![]() Habits are automatic routines. Automation is a process to reduce workload or even the brain power required. Our flying is a large part habit. The preflight is a flow or routine, the pattern work is a routine/habit, the flying and taxiing is a habit. Habits are formed during the training. Habits do not replace a lack of talent or skill. Habits can be good or bad, but even the best habit can have flaws. Its habit when you’re at an intersection in your car to look both ways before entering, yet how many times usually because your mind was often thinking on other things that you looked but didn’t “see” that traffic or misjudged the traffic. City puts up a new stop sign at an intersection and you “forget” to stop for a time or have a delayed reaction. For us pilots a new tower opens and we forget first flights around that area. (why in part they have a “no fault but reminder” period). This is the flaw of a good habit. Habit is a three-point cycle. A cue, a routine, a reward. Taking off – the cue is when the plane is ready for takeoff in my training a certain feel of the plane then a check of the instrument determining that it agrees then the automatic pulling of the yoke and slight pressure of the right rudder. And that reward is the feeling of flight... is there more details? Absolutely more details of sight picture, sounds, etc... but like learning to drive most don’t think much on the details of measuring distance, judging speed in a turn etc., as they did when they first started learning.Habits are automatic routines. Automation is a process to reduce workload or even the brain power required. Our flying is a large part habit. The preflight is a flow or routine, the pattern work is a routine/habit, the flying and taxiing is a habit. Habits are formed during the training. Habits can be good or bad, but even the best habit can have flaws. Its habit when you’re at an intersection in your car to look both ways before entering, yet how many times usually because your mind was often thinking on other things that you looked but didn’t “see” that traffic or misjudged the traffic. City puts up a new stop sign at an intersection and you “forget” to stop for a time or have a delayed reaction. For us pilots a new tower opens and we forget first flights around that area. (why in part they have a “no fault but reminder” period). This is the flaw of a good habit. Habit is a three-point cycle. A cue, a routine, a reward. Taking off – the cue is when the plane is ready for takeoff in my training a certain feel of the plane then a check of the instrument determining that it agrees then the automatic pulling of the yoke and slight pressure of the right rudder. And that reward is the feeling of flight... is there more details? Absolutely more details of sight picture, sounds, etc... but like learning to drive most don’t think much on the details of measuring distance, judging speed in a turn etc., as they did when they first started learning. We as instructors must be mindful of the habits we teach. I meet many students who are checklist habit or instrument habit bound to even do a start of a basic trainer or a basic pattern wanting the “numbers” (exact speed, altitude and power settings) or unable to perform a basic stall without staring at an instrument or perform a 90 degree turn even. Airlines teach Tasks, Flows, Checklists. Now I don’t consider that what works for airlines or military is always applicable to General Aviation, but I was taught in a very old school aircraft by similar old school instructor (yes, my dad) a similar method just didn’t give it a name. Obviously, this habit was brought from the basics that were born in general aviation and works in all genres of aviation. We checked the fuel and oil, those first tasks as usually meant getting those elsewhere or await them to be brought to us, then we preflighted the aircraft while awaiting or putting in as part of the flow, and the checklist was in hand to verify we didn’t miss something important (Cue us back to something) or if had been distracted during our flow where to start again. Checklist can be used a Cue to start a routine, but I am old school of its secondary to what I should likely have some automation in my brain to start handling allowing the brain to deal with the new stress level to then add use of a checklist to deal with something not in my habit other than a memory item. The simpler the aircraft the more I can likely keep in my brain as a habit, the more complex the process the more my habit may be limited. But basic flying skills should always be habit… Bring able to see wings level without an instrument should be automatic, your instrument scan must become automatic if looking to react quickly and subtly, which is a challenge if the layout is rarely the same between aircraft flying. Aviate, Navigate, communicate is a formation of a good habit intention… flying the plane should be in part automatic, navigation is a form of habit once the plane is flying as desired then we must steer it as required, then we talk on the radio. On the ground we might place communication before lining up for takeoff but radio should never be first in landing or first during an emergency or deviation like a go around or aborted takeoff… as an instructor I have seen this by many pilots that trained in heavy radio required airports and heard the horror stories from many a DPE of similar actions during checkride. Habits we all know are often hard to break. To break a habit, we have to change the routine after the cue and this is tricky in aviation as is the reward. Often, I’m changing cues as well as routine... but that old habit is often still heavily ingrained in the pilot that first habit will show first under stress but if they have practiced that new habit and there is time they will use new habit... so with that thought old habits never truly die. Imagine a pilot with a bad habit of pulling up drastically with every aborted landing, this habit unchanged could be seriously bad during a power loss during that time. Now with good practice they may learn to not pull up or they might initially start to pull but level nose on horizon, its that time frame in between the reactions that can make the difference. Some habits are just a muscle memory of reaching for a control lever in a familiar spot like flap handle yet new aircraft the gear handle is in that spot. The habit of teaching the pilot to say, touch, look/verify, then move, may prevent that simple