Sunday,
June 3, 2007 Vol. IV No.
11 |
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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.
The Light Sport Challenge The sport pilot/light sport aircraft (LSA) program has every good intention of bolstering our pilot ranks. It has been hailed has a major victory for general aviation. Responding to heavy lobbying from AOPA and EAA, the FAA exhibited uncharacteristic vision and allowed the LSA program to become reality. While still too soon to draw valid conclusions regarding its ultimate impact upon our pilot numbers, the LSA program appears to be taking hold as new aircraft makes and models are showing up at airports around the world. Everybody's hope is that the LSA will bring more pilots to the fold. We're anticipating that the LSA program will make personal flying both more affordable and easier to learn. It is certainly making it possible for many of us to extend our flying careers. A word of caution! As any
experienced flight instructor has likely observed,
flying some light sport aircraft is not as easy as LSA
advocates led some to believe. Sure, these
airplanes perform wonderfully well in calm atmospheric
conditions. Like their ultralight brethren, light
sport aircraft relish calm
Beware, however, when the gusty winds settle in over the airport. Finger-light wing loading introduces control challenges to light sport aircraft that can overwhelm an inexperienced or nonproficient pilot. Poor or non-responsive pilot rudder inputs can easily allow massive yaw forces to develop that, when combined with a stall, can put the aircraft into a fatal stall/spin scenario. These characteristics vary, of course, by airplane make/model. Light sport aircraft are subject to the same aerodynamic forces of heavier airplanes. Deliberately designed portability of some of these machines coupled with the legal requirement to keep them below 1,320 pounds gross takeoff weight can result in less structural strength than their big brother airplanes. Thus, we may not have the inherent "fudge factor" in their positive 3.8 G requirement that we see in heavier aircraft.
Lacking the well designed stability features of a traditional trainer, light sport aircraft, depending upon make/model, require consummate rudder skills. Having instructed in a number of different LS aircraft, the demand for proficient rudder skills and less inherent stability of LS aircraft suggests to me that far more flight time is required to develop basic competence in these aircraft than the minimum 20 hours specified in FAR 61.313. [Photo above is of a Light Sport "Challenger II" with student owner, Harry Armstrong of Holly, NY, in front seat and me in the back seat.] Light Sport is easier for some For folks transitioning to light sport from the ultralight community, these issues may not be significant. Similarly, experienced private pilots should have little difficulty transitioning to LS aircraft. As for me, I really enjoy flying these wonderful little airplanes. But for new pilots coming off the street and who receive minimally required training, the LSA program could be too many accidents waiting to happen! As with any airplane or pilot rating, proper initial and recurrent training can, of course, mitigate the risks. Not surprisingly, the GA aircraft insurance industry is moving cautiously with light sport pilots and their aircraft. Four out of five companies passed on insuring one of my students and his Challenger II. The fifth said they would provide coverage, but only after the student obtained his light sport pilot certificate and had logged 100 hours in fixed wing airplanes. In summary . . . Another couple of years of experience with the LSA program will be required before we can draw valid conclusions regarding its inherent safety. Our hope is that the LSA program does work, that it does introduce more people to flying, that it makes flying more affordable, and that it can extend our flying years. In the meantime, we in the flight training community should proceed cautiously. We must not allow ourselves to be seduced by the "easy flying" message being touted by LSA manufacturers, EAA, and AOPA. We must ensure that LSA pilots we train are up to the unique challenges of these airplanes. Remember,
flight safety should be our first priority, not airplane sales
or boosting pilot
numbers. Sure, we all want to see the GA
industry grow, but not at the expense of more lost lives. Bob
Miller, ATP, CFII Nailing the Emergency Landing!
Let's see . . . best glide speed, check for suitable landing sites, troubleshoot the engine, squawk 7700, make a mayday call, report position, souls on board, land into the wind, and unlatch the doors prior to impact. Pretty soon, this exercise plays out like a walk in the park! The Real Thing!! Rote stuff, right? Have you ever wondered how this scenario would play out if the engine quit for real? In the real world, things happen differently. First is the element of surprise. There's no instructor or examiner retarding the throttle. Instead, it could be the piercing sound of a piston rod exiting through the cowling, followed by hot oil all over the windscreen. Second, our brain freezes in acute terror mode as we struggle to diagnose the situation. Third, we go through a denial mode. "No, this can't possibly be happening to me!?" Lastly, we resign ourselves to a sure and certain death as we begin working the problem. The entire matter can be summed up in one four letter word beginning with "S" and ending with "T". Work the problem . . . Let's say for argument sake that our engine quit suddenly and that there is no hope for a restart. Our first objective is to find a suitable landing site. This could be the fastest decision we've ever made. Look out the window. In a light single, we need about 1,500 feet minimum, pointing into the wind, with no obstacles at either end. Once our landing site is identified, we maneuver the airplane so that we will arrive at the downwind leg "key position" at about 1,000' AGL.
