None of us are perfect. I’m probably less perfect than most, but by the grace of God, good training and procedures, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience the joy of flight for more than a decade. Along the way, there have been many bumps in the road. A very smart instructor once told me, “You need to learn from the mistakes of other pilots because you may not live long enough to learn from your own.” While that may sound frightening to most people, there is a lot of truth in that statement.
While sitting around a hangar telling flying stories, I realized that many of us have made the same mistakes – sometimes more than once. I compiled a list of five mistakes that are common and can be very serious or even life-threatening if not managed quickly and accurately. Hopefully the worst outcome is a hand to smack the forehead of many pilots. Please heed the warning so as not to repeat what many before you have experienced.
Taking off on one magneto. This is much more common than I originally thought. Many of us don’t want to talk about it, but by a show of hands one evening, we found the percentage of pilots that have made the mistake of not having the ignition set to both magnetos to be very high.
Not retracting flaps after take off. So you got a sign-off for a cross-country flight. Lots of stuff going on and you take off, communicate on the radio, turn off the landing lights, turn to the correct on-course heading, start the trip/fuel timers, etc. And then you fly 38 minutes and while downwind abeam the numbers, you go to drop that first notch of flaps and realize that they are already down. Face palm.
Inadvertent flight into IMC. Normally, this happens because you are focused on something else besides looking out the front of the airplane. Common distractions include setting up the navigation radios or GPS, looking at the ground for reference maneuvers, or texting while flying. It’s going to happen. Keep calm and fly the airplane. Trust the gauges, engage the autopilot (if equipped), retreat toward alternate VMC weather and don’t be shy of asking for assitance.
Forgetting to remove chocks or tie-down rope. This is probably the most common. You do the preflight, but it’s windy and you need to run inside to get the window cleaner so you leave a chock down to keep the airplane from being blown away. Upon return, you’ve forgotten about the chock, clean the windshield, hop in and try to taxi. Wow, it’s taking a lot of power to get out of the wheel rut…[insert favorite expletive].
Landing with low fuel. The FAA’s definition of “low fuel” and mine are completely different. For VFR flight, you are only required by regulation to have 30 minutes of extra fuel on board. This is ridiculous and, in my opinion, ranks as the absolute WORST mistake you can make.
The point is you’re not alone. Any mistake you can walk away from relatively unscathed should be viewed as a valuable learning opportunity.
Care to add to the list?
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I’ve never liked the pre-flight inspection. It’s like the salad course before a steak dinner–sure, it’s good for you, but all it does is prevent you from getting to the good stuff. I can still remember my very first lesson as a 15-year old, desperate to get up in the air. But instead of blasting off like Tom Cruise, my instructor took me out and walked me through a brutal, 15-minute inspection of the airplane. Like I cared about an exhaust manifold? I wanted to fly!
If I could go back and give the 15-year old me some advice, it would be short and sweet: “Get over it.” While no one dreams of becoming a pilot so they can sump fuel, the pre-flight inspection is a critical safety habit for all pilots. If 20,000 hour airline pilots do it before every flight, we mere mortals should probably do it too.
That doesn’t mean I spend 20 minutes before every flight, checklist in hand, opening up the cowl on the airplane. My pre-flight routine has evolved as I’ve gained experienced and transitioned into new airplanes. But I try to follow a ritual every time I fly, and I try to approach it with seriousness.
Every pilot’s checklist will probably be different for a pre-flight, but here are some general tips that have served me well:
Have a sterile pre-flight rule. Professional pilots talk about the “sterile cockpit rule,” where the crew can only talk about essential flight information below 10,000 ft. That means no jokes about the local baseball team while you’re taxiing to the runway. It’s a great idea to do the same thing during pre-flight, where there are even more potential distractions. Here’s one of the worst (and most common) scenarios: just as you take the cap off the fuel tank, your cell phone rings and you answer it, instantly distracting you from the job at hand. You might remember to put the fuel cap back on, but you might not. Try to make your pre-flight a time of real focus–no cell phones, no chatting with passengers and no distractions. It’s hard, but it’s really important.
Have an attitude of curiosity. In other words, don’t go through the motions. Some pilots do a pre-flight, but don’t really look at anything. There’s a joke about a pilot turning on the master switch to check the fuel gauges, but not bothering to notice that the fuel gauges were empty. He was looking, but not seeing. The only way to combat this complacency is to have a positive attitude that views the pre-flight as a chance to discover something or learn a new fact about your airplane. Don’t just look at parts of the airplane; look at them and ask yourself what you’re really supposed to see. Be curious.
Know the killer items. A good pre-flight means inspecting a lot of different components, but some items are more important than others. Know what those “killer items” are and give them special attention, whether it’s more time or a second look. At some flight schools, the flight instructor lets the student complete the pre-flight, but will always check these few items (oil dipstick, fuel caps, tires) before starting the engine. Don’t ever take off without knowing that these killer items have been properly checked.
Don’t accept “it always looks like that.” This is a major problem at some flight schools where maintenance maybe isn’t done to the highest standard. A student pilot points out something that looks wrong, and is told to relax because, “it always looks like that.” The mechanic may be right, and part of learning to fly is learning what is truly an airworthiness issue and what’s merely a cosmetic one. But if you have a serious concern about the airplane you fly, and it’s not been addressed after multiple comments, be skeptical.