situation from occurring even if they likely never change aircraft or seats. Much the same of not moving flaps and such till clear of runway... or until the aircraft is under control and assured stoppage and the above steps still apply. Learning new aircraft, moving up to corporate, freight or airlines is just another level of habits on top of habits already formed. Make sure your foundations are good habits. Willpower is another subject that overlaps into willingness to practice good habits and willpower is just a muscle if is overtaxed a person will not have the willpower left to use elsewhere. That’s a subject for another day. We as instructors must be mindful of the habits we teach. I meet many students who are checklist habit or instrument habit bound to even do a start of a basic trainer or a basic pattern wanting the “numbers” (exact speed, altitude and power settings) or unable to perform a basic stall without staring at an instrument or perform a 90 degree turn even. Airlines teach Tasks, Flows, Checklists. Now I don’t consider that what works for airlines or military is always applicable to General Aviation, but I was taught in a very old school aircraft by similar old school instructor (yes, my dad) a similar method just didn’t give it a name. Obviously, this habit was brought from the basics that were born in general aviation and works in all genres of aviation. We checked the fuel and oil, those first tasks as usually meant getting those elsewhere or await them to be brought to us, then we preflighted the aircraft while awaiting or putting in as part of the flow, and the checklist was in hand to verify we didn’t miss something important (Cue us back to something) or if had been distracted during our flow where to start again. Checklist can be used a Cue to start a routine, but I am old school as its secondary to what I should likely have some automation in my brain to start handling allowing the brain to deal with the radio, and passenger chatter, other complexities, to then add use of a checklist to deal with something not in my habit. The simpler the aircraft the more I can likely keep in my brain as a habit, the more complex the process the more my habit may be limited. But basic flying skills should always be habit… Being able to see wings level without an instrument should be automatic, your instrument scan must become automatic if looking to react quickly and subtly, which is a challenge if the layout is rarely the same between aircraft flying then you revert to flying the aircraft sower to accommodate this situation An Acronym usage is just a mental checklist to use when perhaps the hands are too busy to flip those pages (why many checklists are actually on labels in the cockpit!) Aviate, Navigate, communicate is a formation of a good habit intention… flying the plane should be in part automatic, navigation is a form of habit once the plane is flying as desired then we must steer it as required, then we talk on the radio. On the ground we might place communication before lining up for takeoff but radio should never be first in landing or first during an emergency or deviation like a go around or aborted takeoff… as an instructor I have seen this by many pilots that trained in heavy radio required airports and heard the horror stories from many a DPE of similar actions during checkride. Habits we all know are often hard to break. To break a habit, we have to change the routine after the cue and this is tricky in aviation as is the reward. Often, I’m changing cues as well as routine... but that old habit is often still heavily ingrained in the pilot that first habit will show first under stress but if they have practiced that new habit and there is time they will use new habit... so with that thought old habits never truly die. Imagine a pilot with a bad habit of pulling up drastically with every aborted landing, this habit unchanged could be seriously bad during a power loss during that time. Now with good practice they may learn to not pull up or they might initially start to pull but level nose on horizon, its that time frame in between the reactions that can make the difference. Some habits are just a muscle memory of reaching for a control lever in a familiar spot like flap handle yet new aircraft the gear handle is in that spot. The habit of teaching the pilot to say, touch, look/verify, then move, may prevent that simple situation from occurring even if they likely never change aircraft or seats. Much the same of not moving flaps and such till clear of runway... or until the aircraft is under control and assured stoppage and the above steps still apply. Learning new aircraft, moving up to corporate, freight or airlines is just another level of habits on top of habits already formed. Make sure your foundations are good habits. Willpower is another subject that overlaps into willingness to practice good habits and willpower is just a muscle if is overtaxed a person will not have the willpower left to use elsewhere. That’s a subject for another day. ![]() My students often have concerns about setting up for slow flight when practicing and perfecting their skills for a checkride. So this lesson isn’t about so much how to do slow flight as maybe an easy plan to setting up and its relationship to the rest of our flight. It’s a demonstration of controlling the relationships of Lift and weight and thrust and drag or the relationship of you controlling your minimum airspeed (or whatever speed requested to use)through angle of attack with the power creating just the right amount of thrust over drag to not sink or climb unless called for. Usually this happens in the so called dirtiest configuration of your aircraft such as max flaps in my C152 trainer. So my recommended set up is to start as if setting up for a landing. Start by pulling your power to or close to your normal power setting or other recommended setting that you use to get ready to lower the airspeed into white arc and lower flaps. This will mean raising the nose some to prevent loss of altitude, but we reduce power so we don’t climb either. You can see the similarities already. (You can sometimes go straight to full flaps if can keep up with the ballooning tendency and power requirement to prevent altitude loss etc, but in the beginning you probably need to take it in steps, and for a checkride your under stress anyways so take the steps.) As the plane begins to stabilize and approach the slow speed desired, usually go ahead