Lessons Learned

- Don't miss any item in checklist / walkaround - don't rush it
- Passenger Briefing
- Land with power completely off
- Cruise alt. minimum (3000 ft.) start at surface
- Cruise alt. is ASL
- K lighting - click 7 times / J lighting - click five times w/in 5 sec.
- Remember which runway you’ll be landing on and have a mental picture of base and final
- At final, you should be 750-1000 above circuit height (NEVER BE LOW ON APPROACH – correct immediately – nose down, full power)
- Crosswind input: ailerons into wind, as much rudder correction as required to keep center line (you’ll do this at the last 3 seconds before touch down)
- Keep pressure off nose wheel – keep aileron off the ground
- Precisely and diligently go through entire checklist (mixture rich)
- Notify FSS as soon as you know that are changes to ETA
- Throttle and carb control should be smooth (especially in winter to prevent shock cooling)
- Lock controls after parking
- Even when taxiing, you are still flying the plane – so wind inputs AT ALL TIMES

Transport Canada has strict standards and minimums for being pilot-in-command (i.e. responsible for the safety of people on-board, those on the ground and the plane). Responsibilities and safety considerations in flying are enormous and the need for high personal standards and requirements for diligence and precision can't be overstated. I spend a lot of time reading or thinking about something flying related: flight safety, manoeuvres, engines, airframes, weather systems, navigation, air spaces, air law, risk management, decision making, etc.