Pre-flight yourself too. You’ve probably read about the “IMSAFE” checklist and all the ways you should check yourself to make sure the pilot is ready to fly. That’s a good start, but to me, pre-flighting the pilot is more about getting in the zone than just another checklist. Maybe you’re leaving a busy day at work or a crazy family life. Use the pre-flight time to get yourself focused on flying. I like to even mentally fly the flight beforehand, just to consider all the issues that may come up. Having a sterile pre-flight environment (see above) is a big help.
Understand the systems. If you’re just reading a checklist and looking at the airplane, you’re only doing half a pre-flight. But if you take some time to understand how the airplane works, it makes it much easier to judge whether your airplane is in good shape or not. Whenever I check out on a new airplane, I use the pre-flight as a learning tool, a way to understand the airplane. So if you read about a magneto in the POH, take a moment to look at the magneto on the pre-flight. Visualize how it’s connected to the engine, and what its role is during flight.
Do you like the pre-flight, or just tolerate it? Have any tips to add? Share your comments below.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/05183103/Charlie-phil-C162-preflight.png10801920studentpltnewshttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngstudentpltnews2014-11-07 13:00:312021-06-08 19:23:47The dreaded pre-flight, and how to do it well
Incorporated into every pilot certificate is the Practical Test Standards (PTS) mandated Soft Field Takeoff and Landing. Unfortunately, for many students, this simple PTS item can often be the source of apprehension and stress during their training and checkride. Most of this training anxiety is generally based in the unknown or unfamiliar procedure of actually landing on a grass runway.
The PTS has only a few modifications from the normal takeoff and landing that must be reviewed to thoroughly understand the testing of this maneuver. Depending on which certificate you are training for, the PTS criteria might differ slightly, but for the purposes of this article, we will use the Private Pilot PTS.
Soft Field Takeoff –
If you have already mastered the Normal Takeoff, then the Soft Field takeoff is remarkably similar. The procedure is so similar that the PTS only has three criteria that are different between the two types of takeoffs. The first difference is to “…align the airplane without stopping while advancing the throttle smoothly to takeoff power.” Most students know this as their instructor telling them “you’re not allowed to stop on the runway and minimal braking for turns.” This minor change rarely gives students any issues during their performance except of course if they forget that this is part of the procedure.
Second, the PTS states that the student will “establish and maintain a pitch attitude that will transfer weight of the airplane from the wheels to the wings…” This is the first procedure that makes a noticeable difference for the student. Simply put, you are required to maintain back pressure to use the elevator to lift the weight off of the nose wheel. Some students will misinterpret this as needing to “pop a wheelie,” and although that does meet the requirement of the PTS, it can also lower forward visibility to the point of creating a dangerous collision avoidance problem. All you need to do is get the nose wheel up enough to “get it out of the grass.” This will allow the aircraft to accelerate faster and will set us up for the next item in the PTS.
Third, the student will “rotate and lift off at the lowest possible airspeed and remain in ground effect while accelerating to Vx or Vy as appropriate”. Since in the previous PTS item we already have the nose pitched up to remove weight off the nose, the first half of this requirement, lifting off, will naturally be accomplished. No work there.
The second part of remaining in ground effect is often the most difficult for students – and nerve racking. The technique is simple to describe, but often hard to convince yourself to do. Once the aircraft lifts off, (often well below normal Vr) you need to push the nose over to continue to accelerate to Vx or Vy while remaining in ground effect to limit the possibility of a stall or remaining on the back side of the power curve. The difficult part is convincing your mind that pushing over on the yoke/stick is a good idea. Don’t Panic! Keep your eyes near the end of the runway and look for the sight picture you use for flare. It is the same. Your mind already knows the picture so just trust yourself to use that same image.
Soft Field Landing –
Ok, so three differences were enough for you; how about only 2 differences for the landing. Sound easy? It is! The first difference on landing is the most obvious – soft. The PTS states only a small difference in wording from a normal landing when it states “Touches down softly with no drift, and …” The rest of the quote is the same for a normal landing so the only difference is the word “Softly.” Actually, the soft field landing removed the requirement of touching down on a specific spot within 400’, so this type of landing is easier from that point of view. I think everyone would agree that all landings are desired to be soft, so this really isn’t a big difference.
The second difference is almost equally as minor; “maintains proper position of the flight controls and sufficient speed to taxi on the soft surface”. Although this point sounds a little vague, what the FAA is asking for is the reverse of the takeoff procedure with use of the elevator and brakes. We want to keep the weight and pressure off of the nose wheel following touch down and use minimal to no braking to prevent the aircraft getting stuck in the soft surface. Now be careful, don’t abruptly pull back on the elevator immediately following touch down or you might lift off again, or pull the nose high enough to prevent seeing out the window. Both are undesirable.
That’s it! These procedures are NOT that different from normal landings. Now for those of you reading this asking yourself where did all of the “other stuff” go? Didn’t you leave something out? My instructor taught me lots of other things about these types of landings. You are correct. There are many different techniques that are incorporated into these two maneuvers to get the desired results. Instructors often have techniques about how to make your touchdowns soft. That is the item that most students remember that stands out about the few differences between these procedures.
