COLD WEATHER PROCEDURES:

• Do not fly any of the planes if the outside GROUND temperature is less than 5 degrees Fahrenheit (I think Oracle may have the same policy as Jack had which was a 20 degree limit)
• Make sure the winterization kit is on the Arrow when temps are consistently below freezing.
• PLUG IN THE TANNIS PRE-HEAT SYSTEMS ALWAYS WHEN TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 40 DEGREES. Basically, keep them plugged in throughout the winter months even if we have a rare day above 40 degrees!
• The board recently decided to not FILL/TOP the Arrow and Bonanza during the winter months. The Arrow should be brought up to the TABS when refueled, while the Bonanza should be fueled to the bottom of the collars. The Cessna 172 will continue to be TOPPED during the winter. If you need to have a specific amount on the planes for an upcoming cross country, please notify previous owners who are flying the plane so they can refuel the plane to your needs.
• Things can get much dirtier in the planes in the winter because we’re tracking in sand and grit. Please do a good job of cleaning the planes on the inside. There are small vacuums in the hangar to help you do this.
• A CO Patch is a good idea if you’re going on long cross countries. They are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased through Sporty’s and other aviation stores.
• Check the pitot heat on EVERY pre-flight to make sure adequate heat is being generated. It’s not uncommon to have the heating element go out.
• If you are at any other airport overnight and have it outside: drain the fuel thoroughly, remove all ice, snow and frost, and work with the FBO for pre-heat options. If you are on a long cross country and will be at your location for a few days, see if the FBO can hangar your plane the night before your departure. It may cost a few dollars, but it’s cheaper than deice fluid and keeps the plane out of the elements before your actual departure. Take a long extension chord with you on a cross country. Many FBOs have electrical outlets on their ramp that you can plug in the Tannis pre-heat.
• Runway conditions, lengths, and widths are important in the winter, especially on cross country flights. Call the FBO and get their take on runway conditions or you may be in for a surprise.
• If you can pre-heat the cockpit while you get a cup of coffee or do a long pre-flight – DO IT! Warming the instruments will pay dividends. However, don’t leave any heating elements in the plane unattended.
• Let the engine warm up thoroughly before taking off. Take your time on taxi procedures and before take-off checklists.
• The “experts” feel avoiding maneuvers that require low power settings (stalls, MCA, etc.) when temps are below 20 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended.
• Don’t set parking brakes after heavy use of them in real cold weather. Hot brakes will freeze solid. Let them cool first.
• When taking off in slushy or snowy runways, re-cycle the gear. The gear has been known to freeze in the wheel well.
• When landing on snow pack or slush, use the brakes sparingly – just like in a car.
• By the way, 30 seconds of cranking is like 50 hours of flight time wear and tear on the engine.
• Avoid icing conditions – if you can’t . . . . . higher airspeed, no flaps on
  landings is recommended if you inadvertently pick up ice.

Kevin Broderick, ATP, CFII, Skyhawk Club Safety Officer

Taxiing an airplane seems like a mundane topic, but during the winter time, it requires
special attention. Keep the following tips in mind during the cold (and warm months!)

• If you’ve noticed the ice buildup in the taxiways at Millard, you’ll notice that
  taxiing the plane to proper runways can be slippery. Keep your taxi speed very
  slow, so that you have the ability to stop when a plane “appears” from another
  hanger taxiway at breakneck speed OR, for that matter, a VEHICLE.
• Once you hit dry pavement, go through your left, right, and dual brake test.
  Better to find out on the ground you’ve got one break out or mushy than when
  you land on a slick runway and you really need it. If you don’t test it, you may
  end up in the grass (or snow bank) after landing. It’s not uncommon for one
  break to freeze solid if you taxi through snow and then take off. So that means
  when you land, have it in the back of your mind that one of your brakes could
  have frozen solid and may not allow the tire to turn. When you touchdown, it
  will immediately yaw to the side where the brake is frozen so be prepared.
• While taxiing at a fast walk, take the time to check your instruments. Is the turn
  coordinator and ball moving correctly? Is the attitude indicator warmed up?
  Does the VSI read ‘0’? Cold can play havoc on the instruments, so give them a
  chance to warm up.
• Get a feel for the taxiway for grip. If the taxiway is slick, then chances are the
  runway will be the same. Remember, taking off may not be real difficult on a
  slightly slick or patchy runway, but landing can be an altogether different story
  when trying to maintain directional control. When taxiing out onto the runway,
  look down the runway to see if conditions are the same. If you’re not sure,
  there’s nothing wrong with a fast taxi down the runway to gauge the conditions
  of the pavement. It will only cost a few dollars in fuel instead of possibly your
  life later.
• If the temperature is below 10 degrees F, I would recommend choosing another
  day to fly. If it drops to 5 degrees or less, club rules forbid any flying. Also,
  make sure the planes are plugged in and are topped off after each flight this
  winter season.

