For most pilots, flying into AirVenture Oshkosh (KOSH) is very near the top of their bucket list. As a pilot, there is just something amazing about following a railroad track and being asked by a controller to “rock your wings” while on your way to the largest gathering of general aviation enthusiasts in existence. To the non-aviator, talking about a flight of this magnitude doesn’t resonate the same as when talking to fellow pilots who dream of this event. We get to be a part of this exclusive club that understands the Oshkosh initiation when flying to the aviation Mecca.
I’ve been part of the Sporty’s team for more than 12 years and have been attending AirVenture Oshkosh for most of those years. Normally my assignment is slightly less glamorous as I’d typically be driving a company vehicle pulling a trailer full of pilot supplies, but not this year. The planets must have aligned perfectly as I was the lucky pilot chosen to fly the brand new Sporty’s RV12 sweepstakes airplane to Oshkosh. Flying to Oshkosh, and more specifically, the VFR arrival has always been on my bucket list and now I get to check it off, and what’s more, in an RV12!
Planning for the flight was both easy and exciting. EAA publishes the Notice to Airman (NOTAM) well in advance so overly excited pilots can start dreaming weeks ahead of the big day and digesting all of the fine details. I’m pretty sure I can still recite every frequency, even the ones I had no chance at being assigned. Firing up ForeFlight on my iPad, I plugged in a direct route and started adjusting the course line to best fit the needs of the RV and its pilot.
Sporty’s is located at the Clermont County Airport (I69), just east of Cincinnati Ohio. A direct line to KOSH put me right in the middle of Lake Michigan. I can swim fairly well, but didn’t want to have to demonstrate that ability on this flight in the unlikely event of trouble. But honestly, who can pass up the opportunity to fly up the gorgeous Chicago lakefront and have a glimpse of the former home of Meigs field.
The total flight was planned to be approximately 4.5 hours. The RV will hold around 5 hours of fuel. Arriving anywhere with less than an hour of fuel reserve is a felony in my book, so a fuel stop is a must. Besides, the thought of a man my size trying to use a travel john in a tight cockpit like the RV had me convinced that I might even need two stops.
With the plan in place, all I had left to do was dream about my big flight for the next few weeks. Like a 4 year old waiting for Christmas morning, I couldn’t hardly sleep ahead of the big day.
The RV12 is an LSA so it’s small, light and approved for VFR flying only. The weatherman was not on my side that day as a front was moving through the region. Weather began to move in as I approached the Chicago area, but I was equipped with ADS-B weather and had a good picture of what was ahead. A shower roughly the size of the Class B airspace in Chicago was preventing me from taking the scenic route up the lake shore.
A few adjustments to the route and a stop had me waiting out the worst of the weather southwest of Chicago in Dekalb. By chance, a B-17 was giving rides that day. While I didn’t have the time to get in line, it sure was an entertaining way to wait out the weather delay.
As the front passed, I made a run for KOSH and it looked like everyone and their brother had the same idea. Again, the ADS-B proved invaluable providing traffic avoidance approaching the Oshkosh area via my iPad connected to a Stratus ADS-B receiver.
30 miles from RIPON, all traffic disappeared. Not because they landed, but because the NOTAM required transponders be turned off. [I often wonder if that requirement should be removed with our new found traffic capabilities.] Flying over the town of Ripon, I merge into a line of aircraft following the railroad track to FISKE. Few words can describe the sight of more than a dozen small airplanes in line for a VFR arrival to the “world’s largest airshow.”
When the controller came across the frequency asking that the “blue low wing following the ‘amphib’, rock your wings,” you can bet I gave a wiggle that might have required wearing a parachute. “Nice wing rock. Follow the ‘amphib’ for 36 left.” A compliment from an Oshkosh controller? If I could have done a back flip inside the cockpit, I would have.
Switching over to the tower frequency, I received the final clearance I had so eagerly anticipated – “cleared to land, 36 left, yellow dot, welcome to Oshkosh.” I made sure to leave my mark right in the center of that dot as one of my most memorable flights came to an end.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/05183050/3203006237_3b08ea341f.jpg375500studentpltnewshttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngstudentpltnews2013-10-02 10:00:512021-06-08 19:23:48Is Flying to Oshkosh on Your Bucket List
It was my first real trip as a licensed pilot, flying a Cessna 172 from Cincinnati to Toledo, Ohio to meet my fiancee (now wife) and her parents for the weekend. I was thrilled to make use of my new certificate on a “mission,” not just touch and gos. I was also excited to show my in-laws how powerful this whole flying idea could be.