Upon arriving at the downwind leg key position, we do what we have done many, many times before in training . . . . we maneuver power off to the waiting runway (emergency landing site) below. What if it happens at 8,000' AGL? Losing power at 8,000' is another matter altogether. Sure, we have more options and more time. That's the good news. The bad news is our most suitable landing site could be directly below us. The trick, of course, is to get down safely without risking an extended glide out and then back in. This is where the steep spiral turn comes in handy.
Mastered by every commercial student, the steep descending spiral turn is designed to get us down to an emergency landing site while controlling bank, airspeed, and wind effect. The process begins by rolling into a 45 degree left bank (so that we can keep the targeted emergency landing site in view). Next, we pitch to achieve maneuvering speed (Va) throughout the descent. Once established in the turn, we determine the altitude lost in each 360 degree rotation. This will help us adjust our descent rate so as to arrive at the downwind "key point" at 1,000' AGL. From there, it's back to the same power off turn to base, final, and landing that we've practiced many times before. As in all such maneuvers, a quick reference to the checklist is always a good idea.
Fortunately, engines do not fail very often. When they do, however, we must be prepared. In most cases, failed engines simply convert our powered aircraft into sail planes. Our job is to use our best "soaring" technique so as to arrive safely to the most suitable landing site! Finding Our Way Out of the FSS Mess! Over the Airwaves was one of the first aviation publications to focus public attention on the dangerously flawed takeover of the nation's Flight Service Stations (FSSs) by Lockheed Martin. The April 22, 2007 OTA issue recounted the illustrious first week of the centralized FSS in Leesburg, VA. Flight plans were lost, phones didn't answer, inexperienced briefers sounded like neophytes, personal laptops were used as backups to crashing main frame computers. The entire transition was like something out of Dr. Strangelove. Here we are almost six weeks later and we still cannot get through to FSS without enduring a 20 minute hold. Even AOPA put its mighty muscle behind the problem with a one hour telephone call from Phil Boyer to the the FAA administrator on May 22 to encourage a quick fix. Remember, this is the same FAA who suggests they can effectively administer a "user fee" collection system. Heck, they can't even manage to off-load the FSS system to a private contractor without creating a massive long-term threat to aviation safety! Promises, promises but no fix! Earlier this week, for example, I used DUATS to file a VFR flight plan from Buffalo, NY to Lancaster, PA. Arriving at our destination, I tried calling FSS twice to cancel this flight plan. Both phone calls went unanswered, so I gave up in vain. I wondered just how many VFR flight plans went unclosed this past week? Were any search and rescue missions launched? Did they come looking for me and my passenger somewhere in the rolling hills of central PA? Likely not! So why bother calling flight service anymore? The larger question is . . . why bother with FSS anymore? How do we GA pilots work around one of the largest US government privatization SNAFUs in history? There are several things we GA pilots can do to work around the FSS fiasco as follows:
My crystal ball (and lots of years working with the feds) suggests that this FSS problem is not likely to be resolved anytime soon. Missed Preflight Actions Can Kill!
Things were perfectly normal until a sudden distraction grabbed the pilot's attention just as the airplane became airborne. The canopy suddenly popped open! The aircraft instantly yawed about 45 degrees and pitched upward. The pilot struggled to close the canopy while trying to control the airplane at the same time. He applied full left rudder, lowered the nose, and reduced power. The airplane returned to straight and level flight, just above stall speed. It then "pancaked" hard on the runway. The left and right main landing gear pushed upward through the wings. The NTSB's examination of the airplane revealed heavy wrinkling of the fuselage's skin. The horizontal stabilizer was bent downward and the propeller showed torsional bending and chordwise scratches. The flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the canopy latching mechanism and other airplane systems revealed no anomalies. The pilot's wife died from injuries sustained in the accident.
