Launching on the Gauges

On a recent IFR flight, climbing through 500 feet, I noticed the tach was low by 300 RPM. It had been normal just moments before when I checked it on the takeoff roll. Just as it really sunk in that something was amiss, Tower called to hand me off to Departure. I declined, asked to land immediately and alerted them to the abnormal condition. The discrepancy didnt reappear on a second run-up, or ever since.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Prioritize thorough pre-departure preparation by avoiding rushing, performing comprehensive "killer item" checks, verifying instrument functionality, and having a return approach ready for immediate use.
Maintain robust situational awareness by developing a mental picture of all surrounding terrain and obstacles beyond standard procedures, continuously updating weather, and pre-planning emergency return strategies.
Focus on precise execution by mastering pitch and speed control immediately after rotation, especially when entering IMC, and regularly simulate instrument departures to enhance confidence and proficiency.

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I was VMC at the time, but it got me thinking what I would have done had I been about to enter the clouds. I make a habit of having the return approach ready in case of emergency, but what if the bases are above the circle-to-land minimums? I could just circle and not risk an engine failure on the approach—except that I except that I usually don’t brief circling minimums before takeoff.