January, 2009 Vol. VI, No.
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Welcome
to the
Over the
Airwaves
aviation journal. This complimentary e-publication
is prepared monthly for pilots and aviation enthusiasts around the
world. Its aim
is to promote
flight safety, encourage students and new pilots, and to build
enthusiasm for aviation in general.
Bob's Top 10 List for 2009 There are many things we can do to enhance the thrill of flying while simultaneously making what we do in airplanes both safer and personally rewarding. The key is to have a plan for self-improvement as aviators. The next step is to deliberately work that plan. Last year at this time I introduced my "Top 10 List" of things we all could do in the coming year to become more proficient pilots. Since it is that time again, here's my list for 2009.
That's my list of things to do in 2009. Follow that list or develop a list of your own. Remember, nobody becomes a more proficient pilot by doing the same things over and over. Instead, we become more proficient pilots by collectively stretching our operating envelopes. This, coupled with skilled instruction, is what safe flying is all about! Fly safe, fly smart.
Deadly Yaw . . . worsens the slower we fly! Many of us have been brought up to believe that speed kills. The faster we travel, the greater the risks. We regard fighter pilots as the "best of the best." We look at those harrowing videos of Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier. Well, here's another aviation myth that is about to be broken. Flying too fast is not nearly as hazardous as flying too slow. Here's why. As any primary flight student comes to learn, the slower we fly, the larger the required control inputs. Thus, larger aileron deflections are needed to effectively maneuver the airplane. As aileron deflection increases, drag also increases.
In a slow, left turn, for example, the downward deflection of the outside (right) aileron produces significant drag. This drag, coupled with increasing amounts of induced drag produced by the lifting outside wing, generates a significant yaw to the right. The slower we fly, the greater the yaw. When combined with the high angle of attack associated with slow flight, the risks of a stall/spin increase dramatically. How often does this happen with fatal results?? Answer: About 50 times a year in the U.S., or about one per week! Best prevention? Want to learn the best way to prevent a fatal stall/spin accident? The best way, of course, is to keep the "ball" centered by applying the proper amount of corrective rudder. Practice slow flight turns (at a safe altitude). Be sure the ball in the inclinometer remains centered throughout the turn. Next, go out with a competent instructor and practice slow flight turns while deliberately permitting the aircraft to yaw opposite the direction of the turn. Do this at a safe altitude, of course. As you approach a stall, note how the nose of the aircraft falls off to either the right or left. If left uncorrected, a stall/spin will likely result. Be careful.
Steam vs. Glass?? Some of us are old enough to remember
back in the 1960s when electronic calculators replaced the
venerable slide rules that we used to hang on our belts as
young engineering students. We also remember the
transition from DOS-based computer programs to windows.
GPS is quickly turning VORs into land-based relics of the
past. Digital TVs have replaced the old analog boxes
that have been around since Philo T. Farnsworth introduced
us to this new media back in the late 1940s.
Change comes slowly but boldly! And so it is in aviation. The
digital world has transformed the traditional steam (round)
gauge cockpit into flat glass panels that make instrument
flying a literal walk in the park. Digital age pilots no longer have to
mentally translate multiple bits of information displayed by
independent gauges sprinkled across the panel. Instead, a single glance at our glass
panels presents us with a visible horizon, regardless of the
weather outside. Our airspeed, altitude, and heading
overlay the horizon in a single package of informational
simplicity. We shift our view slightly to the right
and we see our ground track as we pass over, around, or
through things that can easily hurt us . . . like terrain,
other aircraft, and the weather. Behind these neat glass panels sits a
synthesized lady (or man, if you so prefer) who does nothing
but monitor our aircraft systems and critical flight
parameters. If something is amiss, a gentle voice
speaks to us through our headset. Even more exciting is the soon-to-arrive
synthesized visual technology (SVT) that provides a 3D image
of the world around us. The terrain below will be
displayed exactly as it is. Displays of traffic will
increase in size as they get closer. Keeping the
needles centered while on the ILS will become as obsolete as
buggy whips. But will glass make us better pilots?
