Sunday,
July 23, 2006
Vol. III No. 15 |
Sunday,
July 23, 2006
Vol. III No. 15 |
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:
It happens bad enough to attract NTSB attention four to five times a day. These are the over 1,500 serious GA airplane accidents that occur each year in the United States. Nearly one-third of these are fatal. Interestingly, the majority of these accidents are due to either: (1) an unexpected weather factor; (2) a stall/spin event; or (3) a landing mishap. We call these the "three gotchas!" Knowing the "three gotchas" will go a long way when designing our own recurrent training program. Let's take a closer look at each of these "three gotchas." One - Weather Factors . . .
Curiously, private pilots require only three hours of real or simulated instrument flight training per FAR 61.109. This just might be the sum total of all instrument time many VFR only pilots receive in a lifetime! Supporters of this minimal requirement insist that if VFR pilots would simply remain clear of IFR conditions, they wouldn't get into trouble in the first place. This myopic point of view fails to consider insidiously declining visibility that often occurs in the late afternoon over open water or the sudden fog that obscures the horizon. Other weather factors including thunderstorms and icing continue to take pilot lives for some inexplicable reasons. Failing to understand the weather factors that precipitate thunderstorms (heat, moisture, atmospheric disturbance), pilots suddenly find themselves surrounded by cloud-to-cloud lightning and vertically shearing winds. Remember, uplinked XM weather does NOT depict cloud-to-cloud lightning! Hapless pilots motoring through a warm front in the winter suddenly find their airplanes turning into flying popsicles as freezing rain coats their airframes with several inches of clear ice. The best defense against weather factor-related accidents is NOT to follow the practice of many flight schools and lock the airplane in the hangar anytime we have less than CAVU conditions. To do so leaves us dangerously unprepared for unexpected changes in the weather on our long cross-country flights. Weather knowledge coupled with solid experience is what staves off weather related accidents. Pilots who become students of meteorology and who, with experienced flight instructors, venture out into real world weather seldom succumb to weather related accidents. Two - Stall/spin Events . . .
Poor initial training is the major problem here. Conventional stall instruction seldom goes beyond the incipient stall phase. Primary students are signed off for their check ride without ever experiencing a full stall break and the unexpected "falling" feeling resulting from a properly executed full stall. Accelerated and cross-controlled stalls? Not a chance! Flight students/pilots receiving this kind of diluted training come to believe that stalls occur ONLY at high pitch up attitudes and at very slow airspeeds. The unpardonable training omission! The most unpardonable omission in our traditional primary training program is the the full stall/spin recovery procedure. The sudden dropping of a wing followed by the sight of rotating ground below often leaves the un-trained pilot grappling with the yoke to level the wings. He or she yanks the yoke in the opposite direction of rotation. The resultant lowering of the inside wing aileron increases the drag on that wing which further exacerbates the spin. All of this done with the hapless pilot's feet planted firmly on the floor of the cockpit. Yikes! Sure, most stall/spin accidents occur close to the ground where they are largely unrecoverable. Had the victims of these stall/spin accidents received proper training, however, they likely would not have found themselves in this vulnerable flight attitude in the first place. Three - Landing Mishaps . . .
Many Part 141 flight schools design and follow FAA approved operating procedures precluding training flights when surface winds exceed 12 to 14 knots, regardless of direction! This would be like an automobile driving school suspending training whenever it is snowing! If we do not feel comfortable with crosswind landings, we need to find a wind-proficient instructor and search out gusty 15 to 20 knot direct crosswinds . . . we'll be better, safer pilots as a result! So what should we be doing about these "three gotchas?"
