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Smoke in the Cockpit
By Eric McCarthy
It was a hot, humid August day in the year 2000. My wife, youngest son, and I decided to take a quick flight over Massachusetts’ North Shore. I had done this flight many times: we’d depart Lawrence Municipal Airport (KLWM) to the east, climbing to 2,500-3,000 feet, following the Merrimack River as it winds its way 15 miles or so to the Atlantic, passing the quaint town of Newburyport before reaching the mouth of the river. There, I would usually proceed out to sea a couple of miles before executing a 270-degree, descending left turn to align the aircraft with the coastline at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,500 feet.
We’d fly southbound along the beaches of Plum Island, past the majestic Crane Estate and its magnificent grounds, then Crane’s Beach before turning east to round Cape Ann, the nub of land that projects into the Atlantic north of Boston. We’d pass the aptly named and picturesque town of Rockport, and Thacher Island, a small island just off the coast and home to the twin, 124-foot tall, lighthouses known as Ann’s Eyes, built in 1861.
Then southwest past Good Harbor Beach and Bass Rocks, turning north around Eastern Point, over Gloucester Harbor and past Hammond Castle, up the Annisquam River, past Wingaersheek Beach, then we’d retrace our steps up the coast for the return to the airport. My wife, boys, and I had spent many a summer day at the various beaches and towns we’d be flying over; this flight would provide a fresh perspective on these familiar sites. It’s a pleasant, scenic flight and only takes about 45 minutes to fly.
At least, that was the plan…
Flying Into Writing: Last Photo Mission Of The Year
By Eric McCarthy
Persistant haze over the central valley. (Eric McCarthy)The last day of the year started as a mostly clear day, a little haze visible on the horizon, but a good 20-25 miles visibility. The marine layer, so prevalent along the southern California coast at this time of year, had receded. My son, Mike, and I departed Palomar (KCRQ) around 9:30am headed north to our refueling stop at Los Banos (KLSN). Depending on the winds aloft, the flight usually takes two and a half to three hours – naturally, we got the three hour flight.
Passing through LAX’s Class Bravo via the Coliseum Route at 8,500-feet, I usually continue on course to Van Nuys VOR (VNY) and then, for no particularly good reason, my northbound route of flight usually takes us to Fillmore VOR (FIM), then northwest along V107 to Avenal VOR (AVE) and beyond. This time, however, the massive Thomas Fire, which had been burning for almost a month at this point, eventually consuming more than 280,000 acres, and its equally massive TFR necessitated a change of plans: we’d fly north to Gorman VOR (GMN), then to Avenal. Not a big change, but a change nonetheless.
Crossing into the Central Valley at Grapevine, it became clear – that it wasn’t anymore; as far as the eye could see, the valley was filled with low-level haze. I think this may be known as Tule Fog, but it really wasn’t ground-bound fog – just a thick haze that filled the valley. You could see the ground if you looked straight down, but slant-range visibility was very limited. The haze topped out at about 2,500-feet, so we weren’t concerned cruising along at 8,500-feet. But that would change soon enough…
The Los Banos AWOS was reporting VFR conditions, but as we descended approaching the Panoche VOR (PXN), still in the clear, I could see that this wasn’t going to be an easy VFR approach. The haze hadn’t lessened; in fact it may have thickened! I was talking to NorCal at the time and requested a practice GPS 32 approach, just to make sure I would be pointed in the right direction. The approach calls for a turn to the north at 3,600-feet from Panoche, so we were still above the soup until we reached the initial fix at ILESE; from there we began our descent into the haze. Forward visibility dropped considerably, although, as before, we could look straight down and see the ground beneath. The airport made its appearance right where it was supposed to be, visible right at the three mile VFR limit, and we made an uneventful landing.
Flying Into Writing: Some Things Have Changed Over the Years…
By Eric McCarthy
Buzzard’s Bay (Courtesy Ben Nugent/Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce)Ahh…it seems like only yesterday! My long cross-country as a student pilot…
I was speaking with one of my CAP squadron-mates the other day and asked how close he was to finishing his Private Pilot license. He said he had just a couple of items left, including his solo long cross-country. Since he was training at a Part 141 flight school, his cross-country merely had to cover at least 100nm. As I look at the FARs today, it appears that the requirements may have been relaxed from when I did my long cross-country years ago. As I recall, my flight had to have three legs of at least 100nm each.
