Monthly Archives: February 2004

Flight Scenarios

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Don’t think you’re safe just because you are in controlled airspace!

A few months ago I was heading out with an instructor to get some instrument training for the Wings program. We had just departed DVT RWY 7R, climbing to the NE at about 3200′ MSL as advised to do by ATC. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a large white object passing only about 100′ to 150′ beneath me. It was a large twin (C-402). I immediately contacted ATC and told them of the incident, they replied back “Yah, we were trying to figure out who he is and why he is in our airspace.” How about, alerting other aircraft to the fact that a large twin has busted into class D and is not communicating. I never found out what happened or why that pilot was blasting through DVT class D without a clearance. Maybe he just made a mistake, maybe his altimeter was not set properly, who knows.

This incident really hit home for me and actually made me a little sick. It became very clear that it could all end in the blink of an eye.

When flying in the terminal areas of the valley, be very alert, listen to all traffic reports, visually picture where the traffic is presently located and where it is heading. Will it be descending or climbing? Keep a good scan going until you are well out of the congested areas. I wish we all could afford TCAS!

Submitted by Brett Bell (abell@prizeflight.com) August 1, 2006

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Pretend It’s Really a Short Field

When practicing short field landings, be sure to simulate the beginning AND END of the “short” runway. This is best done by identifying an intersection or distance remaining number that is about 2,000 feet from the beginning of the runway. Teach the student to imagine that that point is the end of their short field. Tell them that there is an imaginary fence there and they had better not hit it (be careful not to blow any tires for the sake of the simulated fence). Using this technique will immediately help the student improve their judgment and decision making on base and final.

Submitted by Jim Pitman November 20, 2004

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Aircraft Checkouts

It has been my experience that most FBO aircraft checkouts involve minimal (or no) ground evaluation and about one flight hour of steep turns, stalls, and touch-and-goes. There is usually no real evaluation of the pilot’s decision-making skills or ability to handle real life situations. This is a great opportunity to use both ground and flight scenarios to evaluate the pilot.

The following example scenarios are meant to illustrate two very different situations. The key to being successful is for the flight instructor to create an individualized scenario that fits the pilot’s needs.

Aircraft Checkout Flight Scenario 1

Certificate/ratings: Private Pilot, no instrument rating.

Aircraft: Piper Warrior with VFR GPS.

Pilot experience: 100 hours of total flight time, all within previous 12 months.

Desired use of aircraft: The pilot wants to rent the aircraft to take friends and family flying in the local area.

Example Flight Scenario: Depart KDVT and proceed direct to KGEU. Perform a full stop taxi back at KGEU using short-field landing and short-field takeoff techniques. Circumnavigate the Class B airspace to a point south of Firebird Lake. Perform power-off and power-on stalls simulating landing and takeoff configurations. Transition north through the Class B airspace back to KDVT and perform a full stop landing. Perform at least one surprise go-around at either KGEU or KDVT. The flight instructor should also evaluate the pilot’s basic pilotage skills (turn the GPS off) as well as their ability to use the GPS (and any other installed equipment) properly.

If a pilot can perform this scenario without assistance, I would be very confident in his/her ability to exercise private pilot privileges in this aircraft.

Aircraft Checkout Flight Scenario 2

Certificate/ratings: Private Pilot, with instrument rating.

Aircraft: Cessna 172S with KLN94 GPS.

Pilot experience: Over 500 hours of total flight time, with only about 20 hours in the previous 12 months, has flown various types of aircraft, but has no experience with IFR GPS units.

Desired use of aircraft: The pilot wants to rent the aircraft to perform trips from Phoenix to San Diego for business once or twice each month.

First of all, I hope it is obvious to every instructor that this aircraft checkout is not going to be completed in one day. The flight instructor should start by developing a mini instrument training syllabus that will be conducted over a two or three day period. Special emphasis must be placed on IFR and GPS procedures. The “graduation flight” should include several different instrument approaches in the Phoenix area and possibly a short instrument cross-country flight. If a cross-country flight is not performed, the flight planning portion should be completed and the important aspects simulated in flight.

Submitted by Jim Pitman October 13, 2004

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Ground Scenarios

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Common Carriage vs. Private Carriage

The following scenario would apply to commercial student applicants.