Next, engage a qualified flight instructor to fill the gaps left in our primary training, particularly in these three "gotcha" areas. Lesser quality flight schools train specifically and exclusively for the checkride. These are the schools that take us to the same airports day after day and who revert to ground or simulator instruction whenever the winds kick up or the visibility drops. If this is your flight training alma mater, beware! Lastly, we need to take our heads out of the sand and accept the fact that general aviation is a hazardous affair. Unless we acquire and maintain our skills at the peak proficiency level, we stand a significant risk of hurting ourselves and others in an airplane. And do not believe for a second that the typical BFR or a WINGS phase completion is sufficient to either assess or correct significant skill deficiencies. If we are serious about self-survival in the air, we will get serious about recurrent training! The traditional GA industry is comfortable with the fact that, according to NTSB accident data, we stand a 100 times greater risk of dying in a little airplane than in an airliner and that 80 percent of all fatal crashes are blamed on pilot error. That alone should cause us all to pause! In summary . . . In summary, today's GA pilots are the victims of the very system we operate under. Those who remain minimally compliant with this system are the ones most likely to succumb to one or more of the "three gotchas." Don't let this system get you!!
It's easy for flight schools and CFIs to admonish their students NOT to fly when winds, ceilings, and/or visibility are not conducive to safe flight. In truth, there is an element of risk in every flight! Consequently, we see lots of cancelled flights and interrupted vacations. On the other hand, pilots who understand nature's weather-making machinery are often able to safely depart midst the same adverse winds, ceilings and/or visibilities. It's all a matter of weather knowledge. And it all begins with Air Masses . . . Air masses are large bodies of air that take on the characteristics of their surrounding area or source region. A source region is typically an area in which the air remains relatively stagnant for a period of days or longer. During this time of stagnation, the air mass acquires the temperature and moisture characteristics of the source region. Air masses are classified based on their region of origination:
As the air mass moves from its source region and passes over land or water, the air mass begins to change its conditions. A polar air mass moving south over a warmer surface will be warmed from below. Convective currents form which cause the air to rise. This creates moist, unstable air mass with good surface visibility. This moist, unstable air also causes cumulus clouds, showers, and turbulence to form. Conversely, a tropical air mass moving north over a colder surface creates a stable air mass with poor surface visibility. The poor surface visibility is due to the fact that smoke, dust, and other particles cannot rise out of the air mass and are instead trapped near the surface. A stable air mass can produce low stratus clouds and fog. What happens when these air masses collide? An air mass is a giant caldron of enormous energy. When two or more air masses collide, this energy becomes disrupted with markedly different but often predictable results. The point or line where air masses collide is called a FRONT. Knowing the type and position of any fronts along our route of flight can spell the difference between a safe and comfortable flight and a memorable nightmare! Warm Front Passage A warm front occurs when a warm mass of
air advances and replaces a body of colder air. Warm fronts
move slowly, typically 10 to 25 miles per hour. Warm fronts contain warm air that often has very high humidity. As the warm air is lifted, the temperature drops and condensation occurs.
During the passage of a warm front,
stratiform clouds are visible and drizzle may be falling. The visibility is generally poor, but improves with variable
winds. The After the passage of a warm front,
stratocumulus clouds predominate and rain showers are
possible. The visibility eventually improves, but hazy
conditions may Flying through a WARM front from Pittsburgh to Denver
Looking at the illustration above,
imagine flying from Pittsburgh west to Denver. At the time
of departure from Pittsburgh, the weather is good VFR with a
scattered layer of cirrus clouds at 15,000 feet. As
the flight progresses westward to Columbus and closer to the
oncoming warm front, the clouds deepen and become
increasingly stratiform in appearance with a ceiling of
6,000 feet. The visibility Approaching Indianapolis, the weather deteriorates to broken clouds at 2,000 feet with 3 miles visibility and rain. With the temperature and dew point the same, fog is likely. At St. Louis, the sky is overcast with low clouds and drizzle and the visibility is 1 mile. An IFR flight plan would be required from Indianapolis westward. Given the inherent stability of a warm front, the likelihood of thunderstorms would be low. If it were winter, however, there is a significant risk of freezing rain at various altitudes between Indianapolis and St. Louis! Cold Front Passage A cold front occurs when a mass of cold,
dense, and stable air advances and replaces a body of warmer
air. Cold fronts move more rapidly than warm fronts,
