LESSONS IN SURVIVAL
ALSO FEATURING:
THE
by David Gagliardi
by Alan Johnson
The Victoria Flying Club ~ Aviation Excellence Since 1946
JAN-FEB 2023
PROFESSIONAL PILOT
MAUI FLIGHT ADVENTURE
“To promote flying and aviation in general, and to teach and train persons in the art and science of flying and navigating and operating all manner of heavier-than-air aircraft.”
(Victoria Flying Club Incorporation Bylaws, 1946)
BOARD
PRESIDENT Don Devenney
VICE PRESIDENT Colin Williamson
SECRETARY Glen Rippon
TREASURER Cal Mjolsnes
DIRECTORS Iain Barnes Graham Palmer Laurie Ingalls
GENERAL MANAGER Mike Schlievert
Editor: Kelly J Clark
This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part with prior permission of the publisher or author. The opinions expressed are strictly those of the authors.
Do you want other pilots to fly with, split flight cost, share knowledge, or get help getting to a new airport for the first time? Find potential mentors and their resumes posted on the Mentors bulletin board beside the Dispatch counter. Contact details are on each mentor's resume or you can email mentors@flyvfc.com for more information.
Love is in the air and so are our planes! Here's what's going on right now at the VFC:
SAVE THE DATE: THE 2023 VFC WINGS BANQUET IS MARCH 24th!
The 2023 VFC Wings Banquet is coming to the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney on March 24th from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM! This gala event will be a celebration of the VFC and all things aviation. Details to come!
The VFC's Annual General Meeting is coming on March 28th! The event will begin with a social hour at 6:00 PM with the meeting starting at 7:00 PM sharp! Remember that the AGM is your chance to make a difference in the Club and how it supports its membership, so be sure to attend.
Are you or someone you know looking to break into the world of aviation? The VFC is still looking for a qualified individual to join our ranks as Flight School Line Crew! This critical role ensures that aircraft are fueled, cleaned, and ready for takeoff, as well as other important duties. Do you know someone looking to get their start in aviation? Send them the full details of the job, found here: http://flyvfc.com/jobs
Sustaining and Lifetime members:
15% discount on Cessna rental rates and purchases in the Little Pilot Shop.
10% discount for everyone who pays fully in advance for their annual aircraft parking fees for 2023 only!
The Victoria International Airport is planning a $600 million expansion, which will expand the airport both east and west and add more check-in booths, gates, and will further expand international arrivals. This could be great news for the local aviation industry and new pilots!
FEB 20 FAMILY DAY (BC)
MAR 12 DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
MAR 17 ST. PATRICK'S DAY
MAR 20 SPRING EQUINOX
MAR 20 ELEVATE CROSS COUNTRY
TOUR VISITS VICTORIA
MAR 24 VFC WINGS BANQUET
MAR 2 VFC AGM
APR 6 FIRST DAY OF PASSOVER
APR 7 GOOD FRIDAY
APR 8 EASTER SUNDAY
APR 9 EASTER MONDAY
APR 13 LAST DAY OF PASSOVER
Know of an aviation-related event that's not listed? Let us know at vfcpatrician@gmail.com!
Interested in prime paved parking spaces for your aircraft? Good News: there are spots available!
Secure, pull-in/pull-out, easy access.
Call Dispatch at 250-656-2833 to arrange a spot or to get on the waitlist for hangar spaces!
by David Gagliardi
“‘Professionalism’ is commonly understood as an individual’s adherence to a set of standards, code of conduct or collection of qualities that characterize accepted practice within a particular area of activity.” -Universities UK et al. 2004
Professional pilots embody the attributes in the definition above. Being a professional pilot has nothing to do with what license you hold it is ultimately about the attitude with which you approach flying. This article is the second in a series that will examine aspects of piloting light aircraft to a professional standard.
Today’s topic is the use of aircraft lighting.
There are few actual regulations with respect to the use of aircraft lighting and they mostly concern night flying. Still lights are commonly used on flights conducted during the day. The decisions on what lights to use and when, seem to vary significantly and therefore I believe that it is useful to discuss best practices.
I personally follow what are the near universal commercial operators standard operating procedures. They are as follows:
1) Nav lights on when electrical power applied to aircraft (i.e. master turned on)
2) Red tail beacon light on prior to engine start (this is an indication to persons near the airplane that engine start is imminent)
3) Taxi light on when airplane is moving or about to start moving and off when it is stopped (i.e. the taxi light is a movement intentions indicator to persons near the airplane and other taxing airplanes)
4) White wing tip strobe lights on when entering the active runway (This will make the airplane more visible to airplanes on final especially at night. It is also a good practice to turn on the strobe lights if the taxi route has you taxing down a runway)
5) Landing light on when cleared for takeoff (This serves as a secondary acknowledgement of the takeoff clearance for ATC)
6) Both landing and taxi light on when in low level airspace, which means all the time in a C 172 (There is considerable research that shows that having all lights on increases the conspicuity of an aircraft and therefore reduces the risk of a mid air collision).
