The Pirouette Turn
Pre-decisions are credited by accident survivors as having much to do with their success. The pirouette, pivot turn, is an emergency escape procedure as a last option when you have run out of aircraft performance and turning room. The entry into this situation requires a continuous series of bad decisions. Even then the pirouette will not be of help unless you have practiced to proficiency. An incorrectly performed turn will only make a bad situation worse. This means you must practice it. More importantly, the pilot who understands the factors leading to will never need to make the turn.

The pirouette turn allows a 180-degree turn with a minimum radius and no loss of altitude. This is a maximum performance turn required when you have run out of performance. The procedure is to reduce to idle power, put in full flaps and maintain wings level. Then before you begin to sink you put in full power, pitch up the nose and kick in full left rudder. Milk off the flaps.

The aircraft will have made 180-degrees of turn faster than you can say what to do. It is most effective to the left. But could be done to the right if you did not add power. The bank angle should be shallow enough to avoid a stall but steep enough to minimize the turn radius. It is my opinion that this maneuver could be practiced at altitude but perfected at real or simulated high-density altitudes.

The Smoking Cockpit
--Do what must be done as PIC according to FAR 91.3
--Do not relegate PIC authority to ATC or anyone else.
--Declare an emergency and do what it takes to get on the ground.
--A smoking aircraft belongs to the insurance company.

Instruction in Decision Making During Instruction
Every lesson I give involves decision-making. My preflight ground instruction covers all aspects of departure, en route and return. The preflight begins with checking tire inflation as we walk up to the aircraft. This is a decision making process to decide if tires are properly inflated. We walked up to the aircraft and removed the left wing tiedown so that when we got to the nose of the aircraft after walking around the tail we could roll the tires to check condition without having to walk over to undo the left tiedown.

Reading the aircraft logs and checking squawks is only the beginning of the decision making process. Check position of controls and readings of gauges with the master on along with lowering the flaps (listening) land trim setting. The position of the trim in the cockpit and on the elevator tells a great deal about the previous pilot's last landing and/or weight and balance. Thus the cockpit interior is the beginning of the decision making process. We open the other door in anticipation of getting the sump cup from the other side. We drained the left wing sump and put the sump cup on the right seat so we could pick it up from the other side. Anticipation is a fundamental aspect of the decision-making process and of flying itself.

We put on our fanny-pack preflight kit containing rubber gloves, rags and paper towels and Leatherman toolkit. We hung our preflight checklist upside down on the string around our neck. The checklist is a series of five to seven items so we can look at what to do, do them with our hands free and then look again to confirm nothing has been omitted. We touch, move, feel and clean as we do our preflight. In the walk-around we look for changes and differences in movement or sounds.

With the preflight complete we confirm that we are well seated in the aircraft. We want to see under the wing and over the nose. We want to be able to reach everything on the panel and the rudder pedals. We confirm that the seats, belts and doors are correctly located for flight. (For some reason I have never been able to ascertain my door always opens on takeoff if I have not been told about my belt or harness.)

We open the window, prime and 'index' the throttle setting so that it will idle properly on start. Clear the area visually and by voice and insert the ignition key. Up to this point the key has been on the floor or hanging. This, too, is a safety decision.

On start we check rpms, lean the mixture, turn on the master and radios while watching the oil pressure and fuel gauges register. We preset all the frequencies we can as limited by the ability of the radios. During our flight preparation we made a radio frequency list for the entire flight as well as reviewing all communications required and expected. We set the heading bug or make note of the wind so that the yoke can be correctly positioned throughout the entire taxiing route. We practice the control movements as if a ten-second delay in movement would cause the wind to upset the aircraft. This is not a skill you want to learn in actual conditions. It is also the very last flying skill acquired but never mastered.

The selection of the departure runway is decision making from the very beginning. I try to use any one of the eight possible runways and a different departure type every time. Our arrival in the runup land positioning is based upon economy of space and movement. We want to face the wind for cooling and wind velocity considerations and in anticipation that we will either reposition or taxi so as to clear both the final and base legs to our departure runway.  Pilot assertiveness requires that you know the likely choices of ATC as being different from the best choice for your plans.  Use the radio accordingly.

Thus you see that decision-making is a universal part of all instruction; not just flight instruction. Not to fly is, for most pilots, the most difficult decision-making decision of all.

