Tricks, Tips and Suggestions from the Experienced.
Thread Starter
Tricks, Tips and Suggestions from the Experienced.
Hi there all,
Was reading recently through the thread on the PA31 down in Mt Isa and some of the discussion, ranting and bickering going on in the thread by those who are probably experience in the area and it got me thinking a bit. In the next few months i'm hoping to be looking for my first job as a pilot in Aviation and obviously i'll come out armed with CPL Theory and having passed the CPL Flight Test with a good school and whatever tricks and tips i can pick up along the way but lets face it, some of those tricks and tips and such that are left to be learnt always have the possibility of being learnt all too late!!
Now i'm not looking for people to dob themselves in or get themselves in trouble or anything like that and i REALLY want to avoid arguments and bickering that goes along with it sometimes, but i'm really hoping to start a thread (possibly a sticky?) of stories from those who have experience from situations they've narrowly escape or situations that have tought them something valuable that they feel should be passed onto those of us up and coming into Aviation!!
Whether these are tips they have credibly gained from others (Not looking for stories of mates of mates who may or may not have flown his old C150 inverted from Brisbane to Sydney) or things they have experienced themselves or gotten caught up in. They can be specifically related to a particular aircraft, aerodrome, operator etc... or just related to aviation in general and life associated with it. Hell even if you just happen to know of a great way of cooking a burger on the carby it could be appreciated by someone!!
I thank all those who choose to contribute in advance and i certainly look forward to reading up and hopefully learning a thing or two that could save my life or just make me laugh!!
Was reading recently through the thread on the PA31 down in Mt Isa and some of the discussion, ranting and bickering going on in the thread by those who are probably experience in the area and it got me thinking a bit. In the next few months i'm hoping to be looking for my first job as a pilot in Aviation and obviously i'll come out armed with CPL Theory and having passed the CPL Flight Test with a good school and whatever tricks and tips i can pick up along the way but lets face it, some of those tricks and tips and such that are left to be learnt always have the possibility of being learnt all too late!!
Now i'm not looking for people to dob themselves in or get themselves in trouble or anything like that and i REALLY want to avoid arguments and bickering that goes along with it sometimes, but i'm really hoping to start a thread (possibly a sticky?) of stories from those who have experience from situations they've narrowly escape or situations that have tought them something valuable that they feel should be passed onto those of us up and coming into Aviation!!
Whether these are tips they have credibly gained from others (Not looking for stories of mates of mates who may or may not have flown his old C150 inverted from Brisbane to Sydney) or things they have experienced themselves or gotten caught up in. They can be specifically related to a particular aircraft, aerodrome, operator etc... or just related to aviation in general and life associated with it. Hell even if you just happen to know of a great way of cooking a burger on the carby it could be appreciated by someone!!
I thank all those who choose to contribute in advance and i certainly look forward to reading up and hopefully learning a thing or two that could save my life or just make me laugh!!
Thread Starter
Thank you Fantome, but i currently take orders to get by and pay for everything.... i'd much rather move on and up a bit from that!
And priesthood...well i figure theres that whole "Repent before you die to get in" thing so i'll just stick to that.
And priesthood...well i figure theres that whole "Repent before you die to get in" thing so i'll just stick to that.
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Know thy systems.
Especially fuel. Too many people have come to grief in situations where more complete knowledge of a relevant system could have saved the day.
Picture a light twin on a 1 hour sector with about the min required fuel, about 1 hour 40.
Mid flight the pilot realises that fuel quantity in one tank is reducing at twice the expected rate and the other is not. What's the problem? What may you be able to do? Happened at a previous operator.
Especially fuel. Too many people have come to grief in situations where more complete knowledge of a relevant system could have saved the day.
Picture a light twin on a 1 hour sector with about the min required fuel, about 1 hour 40.
Mid flight the pilot realises that fuel quantity in one tank is reducing at twice the expected rate and the other is not. What's the problem? What may you be able to do? Happened at a previous operator.
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Ixixly,
Re-read Compressor stalls post. Gold that is for someone starting out. And you'l find that after a few years thats all you'll do anyway, you subconsciously or consciously add up all the threats and if they can't be mitigated, or they're stacking up, you go home.
