That grain of wisdom....
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That grain of wisdom....
Okay oldtimers, it's a new year, and as all new years, it should be started out on a good step. Based upon your flying experience, what grain of wisdom would you write [here] to new pilots, that they could take away and forever have that little extra corner in their bag of luck?
Of course, discussion of the topics is welcomed.
I'll start:
Pilots, all airplanes will glide, and you have and/or will be trained to do this properly. During this training, the concept of "best glide speed" will come up. This is an important speed to know and fly for each type, if you are trying to go as far as possible with no engine power. However....
If you are within a few hundred feet of your landing surface, and power off, you might want a few extra knots in your bag of luck, 'cause you're going to need it to flare for a gentle landing.
This concept extends to those silly steep, slow departures which some pilots are seen to do, perhaps to entertain the earthbound masses. From that slow speed, could you nose down, and get the plane sped up to the required glide speed, before you arrive back at the hard surface?
Altitude is your friend, but power off, so is some speed too. Fly normal departures, and allow some acceleration with the climb, it'll save your butt if the engine quits on climb out.
Of course, discussion of the topics is welcomed.
I'll start:
Pilots, all airplanes will glide, and you have and/or will be trained to do this properly. During this training, the concept of "best glide speed" will come up. This is an important speed to know and fly for each type, if you are trying to go as far as possible with no engine power. However....
If you are within a few hundred feet of your landing surface, and power off, you might want a few extra knots in your bag of luck, 'cause you're going to need it to flare for a gentle landing.
This concept extends to those silly steep, slow departures which some pilots are seen to do, perhaps to entertain the earthbound masses. From that slow speed, could you nose down, and get the plane sped up to the required glide speed, before you arrive back at the hard surface?
Altitude is your friend, but power off, so is some speed too. Fly normal departures, and allow some acceleration with the climb, it'll save your butt if the engine quits on climb out.
As an instructor I am discouraged by how many PPL's I see chasing the ASI instead of flying a pitch attitude with the appropriate power setting.
My favorite exercise with new PPL's is to cover the ASI with a post it note before the engine is started and then go out and do a few circuits.
My favorite exercise with new PPL's is to cover the ASI with a post it note before the engine is started and then go out and do a few circuits.
My suggestion to new pilots is to get your instructor to fly you at appropriate power settings in carb icing conditions (at a safe altitude) and then after an appropriate interval, pull the carb heat on.
The first time I experienced this (solo in a 172 after ten years of flying), I thought the engine was going to stop, as it ingested a slug of melting ice. It was so scary that my instinctive reaction was to push the carb heat control in!
Also, once you are comfortable with circuits, get your instructor to have you fly some circuits with the ASI and altimeter covered.
The first time I experienced this (solo in a 172 after ten years of flying), I thought the engine was going to stop, as it ingested a slug of melting ice. It was so scary that my instinctive reaction was to push the carb heat control in!
Also, once you are comfortable with circuits, get your instructor to have you fly some circuits with the ASI and altimeter covered.
Altimeters and ensuring the subscale barometric pressure is correctly set to the relevant figure.
Failure to get this right each and every flight can kill you...
Failure to get this right each and every flight can kill you...
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My favorite exercise with new PPL's is to cover the ASI with a post it note before the engine is started and then go out and do a few circuits.
I'd pass that one (I claim!) because I practice it from time to time (with an instructor).
Having asked to be shown how to do it on reading of yet another pilot who killed himself and all on board following an ASI failure.
And that was before AF447.
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Grains of wisdom -
Don't open a yoghurt pot towards you (the low pressure when at altitude makes it squirt out)
If you take a flask of coffee, especially in a push top flask add some cold milk/water (low pressure can make it boil at a lower temperature - when you push the top down the coffee keeps flowing out because it has reboiled and steamed)
Don't open a yoghurt pot towards you (the low pressure when at altitude makes it squirt out)
If you take a flask of coffee, especially in a push top flask add some cold milk/water (low pressure can make it boil at a lower temperature - when you push the top down the coffee keeps flowing out because it has reboiled and steamed)
Big Pistons, my instructor absolutely insists on having the ability to judge airspeed by looking out of the window and not at the panel. The ASI being a handy backup only!
It's tough but I believe it will make me a better airman.
It's tough but I believe it will make me a better airman.
Looking out of the window is always a good idea. You should be flying "attitude" which you judge by external references.
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I've just prattled on at length about this in another thread, but this would be my one grain to pass on:
Stay Current & fly frequently.
The quicker you build up that bag of experience, the sooner you won't be so reliant on that bag of luck. You'll be doing all the stuff you were taught whilst recently doing your PPL training, so it should still be reasonably fresh in your mind. If you fly a lot immediately after completing your PPL then you'll massively reinforce all that good stuff you were taught and be much more likely to carry more of it through to your later flying career. And if you can't afford to hire, buy a cheapo share in a permit type that costs £30-50/hr to fly and fly the balls off that. Its well worth it both for the fun and the big bag of skill and experience you will have accumulated after a year or two.
Stay Current & fly frequently.
The quicker you build up that bag of experience, the sooner you won't be so reliant on that bag of luck. You'll be doing all the stuff you were taught whilst recently doing your PPL training, so it should still be reasonably fresh in your mind. If you fly a lot immediately after completing your PPL then you'll massively reinforce all that good stuff you were taught and be much more likely to carry more of it through to your later flying career. And if you can't afford to hire, buy a cheapo share in a permit type that costs £30-50/hr to fly and fly the balls off that. Its well worth it both for the fun and the big bag of skill and experience you will have accumulated after a year or two.
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Speed is life. Never ever try to stretch a glide. Expect your engine to fail on each and every take off and have a plan and I mean a proper one, not a vague 'I'll turn into wind and set up correct glide speed.' Know all of the suitable fields around your own airfield and one's you visit often. If it's a new airfield check it out on Google Earth, look for some good landing areas. It takes seconds to look. If engine failure means crunching into a housing/industrial estate then don't fly from that airfield. Get as high as you can when crossing water. Don't bumble around at 1000-2000' because that's where everyone else is bumbling around. Get some kind of instrument rating. Look out, then look out some more.
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Speed is life, or death. When doing an emergency landing and you misjudged your approach and have 2 choices: too high for the first field or too low for the second field after the first: go for the first and keep it on the ground. The drag greatly reduces your speed and it's better to hit the fence at 30 knots driving then hitting the fence at 60 knots flying.
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When doing an emergency landing and you misjudged your approach
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If engine failure means crunching into a housing/industrial estate then don't fly from that airfield
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Which is why I don't use Cambridge. Your neck, your risk assessment. You may also want to spare a thought though for the poor sods on the ground who's day you will spoil should they be on the receiving end of a ton or so of fuel filled metal.
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I'm not an old timer so not in a position to give out gems of wisdom.
But something I find helps me is when completing my logbook spending five minutes mentally reviewing the flight and thinking 'what did I do well, what was I slow at thinking about, what could have been improved, what bad habits are starting to develop ?' I scribble this on a post it note which goes in the log book and is something I look at before the next flight.
But something I find helps me is when completing my logbook spending five minutes mentally reviewing the flight and thinking 'what did I do well, what was I slow at thinking about, what could have been improved, what bad habits are starting to develop ?' I scribble this on a post it note which goes in the log book and is something I look at before the next flight.