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Piloting with Confidence - Preface
Organization in the cockpit is essential to safe flying.
A good pilot is never finished improving his or her
organizational skills. The point of this book is to
instill into young pilots’ minds the importance
of generating their own charts, checklists and other
helpful aids that reflect their own personal needs and
habits. Examples of such charts, checklists and cockpit
tips that I have generated for myself over the last
thirty years of flying are illustrated in this book.
I find the charts and checklists that I describe invaluable
for every flight that I take. I love flying in the West,
and scattered throughout the book are selected photographs
from various trips. These are a reminder of how spectacular
and magical flying can be.
While a major point of this book is to stimulate you
to create your personal charts and checklists, you may
find mine useful as basic templates. The more you indulge
in this activity, the more confidence you will have
as a pilot and the safer you will be. And the safer
you are, the happier you and your passengers will be.
In the process of creating checklists, you should constantly
be asking why you are checking the things that you do.
That is, be sure that you understand the airplane systems.
The second chapter emphasizes this and gives brief descriptions
of a variety of systems in your airplane. Understanding
the systems makes you a safer pilot.
Additional chapters include methods for easily checking
your weight and balance before every flight, getting
started with the use of GPS equipment, and mastering
and remembering the diverse rules and regulations associated
with flying. Making use of your computer and personal
digital assistant (PDA) is emphasized throughout the
book.
Keep the skies safe and enjoy the magic of flying!
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