Cross Country IX
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Have you been holding off flying a float plane because you aren’t sure how? Well here is a good place to start learning the ins-n-outs of float plane flight.
Aviator90 Episode 39
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{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Chris, thank you again for great videos.
I signed up for the study guide and followed with the registration link emailed to me. Will I receive the study guide by email? Didn’t get it yet.
Oh, it was fun to watch the video on a big screen TV
Vaclav
Got the study guide sent to your email! For some reason the email didn’t automatically send it to a few of the first people that signed up.
Hey Chris.
Precautionary landings are taught here as part of the emergency landing section of the initial flight training. The purpose is to be able to safely land a dmaged or faulty airframe while you still have power. It involves selecting an appropriate landing site, followed bu a couple of fly-by inspections at decreasing altitudes (say 1000′ and 500′) and perhaps a a final pass at 100′ before climbing up to 500′to set up for the landing. So in short, if there is something wrong with the airframe and you can’t or don’t think you can get back to a proper airstip/airfield, then this is a way to reduce the risks associated with putting a plane down in some poor farmers field.
A crop duster did one fairly recently after a bird strike damaged his plane and it was leaking fuel. So he put it down on the farmers access road safely.
You guys might call it something different over there, but it’s full title is “precautionary search and landing”.
Cheers
Alex
Wow, that’s really awesome. I’ve never heard of that before. Definitely sounds like something I’d like to teach about. Do you have any links to online documents, PDFs or websites that I could study? Thanks for the great tim!
I’ll see what I can dig up for you. I’m certain there will be somethihng around.
Alex
In Canada it is also part of the training plan and it is part of the flight test as I suspect it is in Australia and the U.K.. Here is how I was taught in a C-172…
http://www.canadianpplexam.com/2008/09/precautionary-landings.html
See the link before reading further… I was taught to do get the plane trimmed and configured to fly level before doing the low pass at 90 KIAS and memorize the RPM setting (assuming a fixed pitch prop). Then reduce power as you line up for the low pass and you will descend (do not tough the trim). Before reaching imaginary threshold of the landing surface, level at 100 to 200 AGL of the low pass and put the RPM to the memorized setting and the plane will level automatically and you are free to look outside at the landing surface and at 90 KIAS… you count the seconds (in your head) from the start of the landing surface until you pass the end. Add full power to climb back up the circuit altitude.
At 90 knots, you cover 1.5 nmi per min (90/60) (or approx 9000 ft per minute) so a 3000 ft strip is 20 seconds! A quick and dirty way to measure length. While 3000 is a lot for landing- it’s the take-off that takes space and this is a landing you are planning to be able to take off from!
It is used for bush flying to measure whether the landing strip is long enough for take-off before you land. Precautionary landing As well it is used if you have a distressed passenger or any urgent situation where you have some time to do assess a landing.
Thanks Paul, I haven’t had any time to look the reference up. That is definately the procedure that we learn and it is part of the GFPT flight test before the navigation phase starts (basic flight test). Somthing that is very good to practice and be well aware of. Thought I wouldn’t really like to ever have to actually do it. I much prefer landing on prepared strips
Cheers,
Alex
That is AWESOME! I’ve never seen anything like that, but it’s a very smart and cool procedure.
Hi Alex, I guess we “subjects of Her Magisty the Queen” share the same flight training! You mention you have a flight test before allowing students to go cross country – is that a formal test ride with a government examiner? We have the same but it is done with an other instructor than your normal one.
I have some friends who own grass strips on their property and since my C-210 is a bit heavier, I have to be careful about the length of the strip if I’ve not been there before… so the Precautionary is a great way to confirm the length and conditions (if I’ve forgotten to call ahead and ask them that is!)…
Ron – keep up the learning – I’ve been a pilot for 11 years now and I am always learning – from training, other pilots and websites like these! I am definitely NO expert so feel free to question and challenge me to quote sources. I have seen on many forums, very questionable responses from people claiming to be pilots who get all angry when asked for sources… in my circle of pilot friends and instructors we always reference the sources to confirm – the POH, the CARs (same as the FARs), the AIM (Aeronautical Information Manual), and various approved flight training manuals (and a zillion other sources when you become IFR!).
