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‘Don’t Get Rusty’ crew to coach pilots during Spirit of Aviation week

‘60 seconds to a Perfect Landing’ webinar set for July 25

The AOPA You Can Fly “Don’t Get Rusty” webinar series team will deliver a don’t-miss “60 Seconds to a Perfect Landing” webinar July 25 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Central Daylight Time during EAA Spirit of Aviation Week. The satisfaction of learning how to control the “critical 60 seconds before your tires gently kiss the runway” also qualifies pilots for FAA Wings credit.

A new webinar series by the AOPA You Can Fly initiative will combine practical skills, tips from experience, and a dose of good humor to help pilots stay focused on aviation when they are unable to fly. Image from video courtesy of GoToStage.

The engaging trio of Keith West, senior director for flight school business support and CFII; Chris Moser, senior director of flight training education, MEI, and longtime educator; and Pablo Maurelia, senior director of flight training technology and private pilot, have built a substantial online following in the three months since the “Don’t Get Rusty” series began.

The casual conversations are delivered in a fun, lighthearted manner that camouflages learning concepts and holds attention spans. The banter puts viewers at ease while real-life scenarios are explained in detail. “We have a lot of fun doing these,” said West.

The approach leads pilots to a greater understanding of the forces at play during normal flight operations and opens the door to refined airplane handling techniques.

During the EAA Spirit of Aviation Week presentation, webinar attendees will accompany West, Moser, and Maurelia in a Cessna 172 during a virtual flight into Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s Wittman Regional Airport, and follow along as they set up for a landing on Runway 18R.

The hosts will candidly review how a good traffic pattern can set you up for a good landing. “We’re just going over that last 60 seconds before touchdown,” said West, who revealed that one of the secrets to success “is all about the pull” that occurs in the landing flare 10 to 15 feet above the runway.

West disclosed that another trick for pilots who overcontrol their aircraft during the last moments before touchdown is to avoid …

You’ll just have to tune into the webinar to find out for yourself.

David Tulis
David Tulis
Senior Photographer
Senior Photographer David Tulis joined AOPA in 2015 and is a private pilot with single-engine land and sea ratings and a tailwheel endorsement. He is also a certificated remote pilot and co-host of the award-wining AOPA Hangar Talk podcast. David enjoys vintage aircraft and photography.
Topics: You Can Fly, EAA AirVenture, Training and Safety

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