Five Simple Tips for Safer Flying.

To conduct any flight safely calls upon a finely balanced mesh of preparation, self-discipline, manipulative skill and good old-fashioned common sense. Even when appropriately armed with the required skills, experience and knowledge, at the most basic level we are all only human. And while our ability to anticipate and reason can often provide the final filter in an unravelling airborne situation, the counter-punch is that we can sometimes make mistakes.

It is critical to recognise that we ALL make mistakes and any complacency to the contrary is not only vain and misdirected, but downright lethal. The best outcome is that we maintain an awareness of our human weakness and put measures in place to guard against it. In aviation these safeguards may take the form of checklists and standard operating procedures (SOP), or be as simple as taking your time.

Over the coming weeks I shall visit some of the very simple oversights that can have absolutely devastating consequences. They will be not appear in any particular order and I'm sure that there will always be more that can be added to the list. Hopefully this series will provoke some thought and highlight that it is not always the big ticket items that cause a tragedy. I do not write these points from any standpoint of authority as, like you, I am human and I have made mistakes. I am merely the messenger and there but for the grace of God go I.

Five Simple Tips for Safer Flying.

1. Fuel Caps.

Fuel and its management will feature highly in this series, but the humble fuel cap seems a good place to start. Potentially simple in their engineering and operation, they have brought a number of aircraft to grief over the years. Their purpose is simple; their removal serves to provide a portal for refuelling and on completion they are replaced to keep the contents within the tanks. Simple.

Unfortunately, their absence in flight serves to provide a wonderful source of suction which can quickly start to remove fuel from the tanks and into the slipstream. And if only it was as simple as only remembering to  put the fuel caps back on after refuelling, but there are a number of ways to be caught out.

Fuel caps can be cross-threaded as they are screwed in, sometimes they don't 'seat' properly and fail to create the perfect seal, others have fuel vents integrated into the cap that can become blocked. On the surface, the caps can appear to be correctly fitted when they are not, so it is always worth double-checking. There have also been instances where the contents haven't been visually checked by the pilot in the belief that the refueller had replaced the caps. High wing aircraft are more susceptible to such oversights and night-time can deprive the pilot of the opportunity to readily observe absent caps or the subsequent streaming fuel.

In a nutshell, never trust anyone else with matters of fuel; you are the pilot in command. If in doubt, shut down, get out and check the caps, or even return to land if the flight is underway. Not only will this resolve the issue, but even the doubt associated with a fuel issue can prove distracting and ultimately lead to an oversight in some other aspect of the flight. And when flying at night, take extra care pre-flight and incorporate a shine of the torch out onto the wings at regular intervals as part of your cockpit cycle. (If you're in cloud, check the leading edges for icing at the same time.)

Fuel caps are not a complex piece of equipment, but their absence can lead to major problems.

2. Control Locks.

Control or gust locks can vary in their nature. From a simple pin and flag device through the control column as many Cessnas employ, to actual blocks on the control surfaces to stop them blowing in the wind on the ground. A thorough pre-flight inspection should always be made for external gust locks. Whatever the system, it is critical to ensure that all flight controls are 'free' with the full range of movement in the correct sense prior to every departure. It's a simple check, but equally simply overlooked.

To further complicate the issue, I have seen 'home made' control locks that fail to have any type of warning flag. One was a nail through the hole in the control column that was supposed to be a control lock!

Here is an example of an aircraft that attempted to take of with the gust locks in and the crew had omitted to check the full and free movement of the controls prior to take off.

3. Pitot Tube Covers and Static Ports.

Once again, a thorough pre-flight inspection should ensure that the pitot covers are removed and that the static ports are clear. A failure to do so can result in absent or highly erroneous instrument indications that could lead to catastrophic outcomes for the instrument pilot and a difficult day at the office for those flying visually. A word of warning, always have another look at your aeroplane if you leave it unattended for any time after your preflight inspection. Well intentioned, but misguided, fellow pilots have been known to replace pitot covers believing that the aircraft was parked.

Always be suspicious of the pitot-static system of aircraft parked outside in the rain, or coming out of maintenance. Static ports can be covered over for painting and water can seep into them on those wet, windy nights. Check them externally and then confirm that the instruments in the cockpit are reading what you'd expect them to. Sometimes a 'zero' indication on your dials can be a good thing.