Actually using these techniques –
Now that you have the basics of the maneuvers down, now it is time to give them meaning. If you are like most students in flight training, you are training on a hard surface runway and have only practiced Soft Field techniques on pavement. The issue with simulating a soft surface is you never get a chance to actually see what the technique does to performance. If your flight school has restrictions placed on landing on soft fields, consider taking a singular lesson with a flight school that is based at a soft field or a nearby school that have aircraft and policies approved for operations on a grass runway. Once you have the chance to actually go to a soft field, I think you will find it as much fun as I do.
Have fun during your training.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/05182648/Cub-in-fall-scaled.jpg17072560studentpltnewshttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngstudentpltnews2014-10-30 11:00:142021-06-08 19:23:47The Joy of Soft Fields
“Are you ready?” asked my instructor, “Because once we start that engine we will be in constant motion until we are back on the ramp.” But he didn’t mean a traditional FBO ramp. No, we were launching from a boat ramp on the Ohio River from Mac’s Seaplane Service in Rising Sun, Indiana.
Is getting a seaplane rating on your bucket list? It had been on mine for several years. I don’t live or work on a lake or river, don’t own a vacation home, and most of my time away from my day job is spent at our land-locked farm tending to the crops, cows and chickens on our little corner of Kentucky. But I have always considered myself to be a lifelong learner. I believe if you are not growing, you’re dying and the growing pile of old boat stuff, SCUBA gear and ski equipment are testament to my desire to tackle new challenges. But my one enduring passion has been flying airplanes and each flying goal met has led to another. I had scrolled through the listings of seaplane bases and none ever seemed close enough for me to consider. The combination of costs for the flying, instruction, lodging and transportation, plus the week I would be away from the work and farm had kept this class of airplanes just out of my reach. Then last February I was having lunch in Sporty’s Café when I began talking to a customer sitting at a table next to me. Turns out it was Troy MacVey, a retired airline pilot who had started a seaplane base in Rising Sun, just an hour from Sporty’s. Turns out he was working on the last few details (mainly working with the FAA to find a suitable Seaplane Pilot Examiner) for adding pilot training to his list of services.
In August I got a phone call from Judie at Mac’s. I learned they had found an examiner and if I could schedule the time in the next couple of weeks, my goal of becoming a seaplane pilot could become a reality. I really did not know what to expect as I journeyed to Rising Sun. I had flown over the area in the past but usually concentrated on the riverboat casino on the north end of town paying no attention to the community boat ramp and dock a mile or so to the south. After navigating to the corner of Front and 1st St. I was surprised at the facility. Troy had built a large hangar and office complex taking advantage of several free parking spaces, a municipal rest room facility, boat ramp, and of course, the river.
Inside the hangar was a Taylorcraft on floats and the Oshkosh Grand Champion Cessna 195 seaplane that has been featured in Flying Magazine. Pretty airplanes – but more important to me was N72475, one of only three Cessna 140 float planes in existence and my “classroom” for the seaplane rating.
I was anxious to get started but was quickly instructed that the airplane would be a lot easier to preflight while it was still in the hangar. I learned the airplane had its original Continental C-85 replaced with a more powerful O-290 Lycoming with a special “Borer” prop modification for seaplanes. I learned new part names like bumper, chine, keel, step, skeg and spray rail. I saw how the water rudder was attached, how it worked, and how to retract it. I learned that floats leak and how to sump them and if you do not get any water out, your pump is probably broken. All of this in addition to the usual preflight of the “normal” airplane systems.
Once the preflight was complete, we used a modified boat trailer to move the aircraft from the hangar to the sea (or in this case – river) and I took off my shoes and socks to don a pair of sandals for the fun part.
When I got my tail wheel endorsement in a Piper Cub the instructor told me that with the door and window open, any checklist would likely get blown out so instead of paper, he had me memorize the acronym CIGARS ((C) Controls – free and correct, (I)Instruments – check, (G)Gas – we have enough and is turned on, (A)Airframe – secure, (R) Runup – engine magneto and carburetor heat check, (S)Straps – seatbelts secure) for our pre-takeoff check. Sharing a river with pleasure boats, barge tows, wave runners and driftwood while dealing with wind and currents means there is just no time to study a written checklist. So in addition to CIGARS, we used FFCARS ((F)Fuel – status, (F)Flaps – correct, (C)Carb heat – the little Lycoming being operated in the moist environment can make carb ice like a Fridgidare, (A)Area – clear, water (R)Rudder – up or down as appropriate, (S)Switches – radios, lights). This checklist was recited for every phase of taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, landing, sailing, beaching, ramping and docking the seaplane.
Books have been written (I recommend Step Up to Floats and Seaplane, Skiplane, and Float/Ski Equipped Helicopter Operations Handbook) on flying seaplanes and is beyond the scope of this article. For a great overview of the Seaplane rating watch the So You Want to Fly Seaplanes video. Just prepare to have the airplane time of your life as you learn to step taxi, lift each float out of the water independently to reduce drag, deal with rough water, smooth water, glassy water, confined areas, using carb heat to slow the engine as you approach the dock, turning the mags on and off to further slow the engine, precisely pulling the mixture at just the right time to ensure you make it to the dock or ramp without crashing but without drifting back to “sea” either AND my all-time favorite is literally walking a tightrope stretched between the forward mooring cleats to get from one side of the airplane to the other. I highly recommend removing your watch, wallet and cell phone prior to this maneuver (don’t ask).
