By Carlton Payne
 * If your travel plans fall during a busy period, call for reservations early. Flights for holidays may sell out weeks - sometimes months - ahead of time. Don't buy a standby fare or an 'open return' ticket if you need to fly during a high-demand period. You could be stranded for a week or more before a seat becomes available.
* Ask the reservations agent to give you the on-time performance code for any flights that you are considering. This is a one-digit code in the reservations computer that shows how often that flight arrived on time (within 15 minutes) during the most recent reported month. For example, an "8" means that flight arrived within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time between 80% and 89.9% of the time. If you are deciding between two flights with similar schedules and fares, you may want to choose the one with the better on-time record. (Only the largest U.S. airlines are required to maintain these codes.)
* When you make a reservation, be sure the
agent records the information accurately. Before you hang up or leave the ticket office, review all of the essential information with the agent - the spelling of your name, the flight numbers and travel dates, and the cities you are traveling between. If there is more than one airport at either city, be sure you check which one you'll be using. It's also important to give the airline your home and work telephone numbers so they can let you know if there is any change in their schedule.
* Your ticket will show the flight number, departure time, date, and status of your reservation for each flight of your itinerary. The "status" box is important. "OK" means you're confirmed. Anything else means that the reservation is not yet certain (e.g., waitlisted).
* A "direct" (or "through") flight can have one or more stops. Sometimes flights with only one flight number can even involve a change of planes. Ask about your exact routing.
* If you are flying to a small city and your flight number has four digits, you may be booked on a commuter airline that has an agreement with the major carrier in whose name the flight is held out. If you are unsure, ask the reservation agent about the airline and the aircraft type; these flights are identified in the computer.
* When a reservation agent asks you to buy your tickets by a specific time or date, this is a deadline. And if you don't make the deadline, the airline may cancel your reservation without telling you.
* Try to have your tickets in hand before you go to the airport. This speeds your check-in and helps you avoid some of the tension you might otherwise feel if you had to wait in a slow-moving ticketing line and worry about missing your flight. Using an e-ticket speeds up the process also.
* If your reservations are booked far enough ahead of time, the airline may offer to mail your tickets to you. However, if you don't receive the tickets and the airline's records show that they mailed them, you may have to go through cumbersome lost-ticket procedures (see the end of this chapter). It is safer to check the telephone directory for a conveniently located travel agency or airline ticket office and buy your tickets there.
* As soon as you receive your ticket check to make sure all the information on it is correct, especially the airports (if any of the cities have more than one) and the flight dates. Have any necessary corrections made immediately.
* Bring a photo I.D. when you fly, and have your airline ticket issued using your name as it appears on that I.D. Many airlines are requesting such identification at check-in in order to reduce the re- selling of discount tickets. (Airlines don't permit tickets to be sold or given to other persons.) On international flights, make sure your name is the same on your ticket and your passport. If your name has recently changed and the name on your ticket and your I.D. are different, bring documentation of the change (e.g., a marriage certificate or court order).
* It's a good idea to reconfirm your reservations before you start your trip; flight schedules sometimes change. On international trips, most airlines require that you reconfirm your onward or return reservations at least 72 hours before each flight. If you don't, your reservations may be canceled.
* Check your ticket as you board each flight to ensure that only the correct coupon has been removed by the airline agent.
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A Flight Training Story
By Julio Trujillo
 With all of your flight training, there will be times when you get the notion that your instructor is mean or doesn't know what they are talking about-perhaps not in such a bold way, but it will happen. This brings me to a story I have of a night cross-country with a student.
The flight itself is a pretty simple one and is safe for night flights. The flight goes from Mesa Falcon Field to Wickenberg, Arizona. I have personally put this flight in my syllabus for many reasons. I have gotten into many arguments with instructors who worked for me about this flight. Several of them refused to do the flight and instead ended up taking the student down to Tucson. As far as I am concerned, this defeats the purpose of the night cross-country. Following a big lit-up highway in between two bright major cities does not expose you to the real situations that can happen on a night cross-country.
Don't let your instructor take you to an easy-to-find destination that is lit up like New York City. Go somewhere that is pretty difficult to find, at least for you, not your instructor. Yes, you want to make sure the instructor knows where he is going to land in the event of an engine failure, but you need to be on a flight that can get you into a little bit of trouble if you aren't paying attention.
Back to my story.
I will call the student John. You know that I am totally against using all these high-tech things for private pilot training and even instrument ratings. Remember what job number one of the pilot is ? Yes, fly the airplane! I have also already stated that it will take you about 500 hours before you have this second sense stuck in you inner memory. Even then, a difficult situation will be a battle between many parts of your brain at the same time.
John called me in the afternoon about his night flight. We verified the time, and at the end of the call, John stated that he had just gotten his new Garmin 95 latest-and-greatest GPS device and asked if he could bring it along. You probably know me pretty well by now and know exactly what my answer was: "No!"
