LETTERS

We are always pleased to receive your letters and feedback. Please email the editor at bfjjodel@talktalk.net

Do we really need QFE?

Hi Brian, having spent five decades flying aircraft both large and small, I am convinced that GA altimeter setting procedures in the UK are far too complicated. Do we really need Regional Settings? Do we really need QFE? VFR pilots flying in Class G airspace usually have to reset their altimeter several times, and two problems arise. Firstly, there is always a chance of setting an incorrect subscale setting every time it is adjusted and secondly, distraction during resetting can draw the pilot’s attention away from other vital tasks, such as lookout and navigational monitoring. A simpler procedure would be to set local QNH for the whole flight, resetting only if the QNH changes. Rarely does barometric pressure change rapidly, so even if the subscale was not reset at all during the flight the resulting altimeter error would be unlikely to exceed 100ft or so. Is this significant for VFR flight? Two further advantages of ‘local QNH’ flight are improving terrain awareness and reducing the potential for violation of controlled airspace, which in the lower levels usually has a base expressed as an altitude. For student pilots doing circuit work, patterns flown with QNH set would not be difficult to learn. When they came to land away from base, adding field elevation to circuit heights to determine circuit altitude would be part of their pre-flight preparations and could be recorded on the nav log. If a MATZ controller specifies a QFE-based penetration height it is easy to convert this to a QNH-based altitude, rounding up or down to the nearest 100ft. Finally, it should be noted that commercial airliners and most GA aircraft around the world fly local QNH below transition altitude and 1013 above it. If it works for the big boys and girls, why not for GA traffic too?

Best wishes, Julien Evans.

Outstanding service

A fellow syndicate member and I flew our SportCruiser to Haverfordwest – a new destination for us both. On arrival we were welcomed with a friendly smile and exchanged a little light-hearted banter before making our way to the well-appointed facilities and cafe. Having put the world to rights and downed an excellent lunch, we made our way back to our aircraft – only to find a very flat starboard main wheel tyre. We sought assistance in order that we might get home before nightfall and were directed to Jonathan and Patricia Porter of Metal Seagulls. Above Budding aircraft mechanic, Gwen

We explained our plight and awaited a sharp intake of breath and shaking of head, but no, within minutes we were being accompanied by Jonathan, Patricia and Gwen (their five-year-old daughter) back to our aircraft with a mobile compressor in tow. Regrettably, it was clear that the tyre required further investigation. In short, a punctured inner tube required a patch. Despite the need to jack up the aircraft, remove the wheel and split the rim, repairs were completed and we were on our way in time to land back home just before sunset. Throughout, Jonathan and Patricia were the perfect hosts, professional engineers and consummate entertainers – not least little Gwen who, with notepad and pen in hand, quizzed us both as to the circumstances of our misfortune and conjectured as to how the incident might have occurred. If ever there was a budding AAIB investigator, then she is it! We are both extremely grateful to all at Metal Seagulls and recommend them without hesitation should you have use of their services. Finally, an apology to Gwen, who as a result of our delaying mum and dad until 1930, missed her promised playpark visit that day. She is a star!

Kind regards, Sheldon Rowles and Ian Graham.

The right stuff

Dear Editor. I have just read the August 2021 Issue and I am left with a sense of déjà vu having digested Steve’s excellent article on appropriate flight clothing. I have always been conscious of the dangers of fire after any powered aircraft accident, and have never understood pilots who will happily climb into the aircraft wearing nothing more than they would do going to the beach. These considerations are not confined to post-accident circumstances – fire at any time is always a possibility, however remote it may seem. This became particularly prevalent in my time as Tugmaster with Lasham Gliding Society when I frequently mentioned to individual Tug Pilots that it wasn’t a good idea to go flying in little more than shorts, tee-shirt and sandals. Generally, these comments fell on deaf ears. I must admit to the occasional polo-shirt that left arms exposed but generally in my case it would be a long-sleeved shirt, jeans and reasonably strong footwear. The only time I would wear a purpose made flying suit would be in something like a Chipmunk and the Bulldog although perhaps this was more to do with protecting your clothes from oil and other contaminants. As Steve points out, it is an individual choice, but the consequences could be dire. As a final comment and affirmation of Steve’s comment regarding baseball caps – these are effectively now prohibited from being worn in the conventional sense by tug-pilots because of the risk of blind spots in what may be a very intense traffic environment.

Best Regards, Fergus Buchanan.

OED at the ready…

Dear Sir, another great issue – thanks to all who make it happen. I am particularly enjoying Martin Ferrid’s pieces, but I think your readers need to know – is he on a one-man crusade to improve the vocabulary of the LAA membership? Last month we had ‘bovarism’ and this month it was ‘banausic’. I think for next month I’ll make sure I’ve got the dictionary to hand before I open the magazine… All the best, Martin Watson. ■