Did we forget that flying is fun?

I'm reminded of ppragman's (?) story about the sightseeing flight with the Riddle God, who freaked out at the less than 1 mile downwind.
And, 18 posts and no Mav/Iceman locker room picture? WTF people?
 
wrxpilot said:
Unfortunately, I'm willing to bet this same "CFI" is probably terrified of stalls and will never show his students incipient spins, or even let them get into fully developed stalls, see the results of dropping a wing, etc. I've flown with a couple of nervous CFIs before, and it is a truly miserable experience. These insecure pilots pass on their nervous traits to students, and it's just a real tragedy. It can be a real mess trying to mop up after them, having done so a couple of times in an attempt to fix their damaged students.

After I got my private I spent a good chunk of money doing aerobatics for awhile. It was really some of the most fun I've ever had in an airplane, and the knowledge and confidence gained was invaluable, and has most likely saved my butt a couple of times.

Even going up in a light trainer and having some legal fun with your friends is really enjoyable! In fact, it was on a flight such as this that got me hooked on flying... Going up with one of my friends in college that had just passed his PPL. We did some stalls, steep turns, etc. All safe and legal, and very fun.
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At some point, it'd be hilarious to go up with one of these uptight CFIs under the guise of a beginning student pilot. Might not be very nice, but it'd be a heck of a lot of fun. :D
 
I wouldn't tell someone it was unsafe. However, I wouldn't want to be in the backseat while someone was doing slow flight. My time as a CFI made me inherently vigilant of pilots at all stages of training and I really don't like to be away from the controls when practicing inherently more dangerous maneuvers than straight and level.
 
I've learned a number of things in my time at Riddle. One of them is:

"There's always going to be SOMEBODY that's not happy with the way you did/do/will do something."

My verbage as of late is that either you, the other person, or both of you has their head up their ass. In this case, it seems like this 141 wonder-instructor.
 
Fortunately none of my flying friends are like that. If they were, I doubt I would be friends with them. Flying is about having fun and enjoying something that only a limited few will ever experience.

Personally, I would of left him at the airport, or iso'ed his mike on the return flight.
 
Show me a CFI who thinks that doing steep turns and slow flight for the heck of it is dangerous, and I'll show you a CFI that still has a LOT to learn about flying.
 
challenger said:
This is one of the reasons why I am leaving UND for a normal part 61 flight school :bandit:
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There's people like this all over aviation and not just 141. I know you're mad at a large school in the upper midwest, but there's always going to be an uptight guy out there no matter where he came from.
 
Inverted25 said:
At breakfast my friend decided to go into a 20 min speech about how what we did on the way there is very unproffessional and uncalled for. There was no reason to be doing steep turns if not doing so for training and no reason to be doing slow flight for the same reason. He said it is goofing around like that that gets people killed.
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My response to him would have been:

"The fact that very few pilots practice maneuvers outside of training is very unprofessional and uncalled for. Practicing various maneuvers outside of training at any certificate level keeps a pilot's skills sharp, and maintains a comfort level with the aircraft and aerodynamics in general - after all, a good pilot is always learning, right? If you're not practicing maneuvers once in a while, you're just goofing around, and that may get people killed. Congratulations, you earned the right to pay the entire breakfast bill."
 
I still think I would have just left him there. I don't want to subject him to any dangerous or unprofessional behavior.

-mini
 
AirmetTango said:
"The fact that very few pilots practice maneuvers outside of training is very unprofessional and uncalled for. Practicing various maneuvers outside of training at any certificate level keeps a pilot's skills sharp, and maintains a comfort level with the aircraft and aerodynamics in general
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Pilots who are afraid of slow flight or steep turns are the most dangerous pilots out there. By definition, they are the textbook reason we have stall/spin accidents on base to final turns.

And why does the FAA even have a Sport Pilot AND recreational pilot certificate? Take him up in a glider, a nice 2 hour ride of steep turns at MCA...

And really, still no Mav/Iceman locker room pic? Who is asleep at the wheel today?
 
:yeahthat: And you could make the case that doing those maneuvers is a way to keep your skills sharp. This guys sounds like a huge tool.

If he was really that concerned with safety he should have spoken up when the maneuvers were going on, not till after the fact. That dude is going to piss off a lot of captains later on with that kind of attitude.
 
Ahh, don't worry. Just as soon as everyone gets into professional flying in large aircraft, you'll be just as scared of close-in patterns, slow flight and stalls as a low-time Part 141 trained guy. :D

By the way, I'm a Riddle grad and I manage just fine! Hell, at this point my flying technique is almost completely a product of my professional flight experience; where I went to school has no bearing.
 
Inverted25 said:
It seems like all the 141 types I run into are so damn uptight and have no idea how to just go and have fun in a an airplane. And I apologize now if you are a 141 product and dont fit that because I know alot of you arent like that. But it drives me crazy to meet these people because they are the ones killing GA.
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:yeahthat:
 
*face palm*

I hate guys like this. I really hope that you did just leave him there.

Unfortunately, I have to kind of assume and think that it has something to do with the 141 flying/learning/teaching environment. Here at SIU, students are not allowed to rent the aircraft at all beyond the prescribed syllabus, and every flight (regardless of the students experience/certification level) has to be briefed, de-briefed, and scheduled by your instructor, who basically tells you what to do. I just can't see how flying like this can be good for building confidence or FUN. Every flight feels like school-work. Also, they never get the chance to have FUN and take their friends/family up for a ride or that $100 burger. Several students do still manage that by renting from part 61 FBOs, and they know how to have FUN. Still, there are several full-time CFIs here who have NEVER flown outside of the school, and never had a non-pilot passenger or a "fun" flight. Basically, somebody needs an hour of nordo Cub time, or a 3 hour long glider cross-country with an off-field landing in it.

Im sure cases like this guy exist as part 61 products as well, I have just yet to meet or fly with one.

What DID you say to him about it? :dunno:
 
I didnt say anything at the time but my uncle who has been flying for I dunno 20 years or so gave it to him pretty good. Simliar to things that have been said here. He told him that if he didnt feel comfortable flying an airplane at the edge of its performance envelope than he had no business being in that aircraft. The friend apologized but I still dont think he gets it. Hes all for straight and level only. Which I guess is fine for him but I agree with my uncle that if your not comfortable doing things like stalls, steep turns, slow flight etc in the aircraft your flying you really have no business flying.
 
Long time lurker, first time poster here, felt like this was worth commenting on.

I am a student at a "dreaded" part 141 flight school. Some of the things you guys describe I have experianced none of, which I am thankful for.

Students are encouraged to take planes on pleasure flights when available. It is very common to see a new private pilot taking his parents, girlfriend etc. on flights.

Glad not all 141 schools are the same!
 
Why would you not practice that stuff and keep proficient? Anyone can just point it and go, doing that stuff is a great way retain some stick and rudder skills and understand your aircraft. If it was my friend he would have been finding his own way home.

Unfortunately those guys give a lot of the 141 guys a bad name.....
 
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