days of the restrictions, Tennessee had broad permission for “outdoor activity,” which included going for a drive in your motor vehicle. I figured the drive to the airport qualified, as did flight in a tandem-seat airplane with the other seat empty. Most of the flying has been simply soaking up the views and experiencing the simple joy of time aloft, but I have included chandelles, steep turns, and pattern/landing work to try to keep the blade sharp. 

Clearly, restrictions have loosened since Tom wrote his column, and I hope that we soon will be back to business as usual, and that stories of pandemic flying will be a thing of the past.

Jim TateAOPA 838633
Nashville, Tennessee

I am always encouraged when other people—experienced people—ask the same questions I do. I am a brand-new pilot and late bloomer. I started lessons a couple of years ago at 48, got my license in August 2019, and have logged just 200 hours. Flying is now my passion. 

This leads me to your question. Do we stay home, or weigh the risk of COVID exposure against that of becoming rusty? I vote for flying! I have been venturing out whenever I can. There have been two sets of reactions: There is the in-person, on-the-ground experience, where FBO staff are jumping to help. They are happy to provide me—to provide anyone—with service. They are starving and trying to stay in business. In contrast, there is criticism (usually online) for sitting too close to someone I don’t live with. 

I contend, if I am allowed to shop at Lowe’s with no restrictions, I am going to invite a friend to fly. If they are comfortable leaving the house, I am comfortable leaving the Earth. We don’t hug or share headsets, but we can ooh and ahh together at the site of the beautiful countryside and the miracle of flight. 

La Donna Beaumont
AOPA 10639444
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

I’ve been flying more. Quietly and conservatively. Tried to go to Chicken Strip in Saline Valley couple weeks ago. An airplane just left before we got there, and cones were across the runway, so we camped on a dry lakebed. From my home to my hangar I saw no one. Met the other aircraft in flight and had no other contact with society. The air is really clean now and it’s a special time to fly.

Steve Bowman
AOPA 1433121
Greenbrae, California

I have been flying for recreation (without passengers) during the virus and hadn’t really thought anything negative about it until reading Tom’s article. Still, after some thought I don’t see any logic that says we shouldn’t go flying. Setting aside staying current, the more compelling reason to fly is that the more normal activities we can continue to do, the better our mental health. During this pandemic one of the biggest fallouts may be mental illnesses caused by such a severe and abrupt change to our normal daily routine. So, in several ways—including flying—I am working to keep my life as normal as possible.

Bryan Swank
AOPA 4405795
Columbus, Indiana

On edge

I just finished reading Barry Schiff’s column “Proficient Pilot: On Edge.” I think I had the privilege of flying with his son Brian on the 757/767. Looks like he really has his hands full with the current COVID-19 situation. These are certainly trying times for the airline. Like Barry, I needed to get away a bit from the threat of those invisible microbes. I climbed steeply to 9,500 feet in the 350-horsepower Bonanza over to Grand Canyon West (IG4). I took my time, did a couple of three-sixties over Hoover Dam, spent a little time over Lake Meade, then direct to Canyon West. Total flight time was 1.6 hours. Can you believe this: I never saw one aircraft! The ramp was completely void of people or airplanes. Quite a surreal feeling as I flew overhead.

Bennie Clay Jr.
AOPA 947892
Henderson, Nevada

I’m an A321 captain for American Airlines. I’ve had all the same experiences that are mentioned in Barry Schiff’s article. Our upcoming September vacancy bid will be monumental, something this airline has never experienced by sheer volume. In addition, furloughs are expected, possibly near 1,500.

Gary D’Water
AOPA 10537494
Scottsdale, Arizona

Fly-off

I’m a big fan of Dave Hirschman’s writing because he does such a fine job communicating complex technical information and sharing enthusiasm for aviation. His article on the RV–10 versus the SR22 raised the bar for a fun, informative, well-written article. It was great! Loved the whole theme and tone. Thank you. Thanks to Chris Rose, too, for his as-usual great images! I’m sure you’ll get lots of nitpicks from staunch advocates of one or the other brand. So what? Dave gave us all solid entertainment and information during a time when we all need some of both. Heck, I went back and read it twice, and I’m sure I’ll look at it again.

