Blog Archives - Page 103 of 199 - Golf Hotel Whiskey

What to do if you suffer a break in your flight training

If you are a would-be pilot who has suffered a break in your flight training, then the answers to a recent question posted by Tom on the Ask a Flight Instructor site is well worth reading. Tom began by noting that he solo’d in May 2010 and that he also had his stage one check in June 2010 while his last flight was July 2010. He also added that he did have some issues with his CFI who has since left where he was training but he also added that:

The manager is great there and has always worked with me. Finding another CFI shouldn’t be an issue. My father was ill so I stepped away from training. My dad passed away March of 2011. It still may be a while before I can get back to training in the air. I do read training material and watch the Cessna King training dvd’s. I do know I want to get ground school training and pass my written before taking to the air. Book work has been harder than flying for me.

Commenter Micah responded by asking Tom if his flight school would let him backseat while others fly. He also added that this is an underappreciated way to learn plus its a great way to meet other pilots and instructors at the flight school. Moreover, it’s free.

Pete Kemble then told his story of having a couple of breaks in his flight training. Eventually, he found the time to fly 13 years after his last break and he noted that his major mistake was not continuing his flight training outside of the aircraft. Hence, he suggested that you keep yourself “current” by:

…digesting everything you can aviation related. Read through all the FAA texts online. Join AOPA and you’ll get a free subscription to Flight Training (fantastic bathroom reading ). There’re plenty of free online resources as well (this site for one) that will help keep your mind in aviation as well.

Finally, commenter James MacGregor CFI asked Tom just why his CFI left as when he was doing his training, he had asked around to find out who the best CFIs were. He then noted that if you had a good experience with your CFI, he or she might be able to work with you outside of the flight school – saving you both time and some headaches. Moreover, James also added that most CFIs “worth their salt” will be able to locate an aircraft that they can use to teach you in outside of a flight school.

Hence and if you are a would-be pilot like Tom who has experienced a break or disruption in your flight training, the entire thread is well worth reading.

Why do air traffic controllers fall asleep on the job?

We have recently written about the rash of sleeping air traffic controller incidents in the USA. Hence, its well worth mentioning that Langhorne Bond, an FAA administrator from 1977 to 1981, and Robert W. Poole Jr., a director of transportation policy at the Reason Foundation, have co-written an interesting opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal about why they believe air traffic controllers in the USA are falling asleep when they in fact have the last word on their work schedules.

The pair wrote that the most popular air traffic controller shift is called 2-2-1 where air traffic controllers work two swing shifts, then two day shifts and finally one midnight shift. The second day shifts will end at 2 pm while the subsequent midnight shift will begin later in the evening at 10 pm – a mere eight hours later. This type of schedule obviously disrupts circadian rhythms and creates fatigue for those on the midnight shift. Moreover, the authors noted that:

Within air traffic circles, this problem is so well-known that 2-2-1 has long been called "the rattler," since it can come back and bite the controller, degrading his performance. But controllers and their union have fought to keep 2-2-1 because it gives them a three-day weekend afterwards.

Nevertheless, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has called for abolishing 2-2-1 as far back as an April 2007 report while the inspector general for the Department of Transportation wants a 10-hour minimum between shifts plus 16 hours after any midnight shift.

The authors then pointed out that another major cause of fatigue on midnight shifts in the USA are the black backgrounds on controller display screens. This means that a dark room is needed for better visibility but this also induces drowsiness on late night shifts.

Hence, it is now common international practice outside of the USA to have light gray background screen displays since these types of screens can be used in high-light environments. However and in the USA, this trend has been all but ignored.

Moreover and over the past 15 years, nearly every developed country (except for the US) has separated air safety regulation from the provision of air traffic control services to be consistent with the policies set forth by the International Civil Aviation Organization. By doing this, there is an arm’s-length safety regulation of air traffic control itself.

Hence, the authors ended their piece by calling for this separation and by stating that the current controller-fatigue flap is a wake-up call to do so.

What questions should you ask before renting an aircraft from a private owner?

