Safe Summer Flying for General Aviation
By Thomas Hoffmann, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine
With summer in full swing, and as general aviation activity is on the rise in many areas of the country, now is the perfect time for pilots to brush up on their flying skills — particularly if it’s been some time since your last flight. You’ll also want to be prepared for some of the unique challenges present with summer flying.
To help, here’s a list of 10 things to keep in mind before your next flight.
1. Loss of Control (LOC)
LOC continues to be the top contributor to general aviation (GA) fatal accidents. An LOC accident involves an unintended departure of an aircraft from controlled flight. Contributing factors may include: poor judgment/aeronautical decision making, failure to recognize an aerodynamic stall or spin and execute corrective action, intentional regulatory non-compliance, low pilot time in aircraft make and model, lack of piloting ability, failure to maintain airspeed, failure to follow procedure, pilot inexperience and proficiency, or the use of over-the-counter drugs, as well as alcohol, that impact pilot performance. The FAA’s #FlySafe program focuses on LOC mitigation strategies, as well as this article from the FAA Safety Briefing magazine.
2. Thunderstorms
A staple of summer weather, thunderstorms are a powerful force of nature that pilots must thoroughly understand and aim to avoid. They can pop up as single cell storms, develop in clusters with numerous cells, or organize into a squall line on or ahead of a cold front. There’s also the supercell storm that can have severe microbursts, large hail, and significant tornado activity. If you are using weather radar, be aware of latency issues that may exist. NTSB’s Safety Alert 17 and 11 cover NEXRAD latency issues and thunderstorm encounters respectively. Finally, rehearse your plan of action in the event you do find yourself in a thunderstorm. For helpful tips, see the articles “Cloud Dancing and Thunder Singing” on page 16 (PDF) and “The Terrible Ts: Turbulence, Thunderstorms, and Tornadoes” on page 12 (PDF).
3. Weather Know-how
Thunderstorms aren’t the only summertime weather phenomena to be aware of. For example, do you know what weather conditions are associated with low-level wind shear? Wind shear can be attributed to passing frontal systems, temperature inversions with strong upper level winds (greater than 25 knots), and thunderstorms. Are you familiar with how sky conditions can change with an approaching front? When flying towards an approaching warm front, pilots may go from higher cirrus and cirrostratus clouds, to alto- and eventually nimbostratus clouds. Check out our cloud-spotting chart and read this article on the effects of air masses and fronts on page 8 (PDF) for more. It also pays to be aware of micrometeorological conditions of your home airport or where you plan to operate. This might mean understanding how airport buildings or structures could impact the wind close to the ground or during taxi, or how warm rising air over a sunbaked parking lot could impact your approach.
4. Density Altitude
Simply put, density altitude is pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperature. In other words, an increase in temperature at a particular atmospheric pressure causes the density of air at that pressure to appear as though it resides at a higher physical altitude. When density altitude is high, the air is less dense. As a result, an aircraft will perform as if it is flying at a higher altitude, which results in degraded climb performance and acceleration. Density altitude is an insidious danger that must be accounted for when performing takeoff calculations. Some mitigation strategies include flying when the temperatures are cooler and/or limiting passengers and cargo to reduce your aircraft’s weight. See the FAA Safety Briefing article “Hot, High, and Heavy” (PDF) for more on density altitude.
5. Currency- Am I Legal?
This is a good time to review what makes you current to carry passengers for a VFR flight. For day flights, you must have 3 takeoffs and 3 landings in the last 90 days in the same category and class aircraft. If it’s a taildragger, those landings must be to a full stop. For night flights, you must have logged 3 takeoffs and landings to a full stop in the last 90 days. You must also have successfully completed a flight review every 24 calendar months. And don’t forget, passenger briefings are not just for the airlines. Before every flight, you must brief all passengers on the use of seat belts, and shoulder harnesses. However, for a more complete briefing, consider the acronym SAFETY:
- Seat belts/shoulder harnesses;
- Air vents and environmental controls;
- Fire extinguisher location and operation;
- Exit, emergencies, and equipment;
- Traffic and talking;
- Your questions?
And if you’ve got some first-time fliers scheduled for a trip, have them read the article “Fighting the Fear, Finding the Fun: The Cockpit Companion’s Guide to GA Flying Enjoyment” on page 8 (PDF).