Geremy Kornreich
AOPA 7265608
Lafayette, Colorado

Flare is not a four-letter word

Catherine Cavagnaro’s article in the June 2020 AOPA Pilot should be required reading for every pilot. She reminisces about sitting on the porch at the Sewanee, Tennessee, airport with her friend and mentor, Bill Kershner, watching some “awkward” landing attempts by an instructor and his student. And then she describes Bill’s diagnosis of the problem and how he demonstrated—in his simple, effective and kindly way—the “fix.” Flare it out and hold it off…hold it off…hold it….

In more than 50 years of instructing, testing, and examining pilots, I’ve found inability to properly flare the airplane and hold it off while maintaining directional control the single most common problem—one exacerbated with a crosswind. It’s so universal that the “just flatten out and drive it on” method obviously has its origins in poor flight instruction.

OK, I learned to fly in a different time but, at 5 feet, 3 inches tall and 70-some years, I commonly “three-point” my 1956 Cessna 180 on landing as well as the AT–6 I flew so I know the “Kershner/Cavagnaro/Lunken” method works.

Although she knew him far better, I was proud to call Bill Kershner a friend and the story brought back wonderful memories of that talented pilot, teacher, flight and ground instructor, writer, and true gentleman.

Thank you, Ms. Cavagnaro. Please, pilots and (especially) instructors, read this great article.

Martha Lunken
AOPA 1137165
Cincinnati, Ohio

‘Never forget to be silly’

When you read my name, you’ll see why I had to comment. The ribbing I received after the movie Airplane came out—“What’s your vector, Victor?”—told me I needed to fly. I finally got my private in the early 1990s and still enjoy flying today. It would be nice to meet the real Captain Roger Victor one day!

Roger Victor Welling
AOPA 9704225
Yorba Linda, California

YouTube sensations

I’m writing about the article “YouTube Sensations” in AOPA Pilot. I feel the article lacked representation of people of color (although women did get fairly mentioned). Notably, one of my favorite aviation YouTubers is black: MojoGrip (youtube.com/channel/UCp0-1iilun-zz1oeuunbNyw) and has 153,000 subscribers. I think it was a huge oversight and represents a lack of diversity in aviation that I would hope this organization supports.

Matthew Luck
AOPA 9829896
Baltimore, Maryland

Editor’s note: Thanks for letting us know, Matt. For more reader-submitted YouTube aviation channels, see “Pilot Briefing” .

We welcome your comments.Send letters to Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701 or [email protected]. Letters may be edited for length and style.

Hangar Talk

“In an effort to give my daughter, Jenna, a low-cost airplane to learn to fly in and to provide others here at our home airport the chance to get a sport pilot certificate, I bought a used RV–12 and put it on leaseback with a local flight school,” says Tom Haines of the aircraft on our cover. “Imagining an extra A in the SLSA label emblazoned on the tail, the locals quickly named the distinctive red and white special light sport aircraft Salsa. She’s a beaut and stole my heart. She also taught me a lot about Rotax engines, Dynon avionics, and the peculiarities of LSAs and SLSAs,” he says of the model of aircraft profiled in Dave Hirschman’s story“It Grows On You,” which begins on page 50. “A busy career and a Bonanza to also look after, I decided after about 18 months that one aircraft was enough for me. Plus, like a lot of others, my daughter got caught up in adulting after grad school and drifted away—and like others, vowing to come back and finish one day. Training aircraft in hot demand, it was a quick and painless sale. I was pleased that the new owner left her in the same tiedown spot right outside my hangar and still on leaseback with the flight school, so I still get to admire her from afar and watch her teach others the joy of flight.”