Like all things in aviation, it depends!
Good pilots really need only needle, ball, and airspeed
indications to operate proficiently . . . in VFR conditions.
Bad pilots will always be a danger to themselves and to
others, regardless of cockpit technology. To answer the question of glass vs. steam
gauges, we must take into consideration general aviation's
two greatest risks. The first is safety; the
second is our declining numbers of pilots. Each risk
is discussed below. Safety: Despite the
public relations "spin" we hear from the FAA and AOPA,
our fatal accident rate continues to be 100 times worse
than the airlines. Yes, the number of fatal
accidents is down, but so is our flying hours . . . duh!
Our accident rate, however, remains statistically
unchanged for the past 7 years. Pilot Numbers: Let's
face it, learning to fly is a daunting task. The
first-time look at a panel full of round gauges can be
enough to scare off even the most enthusiastic new
student. Seeing two flat TV-like screens, on the
other hand, offers a far more inviting learning
environment. From a safety prospective, anything that
helps to organize critical flight information into an easily
assimilated form, whether it be flight attitude, terrain,
obstacles, weather, or other traffic, enhances safety.
Compare the photos above. From a pilot numbers point of view,
today's future pilots live in a digital world. Flat
panel screens to them are like a comfortable old pair of
sneakers to the rest of us. Give them steam gauges
and they'll immediately think of their father's Oldsmobile!
Okay, so glass panel technology is more
than many of us can afford. Truth be told, however,
glass panels are far less expensive to produce than a panel
full of steam gauges. That's one big reason why
nearly ALL new airplanes are coming equipped with glass
panels. It's a brave new world. If you plan
to make aviation a career, the sooner you become conversant
with the glass panels, the sooner you'll be job ready!
As for the rest of us, give glass a try. It could
change the way you fly . . .
Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance Click HERE to hear what every American should hear!
Shoulder harnesses saves lives (Duh)!
Back in 1987, the NTSB conducted a study comparing the crash survivability of people wearing shoulder harnesses versus those that did not. In the project, the NTSB examined 500 relatively severe general aviation airplane accidents to determine what proportion of the occupants would have benefited from the use of shoulder harnesses. They found that 20 percent of the fatally-injured occupants in these accidents could have survived with shoulder harnesses (assuming the seat belt was fastened) and 8 percent of the seriously injured could have had significantly less severe injuries with the use of shoulder harnesses. The NTSB concluded that shoulder harness use is the most effective way of reducing fatalities and serious injuries in general aviation accidents. For more information on the value of shoulder harnesses in airplanes, see FAA Advisory Circular 91-65.
Aerial photography is fun . . . but beware!
Such was apparently the case back in November, 2007 near Gladwin, MI when a 200 hour pilot of a 1968 Cessna 172 launched for the purpose of taking some aerial photos. According to witnesses, the pilot (who was known to frequently take aerial photographs) was in a left circling turn fairly close to the ground when the airplane suddenly banked to the right, then back to the left, before descending vertically into a wooded area below. Low, slow . . . yawed It's not difficult to piece together the aerodynamic factors that led to the demise of this aerial photographer. Getting down low is one of the keys to capturing the right photo image. Circling is required to remain over the target area. The tighter the circle, of course, the steeper the bank angle. In order to remain over the target, we also have to fly slow. This results in a high angle of attack. The outside wing in the turn is producing more lift than the inside wing - which generates more induced drag than the inside wing. Similarly, the outside wing's down aileron is producing more parasitic drag than the up aileron of the inside wing. Add all of these forces together and combine them with insufficient rudder input, we have a sure-fire formula for a spin. And that is what apparently happened in this tragic accident. Graphic detail to make a point According to the NTSB Report, the cause of death was attributed to "massive head and neck trauma secondary to plane crash." The pilot's digital camera, containing over 100 photos of the area near the crash site, was found still hanging around the pilot's neck. Lessons learned As most experienced aerial photographers will tell us, it is possible to shoot photos and fly the airplane at the same time. To do so, however, adds an element of risk that, as this case proved, is not worth taking.