A typical cold front moves in a manner opposite that of a warm front; because it is so dense, it stays close to the ground and acts like a snowplow, sliding under the warmer air and forcing the less dense air aloft. The rapidly ascending air causes the temperature to decrease suddenly, forcing the creation of clouds. Prior to the passage of a typical cold front, cirriform or towering cumulus clouds are present, and cumulonimbus clouds are possible. Depending on the intensity of the cold front, heavy rain showers form and might be accompanied by lightning, thunder, and/or hail. Squall lines occasionally precede cold fronts by 50 or 100 miles or so and bring with them extreme thunderstorms. More severe cold fronts can also produce tornadoes. During cold front passage, the visibility will be poor, with winds variable and gusty, and the temperature and dew point drop rapidly. A quickly falling barometric pressure bottoms out during frontal passage, then begins a gradual increase. After frontal passage, the towering cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds begin to dissipate to cumulus clouds with a corresponding decrease in the precipitation. Good visibility eventually prevails with the winds from the west-northwest. Temperatures remain cooler and the barometric pressure continues to rise. Flying through a COLD front from Pittsburgh to Denver Let's go back to our imaginary flight from Pittsburgh to Denver. The weather in Pittsburgh is VFR with 3 miles visibility in smoke and a scattered layer of clouds at 3,500 feet. As our flight progresses westward to Columbus and closer to the oncoming cold front, the clouds show signs of vertical development with a broken layer at 2,500 feet. The visibility is 6 miles in haze with a falling barometric pressure. Approaching Indianapolis, the weather has deteriorated to overcast clouds at 1,000 feet, and 3 miles visibility with thunderstorms and heavy rain showers. At St. Louis, the weather gets better with scattered clouds at 1,000 feet and a 10 mile visibility. A pilot using sound judgment based on the knowledge of frontal conditions, would most likely remain in Indianapolis until the front had passed. Trying to fly below a line of thunderstorms or a squall line is hazardous and foolish, and flight over the top of or around the storm is not an option. Thunderstorms can extend up to well over the capability of small airplanes and can extend in a line for 300 to 500 miles. Stationary Fronts When the forces of two air masses are
relatively equal, the boundary or front that separates them
remains stationary and influences the local weather for
days. Occluded Fronts prevails, but is immediately followed by cold front weather.
There are two types of occluded fronts that can occur, and the temperatures of the colliding frontal systems play a large part in defining the type of front and the resulting weather.
A cold front occlusion occurs when a fast-moving cold front
is colder than the air A warm front occlusion occurs when the air ahead of the warm front is colder than the air of the cold front. When this is the case, the cold front rides up and over the warm front. If the air forced aloft by the warm front occlusion is unstable, the weather will be more severe than the weather found in a cold front occlusion. Embedded thunderstorms, rain, and fog are likely to occur. In summary, be sure to check the position and movement of any frontal activity before commencing any flight. Reference to a surface analysis chart is a good place to find this. Click HERE for a forecast of frontal movements in the United States.
A freshly minted private pilot with a new instrument rating loaded his four young children into his Cherokee Six. His destination was a 2,000' grass strip in the North Georgia hills. According to witnesses, he came in high and fast and touched down beyond the first 1/4th of the runway, bounced several times. Running out of runway, he applied power and attempted a full flap go-around. He didn't make it. The airplane struck obstacles, crashed and was immediately engulfed in flames.
The problem . . . The problem is faulty or incomplete flight training. Many flight schools and CFIs train specifically to the checkride. As such, these flight schools and independent CFIs conduct most of their primary training on long, wide concrete runways or at their obstacle free home non-towered field! Training always to the same nearby runways does not prepare students for the hazards of real-world flight as this Cherokee Six pilot tragically discovered. Look at your own training. How many different airports did your instructor take you to? How many were short narrow airstrips with close-in trees on all sides? Sure, it's likely that the accident pilot (above) received traditional short/soft field takeoff and landing instruction. But unless he had received specific instruction on ACTUAL short fields with trees on all sides, his chances of doing it right the first time all by himself is remote. You also wonder if this pilot ever received short field landing with an immediate go-around training? If he did, did he ever do it in a heavy six place airplane, full of people, at high density altitude? Doing it the first time solo makes you an untrained test pilot! I can hear my CFI critics yelling, "Okay, Bob, just how much training can we squeeze into a 40 hour syllabus?" My response is, "Don't sign the guy off for a checkride until you prepare him for what he might likely encounter on his own, regardless of how long it takes!" The same applies to giving a flight review. It makes little sense for an instructor who knows that a BFR candidate owns and regularly operates a high performance airplane to give him the review in a trainer. Sure, it is legal and we can take his money but we are not giving back what he needs to remain a safe pilot. Where does the responsibility lay? I believe the FAA knows! And so do the courts!!! What about you and me?
