The Fine Art Of Cross-Controlled Approaches

We were sitting in the runup area when a Cessna 172 came around the corner on a close-in base leg. The fact that it was close in was unusual enough, but then, as he (or she) curved onto a short final, the pilot deftly laid it on its side in an oh-so-gentle slip, arched down toward the runway, and slowly bled it out of the slip as he straightened out to touch down on the mains, the nosewheel staying obediently in the air during rollout.
http://www.aopa.org/members/ftmag/article.cfm?article=4519

Chicken Wings

Five steps to efficient flight training

Time is money in the world of big business, but in the world of flight training, flight time is big money. Many students come to the airport unprepared for flight training. I can think of occasions when I wasn't as prepared as I would like to have been for any number of reasons, which all students seem to share. Let's take a look at a few tips on how to get ready for each flight lesson-the preparation will save you both time and money.
http://www.aopa.org/members/ftmag/article.cfm?article=4968

Chicken Wings

The go/no-go decision isn't always obvious

Pilots constantly do battle with the question of whether to push off into the gray unknown. But it's not the only time we've beat ourselves up because we can't decide whether to go flying. What about the time we got out to the airport and the wind was higher than we like? Or the time we nearly dozed off while driving to the flight school? How about the day we had the big blowout with the spouse and we decided to go flying because we were so distracted that we were useless around the office? Was it smart to go aviating?
http://www.aopa.org/members/ftmag/article.cfm?article=5353

Chicken Wings

When in doubt, ask

On the day of my solo, the weather couldn't have been better. We had a beautiful summer day in late June: winds calm; clear below 12,000 feet; 10 miles' visibility. I had logged 16.5 hours in a 1975 Piper Warrior and felt confident behind the controls. My instructor and I started the day at 10:35, departing the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, a moderately busy facility in Class C airspace. We flew about 15 miles south to Iowa City Municipal for some touch-and-go practice.
http://www.aopa.org/members/ftmag/article.cfm?article=5002

Chicken Wings