I wish to start with aviation safety. In April I wrote about knowing your limitations, always having an “out” and knowing who is in charge. Now I want to rant about getting rushed and allowing an issue to become a larger problem. I know our new information age bombards us with accidents that make it seem like there are more accidents than in the old days but a couple of weeks ago we learned of three in-flight door occurrences that did not end well. There are exceptions, but most of the GA aircraft we fly will not crash just because a door has opened. The worst issue is that the noise may be distracting. No one will fall out. The aircraft will still fly. When my dad taught me to fly, we took off a couple times with the door open on purpose and later as an unannounced teaching moment. I learned to land safely with the door open, and I learned to climb to a safe altitude and close the door in flight. One recent instance had the tower controller repeatedly calling the pilot, the pilot could not communicate well due to the noise and was distracted enough to not fly the aircraft first and keep climbing. In other incidents we see the pilot trying to close the door in the traffic pattern. If you are able to close your door in flight, that should only be attempted at a safe altitude higher than traffic pattern altitude. Usually with a small window open and flying at a slow cruise speed (not minimum controllable airspeed) the door can be pulled shut. If necessary, declare an emergency and tell ATC you need a climb and a heading and will not be talking to them for a couple minutes.
It is all about decision-making or getting rushed or both. We should always be on the lookout for red flags, those things that happen along the way (in flight and in pre-flight) that should alert us to slow down or change a plan or turn around or not go at all. When we notice a red flag or threat, we should mitigate it by altering our plan.
My departure from Sun and Fun this spring was a string of red flags. I made a last-minute decision on a lazy Friday morning that I would rather leave now in good weather than wait until Saturday since weather approaching the mid-Atlantic could prevent my getting into Virginia for a couple days. The field would of course close to departures at 12:00 Noon for the airshow. I was still at the hotel, not yet packed or fed. I had a rental car to return which would entail unpredictable delays with drop off, Ubering around the field to the gate. I had an unpredictable time to schlep my bags from gate to aircraft or spend time waiting for a shuttle. I knew there was a threat here with all the rushing required to make this happen. Sometimes just noticing that you are rushing is the first step in keeping things safe. Some of you have heard me say it’s a red flag when you feel like what you are doing is the good start to an article about an accident. At the airlines we often said, “I wouldn’t want to explain this to the Chief Pilot (or FAA),” so we would take the better way out. So, I mitigated the threat and told myself that I would stop pressing forward if it looked like I could not get to my still covered and tied down airplane by 11:15 AM. I made that time, barely. During preflight, the motor scooter marshallers asked if I could taxi away as soon as I had my engine started. I was parked on grass on soft sand and needed to start on the taxiway which normally has aircraft taxiing or hundreds of pedestrians on it. They needed me to minimize the time sitting on their busy taxiway, another red flag. I will be rushed and out of my routine, not good. Often when departing Sun N Fun and AirVenture, once you begin to taxi there will not be a good place to stop until you are next for departure at the runway. I need to enter my flight plan and accomplish other after start and before take-off tasks. Normally, on a long quiet taxiway I could get most of these items done but here the taxiways were lined with non-aviation minded kids and adults; not a good place to be heads down. I told myself that wherever I find to do my engine run-up would be where I get the other tasks done. After start-up, I taxied out after doing a quick after-start flow. I crawled slowly through the pedestrian lined taxiways. Even once past the crowd the marshallers kept me moving, no place to do a run- up. Finally on the taxiway parallel to the departure runway there was a wide enough spot to turn my tail and complete a runup and load my flight plan (No, I do not have Garmin Flight Stream Bluetooth capability, yet). Here comes ATC on their golf cart motioning as if to ask if I can fly or am I broken. I motioned good to go but not yet and completed my runup and checklists at my own pace. I cheated on my flight plan and put in the first few fixes to get me north of Ocala. Airspace climbing out here is not a good place to be heads down. So, the red flags kept coming, lots of good info setting up a chain of events in that accident report. The key is to notice the threats and notice when your routine is interrupted. Alter your plan to mitigate the threats!
The EAA, AOPA and other aviation groups have partnered in the “2025 National Pause for General Aviation Safety” https://gasafe.org/. No, it is not a stand down where we all have to stop flying, just a pause! Click on the link and find several quizzes relevant to your type of flying. Some even give Wings credits. We sometimes kid that the pilots that take the time to study accidents and take quizzes and attend safety meetings aren’t the ones that are getting into trouble. We can’t prove that, but it is worth the shot!
One more quick story. At the Women Can Fly event in early June a previous Young Eagle participant introduced herself and mentioned that after one Young Eagle ride at Ch 186 about 4 years ago, she decided to become a pilot. She has all the ratings through CFI and will finish at Embry Riddle next year after only three years there and is already teaching. Also, among our present and past Young Eagles: some have gone and will soon go to the Aim High Flight Academy, achieved all levels in the CAP, been accepted into military flight training, received various scholarships, joined the Guard and purchased their own aircraft! One just soloed a couple weeks ago with 11 hours. His CFI says this student learned a lot from his Young Eagle flights. We do make a difference. Thank you to all the volunteers on the ground and in the air who help make these experiences happen.
Blue Skies,
Bob