Welcome
to the
Over the
Airwaves
aviation journal. This complimentary bi-weekly e-mailing
is being sent to 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.
Dear Pilots and Aviation
Enthusiasts:
How do you explain why two professional
pilots, one an airline pilot and the other a commercially
rated pilot flying for a state agency, could collide in VFR
conditions? How do you tell a waiting wife and mother that her
husband and three young children will never be coming home
because somebody was not paying attention in an airplane?
These two questions are being asked right
now in a little town just north of Anchorage, Alaska.
The weather was picture-perfect. The mission for the
father and his three children in one airplane was a short
flight to a Civil Air Patrol social gathering. The
other pilot's mission was a test flight following an annual
inspection.
One pilot was flying
north at between 1,500 and 2,000 feet. The other was
flying southeast . . . at between 1,500 and 2,000 feet.
They were on a collision course.
While it is unfair to speculate as to cause
until the NTSB completes its investigation, it appears
evident that somebody was not looking
out the window. They were not talking with ATC.
Likely, both were enjoying the pursuit of their respective
missions.
The only unusual thing that occurred that
morning in Chugiak, Alaska were the sights and sounds of two
airplanes colliding and exploding on impact and airplane and
body parts falling from the sky.
Like the sea . . . . terribly
unforgiving!
 There
is a popular quote emblazoned on a plaque that can be purchased
from Sporty's. It says, "Flying, like the sea, is
inherently safe . . . but terribly unforgiving of any
incapacity, oversight, or neglect." On this plaque
is the image of an airplane hanging up side down in a tree!
I have this plaque hanging in my office.
Flying IS inherently safe . . . for the
proficient pilot. But proficiency must be continually
worked at. When replaced even for a moment by
complacency, the proficient pilot becomes a serious hazard
to himself and to others.
The annals of aviation history are replete
with accounts of how 23,000 hour airline pilots do things
like failing to remove the control lock from their Cessna
172, then crashing on takeoff. Most gear-up landings
occur to high time pilots. We make no
secret of the fact that 79 percent of all GA
accidents are due to some form of pilot screw up!
Incapacity, oversight, or neglect
 Human
nature is a powerful thing. If our nature leads us to
believe that we are good; that we are the best sticks
on the airfield; that we are invincible - beware!
If our nature tells us that we operate in a
big sky; that the chance of accident is slim;
that we can afford to skip the checklist just this one time
- beware!
If our nature tells us that everybody else
should stay out of our way; that we own the traffic
pattern; that we can fly in any weather conditions -
beware!
Becoming a disciplined pilot
The only defense against an airplane
accident is to develop a disciplined approach to everything we
do in the cockpit. Whether it is mastering crosswind
landings or the way we park our airplane on the ramp, we need to
transform ourselves into a truly proficient, highly
disciplined pilot.
Here are just a couple of things we can do
in this regard:
1. We have a radio - use it frequently
to announce your position.
2. We have a transponder - always have it
on with Mode C operating.
3. We have ATC services - always check
in and obtain a squawk code.
4. We have affordable GPS capability -
incorporate it in your cockpit.
5. We have flight training resources -
use them to expand your skills.
6. We have the privilege to fly - fly
frequently.
7. We have a brain and a pair of eyes -
keep them both turned on.
Becoming and remaining a proficient pilot
requires continuous, dedicated effort. This effort
begins with steps 1 through 7 above. Had all seven
steps been actively pursued that morning north of Anchorage,
there would be several fewer families grieving today!
|
Fly Safe!
Bob Miller, ATP, CFII
Buffalo, NY
rjma@rjma.com
716-864-8100 |
|
 For
airplane owners, getting an annual inspection is just something
we do. It is sometimes costly and it generally takes a
couple of days to complete. And annuals also uncover at
least one surprise. It could be a worn control cable pulley, a soft
cylinder, a frayed wire, a leaking hydraulic line, whatever.
From a safety perspective, annual inspections always prove to
be a very wise thing to do. If our airplanes are used for
hire, we augment annual inspections with 100 hour inspections.
These, too, are very effective ways of uncovering potential
trouble spots in our airplane.
Have you had your "Annual Pilot Inspection?"
 A
"what," you say? A pilot inspection? There is no
requirement to undergo an annual pilot inspection!
Do one anyway. You could find as many squawks in your
piloting skills as you might find in a 40 year old Cessna 310
that has not been maintained well.
Hire the most qualified and experienced flight instructor you
can find and run through the following exercises:
1. Spin Recoveries:
Okay, so they are not required by any Practical Test
Standards except for CFIs. Get proficient anyway!
Remember, most normal category airplanes are certified for
a one turn spin. Check with your POH to be sure.
If it is not, go up with a CFI in a spin certified trainer.
What you learn could save your life!
2. Emergency Upset Recoveries:
Close your eyes as your CFI gently rolls your airplane
into a 60 degree bank, power-on pitch to stall, then open
your eyes and recover. Repeat the exercise, again from
a 60 degree bank in the opposite direction, with power-off
pitch to stall.
Repeat each of these exercise while under the hood to
simulate upsets in the clouds.
3. Crosswind Hover Taxiing:
 Find
the longest available runway possible that provides the
greatest crosswind component. Make a normal approach
to landing, but hold the airplane at Vso+5kts no more than
six feet off of the entire length of the runway before going
around. The higher the crosswinds, the better (within
the demonstrated crosswind component of your airplane).
The key to this exercise is to track the runway center
line while maintaining a constant six foot altitude along
the entire length.