But after landing in Toledo, my emotions quickly went from pride to embarrassment. First, I couldn’t figure out how to put the sun shades in the airplane. Sounds simple, but I had never done it during flight training. When I landed after a lesson, another student was coming for the airplane so I just chocked it and walked away. This was new territory. After 15 minutes of experimenting with the sun shades in the 90 degree heat, I finally figured out the system and closed up the airplane.
As I walked into the FBO, I stumbled into another embarrassing moment. The nice lady behind the counter asked if I needed a crew car. “What’s a crew car?” I naively asked. “Am I crew?”
It was obvious–I knew how to fly a Cessna, but I had no idea how to travel by Cessna. I was like a football player who had been to all the practices and scrimmages, but never played in a real game.
My guess is a lot of new pilots are in the same situation.
As student pilots and newly-minted private pilots, we spend most of our time in the traffic pattern or the practice area. Even during cross countries, the goal is to make the trip, get a logbook stamp and head home. It’s all about the process, not enjoying the ride or the destination.
There’s nothing wrong with this approach during training. After all, the goal is to maximize your learning during the allotted time. But once you earn your license, it’s critical to throw off those shackles, get out and travel! It’s one of the most exciting and enjoyable things (maybe the most enjoyable thing) about being a pilot.
But as my trip to Toledo showed, it’s not as easy as you might think–especially if your flight school emphasized dead reckoning over real travel.
For a start, you need to learn some very practical skills. If you’re flying to Chicago (or Atlanta or Dallas or Los Angeles), you have more than a half dozen airports from which to choose. Picking the right one is an art, and it takes practice. Which one is closest to your destination, which has the right facilities, what’s the difference in fuel price? These are all basic but important questions you need to consider when planning a trip.
Once you’ve chosen an airport, you may need to select an FBO and arrange for parking, fuel, rental car or other logistics. It’s not hard, but it’s something you probably didn’t learn in ground school. For example, most FBOs have discounted rates with area hotels or rental car companies–but you have to ask.
There are more serious lessons to learn, too. If you’ve only flown within 100 miles of your home airport, you probably aren’t familiar with different terrain, weather and ATC features. Learning to fly in Ohio, I remember feeling really uncomfortable the first time I flew in the mountains. For one, there were rocks to miss, but the weather patterns were also quite different and ATC radar didn’t go down to the ground.
Longer trips also expose you to changing weather, which I’ve found pushes me to be a better pilot. Here’s an example: if it’s windy at home, you read the METAR and cancel your flight. But if you’re 2 hours into a cross country and your destination airport starts reporting gusty winds, you can’t just cancel. Or maybe you flew in yesterday in clear skies, but the next morning you wake up to an overcast sky and fog.
You should never let weather back you into a corner and compromise safety (“get-home-itis” can kill), but learning to handle Mother Nature is one of the most valuable lessons you can learn. Sometimes you’ll have to cut your plans short to beat the weather home, sometimes you’ll have to spend an extra night in that hotel waiting for better weather. Learning to say no or to be flexible is all part of learning to travel by airplane.
Studies have shown that the process of planning and anticipating a trip can often be as enjoyable as the actual event. That study obviously didn’t include pilots, because nothing beats the flight, but the point is still valid. Don’t rush the planning phase. Take the time to learn all the variables, consider the options and make a thoughtful decision. You’ll have more fun before and during the trip, and you’ll learn just how rewarding it is to fly yourself somewhere.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/05183113/crew-car.jpg225300studentpltnewshttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngstudentpltnews2013-09-13 13:00:332021-06-08 19:23:48The art of cross country travel by light airplane
Perhaps only in aviation could we come up with three different, and sometimes confusing, definitions for the same word, Night. These three definitions are often a source of confusion for new students. The different definitions for night are in reference to the requirements to operate Navigation Lights, when you are able to log night time in your logbook, and when you must complete your landings required by the regulations to carry passengers at night. If you ask most students about this topic, many might answer with two different definitions, but in fact there are three, and the third is often the source of confusion.
Let’s look at each requirement:
Navigation Lights – per FAR 91.209 (a) – you cannot operate an aircraft without operating lighted position lights from Sunset to Sunrise.
