‘Flying into a non-controlled (CTAF) aerodrome can feel like a lively conversation where everyone’s talking, but no-one is listening.’ That’s how Monica Kade leads readers into her feature, ‘CTAF done right’ in the Winter edition. She gives lots of helpful tips on how to prepare and build confidence before the flight. ‘Before I visit a new airfield, I like to jump on Google maps and look around,’ she says. ‘I find it easier to identify what I’m looking for in real-time, when I’ve seen it already.’
And before you even start up, what about your pre-flight? Tony Self writes about the importance of pre-flight inspections. Are you going to be complacent and just ‘kick the tyres, light the fires’? The feature discusses examples of sometimes terrifying problems that weren’t found before take-off, simply for lack of a thorough pre-flight.
Also terrifying was the fire that spread rapidly through a British Airtours aircraft at Manchester 40 years ago. ‘The aircraft never left the ground and was intact when it rolled to a stop, yet 55 people died in a tragedy that shocked the air transport industry, led to a re-examination of practices and assumptions and brought about industry-wide changes,’ Robert Wilson writes. His analysis of the accident is accompanied by a two-page illustration by Juanita Franzi that you just can’t unsee.
Would you repair a damaged wooden prop with duct tape so you can fly home? Well, one of your fellow readers did just that. But the damaged prop began to delaminate mid-flight, creating vibrations and noise, just when the aircraft was near a major built-up area that included oil refineries. The pilot writes about the incident in the close call, ‘Almost a sticky ending.’ ‘I had an undiagnosed but clear case of get-home-it is. This unconscious bias affected my judgement.’
This 64-page edition includes a crash comic, quizzes and valuable safety insights, making it a must-read for aviation enthusiasts.
Flight Safety Australia is also available for annual subscription.