PAVE
Preflight|
Airplane
enVironment
External Pressures

CARE
Consequences
Alternatives
Reality
Extreme pressure

ASF DEBUTS 'SAY INTENTIONS' ONLINE
"Say Intentions" ( http://flash.aopa.org/asf/sayIntentions/ ), ASF's latest free online course, teaches pilots valuable secrets about how air traffic control can help in an emergency. The course is an interactive game-style program that uses scenarios drawn from real-life situations to explain ATC services for pilots in urgent or distress situations. "ATC is one cockpit resource that pilots should not overlook when they're in a deteriorating situation," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "A controller can be an essential part of your team, offering alternatives that may not be obvious. As one of the scenarios makes clear, just remember that you are
the pilot in command--and reject suggestions that, in your judgment, compromise the safety of the flight. The other important point is not to wait too long before asking for help." The "Say Intentions" course qualifies for the ground instruction portion of the FAA's Wings program.

Engine Failure
--Occur only every few thousands of hours, mostly due to running out of fuel.
--Most engine failures are not events that never make the papers or FAA reports.
--Only 2% of engine failures are the result of mechanical failure
--The non-event of an engine failure has as much to do with luck as good flying.
--Having another person aboard may or may not be an advantage depending on cooperation.
--First locate field and wind.
--Use excess airspeed to gain altitude.
--Stopping the propeller will increase glide distance.
--Be prepared to sacrifice the airplane for your safety.
--Survey the most used airports for emergency landing options.
--Know what to do to trim for best glide, usually it means maximum nose up trim.
--Low-wing aircraft first item is to switch tanks.
--You should practice making return to the airport at altitude after a 5-second (What happened!) pause
--If you don't waste the 5-seconds you can glide 4-500 more feet in your pre-selected direction.
--Never give up starting the engine but when ground contact is certain make sure it won't start again..

Emergency Instruction
---Teach how ATC can help.
---Teach use of 122.2, 122.0, 121.5
---Teach 4-C's
---Ask for help sooner rather an later.
---Declare an emergency
---ATC can give you your own radio frequency or make all other leave you present frequency.
---Communications to radar can be relayed
---ATC radar is now better able to see weather than just a few years ago.
---Teach you students how to ask for help from all types of ATC facilities

Constructive Paranoia
It's never too early to develop what I call "constructive paranoia." Using that method, you always have a plan ready to put into action..."when I push forward on the throttle, the engine is going to quit." That doesn't happen, so you think, "The engine is going to quit before I rotate." Then "the engine is going to quit before I get to (500 feet, 1000 feet, whatever)." If you make it to your target altitude without any problems, you start thinking of where you would put it down if necessary.
I've used and taught this method in singles and twins, and I have had more than my share of engines quit when flying twins...in each case, I anticipated a problem, and darned if I wasn't right! But I already knew what I was going to do if a problem showed up, so they were non-events.
Your instructor must have a similar method of thinking.
Bob Gardner

Where is Right?
---Every flight has critical phases that require critical decision making
---Things bad never occur instantly
---All things good or bad arrive as a chain of events
---Most pilots who die were dead before they left the ground
---Outcomes arising from the unexpected rely on experience founded outcomes
---There are never a certainty of having an easy solution
---Problems have solutions
---Luck is an imponderable that should be used when available

Web Question on Altitude
Gerald, 
There are several different kinds of altitude used by aircraft. The altimeter of the aircraft is usually set barometrical by weighing the air pressure on the earth. This air also presses on the oceans which vary in high tides to low tides twice a day. The average height of these tides are actually below the land level even at the beach. This average is called mean seal level or MSL. MSL is the height used by aircraft in most situations.

 The purpose of broadcasting on weather and ATIS transmissions is to assure than all aircraft have the same setting on their altimeter. This means that they can use their altimeter as another means to avoid hitting each other. Another altitude is called AGL or above ground level. This is the altitude you often see in parentheses on charted towers or obstructions. There is also a radar altimeter which gives continuous AGL readings called absolute altitudes. GPS is also able to give an altitude reading. This reading is rarely the same as any of the other altitudes. 

I have a suggestion about your concerns with altitude. Make a practice of flying during good weather to fly above obstructions, hills, etc. and get an idea of how low you can go safely. Then at night or in bad weather you can use your knowledge to fly at safe altitudes. Additionally, I would suggest that when flying within 3000 feet of the ground that you never fly at even-thousands or five-hundreds. Make it a practice of flying 2300 or 2700 altitudes going eastward and 2400 or 2800 going westward. You will be surprised by the number of aircraft that are flying over or under these altitudes. Just another form of collision avoidance. 
Hope this all helps. 
Gene Whitt

Continued on Page Kinds of Accidents

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