Bravo Zulu Pat!

The newest aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush is another step closer to certification after Lt. Pat McKenna made the first arrested landing .

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) made history May 19 after safely landing the first fixed-wing aircraft, an F/A-18F Super Hornet. Lt. Patrick McKenna and Cmdr. Beau Duarte, from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., piloted the Hornet.

President Bush offered this congratulatory handshake shortly thereafter. It's an honor and his Dad, Mike, is rightfully proud. We continue to enjoy following Pat's career. BZ and keep up the good work!

See and Avoid

One of the key directives in the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) 91.113 is the responsibility to” See and Avoid”. Hard to do when closure rates are measured in a few seconds.

When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft.

See-and-avoid involves a number of steps, all of which are inherently prone to error. First, the pilot must be looking outside the aircraft, which statistically is less with new glass cockpits. Second, pilots must search the visual field and detect objects of interest, most likely with their peripheral vision. Next, the object must be looked at directly so it can be identified as an aircraft. If the aircraft is identified as a collision threat, the pilot must decide what evasive action to take. Sometimes it’s impossible to be fast enough.

The mood couldn't have been more relaxed aboard an executive jet carrying three Incline residents as it began its descent towards Reno-Tahoe International Airport Monday afternoon.Mike Chipman was dozing while his wife, Evy, read a book. Steve DiZio was also reading and occasionally looked-up to check the flight's progress on a GPS read-out.

Then, they heard what sounded like an explosion coming from the cockpit. The cabin depressurized and the plane veered to the right before going into a steep dive. "The pilot had just put on the seat belt sign, and a few minutes afterwards there was this explosion ...a really loud bang or crash from the cockpit," recalled DiZio, a retired high-tech start-up manager.

Traveling from the Carlsbad Airport in San Diego , the Hawker 800XP jet struck a glider in a mid-air collision at 16,000 feet over the Pine Nut Mountains southeast of Carson City .The accident, which took place at about 3:10 pm., destroyed the jet's nose cone and the glider whose pilot, Japanese citizen and 30-year glider veteran, Akihiro Hirao, parachuted safely back to earth.

The pilot quickly brought the jet back under control as the three startled passengers secured their oxygen mask. After deducing that the damage to the starboard wing, part of which had caved-in and was leaking fuel vapor, was too extensive to have been caused by a bird, and that they would all be dead if they had struck another conventional airplane, passenger Mike Chipman, a part owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team, surmised the truth.

Though the passengers didn't know it at the time, the starboard engine had failed. Moreover, part of the glider had ripped its way through the plane's nose and into the instrument dash, causing it to burst into the pilot's face and lap. Despite a gash to her chin, pilot Annette Saunders remained in control throughout the remainder of the flight, even after a two-foot piece of the nose structure had bent its way in front of the cockpit window.After passing the Carson City Airport , the pilot swung the plane around to bring it in for an emergency landing. As they leveled-out, the co-pilot turned and yelled over the noise that they had lost control of their landing gear and would skid to a halt on the aircraft's belly.

"The landing was as smooth as you could imagine, not even a bump," DiZio said. "We stayed on the runway right up to the end, so she (the pilot) must have had that just perfectly lined-up even with the crosswinds."

Great poise and skill by the pilot. Of course it might not have happened if the glider pilot had turned on his transponder.

Another avoidable brush with disaster. In the last 20 years 60 mid air collisions or "near miss" incidents have occurred between air carriers/ corporate traffic and gliders. While I’m not a proponent for more regulation, this is one where the FAA ought to make transponders required equipment for any aircraft that operates at altitudes frequented by jets. Sometimes common sense isn't.

H/T to Rob for the story

Mid Air

Most Mid air collisions frequently occur on a clear day near an airport.. Many on final approach. One was at the airport to which I frequently visited. This particular accident involved a situation where visibility was impeded due to the nature of the aircraft. One was a high wing Cessna that had vertical blind spots. Low wing aircraft, like Pipers, also have a few areas of blocked visibility when looking down. Unfortunately, when both types are in the air in close proximity, it’s possible neither can see each other if on the same final approach especially when a Piper is behind and above. This resulted in two fatalities, one of whom was a Chicago area celebrity. (Bob Collins mid air collision at Waukegan) This was at a towered airport where sequencing and separation were provided. That’s why you need to build a 3D mental picture of what’s going before you get there by listening to the radio. Situation Awareness. Without it you will eventually have problems, especially at smaller non towered airports where it’s not required to use radio communications to broadcast position. Some pilots even forget or transmissions can be blocked. It’s crucial to scan the area for relative motion. Check base and final in the pattern.

