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Technique

Reader Feedback: July 2016

In aircraft terms it is somewhat analogous to the F mechanism on most aircraft. The Flap is generally used on descent, provides drag to reduce speed and per Bernoulli and/or Newton or some other dead scientist, converts energy into additional lift. The B on the Prius (and other hybrids) shifter is generally used on long descents to produce additional drag via the engine/generator, which in turn converts energy into additional electrical charge to store in the battery.

The Wind at your Back

Final instrument approach segments can sometimes require a descent in a tailwind, knowing youll circle round the other way to land (or perhaps not). In stable weather, these changes are gradual and the wind speeds dont cause much concern, but anything more than that and things can get dicey. Then, of course, there are emergencies that could force you to choose between the unappealing options of landing downwind or landing off-airport.

June 2016

Reading your explanation of the TERPZ FIVE DEPARTURE at BWI, which was in response to a question regarding altitude restrictions and expectations, I am not convinced that the procedure as published is clear.

Decision Altitude VS. Minimum Descent Altitude

Its easy to munge DA and MDA into the single concept of minimums. Yet, decision altitude (DA) and minimum descent altitude (MDA) are very different concepts. As the names suggest, DA is a decision point while MDA is the lowest altitude allowed without visuals.

Wake Turbulence: Silent But Deadly

A low morning fog crept onto the airport as I cleared a CRJ-900 regional jet for takeoff. The RJ lifted, passing just above the vaporous wall, and I switched him to Departure. I waited, watching for something I dealt with every day as an air traffic controller, but had never witnessed.

Getting Blasted

Wingtip vortices aren't the only type of disturbed air concerning pilots and controllers. According to the 7110.65's Pilot/Controller Glossary, wake turbulence includes "thrust stream...

Reverse Sensing

Some of you are already yawning, thinking to yourselves, With GPS and moving maps, who needs VHF nav anyway? To an extent, thats a valid argument, especially regarding VORs. But, there are still a lot of localizer and localizer back course approaches out there, and you may have to fly one. You shouldnt entirely dismiss VHF navigation just yet.

GA Certification Rules, the 2015 German Crash, Women Aviators, and More

After nearly 10 years of lobbying by general aviation advocacy groups, the FAA in March released a draft proposal aiming to overhaul light aircraft certification. Aviation authorities in Europe released their final report in March on last years fatal Germanwings flight, concluding that airline officials couldnt have done anything to prevent the crash, since nobody told anyone at the airline that first officer Andreas Lubitz was suffering from mental-health problems. Women in Aviation International held their annual conference in March, in Nash-ville, Tennessee, with more than 5000 people attending. Responding to a shortage of pilot applicants for entry-level airline jobs, JetBlue has launched an ab-initio flight training program, the first of its kind in the U.S.

Think Outside the Box

They almost made it. The aircraft was on a very short final when the nose started down. The flight crew pushed the thrust levers for both wing engines up to stop the sink but the left engine spooled up faster than the right engine and the aircraft started a turn to the right, from which there was no time to recover.

ATC to the Rescue

As a pilot you most certainly know that just about everything in aviation has a checklist. We controllers have our own checklists for a multitude of hazardous situations, unauthorized laser illumination included. I pulled up the appropriate checklist while the helo maneuvered.

Upsetting the Rhythm

We listen to the weather at KLEE. The winds favor Runway 13. We have the RNAV 13 approach loaded and ready to go. All we need is to be turned over to Orlando Approach on 121.1 to make our request.

IFR Resources

Most of us have a shelf of books chronicling our flying. There are the books we used to learn to fly, obtain instrument and type ratings, and bundles of magazines. In there is probably a dog-eared copy of the Airplane Flying Handbook, and perhaps a few others in the FAAs long-running series of manuals. If you havent used them, or if it has been a while, its worth and a fresh look-especially now that theyre available online directly from the FAA.