8. Controversial aviation opinions, with AOPA's Dave Hirschman
Flight instructors should talk less. Experimental airplanes are clearly better than certified ones. Waterskiing an airplane is a terrible idea. Dave Hirschman, a well-known writer for AOPA and a pilot with wide range of experience in everything from taildraggers to jets, doesn't think these are controversial opinions. He believes them because the facts support them, and more people should just admit it. This episode of Fast Five covers all of these interesting topics, plus many more: why he uses a video camera on most flights, why pilots need to be good at both technology and manual flying, and what the most important trait is for safe flying. He also shares some stories from his time as a flight instructor and ferry pilot, and some of the personalities he's met along the way—some good, some bad.