David Gergen, a pretty smart octogenarian says, "We shouldn't be ruled by octogenarians going forward." I agree and in five more years will be one. Not that I have ruled in younger life. I was not the Captain material the Army hoped to get out of two year Captains during the Vietnam war. In the First Air Cavalry we were the first to subdue brass, but still lost lots of lieutenants to Charlie's snipers. I am flying with lots of young instructors these days. My attempts to get some video out to you all has failed so far, which is probably good. Young guys like Rob, CFOT, Barnstormer, Larry, and others have excellent videos out here of most of the same techniques. My greatest desire is that someone will put out a video series or program teaching safe maneuvering flight techniques. Too many pilots are experiencing unnecessary fatalities during the maneuvering flight necessary to get up to safer altitude and to get back down safely. Yet education specific to low altitude maneuvering is not available in Airmen Certification Standards. What ground reference is taught is emphasizing the wrong thing. We need wind management and the energy management turn to target to make ground reference maneuvers relevant to low altitude needs. High altitude stall and spin training, while certainly useful to general aviation, is not relevant to low altitude maneuvering. Maximum ground effect available takeoff, zoom reserve airspeed before pull up, avoiding airspeed bleed going too high over obstructions, maneuvering to miss what can't safely be climbed over, wind management, proper rudder usage, use of dynamic neutral stability in turns, the use of the apparent rate of closure to land slowly and softly on the numbers, and contact flying by reference to outside sight, sounds, and feel can be easily and safely taught.

Young instructors, you don't have to avoid learning and teaching safe maneuvering flight techniques along with ACS. I got through it briefly in a two hour flight review with many pilots. Students aren't dumb. They understand bureaucratic constraints and understand the value of some work around. They can handle for test training. We used to do that in the three hours prep. Competency in maneuvering flight does not cancel out the good basic integrated instrument training for high altitude flying and the test.

David Gergen didn't say, "Ask not what your country can do for you." He just said we octogenarians tend to lose situational awareness from time to time. Because I flew my entire life, I have retained a bit more muscle memory there. I leave canes around town, but folks generally have kept them for me when I return. I lose really good words and have to look up my thoughts on google to remember them. While I endeavor to do rather than be, I know I will not get everything done. I have left a disorganized wake. I am depending on you all.