After four hours of flying and an equal amount of ground school, the appointment was made for my check ride on September 14th. Mary Alverson, the designated examiner, had flown down from Minneapolis to conduct five examinations over a three day period. Fortunately, the weather cooperated. Troy had us prepared and we all passed the demanding check ride to PTS standards. I have a new rating in my pocket and a new column (Single Engine Seaplane) in my logbook. The leaves are changing and the water has cooled below my comfort level, but next summer I am thinking about again getting seaplane current and taking my bride for a ride in that 195. I guess I am not too far away from the water to use my seaplane rating after all!
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Here at Sporty’s Academy, we love to celebrate the achievements of our students. One of our biggest celebrations comes when a student successfully completes his or her first solo. We really think that this is a big deal and we want the student to understand this as well!
It has been many years since my first solo in an airplane. In fact, I’ll be celebrating the 30th anniversary of that event in a couple of years. Even with the intervening years, I can still remember my takeoff from Runway 29 at the Flagler County Airport in Florida. I don’t really remember the landing but I remember the takeoff. I looked out the side window after liftoff, watched the left main spin to a stop, and thought to myself, “Well, now you have to land it!”
Since that day, I’ve had other “firsts” in aviation that have meant a lot to me. My first time flying in the clouds, my first time flying a light twin and feeling like I was about a mile behind the airplane on downwind, the first time taking my parents and grandmother flying, first flights for nieces and nephews (and my brother becoming unnerved when I banked the airplane with him and his kids), the first flight with the wonderful woman who would later become my wife, and of course the very special first flights with each of my own children.
There have also been other “first” solos for me in new aircraft and new aircraft categories and classes. This past week, I had another first solo and it was in one of the most different aircraft that I have ever flown.
All Alone in a Hot Air Balloon
A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post about the beginning of my hot air balloon training. I was excited for the new challenge and was finding this completely different way of flying both difficult but rewarding. Flying a hot air balloon is much more weather dependent than flying an airplane and Ohio hasn’t been terribly cooperative since I began my training. Between the weather and a series of other delaying factors, suffice to say that the training has been slow. My instructors have made valiant efforts to get me scheduled but other events have not cooperated well.
In September we were finally able to string together a series of flights and on October 1st, 2014, my instructor had me land, stepped out of the basket, and sent me on my way; my first solo flight in a hot air balloon.
As I began to climb up to a safe altitude with only me in the basket, the thought from my first airplane solo returned to me, “Well, now you have to land it!”
Charlie, my instructor, had told me to fly for about 20 minutes then find a place to land. That was my plan; it took a little longer.
The wind was considered light and variable that day but the track the wind was taking me was generally to the south/southwest. A mile or so ahead I spied a private airport that I knew to be in very good condition and that would make an excellent landing location and that became my goal. My track was in that general direction so I thought that I had a shot. At first, the variation in the winds was taking me to the right of my goal but soon they came back to the left. As I descended for the landing, the winds trended further to the left and I missed my target.
I initiated a climb once again to look for a new location as I passed Charlie and my chase crew in a parking lot across the road from the private runway.
I tried for a nice big front yard but the variable winds decided to push me toward powerlines this time. I initiated another go-around. You just don’t mess with powerlines, ever!!
Next I saw Charlie and my crew sitting beside a nice large field but the left turn that had pushed me away from the airport on my first attempt and toward the powerlines on the second, decided to change directions and become a right turn. I needed the left to land there so my search continued.
I climbed back up as I saw some high tension lines ahead and wanted to give them sufficient clearance.
After passing these lines, I allowed the balloon to descend as I was now over a soy bean field and sunset was only about 20 minutes away. As a balloon pilot, you generally want to avoid landing in crops as it tends to upset the farmers but if you have to you have to. I didn’t have to. I kept the basket approximately 5-10 feet above the crops and slowly allowed the wind to work me over to the edge of the field. As I neared a treeline at the edge of the field, I found a spot of tall grass and weeds and set the balloon down without damaging myself, the balloon, or the crops.
Charlie and my crew were near my location and helped me move the balloon to a very nice yard on the other side of a fence for the congratulatory photos and packing up the balloon. The landowners were excited to see us and my first balloon solo concluded with daylight to spare.
Thanks to my instructors Charlie & Charlie (Sr. & Jr.) for getting me this far in my training and to all of my chase crews that have been there to pick us up when we landed. Special thanks to Charlie Sr. for soloing me and to Anthony for driving the chase vehicle that evening (and for taking the post solo picture and the picture above prior to the high tension lines).
If anyone ever tells you that flying a hot air balloon is easy, I’d say they have never actually flown one. Get out there and enjoy your flight training, celebrate your achievements, and take a bit of time to brag about your first solo even if it is your second or third one!
Today, pilots are using tablets to assist with just about every aspect of flying. These devices can help you plan cross-country flights, provide preflight weather briefings, display electronic sectional charts, show GPS moving maps and much, much more.
