Private Pilot Flight Training and Instruction Flight Training Article Library | Back To 4VFR.COM Bits and Pieces Tolerance to lack of oxygen decreases proportionately with age. Patience is one of the prime virtues of piloting. Lemon Pledge furniture polish causes water to run off windows. To secure an aircraft against severe wind damage: put tree branch on top of wing, deflate tires, park truck on windward side, fill tanks. By the time you are 60 you will need three times as much light to perform a task as you did at 20. A 30 degree bank causes 1.15 Gs A 45 degree bank increases stall speed 20 percent A 60 degree bank increases stall speed by 40 percent Half of midairs happen below 500 feet and 75 percent occur below 3000 feet. 81 percent of 'incursions' are essentially non-events. Engine loses 3 percent of power for every 1000 feet of altitude In four year period ending with 2000 over 1300 incursions were reported with three minor accidents. By the age sixty you will need three times the light to see by as you did at 20. Maturity comes to some earlier than others but to all survivors given enough time. Love maintains enthusiasm and youth in those who love. Getting older is a worthwhile process when you consider that dying younger is the alternative. Your alternative to becoming an old pilot is being a statistic. Your job is what you do, not who you are. Problems can be managed by anticipation of a situation's options. In advisory communications the aircraft type is more important than the call sign. Use radio to call the turns in an uncontrolled airport pattern is best aid for visual location of position. Stopping to talk to pilots is an excellent way to get ideas and incidental knowledge Beware of pilots who exaggerate their capabilities and experiences. Going to places were planes and pilots congregate is the best part of flying. Written by Gene Whitt Flight Training Article Library | Back To 4VFR.COM