"Keeping the Fun in Flying!"
"Keeping the Fun in Flying!"
Tinkerbelle C-47 at the Warriors and Warbirds Airshow, Monroe, NC, Nov. 8, 2014 (TC Freeman)
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WingsOfun.com BLOG #66: November 18, 2014
WELCOME PILOTS
The airshow and fly-in season is winding down for most parts of the U.S. It’s been great meeting so many nice pilots and seeing the true interest in aviation by the general public. My last community event for the year is a Boy Scout of America (BSA) Aviation Merit Badge program at the Duplin County Airport in Kenansville, North Carolina. Braving the cold weather, close to 100 youth showed up to learn more about aviation through mini-ground schools, flight simulators and flights provided by the local
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter from nearby Stag Airpark. Special thanks to airport manager George Futrell, EAA Chapter representative Phil Sharpe and all the BSA staff and most importantly the BSA youth. I know the aviation hook has been set in many of the youth evident by that unmistakable permanent smile after an inspiring Young Eagle flight.
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter from nearby Stag Airpark. Special thanks to airport manager George Futrell, EAA Chapter representative Phil Sharpe and all the BSA staff and most importantly the BSA youth. I know the aviation hook has been set in many of the youth evident by that unmistakable permanent smile after an inspiring Young Eagle flight.
~TC FREEMAN
“Keeping the fun in flying!"
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NEW PRESENTATION
“PILOT AND AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE"
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Your opportunity to continue the dialog is on Facebook:
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WingsOfun Podcast #003:
Interivew with Phil Sharpe, EAA Chapter 297 Burgaw, NC. How
his EAA Chapter enhances the Young Eagle Flight experience
through the BSA Aviation Merit Badge program.
1) Listen via YouTube
his EAA Chapter enhances the Young Eagle Flight experience
through the BSA Aviation Merit Badge program.
1) Listen via YouTube
3) Download to your mobile media device
wof_podcast_003_phil_sharpe_eaa_297_bsa_merit_badge_c.mp3
25.3 MB
*Feel free to link our podcast and videos to your website or use at an upcoming safety seminar.
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Need a Speaker for your Next Event? We Can Help. See the Article;
How to Afford a Speaker for Your Group
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DON'T SLIP-UP ON WINTERTIME FLYING SKILLS
By TC FREEMAN
The cold dense air of winter can increase aircraft performance, a great way for mother-nature to naturally increase safety margins. Leaving the hot and humid performance robbing weather of summer behind doesn’t mean that wintertime hazards vanish. This is a great time to remind ourselves to always stay vigilant as the flying seasons change.
As a society, we have become increasingly creatures of the inside and pre-flights can suffer as a result. Lack of acclimation to cold weather might not seem like a safety liability, but the temptation to cut corners can exist. A recent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident report, in which all three occupants in the aircraft died, revealed additional information through interviews of ramp employees. Several employees noticed the pilot rushed to preflight the aircraft and that only the “pull-type” fuel strainer was activated and not the two remaining sumps. As the pilot taxied the aircraft to the taxiway ramp agents also noticed one of main landing gear tires was very low and were unable to reach him by Unicom. While the investigation is ongoing this is a very likely scenario for all pilots flying on cold weather days.
With the cold weather and increased performance due to tightly compacted air molecules pilots can become overconfident. Most pilots realize the hazards of hot humid weather and have a healthy respect for not overloading the aircraft. However, during the winter it can be easy to assume that the extra passenger and baggage can be hauled easily by the aircraft because of the assumed advantages of flying in cold weather.
As the seasons change it’s important to take time to remind ourselves about the dangers of frost and icing conditions. If you remember pilot ground school, one of the first lessons regarding winter flying is frost. Even a very fine sandpaper thickness of frost can have a serious effect on aircraft performance. It’s also important to remember the harmless cumulous clouds of summer can be a very real danger in winter. Remember, if there is water present and it is below freezing the prospect of ice is a real.
Lastly, many sport aviation pilots will experience a slack of flying during the winter. If you can imagine an X-Y chart of seasons on one axis, and flying hours on the other, there is more activity during the spring and fall. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that flight proficiency can suffer during the “off-season.” Make a point to take additional flights during this time and find other ways to stay engaged in aviation by completing safety courses and using flight simulators (real and PC based).
The combined issues of cold weather and lack of flying can present some of the same risk as in the fall and spring. It’s important to always be on-guard for challenges related to the change of seasons. Don’t forget about that lonely aircraft sitting in the hangar during the winter and make a point enjoy all of the flying seasons, for safety's sake.
About the author:
TC Freeman has been flying since he was a teenager and is now an aviation speaker and author. Being employed as an Aviation Safety Specialist for state government, he has a passion for spreading the thrill of flying just for the fun of it via the website, www.WingsOfun.com.
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“We are excited to donate this segment of the WingsOfun BLOG to this great program that promotes; airport visitation, education and tourism.”
~TC FREEMAN
OPERATION: FLY NC NEWS
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IMPORTANT AUDIO PRESENTATION AVAILABLE:
“OPERATIONS AT NON-TOWERED AIRPORTS”
… for pilots flying just for the fun of it.
… for pilots flying just for the fun of it.
In this audio book TC Freeman discusses; straight in approaches, dealing
with aircraft on extended downwind and traffic pattern entries.
with aircraft on extended downwind and traffic pattern entries.
Available at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tcfreeman
(Run time: 34 minutes)
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