Even with these advances in mobile computing technology, there’s a good chance your flight instructor will still teach you how to plan and fly your first few cross-country flights with a paper chart, plotter, E6B, pen and paper, leaving your tablet on the sidelines. Despite what you may think, he’s not trying to punish you. The knowledge you gain by learning “the old school method” will allow you to appreciate the speed and simplicity that tablets provide, but more importantly it will help understand the fundamental concepts and calculations used in flight planning. And don’t forget you have to do it by hand on the knowledge test too.
After mastering the fundamentals of paper flight planning, pilotage and dead reckoning, you can then transition to using a app and tablet to automate routine calculations if you choose. And you’ll also be better equipped to identify any potential planning errors.
Most of the aviation apps available today include electronic versions of all the VFR Sectional and Terminal Area Charts, meaning you won’t be required to carry paper sectionals or A/FDs for navigation and airport info if you go that route. And best of all, when using your tablet with a GPS source you’ll see your airplane’s position right on the chart.
Before throwing your paper charts out the window and relying on a tablet, there are a few items you should become familiar with. The first is a basic understanding of the legalities that relate to flying with Electronic Flight Bags, or EFBs — the term the FAA uses to describe tablets in the cockpit.
FAR 91.21 requires that you verify your EFB (or any electronic device for that matter) will not cause interference with the navigation or communications systems installed on the aircraft.
You’ll also want to become familiar with Advisory Circular 91-78, which provides guidance to pilots using EFBs to replace paper charts in the cockpit. This AC says that it’s ok to substitute electronic charts for paper in flight, but you must adhere to the following guidelines. First you’ll need an application that displays the charts on the tablet, and the charts and data must be kept current. New data and chart updates are available for download every 28 days right in your aviation application.
Next, AC 91-78 recommends bringing along a backup source, such as a paper chart or second EFB, but this is not mandatory. Finally, the guidance suggests using the tablet first during an evaluation period with paper charts still accessible before relying solely on the electronic device for your charts in flight.
Another important consideration is how to secure the tablet in a way that allows for easy operation during all phases of flight, and to make sure it doesn’t fall out of reach when flying through rough air. The first option is a kneeboard, which keeps it locked down on your leg and within reach. An alternative is to mount it in the cockpit using a dedicated mounting bracket made specifically for aviation, either to the yoke or a side window.
After gaining some experience you’ll find that using a tablet in the cockpit can increase the safety and efficiency of your flights. And as you become more familiar with the device’s capability you’ll learn how a tablet can do much more than just automate flight planning and replace paper charts. When combined with wireless ADS-B accessories it can even display in-flight METARs and weather radar, show nearby traffic and even provide backup flight instruments.
Despite all these capabilities, resist the urge to use the tablet for all your flight planning needs from day one. Use a balanced approach with your instructor and take the time to learn the math that goes into these calculations and how to plan a trip by hand from start to finish. That way when you transition to a paperless cockpit with your tablet you’ll have a better understanding of the conveniences a device like this provides–and be prepared for an emergency.
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Top 5 mistakes you WILL make during your first 250 hours
/in Personal stories, Tips and technique/by studentpltnewsNone of us are perfect. I’m probably less perfect than most, but by the grace of God, good training and procedures, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience the joy of flight for more than a decade. Along the way, there have been many bumps in the road. A very smart instructor once told me, “You need to learn from the mistakes of other pilots because you may not live long enough to learn from your own.” While that may sound frightening to most people, there is a lot of truth in that statement.
While sitting around a hangar telling flying stories, I realized that many of us have made the same mistakes – sometimes more than once. I compiled a list of five mistakes that are common and can be very serious or even life-threatening if not managed quickly and accurately. Hopefully the worst outcome is a hand to smack the forehead of many pilots. Please heed the warning so as not to repeat what many before you have experienced.
The point is you’re not alone. Any mistake you can walk away from relatively unscathed should be viewed as a valuable learning opportunity.
Care to add to the list?
The dreaded pre-flight, and how to do it well
/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnewsI’ve never liked the pre-flight inspection. It’s like the salad course before a steak dinner–sure, it’s good for you, but all it does is prevent you from getting to the good stuff. I can still remember my very first lesson as a 15-year old, desperate to get up in the air. But instead of blasting off like Tom Cruise, my instructor took me out and walked me through a brutal, 15-minute inspection of the airplane. Like I cared about an exhaust manifold? I wanted to fly!
If I could go back and give the 15-year old me some advice, it would be short and sweet: “Get over it.” While no one dreams of becoming a pilot so they can sump fuel, the pre-flight inspection is a critical safety habit for all pilots. If 20,000 hour airline pilots do it before every flight, we mere mortals should probably do it too.
That doesn’t mean I spend 20 minutes before every flight, checklist in hand, opening up the cowl on the airplane. My pre-flight routine has evolved as I’ve gained experienced and transitioned into new airplanes. But I try to follow a ritual every time I fly, and I try to approach it with seriousness.
Every pilot’s checklist will probably be different for a pre-flight, but here are some general tips that have served me well:
Do you like the pre-flight, or just tolerate it? Have any tips to add? Share your comments below.