Recent Flight Experience – per FAR 61.57 (b) – no person may act as pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers during the period of 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, unless in the proceeding 90 days that person has made at least three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise …
Logging Night Time – per FAR 1.1 – the definition of night time is the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published by the American Air Almanac, converted to local time.
Each one of these is fairly simple and straight forward. The only detail that students often forget is to recall that night recent flight experience requires landings to be made to a FULL STOP. In addition, one area that is not always looked up correctly is the time for civil twilight. Before the invention of the internet, you would have to find a printed copy of the American Air Almanac and look up your time table for your local area. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can visit a simple website and give your closest major city for the correct local times (be careful to convert for DST).
So, you are probably wondering why this is so confusing for some students. Well, the answer comes in this scenario. Let’s say that we are going to do a local night flight here in Cincinnati, OH on May 2nd. After reviewing the table for the American Air Almanac, we discovered that the local sunset (adjusted) is 20:32 local and the evening civil twilight is 21:01 local. So we would be logging night time starting at 21:01 local, but our landings that we are practicing wouldn’t count towards recent flight experience requirements until a pattern circuit starting after 21:32 local. There would be 31 minutes of logged night flight time that the landings wouldn’t count to carry passengers.
In short, make sure that if you are going to log a night landing in your logbook that it also meets the requirements for 1 hour after sunset or make a notation that it doesn’t count to be sure you are in compliance with the regulations.
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Airmanship can be defined as the ability of a pilot to properly assess the environment in which the aircraft is operating and properly managing that aircraft taking into account both the aircraft’s and the pilot’s capabilities. Recently, there have been a number of high profile accidents that have focused attention on the airmanship of the pilot(s) operating the airplane. Let’s examine a few of these, determine their relevance to our flying and see if we can improve our airmanship from the mistakes and success of others.
Maintain Thy Airspeed Lest the Earth Will Arise and Smite Thee
On July 6 this year Asiana Airlines Flight 214 was cleared for a visual approach to runway 28L at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). At the time of the accident the weather was reported as light winds with visibility unrestricted. The Instrument Landing System (ILS) for that runway was not operational and a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) had been issued to that effect. The Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPIs) were working to provide glide slope advisories to the crew. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has not released its final report, but has provided preliminary findings.
During the last 90 seconds of the flight, the crew disconnected the autopilot and was hand flying the visual approach. The target approach speed for the Boeing 777 was 137 knots. During the final seconds of the flight, speed was allowed to decay to 103 knots or 25% below the desired speed. As a result, the airliner with 307 people on board landed short of the runway shearing the main gear off on the seawall and losing its tail section. The aircraft slid 2400 feet before coming to rest south of the runway. Remarkably only 3 people died as a result of the crash and subsequent fire.
It’s an Airplane, Not a Wheelbarrow
In this age of skid-steer loaders and concrete pumps, you don’t see wheelbarrows around construction sites anymore. That contraption, with its single “nose wheel” loaded with dirt or concrete, made moving the stuff possible because of the mechanical advantage of its second class lever. But was inherently unstable (we called it wobbly), because the load was significantly top heavy. The unskilled, despite their brawn, would often dump their cargo short of its destination. On July 22, Southwest Airlines flight 345 landed nose-gear first causing it to collapse. The Boeing 737 with 149 on board careened down the runway like an out-of-control wheelbarrow. 16 passengers suffered minor injuries. The NTSB reports the captain took control of the aircraft from the First Officer (FO) when the airplane was just 400 feet above the ground and seconds before touchdown.
If It Can Happen to Them, It Can Happen to Me
This report indicates nearly half (48.8%) of general aviation accidents occur during approach and landing. Fortunately, probably because the airplane is travelling slow and is configured for landing, the fatality rate is very low. So how can we learn from these highly publicized foul ups by highly trained flight crews in high dollar jets with the most modern avionics and flight control systems? It may all go back to common sense – and airmanship.
I think I am fairly typical for most general aviation pilots. I will painstakingly stick to the checklist for start-up and run-up, diligently scan the runway for dogs and deer during the takeoff roll, and have suitable landing sites picked out during the climb should my one and only rubber band decide to break. At some point, however, complacency will set in. The engine is running, all the needles are in the green, the ride is smooth and I begin to feel as nothing untoward is going to happen. I become less diligent. During approach and landing I may be tired (long flight sitting in one place), dehydrated (pilots often self-dehydrate to avoid any in-flight urges or leaks) and maybe a bit hypoxic. Everything has gone well to this point and chances are the approach and landing will go well too – until it doesn’t. Complacency in the approach phase can allow us to get too low, too slow and land too short or be too high, too fast and try to force the aircraft on the ground – nose-wheel first.