Re-read Compressor stalls post. Gold that is for someone starting out. And you'l find that after a few years thats all you'll do anyway, you subconsciously or consciously add up all the threats and if they can't be mitigated, or they're stacking up, you go home.
Happened this morning:
- private flight for an old mate... into Sydney (ie CASA may not have viewed it as PVT, more a dodgy CHTR)
- Severe turbulence Fcst
- Icing fcst abv freezing lvl.... which was 1000' below crz
When the battery was flat it was a blessed bloody relief to just call old mate and tell him "no go". He laughed
I was told in the first week of my first job "if there are 3 things against ya, don't go".
It is probably more superstition than science but it works
Fuel is a perpetual obsession and after 15 years of commercial flying I just CANNOT relax when I know I have ONLY Flight Fuel + reserves, even for a 45 minute leg
...which is only re-stating Comp Stall's post and I think even he would agree that it applies from Ulan Bataar to Casey Station and everywhere in between.
- private flight for an old mate... into Sydney (ie CASA may not have viewed it as PVT, more a dodgy CHTR)
- Severe turbulence Fcst
- Icing fcst abv freezing lvl.... which was 1000' below crz
When the battery was flat it was a blessed bloody relief to just call old mate and tell him "no go". He laughed
I was told in the first week of my first job "if there are 3 things against ya, don't go".
It is probably more superstition than science but it works
Fuel is a perpetual obsession and after 15 years of commercial flying I just CANNOT relax when I know I have ONLY Flight Fuel + reserves, even for a 45 minute leg
...which is only re-stating Comp Stall's post and I think even he would agree that it applies from Ulan Bataar to Casey Station and everywhere in between.
Some good advice. Knowing your systems is very important. Talk to engineers and ask them how things work. You don't need to be a genius but it helps wen trying to explain snags. Just dont be an annoying know it all.
Don't exceed your limits eg: don't try and barrel roll a C210 if you've never done aerobatics. Not being cool is better than being dead.
Don't rush unless your on fire. If you have a problem that is system related other than engines and lots of fuel, Climb above the MSA and take your time. Use all available resources and that includes mobile phone, Pax to read checklists if your single pilot etc, ATC etc.
Don't run out of fuel
and if you are getting low on juice, land ASAP. Sure its embaressing but not as embaressing as knowingly running out fuel and pranging it. I've had to divert from faulty fuel guages even though I knew I had enough fuel when I started. You never know when a leak develops.
Be strict on yourself to follow the procedures. Single pilot ops with a checklist is not very practical but if you will have to develop a fool proof system of completing items otherwise one day you'll land with a very loud scraping sound as you forgot the gear.
Most things you'll learn on your own via the plucker factor. If you don't know what that means, next time you scare yourself silly, check out how big the hole is in the seat.
Don't exceed your limits eg: don't try and barrel roll a C210 if you've never done aerobatics. Not being cool is better than being dead.
Don't rush unless your on fire. If you have a problem that is system related other than engines and lots of fuel, Climb above the MSA and take your time. Use all available resources and that includes mobile phone, Pax to read checklists if your single pilot etc, ATC etc.
Don't run out of fuel
and if you are getting low on juice, land ASAP. Sure its embaressing but not as embaressing as knowingly running out fuel and pranging it. I've had to divert from faulty fuel guages even though I knew I had enough fuel when I started. You never know when a leak develops. Be strict on yourself to follow the procedures. Single pilot ops with a checklist is not very practical but if you will have to develop a fool proof system of completing items otherwise one day you'll land with a very loud scraping sound as you forgot the gear.
Most things you'll learn on your own via the plucker factor. If you don't know what that means, next time you scare yourself silly, check out how big the hole is in the seat.
Here's a couple.
ALWAYS know WHERE your fuel is coming from (ie. which tank), and where it's GOING (particuarly handy to think about when flying things like a C310 or a C402A/B where on the aux tanks fuel also feeds back to the mains).