There is simply too much going on
in the cockpit, whether it's flying the airplane, or
remaining clear of obstacles, or watching out for other
nearby airplanes, to shift our focus (no pun) on taking
aerial photos at the same time.
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and for pilots all over the globe. Worn Seat Tracks Can Kill! Imagine the following scenario. You
slowly advance the throttle to full power. Your
airplane begins its predictable race down the runway.
Just as you rotate and begin the climb, your seat suddenly
slides rearward. You feel your hands being ripped from
the control yoke. Instinctively, your fingers tighten,
clutching the yoke in a vain effort to pull the seat
forward. Instead, of course, your instinctive
rearward pull on the yoke causes your airplane to pitch
upward. All you see out the windscreen is blue sky.
A quick glance at the airspeed and attitude indicators
reveals that a stall is about to happen. The natural
left turning tendencies of your airplane, maximized by a
full power climb, is producing a dramatic yaw that, when
combined with the impending stall, will instantly snap your
airplane into an unrecoverable spin. The last thing you see as you struggle to
reach the controls is the image of the whirling ground
filling your windscreen. Your passengers are
screaming. Within seconds, nothing . . . This scenario is real . . . and happens
far more than you may think!
What is described above happened recently to
the pilot of a Cessna 180 on floats as he lifted off from a
lake near Whittier Alaska. Witnesses reported seeing
the airplane in a steep nose-up attitude before crashing
into the lake, killing the pilot and seriously injuring his
passenger. The airplane's wreckage was found about 800
feet from the west shoreline of the lake. During the NTSB's
on scene investigation, the pilot's seat was found in the
full aft position. There was no evidence of mechanical
problems found with the airplane's engine or flight controls
during the post-accident inspections. A missed Airworthiness Directive (AD) Sadly and for some unfortunate reason,
investigators discovered that the accident airplane was not
in compliance with an FAA airworthiness directive (AD),
87-20-03 R2 which defines the maximum acceptable wear limits
on the seat locking mechanism and seat tracks.
". . . If
the wear dimension across any hole exceeds 0.36 inch but does not exceed 0.42 inch, continue to
measure each hole every 100 hours for excessive
wear.
. . .
If the wear dimension across any hole exceeds 0.42
inch, prior to further flight, replace the seat
track."
Investigators measured each of the 17 seat
rail holes and found that 4 of the 17 holes were in excess
of 0.42 inch.
NTSB
Report Mandatory Service Bulletin . . . .
required compliance? Equally disturbing is the fact that this
airplane had not yet been brought into compliance with a
Cessna issued mandatory service bulletin, SEB07-5, which
required the installation of a secondary seat stop kit for
the pilot seat. This SB states that compliance is
mandatory within the next 200 hours of operation or 12
months, whichever occurs first. This SB had been issued
about 4 months before the accident, and the airplane had
flown about 22.4 hours since its issuance. The accident
airplane was not equipped with the secondary seat stop kit.
