Safety Spotlight
Winter Weather
As snow blankets airplanes, tarmacs, and runways, you might wonder when you'll be able to fly next. Cold temperatures, low clouds, and frozen precipitation present unique challenges during the winter season, but don't let this discourage you. Winter often yields the best chances for a glassy smooth ride and a picturesque landscape to boot! But you'll want to be well-prepared to reap winter's flying benefits.
That’s why you’ll want to get up to speed quickly with award-winning courses on cold weather flying to enjoy the winter season. You’ll understand why IFR winter flights present their own challenges after you experience the riveting Real Pilot Story of a brand-new IFR-rated pilot, who got more than he bargained for when confronted with a winter storm over Pennsylvania mountains.
Don’t wait for the snowflakes to come down: Get prepared now.
Night VFR Flight
Once the sun has set and the night sky alights you’re in for a mostly magical and peaceful time aloft. But night VFR flight has some unique challenges and planning takes on another dimension—well beyond your usual VFR daytime flight planning; if not it should. The GA night VFR accident record—as revealed by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's accident database—clearly shows proportionately many more VFR accidents at night than during the day. This is not to scare you away from enjoying an exhilarating night flight. Quite the opposite, but please be safe, bolster your knowledge, and fly prepared—brush up now.
Aircraft Icing
A little bit of ice won’t spoil your flight, right? Think again: A layer of ice no thicker or rougher than a piece of coarse sandpaper can reduce lift by 30 percent and increase drag up to 40 percent. Even aircraft equipped for flight into icing conditions are significantly affected by ice accumulation on unprotected areas such as antennas, flap hinges, wing struts, cowlings, etc.
Not convinced? Delve into this Safety Spotlight and experience a chilling reenactment of an actual airframe icing accident. It will make you a believer fast. Recognize icing’s danger and evaluate your options before your next flight.
Summer Weather
Summer can be great for flying, whether in search of the elusive $100 hamburger, or to just spend some quality time aloft. On the flip side: The sweltering heat that sometimes accompanies summer weather can throw a nasty wrench in the works by creating severe thunderstorms, high density altitudes, and visibility-reducing haze.
Check summer weather safety tips, brush up on your weather knowledge, and test your newly acquired skills with ASF’s award-winning courses. Make it a summer to remember.
VFR Into IMC
In most years, nearly half of all weather-related accidents happen as a result of continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC)…and sadly, the vast majority of those accidents are fatal. Don’t be the next pilot to fall prey to descending ceilings and deteriorating visibility: Check out these free resources.
Thunderstorm Awareness
It’s simple: Airplanes and thunderstorms don’t mix. These convective beasts can produce airframe-shattering turbulence, damaging hail, sudden and dramatic wind shear, blinding downpours, and strong, gusty winds—sometimes as much as 20 miles from the edge of a cell. The good news is that it’s not difficult to avoid these violent storms—if you know how to use the tools at your disposal.
Electrical System Know-How
When was the last time you curled up with the POH to devour intricate schematics of electrical switches and circuit breakers? Seemingly benign electrical malfunctions can blossom into full-blown disasters, and you’d better be familiar with your aircraft’s system when that happens. How would you react to an in-flight electrical failure? What are the first signs of an electrical fire? Would you reset a popped circuit breaker?
Don’t rely on what you think you should do—know what to do. What you don’t know may hurt or even kill you, like it did the NASCAR crew on July 10, 2007. Read on to understand how the accident could have been prevented, and tap additional resources to tackle electrical issues.
Spring Preflight
Like people, flying machines need regular exercise to stay in shape. Unfortunately, the cold, ice, snow, and darkness of winter mean that many airplanes sit idle for months at a time, and bad things tend to befall pilots who just "kick the tires and light the fires" on the first warm day of the year. Check out these tips on getting your airplane ready for the spring flying season.
Airspace
Like it or not, there's no avoiding airspace. Whether you're planning a quick hop to a nearby strip or an epic cross-country voyage, the regulations and common sense both require you to be well versed on any type of airspace that lies in your path.
If you could use an airspace refresher, check out these tips on reviewing the basics (and not-so-basics) and get plenty of practical tips for your next flight.
Pilot Proficiency and the Flight Review
It's a beautiful Saturday morning, the airplane's practically begging to be flown, and you can hardly wait to get off the ground—at least until you remember that your flight review expired two weeks ago.
Oops! It's important to maintain currency, but it's more important to stay proficient. Check out these resources for tips on keeping your skills sharp and making the flight review more than just a biennial exercise in box-checking.
Fuel Management
No one expects or intends to run out of fuel in flight. And yet, in the United States alone, an average of more than three accidents per week result from fuel exhaustion, starvation, or contamination. It can happen to you. Read on to learn more about avoiding these easily preventable accidents.
Operations at Towered Airports
Are you reaping all the benefits of flying? Although it's possible for a pilot to avoid towered airports, doing so impacts the flexibility and utility of flying. With the addition of Air Traffic Control requiring clearances and added communication, knowing and following the recommended procedures is essential. Whether you have radio jitters, confusion concerning clearances, or just want to learn more about operations at towered airports, this information can help.
Critical Airspace
Since September 11, 2001, the nation's airspace has become considerably more complex, and the penalties for careless mistakes are much more severe. Large Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) can pop up anywhere, anytime. East Coast pilots have to contend with the unique challenges of the Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Border-crossing pilots need to be aware of the contiguous ADIZ. And, of course, there are plenty of restricted and prohibited areas out there, just waiting to snag the unwary.
Don't be the next pilot to make the 6 o'clock news! If you could use a refresher on the nuances of post-September 11 airspace, take some time to read this valuable information.
Operations at Nontowered Airports
Winter has finally moved on, leaving us with some beautiful flying weather. More and more pilots are coming out of hibernation and getting back into the air around nontowered airports. Don't let the common term for a nontowered airport (uncontrolled airport) lull you into thinking that anything goes. It's far safer to treat these airports as self-controlled by following the recommended procedures for nontowered airport operations.
Updated December 23, 2009
