Training & Sims

Heres one of those questions that has a simple answer masking hidden subtleties: Youre on the approach to Orlando Executive with the family for a couple well-earned days in The Land of the Mouse. You loved the idea of flying in to Executive rather than putting the family in seats 27 A through D into nearby Orlando International.But now the reality of getting established on a back-course localizer in bumpy clouds has you behind the curve and working hard to meet the mandatory altitudes on the stepdowns. You barely made the restriction to cross MARYB at 1500 and now are at 1100 heading for BRICE, struggling with reverse sensing and losing. You decide its best to go missed now and start again. But, how to do it?

Arriving or departing IFR around big-city airports can be an intimidating, high-workload experience. Surrounded by pilots who know the ropes, its easy to stand out if you make greenhorn mistakes. Getting a tongue-lashing from ATC can be avoided with a little research and planning.

Where all aviation has its classic ABC of aviate - navigate - communicate, instrument flying has its own twist. We could call these maneuvers - procedures - communications. They are the building blocks of instrument flying and they atrophy just like any other flying skill. While you cant practice them completely at your desktop, you can keep at least the first two basically in tune. That is, so long as you treat this non-loggable desktop time as serious IFR practice.

Controllers have some tools right at their scopes that most pilots dont know about. By typing one of the following commands and clicking on an aircrafts target, the scope will highlight the nearest airport to the aircraft within a certain criteria, and give me a range and bearing to it:

If there was ever a 400-pound gorilla that dared pilots to ignore their checklists, procedures and situational awareness, its the emergency. Pilots often practice What if … but when it really happens its more like What the hell? If there was ever a time to lean on ATC, this is it. There are no limits to the types of emergency scenarios and, therefore, no single response from ATC. The ATC rulebook (FAA Order 7110.65) recognizes this in paragraph 10-1-1 (d): Because of the infinite variety of possible emergency situations, specific procedures cannot be prescribed. However, when you believe an emergency exists or is imminent, select and pursue a course of action that appears to be most appropriate under the circumstances. We controllers have extensive information, resources and people at our disposal, but were out of the picture unless you tell us whats going on and ask for what you need.

Consider the scenario of a pilot departing into a 4000-foot overcast (above the MEA) in a non-FIKI aircraft after a weather briefing that contained no PIREPs for icing but with conditions potentially conducive to it. After takeoff and a hand-off to Departure but prior to entering the cold goo, does the pilot have a responsibility to query the controller for reports of icing? If he doesnt ask and then starts flying a popsicle, was he careless for not asking? What if there were reports just on the frequency that he might-or might not-have heard?

Its particularly a pilots nightmare: Youre sitting across the table from an FAA investigator trying to explain how your actions seemed reasonable at the time. Somehow you didnt know about the thunderstorm/icing/closed runway/TFR that the investigator has neatly printed out and was presumably public knowledge at least five minutes before you took off.The problem is really FAR 91.103. It requires that each pilot in command shall before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. Thats a tall order. The next two subsections specify the minimum information that must be obtained. For every flight, this includes takeoff and landing distances. For IFR flights and those VFR flights not in the vicinity of an airport, the reg adds weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternates and known traffic delays.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association honored controllers who helped bring broken aircraft and struggling pilots home. Winners of this years Archie awards included a team of South Florida air traffic controllers who helped a non-pilot land a King Air after the pilot died and a Kansas City controller who helped a Frontier Airlines crew return to the airport safely after a bird strike. The live ATC tapes are available at www.natca.org/mediacenter/Archie2010_Audio.msp.

I see a lot of confusion between the terms VFR and VMC (as well as IFR and IMC). VMC and VFR are often used interchangeably, in fact.To me, VFR and VMC are in fact not the same because VFR refers to a set of rules that govern flight (visual flight rules), which includes airspace and so on. There are certain weather minimums to operate VFR. However, VMC can be interpreted as conditions that allow you to keep the plane upright by looking outside. You can be VMC but in VFR weather by simply being 1500 feet away from a cloud.However, while I could find VFR and IFR defined in FAR/AIM, I couldnt find anything for VMC. Are you aware of any FAA guidance on this?

Many sharp instrument students and pilots, when asked what items must be considered for an IFR departure, go confidently to Section L of the Terminal Procedures Publication, TPP, and talk about the Obstacle Departure Procedures, ODPs. This makes me confident theyre on the right track. But many will then either gloss over or improvise their way through the section on takeoff minimums. This information looks important, with restrictive numbers and climb gradients in it. Many CFIIs, though, just teach that it doesnt matter at this stage. True enough, but knowing a little about them can help us make better departure decisions.

Flight is a study in contrasts, well beyond the obvious thrust versus drag equation. A brilliant blue sky rife with possibilities and adventure can quickly turn woefully lonely when your aircraft or the people in it are in distress. No good pilot intends for an emergency to happen. Each item on an aircraft checklist, every scan of an instrument and every word of a briefing is one more brick in the wall fending off a potential crisis. Still, even if you followed every procedure perfectly, basic human error, mechanical failure or plain bad luck can plunk you in the deep end of the pool.When youre in the midst of a devolving situation, perhaps youll hear mental echoes of your flight instructors voice. Rely on your training. Go through your checklists. Keep a cool head and resolve the problem to the best of your ability. Whats the most important thing after flying the airplane? Remembering youre not alone up there. Air traffic control has resources at its disposal that can help you put it down safely, and theyre just a radio call away.

Teaching teaches the teacher. Ive got over 4000 hours total time and of that over 3000 hours teaching instruments. In that time, my students have taught me quite a bit and Ive picked up a few tricks on my own. Heres a compendium of helpful little tips and tricks.