Thu, Aug 31, 2006
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.")
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. 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.
Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you
through the Aero-News Network.
Aero-Tips 08.31.06
We've been discussing the fateful crash of a Comair Regional Jet
earlier this week, at Lexington, KY. Yesterday we reviewed a
similar crash from 2000, when a Singapore Airlines 747 attempted
takeoff on an incorrect runway, only to collide with a construction
barrier on the closed runway.
Like many others, for years I've taught techniques that will
minimize the chances you might attempt to take off on the wrong
runway:
- If your airplane is equipped with a Horizontal Situation
Indicator (HSI), turn the course needle to point to the
runway heading. I like to do this before I start to taxi -- it
helps me visualize when I'm taxiing "downwind" to the departure
runway, and to otherwise orient myself during ground movement. With
the course needle aligned this way, it will be pointing straight up
(ahead) when you line up with the intended runway.
- If you don't have an HSI or a departure procedure requires you
orient it otherwise, set any heading bug on the runway
heading. You'll need to fly runway heading for at least a few
hundred feet of climb anyway, so it will indicate your initial
heading even if you plan to make a turn shortly. The heading bug is
not as obvious as an HSI course needle, but it is still a valid
cross-check.
- Regardless, check that the directional gyroscope is aligned
with the magnetic compass long before you line up for
departure. If you have to manually set the heading
indicator/directional gyro, do so in the runup area... do not wait
to spin it into alignment with the runway heading after you taxi
into position, because it would be too easy to spin it to the wrong
heading at that point if you're already confused. Without an HSI or
a heading bug this may be your last line of defense.
- Carry taxiway diagrams. You can download them for free
from www.aopa.org/airports and
print copies before you fly. If you have a cockpit multifunction
display and a current database you may be able to display taxi
diagrams on the moving map display. Use these to orient yourself to
the runway in use.
- If in doubt, ask. Neither the Singapore nor the
Comair crew appeared to have been aware of their confusion, but if
you ever feel the least bit unsure of yourself call the tower
(assuming it's a tower-controlled airport) or otherwise confirm
that the runway you see is the one you expect. Look for
taxiway signs that identify the runway. Check the runway numbers to
see if they're what you know they should be.
(Note: In many cases when you taxi onto the
runway, the runway numbers will be behind you).
Aero-tip of the day: Use some technique to
orient yourself on the ground, to ensure you line up to take off on
the correct runway.
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