Another high wing / low wing accident ended better. This Piper Cadet and Cessna 152 both were on final. The piper pilot couldn’t understand why the plane no longer responded to his control inputs. The Cessna flight instructor, below, realized that the Piper had landed on top of him and that he was now flying for two. Luck and skill prevented a disaster. Pilots walked away unharmed and both planes were repaired and flew again.

Strangely at some non towered airports, some pilots completely ignore wind direction which define which runway or direction in which to land. Planes should land into the wind to minimize as much the crosswind, else the ride become more lively than desired. You can learn about wind direction and intensity by listening to the local broadcast on AWOS (Automatic weather observation station) . It’s also observable by looking at the windsock below. These cues, along with radio calls will determine which runway is active when flying to smaller airports. If I’m flying visual flight rules, I make it a habit to fly a full pattern at untowered fields. It allows both a stabilized approach and avoid surprises as you make and listen to position call outs.

Still, some will choose to land without thinking it through.

One time, I had just touched down when I heard someone calling out landing final in the opposite direction. This guy was landing downwind and never gave a hint as to his location. I pulled as quickly as possible onto an intersecting taxiway. Shortly thereafter, a Cirrus SR20 whizzed by. We missed meeting head on by five seconds. It wasn’t my only close encounter but it was certainly the most avoidable.

Having a Ball

A 1940s World War II Ball is slated for Saturday, June 13, at Colorado’s Boulder Airport (BDU)…The Joe Peterson Dance Orchestra, a 10-piece big band, will perform under the nose of the B25 Bomber. Also performing will be The Andrews Sisters Singers and The Timberliners, a 24-person barbershop chorus. There also will be swing dancing wine, champagne and hors d’oeuvres.

I attended an event such as this and it was a very enjoyable trip back to the “greatest generation”. A big band was hired and most all of the participants wore WWII clothing. Men wore Airmen and Army tunics. Women graced the event with 1940’s dresses and hats made of felt and feathers. A big band played Glenn Miller tunes and dancers jitterbugged on the hanger floor. Warbirds had been flown in and were placed like sentinels at the entrance. For a short while we were transported back to a time when our nation was unified by a common purpose. Many were pilots, men I knew from the EAA so it led to a some hanger flying. I even did a little dancing with my wife (Gratefully a video camera did not capture it). I was dressed in a sport coat, Mrs. Wilko in a current stylish dress. We really didn’t fit in at all but I wasn’t ready to search for a vintage military uniform for the occasion.

Soon we found tables for dinner. A young man in Navy dress whites sat down with us. He looked like a picture from a recruiting poster. We chatted about warbirds and World War II. A fine and engaging young man. I complimented him on how realistic his “costume” appeared. "Oh", he smiled. "It’s actually my uniform. I arrived in the T-38 (jet) parked on the ramp".
…and that, fellow readers, is the only way to show up for a dinner dance

Warbirds

I suspect due to the nature of the GWOT , there is a heightened level of scrutiny on Warbirds designated for experimental use. Unfortunately, this looks expensive.

The Department of Homeland Security recently notified a pilot, an EAA Warbirds of America (WOA) member and owner of a Douglas AD-4N Skyraider, that it intended to confiscate his recently imported aircraft. The Department alleges that necessary forms were improperly filed. Last week federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement seized and threatened to destroy this rare piece of our nation’s aviation heritage.....Last September, the FAA inspected the aircraft and issued the Skyraider its new Experimental and Exhibition operating certificate and U.S. registration number.

One of the last tactical prop driven planes and an important part of Vietnam war rescue missions as captured in the book Cheating Death. Meanwhile,, support is being rallied to save the Skyraider.

Speaking of Warbirds, the Swiss Air Force expended effort in developing this excellent video presented by Warbird Alley in this weeks clip featuring the Hunter Hawker. It looks somewhat similar to the plane in the title bar but the Delphin has tandem seating and much less power. However, both saw extensive use in training roles. While the the L-29 is a gas hog, it doesn't burn nearly as much jet-A.