Sorry for all the posts – I am going into withdrawal as my bird is in the shop for a while…
Another great episode!!! Thanks Chris!
Hi Chris,
First of all, congratulations for your amazing job creating Aviator 90 series using such a professional approach (as expected). I’ve been following it from its very beginning and always looking forward for the next episode to be released.
In my opinion, you’ve achieved an outstanding result including several important aspects that combined make up the “aviator spirit” and with such a wide content selection, it’s very easy to learn something from it, even for experienced people.
In a few words, wonderful GA VFR FlightSim training, with a great real world flight “taste”.
Regarding the study guide, I didn’t receive it either but I’d love to.
Keep up the good work, THROTTLE ON !!!…
Thanks a ton, Jamtino (cool name, by the way)
Aviator Spirit… I really like that! I hope you don’t mind if I use it
I will shoot you an email with the study guide now. I also took measures to prevent this for others, so thanks for the heads up.
Good episode Chris. Love that Tongass scenery. Holger is the other guy on that project. It is a blast doing little charters to the dozens of cabins on the little lakes as well.
I really like your relaxed approach to flying and learning. Was your intructor that way with you? Usually that transfers from teacher to student. Either you are just that way or you were taught in a simular manor. Hahaha.
I was thinking the other day. With the availability of VATSIM as a huge multiplayer server, it would be cool to have an Angle of Attack flying club (for subscribers)? With your training in these videos and what you have taught with nav and radio calls and so on, club members (including you when available) could fly anywhere any time kind of thing. People could RSVP to some calendar here so that other pilots would know if there was anyone going up. Just like in real life. Get enough pilots and bam. Fly in!. Little 30 – 45 minute X-Country flights. You could put up a scedule on ZULU time and a briefing explaining the flight plan and how to enter it in FSX. Expected proceedure to get everyone airborn. VFR GA stuff I was thinking. Imagine if you will 4 – 12 GA planes on VASIM flying together on fly ins. Mainly throughout the PNW scenery (Olympia PNW demo is free), those with Victoria plus or Vancouver plus for FSX line up properly with PNW versions of most all the airports. Tongass Fjords scenery (which also lines up right with UTX Alaska) as well as Orbx’s Tasmania Demo scenery for thier AU Blue scenery. Starting at a little airport. Getting everyone sorted out on the ground. Using Unicom for CTAF radio calls same as you have been teaching.
For everyone to have voice on 122.8 Unicom for the uncontrolled airports, FSInn is required. I can provide links to the installation files and the simple step by step to get it installed if need be. If not VATSIM there is a multitude of free online servers floating around out there.
Just some thoughts.
Charles.
Very compelling idea and I think this is something we should keep in mind moving forward. I want to make sure I don’t put too much on my plate and I can actually deliver as promised, but this is actually a really fantastic idea. Wouldn’t hurt to even have our own server for it.
Also, I don’t think my instructors were that way with me. Maybe they were, but, I guess that’s just who I am.
Hey Chris…
When setting up for cruise should it always be Trottle first, Prop second, and Mixture third? Are there other instances where you would do differently>?
Thanks for the great episode… nice to see a different touch to the same ole same ole… with the amphibious AC.
Hope all is well and looking forward to subscribing to AviatorPro
Take care,
Ralston
I would like to know this too. I always thought it was Left to Right pretty much all the time including reaching altitude and setting up for cruise (reducing power). The exception is on final where you are decending then it is RIGHT to LEFT (Landing checklist – Full rich, full Prop RPM, MP as required to maintain correct rate of decent and speed all the way down the glid slope). I could be out to lunch,
Charles.
Hi Charles and Ralston
Power Down = Left to Right (MP, Prop, Mix)
Power Up = Right to left (Mix, Prop, MP)
Why? Increasing the MP (Power up) first with the prop set to fine (out a few inches) can cause the MP to go past the red line and “blow a jug” (damage a cylinder). On the power down side,
Chris, the reason you do the power on sequence (right to left) on final with GUMP check (MP then prop full) is to prepare for an overshoot. If you need sudden power you can do it with MP being the last item left off the GUMP check… when you add power MP quickly you don’t have to worry about mixture and prop cause they are done.
