Helps Pilots Recognize Sudden Loss Of Control And How To Correct Such Situations

Canadian GA web portal Smartpilot.com has recently added more new, purpose developed material. The latest additions deal with the subject of Upset Training. Three segments are live now. Further installments will follow in the coming weeks.

“One of the most dangerous types of aircraft accidents are those which fall under the general heading of ‘Aircraft Upsets’. This sudden, drastic loss of control of an aircraft accounts for only 17% of all accidents, however 80% of these incidents result in fatalities," said Ted Rankine, Project Manager. "In keeping with the purpose of SmartPilot.ca, we are presenting material that will help create awareness and understanding of the subject. It still does not replace formal training with a recognized and accredited institution, but it may just help someone one day when they need it most.”

The website says the videos were developed with a professional flight educator using proven techniques that have been taught to many pilots. The first installments cover an “Introduction” to the overall subject, followed by “Stall and Spin Awareness” and then “Unusual Attitudes”.

Late in the Fall of 2013, SmartPilot.ca also added a “teaser” for a new feature video section entitled “VFR into IMC”. The premise of this segment is based on the simple question “How long can a pilot who has no instrument training expect to live after they fly into bad weather and lose visual contact with the ground?” SmartPilot.ca put that question to the test.

“Many pilots have heard of the 178 second story. It is based on a study by researchers at the University of Illinois. They put twenty student “guinea pigs” into simulated instrument weather," Rankine said. "All went into graveyard spirals or rollercoasters with time intervals that ranged from 480 seconds down to 20 seconds. The average time was 178 seconds. SmartPilot.ca took 17 Canadian pilots to PrecisePilot’s full motion flight simulator in Vaughan, Ontario to see firsthand what would happen. All the pilots had some instrument time and most had total times in excess of 1000 hours.”

The results will be released in a video series during the first half of 2014. In the interim the “teaser” provides a fair synopsis of how it all happened.

To date, SmartPilot.ca has written, developed, produced and posted 31 new video segments that cover a dozen different subject areas. This is in addition to vast amount of existing material, articles and interactive courses that were gathered and posted to the web portal. Work continues on additional new subject matter. This will be announced in the coming months. As always access to and use of SmartPilot.ca remains totally open and free.

(Pictured: Shooting the Egress Training videos with SmartPilot.ca cameraman Alan MacPherson and Brian Webster aka – “Bry the Dunker Guy”.)

FMI: http://smartpilot.ca Video Link