The Joy of Soft Fields
/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnewsIncorporated into every pilot certificate is the Practical Test Standards (PTS) mandated Soft Field Takeoff and Landing. Unfortunately, for many students, this simple PTS item can often be the source of apprehension and stress during their training and checkride. Most of this training anxiety is generally based in the unknown or unfamiliar procedure of actually landing on a grass runway.
The PTS has only a few modifications from the normal takeoff and landing that must be reviewed to thoroughly understand the testing of this maneuver. Depending on which certificate you are training for, the PTS criteria might differ slightly, but for the purposes of this article, we will use the Private Pilot PTS.
If you have already mastered the Normal Takeoff, then the Soft Field takeoff is remarkably similar. The procedure is so similar that the PTS only has three criteria that are different between the two types of takeoffs. The first difference is to “…align the airplane without stopping while advancing the throttle smoothly to takeoff power.” Most students know this as their instructor telling them “you’re not allowed to stop on the runway and minimal braking for turns.” This minor change rarely gives students any issues during their performance except of course if they forget that this is part of the procedure.
Second, the PTS states that the student will “establish and maintain a pitch attitude that will transfer weight of the airplane from the wheels to the wings…” This is the first procedure that makes a noticeable difference for the student. Simply put, you are required to maintain back pressure to use the elevator to lift the weight off of the nose wheel. Some students will misinterpret this as needing to “pop a wheelie,” and although that does meet the requirement of the PTS, it can also lower forward visibility to the point of creating a dangerous collision avoidance problem. All you need to do is get the nose wheel up enough to “get it out of the grass.” This will allow the aircraft to accelerate faster and will set us up for the next item in the PTS.
Third, the student will “rotate and lift off at the lowest possible airspeed and remain in ground effect while accelerating to Vx or Vy as appropriate”. Since in the previous PTS item we already have the nose pitched up to remove weight off the nose, the first half of this requirement, lifting off, will naturally be accomplished. No work there.
The second part of remaining in ground effect is often the most difficult for students – and nerve racking. The technique is simple to describe, but often hard to convince yourself to do. Once the aircraft lifts off, (often well below normal Vr) you need to push the nose over to continue to accelerate to Vx or Vy while remaining in ground effect to limit the possibility of a stall or remaining on the back side of the power curve. The difficult part is convincing your mind that pushing over on the yoke/stick is a good idea. Don’t Panic! Keep your eyes near the end of the runway and look for the sight picture you use for flare. It is the same. Your mind already knows the picture so just trust yourself to use that same image.
Ok, so three differences were enough for you; how about only 2 differences for the landing. Sound easy? It is! The first difference on landing is the most obvious – soft. The PTS states only a small difference in wording from a normal landing when it states “Touches down softly with no drift, and …” The rest of the quote is the same for a normal landing so the only difference is the word “Softly.” Actually, the soft field landing removed the requirement of touching down on a specific spot within 400’, so this type of landing is easier from that point of view. I think everyone would agree that all landings are desired to be soft, so this really isn’t a big difference.
The second difference is almost equally as minor; “maintains proper position of the flight controls and sufficient speed to taxi on the soft surface”. Although this point sounds a little vague, what the FAA is asking for is the reverse of the takeoff procedure with use of the elevator and brakes. We want to keep the weight and pressure off of the nose wheel following touch down and use minimal to no braking to prevent the aircraft getting stuck in the soft surface. Now be careful, don’t abruptly pull back on the elevator immediately following touch down or you might lift off again, or pull the nose high enough to prevent seeing out the window. Both are undesirable.
That’s it! These procedures are NOT that different from normal landings. Now for those of you reading this asking yourself where did all of the “other stuff” go? Didn’t you leave something out? My instructor taught me lots of other things about these types of landings. You are correct. There are many different techniques that are incorporated into these two maneuvers to get the desired results. Instructors often have techniques about how to make your touchdowns soft. That is the item that most students remember that stands out about the few differences between these procedures.
Actually using these techniques –
Now that you have the basics of the maneuvers down, now it is time to give them meaning. If you are like most students in flight training, you are training on a hard surface runway and have only practiced Soft Field techniques on pavement. The issue with simulating a soft surface is you never get a chance to actually see what the technique does to performance. If your flight school has restrictions placed on landing on soft fields, consider taking a singular lesson with a flight school that is based at a soft field or a nearby school that have aircraft and policies approved for operations on a grass runway. Once you have the chance to actually go to a soft field, I think you will find it as much fun as I do.
Have fun during your training.
Getting My Feet Wet
/in Personal stories/by studentpltnews“Are you ready?” asked my instructor, “Because once we start that engine we will be in constant motion until we are back on the ramp.” But he didn’t mean a traditional FBO ramp. No, we were launching from a boat ramp on the Ohio River from Mac’s Seaplane Service in Rising Sun, Indiana.
I had scrolled through the listings of seaplane bases and none ever seemed close enough for me to consider. The combination of costs for the flying, instruction, lodging and transportation, plus the week I would be away from the work and farm had kept this class of airplanes just out of my reach. Then last February I was having lunch in Sporty’s Café when I began talking to a customer sitting at a table next to me. Turns out it was Troy MacVey, a retired airline pilot who had started a seaplane base in Rising Sun, just an hour from Sporty’s. Turns out he was working on the last few details (mainly working with the FAA to find a suitable Seaplane Pilot Examiner) for adding pilot training to his list of services.