with next set of flaps. Do expect a slight more ballooning affect then be prepared to add some power to prevent loss of altitude. This means you will likely have to use some muscle of maintaining the slower settings. Then at this point usually adding the last of your flaps unless you have the lucky plane that have that fourth setting. Now don’t forget the power, just enough to prevent a loss of altitude. Don’t forget to trim the plane to keep the controls within your comfortable feeling of pressure, don’t try to muscle the plane which you will often over control. I usually have mine trimmed for the typical climb which is well above the minimum speed so if you let go of the controls the plane will drop the nose to gain speed but start trying to hold that speed say in my C152 of 70-80kts. This means you will likely have to use some muscle of maintaining the slower settings. Everyone may have a slightly different preference but I d prefer a student to not set trim trying to relieve all pressure you must know what the little details feel like the buffeting, the mushy controls and not too much trim you struggle to push the nose over to recover, most trainers this isn’t an issue but can be in some planes. Think moving your fingers for tiny airspeed corrections rather than whole ar movements My version of practice is to take the speed as a slow as just the edge of turning on the stall indicator, that’s a typical 5kt buffer from actual stall. If it is turbulent I will end up using a higher number then and when extra calm its right at that just chirping the stall horn in my plane. We practice with horn blaring occasionally seeing how slow of airspeed might get before actual stall is induced. (The new standard has changed, but I have my methods and if can do my method of the slowest without a stall then you’ll pass that portion of the test easily.) Then you must make some turns. Now without adding power sometimes you will begin a descent or even induce a stall if used the yoke first to stop the sink or turned too steep initially. Turning with a very shallow and slow turn with rudders usually works best. Yes likely still using a bit of aileron, but this is slowest flight so these turns should be just as slow as the slowest turtle you can be too. This lesson is to teach how your power can be manipulated minutely to make small corrections, this is a finesse skill your learning. Anytime you’re at your slowest and or the closest to the ground finesse is called for. Good coordination of ailerons and rudders and elevator and feathering of your speed and power. It’s not about perfection either, but seeing the indications of unwanted changes and adjusting to stop them and even reverse them if required or even do a full recovery and start over. Always stop the unwanted from getting worse before correcting it. Think making those corrections as if hoping your DPE or Instructor won’t notice (we do but if you’re smooth we might not let it count against you) or correcting so you don’t disturb your passenger from their nap or their Facebook live video. Real World Scenario applications Now in setting up this maneuver we did not do pattern turns. Yet this is exactly when you may find yourself slow flying either intentionally or unintentionally which should be avoided or corrected ASAP. Improper handling of your airspeed and altitude and directional control during reduced speed and power settings is when Loss of control incidences occurs. Usually you have become distracted with radio calls or worrying about someone else’s plane and not yours. Often happens in a Towered field if tower asks you to extend downwind or give other traffic space. Know what your slowest safe speed is beforehand like my C152 I say its 65kt which means I can safely make steeper turns avoiding stall conditions. Yes it will go slower but if I’m still possibly maneuvering the pattern or traffic avoidance this speed is that minimum speed. This is also applies to an uncontrolled field in which your also giving other traffic room for their landing etc. You might even find yourself flying a photographer wanting photos which they prefer slow flying so knowing what your safe zone to allow them to get their best shot but not endanger you when they want you to turn back or closer or lower etc… set your limits before flight and there will be less issues in flight. It applies when find yourself dealing with a high density altitude takeoff/climb that you forgot to check for… understanding that feel helps you both not pull nose up and stalling, but also if need to maneuver to return to a landing or even land off field and or maybe avoid an obstacle. Course once that ordeal is over you likely won’t forget that lesson on density altitude! Or maybe you’re dealing with a loss of some power but not yet all. Many reasons and when and where this could be happening. Understanding how to slow fly will help with you understanding and making those soft field landings also. Learning to just barely have enough power to barely sink through that ground effect yet not firmly tap the ground and keep that nose in that angle of attack so you don’t let it touch the ground too soon… yeah that skill! Ok now you’re just showing off! Now go have a great relationship with slow flight and your airplane! Pilot statistics are often quoted, printed, redrawn, recalculated and sometimes just plain confusing. We often wonder exactly what they are tracking and of course what qualifies, age groupings etc. Not much different than how a politician plays with stats twisting their indication to prove their argument.
Aviation is no different I am certain of this. Gift Academy has been mentioning our numbers and its been implied we are incorrect in our statistical twisting of the numbers.. Well maybe guilty as charged or maybe we are not. if you read on the FAA statistic report, it does say women are 6.5% of the pilot population. So yes when we say less than 6% of pilots our naysayers seem correct. Lets look at how we come up with the numbers we mention. Most know the phrase "don't count your chickens before they are hatched" well in our numbers game its don't count the eagles before they fly. It 2015 and women in aviation are still often dealing with both subtle and not so subtle comments or criticisms in the cockpit. Some are subtle and often unintended, others are more glaring but thankfully becoming more rare, and some its subtle to pass off as unintended yet so consistent one can see its not unintended.
