Pilot Proficiency

Thank you for a great publication. It really helps knock some rust off. My question is for Tim Vasquez: Where did you get that chart shown on page 22 of the April issue?As a SPIFR EMS helicopter pilot, icing is my Achilles heel. Not only do I have the same problems as the fixed wing community-weight, reduction of lift etc.-but I also have asymmetric shedding that will tear the aircraft apart rather quickly. Also, as an EMS aircraft, my flights are not very long so I never get above about 3 to 4000 feet.

Perhaps its my airline background, or perhaps Im just arrogant. But I would never think of planning an IFR flight unless I felt proficient enough to fly any reasonable approach all the way to published minimums. Sure, something might happen on the day of the flight or even on the way that might cause me to increase the margins a bit-and recognizing and reacting to that is a good thing-but planning to fly and simply excusing a lack of proficiency by increasing minimums seems to miss the point.

In June, the FAA put on hold its flight testing for the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI) unleaded 100LL replacement fuels program. The FAA said it would assess issues related to the differences between the two PAFI fuels and 100LL. Both fuel producers, Shell and Swift, are currently evaluating options to mitigate the impacts that these differences will present in fuel production, distribution, and operation in the GA fleet, said the FAA. The FAA also said it will also assess alternative fuels developed outside the PAFI program. Meanwhile, General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI) said its close to completing testing on its own 100-octane unleaded fuel. GAMI sidestepped PAFI in favor of a more streamlined STC approval process.

Relevant Discussion: 91.215, 91.217, 91.135, 91.411, 91.413, 99.13, 121.345, 135.143, AIM 3-2-3, 3-2-4, 4-1-20, 5-6-4, 6-2-2, 6-4-2, FAA-H-8083-16, 8083-25 • Required for all aircraft in Class A, B and C airspace. • Required for all aircraft in all airspace within 30 nm of an airport listed in appendix D, section 1 of Part 91 (Class […]

The gospel on turn-backs after a power loss just after takeoff is to continue straight ahead, no matter how uninviting the terrain looks.

In our March issue, a short article about the Vulcanair V1.0 — an Italian four-seater strongly resembling a Cessna 172 — mentioned that it uses “a steel-frame and aluminum structure, which was the standard for decades.” I beg to differ. It’s true that the Vulcanair has a steel frame under its aluminum skin — I […]

Butte, Montana, and its Bert Mooney Airport (BTM) are nestled snuggly between the Yellowstone and Glacier national parks in the southwestern portion of the state, where copper mining was once the primary economic driver. The Butte VOR-A approach to Mooney Airport seems pretty straightforward, but remember, of course, that any approach without a runway number […]

Year after year, the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA nag pilots about accidents caused by “loss of control – in flight,” which usually means a stall. The topic is well covered in training too. Dozens of questions on the subject appear on the knowledge test, and stalls are performed on the practical test and […]

About an hour away from JFK I pressed my truck’s radio button and listened to the XM traffic and weather station. No major traffic issues. Good news. A snowfall was predicted for the return home, but only a couple of inches. Again, good news. Via internet notification I had been unceremoniously assigned the early evening three-day […]

“Hey, can you hand me a ballpoint pen?” “You’ll like this one,” says Cathy, my wife. Sure enough, she’s right. The pen says “Kaiser Air,” complete with phone number and Arinc frequency. I just love these pens, worth little in terms of construction cost, but worth a lot to me. This one is white with […]