Pre-flight items missed and failure to properly control the airplane! How many of us have experienced a door suddenly popping open in flight? Have we ever missed a pre-flight item? Yes, on both counts, for me and likely thousands of other pilots. The big question is, "How did we respond to these events?" It sounds trite but is always worth repeating . . . . "Fly the airplane!" Even slight distractions can produce a temporary brain freeze. This is why instructors should routinely create in-flight distractions like opening a cabin window while on short final or popping an inflated balloon that's tucked away in a flight bag. One of our legendary designated pilot examiners (Jack Prior, now retired) used to blow cigarette smoke under the hood of instrument candidates as they slithered down the ILS! Dealing effectively with distractions during critical stages of flight is a mark of a proficient pilot. Ever wonder what the most hazardous, non-military aviation-related occupation is? Click HERE to view a day in the life of a power line patrol crew. What you witness could change your perception of GA flight safety. In other words, when we prepare properly, understand what we are doing, and take no chances, hazardous flying can be safer than a walk in the park! Thanks to OTA reader, Paul Pedersen of Buffalo, NY for sharing this link with us.
"Did I Turn the Master Off??"
We've all done it at one time or another. We've walked away from our airplane without turning off the master switch. The obvious consequences, of course, is that we're left with a dead battery! A couple of battery saving tipsThere are two things we can do to reduce our likelihood of forgetting to turn off the master switch, as follows: 1 -Tape the beacon/strobe switch in the on position: By always leaving the beacon or strobe switch on, either we or others on the ramp will easily observe that we've left the master on. 2 - Use the "SLIM" mnemonic on engine shutdown: The "SLIM" mnemonic goes like this . . .
Light Sport & Weather Do Not Mix ! !
When you want to reduce the training time to qualify a light sport aircraft from the 40 hours required of private pilots to 20 hours, some items need to be omitted from the curriculum. One of these items is the three hours of simulated or actual instrument experience. Typically, this three hours of instrument training is intended to expose the private pilot to the very real challenges of flying on the gauges. At a minimum, it provides convincing proof that the survival rate for non-instrument rated pilots in the clouds is very low. This light sport pilot pays the ultimate price! Several weeks ago, a Walker Zodiac 601 XL single-engine light sport airplane suffered an in-flight break up and collision with terrain west of the Hemphill County Airport (HHF), near Canadian, Texas. The light sport rated pilot was killed in the accident. According to witnesses, the airplane was approaching the airport through heavy rain and visibility less than 500 feet. Weather at the airport at the time of the crash was winds from 360 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 2 statute miles, heavy rain, scattered clouds 200 feet, broken clouds 800 feet, overcast clouds 2,000 feet, and temperature 59 degrees, dew point 59 degrees.
A preliminary review of Automated Flight Service Station
(AFSS) records revealed that the pilot did not receive a
weather briefing prior to the flight. According to the preliminary NTSB report,
aircraft debris was found dispersed over a 4-mile-long area
about 2.2 miles west of the airport. The largest
portion of the airplane located was the engine and a section of
fuselage. The tail control surfaces were damaged and
remained attached to the empennage, but both wings had
separated and were found within a 1/2-mile of the main
wreckage. The remains of the airplane were recovered to a
salvage facility for further examination. Lessons Learned . . . Continued VFR flight into IFR conditions has long been the most frequent cause of fatal weather-related accidents for both VFR and IFR-rated private pilots. Presumably, however, these private pilots had been trained to recognize the risks and difficulties of maneuvering in instrument meteorological conditions. Light sport pilots are NOT required to receive such training. Thus, when light sport pilots whose training is limited to that required by FAR 61.313, they stand NO chance of surviving a sudden encounter with unexpected or unpredicted IFR conditions. Solution . . .
At a minimum, the light sport pilot will gain a new appreciation of IFR weather and the risks it poses to all pilots. He or she will also learn more about the vagaries of IFR weather. Three miles of visibility, for example, can dip to less than one mile in a summer haze. Better yet, the light sport pilot will see the importance of having at least one gyro instrument in his or her airplane. The electric turn coordinator, pictured left, can be purchased for less than $700.00 Overkill? Perhaps . . . but not when the late afternoon summer haze turns into muck and the ground and horizon suddenly disappears! Base Leg Planning - Watch the Winds! Spend a day at a non-towered field as the winds begin to pick up. You'll witness a spontaneous increase in the size of the local traffic pattern! Seemingly oblivious to the effect of tail winds on the downwind leg, hapless pilots initiate their turn to base leg just like they always do. By the time they make their turn to final, they are out of sight! Instead, as winds increase, we should commence our base turn sooner than normal, as shown in the illustration below.
Wind awareness counts! Always looking for the windsock or other wind device on the airport surface is good pilot form. It helps us to select the most suitable runway, but it does NOT tell us what the winds are aloft. Winds at the traffic pattern could be substantially higher than the reported surface winds. Knowing this helps us to plan our turn to base point. The faster the winds, the sooner we should turn base. Light Sport Pilots - The Principles of Aerodynamics Still Apply! It was a hot day at the Marble Airport, Marble, Colorado when a light sport pilot attempted to land his 100 horsepower Taylorcraft, not once but five times on its 4,600 foot long grass strip.