Some examples of comments made: (names were changed or deleted for privacy) "We will be doing a manual reversion and "M", you might want to ask for help from your NFP. Girls have a really hard time with this maneuver and are not strong enough." "doing engine out work and the instructor was talking about the rudder and how much pressure it requires...... And says "I always see girl... Um... Weaker people who have trouble." "GV initial one of the instructors was going around saying "women should not be in long range aircraft". "Some of the men at my work think it's funny to compare contract negotiations to women playing soccer in bikini thongs." Nicknames often given to women in orientation class for a company like "quota" "token" Even flight schools do this early on, with videos and powerpoint images in which no women are pictured or if pictured they are a passenger or a customer service/ flight attendant. Many women have emailed us with their issues with flight instructors, that they know something isn't right but cant quite place why they are so uncomfortable. The instructor placing arm around the back of their seat and touching them, always with the comment of the close quarters of the cockpit, instructors leaning across them letting their arm/hand touch their legs or such to "test" the magnetos, not just once in a flight but multiple times. Sometimes its comments implying that women have a hard time with understanding certain technology or mechanics of the aircraft because they are women. Even comments on the parking of the aircraft in comparison to women parallel parking. Talking to all the pilots in the room or inviting the men out for drinks after work, but not the woman pilot. Even instructors have found only negative things to say t the woman pilot in a sim session, but none to her male counterpart in the same sim session and lessons. Even using acronyms that further degrade flight lessons using sexual terms that demean women "Two Virgins make dull company" and yes its still heard in some classes. Yes even the outright sexual harassment and discriminations occur, as comments about their breasts or breast size, shape of their legs or how they wear their uniform, crude notes left in cockpits for the ladies to find, blatantly asking to come to their hotel room to watch a movie. Many say oh they were just joking or didn't mean it to be harmful, yet there is an element of truth in joking. Many men say their wives/girlfriends would be jealous if they found them socializing with a woman from work/school. Are these same men the jealous type to not let their wife/girlfriend do the same at their work? Or they assume they have nothing to talk about with the "token" female, somehow thinking she will only discuss children, makeup and clothes? I wonder if these same men do this to the daughters/nieces/sisters/wife they know. A man once stopped his car in front of my house (after circling the block first) wondering what I was doing. (I had the hood up on suburban). I was checking the oil in my car as I told him. He actually was amazed he never seen a woman do that. I asked him have you ever taught your wife or daughter how to? His response was to drive away. But I do wonder how many men and even some women teach their daughters/nieces about shopping and clothes and how to drive but never teach them how to change a tire or check and or change their oil, or how to use the lawnmower and weed eater, or how about teach the sons/nephews how to do laundry and cook and wash dishes and sew on buttons. We raise them with the subtle hints of male and female capabilities, but for those who break through that barrier we are still dealing with barriers. Also we are encouraged to not go to HR and complain, or don't write about it in the critique notes at sim class, because it somehow makes life harder for the other women and ourselves unless it is blatant and witness of course. I think this has to stop and we do need to encourage changes. Whiners we don't need, but conversation and more of those good men who are truly supporting having a good pilot no matter the gender need to step up and help those changes occur. But do pay attention we don't trade one subtle discriminatory comment for another. Women in the early years of aviation faced great hurdles and through WASPs and many other great ladies since have proven women can fly, including women in the 1970's and 1980's were struggling with the sterotypes, but even I coming into the workforce in the 1990's and now my own daughter also finding some of the exact same issues in this millennia. This should not be. Mary Latimer issued a challenge in March 2015 at the Women in Aviation Conference a challenge to other Flight Instructors, DPE, or Flight schools to match her numbers.
We all know that women pilots are small in numbers, the average is 1 woman to 20 men. This has not improved much in a very long time. Mary as a DPE had declared 2014 the year of the Woman Pilot after she gave a checkride on January 1, 2014. She set out to try and successfully test 3 women applicants a month. Up until Oct 2014, she was successful. October she unfortunately had to stop temporarily due to no fault of her own due to delays in renewal of her DPE. Now that all sounded good until she reviewed her numbers as a DPE as a whole. She tested 90 applicants in 2014, 30 of those were to women. that is 1 in 3 woman successful applicants! Mary's challenge is for someone to meet her numbers (or beat). She will pay a $1000 out of her pocket to whoever can. Now that doesn't mean an instructor can send in three applicants and one be a woman, Can you do it, can your school, or is your local DPE even willing to try? You could make a difference in the number of women in aviation, but also in aviation itself!. What will you do to attract more women as students and help them complete their training, or further their training? Second Challenge: Mary will be speaking at the American Bonanza Society International Conference in Oct this year. She will be teaching her Companion Pilot Course (often known by others as a pinch hitter course). She is to receive $500 in speaking fees for this event. She has decided to put that into a scholarship for some lady to complete or further their training, scholarship details to be announce later. She issued a challenge to others to match that and expand the reach of the scholarship, the more money the more students it will ultimately help. Elizabeth Hawley has stepped up first to match the $500, so it now sits at a $1000. Imagine if 2 more meet that challenge, or maybe 4, a lot of worthy aviation students could advance further into the skies! The challenge is before you, now go fly the plane! Many are intimidated by instrument flight and especially instrument approaches. Understandably so as it involves the opposite of initial training focusing on instruments and the sensitivity of it and ignore our physical signals and limited visual cues, (Not even mentioning those horrible glasses or hoods those mean instructors make you wear!)
