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Date: 04/16/99 Newsletter No. 07
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Concept: This newsletter is about presenting information on a
wide range of aviation subjects of interest to pilots and/or
aircraft owners. The author has been a pilot for thirty years
with a wide range of flying experience. The author has also
sold General Aviation aircraft for over twenty three years.
Roger W. Carpenter 1901157 ATP, CFI/II (not current),AGI,IGI.
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Published Bi-Monthly.
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Suggestions and constructive criticisms are eagerly invited.
Readers are invited to submit questions on any aviation subject
near and dear to their heart. We will do our best to come up
with intelligent answers. Hopefully other readers will help out.
Also, I hope that readers will submit articles for publication
in this newsletter.
Feature Article:
Because many of our readers are new and/or lower time pilots, I have decided to publish a
couple of reports from NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). The lessons learned
by these reports certainly apply to all savvy pilots, no matter what their flying
experience.
VFR into IMC
Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) manage to sneak up on many pilots. Two
ASRS reports of unintentional brushes with IMC show HOW EASILY a pilot can be caught by
surprise. The first reporter, a low-time private pilot, sought ATC assistance for the IMC
dilemma, and unwittingly became the recipient of an unwanted IFR clearance.
First Report:
"My departure was at noon instead of early morning. I did not call for an update on
the weather, and departed with my briefing from the morning. I had my head down trying to
program a GPS which had been lent to me, and I got stuck in a cloud with poor visibility.
(Comment: Thank God it was a cloud he ran into and not another aircraft).
I tried a 180 degree turn, but it did not seem to work, so I pitched up and started
climbing. I contacted Center from which I was receiving flight following, and asked for a
clearance to XYZ. They asked if I was IFR able and if the plane was. I said affirmative,
thinking that I had training in IFR upon acquiring my Private rating, and the plane had
instruments with which I could fly IFR if I had to in an emergency situation. Then the
controller gave a clearance and, at the time, I did not understand that I was indeed
receiving an IFR clearance.
I told the controller I did not want to fly IFR and wanted to fly VFR. He stated,
"You want to make it to XYZ, but it's IFR in XYZ." I repeated that I did not
want to fly IFR. The controller then vectored me to the closest VFR airport. When I landed
there it was fine VFR"
ASRS comment: "The controller did an admirable job of getting the pilot out of the
clouds. An up-to-date weather briefing prior to the delayed departure might have
encouraged the reporter to choose a destination more likely to remain VFR, or
alternatively, to stay on the ground. Then, when stuck in IMC, this non-IFR rated pilot
would have received better ATC service by immediately admitting the lack of an instrument
rating.
Editor's comment: "Learning how to maintain an interior scan and an outside scan when
flying solo is a must. Clouds just don't jump in front of you. They are usually seen well
in advance. Also, besides not seeing the clouds in time, this pilot probably was not
paying attention to his heading as he was playing with the GPS. A 180 degree turn is not
much good if you don't know what heading to turn to in order to return to VFR."
Second Report:
The next reporter hoped to avoid the forecast midday thunderstorms by departing in the
early morning. Alas, the thunderstorms didn't read the forecast.
"I called FSS to get a weather briefing for VFR flight. The forecast called for a
cold front to be coming in quite fast and weather to get much worse with thunderstorms
developing by midday. I climbed to 12,500 feet, and noted a solid overcast layer at 11,000
feet along my route of flight. I contacted Center to request flight following, and checked
Flight Watch to confirm there were adequate broken and scattered holes to descend safely
close to my destination. (Editor comment: "Anyone that depends on Flight Watch to
predict holes in cloud layers at a distant location doesn't have his gear down and
locked.")