At the time I was training at Turners Falls (0B5), a remote, picturesque airport located at a sharp bend in the Connecticut River in north central Massachusetts. The airport has a 3,200-foot runway that sits on a plateau about 50 feet above the river, which to me as a young aviator provided an exhilarating view when approaching runway 16 over the river.
I had planned my flight under the supervision of my instructor and just needed the weather and aircraft availability to cooperate. That day arrived in July, 1980. I had graduated from UMass that May, and had been making the 100 mile trek from my home in eastern Massachusetts to complete my training at 0B5 since then, but that was getting tedious – especially since I lived under the traffic pattern of Norwood Memorial Airport (KOWD). This would end up being my last flight from Turners Falls.
My flight would take me from Turners Falls to Portland International (KPWM); from there to Martha’s Vineyard (KMVY); and then back to Turners Falls; total distance: about 360nm. It would take me almost five hours’ flight time to complete in the club’s Cessna 152, N49394.
Editorial: Learning
By Ed Downs
Given our May issue, which features much of what is going on in flight training today, this writer decided to take a slightly different view on the prosses or training. Let’s take a look at the student’s contribution to training, learning. Becoming a Flight Instructor today is sort of like becoming a junior phycologist. In fact, this writer did post graduate studies in educational psychology, in addition to sitting in the right seat of a flying machine, staring at a hoobs meter for more hours than can be accurately counted. Add to that, years of ground instructing and nationwide tutoring through computers and phone contacts, and you have a person who has seen how folks learn.
This writer has also seen a marked change in the ability of my students to learn. Yes, this could be the meanderings of an old guy who just expects students to learn fast to make the job of training easier, but it seems to be more than just that. Many of the very experienced CFI’s I work with in teaching Flight Instructor Revalidation Clinics (FIRC’s) comment that they too see changes in how leaning is taking place.
Safe Landings: Controller Pilot Data Link Communications
Controller Pilot Data Link Communication Departure Clearance Services (CPDLC-DCL) is one segment of the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) that has been recently implemented in the contiguous 48 states at local Tower Data Link Service (TDLS) equipped facilities to deliver departure clearances and revised departure clearances prior to takeoff.
As any new system is implemented, some “bugs” may be expected, and CPDLC-DCL is no exception. ASRS is receiving reports suggesting that crews are experiencing problems while using CPDLC-DCL for its intended objective. The problems that are experienced point to sources from system architecture, to precise meanings of specific words and formats used in the CPDLC-DCL syntax, to basic interpretation and understanding of the CPDLC-DCL information protocols and operational procedures.
This month, CALLBACK shares reported incidents of complications that arose from the crews’ use of CPDLC-DCL to obtain departure clearances and revised departure clearances. While CPDLC-DCL offers many improvements and advantages over voice and Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC), some issues remain as we transition to this new system. As these examples may hint, ideas will emanate from the cockpit and formal solutions will be devised.
Cautious Pilot Distrusts Link
Communications
This Air Carrier Crew clarified an initial question they had about a revised departure clearance. Curiosity over the revised SID and transition that had not been “properly” LOADED resulted in a route portion that was manually loaded but not included in the clearance.
• During preflight, we received a revised clearance via CPDLC. The change was from the TRALR6.DVC to the STAAV6.DVC. I verified [the] clearance and received a full-route clearance over the radio. When the LOAD feature was selected in CPDLC, the new revised route did not LOAD into the ROUTE page properly. It still showed [the] TRALR6.DVC, but now it had a discontinuity. At this point, I had to load the route manually. When I did load the STAAV SIX, however, I failed to select the DVC transition, [so the FMC] now had point STAAV direct to LAA in the LEGS page. When we did the route verification later, during the preflight, we both failed to detect the missing transition that included the points TRALR, NICLE, and DVC.
This went unnoticed until passing point STAAV on the departure. That is when ATC queried us if we were headed to point TRALR. We indicated to ATC that we were direct LAA. He re-cleared us to TRALR to resume the departure. There was nothing significant to report for the rest of the flight.
Editorial: Student Pilots… Are You Getting Your Money’s Worth?