Many have written/videos/powerpointed to us about the narrowing tunnel, the glide paths etc, etc of some most technical and engineered drawings imaginable. Sometimes we need something else to help our brain understand what we are trying to do. Lets keep it somewhat simple, and something relevant to what we might already understand how to do. Imagine being in a room, maybe the toolshed, garage or even bedroom. Its a dark night no streetlights and now no power either. Your in the middle of this room, (work with me here, toolshed - the door suddenly shut on you). Your first reaction, surely not panic (ok maybe a few gasps or tiny yelp at the sudden darkness), but your adrenaline has likely perked up some, and likely you haven't moved yet though part of you says get to light now! Now most would likely move carefully to a wall then follow the wall to the door where you'll find that dead battery holder, I mean flashlight even your phone. That doesn't mean you didn't bump into the bed, a chair, or that table along the way, but you also knew it was there somewhere so it wasn't all that scary, probably more painful to the toes though. Now consider the instrument approach path the dark room your leaving. (tables, chairs those markers, and that lego is turbulence). Your just guiding yourself with the plane out of that room (clouds or hood) to the door. You know you cannot get out early (descend too soon or might impact something). Many pilots have made news by trying to descend too quickly or too soon, often to get under the weather so they can visually see to fly to the airport. At night this is very dangerous, plus sometimes the cloud layer is lower than that ATIS mentioned further out than at the airport. Slow the plane down, just similar to making your way slowly through the room so you don't hit that table at full run (ouch). Don't worry that you are holding up other planes, you have to go as safely as you can handle. Granted I find places to practice real slow when very little traffic or not busy time, but in real life an unexpected hard IFR approach is very stressful you can only think one thing at a time and do one thing at a time when that stressed. Practicing on a sim even the desktop style is helpful. Yes its not the same as flying the plane, darn thing is super sensitive all the time! But part of the lesson is learning to listen to the instruments not the body. Body may give clues, but always check those instruments to see if it even close to correct! The sim is also about becoming familiar with what you need to do at various points of your approach, step downs, checklist (gear down, flaps, heading change) or timer start/stop. then you take that knowledge and practice in the plane with a better idea of when and what to expect before it happens, much like knowing the chair is along the wall and having your hand out to feel it before your toe does (staying one step ahead of the plane theory). So now I've disappointed everyone as I didn't have that magic answer to make you do the perfect approach and pass your checkride. What I have given you is a tool to help you make better judgment call and one last thing one never chase the needle, and if you do get too much deflection and even start to chase, stop and start the missed approach procedure (if talking to ATC announce going missed as soon as able). You can go missed even bore the final fix, I have done this when had a bad case of vertigo as single pilot flying freight. (plane and approach was fine, but I was not and needed to go hold and calm my inner ears down). Ok some other little tips. If using a paper approach chart (especially if printed it out! Write your notes on it!. Mark you favorite acronym checklist at whatever point you need that reminder, like flaps, gear down points.)and this can be done on the ground briefing! Its your paper and can always print a new one for the next time. even write the ATIS info or your clearance on it. These days with all the internet filing, you can even on some sites like www.Fltplan.com and see the expected route prior to going out in the plane, This works in some places but not all airports. Also FlightAware to preview some of the departure routings or arrivals commonly used. Listening to clearance delivery to others getting their instructions, This even works using LiveATC or similar programs. Also if using a desktop sim and have internet look into programs like Pilot Edge, for radio practice with your pretend flying, without fear of making controllers mad or other pilots while you learn. And also that is more Ego when we don't want others to hear you make mistakes, because even your instructor has probably made every one of those mistakes in their training, and more since then. Controllers make them to. We are human. (well least 99.9% of are) Now go fly the plane, and have fun! Redefining Pilot Error
The vast majority of aircraft accidents are blamed on pilot error. The term pilot error implies that a mistake was made. All of us make mistakes. Therefore, we are all at risk of these accidents happening to us. All of us make mistakes. Therefore, we are hesitant to cast too much blame on a pilot who makes a mistake. Redefining pilot error will allow us to identify those accidents that were not caused by a mistake but rather by arrogance, ego and a defiance of regulations and safety standards. It will also reinforce the proper usage of checklists and encourage the implementation of good practices and procedures. In fact, there are three basic levels of pilot error. The worst level would be redefined as willful misconduct. The middle level would be complacency, negligence or lack of knowledge and/or skill. The lowest level would be the honest mistakes. The FAA categorizes runway incursions and separation errors by their severity or likelihood of resulting in a collision. Perhaps we should redefine “pilot error” accidents and incidents by the precipitating factors and the level of the mistakes. Categorizing these errors could help the industry better identify and address the real threats