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Setting your Personal Minimums

9/28/2014

 
You may have heard many preach about knowing your own personal minimums. But what do they really mean. We see PAVE and IM SAFE. but maybe there is more than just those. Sometimes we don't always know where that line is of should and shouldn't. But we have created another version to help draw that line, a real list that your family members or friends or even your novice passengers or pilot friend can check and possibly prevent you from taking a risk you said you wouldnt do. Once these possible passengers or those who might be effected by your flights outcome, especially that fear of you flying, you are giving that person in your life a voice in your safety. Giving them a say will likely make communication smoother, and develop more trust in your flying. Knowing your personal minimums can prevent you from pushing that envelope without proper planning and skill, even giving you time to arrange an experienced pilot to help you if need be.

What you may do at 50 hour will look possibly different at 100 or even 300 hours, and will likely vary even from aircraft and equipment available.

I might fly minimums IFR in a twin turbine aircrat, maybe even piston, but I will avoid that in a single engine especially in a minimumly equipped one.

VFR folks, can say they may have to have 5 miles visibility, another might say 3 or 7 even 10 miles. Then factor in wind and crosswind, ceilings etc.

This can go great steps in helping those who love you not fear your flying if they can see you are taking those extra precautions for self and them, plus they might keep you from telling yourself well i need 5 miles but its 4 now and i think i can handle that.... anytime you start to say I think I can do that, we can probably beat that storm or we should be there before dark, or its not that much further  we don't need to stop for fuel...... Its time to stop and know you are about to enter that statistic zone, much like the twilight zone, only it involves, NTSB, FAA, CAP and the local news. Might even include hospitals and or funerals.

Always make sure you have a back up plan in case first plan goes awry (and plans almost always do). That possible fuel stop on that long leg in case winds are worse than expected, A plan to turn around to return to a safe area if visibility begins to grow worse, If having to delay flight which will put you later than planned make sure take the extra time to pack a working flashlight and alternate landing stops, or even waiting till next day if weather is a strong possibility.

Here is one that we created that can print out a sheet from our website, or make your own.

Personal Minimums

Ceiling within 25nm             __________________

Ceiling beyond 25nm           __________________

Minimum visibility               __________________

Maximum wind                     __________________

Maximum X-wind                  __________________

Maximum density altitude   __________________

Breaking down Pilot Error

9/27/2014

 
We have been chatting a bit and thinking as we often do. We think there is a need to change how we label some aviation incidents as pilot error. Its too all encompassing lumping the truly dangerous pilots with those whom just misjudged or made a simple error, or was complacent in training or maintenance.
Pilot Error / Pilot Negligence / Pilot Misconduct
Pilot error is an honest mistake, pilot lands on wrong runway mistaking the wind direction they heard or saw on wind sock. or during the wait for takeoff clearance at a tower controlled airport and accidently release the brakes rolling past the hold line while reading the checklist. Either can end up forcing another pilot to go around.
Pilot negligence is the pilot landing downwind or wrong runway because failed to check the wind or taxing out on to a runway without communication or traffic check.
Pilot misconduct is knowingly landing downwind to forcing another pilot to go around, or another is an Pilot on instrument approach and calling visual before out of the clouds, or flying in the clouds when not licensed, or descending thru clouds while vfr on top without ifr clearance. and thousands more.
It does make you look at the incidents differently when can further decode from just pilot error.
Where would you put a pilot running out of fuel?
yes depends on the why, but how you react to a report of Pilot Misconduct of a pilot crashing short of an airport because ran out of fuel compared to a pilot negligence of running out of fuel. Pilot misconduct would be knowingly continuing a flight beyond the reserves of fuel and not refueling when had previously landed for a restroom break and flying at night in a day vfr plane, and pilot negligence is planning a certain time in flight with minimum reserves left only to find the winds twice as strong but failed to calculated a time speed distance problem to catch it before hitting reserves.

    Author

    Tamara 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.

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​Tamara Griffith

giftacademyinc@gmail.com
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  • Home
    • Meet The Staff!
    • About Us
  • Flight Plans!
    • Arlington WA Gift 2022
    • Sheboygan Gift Week
  • Tips
    • Pilot medical Information
    • Finding the Right Instructor
    • Knowledge Tests
    • Learning to Land
    • Misc PDF Download
  • Shop/Donate
  • Memorials and Honorees
  • Gallery
  • Contact Form
  • Comments and News
    • Supporters and links >
      • Major Supporters and Donations
    • Gift of Wings blog