Pilot's Discretion Podcast, episode 98
Whether it’s an open cockpit biplane or a brand new Cirrus, Shane Vande Voort says “good stick and rudder skills carry through into every airplane.” He explains why the Cirrus accident record has improved so much, how to teach modern avionics to new pilots, and why systems knowledge still matters. Shane also loves flying with family, so he talks about going up in an open cockpit biplane with his kids and taking a memorable flight to Kitty Hawk with his father in a Cessna 120. In the Ready to Copy segment, Shane shares his advice for taking checkrides, how taildragger flying helps jet pilots, and whether shock cooling is a myth.
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Quotes:
- Universal pilot skills: “It’s possible to show good airmanship in any airplane, no matter how easy it is to fly, no matter how lousy it is to fly.”
- Why the Cirrus safety record improved: “The Cirrus community really got together in the name of safety more than anything else, and then Cirrus as a company did.”
- The value of the Cirrus parachute: “If you use it above 1000 feet and below 200 knots, it’s a 100% no fatality rate. I don’t think anybody ever expected the parachute to be that great.”
- Teaching integrated avionics: “More and more, I incorporate avionics early… when you go to a demonstration-performance method of flight instruction, now you have the best demonstrator ever.”
- Autopilots: “When things go wrong, reduce one level of automation at a time… Don’t let that autopilot take you anywhere you couldn’t go yourself.”
- Why stabilized approaches matter: “There’s no guarantees in aviation, but statistically we have a guarantee if we fly a stabilized approach we’re not going to bend the airplane.”
- Learning airplane systems: “Troubleshooting is just a lost skill in life in general, and I think it’s so important to a pilot.”
- Flying vintage airplanes: “The open cockpit biplane is the ultimate motorcycle ride.”
- Landing at Kitty Hawk: “It’s such an iconic place, it’s sacred ground for every pilot.”
- Being a charter pilot: “You get paid to say no; flying is the easy part.”
- Advice for pilots taking a checkride: “Don’t do any of the three Ds: don’t do anything dumb, different, or difficult.”
- What owners can do to help their A&P: “If you don’t have it, put in an engine monitor and give the mechanic the best information you can.”
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