One to Go

Son#2 graduated and Mom and Dad are incredibly proud. Both he and Son#1 (to the right) have a B.S. in electrical engineering. This means Dad gets all the help he needs on wiring projects. Son #3 is pursuing mechanical engineering with his Mazda Miata as the test lab. This means that Dad loses all control over the garage.

We've been blessed with three fine young men. Arrows in the quiver. Two now launched and speeding forward to into a changing and somewhat unnerving world.

Children are the letters we send to a time we will not see. I know they'll make a difference.

Aviation Wisdom Part Duex

"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed." U.S. Air Force Manual

"Tracers work both ways."

Clean it, if it's Dirty. Oil it, if it Squeaks. But, Don't Screw with it, if it Works! USAF Electronic Technician

A Navigator's Definition of Latitude & Longitude: Latitude is Where We are Lost, & Longitude is How Long We've been Lost There! USAF Navi-guesser

"The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire."

"If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a helicopter -- however, it's probably unsafe in any case."

"When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash."

"Even with ammunition, the USAF is just another expensive flying club." Unknown disgruntled Grunt

”What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots? If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; If ATC screws up ... the pilot dies."

"Never trade luck for skill.

The 3 most common expressions (or famous last words), in aviation are: "Why is it doing that?" "Where are we?" & "Oh No!"

"Airspeed, altitude and brains - 2 out of 3 are needed to successfully complete the flight."

"Mankind has a perfect record in aviation; We never left one up there!"

"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."

"The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely kill you." - Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot)

Sign over squadron ops desk at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1970 "If something hasn't broken on your helicopter, it's about to."

As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives; the rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks, "What happened?" The pilot's reply: "I don't know, I just got here myself!"

h/t to Rob!

A Drone of Your Own

The USAF has deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that has more lethality and speed, able to fly 260 knots at FL500. Available options on the MQ-9 “Reaper” include infrared, laser and radar targeting, and your choice of of guided bombs and missiles up to 3,000 pounds. MP3 player not yet available.
A good reason to “Fear the Reaper”. (Apologies to Blue Oyster Cult). It looks plenty tough.


The USAF transition from surveillance to attack is a significant change. Initially, recon was the primary role of the MQ-1 Predator over Iraq. Later they were outfitted with two Hellfire missiles. The Reaper signals a new chapter in Close Air Support as long as air supremacy exists.

The Reaper is four times heavier than the Predator and comparable to the profile of the Air Force A-10. -Less expensive and can do some things manned aircraft cannot. Some see it as the “75% solution”: It accomplishes most of the mission profile in counter insurgency at less expense. A predator is $7.6M; Reaper at $17M (both with ground control stations), compared to tactical aircraft, such as the F-35 , which may top out at over $100M. I have concerns about close air support with a guy dropping weapons having a soda straw view of the battlefield 7,000 miles away. Still, they have great loiter times, are less complex and not subject to G-LOC - loss of consciousness in high performance maneuvers. It takes over a year and $2.5 million to train a fighter pilot. UAV pilots are a fraction of the time and cost: 20 weeks and $135,000.

It stetches the imagination to think of future battles relegated to UAV pilots thousands of miles from each other locked in a video game war: “My drone can beat up on your drone”. It could happen and frankly, I hate to see it.

Which brings me to general aviation. There are UAV’s already in use in law enforcement and border patrol. Some are quite small . Many are pushing for more civilian applications along with a growing list of hobbyists who want to expand the reaches of RC flying so they can have a drone of their own. Exisiting FAA policies currently prevent most UAV’s from flying in national airspace because the agency hasn't developed procedures for approving them.

The agency is also hesitant to write regulations because it wants to ensure unmanned systems are noticeable to larger manned aircraft. Aerial drones are difficult to see and therefore must have the capability to detect, sense and avoid other aircraft, Duquette says. However, FAA asserts that this technology is "years away."

How many other applications in the future? Air traffic, firefighting, aerial photography, crop dusting, search and rescue? Is an unmanned commercial carrier in the cards? I know what you're thinking: Too much time watching movies like iRobot. However, we already have CAT III systems (in the 757 and others) that are able to “self land” and required to do this monthly. It might be the domain of "Popular Science" musings but begs the question: What's next?

