Be Ready

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Tim

Boeing 720 Controlled Impact Demonstration

Not Like I Thought

Have you ever experienced something that was nothing like what you imagined it would be? There are certain situations we can encounter in aviation that, if we are unprepared, can lead to disaster — damage to the aircraft, injury, or even death.

In the last post, I told you about my brake failure in a T-34. I learned an immense amount from that experience.

Chair Flying

Chair flying can be extremely helpful when preparing for any flight. A simple definition of chair flying could be the following:

chair flying: practicing for scenarios one might encounter in the cockpit while outside of the cockpit.

I regularly practiced chair flying all throughout flight school. I even had a corner of my living room dedicated to studying procedures and chair flying — complete with a VFR Sectional of the training area and poster images of the cockpit. I would sit at my desk and verbalize my procedures while practicing my instrument scan.

Chair flying is great because you can practice procedures and scenarios without the distractions of radio calls, noise, vibrations, an instructor nagging at you, other traffic, weather, etc!

Head Knowledge Isn’t Enough

Simply chair flying and memorizing procedures from the book, though, aren’t enough — that’s one thing I learned from my brake failure. I knew the emergency procedures for brake failure forwards and backwards and had recited them and quizzed countless students on the procedures. I even knew the notes, warnings, and cautions verbatim.

What I needed, though, was more than mere head knowledge. I needed to apply my knowledge of the brake system to the emergency procedure.

System Knowledge – Essential to Your Safety

The T-34 has 4 separate brake master cylinders — one on each rudder pedal in the front and rear cockpit. In my brake failure, the right brake master cylinder in the front cockpit (the cockpit I was in) had failed. Even though I understood the brake system, I always assumed that a brake failure would mean both brakes (left and right) would fail at the same time — I never considered that it was possible that only one side would fail.

Because I had never considered that what I was experiencing was a possibility, I hesitated to do the first step of the emergency procedures for brake failure:

Attempt to stop aircraft with other cockpit brakes.

I should’ve transferred controls to the other pilot, a fellow flight instructor, and told him to stop the aircraft. He didn’t need to know why — explanations can always come later.

Our Response Must Be Immediate

Thankfully, there are very few emergencies that require immediate response. In my situation, however, my hesitation could’ve had very serious consequences. If we were taxiing closer to other aircraft, personnel, or obstacles, aborting a takeoff, or braking after landing, my hesitation could’ve gotten someone killed.

That’s Where Chair Flying Comes In

There are a multitude of things that could go wrong from start-up to shut-down on any given flight. You are more likely to respond appropriately, though, if you have a plan. To prepare for the unexpected, I highly recommend the following:

Think through as many scenarios as possible that you might encounter on any given flight.
Determine the correct response to those scenarios.
Bounce your response off of your instructors and fellow students.
Incorporate those scenarios into your chair flying.

In my emergency, I would’ve been set up for success if I would’ve thought about all of the possible indications of a brake failure of one or both of my cockpit brakes. After thinking of the indications, I should’ve thought about the possible scenarios in which I could’ve experienced those indications and the proper response.

Preparation like this is hard work and takes time, but it will pay dividends in your comfort level and safety. If you do these things, you’ll be much better prepared for the “unexpected” because, ideally, you’ll have already expected it and will know how to react.

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate (on the Ground)

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Tim

Ground EP

I Thought Taxiing Was Easy

Have you ever had an emergency while taxiing? I have. Generally, we think of taxiing as being so easy that we should be able to troubleshoot issues with our aircraft and taxi at the same time. That’s not a good idea, though!

Flashing Lights

The classic example of a ground emergency that I could simulate for my students was a generator failure. I’d wait for my student to get out of the line area, and then I would turn off his generator. This would give him a generator light and a flashing Master Caution light.

Look Inside Once in a While

Flashing lights get our attention — at least they should. Very often, though, my student would not see the flashing Master Caution light and generator light until they were in the run-up area and were half-way through their run-up checks — that’s a little late.

Just like when you’re flying, you need to scan your instruments and lights regularly when you are on the ground. Very few ground emergencies are complex and very few can kill you or damage the aircraft, but some such as a fire or brake failure could be quite serious especially if they go unnoticed.

First Step – Stop

You’ve heard the saying, “Aviate, Navigate, Communicate?” Well, it applies to taxiing too except the “aviate” becomes “taxi” on the ground. The Navy teaches its pilots that the first step in all emergencies is to “maintain control of the aircraft.” The easiest way to maintain control of the aircraft is to STOP.

Navigate and Communicate

Once you’ve stopped, navigating is pretty easy because you don’t have to do it until you’ve finished troubleshooting your situation.