7) The order of the light use is reversed for landing
Some general considerations for use of lighting:
• Testing all the lights as part of the walk around is a good practice, however you want to be efficient so as not to leave all the lights on for an extended period as this could drain the battery and impact starting the engine. The easiest way to check the lights is to make it an independent check. That is turn on the master and all lights and do a brisk 360 degree walk around checking everything is working and then turn off the master and all the light switches. The pitot heat check, if required, can also be done at the same time.
• Understanding the protocol for the use of the taxi light can be helpful in maintaining situational awareness on the ground. If you see a commercial aircraft sitting and not moving with the taxi light off (note large aircraft typically have the taxi light mounted on the nose landing gear leg), then you can assume it will not move. If it switches the light on, then it will start moving and you should plan to taxi in way that will not impede it and avoid the prop/jet blast.
• Knowing the SOP of landing lights on = takeoff clearance once saved me from a runway incursion. I was taxing on Echo towards 09 and about to cross 03 when the Dash 8 holding at the button of 03 turned on his landing lights. I immediately stopped short of the 03 hold line on Echo 2 seconds before ground controller yelled at me to stop. As it turned out there was a miscommunication in
a good example of how taxi situational awareness can increase safety for everyone.
• It used to be that taxi and landing lights used incandescent bulbs. These drew a lot of power and often had a life of less than 50 hours. Because of this the use of taxi and landing lights in light aircraft in the air during the day was often discouraged. Now all VFC airplanes have LED lights which draw 80 % less power and have effectively unlimited life (10,000 hrs+) so there is no penalty to keeping them on all the time when airborne.
• When operating on the ground at night pilots should take care not to blind persons on the ground or pilots of other aircraft. White strobe lights should never be used while taxing on a taxiway and especially not when stopped in a run-up bay. Similarly, pilots should consider turning off their taxi light if they are on a brightly lit ramp.
• Interior lighting at night should always be managed to maximize the pilot’s night vision. I find that initially I will set the instrument panel lights a bit too bright but as my eyes become night adapted, I can turn them down, thus maximizing my night vision.
• Pilots need 2 portable lights. One fairly powerful to do the walk around and another smaller and ideally red filtered light to use in the cockpit. There seems to always be parts of the inside of the airplane that will not be illuminated but which you need to see. This is also your emergency light, so it must be readily accessible by feel. Some pilots like to use a small head lamp which is handy because you do not need to hold it, but this is a matter of personal preference.
Understanding and using aircraft lighting in a predicable way increases flight safety and is, in my opinion, another mark of a professional pilot.
PPL WRITTEN TEST
Roddie McDonald
Will Buhr
Nick Meelker
CPL FLIGHT TEST
Forest Kruus
Anthony Bocquentin
CPL WRITTEN TEST
Sam Godsell
NIGHT RATING
Katrina McGie
Jayson Biggins
IATRA EXAM
Barjinder Pattla
INRAT EXAM PASSED
Bill McMillan
INSTRUMENT WRITTEN TEST
Liam Wilson
"Without disruption of air traffic, these fearless, forthright, indomitable and courageous individuals did venture into the wild blue yonder in flying machines.
Furthermore, these skillful individuals did safely land said flying machines at Victoria International Airport, incurring no significant damage to self or machine, thus completing first solo flights."
Emma Fedderly
Evie Leedham
Imogen Burr
Clayton Flett
Viktor Melnykov
Keith Vass
Grant Gladych
Larry Wheeler
Martin Lorenz
Nicholas Houghton
Kaelyn Bonnerv
Devo Nelms-Horton
Nelson Currie
Benjamin Wolfe
Aidan Rogers
Zacky Mohammad Nawaz
Derek Nussbaum
Chris Souliotis
Sheila Sloman
Johnathan Clark
Oscar Applegate
Patrick Heaney
Trajan Chahal
Jose Daniel Zavala
Hernandez
Sean Provencher
Randy McGregor
Bernie Garrett
Tristan Belcourt
Martin Cooper
Alessandro Serrano
Bolanos
Riley Perrior
Evelyn Ridsdale
Rajiv Prasad
Brent Gwilt
Jason Cridge
Zachary Churchill
PRIVATE PILOT LICENCE GROUND SCHOOL
PPL #23-01: JAN 07/2023 TO MARCH 11/2023
Saturdays (09:00 - 16:00)
PPL #23-02: JAN 08/2023 TO MARCH 12/2023
Sundays (09:00 - 16:00)
PPL #23-04: APRIL 01/2023 TO JUNE 03/2023
Saturdays (09:00 - 16:00)
PPL #23-05: APRIL 02/2023 TO JUNE 04/2023
Sundays (09:00 - 16:00)
COMMERCIAL PILOT LICENCE GROUND SCHOOL
CPL #23-03: TBA
Saturdays & Sundays (18:00 - 21:00)
MOUNTAIN AWARENESS TRAINING
MTA #23-06: FEB 26/2023
Sunday (09:00 - 12:00 + TBA)
Individual scheduling requests are available for Private Pilot Licence, Commercial Pilot Licence, Mountain Awareness Training (MTA), Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (Drone) Courses (RPAS) by request.
