AircraftOwner Online

    I recently had the honor and privilege of being able to interview both the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Deborah Hersman, and the only professional pilot of the National Transportation Safety Board, Robert Sumwalt. Between the results of these interviews and recent public announcements made by the NTSB, it is pretty clear that a number of issues will become “hot button” issues in aviation safety issues, and probably regulations and enforcement issues, in the immediate future. Most of these issues have been lumped under the buzzword of “professionalism.”

    Perhaps the most immediate area of concern has to do with the intrusion of modern technology into the cockpits of aircraft (as well as the cabs of locomotives, the bridge of vessels, and tractors of 18-wheelers). In air carrier aircraft, the cockpit is supposed to be “sterile” during key phases of flight including taxi, takeoff, climb, descent and landing. Yet it is apparent that many crewmembers have been using cell phones, pda’s, and laptops during some of these phases of flight, as have long-haul truckers, railroad engineers, and the captains of vessels. A number of recent fatal accidents in all of these modalities have caused this issue to rise to the top of the pile for government agencies charged with insuring the safety of the public. The introduction of applications “apps” for PDA’s that are useful in flying has made the use of these devices a double-edged sword. On the one hand, these apps provide incredibly-useful information, in real time, at a cost significantly lower than the panel-mounted units that provide the same information, just prior to takeoff. On the other hand, they divert the attention of the crew from the view outside the cockpit, the checklists, and the instrument panel.

    Even worse, I have personally witnessed helicopter pilots speaking on cell phones in flight, telling their loved ones what time they would be landing, checking with restaurants for reservations, etc. Ignoring for a moment that such actions violate FCC regulations, to a fixed-wing pilot like me, trying to dial a cell phone, and holding it in one hand, while using another hand on the collective and a third hand (I guess) on the cyclic, seems a little like juggling at 110 knots. It is clearly unsafe. The fact that people get away with it regularly does not make it “safe”; and it sure as heck doesn’t make it “professional”.

    The other day, the NTSB made a public pronouncement that it was investigating the issue of glass cockpits in general aviation aircraft. In addition to issues about different “switchology” and operating procedures, the NTSB also noted that it seems that pilots upgrading to these systems often fail to obtain the training that they need to fully understand and utilize the features of the new technology. In larger aircraft, insurance companies, airlines, and regulators require initial training and regular recurrent training on complex systems.

    In smaller GA aircraft, we tend not to insist on such training. But to not understand the inner workings and total capabilities of the primary instrumentation in the aircraft you are flying is not only “unsafe”, it is most-certainly “unprofessional”. Even if we don’t fly for a living, if we want to keep living as we fly and afterward, we had better act in a professional manner when it comes to training. At a minimum, we need to know how to utilize the systems in an emergency. And we need to be able to take the initial steps from memory. We also need to be able to look up information, tune frequencies, identify named intersections and airports, and obtain our current position while in actual instrument conditions, in turbulence, during a busy radio procedure phase of flight, without losing situational awareness. We need to know if we can move information from one screen to another in case of a failure of the primary screen. We need to know what we can do in the event that all of the screens go black, and what we will not be able to do in such a situation.

    A third issue that has come up lately is fatigue. This tends to be much more of a problem in scheduled carriers than in personal aviation, but it is just as important that the operators of smaller aircraft are aware of the problem. Fatigue is insidious. As we travel across time zones at high speed, in a reduced-oxygen environment, punctuating routine boring cruise flight with high-intensity operations like shooting an instrument approach to a landing at the end of a long day, we, who don’t do this for a living, may not realize how tired we really are. And that may only be day one of a multi-day trip. The next day, after sleeping on an unfamiliar mattress, waking up at a different time than usual, and flying over an area that is not well known to us, we will be even more tired and more-likely to make mistakes. What do the pros do? They pay attention to the subtle signs. They make sure that they are well rested and that they understand the subtle symptoms of fatigue. They plan their flights meticulously when they are rested. They switch off “legs” if there are several pilots in the cockpit. They use their checklists religiously – reading them out loud and requiring the proper responses. They challenge one another if one thinks the other is not doing what is supposed to be done. They brief their takeoffs. They brief their landings.

    Just because flying may not be our profession does not give us license to be unprofessional about our flying.

Take Someone Flying

    Involving the public in activities at the airport is a simple first step in winning more converts to General Aviation. The next step is to take someone flying.

    Like many fellow pilots, I am a huge advocate of the EAA Young Eagles program. Taking young people up in a general aviation aircraft helps familiarize them with GA and helps combat negative ideas they might pick up in the media. But in addition to taking young people up, how about taking anyone else up who wants to go flying? One short flight may well win another General Aviation advocate.

    When I take non-aviation people up flying I always try and explain, in advance, how the airplane works and what they can expect when they get in the air. This includes a review of the controls, a little bit about lift and how wings work (they want to know what’s holding them up), etc. I tell them about starting the engine, communications, traffic separation – everything. Remember, your flying guests will probably know absolutely nothing about flying, yet they are entrusting their lives to you. It’s only natural for them to have questions even if they are afraid to ask you.