6. Physiology
During the hot summer months, it’s especially important to keep tabs on your physical wellbeing. Be sure to drink water regularly and heed the signs of dehydration which include headache, fatigue, cramps, sleepiness, and dizziness. Also, be sure to get plenty of rest and always assess your fitness for flight. Use the I’MSAFE checklist.
7. Runway Safety
Increased flying means increased chances of busy and/or congested airport ground operations. Be vigilant while taxiing and be aware of your location at all times. To help avoid runway incursions, keep these tips in mind:
- Write down and read back all taxi instructions.
- Review the airport diagram before taxiing out or landing.
- Know the meaning of each airport sign.
- Request progressive taxi instructions if you’re unsure of your location.
Another way to prepare for hot spots and avoid runway incursions is with the FAA’s From the Flight Deck video series. These videos highlight dozens of airports around the nation. They provide pilots with actual runway approach and airport taxiway footage captured with cockpit mounted cameras, combined with diagrams and visual graphics to clearly identify hot spots and other safety-sensitive items.
8. Know Your Instruments
When was the last time you had a refresher on aircraft instruments? With the potential for weather conditions to change rapidly in the summer, it’s a good time to review some of the basics. For example, do you recall the three main instruments that operate via the pitot-static system? That would be the airspeed indicator, the vertical speed indicator, and the altimeter. When a pilot understands how each instrument works and recognizes when an instrument is malfunctioning, they can safely utilize the instruments to their fullest potential. Have a look at the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (Chapter 8 (PDF)) to review some additional basics of flight instruments.
9. Emergencies
The possible causes of an aerial emergency are about as varied as the number of aircraft and the pilots who fly them. That’s why it’s critical to build your knowledge and regularly practice procedures to deal with that proverbial “anything,” whether it’s the oil pressure gauge whose needle just dipped below the comforting green-is-good range, or a VFR flight that quickly evolves into instrument meteorological conditions. The emergency-themed 2019 September/October issue of FAA Safety Briefing (PDF) is chock full of articles on managing, mitigating, and avoiding emergency situations, like this article on what to do if your engine fails.
10. Illegal Charter Operations
With air taxi and ride-sharing on the rise, pilots need to be aware of the risks and rules. If you are being paid — even indirectly — to transport passengers, you are required to hold a Part 119 certificate. You can find letters to pilots, Advisory Circulars, Q&As, and other useful guidance about safe air charter operations on the FAA website. In addition, the article blow breaks down why you can or cannot “air-share” with your plane.
Get Some Knowledge
For more on safe flying tips this summer season, check out the course library on FAASafety.gov. Here are a few weather-related courses that might pique your interest:
- ALC-62 Aeronautical Decision Making for VFR Pilots
- ALC-232 NTSB — Weatherwise
- ALC-295 Weather Wise: VFR into IMC (Presented by AOPA)
- ALC-322 Aviation Weather Data: A Targeted Approach
- ALC-563 Weather Technology In The Cockpit (WTIC) — FAA NextGen Research
To receive appropriate course credit for the above courses, you must:
- Have an account on FAASafety.gov
- Be logged into that account
- Be enrolled in the course
- Visit each chapter of the course, using the navigation bars at the top or bottom of each screen, and complete all the course material found on each.
AOPA’s Safe Summer Flying
You can also watch the Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association’s (AOPA) video on 105 Days of Safe Summer Flying (YouTube). The video is a part of AOPA’s Seasons of Safety video series. Be sure to follow AOPA on Instagram and Facebook for weekly summer flying safety tips!
Get Your WINGS!
Proficiency training is required for most professional pilots and plays a key role in aviation safety. Studies have shown that pilots who participate in regular proficiency training are much less likely to experience accidents. The FAA’s WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program is one way for GA pilots to ensure they are competent, confident, and safe in their flight operations.
The objective of the WINGS program is to prevent the primary causes of GA accidents. WINGS is not an “award” program; it is a proficiency program designed to help improve pilot skills and knowledge. Pilots who maintain their currency and proficiency will enjoy a safer flight experience.
The WINGS program consists of learning activities and flight tasks selected to address the documented causal factors of aircraft accidents. You can participate by selecting the category and class of aircraft in which you wish to receive training. Requirements for each aircraft category and class include specific subjects and flight maneuvers. Go to bit.ly/WINGSPPP or see our #FlySafe fact sheet (PDF) or in the article below for more information.