AS A REMINDER, PLEASE MAKE SURE THE HANGAR DOORS ARE
COMPLETELY UP BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO PUT THE PLANES AWAY.
IT’S VERY EASY TO THINK “OH, I’LL CLEAR IT” AS THE DOOR IS BEING
RAISED. NO YOU WON’T. IT’S LOWER THAN YOU THINK. WAIT UNTIL
YOU DON’T HEAR OR SEE THE DOOR BEING RAISED ANY MORE AND
CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT’S AS HIGH AS IT WILL GO (THE RED MARKS
ON THE SIDE WILL INDICATE THAT). ALSO, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU
KEEP THE MAINS ON THE YELLOW LINE BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO
THE MIDDLE RED LINE (TO LINE UP THE TAIL) WHEN PUTTING IT BACK
INTO THE HANGER.

REMEMBER TO PLUG IN THE TANNIS PRE-HEAT, TRICKLE
CHARGER (C-172 & BONANZA), AND,TURN LIGHTS OFF BEFORE
LEAVING.

Kevin Broderick, ATP, CFII and Skyhawk Flying Club Safety Officer

With the beautiful flying weather that USUALLY exists in the fall (although ours has been pretty bizarre as of late!), it’s also a great time to do some night flying and also practice night landings and procedures. Make sure you are night qualified (three takeoffs and landings TO A FULL STOP). I flew for the first time in months this past week. I noticed a couple things that I forgot were ‘special’ items to consider for night flight.

The first is night flight preparation. Do a night preflight that includes checking all weather and especially NOTAMS. Millard is notorious for having unlit cranes and other equipment in the area. Lately, they also have issues with their VASI lights being out. KNOW before you actually launch where the problem spots are around or near the airport traffic area. During your preflight in one of our planes, check all lights – inside and out. Have two flashlights – preferably red lights with you at night in case you have any electric failure. Don’t forget that a good pre-flight procedure will make your night flight much less anxious. Use those flashlights to help you with the preflight and do as much as you can in the hangar while you have some light.

When you get in the air, make sure you are doing a good job of scanning your instruments, because the lack of a horizon and/or moon may be disorientating. When landing, ALWAYS use the VASI if available at whatever airport you may be landing. That will guarantee terrain and obstacle clearance (unless the NOTAM says otherwise). You might want to shallow your level out just a tad sooner when landing so you can avoid a potentially damaging nose-wheel landing. Night landings really test your depth
perception so give yourself some wiggle room until you feel comfortable.

I’m reminded of a time when I took off from North Platte’s airport late at night. The area was so black, with few ground lights, that it really seemed like instrument conditions. I was glad to have done some hood work recently that helped make that experience a non-event. However, I learned a great lesson . . . . night flying needs to be part of everyone’s flying habits. If it’s been a while since you’ve flown at night, consider calling an instructor to help you sharpen your depth perception and night flying skills.

Here’s some more reminders:

• Don’t forget the oxygen recommendation for flying above 5,000 at night. Night vision can be affected.
• Pre-flight will be critical. CHECK all of your lighting inside and out of the plane. Always have red lights or small flashlights readily available when needed. Double-check the health of the battery, alternator and voltage regulator.
• Obviously, make sure weather is not an issue when sharpening your skills. Blundering from night VFR into IMC is not a good situation to be.
• If you’re going to Omaha or Lincoln or a large airport, please study the airport diagrams. I really believe doing that is a great experience at night, but remember that a large array of bright, multi-colored lights can be very confusing. Study your airport markings and lighting before launching from point A to point B.

