Traffic Patterns, Instrument Approaches, and lessons learned

[Tony]

I remember way back as part of the private training, good old CFII J
O'B would insist on a power reduction and flaps passing the numbers
downwind, he'd reserve the right to chop the power at any time and
often did somewhere around the turn to base to see if I had enough
energy to make the numbers.

He insisted it should take an exceptional set of circumstances for a
superior pilot to have to increase throttle once past the numbers.
Steady settings, or reductions, were OK. Pushing it in was an
admission of having done something stupid earlier. NOT pushing it in
when it was required was an admission of being an egomanic stupid
pilot (there was no winning with good old CFII J O'B).

I smile at that memory often when passing the numbers downwind -- some
lessons really stick -- and very rarely do I have to add power.

J O'B was my CFII for the IR as well. He insisted on the same kind of
thing for ILS approaches. From the time he intercepted the localizer,
most often in level flight, the 'superior' pilot, he insisted, would
be planning ahead and only be reducing throttle, not increasing it,
until the miss.

I still fly that way. I doubt old J O'B is active anymore, but it
would be interesting to do a BFI with him. I haven't been called
'stupid' by someone I respect for a long time, and I have it coming!

Those are joyful memories. Add one or two of your own, if you like.

[birdog]

"Tony" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I remember way back as part of the private training, good old CFII J
> O'B would insist on a power reduction and flaps passing the numbers
> downwind, he'd reserve the right to chop the power at any time and
> often did somewhere around the turn to base to see if I had enough
> energy to make the numbers.
>
> He insisted it should take an exceptional set of circumstances for a
> superior pilot to have to increase throttle once past the numbers.
> Steady settings, or reductions, were OK. Pushing it in was an
> admission of having done something stupid earlier. NOT pushing it in
> when it was required was an admission of being an egomanic stupid
> pilot (there was no winning with good old CFII J O'B).
>
> I smile at that memory often when passing the numbers downwind -- some
> lessons really stick -- and very rarely do I have to add power.
>
> J O'B was my CFII for the IR as well. He insisted on the same kind of
> thing for ILS approaches. From the time he intercepted the localizer,
> most often in level flight, the 'superior' pilot, he insisted, would
> be planning ahead and only be reducing throttle, not increasing it,
> until the miss.
>
> I still fly that way. I doubt old J O'B is active anymore, but it
> would be interesting to do a BFI with him. I haven't been called
> 'stupid' by someone I respect for a long time, and I have it coming!
>
> Those are joyful memories. Add one or two of your own, if you like.

Sounds like we had the same guy. Same philosophy. Home base was a 2000 foot
grass strip. I got so brain damaged about painting the numbers (OK, grass
strips don't have numbers - the boundry was something like the first 50')
that I once did a go-around because I crossed the fence at an el. of about
50' on a 5800' paved strip. Told my passengers I was just shooting a trial
approach when I realized what I had done. A few years ago I was playing with
a simulator and found myself still trying to hit the numbers without
throttle adjustment. (Lost my medical 20 yrs. ago)

[Tri-Pacer]

>
> He insisted it should take an exceptional set of circumstances for a
> superior pilot to have to increase throttle once past the numbers.
> Steady settings, or reductions, were OK.

I learned to fly in the 50's in a Champ. Power was pulled passing the
numbers. On base a quick blip to "clear" the engine
and turn on final with out adding any power. Slipping was OK adding power
got a butt chewing. If the clearing blip on base was a bit too long then
another butt chewing.

Shock cooling was never mentioned I don't know if it was heard of in the
50's.

Cheers:

Paul
N1431A
KPLU