4. Crosswind Runway Skips:
This is the same as
the crosswind hover taxi exercise except that via a series
of power-offs and power-ons you deliberately "touch" the
runway as many times as possible with each pass. When
you really get good, try "touching" the runway with
alternating main gear wheels. Called the "turkey
trot," performing this exercise effectively in a stiff
crosswind requires a great deal of pilot proficiency!
5. 360
Degree Power-off Landings:
This is one
of the most effective energy management exercises we can
perform. Fly over the arrival end of the runway at
500' above the pattern altitude. Reduce power to idle,
lower the flaps and gear as you make one descending 360
degree turning glide and touch down on the first one-third
of the runway.
6. Flight
in Actual IFR:
IFR rated or not,
have your CFII secure a block altitude IFR clearance, then
penetrate the clouds. Once inside, begin a series of
climbs, descents, turns, steep turns, and slow flight. Every minute you spend in
actual IFR conditions, the better prepared you will be to
handle an unexpected loss of horizon or ground contact.
The stuff that
causes accidents
Notice that the above exercises are not your usual private pilot
or BFR drills. Instead, they address the very flight
scenarios that typically lead to accidents. These are the
scenarios we need to practice at least once a year with a
skilled, experienced flight instructor.
A word of caution:
Few pilots
can perform each of these maneuvers with precision. They
are difficult to perform correctly every time. Many CFI's
will have difficulty with them, too! If you cannot perform
each with precision, your ability to prevent an accident may be
seriously compromised. Get out and practice them . . .
frequently!
 The
fact that ultraviolet light found in the atmosphere is a
well-known fact among pilots. The damaging effect of
ultraviolet light to the human eye is, perhaps, less well known!
Radiation from the sun can damage skin and eyes when exposure is
excessive or too intense.
Why
sunglasses are necessary
Fortunately, the earth’s atmosphere shelters us from the more
hazardous solar radiation (i.e., gamma and X-ray); however, both
infrared and ultraviolet radiation are present in our
environment in varying amounts. This is dependant upon
factors such as the time of day and year, latitude, altitude,
weather conditions, and the reflectivity of surrounding
surfaces.
Fact: Exposure to ultraviolet radiation increases by
approximately 5 percent for every 1,000 feet of altitude.
Atmospheric infrared energy consists of long-wavelength
radiation (780 to 1400 nanometers [nm]. The warmth felt from the
sun is provided by infrared radiation and is thought to be
harmless to the skin and eyes at normal atmospheric exposure
levels. More hazardous to human tissues is
short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation.
Ultraviolet light - What is it?
 Ultraviolet
is divided into three bandwidths: UVA (400 – 315 nm), UVB (315 –
280 nm), and UVC (< 280 nm). Excessive or chronic exposure
to UVA and, to a greater extent, UVB, can cause sunburn, skin
cancers, and is implicated in the formation of cataracts,
macular degeneration, and other eye maladies.
Fortunately, UVC, the most harmful form of ultraviolet
radiation, is absorbed by the atmosphere’s ozone layer before it
reaches the earth’s surface. Some scientists believe, however,
that depletion of the ozone layer may allow more ultraviolet to
pass through the atmosphere.
The American Optometric Association recommends wearing
sunglasses that incorporate 99 – 100% UVA and UVB protection.
Caution: Do not wear polarized sunglasses in the
cockpit!
Polarized lenses are not recommended for use in the
aviation environment. While useful for blocking reflected light
from horizontal surfaces such as water or snow, polarization can
reduce or eliminate the visibility of instruments that
incorporate anti-glare filters.
Polarized lenses may also interfere with visibility through
an aircraft windscreen by enhancing striations in laminated
materials and mask the sparkle of light that reflects off shiny
surfaces such as another aircraft’s wing or windscreen, which
can reduce the time a pilot has to react in a “see-and-avoid”
traffic situation.
Source:
FAA Safety Brochures
 There
is probably no greater hazard to general aviation than the pilot
who flies infrequently. Believing himself to have retained
the necessary skills to remain safe aloft, he or she becomes an
instant risk to himself and to others around him.
Is it circumstances or disinterest?
There are dozens of valid reasons why we pilots cannot
exercise our flying privileges several days a week. Job
and time pressures; high cost of flying; lack of
available aircraft; illness or loss of medical.
These conditions are oftentimes outside of our control.
Or, the problem could be a simple lack of interest.
The disinterested pilot suddenly gets an urge to fly, so he or
she goes out to the local aerodrome, rents or pulls his airplane
out of the hangar, kicks the tires, starts the engine and flies.
Either way, whenever a non-current, non-proficient pilot
takes to the air, one of two things can result. First, the
skies will contain a good-intentioned, rogue pilot whose
understanding of the airspace around him is challenged.
Give him lots of space!
Second, general aviation will likely take another hit on
the accident counter. Sure, piloting skills have residual
strength. Pull back on the yoke, the aircraft pitches up,
etc., but the skills that deteriorate quickly are "recovery"
skills. What to do with a bounced or ballooned landing?
What to do when the airplane slows, stalls, and begins to roll
right or left? What to do when coming in hot and long over
the runway? What to do when ATC begins a rapid-fire
barrage of navigational instructions?
Yes, Virginia, there is a solution!
 There
are a couple of steps an infrequent pilot can do to remain safe in
the air. The first, of course, is to become a frequent
pilot. Set aside a couple hours each week or month to fly!
Like every other perishable skill, frequent exercise of that
skill pays off handsomely.
If frequent flying is not possible, then make what flying
you do meaningful. Get aloft with a CFI twice yearly and run
through a complete set of maneuvers. Review the airspace
system. Practice unusual attitude recoveries.
Rehearse standard emergency procedures. Get comfortable
with ATC.
