T. Peterson

I have not flown in there, but like you I avoid big busy airports. I find that ForeFlight is a wonderful tool to find airports with rental cars, fuel etc. It’s always better if someone has personal experience, but you can ferret out a good airport on your own with the right tools.

Excellent point. I will do some thinking about that. I think you have put your finger on the pulse.

Proficiency provides the calmness required to correctly use the equipment. Using an autopilot in actual IMC is a great contributor to safety, but as Andy also points out is no substitute for proficiency. Once terror or panic sets in all bets are off. Both of you are making valid assertions, and neither of you is actually contradictory to the other. I think instrument scan is vital and unfortunately perishable if not constantly practiced. Make your eyeballs move. Scan, scan scan. Do it as a matter of course on every flight. You don’t need a hood or a safety pilot to make your eyeballs move!

I highly discourage anyone from using Buccee’s ethanol free 91 octane in their airplane. It can prove very dangerous to your health. I don’t know if my back will ever recover from toting and pouring all those 5 gallon buckets!

I have been with USAA since being a young Lieutenant in the early 80’s. I have no plans to leave, but to me the decrease in knowledge and competence is stark.

Buccee’s has ethanol free…

So what’s the problem??

Good morning, In what part of Texas is Brian Kendrick? What is the name of his shop? Thanks, Torrey

If I was wealthy enough to self insure, I would consider it if insurance rates became onerous. There are probably plenty of owners that are in that category, I am just not one of them. Of course there could be a lot said as to the wisdom of such a decision given our litigious culture, but everyone has different risk tolerances. @A64Pilot was merely pointing out the fact that insurance is not mandatory from a regulatory standpoint. He did not advocate one way or the other.

I am late to this, but I have had almost the exact scenario. In almost 25 years at my airline I have never lied to the passengers, but have been accused of it. They have no concept that just because it is not raining at grandmas right now that the airspace around grandma can be restricted due to weather 100 miles away, therefore I am a liar. I also work with many wonderful flight attendants and pilots. Some very few have not been so good but eventually get weeded out. There are also self absorbed, entitlement oriented and rude passengers. People are people and I try to extend grace because some days I need it extended to me.

You should never have to pay for a hotel room!

You sir, are a fountain of interesting information! Here I am in the cockpit of a 320 to fly almost 4 hours to DFW, and now I can appreciate the marvelous efficiency of this bird in a new way!

Fascinating.

Wow! That was very informative and interesting. Thank you!

I am not fully convinced, but I will certainly grant the benefit of the doubt.

Any reason to fly is a good reason!

You guys are hilarious! Let’s just think about the context of Ned’s instructor. He is an instrument instructor that has just signed off or is in the process of signing off an IFR newbie. Is it remotely possible his point is that in the IFR environment a pilot must be always situationally aware, knowing where he is going and why? Of course I may be wrong. Maybe he really did mean you always had to have a centered needle because even though he was an instructor he may have never heard of a radar vector? I have postulated, you decide.

Not exactly what I was thinking, but close enough. Thank you!

The point was……never mind, you got me.

I know I am late to this, but that is a great line, “You are flying IFR only when a needle is centered.” Both clever and true!

And near as I can tell they were not wrong. Critical thinking has taken a dumpster dive, and not just among the youth.

Good point. Routine can’t cover everything.

Good points all, but somewhere in that pattern whether T&G or first visual of the day you are going to be in the location where you always drop the gear. Keep following the routine be it midfield or abeam the numbers.

Lots of good points have been made and worthy of consideration. However they don’t all apply to every situation equally. Consider, but don’t adopt as gospel. Filter it through your own situation and common sense. From what I can tell, your instincts are pretty good.

Fascinating thread! The stuff you can learn on MS…