rules of thumb

[gotyacovered]

in my reading for the ever needed IR, i have run across some that are useful others are more for entertainment, thought i would share, and would like to hear some of yours. my dad has a few also...

dont let an airplane take you someplace your brain hasn't already been

patience is the only virtue and impatience the only sin

you would rather be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground.

fill your bucket of skill before you empty your bucket of luck

ice is light, moderate and heavy; thunderstorms are bad, worse and impossible

check the tops: the higher the tops, the meaner the storm

regarding standard rate turns: know the angle of bank for your plane at a normal cruise and for reduced maneuvering speed...roughly its your airspeed less the last zero plus 7. for example at 100kts a standard rate turn requires 17* of bank, at 140 kts it would be 21*

cumulonimbus = cumulusconcrete

[GusMcRae]

One thing that does you absolutely no good,,, is the runway behind you. 

IFR = I fly the Roads (spoken by a pilot who had no intention of ever getting instrument rated)

On the downwind leg of the pattern, to judge the proper distance away from the runway in a high wing airplane, flying at the proper pattern altitude the runway will be about in the middle of the wing strut.
(Seems like in a low wing it will be about the middle of the wing)

A good landing is one that everyone walks away from....  A great landing is one that you are still able to taxi the aircraft off of the runway. 

Quote from an old cropduster "People say I drink when I spray,,, that's a damn lie.  I always wait until I'm in the turn."