Few thrills in aviation trump flying an aircraft type you don’t have in your logbook. But how do you approach an airplane you’ve never flown before? Can you learn anything about its handling from a walk around inspection? And what’s the best way to check out an unfamiliar airplane in the air? Perhaps no one has ever faced and answered those questions more times than John and Martha King. Founders of the eponymous pilot education empire, the Kings are the only couple (and Martha the only woman) ever to hold every category and class of FAA rating on their pilot and instructor certificates: fixed wing single and multi, land and sea, blimps, hot air balloons, rotorcraft, weight shift trikes, and more. When it comes to getting into different aircraft types, they are truly the Kings.

John wasn’t bragging. He told the anecdote while he and Martha were discussing crosswind landing characteristics of various aircraft at the NBAA (National Business Aviation Association) Convention in Orlando last fall. John and Martha, at the convention to receive the NBAA’s prestigious American Spirit Award, took time out to share their techniques for checking out unfamiliar aircraft with me. (Caveats about studying the Pilots Operating Handbook (POH) beforehand and flying with a qualified demo pilot duly noted). The understanding and enthusiasm they brought to the subject helps explain the popularity of the King School videos and CDs. More than half of all pilots are said to have received instruction via their videos and CDs.

In person the Kings are every bit as unpretentious and open as they appear in their videos. But once the talk turns to aviation, it’s as if someone called out, “Take one!”

“Everything about an airplane is a compromise,” John, said, as we plunged into the topic in a small conference room above the convention floor.

“You’re compromising speed with simplicity, maneuverability, maintainability and runway performance,” Martha added.

“And what you’re trying to do as you’re getting familiar with an airplane,” John continued, “is know where these compromises were struck. You want to know how this airplane handles a given situation. And as you walk up to an airplane, you can tell a lot about that.”

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