Amazing pictures of the recovery of the Airbus from Hudson. You should have seen the one that got away.
Our ash forecasts are all cloudy
Iceland’s Eyjafjallajoekull volcano and its ash cloud has been back in the news again as more flights get canceled. Hence, the Wall Street Journal recently had an interesting article (“Cloudy With a Chance of Danger: Airplane vs. Ash”) by Carl Bialik about aviation’s US$1.7 billion question: How much volcanic ash is in the air and how much is too much for an airplane engine? Bialik noted that cancellations have already cost airlines US$1.7 billion and they are increasingly lashing out at the statistical models that predict how much ash is out there and where it is. In fact, Irish airline Ryanair has gone so far as to say in a statement that the UK model of volcanic ash clouds is "substantially fictitious."
In a separate post for his blog (“The Numbers Guy: Carl Bialik examines the way numbers are used, and abused”), Bialik then noted that not everyone is critical of aviation authorities. However, he pointed out that predicting ash clouds remains a very hazy affair – along with how much ash is to much ash.
Hence, we would like to ask you our readers what you think about the response to the ash cloud: Are aviation authorities being overly cautious and conservative or has their response been just about right?
You better choose now
From a flight attendant: "Welcome aboard Flight XXX to YYY. To operate your seatbelt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seatbelt and if you don’t know how to operate one, you probably shouldn’t be out in public, unsupervised. In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with two small children, decide now which one you love more.”
Pilots forget to start the second engine
David Parker Brown has written a post on the AirlineReporter blog about a recent incident where two regional jet pilots in the USA forgot to start the second engine – a very careless and obvious mistake. Brown began his post by first pointing out just how complicated flying a airline aircraft is and how airlines usually use one engine during taxi to conserve on fuel. This is followed by written and verbal checklists along with a dose of common sense that ensures that pilots are prepared for takeoff with both engines.
However, Brown then mentioned a Wall Street Journal article about two recent incidents where pilots for USA based commuter airlines had forgotten to start their second engine during take off but luckily no one was hurt and the takeoffs were successfully aborted. In the first incident, American Eagle pilots got distracted talking to the control tower and after they started to take off, they received an automated warning that showed the second engine wasn’t operating properly. They assumed the engine had malfunctioned – until mechanics found that it was never started. In the second incident that involved Trans States Airlines, the pilots didn’t realize the second engine wasn’t on until they were lined up for takeoff and already at full throttle.
What are the lessons here for general aviation pilots? Simply put, if airline pilots who fly nearly everyday for a living can become distracted and miss something as critical and obvious as starting the second engine, a general aviation pilot who flies more irregularly could certainly make a similar mistake. In other words, always remember your checklists and always exercise common sense when in the cockpit – especially if you have not been flying regularly.
Africa: As seen from a motorized paraglider
Todd McClamroch of MyFlightBlog.com has recently posted a link to some of the work of George Steinmetz – a professional photographer who uses a motorized paraglider to photograph unique sights around the world. Steinmetz has recently written “African Air,” a collection of his amazing aerial photographs of Africa, and he noted on his Vimeo site:
I dreamt of how amazing it would be to fly over Africa’s vast landscapes, and some twenty years later my dream came true when I talked National Geographic into financing a portfolio of aerial photos for the coming Millennium. As I buzzed around the Sahara in small planes I was frustrated by how fast they flew, and wanted a lower and slower perspective, with an aircraft that I could pilot to put myself into exactly the right position in the sky. I eventually settled on motorized paragliding, with the lightest and slowest powered aircraft in the world. And since learning how to fly I have returned to Africa repeatedly over the past ten years to create a large body of work that I put into my first book, African Air.
Judging from some of the amazing aerial photos compiled in this video on Vimeo, the book is a must have by anyone who appreciates aerial photography or has a love for Africa.
George Steinmetz – African Air from George Steinmetz on Vimeo.
Tips to prepare for your first cross country solo
If you are a student pilot, you will eventually need to do a “cross country” solo away from the familiar surroundings of your home airport. This first solo into unfamiliar territory can be intimidating at first but it will also prove to be a major confidence booster.
Hence, a recent post by Jason Schappert containing a couple of tips for your first cross country solo is well worth reading. Jason’s main point is that you should start with a great plan. In other words, you need to:
– Pick checkpoints you know you can find or have found in the past.
– Start planning early, use the night before to knockout non-weather related items and do the weather stuff the day of the flight.
– Work on your organization, where will you put everything in the cockpit? Remember you have an extra seat.
In addition, Jason has also created a short aviation radio segment where he talked to a reader who was about to do his first solo. In the half-hour segment, Jason gives plenty of additional tips for students who are preparing for their very first solo and hence, the segment is well worth listening to.