I was browsing around the internet and came across this great video of the EAA Chapter 180 Ford Tri Motor Event that we held in March of 2012. I thought everyone would enjoy this montage’ of great photos of the 1929 Tri-Motor!
Some would say that for men, there is nothing better than airplanes, fast cars, and beautiful women! However, events in the Airline Industry have shown true that sex appeal and airlines don’t mix! The practice of mixing sex appeal with airplanes began with putting personalized decorations on fighting aircraft. The first recorded piece of nose art was a sea monster painted on the nose of an Italian flying boat in 1913, and by World War II was in full swing with painting of beautiful women we now refer to as “Vintage Nose Art”.
Nose Art, while begun for practical reasons of identifying friendly units, evolved to express the individuality often constrained by the uniformity of the military, to evoke memories of home and peacetime life, and as a kind of psychological protection against the stresses of war and the probability of death. The appeal, in part, came from nose art not being officially approved, even when the regulations against it were not enforced. Because of its individual and unofficial nature, it is considered folk art, inseparable from work as well as representative of a group. It can also be compared to sophisticated graffiti. In both cases, the artist is often anonymous, and the art itself is ephemeral. There was true sex appeal in nose art, and for those who love aviation, it worked!
In the past decade, Airlines have tried to bring in a sense of sex-appeal to their advertising and events. Theoretically this would appeal to male passengers, and though good in theory, it has never been successful. Could it be that men are more worried about the sexiness of GE Turbine Engines, the smell of jet fuel, or the sheer amazing feats in engineering?
In 2003 Hooter’s, a company known for mixing sex-appeal with hot wings attempted to mix sex appeal with airlines, and founded Hooters Airline. The airline initially offered limited commercial routes, but offered Flight Attendants dresses the same as they do in the restaurants. Though the airline officially ceased operation in 2006 with the excuse of high fuel costs.
On August 10th 2012, a Vietnamese Airline, has been fined for an in-flight bikini dance show that featured beauty queens strutting their stuff in the aircraft’s aisle. VietJet Air, a low-cost carrier of Vietnam, says it staged the event to help celebrate its Aug. 3 inaugural flight between Ho Chi Minh City and the tourist center of Nha Trang. The “Hawaiian-themed” dance lasted about three minutes and featured five women who all are contestants in a local beauty pageant. The video shows passengers taking video of the dance. Later, dancers come down the aisle to mingle with passengers at their seats. “It was the first flight to a beach town, so we came up with the idea of getting a number of girls in bikinis to dance and make passengers happy to improve our customer service,” a VietJet Air official was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail of London.
The show didn’t go over well with Vietnamese regulators, however. Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) fined the airline 20 million Vietnamese dong – or about $960. Maybe airlines are just better off leaving out the sex-appeal factor after all!
Mom’s and Dad’s, are you looking for something fun to get your kids involved in? Have you ever thought of taking them Flying? In Sarasota, Florida EAA 180 offers a FREE program for kids age’s 8 through 17 years old that introduces them to aviation and actually takes them flying for free! Young Eagles is held on the 3rd Saturday of every month from 9:00am till 12:00pm and offers a free pancake breakfast at 8:00am.
The Young Eagles Program is an exciting journey for children ages 8 through 17, into the world of aviation! Most kids these days have wondered what thier neighborhood looks like from the sky! Or maybe you’re curious how airplanes even work. Well the days of dreaming of flying like a bird in the sky and soaring next to the clouds are soon to become a reality.
Turn Young Dreams Into A New RealityEach month, EAA Chapter 180 hosts a Young Eagles Day which is free for any child ages 8-17 to attend. Here you or your child will meet one of our highly trained Pilots. Your Pilot begins the experience by engaging in your first “Pre-Flight Briefing”. Here each new Young Eagle will learn about the airport from which we fly, items of interest and all the information experienced Pilots use every day.
After the Pre-Flight Briefing, the new Young Eagle will assist the Pilot in performing a Pre-Flight Inspection of their assigned aircraft. Our Pilots take the time to introduce the various components of an airplane, what they are for and how they work. Young Eagles are often amazed at the sheer construction and controls of these fine aircraft. As the excitement begins to build and Young Eagle Eyes are wide open with delight, it’s time to get seated, and buckle up for the Air Adventure that dreams were made of!
Our Pilots will take the new Young Eagle for a local flight around the Sarasota / Bradenton area. Here the Young Eagle will see the world from a whole new angle! Your Pilot will explain the different gauges, and controls of the airplane, and if your a lucky Young Eagle, you might even get to take hold of the controls and fly the plane yourself!
