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Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Vol. 1 No. 6 |
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Welcome to the Over the Airwaves aviation newsletter. This irregularly published e-mailing is being sent to members of the E-Pilots listserv. The aim of this e-publication is to promote flight safety, encourage students and new pilots, enhance pilot awareness of upcoming events, and to build enthusiasm for aviation in general. More Realistic Flight Training Called for by Richard Collins, Senior Editor, Flying Magazine.
Collins goes on to say, If most of the wrecks happen during normal operations, this opener for recurrent training would examine that basic act. How many general aviation IFR pilots do you think would get through that exercise without exposing some weakness? For the record, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse Airports are not busy airports! Yes, on occasion, one might find themselves number four or five on approach at these Class C airports, but to compare them to simultaneous parallel operations at Class B airports like Cleveland, Greater Pittsburgh, or JFK, particularly in IMC, is folly. We're talking here about single pilot IFR, often with no autopilot. Managing this workload, even for the high time pilot, can be daunting. To expect a low time private or instrument pilot to be on his or her game in this environment without specific training and experience is simply not realistic. Worse, its dangerous to the pilot and to the thousands of people in airliners all around him. The sad fact is that many flight instructors lack experience in these busy airports. They, too, should avail themselves to this kind of training as part of their own professional development. Oshkosh '04: Airplanes, Weather, Fun, and Friends - Another One for the Record Books!
Rather than take up space with the many photos taken this year at Oshkosh, I created a link to a separate photo album. Click on the link below to view the events and faces that characterize this year's event. But Oshkosh is more than just fun. It's informative and educational. Here, you will see the latest innovations in aviation technology. You'll learn of new regulations such as the Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft rules. You'll attend forums for owners and builders, for flight instructors, for mechanics, and for non-pilot spouses who want to learn more about flying. There are even forums for children at KidsVenture in the EAA museum facilities. You'll meet the people who made history yesterday and who are forging new frontiers in aviation tomorrow. Be sure to click on the Oshkosh Photo Album link below:
They arrived by plane, car, and motor home . . . over 90 members of Buffalo's EAA Chapter 46. Once there, they set up a large circus tent, then surrounded it by tents, campers, and whatever else they needed for a week of comfort midst the world's largest air event. Family style breakfast and supper were served up in great abundance to members and guests. Evenings were spent in circles of friends toasting the day's activities until the wee hours of the morning. If you are planning to go to Oshkosh next year, be sure to coordinate your stay with EAA 46. They'll take good care of you! Click HERE to learn more about this great organization.
"Hey, Dear . .
. Look at the New Airplane I Just Bought!" Pictured left is Aero Club of Buffalo member, Hank Stockwell, looking out from the nose of the B-29 on display last week at Prior Aviation in Buffalo. The last remaining flying B-29 Super Fortress and the B-24 were flown here by the Commemorative Air Force for a one week stay. The Aero Club of Buffalo hosted a special members only barbecue dinner at this display site last Thursday, August 5. Watch for the next issue of Over the Airwaves for a series of photos of this fun-filled event.
Traffic Patterns Revisited As this summer (well, almost summer) of flying activity moves on, it is important that we remain aware of the risks inherent in traffic pattern operations. Despite the fact that most GA accidents, according to AOPA's Null Report, occur in and around the traffic pattern, the FAR/AIM is remarkably devoid of any detailed traffic pattern instructions or guidance. This leaves the matter of traffic pattern proceedures in the hands of flight instructors. Here's a couple of important tips to keep in mind when operating into and out non-towered controlled airports:
This maneuver affords you the opportunity to search for your destination airport at a safe altitude ABOVE the traffic pattern. As you pass over the airport at least 500' above the pattern altitude, locate the position of any other airplanes in the pattern or who are about to take off, check the windsock, then follow the illustrated pattern, again, so as to make your entry INTO the pattern at the TPA. "Adventures in Flight"
Click HERE to access this book and its table of contents. From there, you can open any and all its many chapters. You will need Acrobat Reader to view this book. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you can download a free copy HERE.
Be sure to visit (and save as a favorite) the Wonderful World of Flight webpage. You can find it by clicking on http://www.rjma.com/flight/homepage.htm. This frequently updated website contains a wealth of useful aviation information to both the recreational and serious pilot. Drill down through its many links to discover valuable training tips, upcoming events, and interesting stories and photos of local aviators.
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Past Issues of
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Vol I, No 1 Safe Flying,
Bob Miller, CFII
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Writing
in the July, 2004 issue (p.36) of Flying Magazine, Richard Collins observes
that only 11 of the 70 IFR/IMC accidents in two recent years
involved any form of mechanical failure. The remainder were
attributed to pilot error! Despite this fact, flight
instructors continue to spend much of their training time on
emergency procedures associated with mechanical failures . . . to
the detriment of "real world" flight training. What we need,
says Collins, is more "normal flight, in the system (not the
practice area), on an IFR flight plan, three legs of about an hour
each and three approaches. At least one approach should be at
a busy airport and one in a non-radar environment, in rough terrain
if possible. It would be preferable for this flight to be in
ACTUAL weather . . .
Each
year, the Oshkosh AirVenture is uniquely memorable. This year,
it was the weather. It was characterized by seven days of pure
sunshine with temperatures in the mid 70s, interrupted by one day of
light rain. Oshkosh veterans will, of course, remember
sweltering days, stormy nights, high winds, and everything else
Mother Nature could toss across the north central plains.
This year, Oshkosh weather was everything that Buffalo was not!
EAA
Chapter 46 Turns Oshkosh into a Family Event - with all of the
Comforts of Home!
If
you are cruising along with limited flight visibility, DON'T go
poking around searching for your destination airport while at
pattern altitude! You could inadvertently bust through the
traffic pattern and not even know it . . . or discover it after
you're directly over the airport and you've scattered the flock of
airplanes already in the pattern! Instead, climb to an
altitude at least 500 feet above the published traffic pattern
altitude (TPA) as you search for your airport. Once you have
found it, fly any of the patterns illustrated
If
you are new to this website, you may not have taken a look at the
book I am writing titled Adventures in Flight.
This is a factual account of many of the busines and pleasure
flights I have taken in my certified known ice Cessna 210 over the
past six or seven years. Many of these flights were conducted
in marginally poor weather conditions including ice, snow, high
winds, and lots of convective weather. You will read about
encounters where my "get-there-itis" caused me to push beyond
reasonable limits to complete my mission . . . some of which I would
not try again. Other parts of this book describe the cost of
aircraft ownership, the need for and a description of recurrent
training required to remain proficient as a serious all-weather
pilot, and the kinds of on-board weather avoidance equipment needed
to maneuver in poor weather.
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