100 Hour Comfort Zone?
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100 Hour Comfort Zone?
I have heard it said that the 3 most dangerous people in flying are (not nec in this order):-
1. 100 hr PPL
2. 500 hr PPL (esp one with a lapsed IMC)
3. 64 year old mega-thousand hour airline Training Captain with heart murmur, divorce and concealed drink problem
SkyYacht's post on Android's "getting the hang of it" thread refers to feeling comfortable at 100hrs TT. I have now got about 150 hrs TT and recollect that the worst and stupidest thing I have ever done in an aeroplane occurred at around the 100 hr mark. Straw poll as to how comfortable people feel/felt at 100 hrs and who cocked up at around that time as I did (PS far too embarassed ever to tell you the details) (PPS It's not that bad: no sheep involved)
1. 100 hr PPL
2. 500 hr PPL (esp one with a lapsed IMC)
3. 64 year old mega-thousand hour airline Training Captain with heart murmur, divorce and concealed drink problem
SkyYacht's post on Android's "getting the hang of it" thread refers to feeling comfortable at 100hrs TT. I have now got about 150 hrs TT and recollect that the worst and stupidest thing I have ever done in an aeroplane occurred at around the 100 hr mark. Straw poll as to how comfortable people feel/felt at 100 hrs and who cocked up at around that time as I did (PS far too embarassed ever to tell you the details) (PPS It's not that bad: no sheep involved)
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Agreed. I would say that my early hours with a fresh minted PPL were times in which I was most often reminding myself that, although I sometimes felt like I was Captain Fabulous - Aviator Extraordinaire, in reality I, er, wasn't. Eventually the so-called Capt Fabulous tried to take over the show for a while. Ooops. It strikes me that this may not be an uncommon pattern, hence the folk wisdom that the 100 hour mark is a dodgy time for newbie pilots. It seems that you then spend the next few hundred hours being sensibly worried and careful, and then, by circa 500 hours, are once more convinced that you can make Biggles look like the rank amateur he surely is. I gather that accident statistics tend to back this up.
Meanwhile, wonder how A and C is getting on with logging (decimally of course) that elusive 0.1. Come in A and C. Are you still with us? (crackly carrrier wave.... fade)
Meanwhile, wonder how A and C is getting on with logging (decimally of course) that elusive 0.1. Come in A and C. Are you still with us? (crackly carrrier wave.... fade)
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I remember being told at a CAA Safety Evening that most accidents happened to pilots with from 200 to 500 hours. It was implied that this was the time when they thought they knew it all, but didn't.
Whirly
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To fly is human, to hover, divine.
Whirly
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To fly is human, to hover, divine.
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personally speaking....
40 to 100 hours, steady confidence building,
100 hours to 175 hours, I'm really on top of all this flying lark..
175 hours +..hang on, that was a bit scary,
I dont know so much after all !!!!
now I'm learning all the time,
to survive is to be able to analyse
flights good & bad & learn form them,
stay safe & have fun,
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So much sky,
so little time :-(
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40 to 100 hours, steady confidence building,
100 hours to 175 hours, I'm really on top of all this flying lark..
175 hours +..hang on, that was a bit scary,
I dont know so much after all !!!!
now I'm learning all the time,
to survive is to be able to analyse
flights good & bad & learn form them,
stay safe & have fun,
------------------
#####################
So much sky,
so little time :-(
#####################
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A and C,
Very Good Post!!!!!
Very subtle...
5, 500, or 5,000, its' all the same. The only important flight is the next 5 minutes's. Mistakes can happen any time your attention wanders, and often the more hours you have, the more your attention will wander. Familiarity breeds contempt!
One of the best instructors I had always told me the best aviators stay humble.
[This message has been edited by NIMBUS (edited 20 October 2000).]
Very Good Post!!!!!
Very subtle...
5, 500, or 5,000, its' all the same. The only important flight is the next 5 minutes's. Mistakes can happen any time your attention wanders, and often the more hours you have, the more your attention will wander. Familiarity breeds contempt!
One of the best instructors I had always told me the best aviators stay humble.
[This message has been edited by NIMBUS (edited 20 October 2000).]
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I once saw a 600 hour PPL/IR try to taxy with tie-down barrels still attached to the wings.
Complacency mixed with arrogance is what precipitated the PanAm/KLM disaster at Tenerife, among others.
[This message has been edited by Sporadic E (edited 28 October 2000).]
Complacency mixed with arrogance is what precipitated the PanAm/KLM disaster at Tenerife, among others.
[This message has been edited by Sporadic E (edited 28 October 2000).]
