Every Flight Is Unique

At first, I was going to take a stab at talking about weather, but as I began looking back at what is required of pilots on each flight, I thought I'd take a broader approach.

One of the nice things about the regulations is that they offer a broad scope of authority to pilots.  While the regulations can get very specific about certain topics, you'll note FAR Part 91.3 is rather broad:

§ 91.3 Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command.
(a) The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft.
(b) In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, the pilot in command may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency.
(c) Each pilot in command who deviates from a rule under paragraph (b) of this section shall, upon the request of the Administrator, send a written report of that deviation to the Administrator.

Using a broad brush here, the basic summary is that the pilot in command is responsible for, and has the final say in, the operation of the aircraft, but may have to justify his or her actions upon request.  You have to admit, that's a lot of authority that's being handed over.  Just like many things in life, however, it's a double-edged sword.  That wide-ranging authority also means that you may be called upon to answer for wide-ranging regulatory issues that may have arisen during a flight.

So, how do you minimize your risk of being called upon to answer for those wide-ranging regulatory issues?

You avoid them as much as possible.

Being a pilot doesn't mean that you need to walk around with the ability to cite the FARs at any possible moment, but knowledge of those FARs is extremely important.  At a minimum, you should be very familiar with Part 91, which should keep you out of most troubling scenarios.  In addition to the regulations, however, you should be aware of the information required by FAR Part 91.103:

§ 91.103 Preflight action.
Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. This information must include—
(a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC;
(b) For any flight, runway lengths at airports of intended use, and the following takeoff and landing distance information:
(1) For civil aircraft for which an approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual containing takeoff and landing distance data is required, the takeoff and landing distance data contained therein; and
(2) For civil aircraft other than those specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, other reliable information appropriate to the aircraft, relating to aircraft performance under expected values of airport elevation and runway slope, aircraft gross weight, and wind and temperature.

Of the many things that can get you into trouble, the main issues you're going to run into are probably airspace, P/R-Airspace, MOAs, TFRs, and weather.  Airspace, to include prohibited/restricted airspace and MOAs, is easily avoided by maintaining situational awareness and keeping a chart handy.  TFRs and weather, however, are a different story, as they change more frequently.  TFRs are something pilots in my area have grown accustomed to.  Being so close to Washington DC, you have to be particularly aware of what's going on, as the Nation's political happenings often include some form of TFR.  Other than that, the last main issue is weather, which should always be something to watch.

The difficulty with weather, though, is that it's constantly changing.  Beyond that, it's also occasionally difficult to understand the weather picture with some of the tools we've been given.  We have the METARs and TAFs (Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts) as closer pictures of the weather, with the FA (Area Forecast, and yes, FA is the abbreviation) providing a wider range of coverage.  Outside of that, you can look at the radar and satellite images, and even out your window.  Even with all of the tools at the Aviation Weather Center, sometimes your own interpretation of the weather isn't exactly as it is in the air.

Two of my last three attempts at flying ended up having weather that was not as forecast.  The first flight attempt had some pretty strong wind that was over 16 knots higher than forecast for the time, while the third flight had clouds that were lower than forecast, along with snow.  The visibility also left something to be desired at times.  The thing to remember, however, is that forecasts are forecasts.  They're a prediction of the future based on what is available at the time, and we all know how difficult predicting the future can be.

Occasionally, I'll find myself glancing at the TAF when it disagrees with the actual weather, wondering when it will actually take over and allow me to go flying.  That desire to go flying is always hard to shake, but remember that you're going to be flying in what you're seeing and what's reported, and not necessarily what's in the forecast.

As the pilot, you're charged with the final operation of the flight.  In order to ensure the safety of that operation, you're also charged with becoming familiar with all possible aspects of the flight prior to departure.  That includes a weight and balance, and other performance information.  Aircraft performance changes with weather, and as weather changes all the time, your measurement from the last flight might not be accurate.  If you have a lot of runway at your disposal, you may not think it's necessary, but if the actual performance differs significantly from the estimated performance, the information could be just as valuable to you as the engine check you made in the run up area.

