Mountain Flying

Poor PreFlight into Mountainous Terrain

Too many times you hear a message like this, " The CAP has ground rescue units and twelve aircraft in the area north of Longs Peak looking for a single engine aircraft with pilot and three passengers missing on a flight from Jeffco to Walden. 

The search started early this morning when the FAA reported the aircraft overdue on its flight plan."

1. Ceiling and Visability Unlimited
2. Light Load (80% Gross or Less)
3. Flight Plan in Detail
4. Oxygen for the Pilot
5. Gain Altitude before Taking Up Your Heading
6. Constantly Monitor Your Rate of Climb

Many people think they can win against the mountains. The problem, only mountain sheep can battle the mountains and win and, in some cases they may lose too.

If you visit mountainous country like Colorado you want to leave with a wonderful experience, not the experience mentioned above. Here is a simple example when to attempt and what to monitor!

For you and I, experienced mountain flyers, we don't attempt to out-climb the terrain.

Take the Jeffco to Walden flight route. The flat-lander will plot his course just north of Longs Peak.

He will figure 1000 feet to clear the top. He knows he has to get to 13,500 feet but knowing the rules going West he will go to 14,500 feet. 

Back in Michigan he gets a nice rate of climb of 600 feet per minute. Since it is 30 miles to the top and his indicated airpeed is 120 he figures he will have 9,000 feet in the 15 minutes he has. 

Whoop-dee-do! You know the rest of the story. As Groucho Marx is famous for, "Don't Bet Your Life on It!" 

Since his takeoff altitude is 5,640 feet he is not going to get his 600 feet per minute climb rate. Since it is a long trip he will have a lot of luggage, full tanks and, at best, a rate of climb less than one third of what he is used too.

Checklists - A Bible of Safety for a Pilots family!

Checklists

Nothing is as important as a bound, readable (Think Big Print) short list of duties to perform from the following list of topics.

This is a different look at a Check List reminder.

Preflight Inspection (Interior)

Preflight Inspection (Exterior)

Before Engine Start

Engine Start

After Engine Start

Taxi

Run Up

Before Takeoff

After Takeoff

Cruise

V-Speeds

Back

Approach

Before Landing

Go Around / Missed Approach

After Landing

Shutdown / Terminate

Engine Failure During Takeoff

Engine Failure During Flight

Engine Fire During Flight

Electrical Fire During Flight

Alternator Troubleshoot

Spin Recovery

Lost Coms Procedures

Tower Light Gun Signals

TAC / SEC Scale Ruler

Take the time, if you have not already done so, to review your checklists. The few minutes you spend will save your life someday.

Look at these possible titles and construct your own. This is an area where pilot imput is urgently requested to help others.

I have included a link to checklists for almost any aircraft.

Non-Verbal Communication

Non-Verbal Communication

In the training of fledging aeronautical aces the student-instructor relationship is influenced by both verbal and non-verbal communications that may be contradictory.

The increased pressure of training may cause a significant distortation of ordinary movements, by a students instructor, to the student pilot.

In a funny instance in my training, I was making great landings with perfect flare-outs at precisely the right time. My instructor wondered how I was doing that with only a few hours into my training. After several more "perfect" landings he noticed a little non-verbal communication he was uncounciously making with each landing I made. He was instinctively flexing his fingers back as if he was holding on to the yoke. In effect, he was using non-verbal communication to tell me when to flare. I, in my nervousness, was watching every movement he made to see any sign that I was performing what my instructor wanted me to do.

Next time around he sat on his hands while I attempted another landing. It was a real "laugher" that was completely blotched because his non-verbal cue when to flare was missing. He was sitting on his hands. Literally!

Students have conceded that under conditions of stress they may become oblivious to intructors, traffic tower instructions, instrument warnings and even aircraft attitude.

A principle stressed to overcome the last several stress induced actions/inactions is to replace a strong emotion with a stronger one. Prods, grunts, gestures, taps, a yell are all examples of a stronger emotion to push the pilot in the right response direction. Don't over-do the response so the pilot becomes too fearful to even fly!

You, I am sure, when you think back to your role as an instuctor or as a student can help out by commenting on your experiences and examples of non-verbal communication.

Cigarette Smoking and Flying

Hemoglobin - Hypoxia at any Altitude

The title to this topic is linked to several pages of a site where the physiological altitude is directly related to carbon monoxide of cigarette smoking before and during a flight.

"Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette,"....so the song goes. I would think twice about that advice.

Hemoglobin, a large complex molecule found in red blood cells circulating in your blood vessels, can combine with oxygen in small, microscopic sacs in your lungs to create arterial blood (Blood saturated with oxygen). 

Carbon monoxide is anywhere from 200 to 250 times more likely to combine with the hemoglobin than oxygen if it is present in the blood from smoking. This cuts down on the amount of oxygen delivered to your bodys' cells. It creates a condition called Hypoxia. 

If you are not in shape and a heavy smoker your bodys' physiological altitude could be 3000 feet higher than your actual altitude. Thats not a way to get high! If you are not aware of the serious effects of hypoxia on your flying judgement and its impairment of your ability to operate your plane safely, click here to get a deeper perspective.

Wright-Patterson Air Force base provides  physiological training that includes a demonstration, on you and fellow classmates, what are your distinct hypoxic symptoms. 

When you know you have filed a flight plan for 12000 feet you expect to have oxygen equipment aboard and know how to use the system.

When you file a flight plan for 9000 feet and smoke heavily your physiological altitude is 12000 feet and you are not prepared for the impairment hypoxia will bring to your system.

Plan Family Flights

Children and Pet Planning - Tips for You

The cockpit is no place for unnecessary distractions. During these summer months a collection of pets, children and relatives who have never flown before are pitched into aircraft. The smell of are everywhere. How can you avoid, to some extent, these distractions?

• First, decide where each person is going to sit. Don't forget to place yourself in the left front seat! If you can, have another adult in the right front seat. Each child, except an infant, should have their own seat belt or restraining device that you can purchase at aviation speciality stores. A supportive pillow under a restraining device for small children allows them to see out preventing boredom.

• Sunglasses are a good idea to prevent eye damage.

• Don't let the passengers drink carbonated beverages before the flight. Air bubbles, in the drink, expand as you climb to cruise level and cause discomfort in little tummies.

• Take along a favorite toy. When interest wanes become a talking travelogue pointing out the sights below.

• If " bumpy" conditions are expected "up-chuck" bags, paper towels and an air disinfectant are wonderful tools that need no explanation.

• "No Smoking !"

• Pets should be on an attached short leash to prevent panic.

• A hungry dog is better than a fed dog before a flight. Nothing worse than a dog or cat getting sick on the kids!

• If airsickness is a continual problem consult a physician about appropriate anti-nausea medication.

• If you are on a long flight, break it up into two hour segments to give everybody stretch and potty time.

• Finally, keep your hops short, keep out of bad weather or critical flying conditions and land before nightfall.