    Once you are in the air give them a gentle demo of the flight controls. Show them how easy it is to fly. Whenever I do this people are amazed at how approachable flying is. Of course if you’re already in the air, I find letting my passengers make gentle turns is a good first step in making them comfortable. Whatever you do, avoid “showing off” with rapid maneuvers, and tricks like weightlessness, buzzing the house, and that sort of thing. I cringe whenever I hear someone say their first airplane ride was “scary”. I know that was due 90% to the pilot trying to show off.

 

Show Up At Other Airports Too

    Sharing your own airport with others is so very important. So is helping our comrades at other airports when they have events. If there is a fly-in and people come out to look at the planes, it’s nice to have airplanes there. Fly-ins, by definition, are not static events. The simple coming and going of airplanes is part of the show. And when people see large numbers of small planes moving around in a pattern and on the ground they get more comfortable
with it.

    When you get out of your plane you will no doubt be able to tell who is an aviation neophyte. Talk to them. Show them your plane. Ask if they are a pilot even when you know the answer already. The fact that you considered it possible that they could fly carries with it the power of positive suggestion – “If this pilot thinks I might be a pilot too, maybe it’s possible.”

 

So Let’s Make This Summer One of Involvement

    The summer flying season is here! Let’s make this summer one where we all work at being even more involved as advocates for General Aviation. We have a great base to work from. Those are our airports. And we have great tools to work with. Those are our personal enthusiasm and our airplanes. Remember virtually everyone’s “inner self” wants to fly. Help them realize it!

 

   Your mechanic calls. He has found a crack in your airplane’s wing spar. Your first thought: “What is it going to cost?” His second comment, though, takes your thoughts from money to safety. He tells you that yours is the third aircraft he has found with the same crack in the spar, and one of them was near total failure. Now what?

     With this kind of pattern, your mechanic will want to contact an aviation safety inspector (ASI) at the local FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) and report the concern. (Contact information for the appropriate FSDO is available via Internet at www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo.) Your mechanic should also submit a malfunction and defect report through FAA. These reports alert other owners and maintenance personnel of the safety issue.

     After your mechanic contacts FAA, the ASI will coordinate with the appropriate FAA engineer to evaluate the safety issue. The engineer will typically analyze the design details and the nature of the reported failure, research related service history, talk with the type certificate holder, and coordinate with other FAA engineers, specialists, and managers. The engineer’s evaluation includes conducting a risk assessment, considering items such as the safety impact of the reported condition, the type of aircraft involved, how the majority of those aircraft are used, and how often the condition has occurred in other aircraft of the same or similar type design. Based on this evaluation, the FAA will determine whether there is an unsafe condition that warrants issuing an airworthiness directive (AD).

     Once FAA determines that mandatory corrective action is necessary, the agency develops an AD that calls for appropriate actions and sets out timeframes for completing those actions. FAA strives to develop Ads that correct the unsafe condition without creating an undue burden for aircraft owners, operators, and pilots. Some safety issues require immediate correction, that is, repairs must be made before the aircraft flies again. Wherever appropriate, though, FAA develops actions and compliance times that allow for the required work and as little impact to your flying as the situation allows. Yet, there is simply no way to avoid the reality that Ads will affect both your flying schedule and checkbook. FAA works hard to develop corrective actions that address the unsafe condition without requiring more action than necessary.

     FAA also tries to write ADs in a way that makes the required action clear and completely understandable to those responsible for the work. This requires consulting pilots, maintenance specialists, technical writers, engineers, legal counsel, and others during development of the AD. FAA also works with the appropriate industry groups to ensure the availability of any parts, tools, or service instructions necessary to comply with the AD.

 

Different Types of ADs

     The nature of the unsafe condition and the urgency required to correct it determine the type of AD action that FAA takes. Normally, the agency issues a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) followed by a final rule. NPRMs request public comments on the proposed action. After the comment period closes, FAA issues the final rule, taking into account all comments received.

     In certain cases, the critical nature of an unsafe condition and the need for timely corrective action may require issuing an AD in final rule form without first issuing an NPRM and allowing time for public comment. In these cases, the agency still provides an opportunity for public comment after AD issuance, and it may change the AD as a result of comments received.

     FAA issues an emergency AD when an unsafe condition exists that requires immediate corrective action. The intent of an emergency AD is to rapidly correct an immediate safety of flight situation. FAA recognizes that you may have information or ideas that had not been considered when developing an NPRM or an AD without a prior NPRM. FAA values the public’s input on these proposed or mandated actions and has used input in the past to change compliance times, inspection or maintenance actions, and other items from what was originally proposed or mandated. FAA encourages you to send any ideas or comments you may have about proposed or mandated actions, along with supporting data. Each NPRM or final rule (without prior NPRM) contains details on how to comment.

     To become aware of when the agency issues NPRMs or final rules that affect your airplane, you can monitor the Federal Register on the Internet at www.gpoaccess.gov/fr. Many airplane type clubs monitor the Federal Register and inform their members when an NPRM or final rule affecting their aircraft type has been issued.

     Once an AD affecting your aircraft takes effect, by regulation you can operate the aircraft only if it meets the requirements of the AD. Unless the condition is an immediate safety of flight concern, the AD will allow you to continue operating the aircraft for a specified amount of time before you must carry out the required actions.