Take a look beneath your seat! Unless your airplane is brand new, take a
close look at the seat tracks. Examine the holes
carefully. If they appear worn or mis-shapened, have
an A&P look at them before you fly. Next, be certain that your seat is securely
locked in the track before takeoff. Give it an
aggressive fore and aft push just to be certain that your
seat is, indeed, locked in the track. Lastly, check the service bulletins for your
aircraft. If any requires a secondary seat locking
device, be sure it is there and is operational. If
not, don't fly! Aside from the obvious, this event reminds us of the importance of ADs and SBs. Theoretically, airplanes cannot get through required annual inspections unless all applicable ADs are complied with. This requirement, however, does not apply to service bulletins. Most A&P IAs leave SB compliance up to the aircraft owners. Remember who is ultimately responsible for the airworthiness of any airplane? That's right, the owner/operator. This includes, of course, renters who like to shop around for the lowest rental rates and who gleefully jump in and fly less than optimally maintained relics from an earlier age! To Turbo or Not Turbo . . . that is the question Few other aircraft components are the victim of such debate, discussion, and controversy as the intrepid turbocharger. Old wives tales (OWTs) abound about this miracle device that transforms piston aircraft from ground hugging aerial vehicles to high flying machines that spend most of their time above the bumps and precipitation that annoy pilots and scare passengers. Here are but a few of the OWTs that discredit turbochargers:
In summary, everything we do in airplanes should be about safety. Having a turbocharger onboard simply increases the options we have when avoiding either high terrain or threatening weather. Perhaps the greatest advantage of turbocharging is that we can reach altitudes where gliding to an airport is nearly ALWAYS possible should the engine fail. Do the math. Operating four miles up (20,000') in an airplane with an 8:1 glide ratio makes it possible to glide 32 miles in no wind. Think about that the next time you're flying at night over water or hostile terrain! Aero-News.Net Features OTA in Podcasts
"Stop Flying Before Landing" is the latest in a series of podcasts Bob Miller has been doing with Aero-News.Net's Paul Plack. You can hear, or download for later listening, these 15 minute interviews and any of the previously conducted podcasts by clicking on the titles below: Podcast Titles[Click on desired titles - several minutes may be required to download.] Titles in RED are new since the last OTA. By the way, Aero-News.Net is a FREE daily online publication that is packed with aviation related news. It is the first thing I read every morning. You can log on to Aero-News.Net and subscribe for your free subscription by clicking HERE.
Imagine having the piloting skills, time, money, enthusiastic spouse, and capable airplane to spend long weekends flying to romantic places throughout the Western Hemisphere. OTA knows such a couple. They are John and Connie Bouck of Auburn, NY.Not only do John and Connie spend nearly every weekend in either their Cessna 210 or their Cessna 180 on floats, they are eager to share their experiences with us via this new OTA feature. Click HERE to read the second in an ongoing series of "It's Up to You to Get Away." This trip is to Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada!!!! This is particularly good reading for pilot spouses who haven't yet captured the excitement of flying!!!!! Runway Incursions . . .
Being someplace where we are not supposed to be (or getting there without a clearance) continues to be a problem, particularly among GA pilots operating around larger, unfamiliar tower controlled airports. As such, we can all benefit from an occasional review of standard airport signage. Take a piece of paper and cover up the right-hand column on the chart below, then interpret the signs shown in the adjoining left-hand column. How well did you do?
Helpful Sponsors Please support OTA's helpful sponsors by clicking on the images below where you will find ordering information.
Note: If you have an aviation-related product or service you would like to promote and help underwrite the continued publication of Over the Airwaves, please send an email to rjma@rjma.com.BMFT Completes First Year . . .
Putting all of these things together, BMFT had a very good first year. This dispels the wide-spread mistaken belief that flight training is a losing proposition and that profits cannot be made in general aviation. Topping off a long list of surprises, BMFT had its best financial month this past December, just weeks after our national economy tanked. Undeterred by the doom and gloom shouted far and wide by our noisy media, our flight students never missed a scheduled lesson. Equally important, a record number of new flight students signed up for training during the months of November and December. Our staff, facilities, and friends . . .
BMFT now employs two
full-time instructors, four part-time instructors, and a
part-time ramp serviceman. Our training fleet is now
up to three leased and four privately owned aircraft.