As competent pilots we must stay spring-loaded to initiate a go-around. While a botched approach, especially with passengers on board, may be a blow to our ego, a botched landing can be a more serious blow to our wallet and our certificate. So prior to every landing, I like to squirm around a little bit, stretch as much as the confines of the cockpit will allow to help get the old blood flowing to my arms, legs and brain. I like to turn off the auto pilot for a few minutes before I begin the approach – even if I am going to use it on the approach – just to get my body back into “flying mode.” Prior to calling approach control, or about 10 miles out at a rural airport, I will tell my passengers that I have pilot stuff to do now and turn the intercom to isolate which is my version of the sterile cockpit rule.
I hope I can learn from the mistakes of others. I try to be especially diligent during the landing – it’s when most accidents occur. Wadding up an airplane is NOT the perfect end to the perfect flight.
Earlier this week I witnessed something not all that common in general aviation – an FAA Ramp Check. If you’ve never heard of a ramp check, that’s not surprising as again, it’s not a common occurrence in general aviation. But at the same time, while not the most pleasant topic related to your flying, it’s important to know what a ramp check entails and more importantly, to know how to properly manage a ramp check.
It’s also important to know exactly what will be expected of the pilot as well what to expect from the FAA. So while many pilots will fly a lifetime and not experience a ramp check, it’s something that we’re all subject to as pilots. It could happen anywhere at anytime and is officially an investigation of your own flight operation.
By definition, a ramp check is surveillance of an airman, operator, or air agency during actual operations at an airport or heliport. It’s conducted by FAA to ensure that you are conducting flights safely and in compliance with regulations. Although generally friendly and straightforward, some result in counseling or correction letters and in the worst case scenario, enforcement actions against the pilot.
A ramp check may occur when an inspector observes unsafe operations in a traffic pattern or ramp area or is notified by ATC of an unsafe operation. They can also occur randomly as part of FAA’s normal surveillance. The latter is what is typical of most non-commercial ramp checks.
A typical check will involve an inspection of the pilot’s airman and medical certificates as well as photo identification, aircraft documents and a walk-around inspection. The inspector is NOT authorized to board the aircraft without permission, but is able to look through open doors or windows.
If you’re a Student, Sport or Recreational pilot required to carry evidence of logbook endorsement, the inspector will also review this information. The inspector may use a job-aid which is a good thing as it means a standardized check. While few pilots would enjoy such an experience, a positive and diplomatic attitude is generally helpful.
Related to aircraft documents, the inspector will want to review the Airworthiness Certificate to ensure it’s visible, on-board and matches the aircraft’s tail number. The registration certificate should also match the aircraft tail number and inspectors are now examining registration expiration dates since all registrations must be renewed. The POH must also be on-bard to ensure the pilot has access to the aircraft’s limitations as well as required markings and placards. Current weight and balance information for the aircraft may also be reviewed.
In the unlikely event that a discrepancy is found, it must be noted on the job aid and discussed with the operator. The inspection continues unless a discrepancy is discovered that would affect safety or result in a violation of an FAR. If this were to occur, an FAA Condition Notice (8620-1) may be issued. Discrepancies concerning airworthiness or registration certificates will also be brought to the attention of the operator, documented and referred for any follow-up action.
Recommendations if you’re subject of a ramp check – be courteous and cooperative. Also be busy. Inspectors are not authorized to delay a flight; however, most are very respectful of this requirement and will likely only request a check at the conclusion of a flight.
Do not volunteer more information than what is required. Remember, no matter how “friendly” this process may appear, anything you say or do may be used against you. And finally, keep in an easily referenced location at least the following information: Medical, Pilot Certificate & Photo ID / Airworthiness / Registration / Flight Manual / Weight and Balance Data.
If you’re curious, the ramp inspection I witnessed took place right here at Sporty’s Academy. It was part of FAA’s random surveillance. Two inspectors arrived on-site and in a very courteous manner, simply stated they were there to conduct a single inspection of a training flight conducted under FAA Part 141. The inspectors patiently waited for a flight to return meeting those requirements and used the opportunity to educate both the student and instructor on what occurs as part of a ramp check. In this instance, it was indeed positive and educational. No discrepancies were noted and the entire process took less than 5 minutes.
