Review of Rod Machado Live on 14 CDs in Flight Training Magazine
by Captain Dave Gwinn

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You may fly happily and safely for many years and never realize the injection of joy you've been denied by not hearing Rod Machado! The Best of Rod Machado Live on 14 Audio CDs is perspective, and this anecdotal artist brings it to you with gifted wit. All 14 CDs are recorded live before large audiences.

Machado is energy. He's a flight instructor, degreed in psychology, an educator and an entertainer. He is a verbal gymnast, and any one (or all four) of his personal identities may rebound at any time.

Innumerable elements of Machado's two volumes of audio tapes are of the "must-know" category and of vital quality for pilots. Between the segments is finely honed, rapidly fired humor of unexpected focus: "My greatest fear is a runaway Hobb's meter!" and "Instructors are taught to sweat only on the right side of their face so as to not alarm students."

Machado is Mach 2 educational excellence. And when the laughter dies and a new perspective is pondered, his theme of educated judgment is encompassed in creative and memorable analogy. What you've been taught is often validated, sometimes not!

Don't attempt to define the joys of flying when Rod enthralls pilot and non-pilot alike! He's self-deprecating: "I told my instrument instructor that I was looking up from the hood (device which restricts vision to instrument panel) for a reason! I'm practicing flying in and out of the clouds." As a tongue-in-cheek flight instructor advising his students: "Don't forget. If anything goes wrong on your solo cross-country, take out your log book and erase everything with my name on it."

Don't miss Machado! Learn about gyrostabilized religious statues for your panel, and"Frito Novas" as evidence of pressure changes. If you hesitate to make a 180-degree turn, Machado advised two consecutive 90-degree turns when necessary. The easily led will agree we were never meant to fly as Rod Machado quotes scripture, "Low, I am with you always."

This series is a unique keepsake for your library... Machado is addictive -- you will wear out these CDs.

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