After each new Young Eagle completes their introductory journey, they will receive an Autographed Photo of them, their pilot, and the aircraft. Then your Pilot will present you with your first Young Eagles Pilot Logbook, with the first flight as an entry into their future of aviation.
Thanks to EAA, the logbook has a code just for you to activate your EAA Student Membership. Student membership is full of exciting opportunities just for you — EAA Sport Aviation Magazine Online, E-newsletters, Members-Only Website, Academy of Model Aeronautics Student Membership, Free Admission to 300+ Science and Technology Museums and more!
Watch this exciting video to learn more about Young Eagles or visit www.youngeagles.org
To register your child for their FREE First Young Eagles Flight, please fill out the Pre-Registration/Reservation Form:
To save time at on the day of the event, you may download the required Parental Consent and Young Eagles Registration Forms here.
The event is held on the 3rd saturday of each month. The event begins with a FREE Pancake Breakfast at 8:00 am and Flying Begins at 9:00am until 1:00pm. Final Registration is at 12:00pm, one hour before the end of the event. The event is located at:
Dolphin Aviation
8191 N Tamiami Trl
Sarasota, FL 34243
We really hope to see you there!
Edwin B. ‘Chip’ Miller
EAA Chapter 180 Young Eagle Coordinator
941-356-0591 (Cell)
941-366-7606 (Message)
E-mail: chipthefireman@comcast.net
A United Airlines Boeing 737 struck a bird as it descended into Denver International airport Tuesday morning.
Flight 1475 landed safely at 9:09 a.m. and was escorted to a gate. The plane was flying from Dallas/Ft Worth to Denver. Photos show a large hole in the nose of the plane.
The plane’s pilots were aware of the bird strike and declared an emergency.
There were 151 passengers on board but there were no injuries, Christen David, a spokeswoman for United Airlines, told ABC News.
The bird’s remains, recovered from the aircraft, will be analyzed by experts from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, who will help identify the species.
Currently, airliner engines have to be designed and demonstrated able to ingest a four-pound bird without endangering people on the plane, according to Paul Eschenfelder, an adjunct professor at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Eschenfelder says that none of the engines flying are designed or built to survive an ingestion of an eight- to 15-pound bird.
The number of animal strikes reported annually has increased from 1,793 in 1990 to 9,622 in 2010, with birds involved in 97.2 percent of strikes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Seventy percent of those strikes occurred when the aircraft was at less than 500 feet elevation, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
Birdstrike.org estimates that wildlife strikes cause more than $600 million in damage to U.S. civil and military aviation annually. According to the organization, more than 219 people have died worldwide as a result of wildlife strikes since 1988.
Many aircraft are now testing a lighting system that deters bird strikes. If the system tests favorable, you may find these systems installed on airliners in the near future. View the video below to learn more about airline bird strikes and what EAA Chairman Captain “Sully” had to say about sitting down in the Hudson River after his airliner had a massive bird strike departing JFK.
Original Story by Jennifer Abbey – ABC News
Keeping up-to-date Section Charts is one task that we all have to face especially as new cell towers go up daily. However keeping your current chart in good shape when you fly regularly is a much harder task. As a Pilot who flies more VFR than IFR, I often find my charts tear, wrinkle and look very worn out as time goes on especially as I fold them for the area I am flying in.
Recently I came across a Video for DuraCharts. The VFR Sectionals are tear free and have more brilliant colors making them easier to read. Looking at the Video, this seems like a great option for VFR and Sport Pilots alike. The company offers a subscription service that mails new charts to you as the old ones expire, and all at a cost of only $8.00 per chart! (This is the same chart sold at Sporty’s for $16.95)
“I’ve been flying since 1964 and I’ve seen many charts tossed into the wastebasket or recycling bin before their expiration date because they’ve worn out,” said Joe Caccamise, the creator of DuraCharts. “It’s frustrating and expensive to have to keep replacing VFR charts before the six-month expiration date.”
He added that it also can be frightening to passengers when the chart tears in two during the flight. “Once I was flying with a friend who is a non-pilot and I asked him to get the chart to get the information we needed about the next VOR we needed to use. He unfolded the chart and it ripped in half! He looked at me with that ‘oh no!’ look on his face and I said ‘Oh great, now we’re gonna get lost’ in a completely serious voice and he believed me!”
