Paul founded the Experimental Aircraft Association, and clearly he knew about the perpetual pursuit of piloting perfection!
Tag: beginners mind
Am I a Good Pilot?
I think I’m a good pilot. Above average, anyway. For sure. Over 17,000 hours, 5 type ratings, published scientific research into pilot behavior, on and on. I work at it, every flight. Well, most every flight. But a paper recently published in Psychological Science: Journal of the Association for Psychological Science (I’m not a nerd, but I am a subscriber) …
Ageless Aviator Wisdom
AOPA Pilot magazine magazine has a great article by Dave Hirschman in the April edition about the Mavericks, four Florida pilots who fly formation aerobatics together. They are mostly in their mid-70’s. With long backgrounds in all kinds of flying. Ageless aviators with wisdom to spare: Just like artists or musicians, we’re constantly striving to master our craft, to try …
Harrison Ford on Flying
I love training. I love taking on new challenges. Like short strips and crosswinds and tail-wheel airplanes. Confined spaces in helicopters. I like to challenge myself. Always make sure I don’t over challenge myself. Great freedom, great responsibility. I think it’s the mix of the two of them that I really enjoy most of all. Freedom without the responsibility is …
Dale Masters on Flying and Understanding
This sport can be terribly frustrating at all levels, but after we pay our inevitable dues, it becomes more than worth the effort. Less experienced pilots must be patient and persistent, and continue to try different variations of method. After a few long thermal flight we begin to develop a sense of what is about to happen, and what to …