In Flight USA Article Categories
In Flight USA Articles
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: First Photo Flight of the Year
By Eric McCarthy
Very MVFR. (Roy Knight)The day began, as many do here in southern California, with a coastal marine layer extending inland a mile or so. I know from experience that conditions just a couple of miles further inland can be dramatically different–often sunny and clear, and 5-10 degrees warmer. The marine layer usually burns off by late morning and often returns late afternoon, so I wasn’t really concerned about my mid-day photo mission up in the Corona area. It’s only about a half hour flight from Palomar (KCRQ), we’d be over the site for 20 minutes or so, then off for lunch; we should be back to Palomar by 2:30 or 3, no problem.
As I was driving south along the 5 freeway in Camp Pendleton, that little voice in my head began to express concern. I was beginning to wonder if the marine layer was going to burn off this day–it was about 10:30 a.m., and I didn’t see any signs of it burning off. In fact, I was in and out of dense fog, and where it wasn’t foggy, there was a very low cloud cover, well below VFR minimums. Yet, looking east up the canyons and between the mountains of Pendleton, I could see clear blue skies beckoning. Palomar is about two miles from the beach, and I figured it stood a good chance of being in the clear. I wasn’t too worried about getting out of Palomar, flying east and into the Temecula Valley, which is often clear. But getting back into Palomar–that began to gnaw at my noggin. I’ve seen the marine layer fill in pretty quickly in the past; then again, I’ve snuck in under the advancing cloud layer. Hmmm…what to do…
SPIRIT of Flight, Bay2Bay
By Denise Rae Donegan and Ana Carolina Uribe Ruiz
WAI pilots and CHP in front of CHP aircraft at Signature in San Jose airport. (Denise Rae Donegan)Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area has been an adventure, to say the least. On any given day you can hop in your plane and enjoy the view as you make your way down to the Monterey Bay. Take a deep breath as you and your passengers follow the rugged coastal mountain ranges south, and discover the many treasures and little towns dotted along the way.
It seems as if I’ve been back and forth between these bays for a lifetime. Forty-four years ago, my father moved our family from Cleveland, Ohio to the San Francisco Bay Area. I was eight. My dad was a sailor and veteran of the Coast Guard and NAVY; he relocated our family to California for a new job and business opportunity in South San Francisco. After graduating college, I had the opportunity to join the family business, and with that came many working lunches sitting with my dad on the side of the bay, watching planes take off and land at the San Francisco International Airport.
Author Denise Rae Donegan trying sky-diving. (Courtesy Denise Rae Donegan)My dad loved to fly. He wanted to fly. And, my mom did not. In fact, it scared her. Although, this fear was not enough to not get on dozens of airplanes and jet off to their next amazing adventure! My mom still loves to explore as much as my dad loved to get lost and look up to the sky to identify as many aircraft as he could. This passion for flight rubbed off on me! It’s in the blood. My love for flight, travel, and discovery has led me to a world of amazing people and opportunity within the industry of aviation. My friend, pilot, writing partner, mentor, Co-President of Women in Aviation, International San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (WAI-SFBA), and Jefferson Award Winner for Public Service, Ana Carolina Uribe Ruiz, introduced me to Women in Aviation, International, and opened the doors for me and others to discover the career possibilities within the world of aviation. Ana’s father formed an airline in Ecuador in the late ‘50s that was the flag Airline for the country for many years…
Recently I asked Ana why she loves to fly. Her response was simple, “Why? The view and the space you are in. Nothing better than looking outside and being able to fly, a bird’s eye view. That’s what I see!”
The Aviation Craftsman
Here at In Flight USA, we come across many who are passionate about flying. Sometimes this passion goes beyond the sport itself, and many enthusiasts take to decorating their homes, businesses, and cars with aviation decorations and furniture. To
Editorial: Why Check the Weather, We are Going to Go Anyway
By Ed Downs
Okay, perhaps the title of this collection of thoughts is a bit sarcastic, but this writer has heard those words uttered in the world of airline ops and charter flying. For sure, airlines ads and proponents of ATC privatization have convinced unknowing passengers that “we always get you there on time” and/or “all delays will end with privatization.” They specialize in marketing and politics, not necessarily flying.
