There’s a lot to know when you’re departing a busy controlled aerodrome. It’s important to be well briefed, listen carefully to instructions from the tower and then ‘stay ahead’ of the aircraft. Angela Stevenson shares with readers her tarmac departure briefing, which she recites aloud. And she notes how easily mistakes can happen.
Continuing the theme, Monica Kade introduces the ‘Hateful eight’ – mistakes pilots make at controlled aerodromes. She puts labels on the problems, such as the ‘mike fright’ freeze, the ‘readback ramble’ and the ‘taxiway tangle’ and then suggests some fixes. This author injects her experience into the story, recounting a mistake at a controlled aerodrome – she was cleared for circuits but not to taxi, but she did – and received a stern reprimand from the tower.
In this edition, we ask what a pilot needs to pack to cover contingencies and stay safe. CASA Aviation Safety Advisors Craig Peterson and Terry Horsam recommend some items to consider taking onboard to help you prepare for the unexpected. There are required items, such as your pilot licence, and then there are ‘nice to have’ items. What if your iPad breaks down or overheats? What if the weather changes? What if your GPS fails? Have you got stuff with you to enable you to finish the flight safely?
Prompted by a reader, we discuss the merits of a private instrument rating (PIFR). What does it cost to obtain and then keep? Catherine Fitzsimons, Head of Operations at WardAir in Bathurst which has been offering the PIFR for several years, is a strong advocate for the rating. ‘The beauty of the private instrument rating is that it allows a private pilot to select just a small number of endorsements and then to be very proficient at those because they're the only ones they fly and practise regularly,’ she says.
The close call, ‘Why we make the call’, is the stuff of nightmares. A pilot was about to start up, early in the morning, at a deserted aerodrome. As he placed his hand on the ignition key, a clipboard slipped off his lap. He instinctively grabbed it and then took hold of the ignition key again – and looked up. ‘To my absolute horror, I found I was looking into the eyes of a smiling young boy leaning on the horizontal propeller!’ he says. ‘The youngster explained he had been riding his bike several hundred yards away – behind the aircraft, unseen by me – and decided to come over and “surprise me”. And he said he had done this before!’
This 64-page edition includes a crash comic, quizzes and valuable safety insights, making it a must-read for aviation enthusiasts.
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