ASI NEWS
Head for the hills
Make some memories in the backcountry
By Bob Knill
Icing encounter
When you’re a VFR-only pilot, poor weather can make the go/no-go decision easy for you. But an instrument-rated pilot must weigh just how bad the weather is, or going to be, on a larger sliding scale. And if they’re wrong, or the weather is not as forecast, things can get very bad, very quickly. In a Real Pilot Story video from the AOPA Air Safety Institute, a newly minted instrument pilot thought he could stay behind a cold front and in VMC long enough to make a short flight. But he quickly found his airplane iced over while trying to get down through the cloud layer.
Web: www.airsafetyinstitute.org/RPS/icingencounter
“The mountains are calling, and I must go.” —John Muir
Take all the important aspects of flying that you’ve learned: thorough flight planning and research, weather dynamics, precise airspeed, and altitude control. Multiply them by a factor of at least three, and you’ll get an idea of the heightened focus and risk management that backcountry and mountain flying requires.
But with increased risk comes increased reward. Master the art of flying into unimproved mountain strips, and you’ll be rewarded with pristine prairies, stunning scenery, and a camaraderie with fellow pilots that may become some of your greatest aviation memories.
In aviation-speak, “backcountry” generally refers to unimproved strips in remote, isolated, and often mountainous areas. With that definition comes the implied techniques that you must master before venturing into the hills, and most of these strips have their own peculiarities that you should know about before embarking. For example, on some strips, pilots always land in one direction and take off in the other, regardless of the wind conditions, because of rising terrain. Some have such significant slopes that wind direction is taken out of the equation. Some require you to determine your abort point, or go-around point, well before you turn final. And some have you not even seeing the runway until you are on final approach.
There is no additional FAA rating or sign-off needed; however, several hours with an experienced backcountry pilot should be considered mandatory. And there’s no better way to hone your overall stick-and-rudder skills than taking a mountain flying course with a qualified instructor. The skills you learn and practice during the course will serve you at every airport, not just strips in the high country.
But you can start your journey before you book a flight. The AOPA Air Safety Institute’s new seminar, Peaks to Pavement: Applying Lessons From the Backcountry, discusses many of the nuances involved in backcountry flying, and it is a great primer for kindling that sense of adventure that backcountry flying is all about. Check out the seminar in a city near you, and make plans to fly into a backcountry airstrip. But take the time to understand exactly what you’re flying yourself into. Once you do, you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll come out a safer, more confident pilot.
Bob Knill is a writer on assignment with the AOPA Air Safety Institute.
Find where the seminar is happing near you and sign up online.
Industry News
Improving Light Sport rules
FAA continuing to look at LSA category changes
By Dave Hirschman
Industrywide efforts to expand the capabilities of Light Sport aircraft are gaining traction. During AOPA’s Regional Fly-In at Carbondale, Illinois, EAA Chairman and CEO Jack Pelton announced that more details of EAA’s work with the FAA on broadening the LSA category will be available in the coming months. Meanwhile, for more than two years, AOPA and other industry representatives have been actively engaged with the FAA and working on improvements and reforms through the ASTM International Committee F37 on LSAs.
While specifics including timing and other details are not official yet, AOPA Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs David Oord, who has served on F37’s executive committee since 2009, expects significant and positive changes are coming. “There are still a lot of details to be worked out, but we’re hopeful that the agency will soon be able to begin the process to formally act on and implement these reforms over the next few years,” Oord said.
The current maximum takeoff weight for LSAs, set at 1,320 pounds, was established in the original 2004 sport pilot/Light Sport rule. But, with a future revision to the definition, LSA limits may be performance-based and incorporate new systems and technologies—including electric propulsion, which is currently prohibited. With any change to the definition, additional aircraft would be expected to become eligible for sport pilot operation. LSA reforms and standards have been developed primarily through the ASTM process.
In addition to LSAs, the effort is expected to touch on additional categories of aircraft, including unmanned and manned aircraft under FAR Part 21. AOPA is hopeful that changes could add provisions for new and novel aircraft such as hoverboards, jet packs, and others that don’t currently have a defined certification path. The FAA has indicated that it wants to establish new operating limitations for aircraft that are based on risk rather than a common set for all.
