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.") It's part of what makes aviation
so exciting for all of us... just when you think you've seen it
all, along comes a scenario you've never imagined.
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, and as
representatives of the flying community. 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.
It is our unabashed goal that "Aero-Tips" will help our readers
become better, safer pilots -- as well as introducing our
ground-bound readers to the concepts and principles that keep those
strange aluminum-and-composite contraptions in the air... and allow
them to soar magnificently through it.
Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you
through the Aero-News Network. Suggestions for future Aero-Tips are
always welcome, as are additions or discussion of each day's tips.
Remember... when it comes to being good pilots, we're all in this
together.
Aero-Tips 01.22.06
“November 329PT, cleared for takeoff, expedite your
departure, traffic is a Citation on a two-mile
final….” If you’re ready to go, taxi onto
the runway, apply power and take off. But what if
you’re not?
The FAA’s
Pilot/Controller Glossary tells us what ATC expects when they use
the word “expedite”:
- EXPEDITE- Used by ATC when prompt compliance is required to
avoid the development of an imminent situation. Expedite
climb/descent normally indicates to a pilot that the approximate
best rate of climb/descent should be used without requiring an
exceptional change in aircraft handling characteristics.
It’s perhaps more correct for controllers to say
you’re “cleared for immediate departure.”
“Immediate,” in FAA-speak, means:
- IMMEDIATELY- Used by ATC or pilots when such action compliance
is required to avoid an imminent situation.
“Expedite” or “immediate”, the imminent
situation the controller is trying to avoid is, of course, is a
collision on the runway. The clearance may permit violations
of minimum separation requirements.
Do I have to?
It’s up to you (as Pilot-in-Command) to accept or decline
the clearance. IF YOU’RE NOT COMPLETELY READY FOR
TAKEOFF when given such a clearance, simply tell the tower
“unable.” Don’t fall into the trap of
thinking “I can skip a couple items on the checklist”
or “I’ll tune the GPS once I’m
airborne”—you’re just asking for trouble if you
do. NOTE: Tell controllers your decision immediately.
Don’t dawdle; don’t move beyond the hold line or even
loosen your hold on the brakes enough to roll forward, because both
the tower and the crew in that Citation will expect you to taxi
onto the runway if they see you begin to move.
Aero-tip of the day: Expect the
occasional “immediate” or “expedite”
takeoff clearance at tower-controlled airports—and be ready
to decline the clearance if you’re not completely ready to
go.