On Centerline

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 on how to fly one particular maneuver, this episode focuses on the common techniques and fundamental skills that connect them all—and why understanding those commonalities can make ground reference maneuvers much easier to understand and teach.
This is a part of our ongoing series of episodes where we go directly to the Airplane Flying Handbook to cut through myths, misconceptions, and maneuver-specific lore and examine what the FAA actually says.
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Receive early access to all episodes and support the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2182804/support

Youtube: www.youtube.com/northwestaeronaut
Instagram: @northwest_aeronaut
TikTok: nw_aeronaut
Website: www.northwestaeronautics.com 

Music - Epidemic Sound:    Go Higher - FLYIN
                                                 Vegas - Onda Norte

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 and examining what it actually says about the maneuvers we teach and fly. The goal is simple: cut through the myths, misconceptions, and endless interpretations by going straight to the source.
Rather than adding another opinion to the conversation, we’ll read the FAA’s guidance on slow flight and examine it as it is written. If you’ve ever wondered whether what you’ve heard about slow flight actually matches what the FAA teaches, this episode is for you.
No myths. No assumptions. No opinions. Just straight from the source.
Let’s read the handbook.

Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Receive early access to all episodes and support the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2182804/support

Youtube: www.youtube.com/northwestaeronaut
Instagram: @northwest_aeronaut
TikTok: nw_aeronaut
Website: www.northwestaeronautics.com 

Music - Epidemic Sound:    Go Higher - FLYIN
                                                 Vegas - Onda Norte

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 correction, ground track, and the relationship between speed, bank angle, rate of turn and radius of turn before we worry about checking the boxes of a particular maneuver.
This episode explores the difference between teaching a maneuver and teaching the fundamental skill that the maneuver is meant to develop.
We’ll get into the details of ground reference maneuvers, turns around a point, wind correction, and how I believe instructors can approach these exercises in a way that produces pilots who actually understand what they’re doing—not just pilots who know how to perform a checkride maneuver.

Because the maneuver isn't the lesson.
The maneuver is the practice.

If you're a flight instructor, student pilot, or simply interested in becoming a better pilot, this one is for you.

Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Receive early access to all episodes and support the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2182804/support

Youtube: www.youtube.com/northwestaeronaut
Instagram: @northwest_aeronaut
TikTok: nw_aeronaut
Website: www.northwestaeronautics.com 

Music - Epidemic Sound:    Go Higher - FLYIN
                                                 Vegas - Onda Norte

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 better prepare instrument instructors for the realities of teaching in the national airspace system.
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Receive early access to all episodes and support the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2182804/support

Youtube: www.youtube.com/northwestaeronaut
Instagram: @northwest_aeronaut
TikTok: nw_aeronaut
Website: www.northwestaeronautics.com 

Music - Epidemic Sound:    Go Higher - FLYIN
                                                 Vegas - Onda Norte

What separates a professional pilot from everyone else? It’s often not the big things—it’s the small habits and skills that consistently show up in every phase of flight. In this episode of the On Centerline Podcast, we discuss five telltale signs of a true professional pilot: disciplined brake usage, smooth aircraft control, exceptional situational awareness, clear and concise radio communications, and precise airspeed management.
Whether you're a student pilot working toward your first certificate or a seasoned aviator looking to sharpen your skills, these traits can elevate both safety and proficiency, and show that you don't have to BE a professional in order to FLY like one. 

Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Receive early access to all episodes and support the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2182804/support

Youtube: www.youtube.com/northwestaeronaut
Instagram: @northwest_aeronaut
TikTok: nw_aeronaut
Website: www.northwestaeronautics.com 

Music - Epidemic Sound:    Go Higher - FLYIN
                                                 Vegas - Onda Norte