This subject came to mind just the other day, as a particularly harsh winter storm shut down major terminals, causing massive flight cancelations and passenger inconvenience. As is so often the case, major media jumped on the story and sped to the airports (slipping and sliding on icy roads) to interview desperate passengers, huddled pitifully (as said by one reporter as she gushed with Oscar award winning emotion) amongst the airport restaurants that sell a $2 hot dog for nine bucks. Yes, being captured in a secured area and surrounded by armed guards does seem to limit the competitive urge food (??) sellers have to participate in open market competition.
But back to the weather. Stranded passengers were interviewed, and only the most critical or desperate of remarks made to “news at 10.” One comment caught the attention of this pilot by observing “I can’t see what the problem is; the weather doesn’t look that bad.” Yep, how much can a quarter inch of glaze ice really weigh on the wings of a plane… shucks, they have lots of horsepower, let’s just go. Why check the weather, we are going to go anyway.
Okay, this is only one passenger, but there is a strong tendency for newbies in aviation to believe that technology can overcome the forces of nature. We have an amazing number of technological recourses available to us today that simply did not exist just a few years ago. The military and airline world have been working on “all weather” technology for years. First came the toughening of airframes, followed by more reliable engines, creation of anti/deice systems, weather radar, high altitude flight above the weather and now, communication technology that keeps one connected with weather resources 24/7. All of this has been in the quest of “all weather flying.”
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.
Editorial: Tyrant Technology
By Ed Downs
Tyrant Technology is a term this writer thought was the title of a book or at least well known. Regrettably, I could not find the source through a search engine, an information failure to be discussed later in this essay. I apologize to the person who invented the term for not giving credit… so let’s just give it our own meaning. Just a few days ago, this writer taught a sUAS class in a large city, staying at a new, super modern hotel. Neat place. The shower had five different controls to guarantee the best possible experience, none of which I could get to work. It was finally necessary to download a hotel app just to figure out how to use devices that have been in play for more than 300 years. Is this a misuse of technology, or is this writer simply “not with it?”
That same question comes into play in modern aviation. The application of digital technology in general aviation has expanded at an exponential rate. This old CFI sometimes wonders if aviation has been turned over to computer gamers, for whom flying is not a hand/eye/kinetic skill to be enjoyed by one’s entire being but simply a digital exercise designed to accomplish a goal that someone else invented.
Now, let’s be clear, this essay is not being written to deplore technology in favor of the “the good old days.” I am quite fond of automobiles, airplanes, electricity, communication capabilities, and flush toilets (without an app). But the FAA has been showing significant concern regarding amateur use of highly sophisticated, fully automated light aircraft. Flight Instructor Revalidation Clinics are now required to teach the dangers of over reliance on automation, and that the over-use of automation and computer-based guidance systems can lead to operating mode confusion and a significant loss of situational awareness.
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: In Flight USA Hereby Resolves ….
By In Flight USA Staff
Yep, it is time for those New Year’s resolutions. We all make them, sometimes we even remember them, but the tone turned a bit more serious for the Team at In Flight USA this year. To be sure, our annual “what’s up for the new year” roundtable started off with the usual resolution thoughts, lose 10 pounds, get more exercise, eat healthier food, and be kind to needy flight instructors, but then we got down to business. And 2018 has a lot of business to deal with. We would like to share our thoughts for 2018, as they will possibly affect all our readers.
First, In Flight USA commits to maintaining a format that is more like a monthly aviation newspaper than a slick newsstand magazine. The vast majority of aviation publications have article and news cutoff dates that are as much as 90 days before distribution date. This means such publications are fine for reading about past events but do not carry timely news. In Flight USA typically has an editorial cutoff date that is within five days of distribution, meaning what you read in our pages is happening NOW! We encourage our advertisers, aviation event planners, and those pursuing newsworthy activities to contact In Flight USA by phone or email to let us know what they have going on, so we can help promote your event at no cost.