to safety. It could also help us as educators to relay to students the necessity of good attitudes, good practices and vigilance to identify and mitigate errors. The media has always sensationalized every aircraft accident. Categorizing accidents would give everyone a more realistic understanding of the actual risks involved in aviation. The worst “pilot errors” should be reclassified as willful misconduct. Willful misconduct is not a mistake. You could certainly call that a mistake in judgment but it is not a mistake that a reasonable, prudent person would make. The rules are in place and the pilot chooses to violate those rules and exercise a blatant disregard for their own safety and the safety of their passengers. More regulation will not prevent the tragedies that occur when these pilots have an accident. These people already know that what they are doing is wrong and more regulations will not compel them to comply with the regulations and the basic tenets of safety. A VFR pilot who knowingly and willfully files and flies an IFR flight plan isn’t making a mistake. They are knowingly and willfully violating the regulations. They are also arrogantly endangering their passengers. These pilots are a threat to general aviation because they feed the media bias that general aviation is unsafe. The uneducated public hears an accident was caused by pilot error and they don’t want to fly or don’t want to allow their family and friends to fly because of the perception of danger. These pilots can be compared to drivers who text and drive, drink and drive or excessively and blatantly disobey the traffic laws. Willful misconduct does not always result in an accident but it is the cause of many of our most deadly aircraft accidents. Some other examples of pilot misconduct would include: • Pilots who turn on the autopilot and climb or descend through a cloud deck – Without an IFR clearance and possibly without being instrument rated. • Pilots who know their aircraft is not certified for night flight and fly off into the darkness. • Individuals or student pilots who fly without an instructor’s authorization. • Pilots who know that icing conditions exist and intentionally fly into those areas. • Knowingly flying an aircraft that is not in airworthy condition. • Individuals or student pilots who do not have a pilot certificate and fly passengers anyway. • Pilots who know they are not medically fit to fly and yet carry passengers . The middle level of pilot error would include those mistakes caused by complacency, negligence, or inadequate skill or knowledge. Virtually every pilot has been guilty of pilot errors that would fall into the middle level of the spectrum. The middle level of pilot error includes mistakes that can be prevented by better training, attention to detail, double checking our information and certainly the proper use of checklists. Some of these errors include negligence, complacency, lack of skill or knowledge or reliance on technology. Sometimes it is difficult if not impossible to identify whether a mistake was made due to complacency or inadequate skill. Establishing personal minimums and sharing those numbers with family and frequent passengers will also help minimize pressures to fly when the situation is beyond the plane or pilots capabilities. Pilot negligence and complacency would include: • The pilot who fails to perform a preflight inspection and takes off with inadequate fuel . • The pilot who fails to check the weather and ends up in a bad situation. • Not recognizing the effects of medications. • Failure to set altimeters, heading indicators or other instruments prior to take off. • Failing to consider the effect of high density altitude on aircraft performance. • Allowing the pressures of passengers or the mission to continue a flight into deteriorating conditions. Inadequate skill could include: • Attempting a cross-wind landing beyond the limitations of the pilot but within the limits of the aircraft. • Failure to recognize and correctly react to deteriorating airspeed (particularly close to the ground) • Not understanding that the stall indications and characteristics of an aircraft with a high-performance wing will be dramatically different than the traditional training aircraft. • Not being able to successfully make a 180 degree turn to escape an inadvertent flight into a cloud. • Attempting to make the “impossible turn” when the engine fails. The lowest level of pilot error would be an honest mistake such as transposing numbers or misreading a frequency. An honest mistake is easy to understand and forgive but can still have deadly consequences. These may also be the hardest to prevent and guard against. Vigilance is the best defense. Some of the common honest mistakes include: • Transposing the numbers when the pilot listens to the AWOS and making a downwind landing. • Transposing the numbers on a frequency. This could be a minor event or tragic mistake depending on the situation. • Transposing the identifier letters when programming the GPS. • Climbing or descending through an assigned altitude. • Reversing left and right. • Reporting the direction you are going instead of the direction from the airport. • Failing to readjust the heading indicator to the compass. • Tuning in the VOR frequency instead of the ILS frequency and continuing the approach. • Using the wrong Unicom frequency Even the most innocent mistake can result in a tragedy and the most egregious violation may end with a safe landing. We will never eliminate all mistakes but we can always do better. Recognizing the root causes of the most common mistakes and the most deadly mistakes can better enable us to take the necessary actions to eliminate as much of the risk as possible. Good attitudes can prevent the willful misconduct. Good practices are our best protection against the middle level mistakes. Vigilance is the best defense against the honest mistakes. This might be one of the most important questions pilots can ask when flying with other pilots (other than multi crew aircraft).