As soon as you’re safely able, communicate to Ground or whoever you’re talking to (CTAF if you’re at an uncontrolled field) that you need to “hold your position for a few minutes to troubleshoot a ____ (fill in the blank for your situation). Will advise when able.”

Sea Story – Brake Failure in a T-34

In the Navy, a sea story is a story of an interesting experience. I have a sea story for a ground emergency that I think you’ll benefit from.

I was going on a flight with another instructor. I was actually giving this instructor some training — something I always looked forward to because flying with another instructor is usually much more relaxing (although it’s statistically pretty risky due to natural complacency on the part of both instructors.)

I was in the front seat taxiing our T-34 to the hold short of our departure runway. In the T-34, you steer the aircraft primarily with rudder and use the wheel brakes only as necessary because the brakes are very small and can get hot very quickly.

I turned right onto the off-duty runway and followed the taxiway line to the hold short. The winds were pretty gusty that day and our nose started going a bit to the left. I fed in some right rudder to keep the nose wheel on the line. Full rudder wasn’t quite enough, so I started pressing down the right brake.

It Went to the Floor

My right brake went full deflection (pressed all the way down) without any effective braking. By this time we were headed for the taxiway lights and a hole that would easily swallow our nose wheel and do significant damage to our nice, little T-34. I panicked and floored the left brake and went full beta (reverse thrust) to try to stop the aircraft as soon as possible.

Hey, Is Everything OK?

The other instructor said, “Hey, Tim, is everything OK there?” I told him that I thought my right brake was failed and gave him the controls.

We let ground know that we had failed brakes and would need someone to runout wheel chalks to us and coordinate for a tow truck.

The rest of our day was pretty uneventful, but I really learned a lot from that experience. Read my next post to see what I learned!

No Fast Hands in the Cockpit

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Tim

My Heart Stopped…

One day while teaching a student aerobatics over Highway 98 just west of Pensacola, FL and east of Foley, AL, I was at the top of a loop when my fire detector flashed. It only illuminated for a split second and then extinguished. The sunlight had made its way into my engine cowling and was picked up by my fire detector. Even though I knew this could happen, my heart stopped.

Hwy 98 and Barin NOLF

No Fast Hands

I always tell people flying with me that, in emergency situations, there will be “no fast hands in the cockpit.” I tell them that because very few things will kill you quickly in the air.

Don’t Kill Yourself

It sounds simple, but, aside from maybe a rocket-propelled grenade, RPG, or a missile, nothing will kill you faster than you can kill yourself. Fast hands, or hastily turning aircraft systems on or off, securing engines, feathering props, actuating fire bottles, fixation, or aggressively maneuvering the aircraft are your biggest hazard in an emergency.

Maintain Control of the Aircraft

The US Navy’s Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization, NATOPS, publications are said to be written in blood because many of the procedures listed are as a result of lessons learned the hard way. The NATOPS for every Navy aircraft states that for every emergency, the following steps should be followed:

Maintain control of the aircraft.
Determine the precise nature of the problem.
Complete the applicable emergency procedure or take action appropriate for the problem.
Determine landing criteria and land as required.

All of the US Armed Forces follow a similar methodology for handling emergencies. The first and most important step — maintain control of the aircraft!

I recommend you read the Miami Herald’s account of Easter Flight 401. You can find their account here. The airplane’s problem: a burnt-out landing-gear-indication light. The result, controlled flight into terrain.

This flight crew did several things wrong. Everyone in the crew was focused on troubleshooting the gear and the gear indication. Not one member of the crew ensured that the aircraft was safely flying. As a professional pilot, it is our job to constantly check, double check, and triple check that our aircraft is where it should be and maintain a healthy skepticism regarding your crew, equipment, and ATC — all have been known to make mistakes.

Determine the Precise Nature of the Problem

Most modern aircraft have a plethora of instruments and indication systems. Realize that they can all give bad indications. Don’t assume that a FIRE indication means sure death — it doesn’t. It could be that you do have a fire, but it could also be that the sun hit your aircraft at just the right angle.

Execute the Procedure and Land

In order to execute the applicable emergency procedures, you need to understand your aircraft especially in compound emergency situations. Realize too that emergencies are rarely cut-and-dry. Things are always more complex in the air than they are on the ground when you’re studying, so make sure you know your procedures and your aircraft’s systems cold!

Think of the Worst Possible Scenario

The emergency procedure for handling a fire in a T-34 states to confirm the fire. When I tried to confirm that I had a fire, I was unable to see any smoke or flames. That didn’t mean that I didn’t have an engine fire — it could’ve meant that the fire was very small or smoldering. There was the possibility that the possible smoldering fire would burst into flames at any second (worst possible scenario).