Make sure to get a briefing, but remember that weather models and forecasts are not always correct.  If you do go flying, always have an out, but also remember that you can always stay on the ground.

Just to cover my own rear, here's a generic disclaimer:
The content provided here is informational only, and is not in any way, shape, or form legal guidance.  If any doubts exist, please contact your local FSDO, the administration, or an aviation lawyer.

The Voices in Your Head

Anyone who knows me knows that flying is my escape.  With rare exception, no matter what's going on in my life, I can jump in a plane and clear my head as soon as the plane's door is closed.  In need of a little escape, and having an excuse of needing to keep up my currency with the flight school and the FAA, I booked a plane for last night.

As I got everything situated, I made sure to charge the cameras so I could try out a new idea I came up with for some of the flight videos.  My intentions were to fly from Leesburg (JYO) to Winchester (OKV), land a couple times, and then head back to JYO.  It's a short flight, but it's all I need.  I have a big trip coming up soon that I've been saving for, so as you may have noticed, I've trimmed a lot from the flight budget to accomplish that.

...and everyone says you can save a ton of money if you quit smoking.

In any case, I was pretty excited even to get a shorter flight in and have my night currency for passenger carriage back.  After parking at the airport and shutting the car down, I could hear the wind howling as I glanced up at the flags in front of the terminal.  I pulled up the latest weather on my phone as I was sitting there.

KJYO 292255Z AUTO 30015G23KT 10SM OVC035 05/01 A2963 RMK AO2

For the non-fliers reading this, the important part in that METAR (Meteorological Terminal Aviation Routine Weather Report) is the 30015G23KT.  That's wind coming from 300 (northwest) at 15 knots, gusting to 23 knots.  Wind like that is strong enough to give you a hard time without the gusts, but it being at a 50 degree angle from the runway's direction makes things even more difficult.  The TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) said the wind was supposed to die down as the night went on, so I went inside to get everything situated and get a look at the weather station inside that updates more frequently.

The weather station inside showed a similar story, and the wind at OKV was just as bad.  Soon enough, the station showed the wind dying pretty steadily, and when it hit 9 knots I took my stuff and walked outside.  By the time I had gotten out to the plane again, however, the wind wasn't just stronger, it was also more erratic.  I pulled out my phone again to confirm and saw this:

KJYO 292335Z AUTO 32017G25KT 270V330 10SM BKN039 OVC046 05/00 A2966 RMK AO2

Again, for the non-fliers, you know what the 32017G25KT means, but the piece right after it - 270V330 - is saying that the wind is out of anywhere from due west to north-northwest.  It was at that point that I pulled out a sticky note out of my bag and wrote "didn't take the plane up: wind 17G25."  I locked the plane up, stuck the note in the book, dropped the book back in the overnight box, and drove home.

There are a ton of overused sayings in aviation, but a lot of them are overused because we often need to be reminded of them.  As I sat in my car convincing myself I made the right call, one of my least hated overused phrases came to mind: "Every takeoff is optional.  Every landing is mandatory."  I was really sure I could taxi out and take off safely, but a safe landing was questionable.  I was able to put a plane on the ground on a small runway with 12G21 direct crosswind a month ago, but that was in the middle of the day.  As much as I like night flying, landing at night offers its own challenges.

...especially when someone jacks the lights up to their brightest when you're on short final.

Up until this point, my decision to remain on the ground was always a made between me and another person.  Initially, it was a flight instructor and myself.  Since then, it's often been between a friend of mine and myself.  This time, it was all on me.

If you doubt yourself, don't go.  If you're anything like myself, there's a significant amount of pride that's associated with how you fly.  Sitting in the car admitting that the wind was too much of a risk for me to handle did seem like I was admitting I wasn't good enough.  Similar to a memorable quote from Abe Lincoln, I prefer to look at it like this:

Better to remain on the ground and be thought an amateur than to take off and remove all doubt.