Witnesses stated that the airplane struck a road embankment at the end of the runway, continued in a steep climb, and then struck several 60-foot high aspen trees approximately 150 feet west of the end of the runway. The airplane "rolled off hard to the right." It impacted the southbound lane of County Road 3 in a nose low attitude. Anybody check the density altitude? The Aspen (ASE) METAR (routine aviation weather report), located 18 nautical miles to the northeast of Marble, reported the weather as, winds, variable at 5 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, scattered 10,000 feet; temperature, 21 degrees Celsius (C); dewpoint, 6 degrees C; altimeter, 30.23 inches. Airport elevation was approximately 7,800 feet mean sea level. Density altitude was calculated to be 10,063 feet! Remember, airplanes are airplanes. They all respond to the basic laws of physics. Maintaining Directional Control on the Landing Roll Out Landing accidents continue to be the number one cause of all non-fatal accidents. Everything from prop strikes, to collapsed gears, to bent wings, to ground loops, to runway excursions occur every day of the week.
Wind is often the cause! Inability to handle gusting or crosswinds is likely the cause of most landing accidents. The inexperienced pilot allows his upwind wing to lift just as the aircraft settles to the runway. Meanwhile, the crosswind pushes the vertical stabilizer (tail) sideways. The results are disastrous! This action causes the upwind wing to lift even further. The pilot presses forward on the yoke or stick. Womp . . . the spinning propeller strikes the pavement below.
Use the rudder!! If ever there was a time to get on the rudder pedals, this is it! We use the rudder to keep the nose pointed directly down the runway. The only truly effective way to learn this is to go out and practice it. If uncertain of the control procedures, engaged a wind-savvy CFI to go with you. Find a runway where the winds are blowing at least 12 to 17 knots directly across it. As your crosswind landing skills improve, go out find gusting crosswinds. Perfect practice makes perfect! The final step in your crosswind training is to build some time in a tail wheel aircraft. This is where you will discover that poor crosswind landing skills can turn a very good day into a very bad day! Remember, crosswinds are the norm at most airports. Therefore, they should be mastered by every pilot. VOR Orientation 101
For some new pilots, effective VOR orientation skills may never fully develop. Once the checkride is over, they may fade away entirely! Here are two very good reasons for NOT losing those hard-earned VOR orientation skills:
The above illustration provides a quick primer on VOR orientation. Let's be sure we all understand it! Donations needed to spread the OTA flight safety message around the globe!! If you found Over the Airwaves helpful to you personally and/or beneficial to general aviation and would like to support its continued publication, please consider making a donation to the effort. Simply click on the button below to access a secure link through which donations can be made. Or you can send a check to Bob Miller at 124 Delaware Street, Tonawanda, NY 14150. Your donations are used exclusively in the preparation, advancement, and promotion of Over the Airwaves to and for pilots all over the globe.
On this particular day in May, 2006 in Somerset, PA, the pilot had just completed his airplane's 25-hour Phase I flight testing period required of all such homebuilt experimental aircraft. Ready for another flight . . . The pilot positioned his airplane for another takeoff. He advanced the power and accelerated smoothly. The airplane pitched nose-up about 20 to 30 degrees in the climb. When the airplane reached treetop height, black smoke trailed from the engine exhaust system, and the engine "sputtered." The airplane entered a smooth roll to the left, yawed left, and then "plunged" to the ground, in a near vertical attitude. Witnesses said the turn after the loss of engine power was performed at a very high deck angle. What happened??
The manifold pressure peaked and remained between 38.7 and 38.9 inches of Hg. The propeller rpm fluctuated between 2,730 and 3,190 rpm. The maximum rated propeller speed for the Continental TSIO-550-E was 2,700 rpm. A review of the computer simulation revealed that during the takeoff roll, when the fuel flow exceeded the maximum, the fuel-flow needle and gauge and the tachometer needle and gauge flashed on the multi-function display. In addition, and "Engine" warning would be illuminated on the primary flight display.
Further analysis of the data concluded that the pilot took
off with the high fuel boost switch on. The recorded flight data revealed that early in the climb the airplane achieved positive climb rates of between 1,400 and 1,700 feet per minute, at speeds between 73 and 83 knots. The pitch-up attitude continued beyond 13.7 degrees as the positive climb rate diminished. Going beyond 17.7 degrees, the airplane entered a descent, yet continued to increase nose-up pitch. The data showed that the airplane reached a maximum pitch-up attitude of 22.3 degrees, as it descended straight ahead for several seconds. Pilot Error #2 - The pilot pitched up beyond the critical angle of attack resulting in a stall and likely spin.
