Readback—June 2024

IFR Staff

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilot proficiency goes beyond mere currency, especially for instrument flight; actual IMC presents significant psychological challenges not fully replicated by view-limiting devices, making simulators crucial for true competence.
Aircraft owners face a complex financial and practical dilemma regarding engine replacement at TBO, with no easy answers that balance cost, lead time, market viability, and the owner's long-term plans for the aircraft.
Knowing critical emergency procedures, such as the exact location and immediate action (pulling, not resetting) of the electric trim circuit breaker during a trim runaway, is paramount for flight safety.
Post-9/11 security measures, like extensive fencing at GA airports, are criticized as "security theater" that are easily circumvented by determined individuals and primarily serve to inconvenience honest pilots.

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ADM and Proficiency

I found “Improve Your ADM” in the February issue by Douglas Boyd, Ph.D. to be an excellent article (although I particularly like statistics). Regarding instrument-rated pilots launching VFR into MVFR, a number of instrument-rated pilots I know aren’t comfortable going up into actual. One might wonder if the underlying cause of both those accidents and the reluctance is pilots who might be current but aren’t truly proficient.

We’ve seen multiple rotorcraft instrument flights end unfavorably, probably due to a lack of proficiency—which could be quite difficult to obtain in VMC in a helicopter considering the multiple views to the outside.