Do you have an easy way to remember the required tests and inspecions for IFR flight? Any time we are required to use rote memory to remember academic material, acronyms are a useful tool.
I just came up with one while looking through the Instrument Oral Exam Guide from ASA for the required tests and inspections before we can legally fly IFR. Here you go. A1ATPVE. Kind of has a ring to it. Here's what it stands for.
A-Annual inspection every 12 calendar months.
1-100 Hr inspection every 100 hrs if flown for hire.
A-Altimeter inspection every 24 calendar months.
T-Transponder inspection every 24 calendar months.
P-Pitot/static system inspection every 24 calendar months.
V-VOR accuracy test every 30 days.
E-ELT battery every 12 calendar months.
There you go. Just remember A1 Sauce, Airline Transport Pilot, and I don't know anything for the VE. Let me know if it works out for you.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
"Practice Approaches" in IMC
On a lesson a few weeks ago, I decided it was time to introduce one of my instrument students to IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions). It rained on and off all day long, and the ceilings were hanging around the 1,000 ft mark, give or take 200-300 ft.
By about the time our lesson rolled around, there was a pretty decent break in the weather and the ceiling consistently remained around 1,200 ft. There was very very light rain falling at the time, and the radar showed just very light stuff in the vicinity of the field.
I figured these would be good enough conditions for him to get in some practice approaches and if need be I could take over if he got flustered with being in the clouds.
We filed IFR, conducted our preflight, got our clearance and took off. Then wouldn't you know it, we got up there and ATC comes on to tell us that visibilities have reduced to 1/2 mile and the ceiling had dropped substantially (I think to around 500 ft). Also our flight school Chief CFI had called our approach facility and gave us instructions to land because these conditions were below the minimums for the flight school (1,000 & 3).
Now granted, this was far from any sort of emergency situation, but at that point, I knew that this was no longer a training flight. This was real IFR, and we were no longer doing "practice approaches." I took the controls after ATC told us to abandon the VOR approach we were doing and gave us vectors for an ILS. My student was doing fine, but I wanted the controls at that point.
Now I do think it is definitely important for all instrument students to see IMC as much as possible before the checkride, because it is a lot different than being under the hood. Just remember that when you actually file IFR and get up in the clouds, it's time to step it up a notch or two, because this is the real deal. Make sure you are in fact proficient on instruments any time you plan on getting in the clouds. Bottom line...IMC deserves our respect.
By about the time our lesson rolled around, there was a pretty decent break in the weather and the ceiling consistently remained around 1,200 ft. There was very very light rain falling at the time, and the radar showed just very light stuff in the vicinity of the field.
I figured these would be good enough conditions for him to get in some practice approaches and if need be I could take over if he got flustered with being in the clouds.
We filed IFR, conducted our preflight, got our clearance and took off. Then wouldn't you know it, we got up there and ATC comes on to tell us that visibilities have reduced to 1/2 mile and the ceiling had dropped substantially (I think to around 500 ft). Also our flight school Chief CFI had called our approach facility and gave us instructions to land because these conditions were below the minimums for the flight school (1,000 & 3).
Now granted, this was far from any sort of emergency situation, but at that point, I knew that this was no longer a training flight. This was real IFR, and we were no longer doing "practice approaches." I took the controls after ATC told us to abandon the VOR approach we were doing and gave us vectors for an ILS. My student was doing fine, but I wanted the controls at that point.
The point of the story is that "practice approaches" in IFR conditions are not practice approaches at all. They are the real thing.
Now I do think it is definitely important for all instrument students to see IMC as much as possible before the checkride, because it is a lot different than being under the hood. Just remember that when you actually file IFR and get up in the clouds, it's time to step it up a notch or two, because this is the real deal. Make sure you are in fact proficient on instruments any time you plan on getting in the clouds. Bottom line...IMC deserves our respect.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Night Engine Failure Strategy & Discussion
A couple nights ago, while on a night cross country flight I was wondering what we would really do if we happened to lose our engine power. Strategy for putting a powerless plane down at night is a subject that is rarely discussed, which is why I thought it would make for a good topic of discussion.
I can't write about this topic without stating up front how extremely rare that complete and unpreventable loss of engine power is at any time, let alone at night. However, it is something we should be prepared for in case it does happen.
There is of course a classic saying one of my professors always said when referring to an emergency landing at night, and I'm sure it has been quoted by many an aviator over time. "Flip your landing light on, and if you don't like what you see, turn it off."
Makes for a good chuckle of course, but seriously, what is a good strategy for engine out operations at night. A question like this, as well as any other, should always start with a search through the FAA publications to see their take on it.
The Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3) discusses this subject of Night Emergencies at the end of Chapter 10. First of all, it states that just like any other engine failure, the first thing you should do is maintain positive control of the aircraft and pitch for best glide speed. It then states that that you should attempt to determine the cause of the failure, attempt a restart, and communicate your emergency with ATC if unable to restart. Again, this doesn't vary from what you would do any other time.
The extra considerations for night conditions come in when they mention the following recommendations.
