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Posts Tagged ‘FAA’

Crosswinds can be a real problem – “On Landings Part I”

That is a actually a pretty good summary of how most pilots feel about crosswind takeoffs and landings.

Here are two usual methods taught  in accomplishing a crosswind approach and landing:

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Disorientation is a critical danger to flight safety not only because of how often it occurs but also because of how often the cases of disorientation result in fatal accidents.  In fact, during a recent 5 year study by the FAA it recorded over 500 accidents where disorientation played a large part in the accident.   Out of those 500 accidents, 90 % of them were fatal (AC 60-4A).

This 1973 flight training video developed by the FAA alerts pilots to inflight situations that are potentially disorientating by describing how this physiological phenomenon influences and often distorts flying judgments. It suggests that when physical senses are at variance with cockpit instruments, you should not randomly hit buttons.

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Even the best of pilots can be distracted in flight by preoccupation with personal problems, ranging from nagging wives to pressing business matters.  Mental distraction is a serious flight hazard (especially in the age of twitter and iPhones).  How five psychological problems frequently encountered by general aviation pilots affect their performance is dramatically presented here.

25 minutes, 1969, FA-801

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What makes an airplane get off the ground and stay aloft? This question and many more are answered in this easy-to-understand film which combines animation and live sequences to explain basic aerodynamics for general aviation pilots and high school science students alike. Forces of lift, weight, thrust and drag are shown in relation to flight. 16 minutes, 1969, FA-703

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The eagle is acclaimed for its keen eyesight and superior flying ability. This film, beautifully photographed in Alaska, stresses that a pilot’s “eagle” vision and flight safety go hand-in-hand. It acquaints the general aviation pilot with the physiology of pilot vision, particularly highlighting the limitations of the eye in flight and factors that can affect and impair sight and safety while airborne.  14 1/2 minutes, 1971 FA-05-70

From Mark, we have another question about Sport Pilot:

Does a current Private Pilot have to get a Sport Pilot rating as part of the requirements of being a CFI-SP Sport Pilot flight instructor?

Mark, the FAA has a table (pdf; it’s hard to track down!) that lists all the requirements for various SP certificates. CFI – Sport Pilot lines that are relevant to your question are here:

Training requirements:

• 150 Hours – Total
• Additional flight training requirements for each category and class.
• Sport Pilot certificate or higher
• Category and class privileges or rating

Testing requirements:

• CFI Recommendation - Knowledge test – Practical Test

So, you have to have at least 150 hours total time, and hold at least a sport pilot certificate with the appropriate category & class for the type of aircraft you will be teaching in. Aside from that, you’ll need to get a CFI endorsement and pass the knowledge & practical tests.

Scott writes:

I have the following certificates/ratings: ATP MEL, commercial helicopter, instrument helicopter, private SEL, and CFI helicopter. I am wanting to add a commercial or ATP to my SEL certificate, followed by my airplane CFI and MEI. 1st question: When I take my commercial checkride, does it have to be in a complex aircraft? 2nd question: I understand getting my ASEL CFI would be considered an add on. It is not clear to me what the requirements are for an add on. Any insight? Thanks.

Scott, the first place to look is the current ATP Practical Test Standards, FAA-S-8081-5F (pdf). There is no aircraft type requirement listed, and one of the CFIs I work with did her initial ATP checkride in a Skyhawk with fixed prop and gear. If you take a Commercial checkride, it must be done in a complex aircraft. The Commercial PTS, FAA-S-8081-12B (pdf) requires that if you add an ASEL rating to your Rotorcraft – Helicopter, you must do almost the entire checkride.

As far as the Instructor, Airplane addition goes, again we have to go to the CFI PTS, FAA-S-8081-6C (pdf) on page 36 of the pdf:

Adding an ASEL instructor rating to a RH instructor certificate.

For the addon checkride, most of the tasks have you refer to the notes under each area of operation. I won’t break it down task by task, but hopefully this will help you get started on the right path towards your new ratings.

In case you haven’t heard, the comment period is ending soon (Feb 27, 2009) for a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that has been issued by the TSA.  This NPRM seeks to amend the current Twelve Five Standard Security Program (TFSSP) and Private Charter Standard Security Program (PCSSP) and apply new security requirements to all aircraft weighing more than 12,500 pounds.  In short, the rules that apply to charter and airline customers for aircraft weighing more than 12,500 would now be applied to part 91 operators too!  If you fly an aircraft weighing more than 12,500 lbs than this will adversely affect you! Even if you don’t fly that size of aircraft, you will still feel the negative financial implications that a program like this will have on all of general aviation.

These new security requirements include:

• Crewmember fingerprint-based criminal history records checks (CHRCs)
• Watch-list matching of passengers
• Compliance with the prohibited items list (PIL)
• Compliance with security directives and information circulars
• Designation of an aircraft operator security coordinator (AOSC), ground security coordinator (GSC), and in-flight security coordinator (ISC)
• Training for crewmembers and other identified personnel
• Development and maintenance of contingency plans to respond to threats
• Compliance with security audit program (twice a year)

These items, although they sound harmless enough, would impose a very large, very costly overhead for all private operators of aircraft weighing over 12,500 lbs.  Imagine if you are a small flight department with a KingAir 350, do you think you could possibly afford either the time or money that will be required to comply with these kind of regulations and security requirements? I know my flight department couldn’t.

