Aero-Tips!

A good pilot is always learning -- how many times have you heard this old standard throughout your flying career? There is no truer statement in all of flying (well, with the possible exception of "there are no old, bold pilots.")

Aero-News has called upon the expertise of Thomas P. Turner, master CFI and all-around-good-guy, to bring our readers -- and us -- daily tips to improve our skills as aviators. Some of them, you may have heard before... but for each of us, there will also be something we might never have considered before, or something that didn't "stick" the way it should have the first time we memorized it for the practical test.

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Aero-Tips 09.28.06

It's getting dark earlier (at least in the northern hemisphere), so more pilots will be flying at night. There are many hazards associated with flight after dark; let's look at two:

Black hole airports

A black-hole airport is one that requires an approach over water or unlit terrain. The runway and perhaps a few airport buildings are the only nearby source of light. Without lighted areas around the airport, the pilot has no peripheral cues to help in judging the angle and altitude of his/her approach. Especially if the runway lights are dim, partially burned out or are nonstandard, or if the runway is longer or shorter, wider or narrow than the pilot is used to, there may not be enough visual cues to make a safe landing. The runway can seem slope toward or away from the approach course. Landing short of the runway, hitting an unlighted obstacle and stalls (from fixation away from airspeed control) are common accident factors.

Bright lights

Especially bright or numerous runway lights make it appear as though the runway is closer than it really is. The tendency is to fly high, resulting in landing long (and possibly a runway overrun) or a last-minute attempt to dive to the runway and touch down overly hard.

Tools for safety

When landing at night, especially at unfamiliar airports:

• Use visual approach path indicators (VASI, PAPI, etc.) when available, and remain on glidepath to the touchdown zone.
• If at any time the approach does not look or feel right, go around and try again, or divert to a more familiar airport.

Aero-tip of the day: Be aware of the hazards of "black hole" and brightly lit airports.

FMI: Aero-Tips