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Flight school, albeit fun, can be a real drag. I can recall fretting over the next “turns around a point” lesson for the fourth time. Don’t get me wrong, any chance you have to get in the air and burn some 100LL is a great day, but looking at the upcoming lesson outline would often have me praying for a rain out.
The cure for my boring outlook on the next lesson came one day from my instructor who also wasn’t thrilled about having to teach the same lesson to four students on the same day. He introduced me to the marvel of the airport cafe.
Upon my arrival at the airport, my instructor commented “you want to do lunch?” My first thought was that he was asking me on a date. “You’re really not my type, but I could go for some fast food before we head up.” Little did I know, lunch was actually going to take place as part of the flight lesson.
Scheduling a three hour flight block, we took off with the intent of doing some basic maneuvers. Heading out to the practice area, we started on the boring stuff: turns around a point, turn to heading, climbs, descents, etc. Leveling off after ten minutes of doing what seemed to be random maneuvers, he asked me where we were. As basic as that may sound, I wasn’t exactly prepared to answer at this point.
Looking out the window, I didn’t see anything that looked familiar. And my instructor’s grin indicated that I was on my own to figure it out. Dialing up the ADF (starting to show my age), I turned to a heading that would take us back at our home airport. He promptly put an “Inop” sticker over the indicator and told my to try again using the visual landmarks around us.
Admittedly frustrated, I reluctantly consulted the chart. I found the one airport not too far from home base next to a large river and concluded that we’ve wandered over near Middletown Ohio (MWO). After locating the appropriate frequency, we made a position report. I barely released the PTT switch when my instructor pulled his favorite lever: the throttle. “There goes your engine. Now what?”
Best glide, turn towards the field, verify wind direction, make a plan, communicate…not bad for a newbie. It wasn’t my best landing and I ended up using 3800 of the 4000 feet available, but we got it down.
“Taxi over behind that old row of hangars.” Now I’m confused, but he definitely knows something I don’t. After shutting down the engine, I notice a gate in the fence and a Frisch’s Big Boy restaurant on the other side. That’s when it hit me that we had a fly-out lunch. There was nothing special about this particular greasy spoon, and if you were in a car, you probably wouldn’t even consider stopping. But traveling there by airplane made it special and we accomplished a host of valuable learning experiences in the process.
To this day, my favorite flying missions are food related. I’ve become a biscuits and gravy connoisseur at airport diners and an expert on blueberry pancakes. And it was all because I had a creative flight instructor who may have sensed that I needed something a little different to maintain my motivation.
So my challenge to students and CFIs is to be creative. There’s a lot that can be accomplished in the course of a fun flight to have lunch.
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Is Flying to Oshkosh on Your Bucket List
/in Personal stories/by StudentpltnewsI’ve been part of the Sporty’s team for more than 12 years and have been attending AirVenture Oshkosh for most of those years. Normally my assignment is slightly less glamorous as I’d typically be driving a company vehicle pulling a trailer full of pilot supplies, but not this year. The planets must have aligned perfectly as I was the lucky pilot chosen to fly the brand new Sporty’s RV12 sweepstakes airplane to Oshkosh. Flying to Oshkosh, and more specifically, the VFR arrival has always been on my bucket list and now I get to check it off, and what’s more, in an RV12!
Sporty’s is located at the Clermont County Airport (I69), just east of Cincinnati Ohio. A direct line to KOSH put me right in the middle of Lake Michigan. I can swim fairly well, but didn’t want to have to demonstrate that ability on this flight in the unlikely event of trouble. But honestly, who can pass up the opportunity to fly up the gorgeous Chicago lakefront and have a glimpse of the former home of Meigs field.
The total flight was planned to be approximately 4.5 hours. The RV will hold around 5 hours of fuel. Arriving anywhere with less than an hour of fuel reserve is a felony in my book, so a fuel stop is a must. Besides, the thought of a man my size trying to use a travel john in a tight cockpit like the RV had me convinced that I might even need two stops.
With the plan in place, all I had left to do was dream about my big flight for the next few weeks. Like a 4 year old waiting for Christmas morning, I couldn’t hardly sleep ahead of the big day.
