THE TEST COMES LATER ....
Acknowledgements: Thomas P. Turner, Mastery Flight Training, Inc. (Flight Instructor Hall of Fame inductee)
(Ed.Note: You’ve probably got a bit more time to read at the moment, so here’s most of this week’s offering from Tom to help you to pass the time wisely ....)
“Now you have a license to learn”:
That’s the common coda to a successful Practical Test, as the examiner hands you a temporary paper certificate that includes your newest pilot certificate or rating. The idea is that you have demonstrated your competence in the basic tasks and manoeuvres deemed necessary to exercise those new privileges. But you are at the starting point, not the end of the process ....
“You are never as good as the day you pass the check-ride”:
Logically that’s true, because you have been focusing time, effort and funds toward the specific goal of developing the competence that earns you that piece of temporary paper. From then on, unless you work hard, your skills will degrade.
Fast forward a decade or two: You’re the captain of an intercontinental Boeing 777 at the end of a 12-hour flight arriving at a world-class destination airport when Approach Control calls: “Flight 123, radar services terminated, frequency change approved, cancel IFR when able….” Decades into a career of all-Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operation suddenly you need to remember the rules for arriving visually at a nontowered airport, when you are permitted to cancel your IFR clearance, and how to cancel IFR (not to mention the fact youhave to cancel your IFR clearance). Once landed, taxi to your gate without ground control because they’re gone too ....
Or, perhaps you’re still an avid personal aviation pilot flying your Cessna T210. Weather conditions are Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC). But there’s still an overcast above Visual Flight Rules (VFR) minimums, lowering to Marginal VFR closer to your destination. You are flying GPS-direct en-route and plan to pick up an IFR clearance from Centre controllers before you have to descend to remain at least 500 feet below the cloud base. When you call Centre for a pop-up clearance, however, no one answers. You check and recheck the frequency — you had it right — and you try a couple of other frequencies with the same result. Finally, a controller replies but you are far removed from her sector. She tells you that the Centre facility is closed, and you will not be able to get an IFR clearance until you exit Centre’s airspace ....
(in the U.S.) both of these events were real this week as COVID-19 contamination led to decisions to close Air Traffic Control facilities ....
The LESSON is simple:
No matter what your experience or the type of aircraft you fly, you can all be called upon to perform any task evaluated on any of the Practical Tests for the certificates and ratings you hold, at any time.
As you continue to improve and enhance your skills, don’t forget the need to stay informed and practicedon everything you’ve demonstrated to the examiners’ satisfaction on all of the Practical Tests you’ve ever taken — each check-ride, after all, is a review of the minimum competence you must be able to demonstrate at any time.
One more saying is that “many times the test comes first, and the LESSON comes later”. The corollary is that we need to retain those little-used skills, because you never know when circumstance or uncertain times make you repeat the test many years later.
When you’re able to fly again, if the COVID-19 response has grounded you, test yourself on your ability to fly all of the manoeuvres you proved you could master at least once in your life.
While you wait, spend your extra time reviewing things you learned for your past tests, as well as the myriad things that are not on the Knowledge and Practical tests, but alone or in combination have a huge impact on your mastery of your aircraft.
In the Mastery Flight Training Airmanship Model, the four stripes on a Captain’s epaulets symbolise pursuit and attainment of each of these goals:
1. Mastery of the aircraft, its systems and avionics
2. Mastery of the environment, including weather, airports and airspace
3. Mastery of human factors including Aeronautical Decision-Making and fitness for flight
4. Mastery of command — anticipation of what is about to unfold; use of available resources in and out of the aircraft; and directing action for yourself and supporting resources
To be the effective and well-rounded captain of your aircraft you must pursue and develop mastery in all four of these areas. If you detect (or are told) you have a deficiency in one of these areas, now’s the time seek out training and education in that area to fill your experience gap ....
The POH – things they never knew, or had forgotten: Last week, readers were asked to read the Limitations section of their airplane handbook. Responses came from pilots of Light Sport aircraft to light jets and everything in between — thanks for your enthusiasm. Here’s just a small sample of the responses they sent:
No smoking while flying with the rear cargo door removed.
Zero Fuel Weight for my airplane is 3112 pounds on a Maximum Gross Weight of 3400 pounds.
Fill the tip tanks first, use the mains first.
Max baggage in each bin 4.4 pounds
VNE = VFE @ 10-degree flaps
Do not take off when the Fuel Quantity Gage indicates in the Yellow Band or with less than 10 gallons in each main tank. I thought it was as long as you have 10 gallons in the tank you are taking off with.
Emergency extension of flaps up to 130 mph. I didn't even know you could.
There are max entry speeds for manoeuvres (Lazy Eights, Chandelles, Steep Turns) that are lower than VA
The Flight Load Limit with flaps down is 3G vs 4.4G with flaps up
The VNE increases with altitude
The plane is certified in both the Normal and Utility categories. In the Utility category, I was aware that the plane was certified for spins, but I didn’t realize there were limitations on the entry to both spins and stalls.
The flaps down stall speed at maximum gross weight is lower than that at a medium weight ....
What surprises await in your aircraft Limitations? Now’s the time to find out!
737 Captain and regular reader Amnon Shmueli writes: The 4-stripe model you built is so true .... in the end, there is not so much difference between flying a Boeing 737 and GA airplanes, it always come to the 3 fundamentals: Aviate, Navigate and then Communicate”.
STAY SAFE UNTIL YOU CAN FLY SAFE AGAIN!