Stand Clear of prop arcs, intakes and exhausts

....or something like this might happen.



A Japan Airlines jetliner bound for Tokyo was damaged Monday 5/11/09 when a luggage container was sucked into one of the engines as the plane pushed back from a gate at Los Angeles International Airport...A baggage cart was "passing by" when the plane ingested the baggage container into one of the engines. It weighed over 20o pounds.

The military guys learned this a long time ago. Like this guy who got to see an A-6 from the inside. (He survived but understand he had some short term hearing loss). Flying risk isn't confined just to the folks inside the plane.

Disturbing

Today’s Wall Street Journal concluded that poor training was the cause of the Continental Airlines Flight tragedy that occurred Feb 12, 2009, killing 49 people.

Capt. Marvin Renslow had never been properly trained by the company to respond to a warning system designed to prevent the plane from going into a stall, according to people familiar with the investigation. As the speed slowed to a dangerous level, setting off the stall-prevention system, he did the opposite of the proper procedure, which led to the crash

Where there are airplane crashes, you will find lawyers and lawsuits. It’s a long standing tradition. Usually it’s pilot error as seems to be the case here. The difference is that most people blame the plane manufacturer. This is analogous to suing a car company each time someone drives a car into a tree. You can’t possibly make a plane crash or idiot proof so every pilot and passenger in a small general aviation plane accept an element of inherent risk.

This risk acceptance diverges in commercial operations designated in part 121 in the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR). There is an expectation that safe travel should be “guaranteed” to customers. The safety record for airline travel in the U.S. is excellent. Both training and equipment are at the highest levels.

That’s what bothers me about this. The pilot had a history of flunking check rides . He also failed in his initial attempt to qualify as a co-pilot on the Beech 1900 aircraft and also on the Saab 340 turboprop. I’ve always labored under the thought that commercial pilots were the best and that the screening process was rigorous. Instead, I wonder if the lower time pilots may be less qualified to handle emergencies, especially icing conditions. Roselawn comes to mind.

Strange that the pilot yanked back on the controls in a stall. All pilots in planes small and large are drilled on stall recovery. You instinctively pitch down, not up - especially in turbine powered aircraft that do not have instantaneous power response. Relentless training prevents wrong reactions and instincts. We may never have all the answers but I now feel a little less confident flying on aircraft (such as commuter planes) where pilots rank low on seniority.

Running on Empty

One of the all time great aerobatic pilots found that aircraft preflight isn't just for beginners.

Pilot Sean D. Tucker, who performs in air shows worldwide for Team Oracle, made an emergency landing on Highway 101 near King City at about 7:22 p.m. on Sunday after issuing a mayday call, California Highway Patrol officials said.

Sean is a gifted pilot and fun to watch, my favorite air show performer. He handled the emergency as an expert. The message: Fuel exhaustion can happen to the best of us.

But it shouldn't.

Lima Lima

Here’s a follow on to the last post with thoughts on flight in IMC. Fellow aviation buff Tom forwarded this amazing video of the Lima Lima flight demonstration team in a three ship formation inside a cloud. They squeak it on at an airport fifteen minutes north of my home.

If you think that flying a tight formation in good weather is a challenge, try to do it in IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) inside of a cloud with no horizon. Without any outside references, you swear that the leader has you in a 45 degree descending turn. You are constantly fighting off vertigo by snatching a one second look at your artificial horizon. If you take two seconds you may loose sight of the leader and have to declare "Lost Wingman." At that point you have to separate from the formation by both heading and altitude as briefed. Then you get introduced by the leader to Air Traffic Control as a new flight. Of course you already have all of your charts and approach plates out...not! That's why you never want to lose sight even in the thickest of clouds

There are four great flight demonstration teams in my opinion. Blue Angels; Thunderbirds; Snowbirds and Lima Lima. Lima Lima was formed at, and named after, the small airport that’s 20 minutes south in Naperville, IL.

It's the world’s only six ship civilian formation aerobatic team. In better weather, Tom has flown in the trunk with the team and has been kind enough not to compare my flying skills afterward.
Sometimes I'm lucky and I'll see one or more of the yellow T-34’s flying overhead on approach to runway 2L at KDPA. Then, I want to go flying.