The solid overcast layer began rising and quickly turned into cumulonimbus clouds, forcing
me to climb. As I reached 14,500 feet, the clouds were developing very fast and rising all
around me. In a very short time I was close to 18,000 feet. Center asked me if I was IFR
capable, and I stated negative. They asked me if I had supplemental oxygen, and I stated
negative. Soon I was at 19,700 feet, and Center said we have to get you back down to
12,500 feet. I was given a heading and was told to chop the power and keep the wings level
with a 500-600-foot-per-minute descent down through the clouds with reference to my
artificial horizon. So I did as I was told and I broke out of the clouds at 13,000 feet. I
had a bad headache and was disoriented. I was handed over to Tower and landed
uneventfully.
With 20/20 hindsight, I see that the rising cloud tops were extremely clear, strong STOP
signs. I should have turned around when I confirmed the overcast layer was
ascending."
ASRS comment: "Taking the conservative route-doing a 180 degree turn-is usually the
better bet when facing IMC. Kudos to a sharp Center Controller for safely resolving this
pilot's emergency."
Editor's comment: "A VFR pilot flying into IMC when thunderstorms are on the loose is
in a very dangerous situation. Imbedded cells can literally grab an aircraft and tear it
to pieces. The up and down drafts can be vicious. I have personal knowledge of a single
engine aircraft having the wings literally ripped off by an imbedded cell over Alabama in
1975. The outcome wasn't pretty. In addition, severe turbulence can make flying on the
gauges not much fun for a veteran IFR pilot let alone a young VFR jock. DON'T MESS AROUND
WITH THUNDERSTORMS!! Ask for radar vectors. If you can't get them and you don't have
weather avoidance equipment, get on the ground or out of the area. Flying under
thunderstorms is also a dumb idea.
Flying is a safe, fun thing to do if you play by the rules but only if you KNOW what the
rules are and respect them. Rule #1, don't mess around with Mother Nature."
Questions and Answers:
Marc wrote:
Can you comment on the insurance requirements to test fly a prospective purchase plane?
Especially for someone who's a renter that doesn't carry insurance (I know, renters should
probably carry insurance too, since almost guaranteed the FBO's insurance carrier will
subrogate to the pilot for any claims...)?
Thanks,
Marc
Marc:
With respect to insurance on an aircraft demo ride, it depends on
whether the owner is a dealer or private owner. A dealer owned
aircraft will be covered by their insurance (usually hangar's
keeper or an umbrella policy). A private owner will usually have
their own insurance (crazy not to). In most cases, the seller
will come along on a demo ride and be the official pilot in
command in case of a problem. It is generally accepted that the
aircraft owner or person that has care, custody and control of
the aircraft is responsible for its safe operation and therefore
proper insurance coverage.
In some cases, a prospective buyer is allowed to fly alone (bad
idea). In this case, the buyer should INSURE he is qualified and covered under the owner's
policy. A call to the insurance carrier is a "must do" in order to verify
coverage.
I feel that the owner or his representative should always be
pilot in command, if possible.
I've never known a prospective buyer to carry personal insurance.
Seems like a waste of money. But if it makes you feel better, it's only money.
Also, I have been involved in large aircraft rental operations in
a management capacity. I have seen many accident situations in
rental operations. I have NEVER seen an insurance company go
after the rental pilot. The FAA, yes, but not an insurance
company. I guess it is possible but I've never heard of it.
Roger
Comments on the Newsletter:
Other Information:
For a current listing of General Aviation aircraft for sale by
The R.W. Carpenter Company, go to
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In addition, I often recommend, what I feel to be the best book
ever written about flying an airplane, "Stick and Rudder" by
Wolfgang Langewiesche. I sincerely believe that every pilot
should read this "bible" at least twice. It WILL make you a
better pilot because it discusses flying an airplane from the
WYSIWYG perceptions a pilot receives. If you would like to order
it on-line or any of a million other books from Amazon click on
<http://aircraft-airplanes.com/mainpage.html> Great Discounts.
FREE service to my readers: If you would like a "book" appraisal
on an airplane, fill out the info sheet at my web site. Click on
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click on the "submit" key. I'll get back to you.
NEW page at my Web Site. "Cost of Operation" analysis form.
Nothing fancy but it might give you some ideas for planning
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