Never again will you have that problem with the DuraChart! You can buy them online or sign up for a subscription at http://www.durachart.com/ According to the website, IFR Charts and more are coming soon!
Have you ever had one of those nights where your head is still in the clouds? I have them every time I return from a cross country trip. Tonight, I was logging in my time from a great weekend where my Brother and I flew down to the Florida Keys to surprise our dad. I was writing in the comments section of my logbook special notations so that one day I could look back and remember the really fun weekend that we all shared and the amazing flight back over open blue waters, through rain-showers, and a nice cross-wind landing. As I was finishing up my remarks, I flipped back through my years of previous flights and noticed remarks of great flights I have had, and remarks about flights that I don’t even have a memory of.
Nearly every flight I have had, made a memory and was meaningful at the time but apparently I do not remember some of them. There were flights with friends who are long lost, flights with a girlfriend of whom I never remember taking flying, and flights through the mountains in Southern California labelled “Scud Running”. I found an entry in my logbook on 3-26-1997 that the notes say “Took Dad flying for the first time as a licensed Pilot.” Many of those memories will never be forgotten because of their individual significance.
Then I looked at all the aircraft “N” numbers I have flown, and “googled” them to see where those airplanes are today. I found that one of the aircraft I used to fly in as a member of a flying club in San Diego in the late 90′s met a perilous end somewhere in Kentucky years later, some sold, and some are still in service in Southern California. It was really neat to be able to google the tail numbers and even find photo’s of the one I got my Pilot’s License in. Below is the Cessna I flew in Flight Training and became a Pilot in, as well as a Piper Archer I flew a lot in while being a member of Plus One Flyers, and a really fun memory getting checked out in a Blimp!
N6452F – I flew this aircraft for most of my flight training. I solo’d in this aircraft, got bumped around 8’000 foot mountains from California to Arizona and back in her, and eventually obtained my Private Pilot License in 52F. For those wondering, it was the ultimate in Spam-Can Flying! Just look at the instrument panel:
I really don’t remember this simple and basic instrument panel or the 1966 Yolks, but I do remember grabbing that little MIC on the bottom with wood-grain finish and blabbing away to ATC.
Following my Father’s Footsteps into low wing Piper Aircraft, I fell in love with this PA28-181 Archer. Transitioning from the 152 to the Archer was like a dream, and I have many memories logged in my logbook of taking all my friends flying to show off my new Piloting Skills.
While working as an Air Traffic Controller in Southern California, I was given a Christmas Gift from the crew of Snoopy 2. The Pilot invited me to come see how fast it could really go and on December 23, 1996, I spent the day flying Snoopy 2 and getting checked out in the flying boat. It turned out the Pilot was the CFII for the entire Met Life Fleet.
When is the last time you looked through your logbook remarks from years ago? Go ahead, take a look and reflect on your fondest flight memories contained within the remarks section of your logbook. Comment below and share some of your stories!
The July 2012 Young Eagles event allowed everyone in attendance from EAA Chapter 180 to make the acquaintance of an outstanding young woman from Sarasota. Christina Harvey (Age 15) joined 45 others to take their first Young Eagles Flight. We learned from Christina that she aspires to one day become a Life-Flight Pilot and Paramedic.
For this young woman, setting her mind to a goal and doing everything she can to accomplish it is not a new thing. Christina is an avid and top performer in School and BMX Racing.
After wrapping things up at Young Eagles, Christina’s Mom Gladys and her husband approached the EAA 180 staff asking the basic question: “What’s next for Christina, where do we go from here?” That answer is simple as Christina with help from her parents has enrolled as a Student Pilot with Cirrus Aviation and has already begun her Flight Training with her first Instructor Flight on July 22 in the Cessna 162! We wouldn’t be surprised to see Christina as an inspiration to Women In Aviation.
Look for more on this story as we will be interviewing and learning more about Christina in the coming weeks and following her flight training as a Student Pilot!
Women in Aviation, International is a nonprofit 501(C)(3) organization dedicated to providing networking, education, mentoring and scholarship opportunities for women (and men) who are striving for challenging and fulfilling careers in the aviation and aerospace industries.
Click here to learn more about WIA or to learn more about the WIA and AOPA Student Pilot Scholarship for girls, Click here!