You will be surprised how effective these CFI sessions can
be!
 You
will find a new link on the top banner section of each issue of
Over the Airwaves. This link will give you access
to all of the pre-flight planning information need you will
likely ever need.
Included are sub-links to instrument approach plates, airport
information pages containing runway information, hotels, etc,
weather, and even a link to DUATs!
Thus, you can go to any Internet accessible computer, type in
<overtheairwaves.com> and pop up all of the preflight
information you'll need!
This link is reprinted
HERE.
Give it a try!
 If
we were to search for one reason why our friends and family do
not like to fly in our little airplanes, look no further than
the word . . . "turbulence!"
Remember, to the inexperienced little
GA passenger, serious in-flight bumps can be a terrifying
experience.
You may get them down without getting sick, but they will
likely never ride with you again. And when that passenger
is a family member, a great opportunity could be lost.
The airlines learned this lesson many years ago! If
you spend enough time monitoring radio chatter between airline
pilots and ATC, you will discover that much of it discusses
"ride reports." Where are the smoothest flight levels?
"How's your ride," is a frequently asked ATC question.
Becoming
"Turbulence Savvy"
Turbulent savvy pilots understand the causes of turbulence,
where they are most often found, and how to issue turbulence
reports. The three insets below summarize each of these
important elements.
|
Causes of
Turbulence
 Thermals
- Heat from the sun makes warm air
masses rise and cold ones sink.
Jet
streams - Fast, high-altitude air
currents shift, disturbing the air
nearby.
Mountains - Air passes over
mountains and causes turbulence as it
flows above the air on the other side.
Wake turbulence - Near the ground a
passing plane or helicopter sets up
small, chaotic air currents, or
Microbursts - A storm or a
passing aircraft stirs up a strong
downdraft close to the ground. |
Where
Turbulence is Found
Light
Turbulence
Weather and terrain features
associated with light turbulence:
In hilly and mountainous areas
with light winds.
In and near small cumulus
clouds.
In clear-air convective currents
over heated surfaces.
With weak wind shears in the
vicinity of:
In the lowest 5,000 feet of the
atmosphere:
Moderate Turbulence
In
mountainous areas with a wind
component of 25 to 50 knots
perpendicular to and near the level
of the ridge:
In
and near thunderstorms in the
dissipating stage
In
and near other towering cumuliform
clouds
In
the lowest 5,000 feet of the
atmosphere:
In
fronts aloft
Where:
Severe Turbulence
In
mountainous areas with a wind
component exceeding 50 knots
perpendicular to and near the level
of the ridge:
In
and near growing and mature
thunderstorms
Occasionally in other towering
cumuliform clouds
50 to
100 miles on the cold side of the
center of the jet stream, in troughs
aloft, and in lows aloft where:
Extreme Turbulence
In
mountain wave situations, in and
below the level of well-developed
rotor clouds. Sometimes it extends
to the ground.
In
growing severe thunderstorms (most
frequently in organized squall
lines) indicated by:
|
|
Pilot Reports of
Turbulence
 Light
turbulence - briefly causes slight,
erratic changes in altitude and/or
attitude.
Light chop - slight, rapid and
somewhat rhythmic bumpiness without
noticeable changes in altitude or
attitude.
Moderate turbulence - similar
to light turbulence, but greater
intensity. Changes in altitude/attitude
occur. Aircraft remains in control at
all times. Variations in indicated air
speed.
Moderate chop - similar to
light chop, but greater intensity. Rapid
bumps or jolts without obvious changes
in altitude or attitude.
Severe turbulence - large,
abrupt changes in altitude/attitude.
Large variation in indicated airspeed.
Aircraft may be temporarily out of
control.
Extreme turbulence - aircraft
is violently tossed about and is
impossible to control. May cause
structural damage. |
As the illustration below shows, turbulence is
nearly universally present in our atmosphere.
Our goal as pilots should be to know where it exists
and to know how to minimize it for the sake of our
passengers!
 A very sad but true fact is that less than 50% of all
new student
pilot certificates issued by the FAA ever make it to the private
pilot level!
One very good reason why so many new pilots quit is the shear
boredom of the primary flight instruction regimen.
The hapless new student is plugged into a rigid Part
141 curriculum that, in turn, is designed to move the student
expeditiously through the Private Pilot Practical Test Standards
(PTS).
Out to the practice area they go, new students and their
highly regimented CFIs. Within minutes, the new students'
excitement is frustrated by CFIs who slap their hands for
holding the yoke incorrectly. The student is then
admonished to hold altitude, heading, and airspeed in strict
accordance with the PTS.
They then return to the home airport with little more than
one hour of total flight time and little, if any, encouragement.
Screw this stuff!!!!
 Sorry
for the rough sub-header, but this is exactly what several
primary flight students have said to me recently after a couple of hours
of flight training at other flight schools. Questioning
them further, the horror stories I hear are enough to dampen the
spirits of a future Bob Hoover or Chuck Yeager!
If this first encounter with primary flight instruction is
widespread, it is little wonder why more than 50% of all flight
students quit before checkride!
We need to make flight instruction exciting!
Pictured above along side the B-17, Memphis Belle, is primary
student Ed Strickland of Buffalo, NY. This shot was taken
during Ed's second lesson with me this past week on an enroute
stop to the grass strip at the Geneseo, NY Airport. The
Memphis Belle (the one used in the movie) is currently there
undergoing refurbishment.
Rather than hanging out in the home-drome traffic pattern or
practice area, my primary, instrument, and commercial flight
training is always delivered as part of a cross-country flight
to fun places throughout New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and
neighboring states throughout the northeast U.S. and Canada.
