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I was born very fortunate. We were poor and did not know it. We simply accepted it as a way of life. Being poor did not supress intelligence. I wanted to fly as a small child and saved my money from my paper route to buy model airplanes. When I was fifteen, I talked the local FBO to let me mow the airport grass with his old Fordson tractor with a syckle-bar. I also fueled airplanes and helped the mechanic in the shop. I worked for flying time. He was poor as I was! George Brinkerhoff was a tall and well-built German. When he spoke, it was with athority. He was a master. When he put me through my first spin, I wanted to jump out of the airplane! He was also patient. We liked each other. In the end I could take that old Cub, line it up with a highway, pull the stick back, kick the rudder and count the two turns out loud and come out right on the mark every time. He would put the airplane in an unusual attitude and let go the stick, throwing his hands into the air and yell, "It your airplane!" He scared me so often it got to the point I was ready for him and no longer got scared. He even did these antics close to the ground (very dangerous) when he felt I had the skill to react in a nanosceond. Side slips were entered into 400 feet from the runway and 500 ft. altitude. He taught me to slide that Cub down to the last two feet, kick the rudder HARD and "plop" it down with a roll of 50 feet. "You just might have to do that some day, George, to save your life" he said with a stern look. He was a master at flying. He came from the age of barnstormers who lived on the edge flying airplanes that you would not even think of flying today. He even went to the extent of telling me to put my head down between my knees. Then he took off and flew to God knows where. Then the gave me the airplane and said, "take me home, George". I was flying my Alon to Sun-N-Fun a couple of years ago and lost ALL my avionics. I could not transmit, and both VOR's died. No problem. I continued to fly to my destination 200 miles away using my maps. For those of you who fly today, you must remember that flying is indeed fun, but is also unforgiving if you ever allow the airplane to get ahead of you. A pilot who will panic in a situation will rarely survive. NEVER, NEVER, allow emotions to overpower logic. All the modern avionics are nice and I love them. However, I still use my map as a backup. The best moving map is the one OUTSIDE the airplane. Your skills will sharpen and you can pick out an airport miles away on a good day. Burried inside the cockpit and looking at a GPS will not train you in keeping sharp eyes. Flying an airplane has to be as natural as walking. If you have THINK about the input for a turn you are too late. If you are coming through a slot into a crosswind landing and the airplane is bouncing like a cork in a stormy sea and you begin to sweat, break it off! Our airport has this condition and I take advanced students for rides through this slot with 20 knot crosswinds. Yes, it scares the hell ot of them. When we land, I show them the palms of my hands. They are dry as a bone! You must FEEL the airplane and you and the airplane become ONE! Don't fight the plane! Manage its flight and aim it where you want to put it. It was designed to fly and it will, if you treat it right. Please do not get the idea that I am a hot-shot pilot. I am not. In my mind that is a very dangerous position to get into. Life is a CONTINUAL learning process from the day we are born until the day we die. Any person who feels they "Know all there is to know" should quit what they are doing and take up someting else in life. I was just lucky to be trained by the best of the best. Today, there are 300-hour instructors out there teaching people how to fly. That scares the hell out of me! I like this site because it is an exchange of information and I hope I can be of some help to some of you. However, we must all remember that we are the "pilot in command" when we invite someone to fly with us. We will be held responsible for our own actions. If we trash out an airplane, admit it! It would advance the knowledge of many low-time pilots if that would simply admit they are "nervous" or "up tight" or "not totally comfortable" when landing their airplane. Yes, every airplane has a set of numbers to go by as a guide. But they are only a "guide" to keep you out of trouble. You must feel relaxed and secure as you come in for a landing and set it down gently. If you cannot do that in EVERY weather condition, get some more dual. Arrogance will not work. Egos are another danger. Don't blame the airplane for bad landings. Excuses for poor pilotage are a paved road to an unhappy endings. I do hope Glen Ward gets some instruction. I hope even more that he does not invite some unsuspecting sole to go for a ride with him that ends up in another disaster. Life & flying is as good as you make it. We all have shortcomings. However, they can overcome with the right attitude. My best to all. George Frebert _______________________________________________________ Send a cool gift with your E-Card http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/ __________________________________________________ To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aVxiLm.aVzvvT Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less. 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