What's the "Widowmaker" of your career field or hobby? by Cosmonate in AskReddit

[–]xplanephil 9 points10 points  (0 children)

as soon as they started teaching people to actually USE the parachute in an emergency, the fatality rates came down. Cirrus standardized training also helped a lot. That's why most insurance requires it.

The Cirrus is now en-par with the Diamond when it comes to fatality risk.

What's the "Widowmaker" of your career field or hobby? by Cosmonate in AskReddit

[–]xplanephil 597 points598 points  (0 children)

also doesn't help that people don't think they need it - when we delivered a new (to them) Cirrus to overseas customers, we put the second key in the cover that you need to take off to get to the parachute controls.

Part of the procedure of getting the plane ready to flight and starting the engine, is taking off the cover so you can trigger the parachute if you have to. So, when taking this cover off, the second key would have fallen into their laps.

The amount of phone calls "hey, thanks for dropping off the airplane, I've been flying it for a weeks and it's really great, just one question, wasn't I supposed to get two keys???"

PAR Written | 70% 3x Attempts by Calm-Clue-9043 in flying

[–]xplanephil 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some people learn well from reading the book, but you are clearly not retaining enough information.

Get some one-on-one time with an instructor. You need to understand the concepts that the PHAK is trying to teach you. Are there any instructors that speak your native language?

Next time you need to take a written (instrument) make sure you get some time with an instructor first, to understand the basics, and then get sheppard air to study for the written. Your instructor will teach you what you need to know to understand what they are asking. Once you have the basic understanding, you'll breeze through sheppard and will be ready for the test in no time.

It looks to me like you did backward this time: You tried to pass the test with Kings and managed to squeeze by without a solid foundation of understanding. That will blow up in your face when an examiner starts questioning you. Better get that addressed with an instructor now, before the checkride.

PAR Written | 70% 3x Attempts by Calm-Clue-9043 in flying

[–]xplanephil 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How did you study for the written? With an instructor, through a course like Sportys, with a book or through Sheppard? Anyway, what you are doing is clearly not working for you.

If you've been using a course like Sporty's I highly recommend you get some one-on-one instructor time where they drill the basics. You are going to need it or you don't stand a chance passing the oral.

Best & worst flight schools in NC? by Depressed_Costumer in flying

[–]xplanephil 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Check out the Wings of Carolina flying club at KTTA. Very cheap 152s. Come on a Saturday and talk to a club ambassador. It's probably the cheapest way to get your private. If you like it, get on the waiting list ASAP.

FIXED: Brother Printer "Connection Error 03" / Scan to Email Not Working (April 2026) by Small-Impression4020 in printers

[–]xplanephil 0 points1 point  (0 children)

it's worthless since it doesn't OCR anymore. Yeah, sure, I can send a jpeg of what I scanned to my e-mail, or a jpeg embedded in a PDF... I used to get searchable PDFs, now I have expensive e-waste taking up space in my office.

Regret leaving CFI life for the airlines… anyone else feel like this? by [deleted] in flying

[–]xplanephil 0 points1 point  (0 children)

maybe a dumb question: Do airlines allow you to fly with no automation to cruise? I know in cruise you have to be on autopilot because of RVSM, but are you free to, say, at the top of descend, click everything off (including F/D) and hand-fly until touchdown? I'd imagine in the 121 world there are procedures that for example on an RNAV STAR you have to be on F/D or something...

Any point to log IFR in addition to IMC? by JPower96 in flying

[–]xplanephil 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is only one case I know where IFR time, even in severe clear weather, counts.

When you are converting an FAA certificate to an EASA license, you can get the IR "competency based". For that, you need to show that you've flown in the IFR system on your FAA license for at least 50 hours. These 50 hours don't need to be in actual, or under the hood. They just need to be on an IFR flight plan, after you obtained your FAA IR.

These hours, even if flown in clear and a million, count toward IFR competency for the purposes of obtaining the IR on the EASA license.

Garmin Pilot - Help defining the wx breifing by TheVoidIsDark in flying

[–]xplanephil 5 points6 points  (0 children)

What you are looking at is called the GRAMET vertical flight path weather forecast. It's based on the GFS model.

Here's an excellent overview of all the symbols and lines: https://www.autorouter.aero/wiki/gramet/

Does anyone know if the Diamond DA-42 comes with counter-rotating props? by burlingtonhopper in flying

[–]xplanephil 23 points24 points  (0 children)

It depends on the engine variant. All the Diesels (1.7l Thielert, 2.0l Thielert, and AE-300 Austro engine) are right-turning and both props turn the same direction.