Kevin Broderick, ATP, CFII, Skyhawk Safety Officer

This month, I decided that it would be beneficial for club members to hear from one of our members, Dan Wilkey, who recently experienced full electrical failure in the Bonanza and how he handled the situation. I appreciate Dan sharing his experience, what he learned, and what he’d do differently. Dan did a great job of calmly handling the emergency, but above all, FLYING THE PLANE AS HIS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.

Here’s Dan’s account of the incident:

I had just taken off from Creston, IA, and the first indication of a problem was right after take-off, when the JPI started flashing 11.7 volts. However, the ammeter still showed the alternator was charging. At the time, it didn’t seem reasonable that both could be true, and I had no way of determining if the JPI was accurate. So, I cycled the alternator to see what would change, and the JPI shut off, then came back on when I turned the alternator back on. More on that later— I knew that shouldn’t happen, but with the
ammeter showing a charge, and everything else working fine, I continued on. When I cycled the alternator, I validated that the ammeter swung from Charge to Discharge, I began to think maybe the JPI was failing. However, over the next few minutes, the JPI showed the voltage was continuing to drop, and eventually the JPI started blinking out, before finally staying off. The 430 and transponder were still working fine, so I still didn’t know if the issue was isolated to the JPI. Shortly after that, I smelled something strange (not like a wire burning smell, but just something unusual), I asked ATC to divert to the closest airport, Atlantic, IA, which they cleared me to. Within less than a minute, the entire comm. stack went out, I shut off the battery and alternator switches. Fortunately, I still had Fore Flight for navigation, so I circled over Atlantic while I worked out power and slowed down. I cranked down the gear and began a circling decent through the IMC. Since my ADS-B receiver (FlightBox) is self powered, I was still able to get FIS-B weather in ForeFlight, which allowed me to confirm the ceiling height (3900′ AGL) and preferred runway at Atlantic. After exiting the IMC, I was
able to locate the airport quickly, and get in the downwind for runway 02. With no electrical, I couldn’t trigger the PAPI to turn on, as I executed a no-flaps landing. I crossed my fingers that the gear was fully down and locked (no indicator lights), and I quintuple-checked that I couldn’t get the crank to turn any further.

Once on the ground, I knew ATC would be looking for me, which was confirmed by the fire truck showing up at the airport. They had already contacted the FBO, asking if they had seen us. The first thing I did was let MSP Center know that everyone was safe. There happened to be an IA at Atlantic, and he looked everything over, but couldn’t find anything obvious. He hooked up his alternator tester and had me start the engine. When I did, the JPI came on and it was showing the normal 13.7v, and his tester showed the alternator was charging. With everything working as expected, I took it up in the pattern to see if the low voltage or smell returned. With very thing still working normally, I decided to make the short flight back to Millard. However, not knowing the exact cause of the loss of electrical, I definitely didn’t trust it to fly to my intended destination of Pierre, SD. Oracle checked the plane over, and they found that a bad key switch was allowing the starter to stay on. I shared all the details I could with Oracle’s IA, and it all does seem to add up: Having just landed in Creston to pick up family, I did not do another run-up (no mag check). Apparently, after starting the engine, the starter continued to run, which placed a sizable load on the electrical system. Not as much as it does when cranking the engine, but apparently enough that the alternator couldn’t keep up. Had I not had a headset on, I may have heard the starter howling. I immediately lined up for departure and took off, so as not to exceed the void time of my clearance.
With the alternator continuing to outpace the charging of the alternator, the battery voltage started to drop, as indicated by the JPI. However, since the alternator was still charging, the ammeter was also telling the truth. This is a function of where the ammeter is placed in the electrical circuit.