By Ed Downs
Yes, we start with a very open-ended question, so let’s narrow it down. “Student Pilots” come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the newbies who are just getting into flying to advance pro’s going for type ratings in large turbojet aircraft. In fact, every pilot is, or should be, a “student” any time they are exercising the privileges of being a pilot in command. This writer has been at it for 60 years and has yet to land from any flight without having learned something from the experience. For the purpose of this discussion, let’s stick to newbies who are just getting into the art of flying and even narrow it down a bit more by talking about the cost and quality of flight instruction.
Now, you may ask, who made Ed Downs the know-it-all of flight instruction quality? Plainly stated, this writer does not claim to be the top expert in the field of instructing, but circumstances have given this writer an interesting look into the national window of what is going on, at least in the sector of flying with small, independent schools and part-time CFIs. As a long time CFI, and regular instructor for Aviation Seminars, a company that specializes in weekend training programs for a variety of written examinations and Flight Instructor Revalidation Courses (FIRCs), this writer works with hundreds of students every year. Additionally, Aviation Seminars guarantees results, providing private tutoring to those who have a tough time with written exams. That “guarantee” is, you guessed it, this writer.
AOPA Scholarships
Guest Editorial: More on Drones
By Ray Manuel
Edited By Ed Downs
In Flight USA got lucky. Interest in flying safety comes from all quadrants. For our October commentary, a perspective is offered from a pilot who flies everything from classic racing planes to the most advanced attack jets, but he is not a licensed pilot! The world of radio control (RC) model flying is as diverse as manned aircraft, and like those of us who fly big planes, RC modelers share the same airspace we fly in and have maintained a safety record that us big guys should envy.
Modelers are, for the first time, facing a raft of regulations being proposed by the FAA (and demanded by Congress) to keep our airspace safe for joint use by manned and unmanned aircraft. RC flyers have long abided by guidelines fostered by both local clubs and national organizations and have never been a part of the emerging “drone problem.” This writer met Ray Manuel through the Hiller Museum of Aviation as Ray’s airshow display team performed at a recent Museum event. Ray currently has more than 20 RC planes, most of which are powered with high tech electric fans that duplicate the spectacular performance of their real counterparts, such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F9F Panther, Mig-15, and F/A-18 Super Hornet, just to name a few. While the jets are neat, his present favorite is a Gee Bee Model Y. Ray is a flight instructor at his local flying field, and recently entered the airshow arena, with spectacular RC model demonstrations.
As a longtime fan of model airplane flying (I owned a hobby shop), this writer explored what is going on in the RC flying world, as rules, which could affect both general aviation and models, are tossed around by the FAA and various groups studying the fast growing market of “drones,” Ray agreed to attend the recently held 2015 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management Convention, held at NASA’s Ames research Center and give our readers a first hand report as to what is going on in “drone world.” Take a look at the following contribution and be informed as to the scope of this new technology that we generically call “drones.” For more about Ray and his passion, visit https://www.facebook.com/baylandsrcairshowteam or https://www.facebook.com/baylandsrc.
NASA 2015 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management Convention
By Ray Manuel
There has yet to be a single day where the word “drone” is not used in a news story describing some act of stupidity. Hovering over a homeowner’s property, invading their privacy, and putting their family at risk of it falling out of the sky are just a few of the headlines that make the news. Why? Because it was shot down by a shotgun… or better yet, an amateur brings their newly acquired 3D Robotics Iris+ to the ball game without proper flight training and promptly crashes it into the grandstands.
Editorial: Something Has Changed
By Ed Downs
Another birthday, another reason to reflect. This writer and his twin brother have made it through another year with an evening spent with family, giving “the twins” a chance to reflect on careers in aviation that span 60 years. Yes, twins often have much in common and our choice of careers certainly points that out. While considerably beyond a traditional retirement age, this writer and his brother, Earl, continue to fly as active CFIs, work in the aviation industry, and deal heavily in subjects relating to flight safety, training, the promotion of recreational flying, and the future of general aviation through a direct interface with the FAA and government. As the evening’s musings of past adventures turned to reflecting upon “the good old days,” we realized that both of us were concluding that, “something has changed.”
