On Centerline

In this episode of the On Centerline Podcast, we're going back to the Airplane Flying Handbook to take a closer look at the steep spiral. As we've done with previous episodes in this series, we'll read directly from the FAA's handbook, discuss what it has to say about the maneuver, and break down the concepts and techniques pilots should understand. The steep spiral is a commercial pilot maneuver, and is one of the most mis-understood maneuvers we do in training. Today, we'll work through th...

Ground reference maneuvers are often taught as a collection of separate maneuvers—rectangular courses, turns around a point, S-turns across a road, and eights around pylons etc. But are they really different maneuvers? In this episode, we go straight to the FAA’s Airplane Flying Handbook to look at ground reference maneuvers from the source. No matter the shape, the various elemental ground reference maneuvers are really teaching us the same fundamental skills. So rather than focusing o...

Welcome to the On Centerline Podcast! Slow flight is one of those maneuvers that seems to generate endless debate, myths, and misconceptions. How slow should you fly? What configuration should you use? How should the airplane be controlled? In this episode, we’re setting opinions aside and going straight to the source: the FAA’s Airplane Flying Handbook. This is the first episode in what I hope will become a long-running series dedicated to reading directly from the Airplane Flying Handbook ...

Welcome to the On Centerline video podcast! Episode Content starts at 10:47 Today we take a closer look at how instructors teach maneuvers — and why jumping straight into any given maneuver may be missing the bigger lesson. We will be using turns around a point as a case study today. Turns around a point isn’t really the skill. It’s an exercise designed to develop a pilot’s ability to maneuver an airplane in relation to the ground. That means understanding things like wind correctio...

The CFI-I check ride is designed to ensure flight instructors can safely and effectively teach instrument flying—but does the current practical test truly evaluate the skills that matter most in today's training environment? In this episode of the On Centerline Podcast, I share my personal proposals for how the CFI-I check ride could be improved. We’ll discuss areas where the current evaluation process may fall short, skills that deserve greater emphasis, and potential changes that could bett...