John showed up at the airport with his cross-country planned and flight plan filed, and ready to go. Before we walked out of the office, out came that shiny new Garmin box. "Fred, you need to check this out . . . this is the new Garmin 95, top-of-the-line, latest-and-greatest . . . " This was back in 1996. Garmin was a no-name back then and was just getting into the market.
"Please, please, please can we take it with us?" After all the begging, I finally gave in. Deep in my mind somewhere, I had a little smile, and a voice just said, "Okay."
Before John even started his pre-flight, he set up his new Garmin 95 on the control column. I knew right then that we were in for a good time! I told John that he couldn't turn it on until we got out of Phoenix airspace, which is right where it starts to get nice and dark. He said, "Okay, no problem."
We took off and headed west as planned. John was right on the money with all of his checkpoints and times. Flight plan opened at the right time. He was getting an A+ at this stage of the ball game. We got about five miles west of Deer Valley airport, where it starts to get nice and dark. (Again, don't do a night cross-country when there is a full moon! It is nice to see the big bright moon from 4,500 above the ground, but it makes your night cross-country easier. If you are doing your first night flight as a licensed pilot with your girlfriend/boyfriend, go for it-that is the safe thing to do.)
John looked at me with those puppy eyes and asked, "Can I turn it on?" At this point, I just looked at him and said, "Yes." The little voice in my head spoke to me again, "Now it is time for the real lesson to begin."
John turned on the new greatest gift to mankind. The screen came on, and he said, "Look, Fred, isn't this great? It tells you everything!" The little voice in my head said, "Yeah. Right. It tells you everything except what your #1 job in an airplane is."
John kept playing with his new toy. I learned way back in 1989 that there are times when the flight instructor's job is to shut up and let the student go. This was definitely one of those times.
At first, John had it under control. He was following his line on the screen and was okay, but I knew that sooner or later, it was going to distract him from his number one job . . . Yes, fly the airplane!
A little while passed, and John decided to start playing with the screen options. I knew now that the big lesson had begun, so I just sat there. Slowly, his altitude started to go up and down-not very much at first, but I knew it was just going to get worse.
I looked at John, and his head was down looking right at the GPS. By the way, the time frame of this entire lesson was probably less than a minute.
John continued to look down and said, "Hm, I can't find the screen I am looking for." I just sat there. Slowly, he started a right turn, only a few degrees bank, heading right into the mountains. The plane began to slowly lose altitude as the right turn started to get steeper. There was no horizon at all, so John had no clue of what was going on. Luckily, he was one of the students that took my aerobatic option before solo, so he was familiar with extreme unusual attitude. But not at night.
Slowly but surely, the plane had entered the dreaded graveyard spiral at cruise power setting. I waited and waited, hoping that the sound of the wind howling across the airplane would give him a clue, but nope-he had been trained for this many times, but he didn't pick it up.
The plane kept going into a steeper bank. If it had been daytime, I would have let him get upside down, but not at night. Finally, it was time to open my mouth. "Anything wrong?"
John looked up, and the string of four-letter words began to flow. He got the plane under control. Power back wings level and nose level. However, he was still heading on the quickest path to meet God, right into the mountains a few miles north of the very dimly lit highway I plan as my emergency landing spot.
I said to him, "What can you see in front of you?" "He replied with, "Nothing." I said, "So that means . . . ?" I got the reply, "I am flying right into the ground." That answer was pretty much correct; with his new heading, he was flying straight into the hills. Since we lost about 1,500 feet, our altitude was perfect for the big smack.
I raised my voice slightly and said, "If you can't see anything, you are in trouble. Find some light, start climbing, and head in that direction."
John got the plane under control, turned the GPS off, and we had an uneventful flight to Wickenberg and then back home to Falcon Field.
When we got back on the ground, John said, "I think I am going to learn to fly before I worry about that GPS." He also requested some night unusual attitude training. I also highly recommend this.
So again, the little lesson is fly the airplane! John got distracted from that job by his little GPS. If you insist on using this stuff, make sure you know how to use it, and don't try to learn it in the plane, especially at night!
As far as disorientation goes, it can happen very quickly, and when it does, it is not going to be pretty. It has happened to me in actual instrument conditions. I had all my ratings, and it still took a few minutes before the blood pressure went down.
Just remember this little unusual attitude check, which you should be able to repeat at the bar when you are about to fall on the floor:
Airspeed High, Or, "I Hear the Wind Howling Outside the Plane"
1: Power Back
2: Wings Level
3: Nose of the Airplane Level
4: Once You Have the Plane under Control, then bring the power back in, and get back to your altitude and heading
Airspeed Low:
1: Nose Forward
2: Wings Level
3: Once you have the nose at descent attitute, then add power. Why? If you do not remember, go back to the "To Spin or Not To Spin, That is the Question" chapter.
If you are out on a dark night, you are going to be fighting that attitude indicator. Get some training on night unusual attitudes. Then come back a few weeks later and do it again until you automatically react, especially after some time has gone by.
Make sure you go somewhere that is not easy, and make sure it is on a dark night.
