December 2010

NTSB ID #ANC10MA068 is the number of the preliminary NTSB report concerning the crash of the single engine otter that killed five passengers including Senator Ted Stevens and pilot, Terry Smith.

The report starts with: "On August 9, 2010, about 1445 Alaska daylight time (ADT), a single engine, turbine-powered, amphibious float-equipped de Havilland DHC-3T (Otter) airplane, N455A, sustained substantial damage when it impacted mountainous tree-covered terrain, about 10 miles northeast of Aleknagik, Alaska"

If this could happen to Terry, could it happen to me? This is a question that has haunted my mind since this accident happened.

January 2005

My personal physician was killed a couple months ago in a Super Cub accident.  His death makes it five close personal friends whom I really cared for who I’ve lost to aircraft accidents — all due to pilot error and improper decision-making.  I taught Lee to fly about 30 years ago and still remember the day he soloed.  It bothers me a lot to lose this highly skilled, talented good doctor. Not just a good doc, but a great doctor, one of the few in Alaska that patients came from the Lower 48 to be treated by.
   
Here are my feelings about what happened. I share these thoughts with you so that it may help you in your flying.  I do not want to lose you!

April 2006

Lately, it’s come to my attention that there is a disproportionate number of airplane crashes among older private pilots. Experts agree that about three-quarters of all aviation accidents are caused by pilot error. Remember my Lesson No. 1 last year?  My doctor added to this statistic. In his case, it wasn’t due to lack of motor skills, but from not flying enough to keep current.

January 2, 2008

There is an old aviation axiom:  “There are those that have and there are those that are going to.”
    
On September 21, 2007, I was flying back to Moose Pass in my Cessna 206 on floats from hunting charters in Kotzebue, AK. Approximately 100 miles NW of McGrath an unexpected brief shudder came from the front of the airplane, followed almost instantly by a loud explosion or “bang!” A large hole appeared in the top of the cowling where the piston and rod exited, and the prop came to an abrupt dead stop.  My trustworthy Continental IO-520 catastrophically failed during cruise flight and I became one of “those that have.”

November 2008

Back to the Basics: Pitch, Power and Trim,

A Philosophy to Fly By, A Philosophy to Survive By

Many of the pilots that come to our school say, "Vern, you should write a book". Well, "that ain't going to happen." But, in these next few newsletters, I am writing down many of the ideas and exercises that I have learned or developed over the years so you will have them. If you study these ideas, commit them to memory, practice the exercises, I promise, you will become a better pilot!

To help you beome a better pilot or a better Cirrus pilot (if you know any Cirrus pilots, be sure they get signed up for this newsletter and for a float rating in our mountains), pay attention to the following.

The ASES and ASEL PTS require that you demonstrate a short field accuracy landing within 200 feet for a Private and 100 feet for a Commercial Pilot. Airspeed must be within +5/-5. Boy, do I have to guess at this one most of the time. Yet when I demonstrate landing after landing I put it exactly on the spot. SO CAN YOU! --- IF you learn, understand and practice this exercise I am about to teach you.

The title for this series is: Back to the Basics: Pitch, Power and Trim, a Philosophy to Fly by, a Philosophy to Survive by.

February 2010, Ballito, South Africa

Energy Management

Back to the Basics: Pitch, Power and Trim
A Philosophy to Fly By, a Philosophy to Survive By

Lesson Four ended with, "If you want to develop the skill required to put your airplane down exactly on the 'spot' you must understand the 'stabilized approach' and energy management."

Did you practice the suggested exercises? If you did, you will be ready for this lesson.

Every pilot knows that our type of flying, general aviation, has more accidents with fatalities than the airlines, corporate or military flying. You are the key to making your own flying as safe as these others. Insist you develop the discipline necessary to practice these lessons, to know your aircraft systems and operating procedures. Do regular testing of your skills with a "Boot Camp" type of instructor, respect the environmental factors affecting your flight and know your limits.

What is energy management? Why do you need to know? It is not taught to pilots during flight training unless you are learning to fly gliders. At least it is not called "energy management." When the space shuttle returns for landing, it is the ultimate demonstration of "energy management." A definition taken from notes to update the FAA Instrument Flying Handbook defines energy management as, The dissipation of potential and kinetic energy. If you are ever going to land your airplane on "the spot" you must understand the resulting effect of an extra five or ten knots of airspeed.