Believe me, you have to be on your game to put a Cessna 210 down and back out again on 1,700' of soft, bumpy grass with obstacles on a hot day! And you do not stay on your game unless you have proper instruction and you practice frequently! Look at your own flying profile. Do you have occasion to operate into and out of very short fields? Is there a day when you may fly into a busy Class B airport? How about low IFR weather . . . . perhaps someday? If ANY of these or similar challenging flight operations may sometimes cross your path, do not let happen to you what happened to the pilot/father of four in the Cherokee Six discussed above. Get the training you need, then practice often. Remember, general aviation experiences two such fatal accidents EVERY WEEK!
There are hundreds of aviation related websites to choose from. You can use the proprietary flight planning software installed on the FBO's flight planning computer, or you can click on Internet Explorer or Netscape and go to your own favorite sites. I have compiled a number of pre-flight websites that I review prior to each flight. You can access these sites through the Pre-Flight Planning link found in the header section of Over the Airwaves. The important thing is that we complete this computer check before each flight.
 There
is nothing like being midst the sights, sounds, and the pungent
aroma of 100LL of Oshkosh during AirVenture. For those OTA
readers who cannot get there this year, I will be sending daily
email reports directly from the AirVenture media tent.
I will try to include any late-breaking announcements, highlights of the show, and a first-person account of each day's activities.
A 141 hour private pilot and passenger was doing a go-around in a Cessna 150 at the Copiah County Airport (M11), near Crystal Springs, Mississippi. He apparently forgot to retract the 40 degrees of flaps he had dialed in for landing! The wreckage was found in a nose-down position. Both pilot and passenger were killed.
Flap management must be taught properly and practiced . . . often! Reconfiguring an airplane for a go-around is something that should be "second nature" for the proficient pilot. What could be simpler in a basic training like a Cessna 150?
Spring loaded for the go-around! Most pilots have a routine pre-landing checklist they review or recite while descending for landing. Regrettably, the vast majority of these pre-landing checklists omit any reference to the possibility of a necessary go-around. Consequently, when such go-around is necessary, many of us simply apply full power, pitch up . . . and hope for the best! It work out most of the time. We can eliminate or reduce the risks of a last minute go-around be reciting a simply four phrase mantra anytime a landing needs to be aborted.
This procedure should be practiced often at various stages of the landing sequence, from short final to the landing roll-out. The key, of course, is to know WHEN to retract the flaps. If we're still airborne when the go-around the initiated, flap retraction should be commenced ONLY after a positive rate of climb as been established. If we're rolling along the runway when the go-around is initiated, the flaps can be retracted immediately.
Lots of pilots only dream of owning their own airplane. They believe the acquisition cost is more than the family budget can handle. Not Ken Condrell of Clarence, NY! Rather than purchase a ready-made airplane, he opted to build one from kit form. Four years ago, he plunked down about $1,500 and ordered the empennage kit for an RV-9A from Van's Aircraft. This was a big step for Ken since the largest airplane he had ever built was a radio control model. He didn't order the wings kit until he completed the tail feathers; when the wings were completed, he ordered the fuselage. He got that done, then ordered and installed a re-built engine. With the airplane largely completed, Ken and helper/advisor, Art Buyer (pictured above) ran up the engine this past weekend at the Akron, NY Airport. The maiden flight is scheduled for later this month.