Two Sides to Learning

As the holidays draw to a close, I'm sure that there are a good number of potential pilots who will be going up for their first flights in the coming weeks.  I definitely looked forward to the gift certificates my family got for me at my flight school around this time of year.  For those of you who are, or know someone who is about to start taking lessons soon, one of the most important things to do is make sure to get everything out of each lesson.

When you first begin flying, your flight instructor may seem to be at the pinnacle of aviation knowledge, and I'm sure many of them strive to be, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't ask for clarification when you need it.  Part of becoming an instructor is learning the Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI), which is essentially the background theory of learning. One of the points that is made is that many instructors - both in and outside of aviation - stop teaching at the application level.  What that means is that many instructors teach you how to do something, but often neglect the reasons behind the action.  Some instructors are really great at making sure this is all explained, but nobody is perfect.

Having been an instructor of the information technology sort, I can say that sometimes it's simply an issue of forgetting to mention it.  Other times, I got so excited to show someone something, that the details got lost in the process.  Going against that grain, I'll now give you the reason why I'm telling you this: your learning is both the responsibility of the instructor and of yourself.

When I began training, my first flight instructor taught me how to fly power on and power off stalls to the point where I could do them flawlessly.  While it's good that I could fly them flawlessly, it was quite some time before I made the connection that power on stalls were training for recovering from stalls on departure, and that power off stalls were to recognize full stalls and to perfect your landing flare technique.  Had I thought to ask the reasoning behind it all, I would have likely known a lot earlier.

Despite what it may seem, there's often a reason behind all of the maneuvers the FAA asks you to be able to demonstrate on the checkride.  You're flying them in training because they're on the checkride, and they're on the checkride because they show you have control of your aircraft in varying conditions.

Power on, or departure stalls: recognizing control mush and stalls on departure.

Power off stalls: recognizing proper recovery for a fully stalled condition, and perfecting your flare.

S-turns, and turns around a point: properly adjusting for wind over a set ground track (think traffic pattern).
Simulated instrument time: limited training to help you out just in case you end up in clouds.

There are likely several more, but always remember that many of the things you'll be asked to do in training have a reason behind them.  If you don't understand why you're doing something, always ask!  If you're intimidated you ask your instructor, feel free to ask here.  If I don't know it, I'll go find the answer.

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Charts: Are They Required?

One of the things that really drives me nuts is misinformation.  I know that in a lot of the cases, some people just don't know any better, and I also fall victim to that from time to time, but people should be more aware of how they can affect others, intellectually.

Before I go any further, I'll ask you the same question I hear all the time:

If you walk out to your aircraft and get ramp checked, can you be faulted for not having charts, or for not having current charts?

Many pilots I know would answer simply "yes," but the answer is a little more complex than that.

The Letter of the Law
For a good number of people, the answer would actually be no.  Surprise!
The only times charts are required are for Part 135 (Commuter/On-Demand), Part 121 (Air Carrier) and Part 91.503 (large/turbojet) flights.  Since many of my friends are flying around in your average light general aviation (GA) aircraft, none of those requirements apply.  Furthermore, there is also no language pertaining to those flights that says your charts must be current.

Beyond that issue, I've also heard people tell others that an iPad application with charts on it doesn't count as a chart.  Even recently, there was a blog post where the author mentioned his designated examiner (DE) friend would discontinue checkrides if someone showed up with an iPad without backup charts.  Now, contrary to the above mention that your everyday Part 91 flight has no chart requirements, checkrides do actually have a chart requirement, inferred by the practical test standards (PTS).  The PTS does not, however, specify the chart medium - printed or otherwise.

I know, a lot of you must be thinking, well you're just implying things, and the FAA would probably still fault you for it, but I'm not.  Here's what the FAA has to say:

What is the FAA policy for carrying current charts?

The term "charts" is not found in the FAA's Part 91 regulations (other than for large and turbine-powered multiengine airplanes in 91.503[a]). The specific FAA regulation, FAR 91.103 "Preflight Actions," states that each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. What is not specifically addressed in the regulation is a requirement for charts. You should always carry a current chart for safety's sake. An expired chart will not show new frequencies or newly constructed obstructions, some of which could be tall enough to be a hazard along your route of flight.

