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Runway braking action reports finally make sense

November 7, 2016/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

The FAA recently implemented a new system to help pilots better understand how snow and ice affect will affect braking on runways and taxiways, allowing both airport operators and pilots to use a standardized method to identify both the contamination type and how it will affect deceleration, braking and directional control.

A flight jacket tells a story

October 24, 2016/in Personal stories, Pilot Gear/by studentpltnews

On a blustery, cold morning, back before I knew what lift was, a short freckled face kid strolled into the local airport to take his first airplane ride. Just about every pilot can recall his first flight, whether it was for training or for the thrill. As I stepped through that door, I knew right […]

Runway braking action reports finally make sense

November 7, 2016/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

A flight jacket tells a story

October 24, 2016/in Personal stories, Pilot Gear/by studentpltnews

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Runway braking action reports finally make sense

November 7, 2016/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

I began my flight training and earned my first pilot certificate more than 16 years ago, but at that time, in the early 2000s, there was a lot of change taking place in the tech industry. The dot-coms were exploding (literally and figuratively), WiFi was becoming mainstream, and GPS was well on its way to establishing itself as the new way to navigate.

While all this progress was being made in normal society, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that certain aspects of aviation were stuck in time. The area that stood out the most to me was both the format and delivery method that pilots relied on for getting preflight weather and updates on airport conditions.

While I soon learned to appreciate the coded format of METARs and TAFs for quick reading, other reports like NOTAMs, Area Forecasts and text AIRMETs/SIGMETs were beyond cryptic. Student pilots and flight instructors around the airport prided themselves on knowing obscure abbreviations and codings that had little to no benefit when it came to what really mattered.

Fast forward to today, where most of us get graphical weather briefings on iPads, in-flight datalink weather is the norm and text Area Forecasts are nearly a thing of the past. NOTAMs have gotten better (especially with how some apps display them right on the chart), but there is still work to be done there to make these important notices both easier to access and read.

My other major complaint was with how the FAA relayed runway and taxiway surface conditions to pilots during the winter months. An important consideration when planning a flight to an airport at below freezing temperatures is the possibility of snow or ice on the runway and whether the conditions are suitable for your particular airplane and operation.

Up until recently U.S. airports expressed braking action in NOTAMs using a MU friction value that ranged from 0.40 down towards 0, where the lower the # meant the higher likelihood you would go ice skating down the runway. It always struck me as odd that they’d publish a non-relatable decimal value in the airport NOTAMs and expect pilots to make sense of it. Every time I came across one of the reports during the winter months I had to use Google to decode the report. For example:

TAP MU 29/27/29 OBSERVED AT 1601010139. 1601010151-1601020145

Unfortunately, it took a runway overrun accident by a Boeing 737 at Chicago Midway airport in 2005 for the FAA to take a look at ways to improve the assessment of runway conditions and find better ways to report the status to pilots. The new system uses a matrix with clearly defined condition criteria and Runway Condition Codes (RwyCC) that range in value from 6 (dry pavement) to 0 (hang on for a wild ride).

Airport operators will use the matrix to assess paved runway surfaces, report contaminants present, and through the assistance of the Federal NOTAM System, determine the numerical Runway Condition Codes (RwyCC) based on the runway condition. Pilots can then use the code to assess the effects of a given contaminant(s) as indicated by the associated condition code prior to landing or departing.

The other big change is that airports can no long report a “Nil” braking action for an active runway or taxiway; if conditions warrant this type of report that surface must be closed.

I’d suggest downloading the PDF version of this Matrix and storing it on your iPad for quick reference on the ground and in the airplane: Runway Condition Assessment Matrix

A flight jacket tells a story

October 24, 2016/in Personal stories, Pilot Gear/by studentpltnews

On a blustery, cold morning, back before I knew what lift was, a short freckled face kid strolled into the local airport to take his first airplane ride.

The flight jacket commands respect

Just about every pilot can recall his first flight, whether it was for training or for the thrill. As I stepped through that door, I knew right away who was going to be at the helm of our airborne chariot. Sitting with his legs crossed in a chair that had to be left over from a 1950s sitcom, was a man with a leather coat. Not just any coat, it was a pilot’s flight jacket. This “Member’s Only” jacket was reserved for only the finest aviators. Anyone not qualified, would just look silly. Because he possessed that unique ability to guide a piece of metal through the air, he alone could don this leather monster and command the respect of his peers by merely entering a room.

Fast forward 20 years later, one of the first items I bought once I started flight training was a leather flight jacket. I too wanted the prestige that was bestowed upon the elite few that could take to the skies. I couldn’t just walk into the local department store and find this ego boosting apparel. It wasn’t sold to the land-bound common folk. I’m sure if I looked hard enough, I could find a JC Penny or Sears-labeled “Bomber” jacket, but that wouldn’t do justice for this commander of the skies. I needed a coat that a WWII vet would be proud to stand next to. One that would last for decades and keep the battle scars of my dogfights for the entire world to see.

Flight jackets were used out of necessity in WWI

But what makes a Flight Jacket worthy of having that title? Certainly it has to have some distinctive features, but why are they there? I’m sure there wasn’t a Betsy Ross of Flight Jackets who decided that epaulets are cool. To find the origins of flight jackets, you have to turn the clock back to the WWI. Pilots of this era flew in open cockpits. Exposed to the elements, they would wear whatever they could get their hands on to protect them. The U.S. Army officially started the Aviation Clothing Board in 1917. They issued heavy-duty leather jackets with knit cuffs and knit waist bands to help seal out the cold.

During World War II, flight jackets became essential to the well being of the crew. Often flying at altitudes in excess of 25,000 feet where temperatures were well below zero, most aircraft cabins were not insulated. The only way to keep warm was a thick, heavy flight jacket. As time passed, certain crews wanted pen holders or oxygen hose clips or fluffy collars or lighter weight, but the core of the jacket remained thick and warm to protect crews from the harsh elements found at higher altitudes.

Some jackets were decorated with squadron patches or painted. The jackets were issued to more than just flight crews, and became popular with generals. The Army and the Navy each had their own type of jacket. Once the war ended and as these pilot returned home and started careers as airline captains, the jackets lived on and became a symbol of their status. Pilot wannabes (myself included) saw them as a must have to be considered a real pilot.

While considering what to put on your Christmas list, consider a flight jacket to make the aviator – a real flight jacket.

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Runway braking action reports finally make sense

A flight jacket tells a story

Runway braking action reports finally make sense

A flight jacket tells a story

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Runway braking action reports finally make sense

A flight jacket tells a story

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