Those are the FAA's guidelines so let's take a close look at what they are getting at exactly and then I'll throw in my 2 cents. They say if you know the condition of the terrain, aim for the unlighted portion. The key words there are "if it is known." What if you don't know the condition? You may be aiming for a forest, when a perfectly lit street is close by. On the other hand, if you know there is a nice level field underneath you, by all means use it. Landing close to public access is important also. What if you needed medical help after landing? This could mean the difference between waiting two hours for an ambulance or 10 minutes. That could be the difference between life and death. I would immediately turn the landing light on as soon as I knew I had to put it down. The sooner you can see any obstacles, the sooner you may be able to take action to avoid them.
I'm also a firm believer that being a safe and smart pilot is all about leaving yourself as many outs as possible. An out is simply a way out of something that is hazardous or has the potential to become hazardous. For instance, a way out of icing conditions may be the ability to climb above the clouds. A way out of thunderstorm hazards may be the fact that you are staying out of the clouds to increase your ability to see and avoid them.
The cold hard truth is that when you fly at night, you simply lose one of your biggest outs: the ability to see the surface of the Earth so you can choose your landing spot more wisely. Knowing this, what can we do to possibly improve our odds in addition to what the FAA recommends? Here's my advice. Pick a high cruising altitude. This will give you more time to troubleshoot and a greater gliding distance, possibly to an airport. It also wouldn't hurt to choose a route which takes you over or near several other airports along the way. If the engine did fail, wouldn't it be nice to know you had an airport underneath you? Also use VFR flight following or go IFR, even if in VFR conditions. ATC may be able to vector you to a good landing spot.
I hope this sheds some light on the subject and if nothing else, gets you thinking about what your strategy would be for night engine failures. I'm not trying to scare anyone out of flying at night, because I think it can be some of the most pleasant and enjoyable flying that there is. But we always must know that potential hazards that exist whenever we take to the skies, no matter what the conditions.
I can't write about this topic without stating up front how extremely rare that complete and unpreventable loss of engine power is at any time, let alone at night. However, it is something we should be prepared for in case it does happen.
There is of course a classic saying one of my professors always said when referring to an emergency landing at night, and I'm sure it has been quoted by many an aviator over time. "Flip your landing light on, and if you don't like what you see, turn it off."
Makes for a good chuckle of course, but seriously, what is a good strategy for engine out operations at night. A question like this, as well as any other, should always start with a search through the FAA publications to see their take on it.
The Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3) discusses this subject of Night Emergencies at the end of Chapter 10. First of all, it states that just like any other engine failure, the first thing you should do is maintain positive control of the aircraft and pitch for best glide speed. It then states that that you should attempt to determine the cause of the failure, attempt a restart, and communicate your emergency with ATC if unable to restart. Again, this doesn't vary from what you would do any other time.
The extra considerations for night conditions come in when they mention the following recommendations.
- If the condition of the nearby terrain is known, turn towards an unlighted portion of the area. Plan an emergency approach to an unlighted portion.
- Consider an emergency landing area close to public access if possible. This may facilitate rescue or help, if needed.
- Complete the before landing checklist, and check the landing lights for operation at altitude and turn ON in sufficient time to illuminate the terrain or obstacles along the flightpath. The landing should be completed in the normal landing attitude at the slowest possible airspeed. If the landing lights are unusable and outside visual references are not available, the airplane should be held in level-landing attitude until the ground is contacted.
Those are the FAA's guidelines so let's take a close look at what they are getting at exactly and then I'll throw in my 2 cents. They say if you know the condition of the terrain, aim for the unlighted portion. The key words there are "if it is known." What if you don't know the condition? You may be aiming for a forest, when a perfectly lit street is close by. On the other hand, if you know there is a nice level field underneath you, by all means use it. Landing close to public access is important also. What if you needed medical help after landing? This could mean the difference between waiting two hours for an ambulance or 10 minutes. That could be the difference between life and death. I would immediately turn the landing light on as soon as I knew I had to put it down. The sooner you can see any obstacles, the sooner you may be able to take action to avoid them.
I'm also a firm believer that being a safe and smart pilot is all about leaving yourself as many outs as possible. An out is simply a way out of something that is hazardous or has the potential to become hazardous. For instance, a way out of icing conditions may be the ability to climb above the clouds. A way out of thunderstorm hazards may be the fact that you are staying out of the clouds to increase your ability to see and avoid them.
The cold hard truth is that when you fly at night, you simply lose one of your biggest outs: the ability to see the surface of the Earth so you can choose your landing spot more wisely. Knowing this, what can we do to possibly improve our odds in addition to what the FAA recommends? Here's my advice. Pick a high cruising altitude. This will give you more time to troubleshoot and a greater gliding distance, possibly to an airport. It also wouldn't hurt to choose a route which takes you over or near several other airports along the way. If the engine did fail, wouldn't it be nice to know you had an airport underneath you? Also use VFR flight following or go IFR, even if in VFR conditions. ATC may be able to vector you to a good landing spot.