Is getting a seaplane rating on your bucket list? It had been on mine for several years. I don’t live or work on a lake or river, don’t own a vacation home, and most of my time away from my day job is spent at our land-locked farm tending to the crops, cows and chickens on our little corner of Kentucky. But I have always considered myself to be a lifelong learner. I believe if you are not growing, you’re dying and the growing pile of old boat stuff, SCUBA gear and ski equipment are testament to my desire to tackle new challenges. But my one enduring passion has been flying airplanes and each flying goal met has led to another.
In August I got a phone call from Judie at Mac’s. I learned they had found an examiner and if I could schedule the time in the next couple of weeks, my goal of becoming a seaplane pilot could become a reality. I really did not know what to expect as I journeyed to Rising Sun. I had flown over the area in the past but usually concentrated on the riverboat casino on the north end of town paying no attention to the community boat ramp and dock a mile or so to the south. After navigating to the corner of Front and 1st St. I was surprised at the facility. Troy had built a large hangar and office complex taking advantage of several free parking spaces, a municipal rest room facility, boat ramp, and of course, the river.
Inside the hangar was a Taylorcraft on floats and the Oshkosh Grand Champion Cessna 195 seaplane that has been featured in Flying Magazine. Pretty airplanes – but more important to me was N72475, one of only three Cessna 140 float planes in existence and my “classroom” for the seaplane rating.
I was anxious to get started but was quickly instructed that the airplane would be a lot easier to preflight while it was still in the hangar. I learned the airplane had its original Continental C-85 replaced with a more powerful O-290 Lycoming with a special “Borer” prop modification for seaplanes. I learned new part names like bumper, chine, keel, step, skeg and spray rail. I saw how the water rudder was attached, how it worked, and how to retract it. I learned that floats leak and how to sump them and if you do not get any water out, your pump is probably broken. All of this in addition to the usual preflight of the “normal” airplane systems.
Once the preflight was complete, we used a modified boat trailer to move the aircraft from the hangar to the sea (or in this case – river) and I took off my shoes and socks to don a pair of sandals for the fun part.
When I got my tail wheel endorsement in a Piper Cub the instructor told me that with the door and window open, any checklist would likely get blown out so instead of paper, he had me memorize the acronym CIGARS ((C) Controls – free and correct, (I)Instruments – check, (G)Gas – we have enough and is turned on, (A)Airframe – secure, (R) Runup – engine magneto and carburetor heat check, (S)Straps – seatbelts secure) for our pre-takeoff check. Sharing a river with pleasure boats, barge tows, wave runners and driftwood while dealing with wind and currents means there is just no time to study a written checklist. So in addition to CIGARS, we used FFCARS ((F)Fuel – status, (F)Flaps – correct, (C)Carb heat – the little Lycoming being operated in the moist environment can make carb ice like a Fridgidare, (A)Area – clear, water (R)Rudder – up or down as appropriate, (S)Switches – radios, lights). This checklist was recited for every phase of taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, landing, sailing, beaching, ramping and docking the seaplane.
Books have been written (I recommend Step Up to Floats and Seaplane, Skiplane, and Float/Ski Equipped Helicopter Operations Handbook) on flying seaplanes and is beyond the scope of this article. For a great overview of the Seaplane rating watch the So You Want to Fly Seaplanes video. Just prepare to have the airplane time of your life as you learn to step taxi, lift each float out of the water independently to reduce drag, deal with rough water, smooth water, glassy water, confined areas, using carb heat to slow the engine as you approach the dock, turning the mags on and off to further slow the engine, precisely pulling the mixture at just the right time to ensure you make it to the dock or ramp without crashing but without drifting back to “sea” either AND my all-time favorite is literally walking a tightrope stretched between the forward mooring cleats to get from one side of the airplane to the other. I highly recommend removing your watch, wallet and cell phone prior to this maneuver (don’t ask).
After four hours of flying and an equal amount of ground school, the appointment was made for my check ride on September 14th. Mary Alverson, the designated examiner, had flown down from Minneapolis to conduct five examinations over a three day period. Fortunately, the weather cooperated. Troy had us prepared and we all passed the demanding check ride to PTS standards. I have a new rating in my pocket and a new column (Single Engine Seaplane) in my logbook. The leaves are changing and the water has cooled below my comfort level, but next summer I am thinking about again getting seaplane current and taking my bride for a ride in that 195. I guess I am not too far away from the water to use my seaplane rating after all!
First Solo, Again!
/in Having fun, Personal stories/by studentpltnewsHere at Sporty’s Academy, we love to celebrate the achievements of our students. One of our biggest celebrations comes when a student successfully completes his or her first solo. We really think that this is a big deal and we want the student to understand this as well!
It has been many years since my first solo in an airplane. In fact, I’ll be celebrating the 30th anniversary of that event in a couple of years. Even with the intervening years, I can still remember my takeoff from Runway 29 at the Flagler County Airport in Florida. I don’t really remember the landing but I remember the takeoff. I looked out the side window after liftoff, watched the left main spin to a stop, and thought to myself, “Well, now you have to land it!”
There have also been other “first” solos for me in new aircraft and new aircraft categories and classes. This past week, I had another first solo and it was in one of the most different aircraft that I have ever flown.