Four of these aircraft are G-1000 equipped
We now lease six hangars, two offices, and a large classroom facility. The only thing that will help us now is new construction . . . and we're working vigorously on that! And the entire operation is supported by an outstanding aircraft maintenance effort spearheaded by George Ezzo, A&P. Logistically, we receive tremendous cooperation from airport management headed up by Tom Geles, board chairman, and Eric Wobshall, airport director. BMFT would not have been possible without the direct support and involvement of the Cessna Aircraft Company, and specifically their regional manager, Jim DeLong. Granting us recognition as a Cessna Pilot Center (CPC) opened doors of opportunity, training, and marketing support that made it possible for us to grow month after month. Perhaps the most significant help came to us from what may seem as a likely competitor . . . Dunkirk Aviation Sales and Service, Inc. located in Dunkirk, NY. It's owner, Louie Nalbone and his number two guy, Carl Bjurlin, provided more support than anybody could ever, ever imagine! Then came winter's worst . . . It's no surprise to anyone that Buffalo, NY experiences some of the harshest weather in the nation. This past December was no exception as Mother Nature pounded us with over 24 inches of snow coupled with high winds and towering drifts in two separate back-to-back storms just before Christmas. These two storms shut down general aviation in area airports except the Buffalo-Lancaster Regional Airport, our home base.
Our snow team members assembled a mechanized army of heavy snow removal equipment that mirrored that of the nearby Buffalo/Niagara International Airport. December could have easily been a disastrous month for BMFT, but we not only survived, we prospered thanks to our forward-thinking airport management and our crack snow removal team! Equally important, our airport tenants never missed an opportunity to fly, despite the record snowfall! Built on innovative flight training . . . BMFT believes that one of the quickest ways of destroying a primary flight student's enthusiasm is to follow the traditional flight training curriculum. Take him to the practice area to practice climbs, descents, turns, slow flight, followed by multiple takeoffs and landings at one or two nearby airports. How do you spell "B - O - R - I - N - G?"
Our students use the flight director before they learn to tune and identify VORs. They learn vertical navigation before they solo. Each flight is a new mission with new scenarios introduced along the way. It's important to note that we cover every element in the traditional primary training syllabus . . . we just do it in a different and far more rational order than prescribed! Beyond the cockpit . . . BMFT goes beyond the traditional cockpit by bringing student pilots and local air traffic controllers together over dinner as we did early in December at the Buffalo Chop House. We also conduct field trips where students visit the Buffalo TRACON and the Buffalo National Weather Service office as we will be doing in mid-January. Recognizing that young people represent the future of all aviation, we're now in talks with several local public school districts to conduct "Adventures in Flight" courses for area high school students during the academic day. We're doing this in addition to participating in high school career days in the Buffalo City Schools and in the Williamsville, NY School District. Specialized training . . . Unlike traditional flight schools, BMFT features a wide array of specialized flight training opportunities. Advanced instrument students hone their skills while maneuvering in and around the five New York City airports. Primary students operate into and out of grass and sometimes snow covered landing strips nestled in narrow valleys and heavily wooded areas. We embrace rather than avoid winter flight. Our students learn where the "back doors" are when maneuvering in and around cold clouds. Rather than leaving the outcome of unintended icing encounters to fate, our students know when to climb, when to descend, and when to turn around. You don't get this kind of training in the typical GA simulator! We also provide factory approved training in the fastest single engine piston aircraft in the world . . . the Cessna 400 (pictured below)!
In summary, our first 12 months of operation vastly exceeded our most optimistic expectations, thus proving that there is a better way to teach people how to fly and advance through the ratings. When other flight schools follow suit, we can expect a dramatic increase in new pilots entering the system and a corresponding reduction in our fatal accident rate! All in all, it was a busy year with lots of hard work and wonderful support from valued friends. Was it worth it? You bet!
In reviewing NTSB fatal accident reports, I
occasionally run across a scenario that reveals a pilot's
almost shocking disregard for the world around him. In
one particular report (see quote above), the pilot used
wheel chocks to knock the ice off his wings and vertical
stabilizer of his Mooney M20K ,
Weather at the time was reported as winds at 3 knots, visibility 1 statute mile with light snow and mist, a broken cloud layer at 700 feet, 1,500 foot overcast, temperature and dew point of minus 1 degree Celsius. Predictably, he used most of the 5,581 foot long runway to become airborne. Seconds later, the pilot pressed the mike button and said, "Mayday, mayday, two five one bravo delta going down." There were no further communications with the airplane. The airport impacted the ground about 1.5 miles from the runway, slight right of the extended centerline. It left a 40 foot long ground impact scar. The cockpit area, forward of the trailing edge of the wing, was consumed by fire, and it was still smoldering at the time of the onsite investigation. The tail cone, aft of the cabin area, exhibited extensive wrinkling. The empennage surfaces were intact; the elevator was resting in the down position, and the rudder was neutral. Control continuity of the rudder and elevator was established to the aft portion of the cabin. Both the pilot and his passenger were
killed.