A few adjustments to the route and a stop had me waiting out the worst of the weather southwest of Chicago in Dekalb. By chance, a B-17 was giving rides that day. While I didn’t have the time to get in line, it sure was an entertaining way to wait out the weather delay.
As the front passed, I made a run for KOSH and it looked like everyone and their brother had the same idea. Again, the ADS-B proved invaluable providing traffic avoidance approaching the Oshkosh area via my iPad connected to a Stratus ADS-B receiver.
30 miles from RIPON, all traffic disappeared. Not because they landed, but because the NOTAM required transponders be turned off. [I often wonder if that requirement should be removed with our new found traffic capabilities.] Flying over the town of Ripon, I merge into a line of aircraft following the railroad track to FISKE. Few words can describe the sight of more than a dozen small airplanes in line for a VFR arrival to the “world’s largest airshow.”
Switching over to the tower frequency, I received the final clearance I had so eagerly anticipated – “cleared to land, 36 left, yellow dot, welcome to Oshkosh.” I made sure to leave my mark right in the center of that dot as one of my most memorable flights came to an end.
The art of cross country travel by light airplane
/in Personal stories/by StudentpltnewsIt was my first real trip as a licensed pilot, flying a Cessna 172 from Cincinnati to Toledo, Ohio to meet my fiancee (now wife) and her parents for the weekend. I was thrilled to make use of my new certificate on a “mission,” not just touch and gos. I was also excited to show my in-laws how powerful this whole flying idea could be.
But after landing in Toledo, my emotions quickly went from pride to embarrassment. First, I couldn’t figure out how to put the sun shades in the airplane. Sounds simple, but I had never done it during flight training. When I landed after a lesson, another student was coming for the airplane so I just chocked it and walked away. This was new territory. After 15 minutes of experimenting with the sun shades in the 90 degree heat, I finally figured out the system and closed up the airplane.
It was obvious–I knew how to fly a Cessna, but I had no idea how to travel by Cessna. I was like a football player who had been to all the practices and scrimmages, but never played in a real game.
My guess is a lot of new pilots are in the same situation.
As student pilots and newly-minted private pilots, we spend most of our time in the traffic pattern or the practice area. Even during cross countries, the goal is to make the trip, get a logbook stamp and head home. It’s all about the process, not enjoying the ride or the destination.
There’s nothing wrong with this approach during training. After all, the goal is to maximize your learning during the allotted time. But once you earn your license, it’s critical to throw off those shackles, get out and travel! It’s one of the most exciting and enjoyable things (maybe the most enjoyable thing) about being a pilot.
But as my trip to Toledo showed, it’s not as easy as you might think–especially if your flight school emphasized dead reckoning over real travel.
For a start, you need to learn some very practical skills. If you’re flying to Chicago (or Atlanta or Dallas or Los Angeles), you have more than a half dozen airports from which to choose. Picking the right one is an art, and it takes practice. Which one is closest to your destination, which has the right facilities, what’s the difference in fuel price? These are all basic but important questions you need to consider when planning a trip.
Once you’ve chosen an airport, you may need to select an FBO and arrange for parking, fuel, rental car or other logistics. It’s not hard, but it’s something you probably didn’t learn in ground school. For example, most FBOs have discounted rates with area hotels or rental car companies–but you have to ask.
There are more serious lessons to learn, too. If you’ve only flown within 100 miles of your home airport, you probably aren’t familiar with different terrain, weather and ATC features. Learning to fly in Ohio, I remember feeling really uncomfortable the first time I flew in the mountains. For one, there were rocks to miss, but the weather patterns were also quite different and ATC radar didn’t go down to the ground.
Longer trips also expose you to changing weather, which I’ve found pushes me to be a better pilot. Here’s an example: if it’s windy at home, you read the METAR and cancel your flight. But if you’re 2 hours into a cross country and your destination airport starts reporting gusty winds, you can’t just cancel. Or maybe you flew in yesterday in clear skies, but the next morning you wake up to an overcast sky and fog.
You should never let weather back you into a corner and compromise safety (“get-home-itis” can kill), but learning to handle Mother Nature is one of the most valuable lessons you can learn. Sometimes you’ll have to cut your plans short to beat the weather home, sometimes you’ll have to spend an extra night in that hotel waiting for better weather. Learning to say no or to be flexible is all part of learning to travel by airplane.
