Spring 2005

Over the winter, I’ve been reading, in various flying publications, first-hand “there I was”-type stories, and I’m always impressed with the author’s honesty in describing soaring near thunderstorms, throttling back a VFR powered aircraft to descend through a quickly-shrinking “blue hole” in an otherwise solid undercast, or flying into lowering ceilings and deteriorating weather.
One of the primary causes of General Aviation accidents is “continued VFR flight into IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions).” The articles I was reading were written, obviously, by those who managed, through some combination of luck and skill (?) to survive this lapse in judgment. The mechanics of flying are relatively easy to teach and fairly easy to learn. The complexities of judgement, risk assessment, weather analysis and knowledge of one’s own limitations take a lifetime to master. There’s a children’s story or fable I remember nothing about except the repeated line, “Be bold. Be bold, but not too bold.” That should be the soaring pilot’s mantra.

There are some general rules I have stolen from elsewhere and put together to help speed the process of judgement development. These “rules” are more starting places for discussion than regulations to be memorized.

Rule 1: If it seems like the wrong thing to do, it probably is.
Rule 2: Takeoffs are optional. Landings are mandatory.
Rule 3: Never fly with anyone who says: “Watch this.”
Rule 4: Fly the aircraft first – everything else is of secondary importance.
Rule 5: We’ve never left one up there. Always have a landing site assured.
Rule 6: Nothing ever goes the way we expect.
Rule 7: There’s always something you don’t know.
Rule 8: If you got away with it once, don’t do it again.
Rule 9: There are too many rules. (How can I remember them all?)
Rule 10: There aren’t enough rules. (I need to make some that apply to me and my own limitations.)

More specific rules:

I. Carry photo I.D. – new requirement – for local law enforcement and FAA ramp checks post 9/11
II. Flight reviews – every two years
III. 90 day currency to carry passengers – in category and class
IV. medical condition – self-certifyV. Annual aircraft inspections
VI. Parachute inspections, repacks – 120 days for a “seat-type” chute
VII. Logs – aircraft and personal flight logs – up to date and “available”
VIII. 720 or 760 frequency radio – FCC requirement
IX. O2 requirements
X. Knowledgeable radio contact in controlled airspace:

a. Wave window – Boston Center before entering on 135.7
b. Class C airspace – 20 nautical mile circle around BTV – call Burlington Approach Control on 121.1 before entering
c. Above 6,000 feet in area near Sugarbush – courtesy call to BTV approach on 121.1
d. Yankee One and Two MOA in New Hampshire – informational/traffic check of military traffic with Burlington or Bangor Flight Service on 123.6, 122.2.

THE BIG RULE: THIS IS FUN!!! Oh, and remember: “Be bold. Be bold, but not too bold.”

Rick Hanson