We pilots continually overlook cockpit warnings of pending trouble while on the takeoff roll. Whether it's a sense of "denial" or an attitude that we can fix it once aloft, we lose a critical opportunity to keep the airplane on the ground until the problem is fixed or resolved. Equally bad, we pilots often fail to maintain adequate airspeed when the engine fails on takeoff. This, of course, results in a fatal stall/spin. So why do these pilot errors continue uncorrected? Month after month, year after year, we continue to see the same recurring pilot errors. Nobody in the aviation media seems to be talking about them! Finding an effective solution to this problem requires that basic flight training curricula be changed to reflect those things that hurt us. Currently, for example, we see nothing in the Private Pilot Practical Test Standards (PTS) that address failed systems on takeoff. As for stall/spins, spin training was removed from the Private Pilot training requirements many decades ago. Curiously, we continue to suffer one stall/spin fatality per week, on average! Unfortunately, adding these training requirements back into FAR Part 61 will be seen by AOPA and other GA membership organizations as placing an "unnecessary burden" on GA pilots. Thus, these very same accident scenarios are likely to be repeated month after month, year after year!
Curiously, there are a great many similarities between surviving in the air and surviving on the battlefield. Each event requires our utmost attention to detail.
Somebody wasn't paying attention, pure and simple! Tragically, we lose over 350 general aviation airplanes with fatal results every year largely because somebody wasn't paying attention. A missed checklist item, an incorrect control input, a sudden stall/spin, whatever. Somebody missed a critical detail. Living a long and happy life as a pilot comes from compulsive attention to details. Locking the canopy before takeoff, comprehending the meteorological significance of the weather ahead, maintaining airspeed following an engine failure, and applying the proper control inputs when landing in gusty crosswinds are classic examples of attending to the details. Yes, we live or die in airplanes based upon our paying attention to the details. Unfortunately, many of us become complacent. We skip through checklists. We disregard the importance of systematic recurrent training. We lose our edge. Our ego convinces us that we're the best sticks on the aerodrome. It happens every day. Our daily fatal accident experience proves it!
Bob
Miller, ATP, CFII Supporting Sponsors
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Valued Aviation Links Please click HERE to check out our valued aviation friends! Comments, Please! Over the Airwaves is not intended to be your typical training, official news, or club-type social journal. Instead, its intent is to stimulate thought, enhance aviation critical thinking skills, to encourage the strong pilot, and to disturb the weaker pilot. With this breadth of scope, Over the Airwaves will evoke a number of reactions. Please feel free to share these reactions with me by clicking HERE.
 Click HERE to open any previous issue(s) of Over the Airwaves and to search for any past articles.Technical Assistance I would like to thank the following technical assistance contributors for their valuable help in producing OTA every two weeks: Cameron Dunlop, Corning, NY; Barry McCollom, Kerrville, TX; Thom Riddle, Buffalo, NY; and Jay Rolls, Atlanta, GA. Globe and aircraft logo in top banner designed by Ulla Taylor Pavement Artist.
©2007 Over the Airwaves, Buffalo, New York, USA. |
winds.
They are nimble and respond well to pilot inputs.
Less
inherent stability
For
many primary students, an emergency landing is something we
practice to get through the checkride. 
It
was a lovely day in Wichita, Kansas. A bit windy but
that goes with the territory. An RV-4 pilot and his
wife took off for a planned trip to Missouri.
Free
sign up for
Over the Airwaves
Clearly,
we are not going to see any changes in the FAR 61.313.
As such, all light sport pilots should spend several hours
in the clouds with a CFII in an IFR capable airplane.
During
the sixth approach, the airplane touched down approximately
midfield, the pilot added power and the airplane became
airborne again. 
With
the explosive emergence of GPS technology, from handheld
units to full-up glass panel displays, our VOR orientation
skills may be slipping away. 
Like
its Columbia 400 factory version, the Lancair IV-P is a
beautiful high performance, four-seat airplane. But
like all airplanes, it is very unforgiving of any pilot
oversight, incapacity, or neglect.
The
airplane was equipped with a Chelton Flight Systems
Electronic Flight Instrumentation System (EFIS). Its
non-volatile memory was recovered and forwarded to Chelton
Flight Systems for data recovery. 
I
vividly recall serving in a combat hospital in Vietnam
nearly 40 years ago. About once a day we'd be deluged
with mass casualties because a single American soldier
tripped a booby trap or land mine that set off enough
explosives to rip apart his entire platoon. The
resultant mess was indescribable. 