All Alone in a Hot Air Balloon
A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post about the beginning of my hot air balloon training. I was excited for the new challenge and was finding this completely different way of flying both difficult but rewarding. Flying a hot air balloon is much more weather dependent than flying an airplane and Ohio hasn’t been terribly cooperative since I began my training. Between the weather and a series of other delaying factors, suffice to say that the training has been slow. My instructors have made valiant efforts to get me scheduled but other events have not cooperated well.
In September we were finally able to string together a series of flights and on October 1st, 2014, my instructor had me land, stepped out of the basket, and sent me on my way; my first solo flight in a hot air balloon.
As I began to climb up to a safe altitude with only me in the basket, the thought from my first airplane solo returned to me, “Well, now you have to land it!”
Charlie, my instructor, had told me to fly for about 20 minutes then find a place to land. That was my plan; it took a little longer.
The wind was considered light and variable that day but the track the wind was taking me was generally to the south/southwest. A mile or so ahead I spied a private airport that I knew to be in very good condition and that would make an excellent landing location and that became my goal. My track was in that general direction so I thought that I had a shot. At first, the variation in the winds was taking me to the right of my goal but soon they came back to the left. As I descended for the landing, the winds trended further to the left and I missed my target.
I initiated a climb once again to look for a new location as I passed Charlie and my chase crew in a parking lot across the road from the private runway.
I tried for a nice big front yard but the variable winds decided to push me toward powerlines this time. I initiated another go-around. You just don’t mess with powerlines, ever!!
Next I saw Charlie and my crew sitting beside a nice large field but the left turn that had pushed me away from the airport on my first attempt and toward the powerlines on the second, decided to change directions and become a right turn. I needed the left to land there so my search continued.
I climbed back up as I saw some high tension lines ahead and wanted to give them sufficient clearance.
After passing these lines, I allowed the balloon to descend as I was now over a soy bean field and sunset was only about 20 minutes away. As a balloon pilot, you generally want to avoid landing in crops as it tends to upset the farmers but if you have to you have to. I didn’t have to. I kept the basket approximately 5-10 feet above the crops and slowly allowed the wind to work me over to the edge of the field. As I neared a treeline at the edge of the field, I found a spot of tall grass and weeds and set the balloon down without damaging myself, the balloon, or the crops.
Thanks to my instructors Charlie & Charlie (Sr. & Jr.) for getting me this far in my training and to all of my chase crews that have been there to pick us up when we landed. Special thanks to Charlie Sr. for soloing me and to Anthony for driving the chase vehicle that evening (and for taking the post solo picture and the picture above prior to the high tension lines).
If anyone ever tells you that flying a hot air balloon is easy, I’d say they have never actually flown one. Get out there and enjoy your flight training, celebrate your achievements, and take a bit of time to brag about your first solo even if it is your second or third one!
Flight training and the iPad
/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnewsToday, pilots are using tablets to assist with just about every aspect of flying. These devices can help you plan cross-country flights, provide preflight weather briefings, display electronic sectional charts, show GPS moving maps and much, much more.
After mastering the fundamentals of paper flight planning, pilotage and dead reckoning, you can then transition to using a app and tablet to automate routine calculations if you choose. And you’ll also be better equipped to identify any potential planning errors.
Most of the aviation apps available today include electronic versions of all the VFR Sectional and Terminal Area Charts, meaning you won’t be required to carry paper sectionals or A/FDs for navigation and airport info if you go that route. And best of all, when using your tablet with a GPS source you’ll see your airplane’s position right on the chart.
Before throwing your paper charts out the window and relying on a tablet, there are a few items you should become familiar with. The first is a basic understanding of the legalities that relate to flying with Electronic Flight Bags, or EFBs — the term the FAA uses to describe tablets in the cockpit.
FAR 91.21 requires that you verify your EFB (or any electronic device for that matter) will not cause interference with the navigation or communications systems installed on the aircraft.
You’ll also want to become familiar with Advisory Circular 91-78, which provides guidance to pilots using EFBs to replace paper charts in the cockpit. This AC says that it’s ok to substitute electronic charts for paper in flight, but you must adhere to the following guidelines. First you’ll need an application that displays the charts on the tablet, and the charts and data must be kept current. New data and chart updates are available for download every 28 days right in your aviation application.
Next, AC 91-78 recommends bringing along a backup source, such as a paper chart or second EFB, but this is not mandatory. Finally, the guidance suggests using the tablet first during an evaluation period with paper charts still accessible before relying solely on the electronic device for your charts in flight.
After gaining some experience you’ll find that using a tablet in the cockpit can increase the safety and efficiency of your flights. And as you become more familiar with the device’s capability you’ll learn how a tablet can do much more than just automate flight planning and replace paper charts. When combined with wireless ADS-B accessories it can even display in-flight METARs and weather radar, show nearby traffic and even provide backup flight instruments.
Despite all these capabilities, resist the urge to use the tablet for all your flight planning needs from day one. Use a balanced approach with your instructor and take the time to learn the math that goes into these calculations and how to plan a trip by hand from start to finish. That way when you transition to a paperless cockpit with your tablet you’ll have a better understanding of the conveniences a device like this provides–and be prepared for an emergency.