If you have always
wanted your own airplane and you have some time to put a home
built kit together, go out and earn some extra bucks, then begin
purchasing the component parts. If you have questions or
need some building advice, I am sure Ken would like to hear from
you. His email address is
kencondrell@adelphia.net
The required landing minimums for the Akron, NY Airport RNAV (GPS) Runway 25 approach straight in (category A & B aircraft) is 1,300' MSL and 1 mile visibility. Reaching the minimum descent altitude (MDA), you look down and have visual contact with the ground. But looking forward, there is no runway is insight. You continue motoring along peering out the window hoping to find the runway. How far do you go before giving up and going missed? This basic question has probably undone more instrument students on checkride and, tragically, more pilot victims doing the real thing than any other aspect of a non-precision instrument approach procedure.
Since this is an RNAV (GPS) approach, the answer is simple. You continue motoring on until the "Distance" data block in your GPS scrolls down to 1sm. If no runway is in sight then, you have NO CHOICE but to go missed. IMPORTANT: Be certain that distance reported in your GPS is to the runway! What about VOR, NDB, and ILS Approaches? If it is a VOR or NDB approach, you rely upon the measured time from the final approach fix inbound (FAF). Remember, however, you must still have the required visibility requirements (distance) when the time runs out. If it is a an ILS, the decision altitude (DA) will be reached precisely at the visual minimums IF the glideslope is centered (see Buffalo, NY ILS Runway 23 approach chart below).
Note: The number 18 in the minimums block (924/18) in the chart above refers to Runway Visual Range (RVR), measured in hundreds of feet, e.g., 1,800 feet or 1/4 mile. When you think about all of the risks facing pilots, the notion of flying to within 1/4 mile of the runway at 120 knots just 200 feet over a populated area is pretty close to the top. Yet it is perfectly legal and safe . . . if you follow the procedures!
Have you ever wondered how the approach designers came up with the required one mile visibility? Why not 1/4, 1/2 mile, or 3/4 mile? The answer is based upon a number of factors including the height above touchdown (HAT) for straight-in approaches, or height above airport elevation for circling approaches. Other factors include the approach light system coverage, and type of approach procedure, such as precision, nonprecision, circling or straight-in. Another factor is the penetration of the 34:1 and 20:1 surfaces. These surfaces are inclined planes that begin 200 feet out from the runway and extend outward to 10,000 feet.
If there is a penetration of the 34:1 surface, the published visibility can be no lower than 3/4 SM. If there is penetration of the 20:1 surface, the published visibility can be no lower than 1 SM with a note prohibiting approaches to the affected runway at night (both straight-in and circling). Circling may be permitted at night if penetrating
obstacles are marked and lighted. If the penetrating obstacles
are not marked and lighted, a note is published that Pilots should be aware of these penetrating obstacles when entering the visual and/or circling segments of an approach and take adequate precautions to avoid them.
This challenge included an array of simulated emergencies including broken control cables, instrument failures in the clouds, and emergency descents by reference to GPS only. Jim was kind enough to send me a written summary of his impressions and reaction to this challenging BFR. You can access this summary by clicking HERE.
Regardless, landings are the one maneuver that dramatically raises the anxiety level of many low time and/or nonproficient pilots. They represent the final exam of a flight where the sum total of one's piloting skills go on display for all to see. Make a good landing and the flight is considered a success. Make a bad landing, particularly in front of others, and your reputation as an accomplished airman is tarnished for weeks! How can I make every landing perfect? Answer: Do the math and apply the simple principles of physics. In short, reverse engineer the process of flight!
We all know that taking off is a far simpler maneuver than landing. We advance the power, roll down the runway, achieve rotation speed, and give a gentle tug on the yoke or stick. The airplane lifts smoothly off of the runway. Now reverse engineer the process. Transitioning from flight to the landing roll begins with speed control. It your rotation speed on takeoff is 60 knots, then a speed reduction to 60 knots must be achieved before the airplane can transition from flight to landing roll. Excessive airspeed: The vast majority of bad landings occur by attempting to land with excessive airspeed. The result is a ballooned or bounced landing. Excessive landing speeds also cause a long "float" over the runway. The hapless pilot then pitches forward in a vain effort to "put" the airplane on the ground. The nose wheel strikes the runway, then bounces up. This, in turn, produces a potential stall 20 or 30 feet above over the runway followed by a sudden dropping of the nose and a likely prop strike. Absence of back pressure: Recalling on takeoff that slight back pressure on the yoke or stick is required when rotation speed is achieved, the same back pressure is required when transitioning from flight to touchdown.
