Run-ups during a flight

[Clinton McKenzie]

The safety issue is clarity as to who’s pilot in command on a particular flight. We know that two people sitting side by side, quietly comfortable that their opinions as to who’s in command are correct, based on the kinds of stuff published in this thread, is not safe.

The majority view is that the reviewer is the PIC during an AFR. Fullstop.

If anyone can provide an authoritative reference to show otherwise, have at it. Guidance doesn’t count. “My really senior mate in CASA said so” doesn’t count.

The logbook column that should be used to record the reviewee’s hours is trivia that I reckon will continue to fill PPRuNe pages ad infinitum nauseum. I’ve always logged my time as dual, because my understanding is that a private pilot has no basis on which to log ICUS (and I couldn’t give a toss if I could, anyway, for the reasons so eloquently stated by Mach).

The added complexity that others have touched upon is something I can understand. When I’m the subject of a review to be conducted in my aircraft, when I’m current to carry passengers because of recent take offs and landings and within the AFR period, I need to know that the reviewer knows at least as much as I do about my aircraft and committing safe aviation in it. I’ll be managing my engine on the basis of science rather than superstition, despite any ‘instructions’ from the PIC to the contrary. If the PIC doesn't like that, that's fine. The review will be terminated. I need the reviewer to make crystal clear, in words of one syllable, the circumstances in which the reviewer will consider it necessary to take over physical control of my aircraft, and how, while I’m being reviewed, before we kick the tyres and light the fires.

There’s a recent tragedy in the US involving an ‘internet influencer’ called ‘TNFlygirl’ who used to video all her flights, including training flights. In one of the videos not long before the fatal flight, there’s an instructor in the cockpit explaining how to use the autopilot fitted to TNFlygirl’s aircraft. The instructor evidently didn’t understand how it worked.

The instructor told TNFlygirl to press and hold down the ‘UP Trim’ button on the autopilot controller to get the aircraft trimmed to maintain a climb, but the aircraft wasn’t fitted with electric trim. TNFlyGirl literally held her finger on that button for 10/20/30+ seconds, as advised by the instructor, waiting in vein for the nose to trim up while the instructor is talking and pushing other buttons on comms and nav controllers. Meanwhile, TNFlygirl didn’t set climb power. In a number of videos she’s despairing at the fact that her speed is washing off after the nose comes up - presumably having used manual pitch trim - literally staring at the IAS wind down but not touching the throttle or mixture. My personal view is that TNFlygirl was the victim of incompetent instruction.

I recall an exercise during a review - now a few decades ago - in which the instructor said do X which I started doing but then stopped. The instructor said you’re not setting up the climb properly. I said: “We’re at the base of controlled airspace and we don’t have an airways clearance to enter!” It wasn’t a test by the instructor. The instructor had lost a bit of situational awareness. A friend of mine recently terminated an AFR because he wasn’t satisfied with the safety of what the PIC was doing. And that was his prerogative. Even instructors/FEs/ATOs etc are human and make mistakes.

That may be the 'grey', Mach. I reckon it's sensible (and lawful) for me to say to the reviewer/PIC that "the review is over, you're no longer the PIC, I am now the PIC", when I have concerns about the safety of the flight. Remember: I'm still 'inside' the previous AFR period and I'm 'legal' to carry PAX, so there's no legal reason why I can't be PIC. We're on board my aircraft.