The only FAA/FAR requirements that pertain to charts are:
• Title 14 CFR section 91.503[a] (Large and Turbojet powered aircraft)
• Title 14 CFR section 135.83 (Air Carriers-Little Airplane)
• Title 14 CFR section 121.549 (Air Carrier-Big Airplanes)

The FAA has rendered interpretations that have stated the foregoing. The subject of current charts was thoroughly covered in an article in the FAA's July/August 1997 issue of FAA Aviation News. That article was cleared through the FAA's Chief Counsel's office. In that article the FAA stated the following:
1. "You can carry old charts in your aircraft." "It is not FAA policy to violate anyone for having outdated charts in the aircraft."
2. "Not all pilots are required to carry a chart." "91.503..requires the pilot in command of large and multiengine airplanes to have charts." "Other operating sections of the FAR such as Part 121 and Part 135 operations have similar requirements."
3. ..."since some pilots thought they could be violated for having outdated or no charts on board during a flight, we need to clarify an important issue. As we have said, it is NOT FAA policy to initiate enforcement action against a pilot for having an old chart on board or no chart on board." That's because there is no regulation on the issue.
4. ..."the issue of current chart data bases in handheld GPS receivers is a non-issue because the units are neither approved by the FAA or required for flight, nor do panel-mounted VFR-only GPS receivers have to have a current data base because, like handheld GPS receivers, the pilot is responsible for pilotage under VFR.
5. "If a pilot is involved in an enforcement investigation and there is evidence that the use of an out-of-date chart, no chart, or an out-of-date database contributed to the condition that brought on the enforcement investigation, then that information could be used in any enforcement action that might be taken."

If you, as an FAA Safety Inspector, Designated Pilot Examiner, Flight Instructor, or other aviation professional are telling pilots something other than the foregoing then you are incorrect.

Source

That last sentence is pretty clear.

Note, however, that they do mention that they strongly encourage carrying charts, and that they will throw the book at you if something happens and your out-of-date or lack of charts was a factor (point five, above).

The Letter of Sense

I always hesitate raising this issue because people look at me like I'm trying to encourage recklessness.  My intent isn't to raise the issue to say that you should now go blazing around the skies without charts, hoping that you won't hit a mountain, bust airspace, or manage to get tangled up in some guy wires.  My intent is to raise the issue so that people can exercise a little of their own aeronautical decision making.  I would say that there's a sizable group out there who will still look at me like I'm an idiot, because any intelligent person would always have charts in their plane.  They'd likely say that it doesn't matter who does or doesn't require them to be with you.  I'd agree with them, but only to a certain degree.

My father always taught me his own version of dead right, and I'm reminded of it all the time:
You may be right, but you'd also likely be dead.

As an example, say you're riding on a motorcycle, and you roll up to a light that has just changed green.  Do you check to make sure traffic isn't going to blow through the red light, or do you just look ahead and hope? I'm hoping you'd opt for the former.  In the fight between cars and motorcycles, the car usually wins.  In the later fight between your body and the road, the road almost always wins.  The rule said that person should've stopped, and that you had right of way.  They're in the wrong, but you're now either dead or pretty roughed up.

The rule saying one thing or another doesn't mean your safety is going to be guaranteed.  Regardless of what the regulation says, you need to be in charge of your own safety.  To me, though, it's better that the rule doesn't necessarily specify that charts are required at all times.  I'd argue that knowing this then makes it a conscious choice for you to carry charts from here on out.  With that, you're making a conscious decision to be safe, and those who are consciously involved in a process - in this case, safety - are likely to take it more seriously.

Taking it Further
When coaching people to make improvements in their lives, life coaches often suggest an approach that focuses on adjusting one specific thing at a time.  The analogy given to me by someone teaching me adult learning theory was this:

"If you try to start a fire by moving a magnifying glass around to multiple areas, you will fail, but if you leave it in one spot long enough it will catch fire and spread."