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Check this: 19,000 hour ATPL nobly awards himself MHDOID (3rd Class, with Oakleaves)after stuffing his friend's Cub on its schnozzle. Link to the citation below:-
http://www.avweb.com/articles/beacon/atbt0031.html
[This message has been edited by FNG (edited 31 October 2000).]
http://www.avweb.com/articles/beacon/atbt0031.html
[This message has been edited by FNG (edited 31 October 2000).]
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I have logged about 460h. T.T about half are on Multi. I found myself in a position of ‘The more I fly the less I know and the more I ask’. It did happen because I have started to plan long flights. The two that under planning now are Portugal and Greece.
Most of the questions are operation at ‘high altitudes’. How do you set this and how do you set that, What Power Setting, How cold? Etc.
Someone to join?
Most of the questions are operation at ‘high altitudes’. How do you set this and how do you set that, What Power Setting, How cold? Etc.
Someone to join?
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I concur. At about 90h I did an intersection take off because I couldn't be bothered to backtrack and take the full length (oooh missus).
I cleared a power line by inches (not feet, not metres, but INCHES) just off the departure end of the RW... I now take heed of that old adage, "The most useless things in aviation:.... Runway behind you..."
I cleared a power line by inches (not feet, not metres, but INCHES) just off the departure end of the RW... I now take heed of that old adage, "The most useless things in aviation:.... Runway behind you..."
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I've done a number of stupid things since I've been flying. Most of them - hopefully all of them - I've learned from, haven't done more than once, and won't do again. The first was when I flew into a cloud over mountains on my very first flight after getting my PPL. The most recent was a few weeks ago, and I don't even want to talk about it!!! The point is, I'm not sure the number of hours has got an awful lot to do with it.
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To fly is human, to hover, divine.
[This message has been edited by Whirlybird* (edited 03 November 2000).]
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To fly is human, to hover, divine.
[This message has been edited by Whirlybird* (edited 03 November 2000).]
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Oh god, do I have to? OK then, if you insist. I'm going on holiday tomorrow so I won't get to read the responses to this anyway.
Recently I met a group of friends at Sleap Airfield for coffee. I hadn't planned to go flying, but this woman I knew a little had never been in a light aircraft, and really wanted to fly over her house in Shrewsbury, about ten minutes away. I offered to take her up if I could borrow one of the club C152s. I asked, and was told I could if it was only for about half an hour.
Well, at Sleap all the club aircraft are re-fuelled every time you bring them back; that's the rule. And they only go out for a an hour at a time at weekends. I tried to check the fuel level and I knew it wasn't completely full, but it's quite hard to tell how much you've got in a C152. I had no dipstick, and I was in a hurry as they wanted the aircraft back, and we were only going to be half an hour. And I reasoned that even if the last person hadn't re-fuelled it, the one before would have done. And the fuel gauges said we were two-thirds full, and even if they weren't completely accurate they wouldn't be that far off would they.
Anyway, we flew over Jackie's house, and she loved it, and we would have been away longer but she said that was all she wanted to do. When we got back someone helped me re-fuel.
"You been on a long trip?" he asked.
"No, why?"
The tanks were almost empty! If we'd stayed out that bit longer that I wanted to....
Never again will I trust fuel gauges at all, or go out without being quite certain how much fuel I've got. But it's such a basic thing I still can't believe I did it.
OK AC-DC, your turn!
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To fly is human, to hover, divine.
[This message has been edited by Whirlybird* (edited 03 November 2000).]
Recently I met a group of friends at Sleap Airfield for coffee. I hadn't planned to go flying, but this woman I knew a little had never been in a light aircraft, and really wanted to fly over her house in Shrewsbury, about ten minutes away. I offered to take her up if I could borrow one of the club C152s. I asked, and was told I could if it was only for about half an hour.
Well, at Sleap all the club aircraft are re-fuelled every time you bring them back; that's the rule. And they only go out for a an hour at a time at weekends. I tried to check the fuel level and I knew it wasn't completely full, but it's quite hard to tell how much you've got in a C152. I had no dipstick, and I was in a hurry as they wanted the aircraft back, and we were only going to be half an hour. And I reasoned that even if the last person hadn't re-fuelled it, the one before would have done. And the fuel gauges said we were two-thirds full, and even if they weren't completely accurate they wouldn't be that far off would they.
Anyway, we flew over Jackie's house, and she loved it, and we would have been away longer but she said that was all she wanted to do. When we got back someone helped me re-fuel.
"You been on a long trip?" he asked.
"No, why?"
The tanks were almost empty! If we'd stayed out that bit longer that I wanted to....
Never again will I trust fuel gauges at all, or go out without being quite certain how much fuel I've got. But it's such a basic thing I still can't believe I did it.
OK AC-DC, your turn!
------------------
To fly is human, to hover, divine.
[This message has been edited by Whirlybird* (edited 03 November 2000).]
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My turn.
Hmmm, fuel you said, It sounds familiar.