 

Alternative Ways to Comply

     If your mechanic has a better way to address the unsafe condition cited in an AD, FAA does allow alternative methods to comply with an AD’s requirements. If you want to propose a different method or compliance time to address the safety issue, you can apply for an alternative method of compliance (AMOC). Submit the proposal through your principal inspector or local FSDO to the Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), which reviews and issues approval or denial. Include the specific actions you are proposing to address the unsafe condition, along with substantiating data. FAA will review your request and determine if the proposal addresses the unsafe condition.

 

Tausif Butt and David Hirt are aerospace engineers at FAA’s Small Airplane Directorate in Kansas City, Missouri.

Sun 'n Fun had a lot of that great springtime aviation experience feel to it.

I arrived at Sun 'n Fun looking forward to getting a good size dose of aviation to help launch me into that summer time flying feeling -- and it worked.  People were asking me what I thought of this year's attendance and while I characterized it as "medium" I did find plenty to do for the entire week.  

I arrived on-site Tuesday morning and stayed through Saturday.  My strategy on the larger shows is to take a day or two to see all of the vendor exhibits, starting with an overview then focusing on the things I want to delve into in greater detail.  I like to do this earlier in the week before the weekend crowds get there. 

This year I studied products like 406 ELTs, auto-pilots (I'm looking for one for my Cessna 182), small profile radios and portable GPS units. I am in the market for one of each and found plenty of products to check out. However, I will say that the exhibit area appeared a bit "lighter" than in the past, a reflection of the slow improvement in the economy. But there was plenty to see anyway.  

After the product exhibits, I checked out the aircraft and organizations. Spending quite a bit of time with my friend Stu Horn of Aviat Aircraft and the guys from the "RAF" Recreational Aviaiton Foundation. The two go hand-in-hand as the RAF works mightily to help keep backcountry airstrips open (and open more) and Stu's company builds the Husky which I like to fly into those backcountry strips.

I did check out all the current production aircraft as well including the new and updated offerings from all the airframe makers I could find. I just hope the economy continues to improve so we can see some of them flying!

As you know, I am also love vintage aircraft and had a good time walking through that area. I was most surprised to find a WWII Stearman with the words "N.A.S . OTTUMWA" painted on the side. Ottumwa, Iowa is my home town and N.A.S. stands for Naval Air Station. It was a huge WWII primary training base for Navy pilots (I guess they didn't need water at that stage in the training).

Walking around the Warbirds and watching the aerobatics took at least half-a-day as well.  At night it seemed there was no shortage of social functions. One was the Lindbergh Foundation (which I am a Director of)
awards banquet it was a great event. I then hooked up with Congressman Sam Graves who is a constant General Aviaiton proponent in congress and who lives and loves the General Aviation lifestyle.  When the opportunity to support Sam in re-election comes around, I hope you will answer the call. He is a huge GA supporter. 

Now that I'm back in Minneapolis I can't wait to hope in the cockpit and go flying -- in fact, I think I'll do that right now!  

Greg

 

 I was diagnosed with rheumatic fever when I was five years old. When I was in medical school studying rheumatic fever, I just did not remember having all the signs and symptoms described in the text books. I searched my hospital records on microfilm and realized I never had rheumatic fever and confirmed that with my pediatrician who was fortunately still in practice. However, it was an incredible chore to get this mis-diagnosis off my medical record but absolutely hell to get off my medical and life insurance records.

    Now think what would have happened with the FAA! I would have probably been required to have a cardiology consultation, an echocardiogram, and other expensive testing to prove a negative. In addition to money, it would take a lot of time and paperwork collection.

    I have pilots come into my office on a regular basis carrying diagnoses on their record for conditions they have never experienced. Seizures are a classic example.

    Many people pass out when they see blood and many times, will jerk their arms and legs for a short period during the brief unconscious period. Non medical observers may report this as a seizure and unfortunately, this may become part of a medical record. However, it is incumbent on any treating physician to ask the appropriate questions to insure that it was a seizure as opposed to a “vasovagal” reaction that many do experience when they see blood. Those questions may be simple ones like “was the person confused when they came to” (in medical terms, was there a post ictal period). If there was no post event confusion, it is unlikely to have been a seizure. However, if it goes into the record as even a possible seizure, driving ability may be in jeopardy and flying is out.

    Physicians may or may not understand the importance of certain diagnosis on pilots. There is, for instance, a big difference between a “bad headache” and a true “migraine headache.” A true migraine syndrome is usually disqualifying for flight. Once “migraine” is in the pilots’ medical record, he may have to spend lots of time and money to prove that he does not have migraines.

    Depression is another common diagnosis that is thrown around by physicians without attention to the collateral damage it may cause. When your family doctor says to take this Prozac because “it will make you feel better during your divorce,” look out because you will feel worse because you are grounded.

    How do you avoid miss and over diagnosis? Always ask your doctor if they are sure of the diagnosis enough to testify at your NTSB appeal hearing. That usually gets them thinking about the potential consequences.