As A Pilot, I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have heard from people “I have several hours In a Cessna, but never actually got my license.” It would almost seem as if there is a large number of people who just wanted to “try being a Pilot” to see what it is like, but never had the commitment or inspiration to complete flight training and obtain a Private Pilot License. Why would someone spend the money, make the effort and not finish? Does it really cost so much that most can’t afford it? Let’s look at some of the scenarios, and what it really takes to become a Private Pilot:
The Federal Aviation Administration requires 40 hours to obtain a Private Pilot’s License. That surely doesn’t sound like much time, as a high school drivers education class is longer than that! Though the cost of obtaining the required forty hours may vary based on what type of aircraft you chose to learn with, and the local flight school fees where you attend, it is relatively affordable. One should be able to obtain a Pilot’s License for around $6,500.00 from start to finish. However, in no way does this mean you have to dig deep to come up with the money.Although Flight Schools are a business, they do realize that many people have a great deal of other expenses that take priority in their lives. Raising children, Auto Loans, The Mortgage and fancy I-Phones can all make the budget a little tight, so dishing out $6500.00 might not seem realistic at the moment. When I obtained my Private Pilot License in 1996 the average cost was around $4000.00 and it seemed just as tight, but I decided to do it as I could afford it. I looked at my personal budget and realized that I spent nearly $50.00 every two weeks eating at fast food restaurants, another $60.00 here and there with friends at a bar. When I looked at my other spending habits, I found that I wasted at least another $30.00 every two week in miscellaneous purchases (gum, a pen, t-shirt, storage container, armor-all for the car) and another $30.00 a week at the grocery buying that higher end steak, and name brand cheese. Adding all of that up, I figured that every two weeks I was spending $170.00 that I really didn’t need to, and If I just re-distributed the funds, I could fly once every two weeks!
Is one hour every two weeks a reasonable amount to get a Pilot’s License? Absolutely! The average cost per hour of flight time is $99.00 for the airplane and $55.00 for the instructor. So, did it take me 80 weeks (just over a year and a half) to get my license? Looking back at my logbook, I took my first Private Pilot Flight, on July 27th, 1995 and obtained my license on May 26th, 1996, just under one year. What you will find, is that the further you go in Flight Training, the more you will find a way to pay for it! So, if you can’t afford to take an accelerated course that get’s your license in less than a month, don’t worry about it. Just ensure you fly at least one hour every two weeks, and you will be just fine. It’s like riding a bicycle, once you are learning how, you never forget, so use the time in between lessons to work on your home-based ground school course, and keep yourself involved!
The first thing it takes isn’t money, it takes commitment and attitude! Remember the people mentioned early in this article that stated they started, but never finished? Don’t think for a moment, that as proud of the time they did spend trying, and mentioning it to form a bond with the Pilot, that they didn’t feel a sense of personal embarrassment in their experience. Becoming a Pilot is about your attitude in and out of the airplane. Becoming a Pilot is reaching deep within yourself, and your personality to say “I am proud of who I am, and what I can do!”
It’s that can-do attitude that gets you from the start to the finish, with an end result of a higher level of personal accomplishment and the confidence that helps you become successful not only as a Pilot, but successful in life as well.
This includes a minimum of 20 hours Instructor training time in the airplane, 10 hours of Solo time, and the rest in simulator, and specialty components of flight training. You can view the specific details in FAR Part 61.
Ground School Course is a fun and educational experience that saves a lot of money on learning to fly. Typically this is done with either a Video Course such as offered by King Schools, or a mix of Computer and Video Training such as offered by Cessna Flight Training. You will find that even the Cessna Course is done by King Schools, but your individual flight school may require one over the other. Both are very good, and you can view a sample of what the ground school course is like by clicking here.
This is a simple process of meeting a Doctor who is an Approved FAA Flight Surgeon, and getting a basic physical. They won’t operate on you, but they will give you an eye test, take your blood pressure and do a basic overall check of your health, tap on your knee with the rubber mallet to check your reflexes etc…. They offer a First Class, Second Class and Third Class Medical Certificate. For now you just need the basic Third Class Certificate.
This tests all your knowledge learned in the Ground Course. By the time you complete the Ground Course, you will be fine, as you have practiced this in the Ground Course after each section, and it’s not a long test.
Everyone gets really nervous before a check-ride with the Examiner. Just remember, he is a Pilot just like you, and all you have to do is show him that you can safely operate the airplane and that you know the rules. These Examiners want to see you succeed, so there really is no reason to be nervous, just fly the airplane!
Becoming a Private Pilot will be one of the most exciting experiences of your life! You truly will have a new attitude on life, your confidence level and personal esteem will be higher than ever before, and you have every reason to be proud! You’ll be hard pressed to ever come across another Pilot who doesn’t look back and talk about how much they loved becoming a Pilot, or whom doesn’t remember every detail of it, even 50 years later!