Makes sense! I guess I always assumed that if I was going to add power then I needed to change the mixture as well. Usually when I do a missed approach (different from a go around) I push everything from the right to left because my aircraft overheats otherwise.
Thanks for the info!
Oops I pressed enter too soon!
I meant “Charles” not “Chris” and here’s the rest of my sentence!
On the power down side, doing the MP first makes sure again that the MP is never too high for the given setting of the prop. Pulling the prop back first with a high MP again can over stress the engine – even in Continental engines (which I have in my C-210).
Chris great job on the videos BTW. I used to sim a lot before my license (OMG in FS 98!) and I would have loved to have had access to this stuff. You’ve rekindled my interest in simming again!
Well done and Throttle on!
Thanks, Paul!
BTW, looking back at your other post, I wanted to add something… Usually you can avoid redline altogether if you add power smoothly, or pull it out smoothly. Everything I do with power I like to do it smoothly. These engines are running at very high power and aren’t made to take abuse like sudden power changes. Sure, they can probably take it, but it’s not worth risking the longevity of the engine.
I attribute this to a relationship with a significant other. You don’t just change direction really quickly without trying to ease into it.
Me and my engine have a good relationship for that reason
Also, oil temp and pressure can have a major effect on this as well. I’ve found that in colder temperatures when departing (the CHTs and Oil Temp is warm enough, but still less viscous) that I have to really ease in the power. When the turbo kicks in on my airplane, it’ll ‘surge’ past redline, so I’m REALLY easy when I push it up.
Great discussion going here.
Hi Chris,
Regarding your post on adding power smoothly – I can’t agree more regarding treating the engine with kid gloves (or like a wife!), especially for the very high compressions in the jugs of our Continental engines. Memorizing and repeating the sequence right to left for power up and left to right for power off is to train the brain for those emergencies when sudden power changes are needed to avoid traffic / birds / obstacles.
For simming – luckily we don’t have to worry about extending the lives of our engines between costly overhauls since they remain at “zero-time” all the time (and we get to change wives anytime)!
… you mentioned the turbo kicking in and being careful with the surge – does the Bonanza have an automatic waste gate or do you have to manage it manually? I could probably Google it…
Sorry Palmer-fans and simmers – this is more a real world conversation than a AV90 one – SORRY!
I actually do Prop, Power, Mixture. But that is a pretty rare sequence for my aircraft. Usually it would be power, prop, mixture, in smooth fashion. Maybe Paul can also jump in on this one because he has a few tips about when to do it in what order. As far as I know, though, that’s the case. In all honesty, I’m not sure how much it really matters in the grand scheme of things. It’s going to change from equipment to equipment and also depending on procedures. Honestly though, as long as you’re smooth with the transitions, I don’t think it makes any difference. Probably just ignorance speaking, though.
PS… my girlfriend overheard your narrating a bit and your casual approach to flying and apparently found it quite amusing! …So… at least the ladies like you! HA!
Amusing?…. Not sure I should take that as a compliment, but I guess I will!
Chris…
another episode with the cessna 206 stationair…one of my fav birds. throwing in a float plane show was great because, now with the purchase of ftx’s pnw, using an amphibian a/c will be somethin’ i’ll be learning to use. so, thanks for the tips on how to use the water rudders and movin’ around in the water! worth commenting on also is how hilarious (lol) it was when the clouds just popped into your view! lol…you were vfr…then, oops, ifr…and, lol, you were sooo casual about it. good job for ‘transitioning’, lol, soo well. you instantly began teaching us some instrument stuff. classic.
oh, one last thing (yeah, right, comin’ from me), somethin’ that i’ve noticed about in most of your x-country flights is that you press record and go with it. it doesn’t seem like you really edit anything…and, please, continue just ‘rolling’ with it. this is one of the things i really enjoy about your films. what happens to us with the sim, happens to you also (clouds poppin’ in, switches in certain positions u didn’t call for, difficulty with lookin’ for airports, landings, etc…) and, i like to see how you deal with the simulator’s quirks as we do!
as usual, keep up the phenomenal work…don’t forget to keep chattin’ away as you’re flyin’. when you chat, you’re lettin’ us know what you’re thinkin’, and we (i) learn from that!
be safe flyin’
Throttle On! Ron… ‘)
This. Ron’s nailed it – the “stream of consciousness” approach works really well, and reflects what we do as everyday simmers. The fact it’s not staged is great (e.g. the overrun on landing the other day).