Without going into gory details on how an ammeter works, this would be one of the few situations where the gauges could show low voltage with the alternator charging normally. Anyway, when I cycled the alternator, the battery voltage must have dropped below the JPI’s lower limit, which is why it shut off. The rest of the avionics stack must not be quite so sensitive, which is why it stayed on. However, once the voltage got low enough, everything blanked out. We suspect the smell may have been from the
starter getting warm from running for 20 minutes. Oracle confirmed that the key switch was bad by starting it on the ground, pulling the mixture, and then watching the prop continue to spin since the starter never shut off. They were able to duplicate it several times, so the key switch was replaced. As you can imagine, I’ve ran the situation through my mind countless times, looking for areas where I could have done something different or better. Over the years, I’ve wrestled with the value/necessity of doing a run-up after a short layover between flights. I still can’t say whether I think a full run-up is “necessary”, but even an informal “mag check”
while taxing would have prevented this situation. I’m guessing this isn’t a common failure, but in hindsight, it would be easy to avoid. Also, the thought of the starter being stuck did occur to me inflight, but in the moment, I didn’t feel it would be prudent to start messing with the key switch while dealing with the other issues. Not that dropping a mag inflight would spell certain doom, but I’m naturally inclined to follow the saying of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. When I got to Pierre the next day (after driving there), someone said: “I guess your flight didn’t go as planned”. Actually, it did……it just wasn’t a plan I thought I’d ever really need to execute. You see, I believe that luck favors the prepared. That’s a big reason that I bring my FlightBox on every cross country flight, or when flying in actual. I intentionally have it running on its own battery, in case of complete electrical failure, or even if just the alternator goes out. The less load on the main system, the better. Also, I’m very glad that I read the book “Stick and Rudder”. If nothing else, there is one key piece of information that I use anytime I’m landing at a field with no glide path guidance– the spot on the ground that isn’t moving up or down is exactly where you’re headed (the book describes it in detail). This may be inherent knowledge to some, but 99% of my landings have been at fields with a VASI or PAPI, and many are on all the time. With no radio, I couldn’t trigger the PAPI to come on at Atlantic. With the knowledge from the book, I flew a stabilized approach and landed on the numbers. My family didn’t really know what was going on, and I purposely didn’t tell them. Had I needed help locating the field, or if I wasn’t familiar with the emergency gear procedure, I wouldn’t have hesitated to ask for help. Since that wasn’t needed, there was no need to risk the distraction of panicking passengers. They obviously knew something was going on, but they had no idea what I was really working through. I’m proud that I was able to stay calm and collected while working logically through the situation. I just kept reminding myself that my #1 job was to fly the plane. Lastly, a few parting thoughts: 1) While we would never take a plane up if we thought something bad was going happen, the reality is there’s always a chance. Complacency kills….do your best to stay familiar with emergency procedures. 2) There is a critical difference between Currency and Proficiency– Even when rusty, it’s not too hard to do the important things when everything is going right…..but being proficient is was keeps you alive when you have the added distraction of things
going wrong. 3) As the saying goes: Plan for the worst and hope for the best. Before you get in the plane, run through a list of “what if’s”, and make sure you have a plan to address them. Again, I want to thank Dan for sharing his thoughts. He made a lot of good points and comments, but none more important than the difference between currency and proficiency. This is a great example of the importance of getting up in the club planes more and shaking off the rust.

Kevin Broderick ATP,CFII and Skyhawk Safety Officer

Although accidents overall have decreased, we still have accidents each year that result from fuel exhaustion, fuel starvation and fuel contamination. This always boggles my mind because these are certainly easy remedies. We’ve seen some incidents of this around MLE. According to the latest AOPA report, there have been more than 1,500 accidents in the past decade that have resulted from poor fuel management. In 2017
alone, there were 57 fuel exhaustion accidents that resulted in four fatalities. There were 20 more accidents – two fatal – from fuel starvation (which means there was fuel on board but the flow was in some way interrupted). Another 10 accidents were attributed to fuel contamination. Fuel exhaustion, fuel starvation, and fuel contamination can easily be controlled or avoided with proper diligence on the part of the pilot- in- command – that’s YOU.

When you’re flying club planes, please make sure your pre-flight is thorough. Turn on the master and see what the tank reading is and then check it visually to see if it matches up – if possible. Remember, the gauge readings are to be taken with a HUGE grain of salt, before AND during the flight. Know what you have and understand what your fuel burn is and do some calculating. Take time to sump the tanks completely, looking for water, sediment, bubbles, etc., AND making sure you have the right color
(blue for 100LL). Keep the tanks full during the winter to help fight off water contamination. Above all, understand the fuel system of the plane you are flying and exactly how many gallons it will hold.
If you just refueled, wait about 15 minutes before sumping fuel out. That will give time for water, sediments, etc., to settle to the sump itself before being purged. When flying cross country trips, think also in terms of hours and minutes, and not just gallons of fuel – depending on your mixture adjustment. The POH gives you the fuel burn in perfect conditions or situations. Rarely is flying an older plane in VARIOUS weather conditions BOOK PERFECT when it comes to calculating fuel burn. During a long
cross country, update your fuel status constantly to make sure your fuel burn is not more than you expected. If you’re flying the Arrow or Bonanza, make sure you change the
tanks every 30 minutes. The GPS has an automatic notification every 30 minutes that is already set (although you can set that for any time), so don’t just blow it off. Fuel starvation is not unusual in planes that have dual tanks – especially when pilots aren’t paying attention to fuel consumption or watching the fuel gauges. In our club planes, it’s a good idea to carry more than the FAR fuel required fuel reserves – if at all possible. Landing with less than one hour of fuel left in the tanks is foolish, especially when you consider changing weather conditions, changes in plans, and/or the onset of
nightfall. Keep in mind that improper balancing of fuel on long cross-country flights may result in some real surprises when it comes to landing the plane.

Above all, always take every opportunity to carry a little extra fuel if your weight & balance allows. You never know when it might come in handy.

Kevin Broderick, ATP, CFII, Skyhawk Flying Club Safety Officer

We’ve had a lot of safety tips and reminders for members that only operate under visual flight rules (VFR). It’s also important for our club instrument-rated pilots to stay current AND proficient to maintain a high level of safety. Since you went to the expense, not to mention stress, of obtaining the instrument rating, it’s important to keep fresh on IFR flying and associated rules.

Here’s a few tips and reminders:

• To maintain currency, FAR 61.57 (c) (1) states a pilot must perform at least six instrument approaches, holding procedures, and intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigation systems in the previous six months. You have a six-month grace-period to get re-current yourself before having to take an instrument proficiency check with an instructor. During that 6-month grace period, however, you may not file IFR. You MUST get current first.
• Research shows that instrument skills begin to weaken in as little as two weeks away from flying. The vast majority of general aviation IFR accidents are due to pilot error and more specifically lack of control due to deteriorated instrument skills. Half of those are fatal. Another good reason to stay not only current, BUT ALSO PROFICIENT – which there is a big difference!!! Don’t expect an IPC to be a slam dunk (one hour ground, one hour flight). Unlike a BFR that knocks rust off and gets you back up in the air, an IPC is designed to make you PROFICIENT and not just current.
• Fly with an instructor during VFR weather to begin sharpening your instrument skills again. Then, when the opportunity presents itself on those 1,000 foot and higher ceiling days, go up again with an instructor and really sharpen your skills and confidence in actual conditions. A short cross country is always good practice.
• If you are coming up on your biennial flight review, you and your instructor can agree to work on some instrument-related skills to help with your proficiency to meet the requirements of a BFR. However, keep in mind that it DOES NOT satisfy the requirements of both a BFR and instrument proficiency check (IPC). You can’t kill two birds with one stone here.
• If you want to save a little money, combine currency requirements and night flying. If you shoot three approaches, make them to a full stop so you can fulfill the night currency requirements as well for carrying passengers. Chances are you’ll be flying into a large airport for the instrument approaches, so you shouldn’t have a problem coming to a full stop and then taking off again with the available runway. Make sure you let the tower know what you are doing!
• Get back into the books to review FARs and AIM information for instrument flights. You’ll be amazed at how much you have forgotten. If you take an instrument proficiency check (IPC), you’ll have to do a minimum of an hour to an hour and a half of ground school anyway.

REMEMBER, CURRENCY IN IFR FLYING DOES NOT MEAN PROFICIENT. PLEASE SCHEDULE REGULAR TIME UNDER THE HOOD, SO THAT YOU REACH A COMFORT LEVEL IN YOUR INSTRUMENT FLYING ABILITIES.

HAPPY FLYING! – Kevin Broderick, Safety Officer, ATP, CFII

Reprinted from June 2016:

Now that the real hot weather has graced its presence, it’s really critical to understand that pilots need priority attention on weight and balance and high density altitude operations. If you’re flying the Arrow, we all know that weight and balance is critical because of the long-range tanks, like the Arrow has. Now that we have the Bonanza V35, weight and balance in association with hot weather becomes even more critical. While you’re hanger flying with buddies, don’t listen to the old-timers who crow about
‘stuffing’ whatever they want in a C-182, Bonanza, Arrow, or C-172, etc., and ‘it’ll still fly with no problem’. All you need to do is take a very close look at the temperature and runway lengths in July and August heat in relation to weight and balance and you’ll find ‘that dog don’t hunt’!!! Even a great performing airplane will struggle if not loaded correctly or taking off on too short a runway on a hot day. Remember, just because you can get into an airport, doesn’t mean you’ll get out of it. Even if the plane is below the
gross weight and within the envelope, the temperature will make any runway a whole lot shorter. Remember, I’m not just talking about Millard Airport. If you’re going to another airport, especially airports with much higher elevations, make sure you also look at the lengths of the runways you’re landing at. As I said, you might get in, but getting out might with high temps will be a problem if you’re still carrying a bunch of weight or if you’re adding passengers or fuel. Keep these simple tips in mind when
flying in the really hot months:

1. Even if you ‘think’ weight and balance will be no problem, do one anyway. You might be surprised (don’t let your passengers ‘cheat’ on their weights! Spouses always seem to be very ‘creative’ when giving their weights!!) Be ready to ‘adjust’ and add some safety margins when it comes to weight.
2. Study the runway lengths at your departing and arriving airports and
   determine takeoff roll distances and landing rolls – especially over 50-foot obstacles.
3. Don’t be afraid to trade off fuel for a better payload margin – as long as you’re not compromising safety. Remember, the fuel gauges are NOT always the accurate so give yourself some safety cushions.
4. Look at the POH to determine if a specific flap setting will aid you in a high density altitude situation.
5. If your basic parameters change (ie. You add passengers or fuel at a destination) then do another weight and balance check AND double check the POH on performance figures for that airport runway. Obviously, it’s better to ANTICIPATE that happening than have it be a surprise.
6. Above all …. When in doubt on the numbers – ERROR ON THE SIDE OF
   CAUTION AND LIVE TO FLY ANOTHER DAY.

Kevin Broderick, ATP, CFI, CFII – Safety Officer

With summer soon upon us, I’ve noticed more and more club members getting into the planes and dusting off some rust. As I’ve flown with many of you to shake out the cobwebs, I’ve also noticed a real apprehension about entering controlled airspace, communicating to TRACON (Omaha Approach Control) and also to Eppley or Lincoln tower controllers. This is quite understandable. However, it’s also very impractical if you truly want to utilize and improve your flying skills and have the opportunity to fly to many different locations. The prospect of accidentally deviating from altitude or heading assignments and being reprimanded by the FAA is very real and can easily happen due to today’s crowded airspace. There are many ways to bone
up on excursions into controlled airspace to help alleviate your apprehension. Here are a few tips that can help:

1. Get with a flight instructor and go back and get some remedial work in basic heading and altitude changes – especially under the hood if you’re instrument rated. This will help get the feel of the airplane back in various configurations and help with your concentration and focus. Until you feel comfortable and sharp flying the plane, you won’t be focusing your attention to what controllers are telling you to do.
2. Talk to your instructor about introducing a number of distracters while you’re doing this work as well. This could be traffic separation situations, responding to queries by controllers, or handling an emergency. Single pilot IFR flying is the toughest flying to do, not only because of level of concentration needed to fly and navigate (workload), but also because the amount of communication taking place with controllers – usually at the worst times!!
3. Start out by going to a smaller tower or controlled airspace, like Lincoln, Grand Island, or Sioux City. They are very helpful and understand that
   instruction a part of getting better as a pilot. If you’re alone, don’t hesitate to let them know you are just getting some practice in controlled airspace and with the tower. They’ll know you’re not sharp in higher congested areas and will be happy to work with you. After you feel comfortable with those places, venture to Omaha (Eppley Airfield) or KC. The Class B & C airspace is more congested so you’ll receive a bigger challenge.
4. After you’ve mastered going in and out of the Class C airspace, go ahead and plan a trip to Minneapolis, Kansas City or Denver to get Class B airspace experience. Since there are numerous arrivals and departures at large and small airports within Class B airspace, this type of flying also takes a special level of concentration. Maintaining headings and altitudes are critical.
5. TIP: With the increased traffic in Class B and C airspace these days, let the controllers HELP you when it comes to separation. You are responsible for traffic separation in VFR so do a good job of scanning and avoid altitude and heading deviations that could result in bigger problems for the controllers. Just fly the plane first and foremost! Search for traffic in segments. If a controller says there’s traffic at your one o’clock, start at eleven or 12 and start scanning from left to right in segments. Go past to three o’clock and repeat.
6. I also have a communication sheet that will help you with the correct phraseology when you are going in and out of Eppley Airfield. Don’t hesitate
   to email me and I’ll email you a copy back.

Kevin Broderick, ATP, CFII and Safety Officer

Now that spring is in full swing, I’m sure many of our members want to sharpen their skills – particularly landing skills. Here are some general tips on shaking the rust off your landings:

1. Before launching, go over a mental checklist of the pattern in order to complete a STABLIZED APPROACH TO LANDING. The checklist should include power settings/speeds, flaps, carb heat, etc., at different points in the pattern (entering downwind, mid downwind, end of downwind, base, final), altitude, visual references, CCGUMPS checklist (carb heat, cowl flaps, gas, under carriage, mixture, props, switches – fuel pump, lights, etc.), and radio communications.
2. Don’t forget to lower the nose as you add flaps and in approach turns.

3. Re-trim with every configuration change; learn amount of movement of trim
wheel to attain a certain speed in my airplane;

4. Find a fix point on final that is 1⁄2 mile from the runway threshold and be at
approximately 400-500 feet AGL at that point;

5. Be completely stabilized at 300 feet – correct configuration and correct airspeed within plus or minus 3 knots. It’s all about airspeed and sight pattern at that point. Forget power settings. It’s all about what you see, feel and AIRSPEED.

6. Aim for the second centerline stripe and land no farther than the third (unless runway is very short). PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THE EFFECTS OF THE WIND, ESPECIALLY ON BASE TO FINAL. DO YOU HAVE A TAILWIND OF ANY KIND? IF SO, DON’T OVERSHOOT THE BASE AND PUT YOUR SELF IN THE CLASSIC STALL-SPIN SCENARIO OF SKIDDING INTO THE TURN TOWARD FINAL. ANTICIPATE THE TAILWIND AND TURN TO FINAL EARLIER.

7. In some cases, you may need to carry a bit of power as in a soft field landing;

8. In a crosswind use wing low method on short final and opposite rudder. Some like the crab technique until at the end, but ending should have the same result – upwind wing low and opposite rudder to a safe touchdown. Remember, that ‘slip’ condition will also make you lose altitude quickly so watch your decent rate and adjust.

9. Know when to go around and make that decision early.

10. When touching down, look to the left slightly and look down the runway; not immediately in front of the airplane. If you try to look over the center of the instrument panel, you may not be able to see the ground in a full stall attitude – which would be especially true in the Bonanza.

11. Evaluate every landing and apply that knowledge to subsequent landings.

By the way, for ONE NOTE: Remember to check the flight logbooks as part of your preflight to see my one safety tip this month …. Please don’t confuse the” tow bar” for the if the plane has been flown the same day. If it has, try using a warm start (IE: no fuel pump on the Arrow). If it doesn’t start right off with only about 5 seconds of cranking, then go ahead and go with a normal cold start procedure.