Becoming a Private Pilot gives you a new freedom on life, to go anywhere you want to go, and the most fun way of ever getting there! It removes your limitations, and creates memories that last a lifetime for you and anyone that has the privilege of flying with you! Beautiful horizons, landscape, mountains, and sunsets all become part of the best views of the world. Some people chose to make it a career, and you might too, or you may just stay a Private Pilot and enjoy the love of aviation as your hobby, either way you become part of the worlds elite! Less than 1% of the population earned the honor of their wings!
Because being a Pilot truly does make you part of an Elite group of people across the globe, there is nothing like being a part of the Aviation Community. Just like guys who ride 4-wheelers like to hang out with guys who ride 4-wheelers, Pilot’s like to hang out with other Pilots! Comradery, and friendships in the Aviation Community are a blessing and fun. There’s nothing like waking up on a Saturday morning, meeting your friend and flying 100 miles away to grab a BLT sandwich and a Coke, or flying an airplane over to Sun-N-Fun to see an airshow! The best way to form these new friendships and bond with others who have gone through or are doing the same as you is to join a Pilot’s Association such as Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and a local Chapter like our Chapter 180. You will find most airports have a local EAA Chapter you can join. EAA is not just for guys who build their own planes, it is for anyone who loves Aviation! Learn more about EAA here and enjoy your decision on becoming a Private Pilot!
Most Pilot’s today are aware of the rule “8 Hours Form Bottle To Throttle.” You can find this rule in FAR 91.17. However, if you’re a seasoned connoisseur of alcoholic beverages, is eight hours really enough? Can you successfully fly an airplane with a hangover?
It seems that everyone’s body processes alcohol differently. This can depend on weight, height, metabolism and overall health. The average “healthy” adult metabolism eliminates alcohol from the bloodstream at a rate of 1/2 oz. per hour, which equates to 1 drink processed per hour. This to should be no surprise to anyone as it is taught as early as high school and commonly referenced for drinking and driving statistics. So based on these facts, is eight hours really enough time from bottle to throttle? Are there any other effects after enough time has passed since consuming alcohol?
As a rum connoisseur, I can tell you that if I were to drink (8) rum cocktails between 6pm and midnight, and plan to fly at 8am I won’t be able to fly. I probably wouldn’t wake up till at least 10am the next day, and I may recall a feeling of what I did the night before. This is referred to as residual over-partying or commonly a hangover. Could I possibly be ready to fly at 10am with a hangover? Would it be considered safe to fly in IFR Conditions? Lets look at a scenario I experienced 10 years ago:
A friend of mine acquired tickets to the American Express Open in Dekalb, Georgia. Between us, we thought it would be a great opportunity to fly the Piper Cherokee (PA-28) from Sarasota to Atlanta and attend the event. We departed on a Wednesday morning and arrived at our destination several hours later. The weekend was a fun and exciting weekend, standing 5 feet from Tiger Woods, and Vijay Singh, and cheering as Phil Mickelson sunk an almost impossible putt.
That weekend my friend and I found our way off of the Golf Course during the day and into a plethora of entertainment in an area outside of Atlanta called Buckhead. Buckhead if you have never been there is a well known area for fine dining, fine women, and lots of watering holes. Those few nights we spent exploring Buckhead ran up several large bar tabs and a few other stories we won’t mention here.
Sunday late morning we woke up, caught the tail end of the continental breakfast at the Hotel (OJ never tasted that good before to me), packed up our suitcases and headed to the airport, stopping off shortly at a few sites on the way. Once at the airport, bags loaded, pre-flight complete, we decided to plot a course that would take us by Stone Mountain and over the beautiful areas southeast of Atlanta. By the time we departed it was nearly 2:00pm. We estimated that our path would get us home around 9:00 with a fuel stop just outside of Valdosta, GA. Leaving Dekalb Peachtree Airport, for the first leg of our 508 NM trip, we immediately found ourselves in the midst of the “Atlanta Smog” which took away a little of the view of Stone Mountain, but it was still VFR, and we proceeded to Valdosta Regional for our fuel stop. The flight was great and uneventful on our way to Valdosta, and I greased the landing beautifully. Then we realized how long it took to get fuel service at Valdosta Regional and a slight damper was placed on our timeline. By the time we departed Valdosta, the sun was setting fast, and into the night we departed heading home for Sarasota.
Up to 5000 feet we go, tanks full, and the Loran set for a straight flight path to Sarasota, we leveled off just as the sky filled black, and orange glowing lights swept far beneath us marking the spot for all those home enjoying an episode of Extreme Home Makeover. My friend and I couldn’t wait to get home. Flying up was fun, and the weekend was fantastic, but cramping ourselves into a Piper Cherokee, after a long weekend wasn’t nearly as comfortable. About an hour or so into our flight, I started to have some erie feelings. The sky became blacker than I remembered it to be, and those little glowing reminders of civilization soon faded. Looking at my sectional chart, I placed us somewhere about half an hour north of Cross City, Florida.
As we continued the final leg of our flight home, it became an IFR situation “Complete Black Of Night”, with no full moon to help as a reference. This is ok, because all of the instruments are working, I have flown over 100 hours at night through mountainous terrains, and the handy dandy Loran shows me on course. Soon the airplane began to turn to the left and I found myself having to correct the turn to the right to try and keep us on course. However the Loran showed us left of course again and I kept having to make major corrections to the right. This became a constant struggle to keep the airplane on course, as the plane continued turning to the left, and the VSI began showing us going down 200 feet per minute. Attempting to re-trim the airplane was unsuccessful because we kept rising up 200-300 feet per minute. Focusing on the instruments, I began to feel very dizzy and all of a sudden we are far left of course again, and everything starts to not feel right. No matter what I try to do, the plane kept turning to the left, and I become a little more nervous with every passing second.
I verbalized my frustration to my friend who was sitting in the right seat, and he laughed at me and said everything seemed just fine. However when my left leg started shaking horrendously, and then spread to my right leg, and my hands became soaked, and we were still turning to the left, I realized I definitely was not fine. I could not control the shaking in my legs, and a fear of death rolled over me. There was no way the flight could continue safely to our final destination, and this required me to sit plane down on the ground as fast as humanly possible. This was bad vertigo, and as much as I wanted to trust the instruments, I couldn’t. My brain wasn’t even processing what the instruments were telling me, and nothing could be seen out of the windows. (By now, you as the reader should realize that the flight wasn’t abnormal in anyway, other than my perceptions and and a tendency to turn left based on the imbalance in my head. Maybe It was a subconcious drift to the left knowing somewhere to my left was an interstate which had lights.)
Fortunately we previously requested flight following with Jacksonville Approach, and I made the hard decision to declare an emergency. “What’s the nature of your emergency” the Controller responded, as my friend looked at me like I was crazy. “I have vertigo or night time disorientation” I replied almost cringing from the sure embarrassment. The Controller advised me that Cross City was 7 miles south at my 12 o’clock, descend to 2,000 feet and report field in sight. The field was not visible anywhere. Reporting as we flew closer to the field, “Field not in sight”. The Controller advised that Cross City’s runway lights were radio activated on a frequency that I struggled to dial into to the Comm. Click-Click-Click – no lights. Click- Click- Click – no lights. Now even more scared, announcing to the Controller that the lights must not be working. Then there was a voice on the radio from the Gods. actually it was a Pilot in a King Air at 12,000 feet above me. “N1710T, don’t worry, I will key the lights for you.” Squelch-Squelch-Squelch, and we finally had runway lights and the field in sight.
The runway lights at Cross City were beautiful and they were the brightest, and clearest runway lights I had ever seen. Then it hit me: I have no idea how far away or close the lights are, and they are right below me! I was so shaken up, that paying any attention to the altimeter or VSI was going to make me dizzier than I already was, and every head movement made things worse. I was locked on to the runway lights like radar and it was now time for me to put my emergency landing practice skills in to real life play. as Reducing power and circling over-top of the field, I planned to line up with the runway and come out at the right altitude visually from the windows. I was feeling safer, and secure that we were going to live. On the third turn over-top of the field, crossing the approach end of the runway end, I figured one more turn would get us down safely. Then out of the left corner of my eye, in a 30 degree bank, there is a flash of white light. The wing tip strobe lights had just reflected off of something, and there we were, 30 degrees banked over, at a high rate of airspeed, just 20 feet above the runway. Now, the quickest reaction I ever had in my life was at this moment. Without thinking, I rolled the airplane level fast, jerked up the flaps, yanked back the throttle, pulled back on the elevator, and luckily, sat the airplane down on the runway with a slight thud. At this moment I didn’t care how bad the landing was, we were down, we were safe, and my passenger and I were not going to die. I put on the brakes, and pulled the airplane off of the runway, into the grass not caring about a taxiway. I killed the engine, and let my friend get out of the plane, with me right behind, I fell from the wing of the plane to the ground. My legs were so shaken, and numb, they collapsed under me. It was a good twenty minutes of laying in the grass before my friend could assist me to my feet.