Our staff monitors aviation press releases daily and stays in tune with news from the Washington “swamp,” so you will be kept up to date. Sure, this means we go through a process every month that looks something like Lois Lane turning in that last-minute report about Superman to her somewhat erasable editor, Perry White, at the Daily Planet (yeah, we are nerds), but it is worth it. Fortunately, our editors are not erasable (depending upon who you ask). So, our tradition of timely ads and news remains, but we have spotted some areas for improvement and expansion.
GA Groups Launch Campaign Against ATC Privatization
Editorial: The Mother Tongue
By Ed Downs
Is this going to be an English lesson… in an aviation magazine? Yep, and by the time you’re finished reading this, you will hear the long-ago voice of your fifth grade English teacher reminding your bored and disinterested self that, “someday you will need to know this stuff!” It may also interest the reader to know that the title of this editorial view is, in fact, plagiarized from one of the most fun books about English ever written, Mother Tongue, authored by famed satirist/humorist, Bill Bryson, who knows more than a little bit about just about everything. But English, the “mother tongue?” Isn’t that a bit disrespectful in a western world bent on nurturing “multi-culturalism,” meaning the support of separate languages and social structures within the borders of a given country? The short answer is no. In our world of aviation, English IS the mother tongue.
Let’s start at the beginning. A short time ago, the editorial crew at In Flight USA received a news announcement from Embry Riddle University announcing a new program and area of research. The contention of this announcement is that inflight communication difficulties, meaning language, have been a contributing cause to more accidents than previously thought. That research is just one part of Embry-Riddle’s overall Language as a Human Factor in Aviation Safety (LHUFT) Initiative to heighten awareness, improve aviation safety, and enhance future investigations. Two examples were given involving language-related confusion. Three new courses—Language as a Factor in Aviation Safety, Aviation Topics, and English for VFR Flight – are also being offered at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus to increase awareness and improve communication with the goal of expanding to Embry-Riddle’s worldwide campuses. Embry Riddle points out that English is the world standard for aviation, a fact that is technically defined by both international law and the FARs.
Big Names and Small Towns
This Year's NBAA BACE Made Me 100,000 Times Happier
By Paul T. Glessner, M.S.
Tuesday (Oct. 10) morning speech participants. (Paul T. Glessner)This year’s NBAA-BACE held in Las Vegas last month marks the 70th anniversary of the organization and just nine days after the horrific shooting, was the first major convention since the nightmare. Extra security was present in the form of added staff to check IDs and plenty of K-9s. I have luckily attended a handful of these conventions over the last 20 years, including last year’s Orlando location, and I must say, if you have any business in aviation, you must attend! If not for the educational seminars and the tactile touch and display of products and aircraft, the social aspect where new acquaintances today mean more profits and avenues tomorrow. While I will do my best to give my personal overview in this short article, NBAA did a more extensive and detailed summary that can be found at www.nbaa.org/events/bace/2017/newsroom.
The event featured about 1,100 exhibitors, including more than 100 new exhibitors. Attendees, estimated at 27,000, represented all 50 U.S. states and dozens of countries, according to NBAA. Approximately 100 aircraft were on static display, both at Henderson Executive Airport and inside the convention center.
Tuesday kicked off with the leaders of six influential general aviation (GA) advocacy groups delivering a powerful and coherent message of united opposition against ATC privatization during the “No Plane No Gain” Media Kick-Off Breakfast. All the acronyms were represented: NBAA, EAA, GAMA, HAI, NATA, and AOPA.
“This year, we mark NBAA’s 70th anniversary,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “Starting at our first convention in 1950, 19 companies came together in a hotel to work together and pool their resources. They realized we could do more together than any company can do by itself. And today, we’ve grown to more than 11,000 members.
GA Pilots Aid in Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts
Flying Into Writing: Confession Is Good For The Soul
By Eric McCarthy
It was about a year ago that I had the opportunity to fly my squadron’s Cessna 182 to MCAS Miramar (KNKX) for their annual air show. (Can’t you just hear the show announcer: “Ladies and gentlemen, from the left, the mighty Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182 Skylane…still from the left…approaching show center…). Alas, we don’t actually fly in the air show, but provide our aircraft as a static display.