Kevin Broderick, ATP, CFII and Safety Officer

A hearty congratulations to all those pilots in our club who have received their instrument rating the last few years and a good job to those who are working on it right now. As Skyhawk members, we’re very proud of all of you because you’re furthering your skills as a pilot. The instrument rating is a milestone in your aviation pursuits and now allows you to “mix with the professionals” . . . . or does it?

Remember what your examiner and instructor told you when you got your private or any subsequent rating? They probably said, “This is just a license to LEARN.” It’s true. Getting a license, additional rating, or endorsement is just the beginning of the learning and practice process. The more repetition, the better you get. For those of you who got your instrument rating, ask yourself how much time has elapsed after your check ride before you got back in the plane to shoot approaches and work on your scan? I think everyone would admit how quickly the scan can deteriorate if not practiced. Are you now as confident as you were when you passed your IFR check ride?

The following is an excerpt from a short story on the AOPA website by Dan Namowitz. The story talks about preparation and how quickly those skills can erode if not practiced: “Prepping for a cross-country flight in a GPS-equipped flying club airplane, the pilot was pleased to learn that VFR conditions would prevail with the possible exception of a narrow band of marginal weather. Filing an instrument flight plan, direct, seemed a good hedge against that; otherwise, the trip amounted to a VFR operation with the convenience of IFR service.

A more demanding brand of IFR would have made the “go” decision far more uncertain: For one thing, the pilot had not mastered the Cessna 172’s GPS system. For another, the pilot was taking a “no approaches, no problem” view of the flight, discounting the possibility of having to really fly IFR. The trip’s unraveling began when approach control called with an amended IFR clearance, producing instant pandemonium in the complacent cockpit.

“I had been following flight progress on VFR charts, and was totally unprepared for this event,” the pilot confessed in an Aviation Safety Reporting System filing. “Confusion reigned in the cockpit as I fumbled for the correct charts and tried to
reprogram the GPS.”

The pilot sought the only logical escape from this self-inflicted crisis of command: Cancel IFR. Can you guess where this is headed? Unfortunately, efforts to contact ATC were greeted with radio silence, or a request to stand by.

ATC finally called back, apologized for being away on the phone with another facility, and restored the direct clearance. By then, the rattled instrument-rated pilot had already decided to cancel IFR and complete the cross-country VFR.”

Many flights present a decision-making quandary between simply going VFR and filing IFR . . . just in case. Is your IFR flight “in name only?” I’ve been in the above pilot’s shoes and the first time I received a clearance that was totally different from what I filed really freaked me out. Luckily it was VFR and not a cloud in the sky. However, what would have happened if the weather was actually IFR. I had done a poor job of planning and familiarizing myself with possible departure alternatives out of that airport.

Achieving your instrument rating is a privilege that allows you to fly when private pilots can’t . . . . if you are prepared and have kept up your skills. Proper preparation means being fully ready to handle either and the earlier you start planning for all possible situations, the better. That means really studying weather for your ‘outs’ and an evaluation of your own abilities and person minimums. It also means anticipating changes in clearances, choosing and reviewing alternates (and fuel requirements for those changes), studying enroute and approach charts on the ground or the night before, and visually going through the flight in your mind.

Rusty on communications? A few days before your flight, listen to air traffic control communications through online links from various airports experiencing IFR weather to get back into the ‘lingo’. That will help get your listening skills back up to par. Reset your personal minimums for IFR weather and approaches through practice and continue work on lowering them to your own comfort level.

Also, if you’re not quick and savvy with your equipment (ie. GPS) then get a tuneup. The last thing you need is to be fumbling around trying to figure out how to program your navigation at the same time controllers are squawking at you. Know your equipment. That can be hard when the equipment is new, but pick a good VFR day and a partner as a safety pilot so you can get use to your system AFTER you read the manual.

In conclusion, if you’re going to file an IFR flight plan, then plan a true IFR trip with all the responsibilities and possible surprises that come with it. If you’re not sharp on your scan or approaches, get some practice or call an instructor for a quick review session. You can be proud of the instrument rating that you have earned and will earn, but in order to utilize it effectively remember that preparation and practice is the key to enjoying the rating.

Kevin Broderick, ATP, CFII and Safety Officer