Fly-In Safety Highlighted

As the summer fly-in season kicked off in the U.S., the NTSB published the latest in its ongoing series of Safety Alerts, with discussions and tips for pilots arriving at fly-in events. Focused primarily on the Sun n Fun and the Experimental Aircraft Associations (EAAs) AirVenture events but applicable to many others, the Boards new advisory (SA-053) emphasizes the unique challenges arrivals at heavily attended fly-ins can present to pilots of all experience levels but especially those who arent prepared.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB advises pilots attending high-density fly-in events to thoroughly prepare by studying NOTAMs, understanding special procedures, and being mentally ready for challenging traffic environments.
The FAA issued an alert warning against the unapproved use of RTV sealants on Continental Motors Inc. engines, which has led to engine failures due to improper assembly and blocked oil passages.
The FAA clarified that updated manufacturer maintenance requirements in service manuals are not mandatory for Part 91 in-service aircraft unless mandated by an Airworthiness Directive (AD) or voluntarily incorporated.

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As the summer fly-in season kicked off in the U.S., the NTSB published the latest in its ongoing series of Safety Alerts, with discussions and tips for pilots arriving at fly-in events. Focused primarily on the Sun ‘n Fun and the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA’s) AirVenture events but applicable to many others, the Board’s new advisory (SA-053) emphasizes the unique challenges arrivals at heavily attended fly-ins can present to pilots of all experience levels but especially those who aren’t prepared.

Those challenges, according to the NTSB, include “extremely high-density traffic, special flight and communication procedures, a rapidly changing environment, and changes to air traffic control (ATC) separation standards.” Highlighting the procedural changes and associated Notices to Airmen (Notams), the NTSB said planning far enough in advance to obtain and understand relevant Notams is “critical to ensuring flight safety because they contain special operational procedures, including arrival and departure routes, communication procedures, and other crucial safety information.”