“This will take time and we don’t know all the details yet, but we believe the FAA is moving in the right direction,” AOPA President Mark Baker said. “This is all about ongoing efforts to right-size regulations for GA and a risk-based approach for growing GA, while maintaining or improving its safety.”
Think quickly,remain calm
Archie League Medal of Safety award presented at NATCA convention
On Super Bowl Sunday 2017, pilot Peter Edenhoffer was approaching home in his Cessna Cardinal when the lights went out. His aircraft’s electrical system failed in clouds near Paris, Texas, and the Cardinal’s flaps, which are electrically controlled, were stuck in the down position. He tried cycling switches and abandoned the instrument approach but the stuck flaps hindered the Cardinal’s climb performance. Everyone’s worried about the Super Bowl but does anybody know I’m out here? thought Edenhoffer.
Air traffic controllers in Fort Worth Center knew, and controllers Phil Enis, Thomas Herd, and Hugh Hunton guided Edenhoffer to safety. The only communication Edenhoffer could manage was a text on his cellphone to his family. Surprisingly, he received a text: “This is Fort Worth Center. Respond if possible. Weather improves west.” Controllers had obtained his cellphone number.
Suddenly, Edenhoffer knew he was not alone, that he would not crash on some empty patch of ground or plunge into a lake and go undiscovered. “People knew I was alive.”
Air traffic controllers must think quickly and remain calm under pressure while maintaining situational awareness. A controller’s willingness to resolve complex situations without hesitation, offer a reassuring voice to those on the frequency, and the ability to coordinate their efforts with other controllers help ATC maintain the safety of the National Airspace System.
Controllers often feel that they are simply “just doing their job,” but their work is viewed by others as remarkable and extraordinary. The Archie League Medal of Safety Awards were named for the first air traffic controller, Archie League. The program highlights a variety of aviation “saves”—some that involve a team of controllers working together, while others are the result of one controller’s efforts.
The Archie League Medal of Safety Awards selection panel announced the fourteenth annual Archie League winners in October, listed at left.
News
Virginia aviation career expo scholarships top $388,000
Guest speakers, aerial demonstrations highlight Leesburg event
More than $388,000 in scholarships were available to 700 students at the thirteenth annual Aviation Education and Career Expo at Leesburg Executive Airport in Virginia.
ProJet Aviation, a Washington, D.C., area fixed-base operator that prides itself as “the D.C. metro region’s premier private aviation company,” organized the free event. The FBO and its partners have delivered more than $150,000 in scholarships since 2008.
“This money can change a student’s life,” said organizer Julie O’Brien. “We provide opportunity and mentorship to students that may have never explored all of these possibilities.” A multitude of aviation organizations pledged awards for education or flight training.
The event showcased aviation and aerospace careers to young adults ages 16 to 22 as they make plans for their future. Representatives from more than 60 aviation groups participated in keynote presentations, live demonstrations, and static displays. Students talked one-on-one with industry experts and got “up close and personal” looks at aviation occupations, which are in demand worldwide, O’Brien said.
Guest speakers included the NTSB’s Heidi Kemner, a local pilot who specializes in aviation investigations; and former U.S. Navy SEAL, author, flight instructor, aerial applicator, and retired assault helicopter pilot Michael Rutledge. Aviation entrepreneur Jamail Larkins, U.S. Navy fighter pilot Lt. Meagan Varley Flannigan, and other mentors have addressed students and their parents at previous aviation career day expos.
O’Brien said expo organizers are committed to helping students explore aviation career opportunities.
Rusty Pilots now online
AOPA’s Rusty Pilots Program, the popular seminar that has helped thousands of lapsed pilots get back in the air, is now available to AOPA members as a free online course. The debut of Rusty Pilots Online, sponsored by PilotWorkshops, gives pilots who have been unable to attend a Rusty Pilots seminar in person the opportunity to join the more than 23,600 pilots who have participated in more than 700 seminars, and join the ranks of 5,800 pilots who have gone on to fly with an instructor, complete a flight review, and resume flying as pilot in command. The Rusty Pilots program and the other initiatives of You Can Fly, AOPA’s multi-pronged initiative to get more pilots flying and keep them flying, are made possible by charitable donations to the AOPA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization.
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