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 good pilots, we're all in this
together.
Aero-Tips 03.13.06
The US Navy recently held a world-wide
Safety Stand-Down of all aviation units. The purpose
of a Safety Stand-Down is to suspend all non-combat flight
operations to provide time for crews to review accident histories
and mishap avoidance techniques. This is a very unusual occurrence,
usually resulting from a string of incidents over a short time.
Since events that prompt a Stand-Down are usually unrelated except
for branch of service and proximity on the calendar, a Safety
Stand-Down is typically a “back-to-basics” review.
Why You Should Stand Down
All pilots can learn
from these most professional aviators. A check of FAA preliminary accidents
reports and detailed accident studies like the AOPA Air Safety Foundation’s Nall
Report show us that aviation mishaps are
numerous, with varied but somewhat predictable patterns of cause.
Personal aviation is quite safe, but it’s also terribly
unforgiving of mistakes. A periodic Safety Stand-Down of your own
is a great way to review the basics that can keep you and your
passengers happily aviating for years to come.
Designing Your Personal Safety Stand-Down
Budget one afternoon every three months (once a quarter) for
your personal Safety Stand-Down. Sacrifice one flying day, on a
regular basis, to make the rest of your flying days far safer. Here
are some ideas for your quarterly Safety Stand-Downs:
- Attend an FAA WINGS-qualifying seminar.
- Catch up on reading the Aviation Safety Reporting System’s Callback
newsletter
- Really read, and think about, mishap reports and “it
almost happened to me”-type articles in aviation
publications.
- Read through at least two sections of your Pilots Operating
Handbook (and not the same two every time).
- Complete an on-line safety course like those from AOPA.
- Spend two hours on a flight training device or simulator (even
a PC-based “game” is good practice if you approach it
like an actual flight).
- Read two sections of the Aeronautical Information Manual...
again, vary what you read each month.
- Plan a VFR flight using a Sectional chart, the Airport
Facilities Directory, a plotter and a flight planning log—the
way you did for your Private checkride. Pay close attention to
chart symbols and look up any you can’t identify.
Be creative. Review what you think you know (but may have
forgotten), or find something new. The important thing is to
regularly learn something that will enhance your flying.
Aero-tip of the day: Put a quarterly Safety
Stand-Down on your calendar today.