The nose of airplane gets "heavier" as the airplane slows to its landing speed. This is caused by the declining downward lift being produced by the horizontal stabilizer as the airspeed slows. We compensate for this be increasing back pressure on the yoke or stick. This raises the nose to the same pitch attitude we had on rotation during the takeoff roll. See the reverse engineering?
Bad Landing Recovery Bad landings are like "death and taxes," too. They occur to the best, most proficient pilots as well. The key here is to know how to make an immediate recovery. The throttle is the key to bad landing recoveries! Apply power and get the airplane flying again at the first moment a bad landing begins to occur. If enough runway remains, gentle retard the throttle and give it another try. If not, GO AROUND! Ultimately, good landings are a function of speed control and physics. We have a 2,000 pound or more machine sliding down hill on the approach to landing. The forces of weight, lift, thrust, and drag must be all be controlled in such a way as to get the airplane to stop flying precisely at the moment its wheels kiss the runway! Nothing short of lots of practice will bring this about!
We learned them for the instrument knowledge test then we likely forgot all about them! Such is the case for these little used instrument approach procedures (IAPs). So let's take a few minutes and refresh our memories. The Localizer Back Course: This is a two-for-one type of approach procedure where an ILS is installed in one direction and the same localizer signal can be received from the other end. Remember, reverse sensing will occur on the back course using standard VOR equipment. With an HSI (horizontal situation indicator) system, reverse sensing is eliminated if the CDI is set to the ILS inbound course coming from the other direction. In other words, set the tail of the CDI to LOC BC inbound direction.
Localizer-Type Direction Aid (LDA) Approach: An LDA is a NAVAID that provides nonprecision approach capabilities. The LDA is essentially a localizer whose course alignment with the runway exceeds 3°. Typically, an LDA installation does not incorporate a glide slope component. However, the availability of a glide slope associated with an LDA is noted on the approach chart. The LDA provides an approach course between 3° and 6°, making it similar in accuracy to a localizer, but remember that the LDA is not as closely aligned with the runway and it does not offer a navigable back course. There are less than 30 LDA installations in the U.S., and as a result, most pilots are not familiar with this type of instrument approach.
SIMPLIFIED DIRECTIONAL FACILITY (SDF) Like the localizer type approaches, the SDF is an alternative approach that may be installed at an airport for a variety of reasons, including terrain. The final approach course width is set at either 6° or 12°. The SDF is a nonprecision approach since it only provides lateral guidance to the runway. This type of approach is also designed with a maximum
descent gradient of
Most of us, unfortunately, were never provided adequate crosswind landing experience during our primary training. The hangar doors were closed and students were marched into the classroom or simulator anytime the crosswinds approached 15 to 20 knots. While seemingly prudent from a training safety perspective, the long-term effect of this conservative approach to crosswind training is revealed in the accident data! If pilots are not given aggressive crosswind training with experienced instructors sitting beside them, they will be ill-prepared for what awaits them in the real world. If somebody counters with, "Well, they shouldn't be
trying to land in stiff
Leaning into the wind Here is a training tip that will help save the day when landing into a strong crosswind. Lean the airplane into the wind just as you cross the runway threshold. Be prepared to apply strong opposite rudder to counter-act the aircraft's turning tendency. Failure to apply adequate opposite rudder can lead to serious steering difficulties on the landing roll-out. Remember the follow-through . . . Keep banking into the wind throughout the entire landing sequence, including the roll-out. Use rudder pressures to maintain runway alignment. This is called the landing follow-through. Remember, serious crosswinds affect airplanes rolling to a stop on the runway the same way they affect them in the air.