4. Shifting Loads.

Aircraft can be a great way of transporting goods as well as people, however freight can't be relied upon to remain seated with its belt fastened. Firstly, freight needs to be loaded in balance within the correct Centre of Gravity limits. (This will be another topic at a later date) Secondly, it needs to be secured against any movement in flight for a number of reasons.

Turbulence can very quickly turn loose items into projectiles while the acceleration of a take-off roll can potentially move a load out of the Centre of Gravity limits that you've so correctly calculated. This can potentially render the aircraft uncontrollable, just as loose items can render the pilot unconscious. Similarly, in a rejected take-off or forced landing, an unsecured load will hurtle forward with a good deal of energy.

Even though inanimate objects can be carried on passenger seats, always ensure that they are appropriately secured. A failure to do so can transform harmless cargo into a potential accident.

5. Secure Your Seat.

I have known first hand of a seat sliding back on take-off leading to the death of the pilot. It may seem a very simple thing, but aircraft seats can be somewhat complex in their adjusting mechanisms; fore and aft on rails, up and down for height, upright or reclined. Inevitably, each setting is adjusted by each pilot and some wear on the mechanisms eventually occurs.

Should the seat slide back on the point of rotation when the rearward force is possibly at its greatest, the pilot may well suffer a double conundrum. Sliding back, the pilot inadvertently pulls the control column fully aft and pitches the nose dangerously up towards the sky. Secondly, with a critically high nose attitude and reducing airspeed, gravity prevents the pilot from getting forward to regain control of the aeroplane. A low level stall is virtually inevitable.

Always ensure the security of your seat and don't be afraid to 'rock on the rails' a bit. I actually push back on the seat before every take-off prior to advancing the throttle or thrust levers as a last check. Once again, a seat inadvertently sliding back is something so very simple.

So there are the first five simple oversights that can potentially produce devastating outcomes. We're all only human, so lets all take that extra moment and a second look to make sure that one of these simple issues doesn't turn and bite us. Check back here for the next offering in the “Five Tips” series.

Safe flying!

Owen

"Taking Flight" (Part Two)

Ready?

For many of us, the hardest part of the day is opening our eyes, throwing our legs over the side of the bed and starting the day. Our mind hasn’t quite snapped out of its slumber and our bodies are not yet fully prepared for motion. It won’t take much to get going, but there is that short lag in the lead up to the day. For an aircraft, leaping into the sky is not too dissimilar.

As the aircraft sits in the run-up bay, it may only be minutes since it too has ‘woken it up’. Its temperatures and pressures may be sitting in the lower bands of the dials and its trim setting, flaps and fuel selections may be left over from the night before. It would be pointless and foolhardy to open the throttles in this state and expect with full assurance that the aircraft will perform soundly and safely take us aloft. To this end, the pre take-off sequences are a vital aspect of flight.

Every company and individual will have their own order of events; just as long as there is an order. It will comprise of such components as checklists, engine run-ups and briefing (see "Well Chosen Words") to ensure that pilot and aeroplane are both ready for the flight ahead and in particular the critical take-off manoeuvre that is now imminent. It is important not to rush this process as too often a simple oversight of fuel selection, an unsecured seat or flap setting has brought an otherwise serviceable aeroplane to grief.

This is the last point where the security of the earth still offers limitless options in a comfortable environment. Use the pre-take-off sequences, and a short pause afterwards, to ensure that you are absolutely satisfied that all issues have been addressed prior to take-off. It is often said that it is better to be on the ground wishing that you were in the air, than the other way around. Take a moment prior to each take-off to remember this.

With all bases covered and a serviceable aeroplane ready to go, it’s time to take flight.

Straight Up.

Approaching the holding point, cast one eye to the sky to gain an appreciation of the traffic situation, local weather and anything of interest such as flocks of birds. Confirm that the windsock reflects what you have planned upon and consider how it may affect your take-off. In other words, start gaining a deeper appreciation of the airborne environment that you are about to launch into.

Even with a clearance at a controlled airport, take a good look in both directions before lining up as even Air Traffic Controllers and other pilots can make mistakes. Having attended to the housekeeping of external lights, transponder verifying that you are on the correct runway, the aircraft is now lined up on the centre-line and awaiting for the actions that will convert it from an earthbound misfit to a gravity defying machine.

