Aircraft Performance Monitoring
#FlySafe GA Safety Enhancement Topic
Pilots continue to have unreasonable expectations of their own personal performance, and the performance of their aircraft, which has contributed to fatal general aviation (GA) accidents.
The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee’s (GAJSC) working group on system/component failure (powerplant) suggests that reasonable performance expectations, based on realistic data from flight data monitors, can help forecast system/component problems before they reach the point of failure, resulting in safer flight operations.
Flight Data Monitoring
Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) has been around since before the jet age, and commercial airplanes make extensive use of the technology. Systems comprised of sensors, computer hardware, and software acquire and archive flight data for use in trend analysis and investigations of accidents and incidents. While it’s true that most GA aircraft don’t have dedicated automatic flight data recording devices now, we will be able to enjoy the benefits of equipage in the future. In the meantime, it’s often surprising to see what we already have.
Tools You Can Use Now
Changes in aircraft performance can be a sign of developing mechanical issues. Your Pilots Operating Handbook (POH) will help you to predict your aircraft’s performance, but only by monitoring your personal performance can you know what to expect. Comparing your performance with the POH will enable you to develop accurate performance predictions and reasonable performance expectations.
Many data monitoring operations involve no automation at all. Basic instrumentation such as airspeed indicators, attitude indicators, angle of attack indicators, manifold pressure, RPM, and G indicators give immediate feedback as to whether design limitations have or are about to be exceeded. Pilots can track engine power, fuel flow, oil temperature and pressure. Panel mounted GPS systems and many hand held units are already capable of recording position, heading, speed, and altitude. Some engine monitors have recording capability and many aircraft owners participate in oil analysis programs — a tool for gauging engine health and heading off expensive or, in some cases, disastrous problems.
The Future is Here
Manufacturers are already offering self-contained flight data and visual data recorders for GA airplanes and helicopters. We’re seeing multi-sensor analysis programs on high-end GA aircraft with integrated performance, navigation, and route information. Auto landing systems are making their way into some GA aircraft now and, over time, they’ll become available in lower-priced platforms.
It’s true that modern avionics have made the collection of flight data and flight performance analysis much more accessible to GA, but the question is how do GA pilots access and use that information? In the commercial world, structured systems like Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) can be easily used to tap the data from operators. The GA community has more limited options to acquire this data, despite its much greater footprint on national airspace system (NAS) operations.
To provide a solution to that problem, the FAA partnered with academia and industry to create a portal that could collect data from the wide variety of GA operations. The end result was the National General Aviation Flight Information Database (NGAFID).
The NGAFID allows GA pilots to analyze and share their flight data in two ways. First, operators equipped with avionics capable of recording flight data can upload flight and engine data anonymously into NGAFID. Devices that record flight data offer an easy and free way for pilots to visually analyze flight performance for trends and changes over time to improve their flying. Second, pilots can share their data with NGAFID from a smart phone/tablet using the General Aviation Airborne Recording Device, or GAARD, mobile app. Depending on your method of logging data, you can even use the NGAFID to monitor for airworthiness and maintenance concerns. All data collected from onboard avionics, an FDM recorder, or the GAARD app is anonymous and de-identified so pilots can share their data without any fear of reporting or reprisal. Note that the NGAFID is managed by GA community members and associations.
All data collected from onboard avionics, a Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) recorder, or the GAARD app is anonymous and de-identified so pilots can share their data without any fear of reporting or reprisal.
Thanks to GA data sharing and analysis programs, more safety issues can be detected, resulting in more interventions, leading to fewer accidents, and fewer lives lost. As more data is shared and analyzed, groups like the GAJSC develop safety enhancements and raise awareness in the community through targeted outreach efforts like the #FlySafe Campaign. FAASafety.gov and the FAA Safety Team’s (FAASTeam) WINGS/AMT airmen proficiency programs are great resources for pilots and mechanics to help improve their skills and knowledge. More developments are on the way, including a complete redesign of FAASafety.gov with artificial intelligence capability that will use data to suggest customized training and flight activities.
We are certainly in an age of innovation where information, technology, and pilot performance combine to make flying safer than ever before.
Watch Aircraft Performance and Monitoring
📅 Upcoming Webinars (December 2021)
- 12/8 👨✈️ Enhance Safety and Best Practices for Engine Maintenance and Flight Data Monitoring — In-person Seminar, Johns Island, SC.
- 12/13 👨✈️ The safety benefits of engine performance monitoring — Webinar
- 12/14 💻 Enhance Flight Safety Through Best Engine Operation Practices and Flight Data Management — Webinar
Resources
→ Aircraft Performance & Calculations Fact Sheet (PDF)
→ FAA Safety Briefing articles:
Download this story as a printable PDF. For more GAJSC safety enhancement topics, click the FlySafe image.