Earlier this week, for example, instrument students, Dennis
Porebski and Kelly Brannen (Buffalo, NY) and I flew in Dennis'
recently purchased Piper Arrow to
 AOPA's headquarters in Frederick, MD.
The trip was instructive (penetration of the Washington, DC ADIZ)
and a lot of fun. We visited with several AOPA staffers
and had lunch in the KFDK airport cafe. Great
stuff!
Last week, commercial student Jim Porebski (Dennis' father)
and I flew up to the NYS Adirondack Mountains and the Green
Mountains of Vermont in his Piper Arrow to get some
mountain flying experience prior to the Porebski's planned
transcontinental flight later this summer. Flights
like these into little airfields in mountainous areas add new
meaning to short/soft field exercises!
Satisfy the curriculum and have fun at the same time!
 Obviously,
every good educator follows an instructional curriculum.
But no flight training curriculum stipulates that it must be
delivered within the confines of a designated practice area.
A good CFI can cover all of the PTS elements in carefully
designed cross-country flights to exciting destinations.
And it can be accomplished more effectively in less total
instructional time!!!
Cross-country flight is the ultimate in scenario-based
instruction. Changing weather, differing terrain, and
unfamiliar airports all contribute to making the training
experience more challenging and more realistic.
So what is the problem?
The biggest roadblock to training of this kind is the tightly
scheduled regimen of the typical flight school. Training
aircraft are scheduled in one or two hour segments. There
is seldom time to embark upon neat flights to exciting, far away
places.
My training, on the other hand, is usually blocked out in
three and four hour intervals per student. This leaves
time for me to work with a maximum of two students in any eight
hour day. Each block involves cross-country flight with a
minimum of two enroute stops for simultaneous sight-seeing and
ground training.
Does it work?
Does it work? You betcha! My primary
student drop-out rate is less than five percent! And those
drop outs were due to job transfers!
What should you be doing?
If you are engaged in any form of flight training that has
grown dull or boring, have a conversation with your flight
school or flight instructor. Suggest that he or she follow
the example described here. You pick the destinations.
If your CFI agrees, great! If not, find another flight
school or independent CFI. It is your time and money, not
your CFI's. You set the pace and the place of training!!!!
 Wind
direction and speed are such a simple pieces of information, yet
the non-proficient pilot often has no clue of what the wind is
doing at any given stage of flight!
On take-off . . .
The wind direction relative to the runway heading tells
the pilot which way to turn the yoke or stick, yet if you watch
any non-proficient pilot, he will always take off with the yoke
or stick in the neutral, wings level position. And he
wonders why he cannot track the runway heading on lift off!
On landing . . .
Like taking off, the wind direction relative to the
landing runway tells the pilot which way to bank the wings as he
settles over the runway numbers. Again, you will often
observe the non-proficient pilot with his yoke or stick in the
neutral, wings level position when landing in a cross-wind.
And he wonders why he drifts across the runway and has
directional control problems on the roll out!
In the Traffic Pattern . . .
 The
wind aware pilot is ALWAYS able to adjust his or her base leg in
accordance with wind direction and speed. The
non-proficient pilot, on the other hand, often blasts through
the final approach course with a questionable look on his face.
"What happened," he says in bewilderment?
Enroute . . .
Watching a non-proficient pilot attempt to track a VOR
radial in a stiff wind can be very entertaining! With no
knowledge of where the wind is coming from and its speed, the
hapless pilot ends up performing huge S-turns along the entire
route segment!
On the Instrument Approach . . .
 Here
is where non-proficient pilot meets his or her greatest
challenge. Unable to track the localizer inbound because
of a strong crosswind, the non-proficient instrument pilot
engages in a losing sword fight of localizer/glideslope needles.
Frustration and missed approaches abound!
Always knowing the wind direction and speed at any stage
flight can dramatically improve any pilot's performance.
Lacking this information, on the other hand, can turn an
otherwise proficient pilot into a rank amateur!
 There
has been a lot of talk lately about what characterizes a
professional flight instructor.
Some folks suggest that a truly professional flight
instructor is a team player who conforms to the established
flight training community and who remains blindly obedient to
every rule, regulation, and directive, right or wrong, ever
promulgated by the FAA.
These folks endorse aeronautical decision-making as long as it doesn't challenge the status quo.
Scenario-based flight instruction is approved as long as it is
not too difficult for low time, inexperienced CFIs to emulate.
Many of these same folks suggest that a truly professional
flight instructor is one who tailors his training in ways that
reduce or eliminate all flight training risks even if
it means failing to provide his or her students with the skills
necessary to keep them safe when the going gets tough in the
air.
Some have gone so far as to suggest that a truly professional
flight instructor is one who documents the time he or she spends
serving on aviation organization boards of directors, writing
articles, attending seminars, and selling hats and shirts at
trade show booths at air shows.
A truly professional flight instructor is one who . . .
A truly professional flight instructor, first and foremost,
is an experienced pilot who has successfully endured the
countless challenges of weather flying within the demanding
national airspace system. This experience proves
invaluable in preparing tomorrow's pilots for flight in the same
environment.
 A
truly professional flight instructor is a realist who
understands that no rule, regulation, or FAA directive is
adequate to resolve every possible in-flight scenario. The
array of variables facing a pilot in flight is far too great to
use a "cookbook" mentality or approach to resolve all possible
in-flight scenarios.
A truly professional flight instructor is not one who by FAA
certification, based upon the passage of a check ride, suddenly
becomes a CFI despite the fact that he has less than 50 hours of
solo time! This is a cruel hoax perpetuated on the
consuming public!