You’re a commercial pilot (let’s call you Stanley) hanging out at your local FBO. A cheeky looking fellow walks in and looks like he’s in a big hurry. He tells the receptionist that he’s looking for a pilot to fly him to California, and he needs to leave ASAP. The receptionist responds by saying “Well, Stanley’s sitting right over there and he’s a pilot that will fly you there for $300.” Now the man approaches you and tells you what the receptionist told him, and that if you’re available, he’d like to leave soon. Can you make the flight?

Then give the scenario again, only this time, the receptionist tells the man “Well, Stanley is a pilot and he might be able to take you. Why don’t you go ask him?”

These require that the student has knowledge of 14 CFR Part 61 and AC120-12A.

Submitted by ERAU Flight Standards Dept. (crowlr@erau.edu) February 23, 2005

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Minimum Equipment Requirements

14 CFR section 91.205 lists the minimum equipment that is required for VFR and IFR flights.  I think it’s great to memorize these lists, but I think it’s even better for pilots to be able to apply this information to a real life scenario.  When was the last time a voice came over
the pilot’s headset and said, “Now you had better recite everything that ‘TOMATO
FLAMES’ stands for or this airplane is going to crash”?  I think
memorizing acronyms like this qualifies as “Gee Whiz” information.
A better way to teach and evaluate this important topic is with a ground
scenario like this:

“You’re a private pilot conducting a Part 91 cross-country flight with
your friend as a passenger.  As you are performing the preflight inspection
before returning home, you notice that the left fuel gauge is not working
at all.  You visually check and confirm that both tanks are topped
off.  What are you going to do?”

To accurately work through this scenario, the pilot must understand
topics such as required equipment, operating with inoperative equipment,
and special flight permits (see 14 CFR section 21.197).

Now change the scenario.  Instead of an inoperative fuel gage,
talk about an inoperative landing light or strobe light.  Now the
pilot has more options when applying 14 CFR section 91.213.

Instructors should spend time developing several specific scenarios
related to airworthiness and inoperative equipment.  After teaching
the students how to understand the applicable regulations, let them walk
through the ground scenarios and discuss why they are making the choices
that they are.  I do believe that acronyms have their place in flight
training.  I just think we need to put more emphasis on real life
application.  This is much more effective than spending brain power
memorizing fiery tomatoes.

Submitted by Jim Pitman October 16, 2004

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Creating Ground Scenarios

Ground scenarios include any realistic situation that can be talked about in a ground briefing. The key is to make it realistic. Here’s an example of an unrealistic scenario:

“You’re flying along in the clouds on an instrument flight plan when all of a sudden you lose your entire electrical system and your vacuum system at the same time. What are you going to do?”

This just isn’t realistic. The best way to create realistic ground scenarios is to search the NTSB accident database. Even though it can be argued that many of these reports represent rare situations, you have to admit that they are realistic because, of course, they actually happened. Selected NTSB accident reports are available HERE.

Submitted by Jim Pitman October 13, 2004

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Teaching Tips

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Precise Aircraft Handling

Precise aircraft handling isn’t realized until you begin or have completed instrument training. One of the best tips I learned was to figure out specific power settings for the following 6 phases of flight: Climb, Cruise, Cruise Descent, Approach, Approach Descent and Non-Precision Descent. By going out into the practice area and starting with a level cruise profile, document what the attitude indicator is showing in degrees above or below the horizon (draw a picture if necessary) and how many FPM are you climbing or descending. Also note the exact power setting (MP & RPM) and airspeed that is needed to maintain each flight profile. So when you are planning on an ILS approach, you will slow from Cruise or Cruise Descent to Approach or Approach Descent by using power settings for the most part rather than push/pull on the yoke and throttle. With a bit of practice, you will become more precise in your altitude and airspeed control and handle the plane much more smoothly.

Submitted by Brett Bell (abell@prizeflight.com) August 1, 2006

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Engine Failures

Engine failures can be very overwhelming for a student. Trying to teach all of the elements involved with an engine failure to a new student or a student transitioning into a new aircraft can be too much at once. First teach best glide operations. After the student understands best glide, give different scenarios of how to judge proper glide performance from various altitudes and positions around an emergency landing site. After the student is correlating the aircraft’s glide in various situations, then add in the checklists. This will also give the student an understanding of when checklists are appropriate and achievable.

Submitted by Laura George (laura.george@mesa-air.com) March 19, 2005

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Landing Straight

There are many factors that may hinder a student from landing straight, but if a student is having difficulty aligning the aircraft with the centerline during landing, they may not have the correct picture of the “straight ahead reference line.” Many students incorrectly think that straight ahead is a line from their eyes through the tip of the spinner. To help, have your student stand behind the airplane and pick a point on the horizon that is in line with the longitudinal axis of the airplane. Then have the student sit in their seat (with their seat height adjusted appropriately) and note where that point on the horizon is in relationship to the dash/glareshield. The student should then be able to align the runway centerline with that point and land straight.