Land as Soon as Possible

My landing requirement was to “land as soon as possible.” That meant to “land at the first site at which a safe landing could be made. If the fire ever was confirmed while I was setting up for an emergency landing, I would have to secure my engine. That meant that I needed to keep the aircraft on a profile that would allow me to “dead-engine glide” to a runway. Thankfully, I was already within gliding distance of Barin Navy Outlying Field.

I landed without incident. It turned out that I didn’t have a fire. Thankfully, I had practiced this scenario many, many times both as a student and as an instructor, so I was ready when the time came to perform.

Be Ready

I’m naturally an optimist and a very positive person, so, when one of my instructors told me as a student that pilots have to be pacifists, I questioned if I would be cut-out to be a successful pilot.

The truth is that you need to be ready, expect the worst, and hope for the best. Prepare yourself mentally and physically to encounter the worst possible situations while you are flying. That way, you will be pleasantly surprised when everything turns out fine, but you’ll also be ready when things don’t go as planned.

When the Unthinkable Happens

If and when you do encounter an emergency, remember the following:

AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE
1. Fly the aircraft.
2. Determine the precise nature of the malfunction.
3. Execute applicable procedures.

4. Determine the landing criteria, and land as required.
NO FAST HANDS

You Can Teach a Monkey to….

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Tim

“You could teach a monkey to do that.”

Yep, people say that about flying too. It’s actually a true statement. Let me introduce you to Sam.

Monkey Astronaut

Sam was a Rhesus monkey who successfully flew to an altitude of 53 miles above the earth’s surface.

So, it is possible to actually teach a monkey to do what we do — fly. Monkeys cannot fly as well as we can, though, because they’re not as smart as we are…well, most of us.

You’re Smarter than a Monkey

You see, the goal of your training is not to simply teach you to fly. You need to fly safely. You also should strive to fly efficiently.

As a pilot, you should know everything about any situation you might encounter during your flight. Of course, we can’t know everything, but we should at least know what we know. That way we can hopefully keep ourselves out of trouble.

It Begins Before You Strap In

You absolutely need to plan each and every flight. In your planning, take into account your knowledge and experience level. If you aren’t comfortable with Class B airspace, steer clear!

Be a Professional

As a professional, you must take your knowledge seriously. You can get study guides of all types on the FARs and the AIM. My recommendation — buy a paper copy of the 2012 FAR/AIM and read it. You can get your own copy from Amazon by clicking here. You don’t need a study guide. After you’ve read the FAR/AIM, read it again and keep reading it until you know what’s in it. Once you know what’s in the FAR/AIM, keep reviewing it periodically so that you don’t forget.

Know Your Aircraft

The same goes for knowing your aircraft. Knowing the FAR/AIM and flight procedures are great, but, for your friends and family’s sake, learn the systems on your aircraft and the procedures to follow in the case of an emergency.

Learn to Think and Fly

Your goal should be not only to learn the stick-and-rudder skills of flying, but to learn how to think before, during, and after your flight. It is absolutely imperative that you stay ahead of the aircraft. Never stop learning.

When you learn to think like a good pilot, you’re well on your way to being an Ace.

G-Forces

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Tim

G’s Defined

The FAA has a great resource that explains G’s. Click here to download the PDF file.

In simple terms, G’s, or G-forces, are defined as acceleration that you feel. Normally, there is something to keep us from actually increasing our speed toward the center of the earth (a the ground, the wings on our aircraft, a parachute, etc.).

Positive G’s

Our bodies have been designed to work well with 1 G and will work to keep our most vital organ, or brain, supplied with an ample amount of oxygenated blood. Our bodies, however, can cope with increasing positive G’s pretty well up to a point. Did you know that there are muscles around our veins and arteries that will constrict to keep our blood in our brain?

Anti-G Straining Maneuver

That FAA publication describes the Anti-G Straining maneuver. If you have questions about how to do it correctly, please contact me and I’ll get right back with you.

G-Lock

Too much positive G’s or not doing the straining maneuver can pose a problem. If our head does not receive an adequate amount of oxygenated blood, we will blackout and can loose consciousness. When someone looses consciousness due to too many G’s, that is referred to as G Lock. The incapacitation that results from G Lock can last up to several seconds. Depending on the flight regime, this incapacitation could prove fatal.

Negative G’s

When you experience negative G’s (hang upside down, fly upside down, use too much forward stick, or push too quickly on the yoke) blood will tend to go to your head. Do you remember hanging upside down as a child on the monkey bars? Remember how it felt like your eyes were going to pop out of your head? That feeling is due to the increased volume of blood rushing into your head!

Red Out

Blood is a good thing to have in your head, but too much blood in your head can result in red out. When the blood pressure gets too high in your head, the blood vessels in your your eyes will start to burst. If enough burst, you will actually start seeing everything in a red hue.