The one that really gets my goat is the compliance with the Prohibited List Items.  The only reason that many companies even own a plane is so that they don’t have to comply with that rule!  Many operators use aircraft to ferry mechanics and their specific tools that airlines prohibit on board.  Hopefully your passengers or owners don’t enjoy the occasional hunting trip, because you can kiss those  trips (and the guns) goodbye!

Why 12,500 pounds?  Well according to the FAA definitions a “large” aircraft is anything over…you guessed it, 12,500 lbs.

The TSA is convinced that large private aircraft have the same national security threat as a fully loaded 747.   If the TSA thinks that, that’s fine and I have no problem, but they need to prove that hypothesis by providing the studies and evidence that support it (which they haven’t done).

I highly highly encourage you to submit your comments before the comment period is closed.  Many citizens are disenfranchised with their government because they think they have little or no say.  Well, here is your chance to let your voice be heard!  Submit your comments and then call your congressman and senators to tell them specifically why you think this NPRM would adversely affect your business or career.

I thank you in advance for your help in defeating or in greatly modifying this oppressive regulation.

John writes asking about the W in the A.R.R.O.W. acronym:

With regards to the acronym “ARROW” for required documents: Where in the FARs is the specific requirement for the “W”? I realize the requirement would be indirectly there because of the requirement for the AFM. But the acronym would be rather lengthy if we listed all the required components of the AFM.

If you’re reading this post, and haven’t started flying yet, here is something you should know about aviation: we have a acronym and mnemonic for EVERYTHING.  Especially when it comes to remembering lengthy regulations.  In this case, ARROW is the acronym used to help remember the required basic documents and paperwork that must be on board every airplane to be legal.   To review:

A – Airworthiness Certificate

R – Registration

R – Radio Station License (not required in the U.S.)

O – Pilot Operating Handbook (specifically the Operating Limitations)

W – Weight and Balance

John’s question is simply, “Can you show me in the regs where it says we need the W?”  Sure John, I’d be happy to help.  I do want to point out though that acronymns and mnemonics are not officially recognized.  They are not endorsed by the FAA.  We use them in the training community simply as a memory aid and device.  Maybe sometime, a long time ago, some instructor decided that “ARO” wasn’t as easy to remember as “ARROW”.

There are actually a couple of places where  we can find this requirement though.  The most common one most instructors point to is…

1) FAR 91.103 – Preflight Action.

This regulation details the information that pilots are supposed to become familiar with  before each and every flight.  Of course, we have another mnemonic (RAWFAT) to help us remember the these requirements:

(I have place an asterisk by the ones that are only required for flights not in the immediate vicinity of the airport)

R- Runway lengths (every flight)

A – Alternates *

W – Weather *

F- Fuel requirements  *

A – ATC delays *

T- Takeoff/landing distance data (every flight)

Let’s look at the last one – T.  If you are required to know your takeoff / landing distance data for each and every flight, it is somewhat implied that you are going to have to know your weight and balance as your performance will vary, obviously, with changes in the aircraft’s gross weight.  In fact, 91.103(b)(2) states that if for some reason you are flying an older airplane, for which there is not the standard  takeoff and landing data tables than:

(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.

2) FAR 91.9 – Civil aircraft flight manual, marking, and placard requirements.

This regulation states pretty clearly that yes, we need an approved airplane flight manual but also:

..no person may operate a civil aircraft without complying with the operating limitations specified in the approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual…

In every limitation section of a Airplane Flight Manual (or POH) you will find a section detailing not only the max. and min. weight limits but also the center of gravity limits.  So again, this implies that if you are required to operate within these limitations than you will have to complete a weight-and-balance calculation prior to every flight.

3) FAR 43.5 – Approval for return to service after maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alteration.

This regulation states that if any major repair work has been done on your airplane and that repair work results in a change or alteration of the limitations of the airplane.  That information must be entered in the airplane flight manual (AFM).  That is why you see all those updated weight and balance forms in the aircraft’s AFM.  It’s required.

I hope this has helped answer your question about why the “W” is in “ARROW”.

Fly Safe.

Just received another good question from Todd who asks:

I passed my IFR written and failed the checkride. The written expires in a few days. Is it extended until I re-take the flight test?

Well Todd, I might have some bad news for you.  Your practical test must be completed within 24 calendar months of the completion of your written test.

I looked through the Designated Pilot Examiners’ Handbook, the Practical Test Standards and of course the FARs looking for an exception for you but couldn’t find anything to help you out. The only exception that I did find for this rule is found in 61.39(b) which allows an applicant to take the ATP practical with an expired written so long as he or she is employed by a 121, 125, or 135 carrier (with some further requirements).

The same FAR (61.39) makes it pretty clear when that the knowledge (written) test is to be done:

Pass the required knowledge test within the 24-calendar-month period preceding the month the applicant completes the practical test, if a knowledge test is required;

So hurry up and complete your practical before your written expires!  Once you get that instrument rating be sure to…

Fly Safe!