Search Results for: Cessna 172

Where all aviation has its classic ABC of aviate – navigate – communicate, instrument flying has its own twist. We could call these maneuvers – procedures – communications. They are the building blocks of instrument flying and they atrophy just like any other flying skill. While you cant practice them completely at your desktop, you can keep at least the first two basically in tune. That is, so long as you treat this non-loggable desktop time as serious IFR practice.

Consider the scenario of a pilot departing into a 4000-foot overcast (above the MEA) in a non-FIKI aircraft after a weather briefing that contained no PIREPs for icing but with conditions potentially conducive to it. After takeoff and a hand-off to Departure but prior to entering the cold goo, does the pilot have a responsibility to query the controller for reports of icing? If he doesnt ask and then starts flying a popsicle, was he careless for not asking? What if there were reports just on the frequency that he might-or might not-have heard?

“This whole thing of ‘The sky is the limit’ — it’s not,” says professional aerobatic pilot Rob Holland. “The sky is just a playground.” Nothing could be closer to the truth when it comes to people who engage in extreme flying adventures. Whether they fly powered or nonpowered aircraft, these individuals are pushing the boundaries […]

In many conversations with instrument instructors, Ive noted a common concern about the way many pilots conclude practice precision approaches (ILS or GPS LPV) under the hood: They do a great job of keeping the needles near the center as decision altitude nears; airspeed, descent rate and heading all would be appropriate. But when the hood came off at DA and the pilot spotted the runway, it was Katie bar the door. What happened next can be summarized as a whirlwind of activity in the left seat as the power was yanked back, flap deflection increased and a dive for the runway threshold commenced. It was as if there were some sort of prize for landing short.

In todays age of accurate forecasts and effective detection, its easy to avoid thunderstorms. However, with tight schedules and overconfidence leading to a failure to exercise proper thunderstorm avoidance, thunderstorms remain a significant cause of aviation accidents, with wind shear often playing a leading role. A recent memo by Airbus stated that wind shear is involved in four percent of approach and landing accidents and is the ninth leading cause of fatalities.

Believe it or not, its been only five years next month since the first iPad was released. Even though it sometimes seems the tablet computers were developed for aviation use, its been even less time since they were first used in a cockpit. The fact is many pilots these days cant imagine life without a tablet computer of some sort enhancing their situational awareness or displaying a needed chart. And as more and more performance, capability and convenience were shoehorned into them, it was just a matter of time before they were embraced by avionics manufacturers.

Research by the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee, a group chartered by the FAA to improve GA safety, attributed 40 percent of fatal GA accidents to loss of control in flight. That is more than the next six causes, combined. Many of these accidents resulted from inadvertent stalls and spins. The groups top recommendation for improving safety was installing AOA indicators in GA airplanes.

When it comes to flying a wing, only one thing matters-angle of attack (AOA). For airplanes, we add power to that wing and get performance. While power is accurately displayed via engine instruments, AOA is an enigma fleetingly glimpsed through airspeed and attitude. The books state that airplanes can stall at any attitude, yet our training confuses that information. Practicing stalls at one G teaches us that stalls occur when a certain attitude is reached. The results are troubling.

But, just slapping an AOA indicator on the glareshield wont magically solve these problems and make you a better or safer pilot. Strategic planning and tactical techniques enable AOA systems to effectively battle lift.

Talking on the radio is, of course, only half of the equation. It goes without saying that if youre flying in new airspace and into a new airport, youve got to be actively listening for your call sign and related instructions. What may not be so obvious is maintaining that same level of attentiveness when youre flying in your own backyard.

I got a perfect illustration of this just a few weeks ago on a pretty VFR morning. I was training a new controller on Ground. We had a pair of aircraft waiting to cross the active runway: Piper Meridian 45J at Hotel, and Lear Jet 86C much further down the runway, holding short at Bravo. The Lear driver was a local, who flew out of our airport nearly every day.

This VHF comm antenna was squawked for fluttering. Inspection revealed antenna was installed with no supporting doubler. Upon removal, a 5.5-inch radial crack was discovered around the antenna base, with a crack in an adjacent stringer. Skin under antenna also corroded due to no sealant being applied to base during installation.Part Total Time: Unknown

As the trend toward diesel training aircraft continues to supplant traditional avgas fleets, Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona, has become the latest school to turn to jet-A pistons by ordering six RedHawk airplanes from Redbird Flight Simulations. Cochise College, which has been providing aviation training for more than four decades, says the decision to switch […]