If you’re planning on flying the family somewhere for Christmas…
A couple of months ago at our flight school office one of our Private students was slaving away on preflight planning like it was 1970. She was preparing a navigation log of headings and times taking into account forecast wind and magnetic variation. All computations done on an E6B slide rule, of course!
I asked why she was doing this, given that nearly all of the planes in our rental fleet have a panel-mount certified GPS with moving map and, should that fail, we’re in an environment completely covered by Air Traffic Control radar. She explained that her instructor failed the GPS on every cross-country flight and made her do everything old-school. Her day job is engineering so this effort isn’t overtaxing her brain, but will it contribute to practical safety?
I shared with her a text message exchange that I’d had a few days earlier with a rental customer for the Cirrus SR20. The guy holds a Commercial Pilot certificate with Instrument rating. He has 750 hours of flight time.
Background: FAR 121 requires that airline crews that include two professional full-time highly proficient pilots (well, except when I was flying the CRJ!) be able to land within 60 percent of the available runway.
Me: How much fuel do you want in the plane for your flight on Saturday?
Him: Top off, please.
Me: You’re going to fly for six hours? Where are you going?
Him: Albany.
Me: That’s a one-hour flight. The plane cruises faster and lands more smoothly if you’re not right up near the max landing weight of 2900 lbs.
Him: There’s no fuel available at the airport.
Me: There’s no fuel at Albany? The crosswind runway is 7200′!
Him: I’m going to 5B7. I’m taking my son to visit Rensselaer.
Me: That’s a 2670′ runway in “poor” condition with obstacles. The Cirrus needs about 2100′ to land over a 50′ obstacle so you’d be flying your son with less safety margin that what is required for an airline crew and making it more challenging by going in heavy. The A/FD says “TRANSIENT ACFT CALL (518) 596-5947 FOR FIELD CONDS PRIOR TO ARR.”. The airport is unattended. If you blow a tire there, how long before the plane gets back out?
Him: <not convinced that this airport is a bad idea>
Me: Incidentally, East Coast Aero Club has a 3000′ runway minimum with a handful of exceptions such as Block Island.
Him: I didn’t know that. It’s too bad. I was thinking of going to South Albany (4B0) instead.
Me: 4B0 is 2853′ with a displaced threshold in both directions, so really more like a 2700′ runway. KALB is 8500′ for the big runway, has fuel cheaper than the reimbursement rate, no fees if you buy a handful of gallons, and is actually a shorter drive to RPI than either 5B7 or 4B0. The FBO at KALB can fix the plane if something goes wrong and have you back in the air two hours later. Why would you want to go to an unattended airport with a short runway instead?
Him: I thought it would be easier than dealing with an FBO.
I still can’t grasp why a high-time-by-GA-standards pilot wouldn’t see the safety advantage of an 8500′ runway in a massive clearing over a 2700′ poor condition runway that is surrounded by trees. Nor can I fathom why someone wouldn’t want the option of support from an FBO that underprices its services (Million Air at Albany is surely not hoping for an influx of piston-powered aircraft tanking up with 20 gallons of 100LL!). There is always the possibility of a tire or spark plug failure.
A passenger would likely have been safer going to Albany with the student pilot (if it were legal) than with this Commercial-IFR guy with an aversion to FBOs.
Maybe as instructors we should take students to some bigger airports and deluxe FBOs to highlight the value offered by both? It’s great that the U.S. has lots of little airports, but it usually doesn’t make safety sense to use them when a big airport is actually closer to the ultimate destination.
A lot of accidents happen because of poor judgment rather than skills; however, fixing judgment is like changing a personality, which is as difficult as moving a mountain; “Character is destiny.”
I think you’re right, student pilots should be taught how to utilize FBOs. It seems like a lot of pilots are cheapskates who think the FBOs are only there to gouge them on fuel. They can be wonderfully helpful and valuable, even if your plane isn’t broken.
I’m a CFII and former aircraft owner based at 5B7 and 4B0. 5B7 has steeply rising terrain to the south and power lines to the north. The runway is not the best. And there is no hint of services… it is a long way to get a taxi or uber. ALB is the best choice, for sure. Maybe time for some ADM refresher training before the next rental?
Seems like the commercial pilot didn’t have an adequate self-assessment of risk. Maybe he was told when and where to fly and go-no-go decisions were made for him when he flies commercially. The taught risk acronyms IMSAFE, PAVE, DECIDE, etc. are all judgement calls. Each of the risk management elements must be boil down to binary, black and white go-no-go decision (or continue-divert decision).
I think all pilots should know the top three risks for each flight and the top three risks for each phase of their flight… taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, decent, approach, landing, and taxi, because they are likely to be different for each phase.
I also agree with Finn.
No idea about the airports in question, but… Safety isn’t everything. Sometimes you just want a change or a challenge.
Yes – larger airport with attended FBO so you know that you will get fuel… nothing worse than late night at some 24-hour pump and the card reader isn’t working.
There are a lot of GA pilots out there that do not like to talk to ATC but that shouldn’t be a problem with your ECAC students.
Phil,
I live in Southern California, so the specifics of your post don’t apply to my everyday flying. But the analysis in your post is very relevant to me and to every pilot. I “discovered” and began “following” you years ago because of your aviation writing. Everything you post is interesting. But your pieces about flying are what I look forward to, so please don’t hesitate to post anything about aviation that may strike your fancy. You’ll always have at least one reader who will read it with relish.
Lon
Dan: “commercial pilot” is someone with an FAA Commercial certificate, not necessarily someone who flies for a living (this guy has a day job as an engineer, I think, and does not fly for hire).
Jernej: Safety isn’t everything? I guess that is true by definition since sitting on the couch and watching TV is nearly always a viable alternative and it is quite safe (except in Honduras where it is so dangerous that asylum in the U.S. is required?). But if the goal is transportation of a passenger to a destination, I don’t see a good reason to pass up an airport that is closer to the destination and offers a huge margin of safety.
Dave: Thanks for the local knowledge! I’m sure that they’re reasonable airports for a Cessna 152 or lightly loaded 172! The Cirrus is a bit of a runway hog, though, and the gear is not rugged. It is a great airplane for KBED to KTEB!