It was on a Saturday and the better half and me were on our way (after aborting on Friday) to Guernsey. My total time was around 400h and about 18h on the specific aircraft,8h were logged as PUT, not much of experience on an aircraft with a reputation of being unforgiving for pilot mistakes. We took off with nearly full tanks planning to fly to Guernseyfrom and from there to Dinard and to refuel at Guernsey before flying back home. The aircraft carries 90gl (86 useable) in 4 tanks. 15gl in each of the auxiliaries and 30gl in each of the mains. Flying time was calculated to be 1.5h at 140k and 12-13gl/h fuel flow, nothing to be worried about, there is enough fuel on board. Fuel pump on, fullest main is selected and off we go.
Climbing to 2300’ and setting to cruise @ 65% power. Now you need to understand, I always use auxiliaries first and follow the watch’s long hand i.e., if it is between 12 – 6 a right side tank will be used, 6-12 a left side tank will be used and if over water always a main tank is used. After crossing from SAM to MP on a main tank it was the time to change a tank and I have selected right Aux. The fuel gauge showed just under ½ tank. We have arrived to Cap De Flamenvill, called Guernsey App. and got our instructions. Over water and still on the Aux. (did I say that over water I fly the mains?) a small voice whispered “Do you always fly the fuel so low?” “Me? NEVER! I have changed tanks about 10min. ago and we had ½ a tank. We are fine” “ But look” a small frightened voice was barely audible over the intercom. I have looked in order to keep the Mrs. happy. “Yeah, it’s fine" I said… "WHAT?" The needle touched the red line. The sky was blue, the water was cold and we were flying on fumes. The position was some 5 miles from Guernsey. Fuel pump on fullest main, 8min. later we were on the ground. After parking the aircraft I have looked inside the tank, it was dry.
Now you ask, how could it happen?
This aircraft has 4 tanks of different capacity but only one fuel gauge. The gauge always shows the remaining quantity in the tank that is in use. After crossing the Channel I have changed from Main to Aux. The aux. was just under ½ full i.e. 5-6gl. With fuel flow of 13gl/h the endurance will be 23-27min. Flying time from MP to Guernsey is 21-22min. In my mind I continued to fly the main tank and thought that I have some 13gl. left, 1 full hour.
Later on at our hotel, we sat by the pool looking at the water, the water were cold, there was one freezing body inside.
That was a good lesson, THANK YOU WIFE.
Hmmm, fuel you said, It sounds familiar.
It was on a Saturday and the better half and me were on our way (after aborting on Friday) to Guernsey. My total time was around 400h and about 18h on the specific aircraft,8h were logged as PUT, not much of experience on an aircraft with a reputation of being unforgiving for pilot mistakes. We took off with nearly full tanks planning to fly to Guernseyfrom and from there to Dinard and to refuel at Guernsey before flying back home. The aircraft carries 90gl (86 useable) in 4 tanks. 15gl in each of the auxiliaries and 30gl in each of the mains. Flying time was calculated to be 1.5h at 140k and 12-13gl/h fuel flow, nothing to be worried about, there is enough fuel on board. Fuel pump on, fullest main is selected and off we go.
Climbing to 2300’ and setting to cruise @ 65% power. Now you need to understand, I always use auxiliaries first and follow the watch’s long hand i.e., if it is between 12 – 6 a right side tank will be used, 6-12 a left side tank will be used and if over water always a main tank is used. After crossing from SAM to MP on a main tank it was the time to change a tank and I have selected right Aux. The fuel gauge showed just under ½ tank. We have arrived to Cap De Flamenvill, called Guernsey App. and got our instructions. Over water and still on the Aux. (did I say that over water I fly the mains?) a small voice whispered “Do you always fly the fuel so low?” “Me? NEVER! I have changed tanks about 10min. ago and we had ½ a tank. We are fine” “ But look” a small frightened voice was barely audible over the intercom. I have looked in order to keep the Mrs. happy. “Yeah, it’s fine" I said… "WHAT?" The needle touched the red line. The sky was blue, the water was cold and we were flying on fumes. The position was some 5 miles from Guernsey. Fuel pump on fullest main, 8min. later we were on the ground. After parking the aircraft I have looked inside the tank, it was dry.
Now you ask, how could it happen?
This aircraft has 4 tanks of different capacity but only one fuel gauge. The gauge always shows the remaining quantity in the tank that is in use. After crossing the Channel I have changed from Main to Aux. The aux. was just under ½ full i.e. 5-6gl. With fuel flow of 13gl/h the endurance will be 23-27min. Flying time from MP to Guernsey is 21-22min. In my mind I continued to fly the main tank and thought that I have some 13gl. left, 1 full hour.
Later on at our hotel, we sat by the pool looking at the water, the water were cold, there was one freezing body inside.
That was a good lesson, THANK YOU WIFE.