Even Mary (the DPE and 40 yrs. of experience) and I (the daughter with half the experience) often ask before a flight. Now on the surface it might seem Mary makes the better pilot, and wile that's not wrong, sometimes I make the better pilot. Sometimes I am more familiar with the aircraft and or the route, sometimes I'm the one rested and prepared for the flight. Unless its her plane! Even if I am not the most experienced pilot she would do a better job of coaching me through an emergency situation than trying to take over and do it herself increasing her workload. Not because she is somehow less recent in the flying but because she has the most skill and able to keep the big picture going, while I focus on things like airspeed and direction. If I became focused on one item too long allowing another to falter, she can see it quicker than I will. Once PIC is established next rule should be the conservative voice will win. So when you and your pilot friend approach weather, and the PIC says lets keep going, and the non PIC says no, then the answer is no do not keep going, This could even be true of the Newbie pilot PIC (her plane) and the other pilot with her is a heavily experienced pilot supposedly. Same situation but this time the lower time pilot says nope going to land, the non PIC begins intimidating them into going further. Conservative voice should win again. (flight instruction properly done doesn't count here, its often our job to push those comfort zones some). I call those pilots bullies, and you wouldn't let such a person fly and push your child or friend into bad situations in the air, you definitely shouldn't let them do it to you. Once you have established the rules of the flight (on the ground of course), now you can enjoy the flight and so can they. Go Fly The Plane! I just returned from a dual cross country, ferry flight. Basically a new student bought a plane which I went with him to finalize the purchase and fly it home while giving dual.
I actually like these trips, though can be tiring, and some parts stressful. There may have been times student might have wondered if I'm teaching or going along. Sometimes I'm teaching by going along with your plan, to see how you deal with the problems as they occur. We encountered weather, but not unexpectedly, just wasn't sure where might meet it and how bad it might be at that time. We had a planned airport, but was also watching airports along the route especially as started seeing clouds in the distance. We began a descent to get below as we were VFR but had picked up flight following even though our transponder had decided to not work for that leg. That began first problem really, By having the ATC work us, but sometimes losing our primary on their radar occasionally meant turning or such or position report to find us again, which then noticed the distant clouds not so distant but least scattered. We began the decent and then at a certain point we were getting uncomfortably close to the ground without escaping clouds, which I bailed and turned tail. Unfortunately clouds were gathering there too. It happens. None were stormy clouds at least. I turned back to a recent towered airfield, and asked for that ifr descent down. They pointed me first to a hole, which I wasn't fond of that plan, but student was already pointing one out. I looked and it was closing fast. I must mention no I do not like approaching ground blind without knowing the path I'm taking (i.e. the instrument approach procedure type). Yet it became a moment to teach why I have that fear safely (you cant hardly buy this training in the real stuff). We searched for one whole that closed then turned back and found another and stared down, By now student is letting me do the flying of course as this entails slowing the aircraft and maneuvering it and prepping for a landing etc. As we descended the hole closed yet I continued.... now that was in many cases a stupid thing to do, what's beneath the clouds, like towers, and what altitude above the ground will I be, and where is the airport and the traffic too? I continued to drive home those thoughts. In this case I knew exactly where we were when lost visual as I was on the approach end of the runway but downwind end. My Garmin 396 shows the feathers of the runway, which at the time of finding that hole was in perfect alignment. (this rarely occurs so I took it). So nicely I broke through looking at the runway which then allowed me to shift to a downwind and setup for a landing. Being that was a towered field also meant they had traffic controlled for me, granted none there but they would managed if was. plus knowing the approach end of the runway was clear least there allowed me to demonstrate why shouldn't do this. This skill came more from years of hard IFR flying not dumb luck. I had to learn to become somewhat comfortable flying in the clouds, and face my fears but not let them prevent from flying the plane even when faced with doing exactly what I fear. My student faced 3 more hours of IFR work that started mild and ended with stuff building faster than Stratus and my XM were updating while on another approach. I again flew that approach, wasn't hardly a passing approach for a checkride, but the weather building on the approach path was not a situation one probably plans for especially when you get the notice after in it (think embedded storms). now none were sever storms but enough to bump us about force me off the approach path at one point, and with me juggling everything from a handheld mike to plane and approach chart, I nearly put myself in an unusual attitude. I saw the turn I didn't intend which immediately stopped the turn, *granted part was from the turbulence of the embedded storm... dropped the mike and talked out loud for my student to talk to atc, I told him what to say while I flew and returned to course around the new storm, which atc now also saw and assumed as much. All finished well and smoothly and broke out much earlier than expected and dropped the ifr and landed. Next lesson was just as fun to teach. It 4pm local sun will set in about 3 hours or so, and there is weather, and