FIRST RULES
Acknowledgements: Dan Namowitz (AOPA USA) & Aircraft Spruce &
Specialty Co.
(Ed. Note: Another piece of sound
advice for student pilots from Dan Namowitz, and if in response to the final
sentence of the article you do come up with other “first rules”, feel free to
pass them on to your fellow students. Don’t be shy - In terms of flight safety,
knowledge is for sharing!)
“The trainer on short final has just passed
through a burble of turbulence that seemed to arise out of nowhere in the still
morning air. Not very severe, but the surprise bundle of bumps was enough to
nudge the trainer toward the side of the runway and disturb the pre-solo
student pilot’s careful aligning of the airplane’s longitudinal axis with the
fast-rising runway’s extended centreline.
This is a good spot to hit the pause button because there are two ways
this scenario might develop, and any flight instructor who has been plying the
trade for a while has seen both.
What a CFI sometimes observes before
quickly intervening is the trainee commencing a desperate wrestling match with
the airplane in a stressed-out effort to get back in position in time to make a
(probably awful) touchdown, with resulting harrowing hijinks on the runway.
This is a red flag, suggesting that lots more training is called for in
the headwork department, and in basic aircraft control. What the instructor wants to see, and has been prepared for an
opportunity to observe, is for the student to:
- calmly advance the throttle to climb power and start a go-around
- then aerodynamically “clean up” the airplane in the climb
- then announce the baulked landing on the radio
That sequence of steps is important. Taking them out of order can
produce inferior results, or worse.
The first rule for any flying situation is of course to “fly
the airplane”, but beyond that there are scenario-specific firsts to keep in mind.
For example, the
first rule of a
go-around, after applying the above first rule for all flying scenarios, is to add
power and attend
to the checklist’s follow-up chores. Communicating is not a top priority in that instant, although some
pilots seem irresistibly drawn to their microphones at such times.
A pilot trained to deal with some
tasks first and others only when the scenario’s workload
permits has taken a big step toward a solo endorsement, and has demonstrated
the safety consciousness solo privileges demand.
Other “firsts”:
- What is the first rule of safe aircraft operation? Use the checklist.
- What is the first rule of a stall recovery? Lower the angle of attack.
- What is the first rule of flying a training manoeuvre? Perform a clearing turn.
- What’s the first rule of making a radio transmission? Wait until the frequency is clear.
- What's he first rule for evaluating weather? If in doubt, don’t go.
Perhaps you have come up with a few of your own, likely designed to keep
you from repeating a past mistake”.
FLY SAFE!