Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Why I Like to Fly

Final Approach Alpine County (M45)

I like to fly for many reasons. Why? It's fun, it presents scientific and artistic challenges. In some cases flying is practical, but it's mostly fun. There's the great view, the challenges of managing myself and an aircraft to have fun and stay safe all at the same time - they go hand in hand. Since I am a flight instructor, I am guilty as charged for getting paid to fly which arguably adds to the joy of flight. It's a tough life, but someone has to do it.

However, no matter what justifications I use I always come to a root cause for my desire to fly: risk. Risk? You fly because you like to do risky things!? No, I fly because there is risk over which I have a lot of control. It's exactly this same concept that made me want to do blue water sailing in a past life. I crave the challenge of being put into an environment in which I can reduce risk by exercising my knowledge, my skills and my judgment. "Oh, flying isn't for me", you say to yourself; "it's too risky". Do you drive on freeways? You may not like driving as much as I like flying, but being on a freeway means exercising your knowledge, skills and judgment (at least I hope this is true!) to reduce risks and driving on a Bay Area freeway is very much a risky business.

On a final note, being good at risk control means continually getting better at risk control. Risk can never be eliminated, but through diligent effort it can be brought down to acceptable levels and continually reduced. To me the constant learning this implies is frosting on the cake. I love to learn and believe me, there is no such thing as a pilot so good that s/he can't be better. It's a life long endeavor to increase and improve one's knowledge, skills and judgment.

Have fun, stay safe.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Flying the Airport Pattern Safely

Coming over the ridge into a high final at South Lake Tahoe (KTVL). Runway 36


(Note to readers: the following was inspired by pattern work at Palo Alto, California which is a towered airport with a single runway. Tower manages simultaneous left and right traffic. However, the comments are relevant to all airports.)
Pilots, do you want to have a mid-air collision while flying the pattern? It's easy! All you have to do is fixate on the runway, especially when you make the down wind to base turn and the base to final turns. I encounter this behavior all too often; while flying downwind the pilot fixates on the runway behind the aircraft. Later s/he turns base or final, again while fixating on the runway. By staring at the runway you set yourself up for a mid-air collision. If you are on the down wind, expect to collide with the slower traffic preceding you on downwind. If you are making left traffic, expect to get whacked on your right side while on base by an aircraft on a long final or T-bone an aircraft on final or have a high velocity head-on with an aircraft on an opposite base. All it takes is for two pilots to be fixated on the runway and the probability of a mid-air experience in pattern goes up.

Would you like to avoid a collision? This is also easy! Know where your preceding traffic is located. Before turning downwind to base, look at the path of final abeam your aircraft and then scan away from the runway, inspecting both the extended final and opposite down wind legs for traffic. This is a good habit to guard against an announced straight in approach or a fellow pilot on the other side of the final line. As you turn to base, look straight out the front windscreen for close-by traffic you may have missed in your earlier scan and to obtain pitch and bank data from the horizon to control the turn. Level your aircraft's wings while looking forward and once level, take a quick look towards the runway to judge when you should consider turning onto the final leg. When you decide it's almost time to turn towards the runway onto the final leg, again look out the window at the intersection of your base to final and the opposite downwind. Make sure you know where opposite down wind traffic is located. Continue your scan away from the runway onto a long final to determine that there are no aircraft on a straight-in approach then begin your bank towards the runway. Turn to final looking straight out the window, referencing the horizon, for all the same reasons I mentioned above. Once the runway is in view, your mid-air danger potential is from one of a base turn made in front of you by another pilot (left or right) or you catching up with preceding traffic.

When changing pitch or bank angle, good VFR pilots reference the horizon by looking forward out the wind screen for reasons of both turn control and collision avoidance. Keep in mind that the aircraft you are likely to collide with in pattern is directly in front of you or is on an extended final or is on the opposite downwind and you both turn into each other on opposing base legs. Be careful out there.