    Pilots may also call their AME and ask if the medication that has been recommended is copasetic with the FAA. I recently had a pilot ask me about a medication that was recommended for a non hearing affecting ringing in his ears. The medication was a tri-cyclic antidepressant and is used in this case to “calm” the auditory nerve. If he had consented to the medication, he would be grounded. When he stopped the medication, he would have to prove it was not for depression by providing medical records and a letter from the treating physician at a minimum.

    From a medical record point of view, George Orwell is alive and well. Unless you pay cash for every visit at any individual medical office or facility and never tell any insurance company about those visits, those encounters will all show up at some point in a national data bank when you buy medical or life insurance. (Not giving the correct Social Security number and birth date helps as well.) Once in the data bank, every insurance company you apply to will have opportunity to see the records.

    Are there people out there who do this? Absolutely. If they get caught by an insurance company, their claims could be denied. Do they get caught if they do it right? Not very often.

    What about those folks who do not report medical issues to the FAA?  Since that is a federal offense, it is more than a denial of an insurance claim. It is a potential fine and jail time. Do people omit items on their FAA medical? All the time. Do they get caught? Rarely. Is it worth the risk? You will have to answer that question for yourself.

It took four hours of flight time in a single day to shake the flying bug out of my system after being without an aircraft for three months. On that January 2005 day I ran errands all over Arizona in my Robinson R44 helicopter.

   

FAA Medical

 

    I started out with a flight from Wickenburg to Prescott. It was time for my annual FAA medical exam. As a commercial pilot, I needed a Class 2 medical certificate, which must be renewed every year. January is my renewal month.

    My doctor of choice was Dr. Gordon Ritter at Prescott Love Field (PRC). Dr. Ritter’s office is right across the road from Prescott tower. Although I could land on the ramp behind his office, I decided to fly in to Guidance Helicopter’s ramp on the other side of the airport. My 1987 Toyota MR-2 was in the parking lot there and I hadn’t driven or even seen it since I brought it down from the Grand Canyon in October. I figured it was high time to see if it was still there and still ran. Besides, I had to talk to the folks at Guidance about a number of things. And heck, it’s always nice to show off a new helicopter where helicopter pilots will see it.

    So I flew into Guidance and parked on the ramp. I was running late, so I just gave the folks in the office a quick hello, telling them I’d be back in an hour or so. My Toyota was right where I’d left it. I got in, removed the sunshades, and turned the key. The darn thing started right up. The engine sounded like the car was staying, “Hey! Finally! Where the heck have you been? Let’s go!” I love that car.

    Although Dr. Ritter’s office is right across the airport, you can’t get there from Guidance. Not on the airport property, anyway. You have to go out and around. In fact, you have to get on a highway (the Pioneer Parkway) and get off at the first exit. It’s about a 10-minute drive, with traffic lights.

    I was worried about my medical. The week before, I’d stopped by the blood pressure machine at Safeway Supermarket and put my arm in. The number it came up with was a bit on the high side. Dr. Ritter always seemed to find my blood pressure high, even when my primary care physician in Wickenburg didn’t. Maybe it has something to do with elevation. (Wickenburg is 2400 feet; Prescott is 5000 feet.) Anyway, I figured that if I saw it high down in Wickenburg, Dr. Ritter would see it high up in Prescott. And with a new helicopter to pay for, I couldn’t afford to have any questions about my medical certificate.

    So I was nervous that Monday morning in Dr. Ritter’s waiting room. Nervousness doesn’t do anything positive for blood pressure, either. And the thought of that was making me even more nervous.

    I wasn’t the only person waiting. Dr. Ritter does a booming business. In the hour I was there, he saw at least 10 people. He has a receptionist who gives you the form you fill out, gives you a cup to pee into, and retrieves the cup when you’re done. The doctor’s son, Garth, takes your blood pressure. Then the doctor spends about 5 minutes with you, checking your eyesight, listening to your heart, and taking your blood pressure.

    Yes, the doctor took my blood pressure, too. When Garth did it with the machine, the numbers he came up with didn’t make sense. At least that’s what he said after he did it the first, second, and third times. Seemed I had a nice slow pulse rate but high blood pressure numbers. “Better let the doctor do it,” he told me, leaving his form blank.

    Of course, that only made me more nervous.

    But in the doctor’s office, the nervousness subsided. He took my blood pressure and the numbers must have been good. I didn’t ask what they were because I didn’t want to start a conversation about blood pressure. He said my pulse was soft and hard to hear. I’d heard that before when I gave blood, so it didn’t surprise me.

    I discovered that my left eye sees better than my right eye and that my short vision is still very good.

    I looked out the window while we were chatting and saw a huge hangar under construction. I pointed that out to the doctor.

    “Yes, that’s mine,” he said proudly.

    “What are you going to do with it?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine how many aircraft it would take to fill it.

    “Lease it,” he said. “Are you interested?”

    “How much?”

    “Six thousand a month,” he told me.

    “I’ll pass,” I said. That’s all I needed. Another $6K of monthly expenses. I still wasn’t sure where I was going to come up with the
$4K a month I needed to keep Zero-Mike-Lima.

