OPEN AIR FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR’S CORNER

By Jeff Jorgenson

Is flying safe? The answer may surprise you! You may have heard the cliché “flying is safer than driving.” Well, it turns out it's a bit more complicated than that. It is true that the impeccable safety record of the airlines is statistically far safer than driving. However, general aviation (GA) has a statistically less appealing track record. It's very difficult to compare GA to driving statistics because they are tracked and reported in multiple different measurements. Driving is measured in deaths (12.0) per 100,000 miles driven and GA is measured in fatal accidents (1.09) per 100,000 hours flown. It gets more difficult to compare when you consider that nearly every adult drives nearly every day, while less that 1% of the population are pilots and many don’t fly every day.

While I have done the math and explained this in the book, “Open Air - How People Like Yourself Are Changing the Aviation Industry” what’s more important to note here is that there is a direct correlation between training, proficiency and safety. Quality matters.

There is an old quote that has long portrayed this concept.

“Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous, but to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.” ~ Captain A.G. Lamplugh

So the answer, in General Aviation is that flying is, in fact, not safer than driving. However, here is the good news, it can be! The FAA has become task saturated. They have had budget cuts, are restrained by their own rules and procedures and inhibited by the bureaucracy. That’s not to say the FAA is doing a bad job, but that they are very good at doing what they’re already doing and very slow to change to meet new challenges. With that in mind, the great news is that there are many people, like myself, who are going out of their way to teach new, better practices, at a grassroots level, to instill knowledge of observed trends and to offer solutions that can lead to much safer flying.

I got to meet renowned aviation educators John and Martha King at Sun N Fun last year, and they put on a great presentation about having this very conversation about safety with prospective students. Another Flight Instructor, Russ Still, also puts on a great presentation and training seminar as an extension of his Gold Seal online flight training. He says,

“The takeoff segment is one of the most dangerous periods of any VFR flight. Unfortunately, this is frequently overlooked and unrecognized by pilots. Roughly 28% of accidents occur during this seemingly benign span of time. The reason for the increased risk is simple. The aircraft is relatively low and slow and the pilot has few options should a problem occur.”

Russ suggests that the takeoff profile should be divided into four distinct segments: the takeoff roll, the climb with runway remaining, the low-altitude climb and the high altitude climb. The point that separates the low-altitude climb and the high-altitude climb is a calculated altitude AGL called the “decision height”. Each of the four takeoff segments has different risks.

A key consideration for possible emergencies is the turnback maneuver, frequently known as the “impossible turn”. Pilots must recognize that it really is impossible in some scenarios, improbable in others and possible under the right conditions. Although the FAA recently suggested that instructors should teach the turnback maneuver, very little useful guidance is available. The turnback is a high-performance maneuver that requires extensive training and practice. The biggest problem is that most pilots don’t realize how many factors are involved. Russ recommends that the turnback maneuver never be attempted by pilots who have not been properly trained.

Another CFI who has taken the reins to change the GA safety record is retired Airline Pilot and longtime GA Flight Instructor, Dan Gryder. Mr. Gryder had a friend and accomplished pilot involved in a fatal aircraft accident over a decade ago and has been on a mission to learn what happened and to help prevent it from happening to others. Dan discovered that loss of control accidents happen about once every four days in GA. Many, if not all, of these accidents are preventable with proper training and awareness. Dan has done a lot of research and has experimented with various ways to simulate these pilot errors and find ways to address them. One of his discoveries was the DMMS line, he jocularly refers to as the ‘Dumbass Line.’ The idea is to maintain an airspeed that is at or above 1.404 the stall speed of an aircraft until established on a stabilized approach. A stabilized approach is characterized by 4 conditions, 1) Proper Airspeed, 2) Proper Altitude/descent rate 3) Established on centerline and 4) ability to make the touchdown zone, which is the first 1/4 of the runway or less as determined by the runway and aircraft landing requirements for the environmental conditions.

Dan has been featured in safety videos and has authored tips on GA safety. Some of the best, most comprehensive examples of his recent work can be found on the FlightChops.com website under the heading “Grassroots - Prevention is NO Accident”. He also provides recommendations on his AQP Flight Review, which is a new spin on the part 135 Advanced Qualifications Program. It's certainly worth the time. as great pilots are always trying to improve their skills. Flight Chops has a great series that is entertaining. Dan is also working with Josh Flowers at Aviation101.com and has just released some great new content which details some great information for safety of flight!

Let’s make aviation great again! We ARE the future of Aviation!

Thank you for reading and hope to see YOU in the Open Air!