COACHING CORNER

COVID-19 will restrict your dual flying, if you are out of practice take extra care. Also beware of the ‘silent killer’ in the cockpit, as David Cockburn, PCS Head of Training reports

When I wrote the original first paragraph for this article I was going to encourage pilots to contact coaches to help carry out that New Year Resolution of ‘doing more flying this year’. The winter weather has not been conducive to keeping current, and even when it has, strips and even runways on licensed aerodromes have been waterlogged and effectively unusable. We know that if we are out of practice we are going to be less skilled, and less able to cope with less than perfect flying conditions. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has reached pandemic proportions and presents a considerable threat, and not just to those of us who have been encouraged to self-isolate. At the time of writing, schools, restaurants and cafes have been closed, and even healthy people who think they are in a low-risk area have been advised to give each other a two metre ‘personal space’. An aircraft cockpit normally cannot provide that space. Even if two people are willing to take the risk of confining themselves together for an hour or so, I should not wish to recommend it. Family members will frequently be that close in a car, and it would seem inconsiderate as well as impractical to ban them being together. However, flying and pilot coaching is another matter. Both are discretionary activities, we’re all grown-ups and I’ll leave it to you to use your own common sense in making such decisions. And if lockdown legislation allows, and you decide to regain post-winter currency yourself, without a coach’s help, take great care. Minimise risk by starting your flying season in good conditions of weather and surface, and only gradually expand the conditions in which you fly. Our horizons may be limited for some time, but fly safely!.

The ‘silent killer’

Both EASA and the UK CAA have recently issued reminders about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. This is a consequence of an AAIB report (S2/2019 dated 14 August 2019), into a fatal accident to a Piper Malibu last winter, in which the summary included the following: Toxicology tests on the blood of the passenger showed a carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) saturation level of 58%. COHb is the combination product of carbon monoxide (CO) with haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein molecule contained in red blood cells. CO is a colourless, odourless gas produced from the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing materials. It readily combines with haemoglobin in the blood, decreasing the carriage of oxygen and causing a direct effect on the performance of those parts of the body which rely on oxygen for proper function. A COHb level of 50% or above in an otherwise healthy individual is generally considered to be potentially fatal. …It is Above The familiar ‘Dead Stop’ CO warning card, which goes black in the presence of CO. Generally these cards last for no more than 12 months after opening, and some, once they’ve gone black, are no longer serviceable. This example from Aircraft Spruce and Specialty, returns to its neutral colour once the CO presence has ceased and can continue to be used. Make sure you date the card and replace it when its life has expired.

“If a warning device produces that slightly increased reading on the ground, it would be prudent to have the exhaust system checked over”

considered likely that the pilot would also have been affected to some extent by exposure to CO. The July 2017 issue of Light Aviation included an excellent article by Doug Blair, entitled The Canary and the ‘silent killer’, which I commend to all pilots. You can find it at https://tinyurl.com/wwlmspu. Coaches can not only remind pilots of the hazard but can also provide advice on the subject. First of all, the hazard exists and cannot be detected until it is affecting you, hence it is vital to carry a device to warn of the presence of CO. The cardboard ‘Dead Stop’ devices, with the spot that turns black, do work and are inexpensive to buy. However, they have a relatively short life and are easily contaminated, so pilots should seriously consider carrying an electronic warning device. These are available in a variety of forms and from several sources, including ironmongers, eBay and many supermarkets. Check the instructions carefully before buying, as some are designed for use in specific environments and may not be suitable for use in a cockpit. Those intended for use in caravans are probably fine. In any case, do make sure they give you a reading and not just a warning bleep, because a slightly increased reading can indicate the development of a small exhaust leak before the CO level reaches the stage when an alarm would sound. If a warning device produces that slightly increased reading on the ground, it would be prudent to have the exhaust system checked over. However, it may not be as serious as that. Several years ago my own device was intermittently giving a notable indication almost as soon as the engine started. The exhaust checked out fine, but when we changed our operating procedure to close the Above left This domestic detector, a FireAngel CO-9D, costs about £20 and is a sealed for life (seven years) unit that displays level of CO and will also display when it needs replacing. Downside is at 125mm x 72mm x 40mm it is larger than aviation specific detectors.

Above right Guardian Avionics make a number of CO detectors. This is their panel-mount Aero 353 which costs from $289 to $389, depending on specification. It takes up just 41mm x 32mm panel space but extends 96mm behind the panel.

Left This ‘FORENSICS’ CO detector is advertised as an aircraft and vehicle alarm and has a visual and audible alarm that triggers at 9ppm and 25ppm. It measures 73mm x 47mm x 12mm, it’s lifed for five years, it comes with a stick-on mount and Amazon sells it for £89.90. canopy before starting, we experienced no further indication. Wind gusting around the hangar had been blowing the gases back into the cockpit. The most likely obvious symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning itself would appear to be a headache, although the smell of exhaust gases would be a good indication that CO was present. Any suspicion of CO in the cockpit, or a warning from your alerting device, should trigger a safety drill: 1. Fly the aircraft – trim to a safe speed 2. Get fresh air into the cockpit – turn off the heater, open ventilators and try to direct the air at the pilot’s face – many windows have rotating scoops to do that but a roll of paper can serve. 3. Head for a safe landing site – consider a long runway because the poison will affect your flying. 4. Call an Air Traffic Unit and ask for help – the poison will affect your thinking so let someone else assist. 5. Watch out for indications that leaking exhaust may damage other systems. 6. After landing, see a doctor but don’t drive; it takes a long time for CO to work out of your blood. It is important to remember that any warning device has a limited lifespan. The cardboard ones last for a matter of months, but even the electronic devices lose their sensitivity after a few years. Check the instructions carefully and ensure that you have protection from the silent killer.

l Thank you to those coaches who managed to come to the Coaches Meeting at Turweston on 8 February. Notes from that meeting should have reached all coaches by now, but if they have gone astray, please contact the office for your copy. It may mean we have an incorrect address for you. ■