I hope this sheds some light on the subject and if nothing else, gets you thinking about what your strategy would be for night engine failures. I'm not trying to scare anyone out of flying at night, because I think it can be some of the most pleasant and enjoyable flying that there is. But we always must know that potential hazards that exist whenever we take to the skies, no matter what the conditions.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Cross Country Flight Planning Checklist
When cross country flight planning, I know that it can be a little overwhelming at times. Between calling for briefings, filling out the nav log, filing the flight plan, familiarizing yourself with the destination airports, and so on, it can get a little hectic, especially when you're trying to cram it all in in a short period of time.
Way back when, after I got my instrument rating, and I was really trying to build up cross country time for my Commercial, I decided it would be a good idea to develop a cross country planning checklist. I mean, why not? We use checklists for flying the airplane. It only makes sense to make a checklist for this workload intensive task before we hop in the plane. Besides I needed something to help simplify the process.
We use checklists to make sure we don't leave anything out, and that's exactly why I developed this. I give this to my students, and believe you all should use one as well. Here's the one I use and in this order.
1. Obtain an overall weather picture of the entire region (morning news, Weather Channel, internet, etc.)
2. Select destination based on weather conditions.
3. Select most practical route (check for IFR preferred routes).
4. Check NOTAMs for navigational aids to confirm the flight can be completed according to the selected route.
5. Select checkpoints, measure distances, and fill in navigation log.
6. Fill in true course figures, for all segments of flight.
7. Study weather charts to obtain a thorough understanding of current and forecast weather conditions.
8. Select cruise altitude considering winds aloft, cloud tops, freezing level, turbulence, PIREPs, etc.
9. Obtain weather briefing from Flight Service and make go/no-go decision.
10. Determine alternate airports(s) if necessary.
11. Become familiar with airports of intended landing, with information such as runway lengths and slopes, communication frequencies, airport elevations, traffic pattern altitudes, equipment required for airspace to be entered, etc.
12. Calculate course heading(s) and ground speed(s) and fill in navigation log.
13. Calculate density altitude, takeoff and landing distances, weight and balance, and necessary performance figures from charts.
14. Fill in remaining times to calculate time enroute, and select point to start descent.
15. Calculate total fuel burn and fill in navigation log.
16. File your flight plan.
Phew! There you have it. There really is a lot to do before a cross country flight isn't there? Yes, there is, but you know what? This is the right way to do it. Never forget the importance of all of this planning. Of course it can be a bit tedious, but if things start to go a little sour in the air, you may end up being sorry you didn't plan sufficiently.
Print this off and use it. Modify it and put in your own notes if you wish, but make sure you get this stuff done one way or another. When you get in the cockpit, you'll feel confident and more ready to handle any sort of curveballs that should arrive. Good luck and have fun. Cross country flights are why we learn to fly and are my favorite part of being a pilot. So long!
Way back when, after I got my instrument rating, and I was really trying to build up cross country time for my Commercial, I decided it would be a good idea to develop a cross country planning checklist. I mean, why not? We use checklists for flying the airplane. It only makes sense to make a checklist for this workload intensive task before we hop in the plane. Besides I needed something to help simplify the process.
We use checklists to make sure we don't leave anything out, and that's exactly why I developed this. I give this to my students, and believe you all should use one as well. Here's the one I use and in this order.
1. Obtain an overall weather picture of the entire region (morning news, Weather Channel, internet, etc.)
2. Select destination based on weather conditions.
3. Select most practical route (check for IFR preferred routes).
4. Check NOTAMs for navigational aids to confirm the flight can be completed according to the selected route.
5. Select checkpoints, measure distances, and fill in navigation log.
6. Fill in true course figures, for all segments of flight.
7. Study weather charts to obtain a thorough understanding of current and forecast weather conditions.
8. Select cruise altitude considering winds aloft, cloud tops, freezing level, turbulence, PIREPs, etc.
9. Obtain weather briefing from Flight Service and make go/no-go decision.
10. Determine alternate airports(s) if necessary.
11. Become familiar with airports of intended landing, with information such as runway lengths and slopes, communication frequencies, airport elevations, traffic pattern altitudes, equipment required for airspace to be entered, etc.
12. Calculate course heading(s) and ground speed(s) and fill in navigation log.
13. Calculate density altitude, takeoff and landing distances, weight and balance, and necessary performance figures from charts.
14. Fill in remaining times to calculate time enroute, and select point to start descent.
15. Calculate total fuel burn and fill in navigation log.
16. File your flight plan.
Phew! There you have it. There really is a lot to do before a cross country flight isn't there? Yes, there is, but you know what? This is the right way to do it. Never forget the importance of all of this planning. Of course it can be a bit tedious, but if things start to go a little sour in the air, you may end up being sorry you didn't plan sufficiently.
Print this off and use it. Modify it and put in your own notes if you wish, but make sure you get this stuff done one way or another. When you get in the cockpit, you'll feel confident and more ready to handle any sort of curveballs that should arrive. Good luck and have fun. Cross country flights are why we learn to fly and are my favorite part of being a pilot. So long!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
