B.C. General Aviation Association (BCGA)
  • Home
    • BCGA Website
    • BCGA Instagram
    • BCGA YouTube Channel
    • BCGA Facebook Group
    • COPA
    • BCAC
  • About
    • Membership Map
    • Testimonials
    • Leadership Team
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • BCGA Diversity Policy
    • Awards & Scholarships >
      • Erissa Yong Bursary Contribution
    • Membership Sign-Up (FREE)
  • Resources
    • Classifieds
    • Fuel Prices 100ll.ca
    • Airport Restaurants
    • Flight Planning Links
    • Flight Training Directory
    • Flying Clubs
    • Other Organizations
    • Fly In Resorts
    • Flight Chops BC Episodes
  • News & Events
    • Calendar
    • BCGA News
    • BCGA AGM 2020
    • Brown Bag Fly-Out
    • BCGA Brew Photo Contest
    • IMC Club
    • Survival Shakedown
    • Fly-Out Garbage for Avgas
  • Benefits & Sponsors
  • Members
    • Feedback & Suggestions
    • Store
    • Knowledge Bank
    • Airspace Modernization Input
    • BCGA Airstrip Map
    • Trip Sheet Library
    • Private Airstrip Access Program
    • Featured Members Page
    • Airstrip Photos
    • GPS Tracking Links
    • Flying Tips From An Ancient Aviator
    • Trip Reports
    • Dollars & Cents
    • Members Helping Members
    • Directors Message Board
  • Logout

What Came First, The Rudder or the Stick?

5/5/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture
By: Ryan Van Haren
 
I consider myself a competent, current and proficient pilot. I fly close to 100hrs a year, hold an Airline Transport License and despite not flying professionally for the past 5 years maintain currency in Multi-IFR, Night, Tailwheel and off airport STOL operations. I, like many pilots am guilty at times of thinking that I know it all, and am getting a little sloppy and complacent. Then I heard about Butch. 
 
Butch Washtock is an “old-school” Bush pilot, except this old school bush pilot walks around with an iPad in a nice neoprene case. He learned the craft from his mentor Jim Voigt who was flying bush planes low and slow prior to the WW2 where he became a bomber pilot before returning to flying in the Canadian mountains and wilderness after the war. Butch made a promise to Voigt that one day he would pass on the lessons that he had learned to other pilots in an effort to instill good habits and core rudder and stick skills. In fulfilling his promise, Butch has founded Mountain Flight, a specialized training program that teaches, mountain flying, STOL flying and tailwheel flying, none of these “types” of flying require an official rating but you’d be foolish to try any of them without prior guidance or instruction . Before you go running to your phone to call him you must know that it is actually a BYOP (bring your own plane) kind of party. 
 
Wait, in that last paragraph did I type rudder and stick? Yes, you read that correctly. I recently had the opportunity to fly with Butch. I asked him to give me a tune up of sorts, show me his training regime, no ego, pre-conceptions or motives, just an honest assessment with honest feedback. Up until this flight I was definitely a stick and rudder kind of pilot but Butch took care of that real quick! In just one hour of flying with him I began to wonder why his training program was called Mountain Flight? Yes, it took place in the mountains and all the skills are useful in the mountains but the whole program really is based on one core concept and perhaps it would have also made an appropriate name for his program to be called Slow Flight.
 
Butch states that some of the leading causes of general aviation fatalities are, controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and stall spin accidents on the turn from base to final, crosswind landings, balked landings, overshoots and go-arounds. Anytime the airplane inadvertently gets into slow flight regimes. 
 
Butch’s training really gets back to basics and breaks down the act of flying into its rawest form where each and every control surface is isolated, and its purpose is truly understood. This forces the student (me in this case) to make every control movement in a premeditated and intentional manner. By breaking down each movement and input and truly understanding the relationship between the forces, not just acting on the airplane as a whole but on each and every control surface individually. I for the first time in a long time felt as if I was one with the airplane. 

Picture
At most flight schools we are taught that the rudder exists in order to control, prevent or counter act yaw, almost as if the rudder’s sole purpose is to prevent something that is undesirable. Within a few minutes Butch demonstrated to me why the only true primary flight controls are rudder, power and trim and that ailerons and elevators are really secondary and just there to assist in the work of the primary three. Flying with rudder and trim in cruise was nothing new to me. In fact I usually do just that and rarely touch the stick but Butch took it one step further and had us doing 30degree bank turns both, climbing, descending and level with greater accuracy and smoothness than would otherwise be achieved with the stick. We went on to practise other maneuvers such as a canyon turn and an off-airport landing on a river gravel bar where he made some adjustments to my usual approach profile. 
 
This article could go on and on, but you should probably hear about this stuff from Butch himself. I’m an experienced pilot, current and competent but by the end of our hour-long flight Butch had a small laundry list of items that I needed to clean up. I was thankful that he was honest, and his feedback was bang on. I knew that I had been a bit lazy with my feet and that I relied a bit too much on the engine to drag me into my landing spot but somehow hearing it from someone else that had a fresh set of eyes and experience to back it up made it real and made it something that I actually want to practice and improve on. 
 
Mountain checkouts are important especially in BC and after today I can honestly say that perhaps the mountain checkout that I got 15 years ago could use some freshening up and a renewal from someone that has spent close to 50 years flying in mountainous terrain might not be a bad idea. There is no replacement for experience. In the mountains and in STOL operations book knowledge just won’t cut it, we have to get out there and practice and learn from those that know more, and there will always be people that know more.
 
I have spent a lot of time as the “teacher” lately and it really was nice to be the student again, to learn some new skills and to glean some useful knowledge from that “old school” bush pilot with an iPad that is out there teaching because he hopes that by instilling solid rudder and stick fundamentals he could save at least one life. Like Butch I hope to continue to learn and improve so that one day I too can pass on the lessons that I have learned from those that came before me in both IFR and STOL flying. ​
Picture
2 Comments
Keith
5/14/2018 06:57:21 pm

Is Butch a CFI ? For insurance purposes

Reply
Mountain Flight
5/16/2018 08:42:46 am

Mountain Flight is not a “flight school” and therefore there is no need for a CFI. Mountain Flight provides mountain , tail wheel and STOL check outs to already licensed pilots that wish to make themselves a better safer pilot.

For more information or to have further questions answered please email: mountainflight01@gmail.com

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    contribute
    Become a member

    Picture

    Sponsors

    Picture
    Aviation Medical Clinic CZBB
    Picture
    Inland Communication Services
    Picture
    Air 1 Insurance
    Picture
    Langley Aero Structures
    Picture
    Harbour Air Aerospace Services

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015

Copyright © 2017
Contact Us