Vision Beyond Sight

““Instrument flying is when your mind gets a grip on the fact that there is vision beyond sight” - U.S. Navy Approach magazine circa W.W.II.
Flying in instrument conditions takes practice. It’s not like riding a bike. Yesterday I headed to the home drome to gain more proficiency since flying Visual Flight Rules (VFR) into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) is the #1 cause of all weather related accidents and 91% of them are fatal. According to a University of Illinois study, the average life expectancy of a non-instrument rated pilot who flies into instrument meteorological conditions is short, with only 178 seconds to live. Less than three minutes and it’s over if you don’t respect cloud conditions and poor visibility. So up I went and flew “precision” (with vertical guidance) and non precision approaches (that’s a type of approach not the way I flew). These were all flown within standards, but holding patterns in high winds needed more work. There's a distinct difference between being legal and being proficient to fly.

Given the short life expectancy of untrained pilots who venture into IMC, as new pilots we were all taught to avoid clouds at all costs, as if they were deadly phantoms waiting to devour the unsuspecting aviator. An instrument rating allows you to fly into the maw of the deadly ether and find ,that with training, it’s only water. It’s work if you hand fly a plane without an autopilot for an extended period: Intense concentration and a high workload flying as single pilot. One of the compensations for your trouble can be the transformation of a gray, dreary day into something more spectacular when you break through the clouds. You can be rewarded with this.



but usually it looks like this:



Years ago I learned the importance of practice. I launched into the overcast with another instrument rated pilot. About 30 minutes into the flight , I mentioned that I was getting “the leans” to which the other pilot responded “ yeah-I’ve got vertigo too. Spatial disorientation can sneak up on you so you pay strict attention to the instruments. There was no autopilot. I reset the directional gyro and attitude indicator since they seemed slightly incorrect which should have been a clue. Ten minutes later, air traffic control advised we were to steer a new heading to stay on course. I looked up at the wet compass and the heading was not only off but the turn coordinator showed a left turn. The vacuum pump was dying and the instruments, to which I always referred, were useless. I slapped some paper over each one so as to exclude them in the panel scan. I was dizzy, trying to maintain a heading with a bouncing compass and following radar vectors into a climb. I thought of John F Kennedy jr. and his death caused presumably by a graveyard spiral. VFR into IMC also led to the “Day the Music Died” , the tragedy that included Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and JP Richardson.

The other pilot, who was a CFII took over and he was having trouble as well staying on heading. The scan was disrupted and he was working from the left seat. For three minutes the outcome of this event was very much in doubt. We contacted ATC and planned to declare an emergency, requesting a no gyro approach. We went to the head of the line, becoming the number one customer of the air traffic controller who was directing us to the nearest airport in Wisconsin. Supposedly, the ceiling was 800 feet. There was a precision approach available but it was probable we would break out of the soup and wouldn’t need to ride it down to decision altitude. (Altitude at which you reject the approach if you cannot see runway identifiers,). I wondered if it was even possible to make a missed approach with partial panel if it came to that. We continued a steady decent rate until the medium gray became lighter gray.

We broke out of the clouds. Although this airport had a MALSF, with “the rabbit” (sequenced flashing lights leading to the runway) none was needed. The landing was assured. Gyroscopic instruments run off vacuum pumps which can fail over time. This supposedly led to the death of Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan in 2000. Training makes a difference as demonstrated by this naval aviator of an E-2 Hawkeye who had instrument problems and made a successful landing. Lessons learned. a) Instrument flying requires proficiency. b) Check the maintenance logs on the aircraft. c) Fly a plane with two pumps if venturing into hard IMC and if you have the green: fly a new plane with a glass cockpit. You need to pay attention. Don't end up in this situation:

Another Flying "Car"

Incredibly, more people are exploring vehicles that drive and fly. This one is the Pal-V from Holland . Autogyro's are somewhat safer in an engine out situation (my opinion). In addition, product offerings continue to expand in the Light Sport Aircraft market. While I'm still quite skeptical about dual purpose aircraft, some are still investing in general aviation despite the squeeze on the family checkbook.

The New Segway?

...and you thought a weedwacker was loud.

Martin Jetpack flight demonstration April 2009

Good engineering effort. Now what do you do with it?