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Enjoy Skiing And Snowboarding Without The Accidents
By Carlton Payne
 Many people have different opinions about the relationship between skiing and snowboarding. Some hardcore enthusiasts in these sports maintain that these two are distinct and different from each other. Nonetheless, skiing and snowboarding share the same platforms and manner of execution, namely snowy slopes and downward acceleration. This results to almost the same approach in the preparation and equipment perspectives of the two.
Whether you are a first timer or a veteran at skiing and snowboarding, you must learn how to prepare physically and mentally before subjecting yourself to the unforgettable adrenaline rush that these two sports offer. And that includes protecting yourself against possible injuries that can happen while you are speeding down the slope.
Besides training hard to improve performance level and overall skills, you must completely comply with the safety requirements to become a confident participant in these two sports. As over one hundred thousand people are unnecessarily injured in skiing and skateboarding every year, a serious effort to prepare against injury in these two sports is imperative.
In skiing and snowboarding, the key to an accident-free slide is in the preparation. Before you even take the wild ride down a snowy mountain cap, be sure to do all necessary preparations. The following tips could spell the difference between an enjoyable skiing or snowboarding vacation and a visit to the hospital.
Take skiing and snowboarding lessons. There is no such thing as a born skier or snowboarder. You need guidance from experts who have been into these sports for years so that you will improve your performance and safety in skiing and snowboarding.
With regard to your skiing or snowboarding outfit, wear clothing that is dependable against water and wind. Make sure that your apparel has enough protective features like wide collars that can be enfolded to cover your face against wind and zippers and strings that enable you to adjust your outfit easily and comfortably.
Acquire the proper equipment for skiing and for snowboarding. If you own the equipment, like skis and snowboards, have them custom-fitted to your preferences. If you are renting them, be sure to choose the ones that you will most likely be comfortable in. Having the right equipment will drastically improve your performance and lessen the chances of accidents.
Also, the temperature in the snowy caps rapidly changes. Sometimes the coldness in the slopes can be unbearable and you may find yourself losing much needed heat which could lead to other complication like loss of consciousness and tiredness. To prevent this wear head covering like helmet or headbands and gloves.
The snowy slopes in which you slide down your skis and snowboards have very low temperatures. Dress up in layers of clothing to keep the chill out. But also make sure that the fabric you are wearing on the inside is comfortable on your skin and absorbent of the sweat that is sure to come out of you because of the excitement skiing or snowboarding offers.
Do not forget to wear eye protection devices like goggles and sunglasses. Without eye protection, you are most likely to close your eyes due to cold winds as you speed down on your ski or snowboard. Sliding in closed eyes, you will certainly bump on anything and could even wake up in the infirmary the next day.
Get enough sleep the night before the big day. You need to be alert and sportive on the skiing or snowboarding slopes. A tired mind and body can cause accidents and injuries.
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Video Ping Pong Lessons
By Giuseppe Mathis
 Table tennis is a great way to enjoy a lazy summer afternoon, or any afternoon in the year at all. With a round, hollow ball hypnotically bouncing from one end of the table to the other, and taking off with almost rhythmic clicks to signal that a pass or hit has been made, ping pong seems to be the best alternative to an afternoon nap. With all the concentration that goes into the game, moreover, and with all the hitting, running, and picking up that has to be done, table tennis can also be a great way to lose weight.
In the hands of the pros, table tennis looks easy, and seems almost like a dance. All you have to do is find a way to hit the little ball and keep it in play, right? Real table tennis, however, is far more complicated. There are two sides to one paddle, each with their own uses. There are different postures that table tennis players assume in order to best meet their opponents. There are different ways to handle the paddle in order to give the ball its best spin and trajectory.
In other words, table tennis is a product not only of strength and concentration, but knowledge of the physics that go into the game. You will need to understand the science of table tennis if you want to succeed in it, and if you want to enjoy it more. A table tennis video may be able to help you out.
A table tennis video can teach you a variety of things. First, it will introduce you to the sport of table tennis, along with its history, rules, and big players. It will then take you on a tour of the sport's equipment. Why do table tennis paddles have a smooth and a rubberized side? Why is the net placed so low, and the table positioned so high? What playing ground is best for maximum strength with minimum effort on the part of the players?
The table tennis video will explain all these and more, and how the environment in which you play affects the outcome of your game. The table tennis video will also show you how to handle the paddle in order to make the ball move a certain way. Be sure that you are holding a table tennis paddle while you watch the video, so that you can follow the hand movements that you see on screen.
If you can position your television set and video player so that it faces your table tennis playing ground, then so much the better. Your table tennis video will also have tutorials on how to move your body during a game, and what postures you should assume in order to be less tired and still energetic. If you have friends or family watching the table tennis video with you, follow the movements along with them. Practicing table tennis in this way can be fun and educational, as you can critique each other for any mistakes in movement or posture.
Table tennis can be a joy to play and watch, and, if played well, can be a fulfilling game. Allow a table tennis video to help you. You can find such videos online, through your favorite video merchandiser; and even through your local video store or table tennis equipment suppliers. So instead of sleeping that summer afternoon away, have a great game of table tennis, and soon, with a lot of practice, you might even be in your own table tennis video!
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