A truly professional flight instructor does not train to the Practical
Test Standards (PTS). Instead, he or she follows a flight
training curriculum that develops safe and proficient pilots
who, as a bi-product of their training, are able to perform well
within whatever standards the FAA elects to measure.
 A truly professional flight instructor is not a conformist to
the status quo belief that all is well in general aviation
despite the fact that its accident rate continues to worsen,
that more than 50% of all primary students quit
before checkride, that new student starts are down 58%, and that
the total number of all U.S. pilots is down 24%! And let's
not forget that 79% of all fatal GA accidents are officially
attributed to pilot error!
Professional flight instructor organizations do not decry by innuendo those who attempt to right
the wrongs in the flight training community or those who engage
in advanced scenario-based flight training. To do so is
highly unprofessional. Rather than banish, they should embrace change
as a positive force designed to produce a better outcome.
We need flight instructor organizations who work hard to
right the wrongs in the flight training community. Rather
than lobbying the FAA to publish answers to airmen knowledge
tests for all to see (and memorize), we need flight instructor
organizations to focus squarely on raising the bar to becoming a
competent pilot and CFI in the first place. Think about it
. . . if the SAT folks published the answers to the upcoming
tests, all of our enterprising children could pass the first
hurdle in gaining admission to Harvard or MIT!
We have a serious flight training problem in the United
States!
 We do have a serious flight training problem in the United
States. Fortunately, private pilots who make it into the
corporate or airline world are able to receive the quality
training that will make them safe pilots. But what happens
to the rest of the pilot community?
According to NTSB data, non-paid pilots suffer a 100
times greater risk of dying in an airplane than their airline
brethren. Pretty sad!
Perhaps it is time we re-examine the definition of a
professional flight instructor. Perhaps it is time we give
points to those CFI's for challenging the status quo and for
providing realistic in-flight training scenarios that prepare
pilots for the real threats to flight.
When that happens, our worsening GA accident rate will
finally reverse itself!
If
you think night currency is not important, consider the plight
of this hapless Piper Arrow pilot who apparently became
disoriented on a dark, moonless night approach to the Manassas,
Virginia airport.
According to the NTSB report, the pilot recorded two takeoffs
and landings at night about a year prior to the accident.
Previous to that, the pilot had not flown at night for seven years.
The airplane approached the airport over a rural, heavily
wooded area that produced low levels of ambient light.
Examination of radar data revealed the airplane approached the
airport at 120 knots groundspeed, but descended at 1,200 feet
per minute. The airplane struck trees and crashed less than 1/2
mile from the approach end of the runway.
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the instrument
lighting rheostat was in the full bright position, and that
there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.
Read the NTSB report
HERE.
No Night Currency Required
 Aside
from FAR 91. (Night Currency to Carry Passengers), there
is no regulatory requirement for a pilot to remain night
current. Instrument pilots, of course, must log at least
six approaches, course intercepts, and holding every six months
to remain "legal" to exercise their privileges.
There is no such requirement to fly at night.
Anyone who has piloted an airplane at night over remote terrain
or large bodies of water with no moon or under higher overcast
skies knows that night VFR flight is very similar to IFR flight.
Outside references may not exist!
A personal experience with night flying!!
I recall one moonless night flight, in particular, to a
small, non-towered field in central Kansas. The only
outside reference was the glowing runway lights that appeared
after I descended through the clouds. I cancelled my IFR
flight plan and proceeded in VFR.
 As
I turned on to the final approach course with my eyes focused on
the runway and no longer on the gauges, the runway lights
suddenly went
out. Everything went black.
I was momentarily confused. Fully expecting to
land visually, I had not configured the VOR or GPS for an
instrument approach. I was in the dark, descending at 500
per minute and was within one mile of the runway - with no place
to go!
I methodically clicked the mike button hoping to restore the
runway lights. Nothing. I applied power, climbed
back up to a minimum safe altitude and began searching for a
solution.
If I could not restore the lights, I'd have to
fly at least an hour to another airport which, after over five
hours of nonstop flight from Buffalo, NY I was not anxious to
do. Besides, such a diversion would cut dangerously into
my reserves.
Solution found . . .
Once at a safe altitude, I pulled out the Airport Facilities
Directory (AFD) and discovered that the runway lights for that
airport were controlled by a frequency other than the CTAF
frequency! I dialed in the proper pilot controlled
lighting frequency, got the lights going, and landed safely.
(Yep - I had experienced an FAR 91.103 problem!)
Had I not been current and even instrument rated, my flight
into that night my not have had a happy ending!
|
Night Flying Tips
When flying at
night or in reduced visibility, use and rely on your
flight instruments.
Study and become familiar with unique geographical
conditions where flight is intended.
Do not attempt visual flight when there is a
possibility of being trapped in deteriorating
weather.
If you experience a visual illusion during flight
(most pilots do at one time or another), have
confidence in your instruments and ignore all
conflicting signals your body gives you.
If you are one of two pilots in an aircraft and you
begin to experience a visual illusion, transfer
control of the aircraft to the other pilot, since
pilots seldom experience visual illusions at the
same time.
By being knowledgeable, relying on experience, and
trusting your instruments, you will be contributing
to keeping the skies safe for everyone. |
Finally,
beware of the Black-Hole Approach Illusion
 A
black-hole approach illusion can happen during a final
approach at night (no stars or moonlight) over water or
unlighted terrain to a lighted runway beyond which the
horizon is not visible.