Everything about the take-off should be smooth. From the gradual advancement of power, to directional control and rotation, there should be a degree of ease in every motion. This is not only sound aircraft handling, but offers a greater opportunity to detect any abnormalities that may arise. While the eyes are predominantly outside, there should be a brief scan of the engine instruments to check for normal indications, noting the RPM to confirm that the required power is being produced. For turbocharged engines, there is always the potential for an ‘over boost’ situation as well. When all is confirmed to be in order, the scan inside should mainly be seeking the critical speeds as the take-off develops.

If you routinely fly the same aeroplane, there may be a gross error check of how much time or how far down the runway it takes to accelerate to a certain speed. This can provide an early warning to a poorly performing engine or a significantly contaminated runway surface.

The Take Off Safety Speed (TOSS) provides a margin over the stall speed and is a minimum speed for lifting off and flying away safely. It may differ from the recommended lift off speed at which the pilot rotates the aircraft into the air, but is always worth committing to memory as a critical speed. Coaxing an aircraft into the air prematurely can leave an aircraft ‘mushing’ along in ground effect with no chance of actually climbing away. Furthermore, it cannot be emphasised enough to follow the manufacturer’s recommended take-off technique as aircraft can have their own idiosyncrasies.

The actually rotation of the aircraft into the air should be smooth and is often quoted as being around 3 degrees per second. Whatever the rate is, the aircraft should not be ‘yanked’ abruptly into the air as this introduces a series of potential issues from tail-strikes to over-rotation and the bleeding of speed at a critical time.

Eased into the air at the correct speed, the take-off will provide the aircraft with the best available performance. In real terms this equates to safety margins on minimum speeds and optimum obstacle clearance at the far end. From there the task involves establishing a safe climb-out and configuring the aeroplane for departure. Just as you handle the aeroplane with ease, approach this task with a measured technique.

What’s the Hurry?

Once airborne, the job is far from over. Vigilance remains an important task and should be spread between flying the aircraft accurately, monitoring aircraft performance, looking out for traffic and being at the ready for the dreaded engine failure after take-off. By virtue of this, the pilot on ‘climb out’ is quite occupied and the workload is high. Throw into the mix a radio transmission or two at an unfamiliar airfield and it can become downright busy.

To this end, there is no hurry to attend to secondary tasks. Jet airliners normally climb to 1,000 feet before they consider reducing power and this isn’t a bad policy when the aircraft is equipped with prop levers either. Why hurriedly turn off auxiliary fuel pumps or retract the take-off flaps unless there is a chance of exceeding their extension speed? Climb the aircraft away from the ground and then begin to converting it into the cruise climb.

There would undoubtedly be a great deal of regret if the wrong switch was actioned or an actual failure took place as the fuel boost pump was flicked off at 300’. After all, it is there to back up the engine driven pump in critical phases and normally, if the engine genuinely fails, one of the first actions is to switch it on. So just leave it alone. And that is not to mention the fact that actioning switches and confirming indications draws the eyes inside the cockpit when they should either be outside or focussed on an instrument scan if in IMC.

In a similar fashion, when a light aircraft with a retractable undercarriage takes off at a major airport with 3,500m of runway, there’s no urgency to retract the undercarriage. If the engine stops, you’re landing ahead so you might as well already have the gear out and not sweat on it extending in time in an emergency. A number of pilots call “runway away, gear away” as the upwind threshold disappears under the nose.

Like the take-off roll and rotation, the climb out and re-configuration should be done with method and forethought, not haste. Consider the variables well before you advance the throttles and the departure will unfold far more smoothly. Aircraft should be flown and not merely pushed around without giving consideration to handling and consequences. It is just one more area of airmanship that separates flight from so many other activities.

Taking Flight.

The take-off is a relatively simple manoeuvre which constitutes a critical phase of flight. It is one of those aspects of aircraft handling that is easy to do, but easy to do badly. What further compounds the challenge are the seemingly endless variables that can impact upon the take-off sequence.

In "Taking Flight" (Part Three), we will examine a range of normal conditions and dire emergencies that can directly affect the way in which an aircraft takes to the air. From subtle safety strategies to countering different conditions we will see that there is more than one way to take flight.

Safe Flying!

Check back here soon for Part Three of "Taking Flight."

Overhead Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport.