Rod Machado

Dr. Miranda and Rod Machado

Rod Machado is known as one of General Aviation's best and most solicited speaker, and his humor helps the audience digest sometimes not-so-easy concepts. This is true both for his live appearances and for his books. I have provided Rod's link here and I hope you will visit his Web Site. He has a number of books, videos, and DVD's for the student pilot and pilot. I have had the opportunity of listening to and speaking with Rod Machado. I am impressed with the depth of his aviation knowledge and his understanding of the canons of adult learning. He has autographed several of his books that I proudly display in my personal library. I strongly recommed his books.

Rod uses his humor to drive home serious and important concepts. His book "Plane Talk" goes beyond humor and dwelves into the philosophy of flying and the psychology of the aviator. If you are serious about flying you should read and re-read this book until the pages fall off. What impressed me most is how Rod Machado tries time and time again to impress upon the pilot the importance of constant learning. For those of you who know me or have attended my clinical anatomy conferences, you may recall how I myself am most adamant about constant learning. Here are some excerpts (with the author's permission) of some of the articles in his book "Plane Talk":

  • Sine qua non, the essential elements of learning: "To the wise and experienced learner, the fundamentals -the basics- of any behavior represent the place where learning should begin. Basics hastily pursued and insufficiently mastered offer a false and unreliable confidence to their possesors. Basics purposefully mastered, step-by-step, component-by-component, lead to better performance, better decisions and more accurate judgment. For this reason, and this reason only, we should discipline ourselves to mastering the basic skills before moving on to more complex behaviors."
  • Helping your brain learn about flying: "So be smart. Become proficient at learning and learn when it is right to be wrong. Make your mistakes work for you and not against you. Rejoice in their appearance, and file the information. As long as the file is open, the information may prove to be useful and you haven't really made a mistake. As Thomas Watson, founder of IBM once said:"If you want to succeed, double your failure rate."
  • A reverence for aviation's past: "Blase Pascal once suggested that the human race is like a man who never dies -always acquiring knowledge. We will always have the past to study. Let's use it to help us establish an historic identity, to learn about the greatness that came before us and the traditions that we should carry into the future. Strive to maintain an historical dimension to your view bout aviation."

Rod has a private pilot on CD course for those of us who have to drive long distances. I am sure that you will learn, but also stay awake. Visit Rod Machado's website and learn from the best!

Since I obtained my Instrument Pilot Rating I have read and re-read Rod Machado's "Instrument Pilot's Survival Manual". You see, training in IFR is directed mostly to passing the checkride, and the training received is basic. You must go beyond the initial IFR training and learn tips and tricks to make you safer in the clouds. This book by Rod is a bible of knowledge! I strongly recommend IFR pilots to read and re-read its pages.

The latest is that Rod's books are now available as e-books! Congratulations! now there is less of a excuse for you to study!