If you're looking to become a safer pilot, concentrate on trying to be safe in one aspect at a time.  The nice thing about the chart issue is that you've likely always been doing it, but you've never done it consciously.  Now that you know it's not a requirement and you don't have to fear being faulted in a ramp check, you have to make the decision for yourself to bring those charts with you.  Your conscious decision to bring those charts is likely one you'll make in the interest of safety.  From there, you'll be amazed at how many other things you might do in order to conduct your flights more safely.

One Last Note: The Electronics Issue
Earlier, I mentioned a DE who would discontinue students if they showed up without backup charts.  I followed that up by saying that the PTS does not specify that the charts must be printed.  The linked post does go further to say that the DE's own backup is another electronic device.  While electronics have gotten a lot more reliable over the years, they still manage to fail at the worst possible times, so backups are still worth having.  The stats on paper charts spontaneously combusting, flying out of the window, or otherwise "failing" on the other hand are very low.

Digging up an old picture from my pilot bag review, you'll note there are still paper charts in there, despite the iPad prominently displayed in front.

Just to cover my own rear, here's a generic disclaimer:
The content provided here is informational only, and is not in any way, shape, or form legal guidance.  If any doubts exist, please contact your local FSDO, the administration, or an aviation lawyer.

Always Have an Out

No matter how simple the flight, there's often a learning experience that you can reflect upon to improve your future flights.  Each time I fly, I venture to fix something from the last flight, find something to learn from, or share something as a learning experience for others.

One of the things on my last flight that came up is always have an out.

In the middle of putting the plane on the ground, I had a moment where I actually thought to myself:

"Make a call now, or end up as the next YouTube pilot failure."

This is a screen capture during that situation.  I had just bounced.  If you were in my situation, looking down the runway, what would you have done?  While I know my exact location on the runway at this moment (thanks to the GPS in my ContourGPS - though this particular frame is from the GoPro), I'm not going to tell you because the only information I had for my decision is what you see right now.  As you can see, there's still a reasonable amount of runway left, and I didn't bounce too high.

What's the call?

I pressed on.  Why?  I know my ground roll is normally about 500-600' and I clearly had that and more left, despite being slightly off the ground.  I delayed my call, and that's when the line above popped up.  It was only when the plane didn't settle in the following few seconds that I decided to go around.

00:27 - [Bounce] Split second decision: land, there's still room
00:28 - [Bounce, bounce]
00:30 - Make a call now, or end up as the next YouTube pilot failure...go around.

[Video was here until Contour closed down for a bit, and it got lost.]
If you watch the video, you can see the plane actually settles right as I applied full power.  If you pause it right at that point, you can see a strip of asphalt off to the right of the runway.  That strip of asphalt is about 720' from the end of the runway, so I could've still stopped by my own and the official Cessna ground roll numbers had I not decided to go around.  Would that have been smart, though?  My argument would be no.  If I really had to get on the ground, sure, but why cut it so close when I could always go around?

Always remember your other options.  In my case there was no emergency, so there was no harm in going around provided I made that call with enough room to get back up off the ground.



I wasn't out of the woods after that call, though.  Literally.

After I lift off, you can see some rather imposing trees approaching quickly.  From having flown in before, I knew there was an opening to the right.  As I got closer, through both a call by Phil and my own constant search for an out, I turned right to give myself more room between myself and the trees.  I would assert that I would've cleared them without the turn, but the turn would have only given me more clearance in my direct flight path, so I took it.

We've been taught to look for outs at all times, but a lot of the time our margins of error are rather high in normal operations.  As I joked with another pilot after finally putting the plane on the ground, landing is a lot different on a 5500' runway compared to 2000'.  I can float for ages on a 5500' runway like and still land safely, but most instructors tell you early on that if you don't like the landing picture, go around, no matter how long the runway.  We're also taught as pilots to always keep an eye out for landing fields, especially when flying single engine and lower to the ground.  When you get into instrument flight, you start dealing with alternate airports, and with longer flights you may also get into intermediate, or en route, alternates.  You're always taught to have an out, but do you always have one in mind?