No Anti-G Strain for Negative G’s

There is nothing you can do to help your body handle more negative G’s — our body simply isn’t designed to handle those forces. The best thing to do is avoid them. Even -1G is uncomfortable. Anymore than that is painful!

Be Mindful of G’s

If you pull too many G’s, bad things can happen such as:

Physiological Events

tunnel vision
gray out
black out
red-out
G-Lock.

Mechanical Malfunctions

Loss of oil pressure
fuel starvation
structural failure

Slip: Wing Down, Top Rudder

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Tim

Gliders Do It All the Time

If you go to the 3:00 mark in this video, you’ll see the pilot of the glider utilize a slip to loose altitude prior to landing.

Oh no! They’re crashing!

The other day, I was watching an episode of 19 Kids and Counting with my children. In this episode, Joshua Duggar was flying with a family friend. They had been on a joy ride and had been gone for about an hour or so — about an hour longer than Anna, Josh’s wife was comfortable with them being gone. Anna’s father spotted them on their approach to the grass strip on which they were to land and said, “Oh no! They’re crashing!”

Not Crashing — Getting Ready to Land

There are several ways to loose altitude when you’re too high. You can “nose it over” by pushing forward on the stick.

Push too hard and fast, though, and you’ll experience negative g’s. Negative g’s are no fun either for you and the other occupants or the aircraft. I cover more about negative g’s in this blog post.

Another way to loose altitude is by reducing the output of your engines then nosing over slightly when you’re at the desired speed.

Another way to loose altitude is by increasing your drag and/ or decreasing the lift your aircraft is producing. Some aircraft have speed brakes that can do this. More basic aircraft, though not equipped with speed brakes, still have this option without having to change their configuration — by utilizing the wing down, top rudder technique.

Wing Down, Top Rudder Technique

Wing Down, Top Rudder is where you lower one wing (set an angle of bank) and feed in top rudder. So if I put my left wing down, I’d push the right rudder pedal.

It’s generally best to do this at lower airspeeds (120 kts or less) because the forces on the horizontal stabilizer would be much higher at high airspeeds. It’s much harder to displace the rudder sufficiently at high airspeeds anyway.

Altitude is Life

When flying fixed-wing aircraft, altitude equates to life in any emergency situation. If you loose your engine, more altitude means more time to troubleshoot, airstart, or select a suitable landing site if needed.

Altitude isn’t always a good thing, though. That is particularly true when it comes time for landing — especially when you have only one chance to make the landing work.

Landing without Power

Since gliders do not have engines, their landings are always without power so they’re used to doing it. In a aircraft that is normally powered, however, landing without the engine and the option to waveoff is a little disconcerting to say the least.

Understandably, emergency landings are particularly difficult. For one, there is the added complexity of flying and landing an aircraft that is not working as it was originally designed. On top of that, you may not be able to waveoff if you mess up the approach. In some cases, you may not even have power to correct your approach if you come in too low.

Ere on Being a Little High

In the case of landing with a failed or failing engine, I always taught my students to ere on the side of being too high because it’s much easier to bleed off extra altitude on final than it is to cut off the profile you’re used to flying.

Always Look for a Way Out

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Tim

Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.
— Captain A. G. Lamplugh

Pilot ejects just prior to his aircraft impacting the ground.

No Time

Things happen very quickly while flying. Sometimes they happen so quickly that you don’t have any time to think — only time to react. That should give any current or prospective pilot a lot of motivation to be alert and always looking for a way out.

When I was a flight student, I never knew when my instructor would spring an emergency on me. Because of that, I was in the habit of always being aware of the nearest suitable landing site whether that be a runway or a farmer’s field.

Complacency

When I became a fleet aviator, I, along with my peers, were rarely being evaluated. The MH-60S was also brand new and extremely reliable. It’s engines and transmission historically would give plenty of warning before failing. These combined allowed us to become somewhat complacent. It was nice not feeling so uptight all the time and actually enjoying flying with my friends.

As I built experience, though, I realized that we were forming dangerous habits. Most aircraft these days are extremely reliable, and, unless you are a flight instructor for a living, you won’t be forced to simulate emergencies or to think and discuss about what you’d do if the the “what if” actually happens.

Ahead of the Aircraft

Being “ahead of the aircraft” is where you always want to be. How does that work? You have to constantly be thinking about what you need to do next and what you’d do if you experience a system failure or malfunction.

Always, whether your flying VFR or IFR on radar vectors, know where you are and where you are going. When you’re taking off, be thinking about what you’d do if your oil pressure went to zero, or if your engine caught on fire, or if your electrical system fails, or…. if the “what if” happens.

Thinking like this could save your life. I know personally several pilots who would still be alive today if they or one of their crew would’ve been looking for a way out.