One-third of all non-fatal GA accidents occur during landing. Fortunately, very few (3 percent) are fatal. Nonetheless, more airplanes get bent, hence more insurance payouts and resultant higher premiums, occur because of improper landing technique, particularly in crosswinds. If you
are not proficient in crosswinds, find a crosswind qualified
instructor and go out and become crosswind proficient!
A missed item on our pre-flight planning, a weather factor not considered, a pound or two of aft-CG, a miscalculation of required runway length or surface condition, scud running over to a nearby airport, a missed radio call or improper read-back, descending below a DH or MDA for a quick peak, or a failure to look out the window could be the "eyelash" that causes our undoing. The annals of aviation history are filled with "eyelash" issues that produced bad outcomes to otherwise routine flights. Mechanical Eyelashes: Interestingly, the record shows that only 15 percent of all fatal airplane accidents are due to some form of mechanical failure. This suggests that we, as an industry, pay a lot of attention to insuring the mechanical reliability of the airplanes we fly. We have our airplanes professionally inspected every year and, in some cases, after every 100 hours of flight. This process, alone, likely catches 90 percent or more of the potential "eyelashes" that could hurt us. Pilot Eyelashes:
Oh yes, physically we pilots are very reliable. The number of airplanes dropping out of the sky because of pilot heart attacks, strokes, and other physical ailments is almost too small to count. This is largely due to our aggressive (perhaps over-aggressive) medical certification process. At least if we are erring, we are erring in the right direction as far as insuring our physical ability to fly. Curiously, it seems that what we pay a lot of attention to from a regulatory standpoint seems to keep us safe in the air. Mechanical and medical regulation are excellent examples. So what are we NOT paying attention to? We are NOT paying attention to our piloting skills! Initial and recurrent pilot training deficiencies are the two eyelashes that are largely responsible for nearly 80 percent of all fatal GA accidents! And this fatal accident rate is sliding slowly in the WRONG direction! We require our airplanes to be professionally inspected every 12 months. We require professional pilots to receive medicals every 6 or 12 months (Class I & II medicals). Yet we permit private pilots to go 2 years before there they undergo any form of a professional flight review. Curiously, these same pilots can skip this biennial flight review (BFR) altogether by engaging in 3 hours of flight instruction and attending an FAA-sponsored safety meeting (FAA WINGs program).
The requirements for maintaining the instrument rating (entitling us to engage in the most challenging form of flying) are even less demanding. There are none! Simply log 6 instrument approaches, course intercepts, and holding every 12 months and you never have to undergo any form of professional assessment of your instrument skills! Cause and effect The results of oftentimes burdensome aircraft maintenance and medical certification requirements are largely responsible for the relatively few fatal accidents due to mechanical and medical reasons. On the other hand, the lack of any significant recurrent pilot proficiency checks is revealed in the accident data, e.g., 80% of all fatal accidents are attributable to pilot factors along with a GA accident rate that is 100 times worse than the airlines. The cause and effect between the absence of regulatory oversight of GA pilot skills and our deplorable accident rate is profound! So what are we going to do about it? We have as much chance of changing the current system as we so in controlling the salary and perks members of the U.S. Congress give to themselves. It simply ain't going to happen! There are far too many powerful pilot advocates and organizations working to minimize any additional training and proficiency burdens placed upon us.
Use any systematic method you like. Some pilots pursue a new rating or pilot endorsement every year. Think about it . . . instrument, commercial, tail wheel, seaplane, multi-engine, CFI, CFII, ATP. The systematic pursuit of those ratings and endorsements alone will provide you with immeasurable skills and a substantially lessened probability of fatal accident attributable to pilot error. Already packed with ratings and endorsements? Create your own skill advancement program. Pursue some light aerobatic training. Get some emergency upset experience. Enhance your flying profile by taking trips to big city airports - your spouse might enjoy that! Remember, we're talking eyelashes of difference here. One tip, technique, or procedure we learn in advancing our airmanship skills could be the eyelash that saves our butt someday. Yes, General Douglas MacArthur was correct. Win or lose, live or die. It all comes down to an eyelash!
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Unexpected
weather factors are the big killer. Continued
VFR flight into IFR conditions, whether IFR rated or
not, nearly always results in a fatal crash.