Looking for an out is something pilots are taught from the very beginning, but I don't think it's ever placed in generic terms.  We're taught to have specific outs in mind - alternate airports, go arounds, open fields, and so on - but it's not often that you hear an instructor explain the merits of always having a backup plan in general.  For some pilots, it's just a natural part of aeronautical decision making, but for others it's not necessarily so.  Some pilots need things spelled out, simply as a part of the way they learn.

The next time you fly, or even the next time you're driving, think ahead of your situation.  If [something] happens, you will [react in some way].  It sounds somewhat obvious, but think of the last time someone stomped on the brakes in front of you, and you had little time to react.  For a split second there, you almost thought you were going into the back of that person's car.  If there was a shoulder to your right, could you have used that?  Probably, and that would be a nice resource.  Without thinking of that ahead of time, though, the only reaction in your mind was stopping behind the car in front of you.  That thinking ahead gives your mind the opportunity to calculate everything ahead of time so that you're able to make quick decisions.

Always have an out.  Always remember that you have an out.  Always take that out when you doubt that your current course can continue safely.

Currency and Checkouts

Recently, I've talked to a few pilots who had a few questions about currency and checkout requirements.  Currency and checkouts come in a few different forms, and where each has its roots is often confusing.  Hopefully, this post will help to clear some of it up.

Currency

Currency is often required by a couple different entities.  The FAA, of course, is the most important one to satisfy, and the requirements are pretty basic.  First, you need a review every two years, which we all know and love as the biannual flight review, or BFR.  The secondary requirements are currency for passenger carriage and instrument flight.  Broken down by numbers, the FAA side looks like this:

Flying, in general: BFR within 24 months
Passenger carriage (day): 3 takeoffs and landings within 90 days
Passenger carriage (night): 3 TO/LND, full stop, at night, within 90 days
Instrument flight: 6 approaches within 6 months, to include tracking and holding
(or an Instrument Proficiency Check if not within 12 months)

Other requirements for currency come from other entities like flight schools, flight clubs, and insurance companies.  As an example, the flight school I rent from requires 3 takeoffs and landings within 60 days to remain current in their aircraft.  A lot of the pilots I know actually get confused by that.  This particular requirement was set by the flight school (and likely their insurer), not the FAA.  As far as the FAA is concerned, if you're flying VFR without passengers, you could go 729 days without flying and still legally fly for one more day.


Checkouts

In the realm of flying different aircraft, again, there is a difference between the requirements of different operators and the FAA.  As in the case of currency requirements, the FAA offers more room.  First, you have to be rated for the aircraft type.  Second, you have to be rated for the number of engines.  Third, you have to be endorsed for anything other than standard.  Broken down, the FAA side looks like this:

Type:  Airplane, seaplane, rotorcraft, and so on
Engines:  Single, or multi
Endorsements:  Tailwheel, high performance, complex, and so on

Other requirements come from other entities like flight schools, flight clubs and insurance companies.  As an example, the flight school I rent from requires a specific checkout by aircraft type.  In order to fly one of their aircraft, you need to fly with one of their CFIs.  After that point, you can fly any of that aircraft type provided you maintain the aforementioned 60 day currency.  Since I had my BFR in a C172, I can fly any of their C172s (though I did need to get checked out on the G1000 - again, flight school requirement, not FAA).  In order to fly any of the other aircraft, I'd have to fly with one of their CFIs.  As far as the FAA is concerned, however, as long as it's a single engine aircraft with tricycle landing gear and 200 horsepower or less, it's fair game.  Even though I've never flown one, if my friend had a Diamond 20 and was going to let me borrow it, I could do so without having anyone fly with me beforehand and still meet FAA requirements.

The only "checkouts" you need from the FAA are called endorsements, and I'm sure the puzzle pieces are falling into place now.

That's the long and short of it.  Hopefully that clears up some of the confusion.


Just to cover my own rear, here's a generic disclaimer:
The content provided here is informational only, and is not in any way, shape, or form legal guidance.  If any doubts exist, please contact your local FSDO, the administration, or an aviation lawyer.