Submitted by ERAU Flight Standards Dept. (crowlr@erau.edu) February 23, 2005

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Teaching Lazy Eights

Don’t focus on the specific requirements of the maneuver when first teaching lazy eights. Instead, first teach students the individual components that make up a lazy eight. For example, have the student perform a constant altitude 180-degree turn while constantly changing bank. The student will be amazed at how slowly they must change bank to avoid over banking at the 90 degree point. It’s also important to teach these types of maneuvers with ALL of the instruments covered. Focus on symmetry and coordination. The details will then come easily.

Submitted by Jim Pitman November 20, 2004

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Don’t Panic During Simulated Engine Failures

When teaching a simulated engine failure for the first time, I take the flight controls and fail the engine. I then trim the airplane for best glide and start the timer. We then time how long it takes to go from cruise altitude to 1000 feet AGL. It is a great way to demonstrate to the student that there is no need to panic and rush through things. It generally takes anywhere from 4 to 6 minutes to descend to 1000 feet AGL. This is a great way to reinforce that there is no need to panic.

Submitted by Tom Griggs (tgriggs@iflywestwind.com) November 16, 2004

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Master the Basics First

Too often flight instructors start performing pattern work and PTS maneuvers prematurely. Student pilots must learn to control the airplane with precision BEFORE learning specific maneuvers, including the traffic pattern. The first several hours of flight training should be dedicated to mastering the aircraft. Go out to a quiet corner of the practice area and teach the student straight and level flight, trimming techniques, airspeed control, climbs, descents, constant altitude turns, climbing turns, and descending turns, all before having them fly the traffic pattern. We can’t be teaching altitude control on downwind, descending turns on base, or airspeed control on final. Those skills must be mastered before doing any pattern work. Doing so will greatly improve the efficiency and enjoyment of the student’s training.

Submitted by Jim Pitman October 13, 2004

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Go Easy on the Gee Whiz

We need to avoid teaching too much “Gee Whiz” information. This includes asking questions about details of the reference and variable signals of a VOR, or knowing the exact PSI of the nitrogen charge in the unfeathering accumulator. Aviation is full of Gee Whiz. It’s true that memorizing some Gee Whiz information is good to help exercise our mental muscles, but when is a pilot really going to need this information? Using the example of VOR signals, I think it’s more important to focus on specifics like minimum reception altitudes or how to tell if you are not receiving a reliable signal. That’s useful information. The opposite of Gee Whiz is practical knowledge. The way to tell the difference is to put it in the context of a realistic scenario. If you can create a realistic scenario that involves the information, then it is practical knowledge. If you can’t, then it’s Gee Whiz. I think it is important that we differentiate the two and let our students know when we are teaching them Gee Whiz information.

Submitted by Jim Pitman October 13, 2004

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Teaching Situational Awareness to Instrument Students

I’ve found that most flight instructors start teaching intercepting, tracking, holding, and instrument approaches by jumping right in the simulator or aircraft and talking the student through the full procedure without any outside visual reference. This is less effective, and it tends to create pilots that are just go through the motions rather than visualizing what they are actually doing in space. Remember that we must teach using the building block method of instruction. We must walk before we run. Here are two simple suggestions to help improve your student’s situational awareness:

  1. Leave the hood at home. Early in the student instrument training they should learn to fly the aircraft by reference only to the instruments. This is commonly referred to as basic attitude instrument flying (BAI). After they have mastered these skills, leave the hood at home while introducing intercepting, tracking, holding, and instrument approaches. Show them how what they see outside correlates to what they see on the instruments. When you first teach them this way, it is much easier for them to visualize it when they are in the clouds.
  2. Introduce non-precision approaches without altitude changes. Teach students that non-precision approaches are simply pre-plotted flight plans. This is literally true with regard to GPS approaches. When first introducing non-precision approaches (with the hood off of course), have your student fly the full procedure at the same altitude. This is usually easy to coordinate with ATC because you stay up out of everyone’s way. It also makes it easy to practice the full missed approach procedure. After the student masters the basic skills of dividing their attention and following the instrument procedure, then you can add in the altitude changes.

Submitted by Jim Pitman October 13, 2004

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