we are now wore out from such a rough flight plus previous long leg and no lunch. I began by asking what he wanted to do other than yes we both wanted to be home tonight, but I would not fly a unfamiliar plane at night over unknown territory and that was over 5 hours away, and worse with those 30-50 kt headwinds we have. so left with an option could fly to another airport just as friendly or better couple hours more or possibly stay. Student was quick to realize finding better might be futile search, plus still have that weather building in our path, and both hungry and tired.. but even so he hesitated to stay, but yet delayed leaving by finding a snack and looking a few minutes at weather and an extra trip to the bathroom. Finally decided to stay put start early tomorrow. We got a cab to the hotel then found a restaurant. It was after eating and now relaxing because we know are no longer in a any rush, that he really knew staying was the best decision. Often we look long after given in to our decision and realize if was a good one or not. Have I ever bailed because of weather that didn't happen? yep but less often than not bailing when should have. Its that moment you relax knowing the decision is made that can see if was right or not, its hard to see when in the middle of that moment mixed with I really want to get there plus all other maybes you think of...so when you cant seem to get someone to not take the wrong choice or they are on the fence, they wont hardly feel the rightness till its made and minutes or even an hour passes. This is why funeral words get used or such and even a call to home saying hey I know you want us home now but its kind of worrisome weather and I'm really tired, and maybe even afraid I might do something wrong then not ever come home again... they tend to make that decision for you... even during holidays... Ok at least put them away.
One of the bonus of flying on general aviation planes is getting to have a say in our electronic devices usage. Yes we like to leave them on, even when at those altitudes they likely have no signal, you can still play your candy game or finally edit that photo album. And yes for some take that selfie, guilty as charged ourselves. Now those Ipads and other tablets that allow us to have electronic charts as opposed to suitcases of charts, we love them or hate them, but they have become a tool we use. I personally love them, but I still teach the old school methods so that moment all those electronics fail you still navigate, but also so you can better use the electronic devices. Yes knowing old school often has one using some of the little tricks, and often part in parcel the tips and changes that have been keeping us updating our apps so often. But at what part are these thing getting in our way? When you begin to be dependent on their information and also not really looking out and flying the plane. Even the folks buying that antique Piper cub, but want a radio to use to avoid traffic, yet same person isn't really looking outside for the same traffic which may likely be another without a radio also. Yes even that person flying in some open cockpit plane yet seems to wander in the sky often because checking their phone?! I mean really your in a Stearman on a super smooth cool morning and you cant stop looking at your phone to enjoy the flight? why are you flying again?... yes there are pilots doing this. I am not saying turn it off and never use, but seriously lets use some sense here (its not common anymore so cant even call it that). I take pictures with my students when in level cruise flight and not in the pattern, and then the phone ends up face down on the dash again. If it will take more than 3 seconds to do or read or look at, then you probably shouldn't do it period. Not in a pattern area, not in the busy training area or any other really need to focus on during flight moment. If you really cant ignore the phone for an hour you probably shouldn't go fly, or if business is that needy that you cant take that hour away again don't fly until you can. Instructors start that training early if the students doesn't put down their phone during training, then its time to halt their training. You do not want to be that former instructor of a pilot who had a midair and knowing that they were probably on some device not related to the flight or dependent on devices to do the work of their own eyes and brains. I once was entering a pattern radioed several times ahead direction and altitude t enter downwind at the 45. My student unfortunately (for rather fortunately) did not hold pattern altitude so was now 700 feet agl as opposed to 800 agl. All this time was another plane calling in similar call from the opposite side. I knew would meet close in time and we had our eyes peeled. Called downwind then at same moment that other plane also called downwind, I had student begin the bail off the downwind just in time to see the plane literally a 100 feet above us. It never acknowledged our calls, nor did they acknowledge us on the ground when parked together, I would have confronted the pilot rather nastily, but he did have a young child so I didn't make a scene. you cant always trust devices to keep you safe if it is not used properly by everyone. Count your time looking at a device "one potato, two potato, 3 potato look outside" Devices were meant to be the backup not the primary. Now on a side note Im loving Stratus more because my phone will continue to have signal even above 10k agl. So a radio failure means now I can text someone to inform ATC, or possibly even call a tower myself. Which 24 hr ATC tower do you have in your contacts? Make sure its direct to the cab and remember it can be the home tower because they can call any facility quicker than you can look up the info! |
AuthorTamara Griffith is the main writer of the blog Gift of Wing and all of Gift Academy's media, yet much of the lessons, and thoughts are from all experiences of Mary and Lawrence Latimer, Tamara Griffith, and everyone else and the aviation community we feel needs expressing. Archives
November 2017
Categories
All
|
Tamara Griffith |