    Back in the waiting room, the receptionist was typing up my new medical certificate.

    “I guess I don’t need this anymore,” I said, extracting my old medical certificate from my wallet.

    “Would you like me to shred it for you?” she said, without looking up.

    “I think I’ve already taken care of that,” I replied. She looked up and saw the mangled condition of the little piece of paper that I held up. I’d been caught in a rainstorm at the Grand Canyon over the summer and my medical certificate, which had been folded in my shirt pocket, had been soaked with the rest of my clothes. It was torn and barely legible. Everyone in the waiting room had a good laugh.

    Mission accomplished. I was good for another year.

 

Eating, Socializing & Showing Off

 

    I drove my Toyota back to the other side of the airport. I went into the FBO, ordered fuel, and changed the N-number for my credit card record on file. This made it possible to order fuel for my helicopter at Prescott without coming into the FBO to pay or even hanging around while it was being fueled. Then I went into the restaurant for a nice breakfast sandwich: bacon, egg, and cheese on an English muffin. Sodium! Yum!

    Over at Guidance, I chatted with the owner about the drug testing plan I needed for my Part 135 certificate, a bird strike I’d had on Saturday, and miscellaneous other helicopter-related things. He brought me into the hangar to show me “R44 Pods” — skid-mounted storage units. They were very impressive, but very expensive: about $6K for a pair. He told me they make a golf-club sized pod that he hasn’t gotten yet. That interested me. One of the things I’d been wanting to do was take golfers to/from Los Caballeros and valley golf courses via helicopter. I think that if I pushed hard enough, I could create a market for it. At that point, however, I didn’t have time to push and, even if I did, I didn’t have the $8K needed to buy the big pods.

    Before heading back to the helicopter, I called Paul, my first flight instructor. He worked for a charter operator down in Scottsdale. I was going to Scottsdale later in the day but had time to kill. I thought I’d kill it down there with him, showing off Zero-Mike-Lima and having lunch at the airport. But Paul had the day off (it was Martin Luther King, Jr. day) and was spending it with his family. When he heard what I had in mind, I think he was on the verge of saying that he’d come meet me. But I didn’t give him the chance. I’d show it to him another time.

 

Killing Time

 

    So now I had at least three hours to kill before meeting George for some practice. I decided to spend it by putting a couple of waypoints in my GPS.

    I took off from Prescott and flew north, to my property at Howard Mesa. I was quite pleased to see that the ugly double-wide across the street still had a For Sale sign in front of it. One of my biggest fears is that some weirdo, anarchist drug maker will buy the place, set up a meth lab, and fill the yard with junk. It’s bad enough I have to look at that double-wide. I sometimes fantasize about winning the lottery (which I do play relatively regularly) and buying the place, tearing out the double-wide to restore my view and using the excellent solar power setup for my own home on my own lot. They say the best way to assure that you like your neighbors is to buy their property. If only I had the money to do it. That place would be history. I’d have that doublewide towed away before the ink on the title papers dried.

    I landed on the gravel helipad we’d put in over the summer. The weeds I’d sprayed with poison were dead, but still rooted firmly. There were patches of snow on the ground. It was 10°C and breezy. I set up a waypoint and named it HMESA. Then I spun up and took off. I headed out toward a house on the other side of the mesa where some people we met had decided to live year-round. It didn’t seem as if anyone was home. So I dialed Sedona into the GPS and headed southeast.

    The flight to Sedona was pleasant. The closer to I-40 that I got, the more ice and snow was on the ground. A huge field that I-40 cuts through was so covered with ice and snow that it looked like a lake from the air, with the highway cutting through it on a causeway. I reached a small canyon where snow melt was running off. I followed the canyon as it grew, looking below me for waterfalls. I wanted to fly in the canyon, but didn’t have a chart handy and couldn’t be sure that there weren’t wires running across it somewhere. So I stayed above it and enjoyed the view from there. The wind was doing weird things over the hills and the ride got a bit bumpy — the kind of bumps that scare first-time helicopter passengers. Nothing serious. But it was the first bumpy flying I’d done in the new ship.

    Sedona was pretty quiet. As I approached from the northwest, I heard a plane land and another take off. As I got closer, I saw one of the tour helicopters flying alongside the red rocks north of the airport. I realized that I could also apply for a summer job with that outfit. That would be plan E or F. I had to work through other summer job plans first. The Grand Canyon, I had already decided, would be plan Z.

    I crossed over the top of Sedona airport and headed south, flying right beside Bell Rock near Oak Creek. There were tourists parked alongside the road below me and I wondered whether any of them took a picture of me. I also wondered how the red helicopter would look next to the red rocks.

    I picked up the Verde River, which was flowing pretty good with brown, silty water, and followed it to Camp Verde. Along the way, I crossed over two paved runways that were not on my GPS. I saw the Montezuma Castle National Monument and got a glimpse of the cliff dwellings from the air. Someone had suggested hooking up the tribe that runs the Cliff Castle Casino near there for tours and that was high on my list of plans for a summer job. I think it was Plan C. A friend of mine who trains horses is living on a ranch in the area and told me I could park my trailer there. She’d train my horses while I gave rides for the casino and lived in the trailer. Now that may not sound glamorous, but if you remember that my main goal was to escape the worst of the summer’s heat, it didn’t sound bad at all.

