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.")
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-- 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.
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Aero-Tips 09.28.06
It's getting dark earlier (at least
in the northern hemisphere), so more pilots will be flying at
night. There are many hazards associated with flight after dark;
let's look at two:
Black hole airports
A black-hole airport is one that requires an approach over water
or unlit terrain. The runway and perhaps a few airport buildings
are the only nearby source of light. Without lighted areas around
the airport, the pilot has no peripheral cues to help in judging
the angle and altitude of his/her approach. Especially if the
runway lights are dim, partially burned out or are nonstandard, or
if the runway is longer or shorter, wider or narrow than the pilot
is used to, there may not be enough visual cues to make a safe
landing. The runway can seem slope toward or away from the approach
course. Landing short of the runway, hitting an unlighted obstacle
and stalls (from fixation away from airspeed control) are common
accident factors.
Bright lights
Especially bright or numerous runway lights make it appear as
though the runway is closer than it really is. The tendency is to
fly high, resulting in landing long (and possibly a runway overrun)
or a last-minute attempt to dive to the runway and touch down
overly hard.
Tools for safety
When landing at night, especially at unfamiliar airports:
- Use visual approach path indicators (VASI, PAPI, etc.) when
available, and remain on glidepath to the touchdown zone.
- If at any time the approach does not look or feel right, go
around and try again, or divert to a more familiar airport.
Aero-tip of the day: Be aware of the hazards of
"black hole" and brightly lit airports.