In addition to Search & Rescue, Disaster Relief and other “mission-based” activities, one of the things we do in Civil Air Patrol is display our aircraft to the public at various events. This can be a lot of fun, and presents a great recruiting opportunity, as many of the people we see at these events, both young and old, have never been up close to an airplane. We put them right in the pilot’s seat, answer any questions they might have, and take pictures of the kids – usually with huge grins on their faces!
Callback: What’s All The Flap About?
This month, CALLBACK again offers the reader a chance to “interact” with the information given in a selection of ASRS reports. In “The First Half of the Story,” you will find report excerpts describing an event up to a point where a decision must be made or some direction must be given. You may then exercise your own judgment to make a decision or determine a possible course of action that would best resolve the situation.
The selected ASRS reports may not give all the information you want, and you may not be experienced in the type of aircraft involved, but each incident should give you a chance to refine your aviation decision-making skills. In “The Rest of the Story…” you will find the actions that were taken by reporters in response to each situation. Bear in mind that their decisions may not necessarily represent the best course of action. Our intent is to stimulate thought, training, and discussion related to the type of incidents that were reported.
The First Half of the Story
What’s All the Flap? B737 First Officer’s Report
• As the Pilot Flying while maneuvering in the busy terminal area, I didn’t notice that the flap indicator did not match the [flap] handle (2 indicated, 30 selected) until the Captain identified it with the…Before Landing Checklist. We checked the Leading Edge Device [LED] indicator on the overhead panel; the LED’s [indicated] FULL EXTEND. We discussed how the aircraft felt as it was being hand flown. The feel was normal.… The airspeed indicator was normal. The aircraft flew normally in all aspects except for the flap indication. All this occurred approaching the final approach fix..
The Pylon Place: A Year to Remember
National Air Race Championships
By Marilyn Dash
This year provided some of the best racing in recent memory. It seemed that all the classes had epic battles, fought before the larger than expected crowd.
Editorial: Ready to Give ATC your Credit Card Number?
By Ed Downs
ATC privatization and modernization. Shucks, who would oppose such innovative ideas? Everyone knows that private industry does a better job than government agencies (even airlines, which regularly court bankruptcy), and we all want ATC to work with modern technology. Given these good intentions, all airline delays will disappear, our dangerously unsafe ATC system will be vastly improved, more airlines will be able to fly into more airports, and fewer passengers will be dragged off airplanes, kicking and screaming. All good stuff, right?
Fortunately, the readers of In Flight USA know better. It had been the intent of this writer to stay out of this fight, leaving it in the capable hands of organizations like AOPA and NBAA (plus 23 other aviation support organizations) to sort out the facts. Let the “alphabet” groups make sure that the world’s finest and most citizen-inclusive national airspace system does not become a tool of the Wall Street mentality for increased profits at the expense of private individuals and small businesses. But this writer is now required to speak out, given exposure to incredible exaggerations, lies, and name calling being put forth by entities in support of “modernization” legislation, due to be voted on this month, Sept. 2017.
NBAA Notes Newest Round of Concerns Raised Over ATC Privatization Bill
Editorial: Drones, Coming to Your Neighborhood Soon
CEC Drone Hangar (Ed Downs)More and more, those of us in contemporary aviation, especially GA pilots, are likely to encounter drones. The passage of FAR 107 last year formalized the registration, pilot certification standards, and operational parameters of drones, eliminating the complex exemption process that had been in place. This has caused a near explosion in the use of these devices for what most would consider “commercial operations.” While hobbyists with model airplanes may still enjoy their passion without becoming involved in the federal bureaucracy, those using drones for any form of business or commercial operations (which are very broadly defined under FAR 107) must be certificated and follow strict rules of flight.
CEC new headquarters. (Ed Downs)Having acquired my own FAA UAS Certificate last year and teaching two UAS pilot classes (one for a municipal utility provider), it is becoming apparent that what we generically refer to as “drones” are entering the mainstream of legitimate aviation. At this point, let me be technically correct. While the term “drone” tends to refer to all machines that fly or hover without a pilot onboard, the true term that should be used is UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) or UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). “System” implies a pilot is constantly involved per FAR 107, while “vehicle” implies autonomous operation. For the sake of this editorial view, let’s just call them “drones.