    I followed the Verde to Red Creek, which is southeast of Payson. Red Creek has a landing strip and a few amenities that make it a nice place to stop for a picnic or camp overnight. I’d tried to arrange a heli outing there on Sunday, but no one could come. I landed on the strip, which was in terrible condition, and created a GPS waypoint I named REDCK. (With only five characters to work with, you get creative.) Then I took off and continued down the river, overflying the shorelines of Horseshoe and Bartlett Lakes, which were nearly full. I hopped over the mountains, crossed over the top of Carefree Skyranch, flew to Scottsdale Road, and made my approach and landing at Scottsdale Airport (SDL).

 

The Avionics Guy

 

    It was just after 1 PM. I had two things to do in Scottsdale. First, I needed to contact the avionics people at the FBO to see whether they could program my GPS and transponder to talk to each other. I had a Garmin 420 GPS and Garmin 330 Mode S transponder in my ship. If they were properly connected to each other and programmed, the transponder would take traffic information provided by ATC in metro areas and put it on the GPS as targets. I bought the system not because I was interested in seeing traffic on my GPS — although I admit that could be useful and was definitely cool — but because this was cutting edge technology that could increase the value of my aircraft when it was time to be sold. The problem was, Robinson Helicopter does not support this technology, so they won’t install the two units to work with each other. And they don’t tell you what they don’t do. For example, is it wired but not programmed? Or not even wired? This is what I needed to find out. I’d been advised to have a Garmin dealer attempt to program it to see what would happen.

    I called and was told that the avionics guy would be right out. I waited. And waited. And cleaned the cockpit bubble. And waited. And got fuel. And waited. It was about 1:45 when the avionics guy drove up in a tug. He had the document I’d e-mailed to the FBO the day before, but that was it. It described how to program the transponder, but not the GPS. So we went back to the FBO where I paid for my fuel and he got the information he wanted. Then back in the tug for a slow ride to Zero-Mike-Lima. Then more playing with the transponder and GPS. The message on the screen clearly indicated that no traffic information was available. But the avionics guy said it might work in flight.

 

My First Sky Harbor Landing

 

    Meanwhile, 2:30 had rolled around and I was late for my other appointment in Scottsdale: to meet with George at Universal Helicopters for some practice autorotations. I would be taking my Part 135 check ride soon and I wanted some more practice before the ride. The avionics guy gave me a lift in the tug, and we passed George in a golf cart on his way out to get me. I swapped seats and went back to Universal’s offices with George. He said he we had to talk first.

    “So we’re flying into Sky Harbor,” he said.

    My eyes must have opened as wide as platters. I’d completely forgotten my request to do a landing at Sky Harbor, Phoenix’s busy Class B airport (PHX). “I forgot all about it,” I said. I gave him my excuse for forgetting: that I’d been so concerned with my blood pressure for my medical that I’d couldn’t think of much else. “Pretty lame excuse, huh?” I finished.

    “Yes,” he replied.

    “But it’s true,” I protested. “We don’t have to do it today.”

    He talked me into it. And we reviewed what we’d have to do to cross all three runways and land at Cutter on the southwest corner of the field. And then we went out to the helicopter to do it.

    It wasn’t really a big deal. We called into Phoenix’s north tower while we were still about 8 miles north. We were given a squawk code and I punched it in. George reminded me that we couldn’t enter the airspace unless we were given clearance, so I started to circle, I was about 1/4 through the turn when we got clearance to enter and hold short of the north runway (26). Before we got there, the controller pointed out an Airbus on final and asked me if I saw it. How could I miss it? I confirmed I saw it and he told me to cross the runway behind it and hold short of the south runways (25 L and R).

    That’s where it got tricky. There isn’t much space between runway 26 and runway 25R. It’s the amount of space needed for the terminals and roads to access them. So although I could have done a circle there, it would have been tight. George advised me to hover. So I brought it into a 500 foot hover, not far from the tower, switched to the south tower frequency, and told the controller I was with him. No response at first, just some instructions to other aircraft. I called again. After a moment, the controller (who must have seen me hovering outside his window) told me about a Dash 8 on final. I told him I saw it. He told me to pass behind it and proceed to Cutter, remaining south of runway 25L. We landed without incident.

    Piece of cake.

 

Diving for Autorotations

 

    We departed to the south. I had some trouble getting altitude quickly for our transition over I-10, but I managed it. George took pictures of the Salt River, which was running. We headed out to South Mountain, got a frequency change, and dropped into the valley there. Then we headed west, flew past the casino, got more pictures of the Salt River, and headed north to Deer Valley (DVT), where we’d practice the autos.