Great stuff, keep it up. I’ll dig out my 767 DVD for an extra fix
Thanks, Paul! I guess I’ll keep it up then
Thanks Ron!
Letting stuff just happen in flight simulator and then ‘rolling with it’ wasn’t intentional at all, but I also started to notice there was more opportunity to teach that way. As long as I’m not blasting off the end of the runway on every episode *COUGH* I’ll be fine.
IFR work is the funnest kind. I get the feeling that you’ve only seen the start
Chris…
if you don’t mind….
fs water, yours looks great (as with everything else). i use the program fswater configurator. what do u use?
oh, thanks for the basic direcTo advice the other day for the beaver gps. gps is my weak point…i’m comfortable with the vor/adf stuff. hey, that’d be nice…gps training? with aviator pro of course…
Throttle On! ron…
Hey Ron,
My water is part of the REX texture package. My water effects are on Low 2.X though, so you don’t get the full FSX effect. The video framerate ends up being too low if it’s any higher than that.
Paul…
thanks for sharing your advice regarding the ‘real world’ a/c stuff. you see, that’s what I’D like to learn more of so i can apply it to my simulator world…so, no more apologies when you real world pilots get caught up in the moment and talk about your a/c and the procedures you use to fly them…like i’ve shared with Chris, when you guys talk about your planes, we (i) learn. so, speak up anything aviation! and, i must say this…although we all know we’re flyin’ virtually, this is still the ‘real’ world, right? so….it’s all reality to me.
Chris…
lol…if you start ‘blastin off the runway on every episode’, we’ll have to give YOU some training about settin’ up for a landing …! and, i hope you dive deep into IFR and ….G P S baby! let’s roll!
anyhow all, thank all of you for sharing what you share. every evening i get home, i look forward to comin’ here!
now, lemme check if episode 40′s ready to download!
Throttle On! ron…
It’s ready now!
Hey Paul,
It also includes a theory exam and a pre flight questionaire buy the testing officer. All of which you must pass, but you can resit any of the assessment if you need to.
Yeah the GFPT is done with an “official examiner” as part of the formal checkrides for the PPL. GFPT stands for General Flight Proficiency/Progress Test. It is basically the culmination of all the initial flight training in the circuit and training area. On gaining that proficiency, you get the ability to fly solo in the training area and carry a passenger other than an instructor. Of course there are other requirements/restrictions to this “joy flighting”.
@ Chris.
I found my old training manual with the Precautionary Search and Landing section in it. If you give me an email I can copy it and send it over to you if you like.
Cheers guys and ….. what Chris says
chris (at) flyaoamedia (dot) com
Thanks man!
Don’t apologize for posting! I love it.
You touch on a really important topic there. Know-it-all pilots are both annoying and dangerous. I don’t profess to know hardly anything about aviation, but what I do know I have to deal with at this moment and do the best I can. Kind of a scary thought, but not really at the same time. In fact, it’s this part about Aviation I love. It’s the one thing I will never have to stop learning about and it’s one of the few things I love to learn about. If you start introducing complex math and physics to me with Aviation, I shut down! Sorry, just not necessary for me. Navy pilot, maybe.
I had a run in a while back with Episode 11 on the Vatsim forums. I do not know why I chose to engage a specific individual, but they were saying some outlandish and incorrect (or at least not the only right answer) things. When SHOWING and PRESENTING my sources, even that didn’t help much.
Thankfully we have a great culture here at AOA and I know that those ‘types’ wouldn’t be allowed to go on a tirade. I guess you could say we’re on a higher level of ‘being’.