We stayed in a hotel that night (possibly the only hotel in Cross City, FL), and returned to the airport the next morning. When we returned, we realized that Cross City was fogged in, and we had been flying in fog for over an hour the previous night, completely unaware of its presence. Several hours later, the fog lifted and we flew home in the daylight with no further issues.
The moral of this story, and what I learned that night is that 8 Hours from bottle to throttle means nothing for me, and might not for you either. I later learned that a hangover, produced by alcoholic beverages after the intoxication has worn off, may be just as dangerous as the intoxication itself. For some, symptoms of a hangover are headache, dizziness, dry mouth, stuffy nose, fatigue, and impaired judgement. For me, It was several of those things and more. It is crucial for any pilot to understand that the majority of these adverse effects produced by alcohol affect the brain, the eyes and the inner ear: 3 very crucial organs for a pilot especially when encountering IFR conditions or flying at night. Now add the lack of sleep for 3 days, fatigue, and a night flight with bad weather, and the effects are extremely magnified.
The use of alcohol and drugs by pilots is regulated by FAR 91.17. Among other provisions, this regulation states that no person may operate or attempt to operate an aircraft:
• within 8 hours of having consumed alcohol
• while under the influence of alcohol
• with a blood alcohol content of 0.04% or greater
• while using any drug that adversely affects safety
The FAA, however, goes on to recommend that a more conservative approach is to wait 24 hours from the last use of alcohol before flying. They go on to state that this is especially true if intoxication occurred or if you plan to fly IFR. Cold showers, drinking black coffee or breathing 100% oxygen do not speed up the elimination of alcohol from your body.
I had not touch alcohol for over 13 hours prior to making that flight home from Atlanta, and though I was more than perfectly capable of flying my airplane safely. I was wrong. My best advice to any Pilot, and words I live by to this day: Wait at least 48 hours before flying after consuming any amount of alcohol and ensure you are well rested before flying, especially with passengers.
By the way, my friend is still my friend, but thank God I am around today to hear him make fun of the night where I couldn’t stand to go home!
It might be the worst situation a Pilot could ever face, dealing with an engine failure on takeoff. I assume most everyone knows someone or has heard of someone that has encountered this situation. In fact the first Flight Instructor I had as a Private Pilot, died in 1996 as he was testing flying a home built aircraft for a customer. His name was Dale Kome, Owner of Kome Flight School In San Diego, California.
The story of what happened to Dale was told to a select few who were able to visit Dale in the Hospital before he passed away from burns over 80% of his body. A Pilot, who’s name is unknown to me, on the field had just finished building a Glasair which was his first build. The Owner/Pilot of the Glasair had taken the aircraft for its first test flight and nearly stalled it in the local pattern at Brown Field. The Pilot consulted with Dale on what may have been assembled or adjusted incorrectly causing the potential unstable flight. Dale looked over the aircraft, made some suggestions for change and the Pilot made the recommended adjustments. Feeling a bit nervous, the Pilot asked Dale if he would ride with him on the next test flight, calling upon Dale’s long term flying experience, and Dale obliged the request in left seat.
On run-up and taxi, everything seemed ok, and Dale proceeded with a clearance for takeoff from the tower. Shortly after the wheels left the ground, the aircraft entered a fast climb, and knowing Dale as I did, I am sure he established (Vy) Best Rate Of Climb. At around 400 feet, the engine suddenly lost power with a quick sputter and Dale’s years of Flight Training took over for an emergency landing. Unfortunately, the owner of the aircraft sitting right seat also had the same instinct take over. Dale told the story of immediately trying to find a place to land, and to turn the aircraft to the major road left of the departure end. The Pilot/Owner, scared to lose his aircraft began to try and make a turn back to the field, and between the two mind sets, a fight over the controls ensued. The fight over the controls led the aircraft into a stall and subsequent crash into an automotive junkyard just 1 mile from the departure end of Brown Field, where the Owner/Pilot died on impact and Dale whom survivied the initial crash was engulfed with flames and burnt over 80% of his body. It was the poisoning from the burns and systematic organ failure that took his life just a few days later.