    The south tower controller at Deer Valley was crazed and told us to go around the airspace to the north tower’s territory. Once in the airspace, we did a steep approach to the compass rose, followed by a bunch of straight in autorotations and a bunch of 180 autorotations. Then we headed out to the practice area to try something I’d never done before: autorotation from a high hover. This required me to bring it into a 600 foot hover, then dump the collective, and point the nose down to gain airspeed. There’s an awful moment when you’re looking right down at the ground and it’s rushing toward you at about 60 knots as you drop 1,200 feet per minute or more. Then you nose up to hold the airspeed and finish up like any other autorotation. George did the first one and I did the next two. In a way, they were kind of fun. The only thing I didn’t like about them was the high hover stuff. I never did like coming to a hover way up in the air; it always feels as if I’m falling backwards.

    We had some trouble getting back into Scottsdale. It appeared there was a new controller in the tower and he couldn’t handle the load. It wasn’t much of a load, though. As a result, we were stuck circling north of the airspace along with two airplanes. One of them was circling at our altitude, which made me very nervous. George doesn’t like flying low, but I’ll be damned if I circle in the same space as an airplane. So I brought it down to 500 feet AGL. We were stuck out there at least ten minutes. Finally, George reminded the tower we were out there and he let us in.

 

Wrapping Up & Heading Home

I paid George and accepted his ride back to the FBO to settle my avionics bill. The GPS traffic reporting did not work, but it had cost me a hefty $90 for the avionics guy to spend 30 minutes fooling around with it. A minimum of one hour labor, I was told. I didn’t tell them what I was thinking: that I wouldn’t be back to the FBO for either avionics work or fuel again.

    I took off from Scottsdale just after sunset. It was a quick flight home — about 35 minutes. It was pretty dark at Wickenburg, but I didn’t have much trouble getting the helicopter put away.

 

    It had been a long day with lots of flying, but I’d learned a lot. Best of all, I’d had some fun.

I just arrived in Lakeland for a week at Sun ‘n Fun and I am definitely looking forward to it. Sun ‘n Fun to me symbolizes the beginning of the summer flying season.  It’s not only a flying thing but it’s an opportunity to reconnect with people and contacts that have been hibernating during the winter months.  And, there is no shortage of reconnecting to be done.

Already the week is nearly full with meetings parties an barbeques with such diverse groups as the EAA Young Eagles “Gathering of Eagles” Planning Committee, the Lindbergh Foundation award Ceremony, a BBQ at Kermit Weeks Fantasy of Flight, a mini-reunion of National Air Tour People and several other parties and gatherings of pilots seeking to dust off contacts as well as wings. It’s great!

I arrived at 12:30 a.m. this morning took a short sleep and got together with a good friend, Richard Hornbeck, to drive around the North Tampa area. One of our stops was a rather sudden one when I saw some orange power line warning balls hanging in the air. I immediately braked and swerved into a drive way leading to a small airpark I had never heard of. There we had a cup of coffee and a brownie with a wonderful volunteer who was getting ready to mow the grass. The conversation covered everything from Cessna 140s to his Navy days. It was just plane “out of the box” conversation and we had a great time.

From there we went to a flea-market and then on to Tarpon Springs where I learned all about the Florida sponge industry (mostly of yore) and had my picture take n front of a large fiberglass shark while eating an ice cream cone and holding a box of cigars I had just purchased from a Cuban refugee who spoke no English but rolled a some great smokes. 

When I finally made it to the hotel they told me they did not have my reservation and were full. Naturally, my confirmation is sitting on my desk in Minneapolis. They managed to find a spot for me but tomorrow I need to get them the confirmation. At least I can get a night’s rest and shower before dealing with that.  Once accomplished, I’ll be off to Sun ‘n Fun, camera phone and video cam in hand and will report back to you!

More to come,

Greg

Aviations Dirty Little Secret-
By Michael Leighton

Last week, I watched as an RV-6, one of the most popular homebuilts ever designed, crashed on takeoff from my home field. The engine quit at an estimated altitude of just over 200 feet AGL, and the aircraft spun into the lake at the end of the runway. The pilot, a well liked and experience aviator, did not survive. That was the second fatal accident and the third serious accident of an experimential aircraft based at my little airport since the beginning of the year.
The dirty little seceret of general aviation is that experimental aircraft have a disporportionately higer fatal accident rate then the rest of the G.A. fleet. Further, they display a disproportiionately higher percentage of accidents attirbuted to mechnical failure, 28% , with more than 9% attributed to "unknown" causes. These are not my numbers, they are published by the EAA. AOPA publishes the NALL report, another telling document that echos these findings. NTSB's accident file database carries detailed accounts of many of these accidents.
The insurance companies are keenly aware of this. The F.A.A. has recently announced a study due to concern about handling characterisitics of homebuilt aircraft ( read experimental aircraft).  What no one has asked, or answered is why?
Are the handling qualities really the issue? Or is it the nature of the homebuilt aircraft? More emphysis on construction, less on flight?
While I have flown many types of homebuilts, and even owned one, I am not in that world. I want to hear from those who are.
Is this a flight training issue or an aircraft design issue?

I don't know that I've ever written about my involvement with the Lindbergh Foundation (www.lindberghfoundation.org), but I've served as a Trustee for five years now, and find the work to be personally quite rewarding, especially as it speaks to the heart of issues confronting General Aviation.