Studies have shown that the process of planning and anticipating a trip can often be as enjoyable as the actual event. That study obviously didn’t include pilots, because nothing beats the flight, but the point is still valid. Don’t rush the planning phase. Take the time to learn all the variables, consider the options and make a thoughtful decision. You’ll have more fun before and during the trip, and you’ll learn just how rewarding it is to fly yourself somewhere.
Defining Night
/in Regulations/by StudentpltnewsPerhaps only in aviation could we come up with three different, and sometimes confusing, definitions for the same word, Night. These three definitions are often a source of confusion for new students. The different definitions for night are in reference to the requirements to operate Navigation Lights, when you are able to log night time in your logbook, and when you must complete your landings required by the regulations to carry passengers at night. If you ask most students about this topic, many might answer with two different definitions, but in fact there are three, and the third is often the source of confusion.
Each one of these is fairly simple and straight forward. The only detail that students often forget is to recall that night recent flight experience requires landings to be made to a FULL STOP. In addition, one area that is not always looked up correctly is the time for civil twilight. Before the invention of the internet, you would have to find a printed copy of the American Air Almanac and look up your time table for your local area. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can visit a simple website and give your closest major city for the correct local times (be careful to convert for DST).
In short, make sure that if you are going to log a night landing in your logbook that it also meets the requirements for 1 hour after sunset or make a notation that it doesn’t count to be sure you are in compliance with the regulations.
Airmanship
/in Tips and technique/by StudentpltnewsAirmanship can be defined as the ability of a pilot to properly assess the environment in which the aircraft is operating and properly managing that aircraft taking into account both the aircraft’s and the pilot’s capabilities. Recently, there have been a number of high profile accidents that have focused attention on the airmanship of the pilot(s) operating the airplane. Let’s examine a few of these, determine their relevance to our flying and see if we can improve our airmanship from the mistakes and success of others.
Maintain Thy Airspeed Lest the Earth Will Arise and Smite Thee
During the last 90 seconds of the flight, the crew disconnected the autopilot and was hand flying the visual approach. The target approach speed for the Boeing 777 was 137 knots. During the final seconds of the flight, speed was allowed to decay to 103 knots or 25% below the desired speed. As a result, the airliner with 307 people on board landed short of the runway shearing the main gear off on the seawall and losing its tail section. The aircraft slid 2400 feet before coming to rest south of the runway. Remarkably only 3 people died as a result of the crash and subsequent fire.
It’s an Airplane, Not a Wheelbarrow
If It Can Happen to Them, It Can Happen to Me
I think I am fairly typical for most general aviation pilots. I will painstakingly stick to the checklist for start-up and run-up, diligently scan the runway for dogs and deer during the takeoff roll, and have suitable landing sites picked out during the climb should my one and only rubber band decide to break. At some point, however, complacency will set in. The engine is running, all the needles are in the green, the ride is smooth and I begin to feel as nothing untoward is going to happen. I become less diligent. During approach and landing I may be tired (long flight sitting in one place), dehydrated (pilots often self-dehydrate to avoid any in-flight urges or leaks) and maybe a bit hypoxic. Everything has gone well to this point and chances are the approach and landing will go well too – until it doesn’t. Complacency in the approach phase can allow us to get too low, too slow and land too short or be too high, too fast and try to force the aircraft on the ground – nose-wheel first.
As competent pilots we must stay spring-loaded to initiate a go-around. While a botched approach, especially with passengers on board, may be a blow to our ego, a botched landing can be a more serious blow to our wallet and our certificate. So prior to every landing, I like to squirm around a little bit, stretch as much as the confines of the cockpit will allow to help get the old blood flowing to my arms, legs and brain. I like to turn off the auto pilot for a few minutes before I begin the approach – even if I am going to use it on the approach – just to get my body back into “flying mode.” Prior to calling approach control, or about 10 miles out at a rural airport, I will tell my passengers that I have pilot stuff to do now and turn the intercom to isolate which is my version of the sterile cockpit rule.
I hope I can learn from the mistakes of others. I try to be especially diligent during the landing – it’s when most accidents occur. Wadding up an airplane is NOT the perfect end to the perfect flight.
FAA Ramp Checks – Know Your Rights
/in Personal stories/by StudentpltnewsIt’s also important to know exactly what will be expected of the pilot as well what to expect from the FAA. So while many pilots will fly a lifetime and not experience a ramp check, it’s something that we’re all subject to as pilots. It could happen anywhere at anytime and is officially an investigation of your own flight operation.
