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.
Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you
through the Aero-News Network.
Aero-Tips 10.21.06
Next on the list of FAA's Top 10 causes of pilot error accidents
(#7, if you're counting): improper in-flight decisions or
planning.
This is an all-encompassing category with a lot of overlap with
other Top 10 areas. In a nutshell, however, in-flight
decision boils down to asking questions like these (and coming up
with an honest and fact-supported answer):
-
Is the weather as good
as or better than forecast, and is it holding or improving at your
destination?
-
- If YES, continue.
- If NO, get updated weather information from uplinks, Flight
Watch or any other available resource. Revise your route
and/or altitude, and start looking for alternates, as needed.
- " Is the fuel burn what you planned for, are fuel
indicators in agreement with your computed fuel state at all times
during the flight, and is your ground speed as good or better than
forecast?
-
- If YES, continue.
- If NO, recalculate your reserves. Change your power
setting if needed and/or start looking for alternates with
available fuel.
- "Is the airplane, its engine(s) and systems working, sounding
and indicating properly?
-
- If YES, continue.
- If NO, troubleshoot and correct any problems as time permits,
and start looking for a nearby alternate (and keep scanning for
off-airport landing sites, just in case).
- Are you performing to your potential, not exhibiting signs of
fatigue, hypoxia and/or the effects of lack or recency (sleepiness,
poor heading and altitude control, difficulty making decisions,
missed radio calls, physical signs of hypoxia, etc.)?
-
- If YES, continue.
- If NO, got to full supplemental oxygen, if available. Aim
for improving conditions and land as soon as possible to rest and
wait for better conditions.
This should prompt you to come up with even more "howgozit"
questions to ask yourself regularly while in flight.
Remember there's a wealth of help available on the other end of
the radio-from controllers, Flight Watch, ASOS, AWOS, ATIS and
UNICOMs along the way, and even other pilots on frequency (after
asking ATC for permission to let you ask a question of another
pilot).
Aero-Tip Of The Day: Ask yourself questions
like these, and you'll replace wishful thinking with solid,
fact-based decision-making…to avoid this Top 10 contributor
to aircraft mishaps.