A
particularly hazardous black-hole illusion involves
approaching a runway under conditions with no lights before
the runway and with city lights or rising terrain beyond the
runway. These conditions may produce the visual illusion of
a high altitude final approach. If you believe this
illusion, you may respond by lowering your approach slope.
Spreading the word about flight safety is every proficient
pilot's responsibility. We can do it one-by-one and we can do
it by clicking and printing the poster found
HERE.
Hang this 8"x10"
"Over the Airwaves" poster in your FBO, training
classroom, and hangar. Encourage your pilot friends to sign-up
for their own free bi-weekly subscription to "Over the
Airwaves."
Remember, you can now open the most
recent issue of "Over the Airwaves" simply by typing "overtheairwaves.com"
in your internet browser!
If you have not as yet signed up for
your free subscription, click
Free Sign Up
'
 There
is a scary statistic floating around the GA industry that
reveals the number of new pilots entering the system is down by
58% since the 1979 record high year.
Equally distressing, the total number of U.S. certificated
pilots is down 24% since its record high in 1980.
This has captured the attention of many folks representing
the various elements of this industry, from the FAA, to the
aircraft manufacturers, to the various membership organizations,
and to the flight training community itself.
What is going on?
What is causing this marked reduction in new pilot starts?
Is it fuel prices? Is it simple loss of interest in
aviation? Perhaps it is the high cost of learning to fly?
Answer: No!
 I was having dinner with some non-pilot friends
recently when one individual remarked to my wife, "Don't you
worry about your husband up there everyday flying those little
airplanes?"
In customary fashion, she said, "No . . . he knows what
he is doing and he is very devoted to training."
This exchange spoke volumes to me. It revealed that the non-flying public has an inherent
fear of little airplanes. More particularly, it is the
spouses and parents of prospective pilots who fear little
airplanes and who prevent or at least place roadblocks in the
way of perspective pilots.
In summary, the non-flying public IS aware of our "dirty
little secret" that general aviation flying, for the
non-proficient pilot, is a risky endeavor!
Do we want to increase the number of new pilot starts?
If so, how?
 Early airplane manufacturers faced a similar question.
They wanted to make their airplanes go faster, but many went
about it the wrong way.
Looking at the aerodynamic forces
of flight, the early pioneers devoted their attention to thrust. It was famed air racer Jimmy Doolittle who said,
"Every time I lost a race, I went out and bought a bigger
motor!"
General aviation airplanes go faster today, but not solely
because of larger engines. They go faster because of new
airframe designs and materials that dramatically reduce drag!
Cirrus Design and the Columbia Aircraft Company have adequately
demonstrated that fact.
In a similar problem solving endeavor, the airlines in the 1950's and 60's struggled to find
more paying passengers to ride on their airplanes.
Millions were spent on advertising and public relations to
attract more paying passengers. It was not until the airlines began to
experience giant advances in flight safety that the public
gained enough trust and confidence to fly.
 In more recent years, NASA determined that the best way to
get into space was to invest more billions and build larger,
more powerful launch engines. Then a couple of guys named
Burt and Dick Rutan came along and demonstrated that you could
launch a man into space and return him safely to earth with a
used T-33 jet engine purchased on eBAY and a simple rocket
engine powered in part by recycled rubber tires.
Let's learn from others
Learning from the examples of others, we CAN realize
dramatic increases in new pilot starts if we focus on the proper
side of the equation. Yes, a strong public relations
program will help, but we will not see any dramatic increases in
new pilot starts until we first reduce or eliminate the public's
fear of flying in little airplanes!
Every time a little airplane falls from the sky, whether
in the hands of a high profile personality like JFK, Jr. or
Scott Crossfield, or hundreds of
nameless private pilots who crash and die every year, more and
more spouses and mothers build even larger roadblocks in
somebody's dream of becoming a pilot. No public awareness
budget is large enough to overcome that problem alone!
It's drag, not thrust, stupid!
 The
thrust side of the aerodynamic equation suggests that we invest
more time and other resources in new pilot recruitment.
The drag side suggests we invest more time and resources in very
specific measures to reduce accidents.
Pilot recruitment and accident reduction are opposing
elements in the same system. Reduce the accident rate,
pilot recruitment will soar!
Let us not forget that, on average, five GA airplanes
crash bad enough every day to attract NTSB attention. That
is very bad public relations. We have had thousands of
little airplanes illegally penetrate restricted airspace - with
lots of press coverage. That, too, is bad public
relations. As AOPA's Phil Boyer knows, sending out
thousands of emails warning member pilots not to do dumb things
like that does not seem to be working well!
Most (79%) GA accidents are caused by pilot factors. Yes,
we can teach stick and rudder skills to even the least
coordinated souls. But those skills deteriorate rapidly
when not used and assessed often.
And we can teach sound aeronautical decision making
principles, but it requires a flight instructor with
substantially more than 50 hours total solo time to do this with any degree of effectiveness. We can
prepare safe pilots, but unless there is an effective way
to ensure currency and frequently check performance along the
way, skills and attitudes taught will quickly deteriorate.
In short, address the accident problem, the new pilot starts
problem will begin to go away!
 If
you were to look for just two words that likely explain most
fatal IFR accidents, the words "spatial disorientation" would
likely cover these sad events.
Good spatial orientation relies on the effective
perception, integration and interpretation of visual, vestibular
(organs of equilibrium located in the inner ear) and
proprioceptive (receptors located in the skin, muscles, tendons,
and joints) sensory information.
Pilots . . . all pilots, regardless of experience level
occasionally encounter various forms of spatial disorientation.
Their body tells them something that is inconsistent with what
their instruments tell them. That is spatial
disorientation!
The four major types of
spatial disorientation are summarized below.