By definition, a ramp check is surveillance of an airman, operator, or air agency during actual operations at an airport or heliport. It’s conducted by FAA to ensure that you are conducting flights safely and in compliance with regulations. Although generally friendly and straightforward, some result in counseling or correction letters and in the worst case scenario, enforcement actions against the pilot.
A ramp check may occur when an inspector observes unsafe operations in a traffic pattern or ramp area or is notified by ATC of an unsafe operation. They can also occur randomly as part of FAA’s normal surveillance. The latter is what is typical of most non-commercial ramp checks.
If you’re a Student, Sport or Recreational pilot required to carry evidence of logbook endorsement, the inspector will also review this information. The inspector may use a job-aid which is a good thing as it means a standardized check. While few pilots would enjoy such an experience, a positive and diplomatic attitude is generally helpful.
Related to aircraft documents, the inspector will want to review the Airworthiness Certificate to ensure it’s visible, on-board and matches the aircraft’s tail number. The registration certificate should also match the aircraft tail number and inspectors are now examining registration expiration dates since all registrations must be renewed. The POH must also be on-bard to ensure the pilot has access to the aircraft’s limitations as well as required markings and placards. Current weight and balance information for the aircraft may also be reviewed.
In the unlikely event that a discrepancy is found, it must be noted on the job aid and discussed with the operator. The inspection continues unless a discrepancy is discovered that would affect safety or result in a violation of an FAR. If this were to occur, an FAA Condition Notice (8620-1) may be issued. Discrepancies concerning airworthiness or registration certificates will also be brought to the attention of the operator, documented and referred for any follow-up action.
Recommendations if you’re subject of a ramp check – be courteous and cooperative. Also be busy. Inspectors are not authorized to delay a flight; however, most are very respectful of this requirement and will likely only request a check at the conclusion of a flight.
Do not volunteer more information than what is required. Remember, no matter how “friendly” this process may appear, anything you say or do may be used against you. And finally, keep in an easily referenced location at least the following information: Medical, Pilot Certificate & Photo ID / Airworthiness / Registration / Flight Manual / Weight and Balance Data.
If you’re curious, the ramp inspection I witnessed took place right here at Sporty’s Academy. It was part of FAA’s random surveillance. Two inspectors arrived on-site and in a very courteous manner, simply stated they were there to conduct a single inspection of a training flight conducted under FAA Part 141. The inspectors patiently waited for a flight to return meeting those requirements and used the opportunity to educate both the student and instructor on what occurs as part of a ramp check. In this instance, it was indeed positive and educational. No discrepancies were noted and the entire process took less than 5 minutes.
Flying for Fun
/in Personal stories/by StudentpltnewsThe cure for my boring outlook on the next lesson came one day from my instructor who also wasn’t thrilled about having to teach the same lesson to four students on the same day. He introduced me to the marvel of the airport cafe.
Scheduling a three hour flight block, we took off with the intent of doing some basic maneuvers. Heading out to the practice area, we started on the boring stuff: turns around a point, turn to heading, climbs, descents, etc. Leveling off after ten minutes of doing what seemed to be random maneuvers, he asked me where we were. As basic as that may sound, I wasn’t exactly prepared to answer at this point.
Looking out the window, I didn’t see anything that looked familiar. And my instructor’s grin indicated that I was on my own to figure it out. Dialing up the ADF (starting to show my age), I turned to a heading that would take us back at our home airport. He promptly put an “Inop” sticker over the indicator and told my to try again using the visual landmarks around us.
Admittedly frustrated, I reluctantly consulted the chart. I found the one airport not too far from home base next to a large river and concluded that we’ve wandered over near Middletown Ohio (MWO). After locating the appropriate frequency, we made a position report. I barely released the PTT switch when my instructor pulled his favorite lever: the throttle. “There goes your engine. Now what?”
Best glide, turn towards the field, verify wind direction, make a plan, communicate…not bad for a newbie. It wasn’t my best landing and I ended up using 3800 of the 4000 feet available, but we got it down.
To this day, my favorite flying missions are food related. I’ve become a biscuits and gravy connoisseur at airport diners and an expert on blueberry pancakes. And it was all because I had a creative flight instructor who may have sensed that I needed something a little different to maintain my motivation.
So my challenge to students and CFIs is to be creative. There’s a lot that can be accomplished in the course of a fun flight to have lunch.