Recreational flying is certainly not what it was 50 or 60 years ago. Expense has gone up dramatically, and the technological sophistication of GA airplanes, even old planes that have been retrofitted with modern avionics, is absolutely amazing. Having started flight training in the mid 1950s, we concluded that much has improved since we first flew in an Aeronca Champ with a wind driven generator and a two channel, low frequency radio. Mind you, that was considered to be a well-equipped trainer, being flown from busy Van Nuys Airport in Southern California. The training was rigorous, with maneuvers like 720 steep turns, spins, accelerated (and aggravated) stalls, and steep spiral descents all included in the CAA approved curriculum. No training flight was conducted without a simulated engine failure, frequently followed with a landing to a full stop. Of course, almost all private training done in this timeframe used planes like Champs, Cubs, T-crafts and other tail draggers, so both full stall and wheel landings were the order of the day.
Contrails: A Hand Me Down Flying School
By Steve Weaver
When I think about the aircraft that populated our flying business in the late ‘60s, I realize what an eclectic mix of airplanes it was. We had two, four, and six place airplanes, very old airplanes, one almost new airplane, and even a twin in the person of an old Aztec. Each had a role in the business, and each one had a distinct personality that I still remember.
At birth, except for colors and optional equipment, airplanes are pretty much identical to the brethren that share the production line. In 1977, while working for Cessna, I parked my new 310 demonstrator on the ramp at Allegheny Airport in Pittsburgh while I went inside to meet with someone. I returned a half hour later just in time to see a gentleman thoroughly pre-flighting my 310. I watched from a distance while he did a textbook preflight inspection. He drained all the sumps and inspected the fuel sample for dirt or water, he checked the oil in both engines, then slowly circled the airplane, poking this and wiggling that.
Almost There
By Evan Isenstein-Brand
The engine starved and sputtered to a halt in my shaky hands. After several practice laps in the pattern, my instructor gave me a final handshake before neatly buckling his seatbelt across the seat and trotting over to join the crowd. I entered my focus mode, carefully examining my checklist before starting the engine again and receiving permission from the sympathetic tower operator to taxi out to the ramp.
Just like I had done dozens of times before, I made sure the plane was fit to fly and promptly received clearance to take off. The conditions were beautiful: little wind, few clouds in the sky, and only several other aircraft around the airport. It was the 4th of July. Of course the conditions were perfect.
Contrails: Getting Ready For War
By Steve Weaver
The design of the government built hangars was standardized. This hangar is identical to the one still standing at the abandoned Lewis Field in Buckhannon, West Virginia. (Courtesy of Steve Weaver)Most who are interested in WWII aviation history are aware that one of the reasons the United States won the war was her amazing record of aircraft production once we were in the fight. From producing scarcely more than 2,000 military aircraft in 1939 to over 96,000 in 1944, the record year, the U.S. produced a total of more than 303,000 military aircraft during the war years. But where did we get the pilots to fly them?
In 1939, the Army had a total of only 4,502 pilots, including 2,007 active-duty officers, 2,187 reserve officers, and 308 National Guard officers. The number of new Army-trained pilots grew rapidly each year as war seemed more likely, from 982 in 1939, to about 8,000 in 1940, to more than 27,000 in 1941–but many more were needed, and the Army by itself could not train the huge numbers of cadets desperately required. But we had a plan.
Safe Landings: February 2015
Safe Landings: January 2015
“The Airplane was still in a Descent with Full Power”
Faced with little IFR experience, poor CRM, and airframe icing, the pilots of a Rockwell 112 were lucky to break out into conditions that would allow the ice to dissipate. Among the lessons this incident highlights are the need for an adverse weather “escape plan,” and the value of building actual instrument time with a qualified instructor until proficiency is attained.
• Sunset was imminent, this area of the country was new to me, and the more things changed for the worse, the more interest I had in parking the airplane and just spending the night in a hotel.
Always leave an out. The area over the airport…was in IMC. Ordinarily this would not have been an issue. The AWOS indicated a 1,500-foot ceiling. Things were going smoothly then at 6,000 feet, with no control input to cause a descent rate of more than 500 feet per minute, my VFR rated passenger told me that we were descending (I could see that and was trying to process why we were descending). He further stated that I needed to “fly the airplane.” Then he took the controls and pulled back on the yoke. The attitude indicator shifted to a very sharp indication of a left turn. The descent rate increased to about 1,500 feet per minute. I could not over power this person. I told him, “The airplane was flying a minute ago; let the airplane continue to fly.” He let go of the controls. I reiterated that announcing, “Your airplane/my airplane” prior to manipulating any controls was a requirement when flying with me.