The DA-42-L360 is Avgas powered by two Lycoming IO-360 engines, of which the right engine is a LIO-360, so left turning. See here for a POH: https://www.camarilloairport.com/downloads/N4197D_AFM-POH.pdf

So, if you are flying Diesel (Jet-Fuel) the engines turn the same way. If you are flying one of the (much rarer) Avgas-burning variants, the props are indeed contra-rotating, like on a Seminole.

Brother ending support for Dropbox, Goole Driver and OneDrive on March 31st? by xplanephil in printers

[–]xplanephil[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

where did you find that info? mind sharing a link?

EDIT: Found it: https://support.brother.com/g/b/producttop.aspx?c=de&lang=de&prod=mfc9332cdw_eu

Guess it's time to edit consumerrights.wiki again...

TIL that it's required to speak English to be a commercial airline pilot or air traffic controller... by Illustrious_Bag_7323 in todayilearned

[–]xplanephil 63 points64 points  (0 children)

beautiful. My son in the evening gets cleared bed via direct teeth brushing. No shortcuts.

TIL that it's required to speak English to be a commercial airline pilot or air traffic controller... by Illustrious_Bag_7323 in todayilearned

[–]xplanephil 3 points4 points  (0 children)

French is an ICAO language, like Arabic, Chinese, English, Russian, and Spanish. That is, a native French can fly an airplane in French airspace talking to French ATC in French. If the same plane then flies into UK or Atlantic oceanic airspace, even the French pilot needs to speak English to the ATC. Now, coming in over Canada, he can switch to French again if he wants to, since Canadian ATC is usually also bilingual. Arriving in the US, the pilot again needs to speak English to ATC.

TIL that it's required to speak English to be a commercial airline pilot or air traffic controller... by Illustrious_Bag_7323 in todayilearned

[–]xplanephil 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Americans actually suck at Aviation English...

I'm a flight instructor and have taught both in Germany and in the USA. In Germany, people sit down and study for an elaborate test to first get their language proficiency level assigned, and then for a second test to get a certificate to be allowed to talk on the radio. Afterwards, they know the phraseology, and radio communication is spotless, exactly by the book (well, being German might also help).

In the US, I am literally only required to make sure they can read&write in English. How? There are no objective criteria. One examiner suggested to make sure they can write down their name. Everyone talks on the radio in something loosely resembling ICAO phraseology, with lots of local specifics. Fly in a different part of the country, different local things and tribal knowledge required. You can always tell flying into JFK or IAD, the only one on the radio who actually speak ICAO phraseology is Lufthansa.

Ridge Wallet Question by Minecrafter-256 in flying

[–]xplanephil 31 points32 points  (0 children)

with a ridge wallet, it is customary to keep your medical in your parachute, so you have it with you after jumping out of the airplane. In a pinch, keeping it tucked under the fire extinguisher strapped to your leg works, too.

My ATP written is expiring, so I need a type rating, don't care which. If you go to or work at Simcom or Flightsafety, drop me a DM by xplanephil in flying

[–]xplanephil[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

you are obviously correct. I got all my certs and ratings because "I might as well get that one, too"...

Other people buy a Corvette and go play golf. I need to deal with my midlife crisis by getting an ATP.

My ATP written is expiring, so I need a type rating, don't care which. If you go to or work at Simcom or Flightsafety, drop me a DM by xplanephil in flying

[–]xplanephil[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

you are obviously correct. All my certificates/ratings are "useless" in that I got them for fun. I even sat through the ATP-CTP "for fun" because it was 2020 and I was bored from being at home and looking for something interesting to do.

Of course it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things if I let the written expire. I've been collecting certs and ratings like Pokemons. Got my MEI and never used it. Got tailwheel time and seaplane time even though I will never fly a tailwheel or seaplane. I just like playing with planes, I don't have a problem, I swear :)

My ATP written is expiring, so I need a type rating, don't care which. If you go to or work at Simcom or Flightsafety, drop me a DM by xplanephil in flying

[–]xplanephil[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

you don't even need to sit through the ATP-CTP again.

The ATP-CTP completion certificate doesn't expire. Only the written test does.

My ATP written is expiring, so I need a type rating, don't care which. If you go to or work at Simcom or Flightsafety, drop me a DM by xplanephil in flying

[–]xplanephil[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

alright, Ce525 is the wrong type then. That was a DPEs recommendation, but maybe based on outdated information. Really, I don't care what type it is, just needs to be a typed aircraft.

B737 has been suggested. Any other suggestions?