This year the Foundation is teaming up with Sun n Fun to present our 32nd Annual Awards Celebration on Wednesday night, 14th.   Here's a link: http://www.lindberghfoundation.org/docs/index.php/awards-a-events/events  At that Event, we honor both individual and corporate standouts whose efforts in using technology to solve environmental challenges.  I've attached a PDF "Executive Summary" of the evening's ceremonies, including some fun information about our special auction that night.  In short, I think it'll be the premier industry mixer at Sun n Fun, and of course, for a good cause.

It turns out that our registrants for the event--hosted by John and Martha King--include numerous aviation luminaries: high-level attendees from GAMA, NBAA, EAA, AOPA (past and present heads),  not to mention support from various industry influencers.  To make the evening even more lively and entertaining, we're having a live auction of such one-of-a-kind items as: A day at King Schools and dinner with John and Martha; a 10 day Kenya Wildlife Safari, a Garmin 560, a signed Erik Lindbergh bronze casting of a Columbia 300, a P51 ride with Kermit Weeks, an aerobatic flight with Sean D. Tucker, and a complete Forward Vision EVS system, including display and STC kit! 

And something else you may appreciate: We'll be showing the Miles O'Brien film, "Over Africa", which he (and wife Sandy) shot, directed, and produced after their visit to our partner KWS last year.  After the showing, John and Martha, Patty Wagstaff (trainer of KWS pilots), and Larry Williams (CEO of BRS Parachutes)--all veterans of a trip to Africa/KWS--will be on hand for Q&A.  Thursday 15th has been designated Lindbergh Foundation Day at the Sun n Fun "Green Space"; here's a link to the presentations and speakers we have coming for that--and this event is open to all Sun n Fun attendees at no additional charge http://www.lindberghfoundation.org/docs/index.php/component/content/article/40/387-lindbergh-foundation-day

I hope you and some of your team will consider making it a point to join us. Be sure to register soon; the Event is nearly sold out, and there probably won't be a chance to get in at the door if you haven't already signed up.  In case you can't make it to Sun n Fun but are interested in supporting our work at the Lindbergh Foundation, I hope you'll consider making an online donation.  And if you've read this far, I have some inside scoop: you can bid on the auction items online: http://www.lindberghfoundation.org/docs/index.php/awards-a-events/events/394-2010-on-line-auction-temp

I you're coming to Sun N Fun, I hope to see you at either or both Lindbergh Foundation Events!
Best regards,
Greg

What’s your comfort level with your airplane’s automation? Are you one of the devoted hand-flyers who takes pride in never touching the knobs of your autopilot? Or, are you part of the “Nintendo generation” who wonders how long you could go during a flight without actually touching the controls?

 

Regardless, we can all agree that autopilots and automation in small airplanes have come a long way from the days of the first autopilot designed by the brilliant Lawrence Sperry. Until recently, small airplane

autopilots were little more than glorified wing levelers. They were often temperamental, requiring very specific conditions to be engaged.

 

Not your Father’s Autopilot

With new sensor, servo, and processor technology and advances in avionics integration techniques, today’s small-airplane autopilots are nearing the capabilities of large-airplane Flight Management Systems. The new autopilots are more forgiving in the way they engage and operate, are more reliable than ever, and may even

be considered required equipment for some of the new technologically advanced airplanes. They can do much

more than just hold heading or altitude, and are bringing GPS-coupled approach capability to airplanes whose pilots would have only dreamed of having such capability just a few years ago. Who knew flying a DME arc could be so easy?

 

These developments, along with a requirement in the current instrument rating practical test standards (PTS) for demonstration of proficiency with the installed autopilot, are persuading even some of the most hardcore handflyers to reconsider. It is a positive development, since studies show that even a basic autopilot can

provide substantial safety benefits. Autopilots can reduce pilot workload, buy time when the pilot gets “behind the airplane,” and make flying complex procedures easier. History also shows that airplanes with a factory-equipped basic autopilot or wing leveler have a better safety record than those without.

 

With these facts in mind, it is no surprise that FAA is committed to certifying autopilot systems, both for new airplanes and for the retrofit market. In addition, FAA is working with industry on future autopilot technologies, such as devices that could protect from stall or fly the airplane home if the pilot is incapacitated. Such capabilities could hold the key to big improvements in small airplane safety and possibly even remove the current requirement for a second crew member in some types of operations.

 

Know and Respect your Equipment

Pilots must understand and respect aircraft systems. An autopilot can help you, but it can also help you get into trouble if you are not well versed on how to use it. It is tempting to get into the routine of engaging the system right after takeoff and disengaging only when you reach short final. It is certainly tempting when a course change or altitude change is simply a knob twist away, and most new systems will follow your GPS flight path with ease.

To keep your hand-flying skills sharp, consider hand-flying every other flight, or even every other leg of your flight. If you constantly use your autopilot from wheels up to wheels down, you may be allowing your skills to get rusty.

 

Whether your airplane is already equipped with an autopilot or whether you are considering adding or upgrading, your time will be well spent learning all you can about how to use your autopilot, understanding its limitations, and keeping your hand-flying skills sharp.

 

Wes Ryan is the manager of the FAA Small Airplane Directorate’s Programs and Procedures Branch.