The Leans:
 The
leans is the most common illusion during flight. It is
caused by a sudden return to level flight following a gradual
and prolonged turn that went unnoticed by the pilot.
The reason a pilot can be unaware of such a gradual turn is that
human exposure to a rotational acceleration of two degrees per
second or lower is below the detection threshold of the
semicircular canals.
Leveling the wings after a turn may cause an illusion
that the aircraft is banking in the opposite direction. In
response to such an illusion, a pilot may lean in the direction
of the original turn in a corrective attempt to regain the
perception of a correct vertical posture.
The
Graveyard Spin:
 The
Graveyard Spin is an illusion that can occur to a pilot who
intentionally or unintentionally enters a spin. For
example, a pilot who enters a spin to the left will initially
have a sensation of spinning in the same direction.
However, if the left spin continues the pilot will have the
sensation that the spin is progressively decreasing.
At this point, if the pilot applies right rudder to stop
the left spin, the pilot will suddenly sense a spin in the
opposite direction (to the right). If the pilot believes
that the airplane is spinning to the right, the response will be
to apply left rudder to counteract the sensation of a right
spin. However, by applying left rudder the pilot will
unknowingly re-enter the original left spin.
If the pilot cross checks the turn indicator, he/she would
see the turn needle indicating a left turn while he/she senses a
right turn. This creates a sensory conflict between what
the pilot sees on the instruments and what the pilot feels. If
the pilot believes the body sensations instead of trusting the
instruments, the left spin will continue.
The Graveyard Spiral:
The Graveyard Spiral is more common than the Graveyard
Spin. It is associated with a return to level flight
following an intentional or unintentional prolonged bank turn.
This, by the way, is what most observers believe was a major
factor in the famed JFK, Jr. crash.UT
For example, a pilot who enters a banking turn to the left
will initially have a sensation of a turn in the same direction.
If the left turn continues (~20 seconds or more), the pilot will
experience the sensation that the airplane is no longer turning
to the left.
At this point, if the pilot attempts to level the wings
this action will produce a sensation that the airplane is
turning and banking in the opposite direction (to the right).
If the pilot believes the illusion of a right turn (which can be
very compelling), he/she will reenter the original left turn in
an attempt to counteract the sensation of a right turn.
Unfortunately, while this is happening, the airplane is
still turning to the left and losing altitude. Pulling the
control yoke/stick and applying power while turning would not be
a good idea because it would only make the left turn tighter.
If the
pilot fails to recognize the illusion and does not level the
wings, the airplane
will continue turning left and losing altitude until it impacts
the ground.
The Coriolis
Illusion:
 The
Coriolis Illusion involves the simultaneous stimulation of two
semicircular canals in the inner ear. It is associated
with a sudden tilting (forward or backwards) of the pilot’s head
while the aircraft is turning. This can occur when you
tilt you head down (to look at an approach chart or to write a
note on your knee pad), or tilt it up (to look at an overhead
instrument or switch) or tilt it sideways.
This produces an almost unbearable sensation that the
aircraft is rolling, pitching, and yawing all at the same time,
which can be compared with the sensation of rolling down on a
hillside. This illusion can make the pilot quickly become
disoriented and lose control of the aircraft.
The Cure ! !
There is a one word cure for spatial disorientation.
That word is: INSTRUMENTS. The instruments do not
experience spatial disorientation. Properly working
instruments always indicate the aircraft's correct attitude.
Always believe your instruments!
|
Prevention of Spatial
Disorientation
The following
are basic steps that should help prevent spatial
disorientation:
• Take the opportunity to experience spatial
disorientation illusions in a Barany chair, a
Vertigon, a GYRO, or a Virtual Reality Spatial
Disorientation Demonstrator.
• Before flying with less than 3 miles visibility,
obtain training and maintain proficiency in airplane
control by reference to instruments.
• When flying at night or in reduced visibility, use
the flight instruments.
• If intending to fly at night, maintain
night-flight currency. Include cross-country
and local operations at different airports.
• If only Visual Flight Rules-qualified, do not
attempt visual flight when there is a possibility of
getting trapped in deteriorating weather.
• If you experience a vestibular illusion during
flight, trust your instruments |
Spatial disorientation plays a far greater role in GA
accidents than many might suspect. For example, I
confidently stepped inside the FAA's motion simulator at Sun 'n
Fun last month. Within minutes, this experienced
instrument pilot/instructor found himself at nearly uncontrollable odds
with the instruments!
Even though I was mentally prepared for the exercise and
knew how to prevent spatial disorientation by trusting the
instruments, I found my head and body spinning to the right
while the simulator was in steady-state, straight and level
flight. The experience was very convincing!
|
"The
human half of the man-machine equation hasn't kept
pace with the technology in either formal training
programs or in regulatory oversight."
--
Robert Agostino, Director of Flight Operations,
Bombardier Business Aircraft
as quoted in AOPA PILOT, May, 2006 |
There it is! Locked up inside a
single sentence is the essence of our "dirty little secret."
Aircraft manufacturers and the producers of today's
sophisticated avionics boxes have provided us with nearly
fail-safe equipment to fly. Yet our general aviation
fatal accident rate continues to increase year after year.
It doesn't take a Harvard MBA to connect the dots here!
 We
can equip our little airplanes with fool-proof moving maps
on 12" wide displays, superimpose traffic and terrain
alerts, and balance it all off with nearly real-time
weather.
And we can purchase the latest and greatest
in glass composite technology and, just in case the
unimaginable happens, we can pull a ballistic recovery
system handle and float reasonably safely to the ground . .
. and walk away.