Contrails: Twisted Humor Stalks the Skies
By Steve Weaver
I’ll admit it, during the years that I was instructing, as much as I loved to fly and to teach flying, there were times when I needed a break. The years that I was running the little country flight school in the late sixties and teaching eight to ten hours a day for weeks without a break, I sometimes longed for a change of pace. It was hard, unrelenting work.
But the schedule of the flight school dictated the hours that we flew and in the summer, we tried to take advantage of the long days. We harvested every hour that we could to help us stand against the long, dark winter that was to follow, and summer days when I could just relax were few.
So sometimes I did dumb things that amused me, just to break up the routine a bit. It was nothing that I could go on the road with, but those incidents served to give me chuckles and most of the time, they gave them to the whole airport.
Safe Landings: December 2014
AOPA Announces 2014 Flight Training Excellence Award Winners
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has awarded its third annual Flight Training Excellence Awards to top flight schools and flight instructors ranked by more than 3,600 flight students who voluntarily reviewed their flight training experience through an AOPA online poll.
AOPA has recognized Paragon Flight of Fort Meyers, Fla. as the 2014 Best Flight School and Spencer Watson of Manassas, Va. as the 2014 Best Flight Instructor. Ten additional flight schools and 10 instructors were named “Outstanding” by AOPA as a result of the poll results.
Contrails: Looking for Bubba
By Steve Weaver
He was, way country. I was a West Virginia country boy too, back there in the late ‘60s when I met Bubba, but this guy was light years ahead me. He exuded the aura of his mountaineer heritage, and you could hear his roots in his speech and see ancient times in his countenance.
In age, he was a few years beyond my own late 20s when I met him. He had been raised by his grandparents on a mountainside farm, where the folds of the Appalachians first rise up out of the foothills of Central West Virginia and begin their march to the Piedmonts.
He had enlisted in the service after high school, more to have a job than as a career choice. In those opportunity-starved years, the old West Virginia saw of ‘coal mines, moonshine or movin’ on down the line’ applied to almost every boy unable to go on to college after high school. And so Bubba moved on, into the blue uniform of the U.S. Air Force, and after basic training was stationed at a Strategic Missile site in North Dakota.
Zlin Meister
By David Brown
Proud Owner Jeff Koehler with Zlin N242DC in its present paint scheme. (David Brown)Twenty years ago former F-15 pilot and Air Force Academy graduate, Jeff Koehler, worked for Northrop Grumman on the B2 program, but still yearned to return to the skies. Initially he used a Cherokee 140 to commute to Los Angeles from his home in Camarillo, but eventually he realized that he wanted more from his flying. What he really hungered for was an aerobatic aircraft, so took his time looking at all the possible contenders, ranging from the Pitts Special to the CAP 10. One consideration was cockpit room, as Jeff is over six feet tall. This ruled out a number of contenders with cramped cockpits.
Working in Melbourne, Fla. by this time, Jeff had an opportunity to fly the Moravan Zlin 242, which was a Lycoming-powered variant of the Czech Zlin 241 of famed aerobatic lineage (Zlin 526 and Zlin 50) and was at that time relatively cheap for a new aircraft ($125,000). Also, the cockpit was of ample size.
Editorial: Stick and Rudder
By Ed Downs
Does that title sound familiar? For many, the book, Stick and Rudder, written by Wolfgang Langewiesche, appears on nearly every bookshelf of aviators around the world. First published in 1944, this book became the quintessential word on the “art of flying,” stressing the need to develop well-understood skills to be used in controlling the aircraft. Those of us who teach Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics (FIRC’s) are hearing the term “stick and rudder” again, but not in reference to this classic book. This time it comes from the FAA, having added mandated content to approve FIRC curriculums that addresses the subject of “stick and rudder” skills, or more accurately, the lack of such skills. But let me take a step back and explain the issue at hand.
Every CFI must undergo classroom (or today, web-based) training once every 24 calendar months. The course undertaken is approved by the FAA and must contain a specific amount of FAA mandated content. Companies that conduct such courses maintain an FAA approved status, as do their instructors, like this writer. The program (class or web) MUST contain a minimum of 16 hours of actual training, and significant paperwork is involved. Failure to attend a FIRC every two years and pass two written exams means the CFI loses the privilege to instruct. Once a FIRC is missed, the CFI must attend a FIRC and take an FAA check ride to reinstate CFI privileges. Stop and think about it, how many other licensed professions (medical, legal?) have such requirements?