ALWAYS do your CHECKS. I'll be the first to admit that I've been flying along and heard an engine go *Cough Cough* only to start doing the engine failure checklist to find I've got a wrong tank selected (comes back to the above). I did the engine failure checklist, it worked, so had I done all my other checks then I wouldn't have arrived at the engine failure checklist! If you're enjoying the scenery too much, you're obviously forgetting something.
NEVER accept something that you know or feel is a little beyond your own personal capability. You've been taught to fly, but don't expect you can do everything straight away. Your shiny new CPL is a licence to learn.
And finally....
There are plenty of people out there who have more experience than you, learn as much as you can from them (looks like you're off to a good start).
I have no doubt that I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of a lot of people with more experience than myself. Learning from them has been one of the joys of flying.
morno
ALWAYS know WHERE your fuel is coming from (ie. which tank), and where it's GOING (particuarly handy to think about when flying things like a C310 or a C402A/B where on the aux tanks fuel also feeds back to the mains).
ALWAYS do your CHECKS. I'll be the first to admit that I've been flying along and heard an engine go *Cough Cough* only to start doing the engine failure checklist to find I've got a wrong tank selected (comes back to the above). I did the engine failure checklist, it worked, so had I done all my other checks then I wouldn't have arrived at the engine failure checklist! If you're enjoying the scenery too much, you're obviously forgetting something.
NEVER accept something that you know or feel is a little beyond your own personal capability. You've been taught to fly, but don't expect you can do everything straight away. Your shiny new CPL is a licence to learn.
And finally....
There are plenty of people out there who have more experience than you, learn as much as you can from them (looks like you're off to a good start).
I have no doubt that I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of a lot of people with more experience than myself. Learning from them has been one of the joys of flying.
morno
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Learn how to say no.
If your toes curl up whilst flying, you are getting yourself in trouble.
Believe "empty" on the fuel gauge, dont believe "full".
Develop a system for checking things on the exeterior before flying (pitot doors oil fuel caps ect).
Learn how to say no.
If your toes curl up whilst flying, you are getting yourself in trouble.
Believe "empty" on the fuel gauge, dont believe "full".
Develop a system for checking things on the exeterior before flying (pitot doors oil fuel caps ect).
Learn how to say no.
Bugsmasherdriverandjediknite
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Learn from experiance huh?. best advice I can give you from my experiance is, Learn to drive a truck........ the money and conditions are usually far better than GA.
Horatio Leafblower
True, what you say, but last light is not generally a problem at Casey Station in summer! Unfortunately the bad weather is though
True, what you say, but last light is not generally a problem at Casey Station in summer! Unfortunately the bad weather is though
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Get out and walk around the plane, even if you've just stopped in briefly somewhere to drop something off. Even if you are in a hurry, a 30 second walkaround isnt going to hurt. Theres nothing like taxiing out in a 206, putting the flaps down and realising the back door isnt latched properly and the flaps wont move to remind you of this. Of course if you dont notice until halfway down the runway and it wont fly then it wakes you up even more!!
Then of course then theres fuel caps, oil caps, baggage lockers...the list is endless!!
Then of course then theres fuel caps, oil caps, baggage lockers...the list is endless!!
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Try to Avoid Bad things.
Some potentially bad things:
Unfamiliar terrain/locations and no maps
Fog
Ice
CB's
Countries where they don't speak ingrish
No Comms
Portable Lighting
"private" nav aids
"unoficial" instrument approaches/shortcuts
Minimum fuel and not knowing exactly how much is in which tank and exactly how much you are using.
Clapped out old clunkers that every sprog on the block has been abusing (also applies to planes as well as...)
Cumulo Granitus
Homestead radio aerials
Employer pressure
Fellow pilot he-man pressure
Macho drinking games
Weights written on boxes so that you don't need to weigh them
Inadequate tie downs/restraints
Tropical rain depressions
Marginal airstrips
Density height - especially humidity which isn't on your P-Charts
Get home-itis
Unfamiliar aircraft - 'you'll be right mate, pick it up as you go along'
Fuel from re-cycled drums
A hot girlfriend who has no interest/understanding of your job
Head winds in cruise - tailwinds on T/O and Ldg
Too proud to ask advice - don't want people to think you're stupid
Empty pockets and maxed out cards
Living up to the previous pilot's (supposed) ability - short strips big loads etc
Night time is not inherently hazardous - black air has the same lift as clear air -but when mixed with some of the above can be less than enjoyable.