Thanks to the aggressive efforts of EAA and
AOPA, we can now go out and purchase a light sport aircraft
and receive a total of 20 hours of required dual instruction
and fly ourselves and a friend over our favorite cities at
7,500 feet and at 100 miles per hour!
Pretty neat, right?
We GA pilots kill ourselves and
passengers because of inadequate flight training and
regulatory oversight.
 There
has been no significant change in the way primary and
instrument students have been taught over the past 60 years.
This fact alone is sufficient justification to question how
we train today's pilots.
Similarly, there has been no significant
change in FAR Part 61 (Certification: Pilots, Flight
Instructors, and Ground Instructors) in nearly as many
years!
While most enlightened observers are reluctant
to suggest that the FAA get in and start messing around with
Part 61 out of fear of what might result, the time is now to
start putting some teeth in the recurrent training
requirements for private pilots.
As for inadequate training, today's
Practical Test Standards (PTS) requires pilot candidates to
demonstrate sound aeronautical decision making skills.
One has to wonder how an inexperienced CFI with as little as
50 hours total solo time himself has the depth of aviation
wisdom or knowledge to impart sound aeronautical decision
making skills effectively to others?
Medical versus piloting skills
certification
 Curiously,
any pilot can be instantly grounded by an aviation medical
examiner (AME) for any number of questionable health
measures. The pilot has no recourse but to wait out a
sometimes lengthy evaluation and determination by the folks in
Oklahoma City before he or she can fly again.
Yet any incompetent and/or downright
dangerous pilot can continue to fly forever as long as he
can endure three hours of flight instruction in the year and
attend a WINGs program!
Not wishing to even to that, this same
incompetent and/or dangerous pilot can go from one CFI, to
another, to another, and yet to another until he finds one
that will pencil in a BFR endorsement in his logbook.
Imagine, a single rogue CFI can allow
enough incompetent pilots to remain in the system to
dramatically increase the GA accident rate . . . and
probably make a lot of unethical money in the process.
And the FAA is powerless to stop him!
We could achieve dramatic reductions in
the GA accident rate if we put serious teeth into the
biennial flight review (BFR) process! As a minimum, we
pilots would pay more attention to our recurrent training
needs before signing up for a BFR.
That "dirty
little secret" appears again!
 Frankly,
there will likely be NO changes in pilot training or
regulatory oversight requirements for one very BIG reason.
Any additional training or regulatory requirements deemed to
be a "burden" on private pilots will be vigorously opposed
by some of the GA organizations who depend upon large
membership pilot numbers.
Genuinely
believing they are serving their members' best interests,
these same organizations could be inadvertently fostering a
continuation of the status quo.
It seems
curious that membership in these organizations continues to
increase right along with the GA fatal accident rate!
In short, these membership organizations could be attracting
new people into the world of general aviation (which is
good) faster than the flight training system can make them
safe pilots (which is bad)! This is a slippery slope
to be traveling on!
Yes
. . . offering pilots more interactive training videos and
live seminars around the country has value. But we
could be "preaching to the choir." Look around
at the next such safety meeting in your area. You
typically see the same faces, meeting after meeting.
The good pilots attend them. The non-proficient pilots
are seldom interested!
Safety meetings do not make proficient pilots. Rather,
proficient pilots go to safety meetings to become more
proficient. The sooner we understand this difference,
the sooner we can get on our way of improving GA flight
safety.
So what should
we be doing?
 The first thing we
should be doing is ensuring our own pilot proficiency.
We should be aggressively engaged in challenging recurrent
training annually.
Next, we pay dues
to GA membership organizations for many reasons. High
on this list should be to have them design, develop, and
promote programs that actually contribute to a reduction in
the GA accident rate. If this accident rate decreases
from one year to the next, then we're getting our money's
worth. If it doesn't, we have other ways to spend our
dues money.
Lastly, we should be flying frequently. We should use
our finely honed piloting skills and meticulously maintained
airplanes to travel to exciting places, far from the crowds,
and free of humiliating airline terminal security checks.
The more we fly, the more proficient we become.
These three solutions are not the only answers. But
they will push us far closer to safer GA skies than anything
else that has been tried!
|
Fly safe,
Bob Miller, ATP, CFII
Buffalo, NY
rjma@rjma.com
716-864-8100 |
|
Welcome to the newest Over the Airwaves section!
Here, we will feature new, unique, or particularly
interesting aviation websites sent in by our readers.
This week's featured website is
http://www.flightaware.com.
 Founded
in March of 2005, FlightAware is the first company to offer
free flight tracking services for both private and
commercial air traffic in the United States.
FlightAware launched public operations in September of 2005
and in November of 2005 became the most popular flight
tracking service on the Internet.
FlightAware enables users to track LIVE
any aircraft on an IFR flight plan or receiving VFR flight
following services. You can also plug in a N# and view
the track log of the last flight it took!
This is a great site for CFIs (or worried
mothers) to track LIVE the track of their students on solo
cross-country flights.
This great website was sent in by reader
Bill King of Buffalo, NY. OTA readers
. . . share you favorite website. Send us the URL with
a brief description.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR AOPA FLY-IN JUNE 3
Attend free aviation seminars by aviation humorist Rod
Machado, safety seminars by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation,
a Q&A session with AOPA President Phil Boyer, and a special
session with aviation pioneer Erik Lindbergh.
Visit 100
aviation exhibitors, see 40 aircraft on display—including
AOPA's Win a Six in '06 Sweepstakes airplane—and tour your
association's headquarters in Frederick, Maryland! For
complete the details, click
HERE
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--
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Opinion of
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Over the Airwaves
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It should not be construed as directive,
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