If you ever rent or have thought of renting an aircraft from a private person, Tobin Fricke has posted several excellent questions that you should be asking on the Ask a Flight Instructor website. His questions were the following:

• Before renting a plane from a private person, what should we discuss and what should I check? Of course, I would want to verify the airworthiness of the plane. What sort of things do we need to agree upon?
• What sort of insurance is necessary?
• Does renting a plane from someone (exchange of $ for airplane time) trigger the requirement for a 100-hour inspection (operation for hire)?
• What is a good way to find someone (other than a flight school) with an airplane to rent?

Jon responded with a lengthy answer based upon his own experiences. He began by first noting that you should have a contract that, at a minimum, covers the following items:

how much the owner is charging you per hour
whether that’s billed by the clock, hobbs or tach
whether it’s a wet or dry rate (and if it’s a wet rate, how is reimbursement for fuel handled)
how often will you be billed (leave a check at the end of every flight or get a statement at the end of the month)
how is maintenance handled if something happens away from home (who pays, at what point do you need the owner’s blessing, etc)

He then added that you should go through the logbooks and make sure they contain the current annual for the airframe, engine(s) and the propeller(s) as well as current entries for the pitot-static system, transponder and ELT. And if the owner won’t show you the logbooks, don’t even consider renting the aircraft.

Commenter John D. Collins then pointed out that some aircraft insurance policies will specifically prohibit the renting of or instruction in an airplane. In other words, you need to make sure that you don’t run afoul of such insurance policies.

Matthew Waugh also added that the insurance questions are critical as there are two things to keep in mind here:

Is the aircraft OWNER insured?
Are YOU also insured?

Commenter Jon then responded by noting that from his own personal experience, everyone will look for someone else to blame when something goes wrong and that will include the insurance company. Hence, you better make sure that every “I” is dotted and that every “T” is crossed to avoid things getting nasty or expensive should something go wrong. He also added that you should think very seriously about getting renter’s insurance that covers whatever an insurance company could try and come after you for.

Hence and if you are planning to rent an aircraft from a private owner, this entire thread containing all the response to Tobin’s question on the Ask a Flight Instructor website is a must read.

If God had intended man to fly, he would not have….

……. invented Spanish Air Traffic Control.

— Lister, in the BBC TV series, ‘Red Dwarf.’

What is on your personal aviation wish list?

Vincent, the blogger behind the Plastic Pilot blog, has recently posted his personal aviation wish list or to do list. He first began by noting that his aviation activities are on hold for the time being as he did not renew his ratings or his medical certificate because he did not need any of them to fly across the USA last year. Moreover, he has no idea when he will be able to resume flying.

Nevertheless, his personal aviation wish list includes the following:

Fly a Mooney.
Log time in a Cirrus.
Try gliders.
Fly aerobatics with an instructor.
Fly a very light jet.
Fly a turboprop aircraft.
Fly an airliner (even if its just a simulator!)

(Vincent also has a wish list for the destinations he wants to fly to)

Hence, we want to ask you our readers just what is on your aviation wishlist. In other words, what are your aviation related dreams? Feel free to tell us in the comments section below.

Frozen brake sends a Cessna into a snow bank

Although winter is practically over with, a March 2009 accident report from the USA’s National Transportation Safety Board that was recently mentioned in General Aviation News is still worth noting. The incident involved a Cessna 172 and occurred in Hazen, Idaho.

According to the accident report, the pilot took off from one airport where the taxiways had snow, water and slush; landed at another airport for fuel; and finally departed for his destination. The approach and touchdown at the the final destination was normal. However and when the pilot applied the brakes:

…the plane veered to the left and the left main wheel went off the runway. The pilot was unable to get the left wheel back on the runway and was unable to stop the 172. As the airplane slowed, the left wheel entered a snowbank, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot said that the plane acted like the right brake did not operate properly and suspected it may have frozen since his departure was from an airport with the snow, water, and slush.

Luckily there were no injuries but damage to the aircraft was substantial and a subsequent examination found no anomalies with the braking system. In other words, the water, slush and snow had cause the break to freeze.

Hence and if you are on a taxiway, do keep in mind that too much water, slush or snow might cause your breaking system to fail or freeze up.