Building Skills

Craig Fuller

by Craig L. Fuller
President & CEO
Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association

For the past year I’ve been getting comfortable flying my Husky. When I bought the airplane it was a real departure for me. I’d never before had a plane so well suited to enjoying the backcountry. Nor had I ever flown a tailwheel. So the past year has been a real journey for me, in more ways than one.

Recently I had a chance to build on the skills I’ve been learning. After weeks of non-stop business travel, I found myself in Billings, Montana, and I decided to take a day “off.”

I borrowed a friend’s Aviat Husky A1-B and teamed up with an experienced backcountry pilot for some training. An exceptionally thorough preflight designed to check those items most critical for mountain flying was a fitting start to our session.

Before launching, we also had a detailed briefing about where we would be going and how we would get there. (No airways on this trip, just old-fashioned navigation using a map to pick out landmarks.) We talked about the need to fly low over remote grass strips to chase off any wildlife and look for any rise or dropoff. We reviewed the ways to figure out what the wind is doing when there’s no windsock and not another soul within 50 miles. And, of course, we talked about the importance of looking for obstacles we must clear on final approach and where we can turn around once on the ground.

This kind of flying is just a totally different experience than my day-to-day trips from one well-traveled, well-equipped airport to another.

Before we practiced those grass strip takeoffs and landings, we spent some time canyon flying. We had to keep to one side of the canyon, making sure there’s always a place to turn around toward lower terrain. Having an exit strategy is critical for this kind of flying.

For me, having the chance to keep building my skills, even after decades of flying, is one of the things I enjoy most. The Husky has proven to be a great vehicle for growing my flying skills, but you don’t have to invest in a different plane to expand your own horizons.

No matter how long you’ve been flying, there’s always more to learn. And there’s always a pilot with specialized experience who can teach you. I encourage you to seek out new experiences and learning opportunities under the guidance of an expert. When it comes to flying, you can never know everything. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

This entry was posted in AOPA, Columns, Columns, June/July 2012 and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

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