So what are we doing about it?
Fatal
stall/spins are responsible for at least one fatal
accident every week in the United States, yet spin
recovery training is not required for the private,
instrument, commercial, or ATP pilot rating!
Go figure.
Fortunately,
most landing mishaps do not kill. They just
mess up a lot of airplanes and are largely
responsible for our escalating insurance premiums.
Again, the major culprit is poor initial
instruction. 
The
first thing we should do is plant these "gotchas" firmly in
the upper memory section of our brain. Know
that weather, stall/spins, and landing mishaps
represent the greatest risks in any flight we take.
Okay,
the NTSB has not issued a probable
cause report yet last week's tragic fatal crash of a
Cherokee Six in North Carolina sends yet another chilling
message to our flight instruction community.
As
an owner/operator of a heavy six-place single
(T-210) who typically operates into and out of big,
long runways, I too need to regularly practice FOR
REAL short field operations. And that's just
what I do with my pilot mentor, Louie Nalbone, DPE
from Dunkirk, NY. Each year, he takes me to
the various "Cub fields" throughout Western NY.
Given
the wealth of real-time weather, flight planning, fuel prices,
and airport information instantly available on the Web, 15
minutes of concentrated computer work before each flight could
pay off in many ways.
Somehow
this low time pilot failed to get this right and it cost him and
his passenger their lives! Was it poor training?
Lack of practice? Nobody knows, but we can take this experience
and apply it to our own recurrent training requirements.
Like
most airplane shoppers, one of Ken's concerns was convincing his
wife, Barbara, that he was not skimming from their entertainment
budget or retirement savings to acquire this airplane. Ken
simply worked harder at the office to generate the money he
needed for each component of the kit. "It was sort of a
pay-as-you-go" process," says Ken. "The greatest
satisfaction I get from all of this is now I have a new 200mph
hour airplane and it is all paid for!"
You
are slithering down through the clag in hopes of breaking out in
sufficient time see the runway and land. Your approach
plate briefing and pre-landing checklist have been completed.
You make one last quick glance at the profile and minimums
sections of the approach plate. 
FAR
91.175 - Landing and Taking Off Under IFR
(i)
The approach light system, except that the pilot
may not descend below 100 feet above the
touchdown zone elevation using the approach
lights as a reference unless the red terminating
bars or the red side row bars are also
distinctly visible and identifiable.
Last
month, Jim Cavanaugh, Buffalo EAA Chapter 46 president, engaged
me to provide him with a flight review. Jim
is an experienced pilot so I wanted to give him a bit of a
challenge. 
Was
it Benjamin Franklin or Orville Wright who said, "Like death
and taxes, landings will always be with airplane pilots?" 
The
key is to hold enough back pressure on the yoke or stick to keep
the nose wheel off the ground until the main gear touches the
runway. I liken this to sliding into second base as kid.
When sliding, it was critical that we landed on our bent knee
and thigh first, thereby preventing an ankle break caused by our
cleats digging into the ground. Think of your nose wheel
as your feet when sliding into second base!
With
the widely recognized fact that more accidents occur during
landing than in any other phase of flight, the more we know and
understand about winds, particularly, crosswinds, the safe
pilots we will become. 
crosswinds
in the first place," that person needs to take a course in
reality thinking! 
While
describing a principle of warfare, General MacArthur also
offers keen insight on the principles of safe flight.
The difference between a safe flight and a fatal one is also
an eyelash!
Sadly,
the record also shows that nearly 80 percent of all fatal
airplane accidents are due to some form of pilot factor.
This suggests that we, as an industry, are NOT paying a lot
of attention to insuring the reliability of the pilots who
fly our airplanes!
Some
pilots actually go from one CFI to another and to another
and to another before they find one who will pencil a BFR
endorsement into their logbook! These are the most
dangerous folks in the air!
But
this does not have to stop us from doing something about
ourselves! Remember, the cause and effect. We
need to engage in meaningful recurrent training with the
same frequency we have our airplanes professionally
inspected (annually). 
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