William,
A distracted pilot is a link in an accident chain to be sure. Thanks for
sharing your experience. Frankly I needed it. We used to have a safety
magazine with a "There I Was" section of cartoons (with a message) before
the real there I was near mishap article someone shared.
Although I am a keep it simple kind of guy, gear warning and stall warning
systems work. Are they worth the cost, effort to install, troubleshoot,
fine tune, and test? Normally Yes.
Are slow speed voice warning systems better than the stall rumble strips, or
visual AOA systems, tones, "Bitching Bettys" and are they worth it on a
straight wing aircraft? Not to me, but they are another tool to help cue
the distracted or tired pilot to the old feeling that something is wrong.
Probably time to add a slow speed switch to 12AY. Alas, if you get used to
hearing the slow speed warning or seeing the red AOA arrow because a system
isn't calibrated, we ignore it when we may need it the most. When something
is wrong, or it doesn't feel right, go around and get your stuff together
always works. Yes, I do carry a piddle pack and have had to use it to
relieve "cockpit stress".
What's the cost of a prop, engine repair and wheel well repair vs. the time
and cost of a gear up warning system? Your choice.
What's the cost of loss of a plane/life due to a mishap caused by a non
proficient, distracted, or fatigued pilot. Priceless to us all. And you're
all lying if you haven't been there. Know you limitations.
Whether you are experience or not, practice, practice, practice. Know your
airplane, its stall characteristics, and in my case I fly it to its limits
every time I do a practice hop. I don't do touch and goes. I do very low
approaches where I slow flight down the runway for a 1000 feet just inches
---From the runway, perfectly aligned and it makes me keep flying the airplane
rather than that old relaxation on landing habit we fall into, and my
touchdowns are at 45 instead of 50. (My tires don't wear out either.)
Don't put yourself into situations where you are overly fatigued. (No more
afternoon takeoffs and long three hops to get home, as I have a credit card
and am not afraid to use it at any hotel.) Never take anything for granted,
use the checklist, know your pitch, power settings and speeds. Become a
student of aviation again, take the time to read (Google just about any
topic and you get a wealth of info, try "pitch and power flying"). We do
things as old (read as experienced) aviators from muscle memory, but the
brain muscle is the most important tool, and we have to sharpen a tool to
use it effectively.
Develop good habits by breaking old ones. Read articles again on flying and
techniques to get the brain juices flowing again. The Rotax and Airmaster
have made me a lazy pilot. It is easy to push the power forward and pull
the stick back and the houses get smaller, but it is power that makes us
climb, not pitch alone (for long anyway) and occasionally I wish I had my
GIB (Guy In Back in the F-4) to tell me to "Start doing some of that pilot
SH T and get us out of here." or the famous "Doesnt all that shaking and
beeping and rudder pedal vibration bother you?" as he locks his knees
together at high AOA to prevent a departure from controlled flight.
Practice routinely, know your airplane well, know the proper site pictures,
pitch and power settings and install rumble strips on the leading edge to
allow the aircraft feel to warn you of an approach to the stall. Then set
and calibrate your EFIS/Stall Warn/AOA system to warn of a low speed
situation/gear up or accelerated stall in the turn to keep you honest when
you're not having your best day. Practice simulated engine out approaches,
no flaps, partial power situations. Develop a passenger brief. Practice an
emergency ground egress as if you just departed the runway and found one of
our Florida water filled ditches and need to get unstrapped and out quickly.
Climb up three mistakes high and do power on and off stalls. Practice
unload for control drills. The plane won't stall if the AOA is zero.
(Unload for control is an old military drill where the aircraft is flown to
a high pitch attitude and the aircraft is unloaded to a quarter G (just
getting light in the seat, not negative) and allowing the plane to fall
through.) It teaches what an unload feels like when you are in need of full
power instant acceleration to get out of trouble at slow speed rather than
the push the stick forward drills I see our local instructors do. What
happens when at 75 knots in a full power climb and you pull the power, count
to three (reaction time) and try to do a 180. I've done a 180 in less than
a couple hundred feet, but 80 degrees of bank pulling at the burble is not a
recommended thing to do, can I do it, yes, will I do it rather than go for
the golf course, no. If I goof it up, I'll get killed, if I hit a tree and
land in it or hit a sand trap, I'll survive. Stretch a glide by slowing to
near stall speed and watching the VSI, then do it at 75 and note the
difference. Pull the power to idle on base and glide at best glide speed
and see how your pattern is affected. Then do practice engine out
approaches. Bottom line, If I haven't flown in thirty days, I go practice
much of the above. If I haven't flown in 60 days, I fly with an instructor
if I can find one, and if I can't, I go with another current experienced
pilot and or take it in baby steps to get the pitch and power down,
checklist operations, air work, emergency procedures and finally landings,
at least three. Normal low approaches to get the feel of the pattern, then
a normal full flap touch and go, no flap touch and go, full stop, min roll
takeoff and soft field landing.
All the FARs in the US say is to fly alone, I can go nearly 24 months (last
BFR) if I want and then do three takeoffs and landings and I can take folks
up with me on a cross country (DUH).
My two cents,
Trying to live longer.
Bud Yerly
-----Original Message-----
From: William Bliss Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2016 4:37 PM
Subject: Europa-List: SmartASS my Undercarriage
Hi All
Just thought I would tell you how I had long flight last weekend.
Arriving back at the farm strip aching for a pee I had to do a low pass
to clear the sheep. That quickly done, downwind checks and on finals
sizing up the crosswind I became aware of a voice telling me to check I
had the wheel down. I had not got the locking catch properly in place.
Sorted. I would say the investment in the SmartASS has paid off....
William Bliss G-WUFF
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