Aircraft and engine defects do not 'heal' with time, they must be correctly rectified, not just accomodated until you are used to them.
Life is not a video game, it is real reality, you can get very very dead very quickly when you start combining adverse factors, but you will probably have sufficient time to know why you are about to die and sufficient time to reflect regretfully that you didn't do something earlier that might just have broken the chain, you will be very sad in those final seconds and your family will be sad a lot longer.
"A superior pilot is one that uses their superior judgement to aviod the neccessity of using their superior skill"
Proper planning prevents piss poor performance
There are good pilots and there are lucky pilots and I'd rather be lucky than good.
HD
Some potentially bad things:
Unfamiliar terrain/locations and no maps
Fog
Ice
CB's
Countries where they don't speak ingrish
No Comms
Portable Lighting
"private" nav aids
"unoficial" instrument approaches/shortcuts
Minimum fuel and not knowing exactly how much is in which tank and exactly how much you are using.
Clapped out old clunkers that every sprog on the block has been abusing (also applies to planes as well as...)
Cumulo Granitus
Homestead radio aerials
Employer pressure
Fellow pilot he-man pressure
Macho drinking games
Weights written on boxes so that you don't need to weigh them
Inadequate tie downs/restraints
Tropical rain depressions
Marginal airstrips
Density height - especially humidity which isn't on your P-Charts
Get home-itis
Unfamiliar aircraft - 'you'll be right mate, pick it up as you go along'
Fuel from re-cycled drums
A hot girlfriend who has no interest/understanding of your job
Head winds in cruise - tailwinds on T/O and Ldg
Too proud to ask advice - don't want people to think you're stupid
Empty pockets and maxed out cards
Living up to the previous pilot's (supposed) ability - short strips big loads etc
Night time is not inherently hazardous - black air has the same lift as clear air -but when mixed with some of the above can be less than enjoyable.
Aircraft and engine defects do not 'heal' with time, they must be correctly rectified, not just accomodated until you are used to them.
Life is not a video game, it is real reality, you can get very very dead very quickly when you start combining adverse factors, but you will probably have sufficient time to know why you are about to die and sufficient time to reflect regretfully that you didn't do something earlier that might just have broken the chain, you will be very sad in those final seconds and your family will be sad a lot longer.
"A superior pilot is one that uses their superior judgement to aviod the neccessity of using their superior skill"
Proper planning prevents piss poor performance
There are good pilots and there are lucky pilots and I'd rather be lucky than good.
HD
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There are heaps of good advise here that can be summed up by:
Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make them all yourself.
My advice is don't rush, especially on departures. Leave plenty of time to get it all done without rushing, take the time to walk around the aircraft once more after the pax are loaded. You will be surprised how often you find something that would have embarassed you if you hadn't found it.
I still do that final walk round checking things like nose lockers (they have been know to look closed but spring open after takeoff and pull an aircraft down), fuel caps (once left it to someone else and had to return to land after takeoff when fuel was seen streaming from the cap), oil caps (might have come loose on previous sector), pitot tube covers off (yes I have left them on once some years ago now).
Despite all the good advice you will undoubtedly make some mistakes, everyone does. Analyse and learn from them and don't make them again. Finally, never stop learning as that particular curve never stops until the day you walk away from your last flight.
Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make them all yourself.
My advice is don't rush, especially on departures. Leave plenty of time to get it all done without rushing, take the time to walk around the aircraft once more after the pax are loaded. You will be surprised how often you find something that would have embarassed you if you hadn't found it.
I still do that final walk round checking things like nose lockers (they have been know to look closed but spring open after takeoff and pull an aircraft down), fuel caps (once left it to someone else and had to return to land after takeoff when fuel was seen streaming from the cap), oil caps (might have come loose on previous sector), pitot tube covers off (yes I have left them on once some years ago now).
Despite all the good advice you will undoubtedly make some mistakes, everyone does. Analyse and learn from them and don't make them again. Finally, never stop learning as that particular curve never stops until the day you walk away from your last flight.