Summer Is Here

Just a Reminder as we get into the busy flying season. Please take time to do things right as in your attitude towards flying in general. Many times, we get so used to flying into an area we take for granted its always going to be the same. Well I have news for you. It’s ain’t the same.

Just sitting around the airport I see and hear a lot of interesting approaches and communications. As an example, most pilots call leaving the pattern and their intentions. Just today I was inbound to Jeffco. This guy departs the airport runway 27 and says he’s leaving the pattern headed my way from base leg. I knew he meant crosswind but come on, he never even answered when I asked his position.

At Sequim, I was waiting for departure and a 150 comes in never calls downwind base final or going around after three bounces on the runway. He sucks the flaps up sinks almost to the ground and lumbers off to the west. Never saying a word. Probably had the radio turned down or the wrong frequency. If you don’t hear anyone for a while check your radios first. It’s just part of cockpit management. Leave the radios turned up even if you are trying to talk to the other person in the cockpit. If they are your passenger just tell them in a polite way that when they hear radios stop talking. I hold up my finger. Not the middle one either.

I know most are not from the professional pilot background but we all go thru the same training at one point. I’d never say I don’t make mistakes. Far from it. But I strive to do things in a standard way.

At this last Young Eagles event, several things came to my attention. One was a formation flight that just about did not end well. It was 100 feet, maybe closer. Neither pilot saw the other aircraft. The one pilot called many times and entered the pattern in a standard way. The other aircraft did none of that.

Another comment was a pilot going the wrong way around the circuit.

If we have ONE problem with a child in this Young Eagle Program forget all the great previous flights. The club will get shut it down and I guarantee we will be sued for everything we have.

So, what I’m saying is like Tom Hart said a long time ago. I was standing there on the ramp and he asked all the pilots what they were going to do as in flying and so on. Not one pilot had any idea of which way they were going to fly how high and which direction in a 10-minute circuit around Sequim. Things have evolved since then and I darn sure don’t want to see it go the other way. We have rules and procedures…find out what they are at the pilot briefing and follow them.

A friend of mine climbed into an airplane last month for a trip to the Valdez Alaska STOL competition. He asked me if I had ever flown this particular pass. Yep, I said, it can be really bad. He told me it was the worst turbulence he has ever been in. They had the warnings… 40 kts wind in the mountains… I think he maybe was thinking about the half way point maybe we should turn around. But here’s the kicker…it was too narrow to turn so he was along for the ride. They showed me a video of the turbulence before the pass. My questions is; did they think it was going to get better in the pass?

One airplane crashed trying to get there the next day. Both died. A student pilot and a passenger. Interesting huh? Did anyone catch that? He crashed in a pass that has a ton of metal in there. These guys thought they were going to crash in the C-170. My friend took the airliner back to Anchorage. He wasn’t impressed with the decision making of the guy he flew in with.

This is what I’m trying to say this month: stay alert, turn around before it gets bad, always take plenty of fuel. Make sure you and your equipment are up to the flight. File a flight plan. Study up a little before you go to a new airport. Slow down and think.

Some folks are going to do long cross countries, think about how long each day you are going to fly. 8 hours in the air is a loooong day. That’s about 15 hours of duty.

If you are going to Alaska, you have the sun in your favor but the long days make several landings harder and harder to do well. Plus, the FBO’s shut down, the hotels are a long way from the airport and staying at an airport crash pad is an emergency sleep program. You won’t get into town for a good meal and it gets worse from there. If you think you might go up the coast in a single engine airplane…well it’s been nice knowing you.

The Highway? Remember, landing on the Highway out of fuel is not good flight planning. The Canadians frown on it. That means you didn’t plan well. You cannot pass up any major airports for fuel or food.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great flight everyone should do. The flying is great, the scenery is fantastic and the people really helpful. Ha, but it can snow, rain and there are thunder storms in the afternoon.

Fly Safe. Use your best judgement. Trust your gut. Don’t be afraid to turn around. Remember this is flying program is supposed to be fun. If it isn’t fun you are not doing it right.

Mike Radford President, EAA chapter 430