For years I have always reflected on the decisions that both Dale and the owner of the Glasair made in the crucial moments before the aircraft was lost. I wondered to myself, if they hadn’t fought over the controls, would Dale still be here? Could Dale have landed the airplane safely? Could he have turned the aircraft back around to the field and landed with the wind? Brown Field is one of the countries most interesting airports, as it has the Tijuana, Mexico border 1 mile south of the Field, A natural Canyon 1 mile north of the Field, a Mountain 3 miles east of the field, and limited population and mountains .5 miles west of the field. So when it comes time to think about an engine failure on takeoff, there are not a whole lot of options. A Pilot can chose from Otay Mesa Road or to make the impossible turn.
In my head, for many years I imagined if an engine failure on takeoff should ever occur while I am Pilot In Command, I will rapidly put the aircraft into a steep, hard, and fast turn back to the field. I would attempt to make an abraisive aerobatic manuever of sorts to sit the aircraft back on the runway from which I just departed.
Recently I had the oppotunity to log some Glass Cockpit Simulator Time with Dave Armbrust of Cirrus Aviation in Sarasota, Florida. I took the opportunity to discuss my theory of the impossible turn and voiced my super-pilot skills to Dave and a firm belief, that I could surely make it back to the field and land safely. Dave, being a well seasoned instructor who’s skills are surely sharper than mine if not as brave, had a different take on the matter. He began to tell me about causing simulated engine failures in the Full Motion – Red Bird Flight Simulator, and the reactions of the Pilot’s for whom were flying in these simulated conditions. It seems most of the Pilots for which Dave kills the engine on, would take some time to figure out that the engine had quit, and students will ask him, “What happened? Did the engine quit?” None of these students were able to sit the plane down safely, much less make the turn back to field.
So now it is my turn to put my “Super-Pilot Flying Skills” to the test in the Red Bird 172. Dave and I have discussed killing the engine on takeoff around 500 feet, and seeing if I can make the turn. As I begin my climb out in the 172, just off runway 34 in Sarasota, and nearing 500 feet (I wasn’t watching altitude yet as much as I was the HSI to ensure a stright line departure) there was a distinctful quiet in the cockpit. Dave laughed as I asked “What Happened, did the engine just quit?” Really, Did I just do what everyone else did, and I already knew that an engine failure was coming? Yes, I did just ask that question to my embarassment. Rapidly the plane started losing altitude. I am looking out the window to pick a landing spot, when the stall warning suddenly goes off, I turn fast back to the runway, the turn became uncoordinated and the simulator yawed horribly to the right. I fought with the controls to make the turn, and stab the rudder pedals to control my turn. There was no time to establish best glide angle, this was happening fast!
I did make it back to the field, but it surely wasn’t on the runway like I had imagined in my thoughts. Of course making the turn, and practicing an engine loss on takeoff is not a commonly practiced skill in a real airplane. However, I thought for sure I could have done this turn. With help from Dave Armbrust, we continued to time and time again practice this procedure off every runway at SRQ in the Red Bird simulator. I found that If I could rapidly identify the engine failure, even as early as 300 feet off the runway, I could make the turn, but not with some consequences of a rough and scary time. It is amazing how quickly the airspeed bleeds off in the turn, and full flaps are required in order to make it.
It is virtually impossible to make this turn safely, or in a manner for which you and the airplane will walk away without a scratch. The amount of time from the surprise of the engine failure until your brain is able to process what just happened causes a delay that leaves you little time to make the necessary controlled reactions to make the turn safely. Under 500 feet, with a delay in realization, leaves little to absolutely no time to perform an emergency check-list, and if you take the time to check fuel tanks, and mags, and attempt a restart, then your airplane is probably already about to stall if not impact the ground.
Fly the airplane! As un-natural as it feels knowing you are going down, push the nose over quickly to maintain airspeed, as airspeed bleeds off extremely fast in a departure attitude. I believe that this is the number one key to preventing the stall, as this will surprise you how quick it actually happens. Once you have nosed over and kept the airplane from stalling, forget even trying to do an emergency checklist, there is no time. Fly the Airplane to the closest and safest landing spot, be it a field, a road, highway or maybe in the case of many coastal airports, the water may be the safest place to land. If the only priority you establish Is airspeed, and picking a spot to land, there becomes time to add flaps and crack the doors open before landing.
As pointed out to me by Assistant Chief Pilot; Dave Armbrust of Cirrus Aviation, there are several good habits that you can form to help build your success if an engine failure was ever to occur on takeoff. These are:
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