Regrettably and in typical NTSB style, little or nothing is told to us about the pilot's level of training or experience in the Probable Cause report. Was this his first time encounter with icing conditions? Did he have a history of piloting neglect? We simply do not know. Lessons for us . . . The only possible good arising from accidents like this are the lessons we can take from them. Foremost among these lessons is that airplanes cannot fly out of ground effect with wings contaminated with snow or ice. Less obvious is the fact that even a paper thin layer of ice or frost with roughness equal to medium grit sandpaper is sufficient to spoil lift! The airplane may climb in ground effect but, as in this accident, it cannot rise above it. Second, the pilot's attempt to use steel wheel chocks to bang the ice off of his airplane reveals a temperament that is not conducive to safe flight . . . not to mention the care and wellbeing of his aircraft. Lastly, we need to examine the actions of people observing this pilot's behavior. According to the NTSB report, the person who refueled the accident pilot's airplane, himself an experienced pilot, reported having to scrape snow and ice from around the fuel filler cap to get it opened. Did this person have a responsibility to influence the pilot's behavior? Should he have persuaded the pilot to remain on the ground? Okay, so we pilots are free spirits. That's why we fly. Perhaps more of us would be alive today had some more knowledgeable soul intervened before we killed ourselves. Sure, nobody likes to meddle in other peoples' business, but in scenarios like this, somebody should have flattened the man's nose tire! Fly safe, Bob Miller, CFII, ATP Upcoming
Past Issues of Click
HERE
to open any previous issue(s) of Technical Assistance
I would like to thank the following technical assistance
contributors for their valuable help in producing OTA every
month: Cameron Dunlop, Corning, NY;
Dan Maloney, Clarence, NY; Barry McCollom, Kerrville, TX; Thom
Riddle, Buffalo, NY; and
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Are
two engines better than one? Do men make better pilots
than women? Is it pitch or power that controls
altitude?
We
all know that seatbelts save lives, whether in an automobile
or aircraft. How many of us, however, recognize the
value of shoulder harnesses when we fly?
Small
GA aircraft offers a wonderful platform from which to
photograph buildings and property. In fact, what we
see through the camera viewfinder can be so breathtaking
that we forget to fly the airplane.
This,
of course, raises the question as to whether or not a
mandatory service bulletin is mandatory. We'll leave
that discussion for another time and place.
Regardless, had this secondary seat stop been properly
installed, this pilot would likely be alive today!
It's
Up to You to Fly Away - "Off to Mont
Tremblant."
Having
just completed our first full year of operation at the
Buffalo-Lancaster Regional Airport, Bob Miller Flight
Training, Inc. (BMFT) demonstrated the enormous power of
teamwork, innovative training curricula, creative
advertising, superb customer service, and the offering of
late model, glass cockpit equipped training aircraft.
2008
Cessnas including two brand new Cessna 400s.
Earlier
this year, Tom Geles put together a snow removal plan that
was built upon the teamwork of many talented tenant pilots
and friends of the airport, all working under the leadership
of George Ezzo, A&P. Snow team members included Sloan
Miller, Jason Macken, Gerry Griffiths, and Gary Griffiths.
Instead,
BMFT makes every flight a trip to a new airport. This
frequently necessitates a climb up through IFR conditions to
clear, smooth skies above. Our students learn to
navigate before they learn steep turns. They master
the autopilot before we talk about stalls.
then
took off with a rough coating of ice and one-half inch of
snow on his wings. 
