Aero-Tips!
A good pilot is always learning -- how many times have you heard
this old standard throughout your flying career? There is no truer
statement in all of flying (well, with the possible exception of
"there are no old, bold pilots.") It's part of what makes aviation
so exciting for all of us... just when you think you've seen it
all, along comes a scenario you've never imagined.
Aero-News has called upon the expertise of Thomas P. Turner,
master CFI and all-around-good-guy, to bring our readers -- and us
-- daily tips to improve our skills as aviators, and as
representatives of the flying community. Some of them, you may have
heard before... but for each of us, there will also be something we
might never have considered before, or something that didn't
"stick" the way it should have the first time we memorized it for
the practical test.
It is our unabashed goal that "Aero-Tips" will help our readers
become better, safer pilots -- as well as introducing our
ground-bound readers to the concepts and principles that keep those
strange aluminum-and-composite contraptions in the air... and allow
them to soar magnificently through it.
Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you
through the Aero-News Network. Suggestions for future Aero-Tips are
always welcome, as are additions or discussion of each day's tips.
Remember... when it comes to being better pilots, we're all in this
together.
Aero-Tips 04.16.06
There are times when an aircraft
mechanical issue prompts the Federal Aviation Administration to
issue an Airworthiness Directive. ADs, as they’re known,
are designed to provide guidance necessary to ensure that an
airplane meets the standards of its Type Certificate or, if
modified, applicable Supplemental Type
Certificates.
There are also times, however, when the Feds want to get the
word out about an aircraft issue without jumping through all the
hoops required by the AD process. One option FAA has to
recommend change is the SAIB, or Special Airworthiness Information
Bulletin.
SAIB, you say
A Special Airworthiness Information
Bulletin is a means to alert, educate, or make
recommendations to pilots, mechanics, owners and operators.
SAIBs are non-regulatory and are therefore not mandatory.
Nonetheless compliance with SAIBs (or at least consideration of
their contents) is wise. As examples, SAIBs have been
released recently that address:
- Carburetor settings that have led to engine failures from
overly-rich mixtures.
- Abnormal gear-tooth wear on engines from specific
facilities.
- Requirements for aircraft engines involved in a propeller
strike.
- Fire hazards from overheating brakes on a particular make and
model airplane.
- Known hazards associated with certain types of pilot and
passenger seat belts.
- Reported failures of engine components overhauled at identified
facilities.
- And much more.
Aero-tip of the day: It’s up to you
if you want to take action as a result of a Special Airworthiness
Information Bulletin. You can’t intelligently decide,
however, if you don’t regularly check for SAIBs.