Flight Safety: Fly the Plane!

What is the first thing you should do in any situation? Fly the plane! Always remember that your first priority is to maintain control of the aircraft and to be aware of what it is doing at any given time.  

Question of the Day

What are you required to have in order to operate a high performance aircraft?

Question of the Day

How often must you complete a flight review (or equivalent) in order to stay current?

Question of the Day

What are several different types of trim systems? 

Flight Safety: Have you become complacent?

So you are about to conduct a routine flight. It isn't any different than the hundreds of flights you have conducted prior to today. You file your flight plan, calculate weight and balance and performance, check the weather, etc. Then you head out to the ramp and start your inspection of the aircraft. You run through the checklist like usual and everything looks good...or does it? Sometimes when we get so used to a routine we become complacent and only see what we expect to...not what is actually in front of us. As you can imagine this is a hazard. 

I was in for a rude awakening not to long ago. As in the scenario above, I was on a routine flight with my flight instructor. I ran through the checklists. I went all the way through the after engine start checklist and when I got to the point that said instruments......check, I said "checked." I did look at them and could have sworn everything was normal. My CFI looked at me and asked, "you checked the instruments?" I said yes. 

Actually everything was not normal. Our left alternator was inoperative. How did I miss that? I looked right at the amp indications. In that moment I realized I had become too complacent. I saw what I expected to see...a functioning alternator...not what was actually there in front of me.  

This just goes to show that complacency can be a major risk in aviation safety. Remember to always give a good inspection of the aircraft no matter how many times you have conducted a flight and don't always expect everything to be functioning properly every time. Don't rush a pre-flight. Always be aware of what your aircraft is doing. By becoming too complacent we endanger ourselves and others. 

Fly Safe! 

Question of the Day

Your aircraft's total drag is affected by what factors? 

Question of the Day

  What should you do if you loose your airspeed indication? 

Challenge

Review the components of the fuel system and engine(s) on your aircraft. 

Question of the Day

What is Vmca and what factors affect it? 

Question of the Day

Describe the ADC and AHRS systems and how they work. 

Question of the Day

What is an Advisory Circular?

Challenge

Challenge for the week...Read through the limitations section of your aircraft's POH (or equivalent) a little each day and make sure you know them.

Question of the Day

What is an NDB and an ADF? How do they work?

Challenge

Challenge for today...Review the components of the electrical system on your aircraft and the emergency procedures for an electrical failure, single electrical component failure, and an electrical fire. 

Question of the Day

How do thunderstorms form...and what are the different types?

Question of the Day

What is a service bulletin? 

Question of the Day

What factors affect stalling speed?