Howzit Look?

Aviation is a cozy universe — half family reunion, half soap opera — so a twist of fate landed me in the captain’s seat, sharing the cockpit with a former student of mine. The man had traveled the full hero’s journey since we last tangled with traffic patterns: he had battled the sound barrier in U.S. fighters, instructed newcomers on the mysteries of flight, and now was entrusted as my copilot, steering 200 trusting souls to their destination. Talk about career progression.

We were cleared for a visual approach — a rare treat in a world addicted to automation and button-pushing. For airline pilots, a visual approach is like being let off your leash at the dog park; suddenly, it’s all sunshine, scenery, and self-steering.  Visual approaches demand true airmanship — the kind that doesn’t come prepackaged in procedures nor is downloadable from the internet.

In response to the clearance, my copilot gave me a sly grin, the kind that either said, “Relax, Maverick, I’ve got this,” or “Quick! Remind me how to do this!” Unsure which, I tossed him my favorite flight instructor mantra: “You’ve got this. Remember, you can always go around.”

Turning from downwind to base is one of the key points that separates airmen from airplane drivers, demanding skillful management of airspeed and altitude. Right on cue, my ex-student muttered the sacred words I’d drilled into him years ago: “Howzit look?” And, as if rehearsing for a commercial, he replied to himself, “A little high,” before sweeping his base leg wide for a longer, more poetic final. In that moment, I felt the kind of pride that makes you want to build a statue out of aircraft parts.

Asking yourself, “How does it look?” after every turn to base is a technique I teach all my students. At this point in the traffic pattern, a pilot can make adjustments that will perfect the final approach and landing. If you’re too high, you can widen the turn to lengthen the final approach and give yourself more distance to fly to the runway. Conversely, if you look low, you can “cut the corner” as needed to shorten the distance to fly to the runway. Options also include adjusting engine power and extending the flaps or delaying their extension, etc. 

The real punchline? My copilot confessed that he still hears my voice in his head after every turn to base, and this mantra now echoes through the mental flight decks of dozens of his own students. And so on. As a flight instructor, your influence doesn’t just ripple — it boomerangs.