Individual tutoring is also available for PPL and CPL upon request.
Confirm your attendance by contacting:
Neil Keating: (204) 291-9667
Perhaps some of you will recognize the title of this article, as it’s also the title of a booklet in the VFC lounge that relates to survival training. Although this was written several decades ago for use by aircrew in the Royal Canadian Air Force, its content remains relevant to this day. So why an article on survival training? Well, even though most of our flying training is conducted within 25 Nm of CYYJ, every student will eventually undertake cross-country flights, and many of
our recreational fliers conduct such flights regularly.
As such, we will all eventually find ourselves flying over uninhabited or sparsely populated areas of British Columbia and beyond. Given the mountainous terrain, search & rescue (SAR) missions are more challenging, as a downed Cessna could become almost invisible to the naked eye for SAR crews scouring the area of a crash sight. Fortunately, while I was the VFC General Manager, the
Board of Directors approved the initiative to replace the ELTs in the fleet with the newer (and far more accurate) 406 MHz version.
By comparison, the newer 406 MHz ELTs, using triangulation with the COPSPASSARSAT constellation of satellites, provides an accuracy of a 1-3 Nm radius from the crash site, vice the 12-15 Nm radius of the older system. The difference is significant from a SAR perspective; a search area of 17 square miles rather than a 782 square mile search area. So why worry? Clearly the SAR unit at 17 Wing Comox will find us within an hour or two of a crash landing in the mountains.
Perhaps in ideal circumstances, but then there’s “Murphy’s Law”. What if the weather suddenly takes a turn for the worse? Or what if the accident occurs late in the day, followed by nightfall? So, the question becomes one of whether or not we are prepared for an overnight stay in the wilderness when we embark on our cross-country flight, particularly during the winter months. So “Down but not Out” provides lifesaving tips on how to survive in the wilderness until rescued, as well as how to assist the SAR team in finding us.
Although I’ve never had the misfortune of surviving a crash (or ejection), my military training required that I undertake intensive survival training, as well as a couple “refresher” courses to remind me of the harshness of an unexpected
overnight (or more) stay in the wilderness, and how to make the most of the basic materials in my ejection seat pack. Which leads to the question, what is provided in the VFC crosscountry survival kit, and how will you use it? More importantly, should you bring additional items, particularly if you have passengers?
One of the most important lessons that I learned from my survival training, was how rapidly my energy diminished once I was surviving on a very limited supply of bouillon cubes, coffee, & sugar. By the 3rd day, I was spent after walking a couple hundred
North of Sixty:
Flying in the NTW
Down But Not Out
meters from my shelter! This taught me the importance of attending to the primary tasks as quickly as possible after a crash (or ejection). Tending to injuries is obviously a primary concern, however it’s always important to starting a fire, building a shelter, and finding potable water. Given that in good conditions, the SAR team might arrive within close proximity of the crash site with an hour or two, it’s also wise to prepare the means to signal (or better yet, communicate with) the SAR team when they approach your vicinity.
So, what can you do to increase your chances of survival for an overnight stay in the mountains? The most important thing is to dress for the conditions (e.g. boots vice running shoes) and including basic supplies. Simple things like bringing a toque, scarf, and mittens can make a huge difference. Personally, I like to supplement the VFC’s survival pack with such things as space blankets (one for everyone on board) to preserve body heat, particularly if an adequate shelter cannot be built, in
addition to a Leatherman tool, flashlight, and waterproof matches. For the extra vigilant, carrying a PLB and/or VHF radio would be particularly helpful in assisting the SAR team in finding your precise location. Beyond that, it comes down to your personal preferences and level of risk tolerance (e.g. small water purifier unit, etc.).
The bottom line is “be prepared”! If you haven’t heard of this survival booklet, it’s a classic and one that I would recommend that you read before going on your first crosscountry, particularly if it will be over sparsely populated and mountainous terrain. This added supplies and precautions may weigh a few pounds, but their value is beyond estimation if ever you needed to use them. Certainly your passengers will appreciate your preparation and planning for the unlikely circumstance of a night or two in the wilderness
BY Alan Johnson
hile flying VFC aircraft around the west coast is always a great experience; the opportunity to fly a different plane in new surroundings cannot be passed up!
One of my “bucket list” aircraft to fly has always been a Cirrus. Researching for a vacation in Maui last December,I found an opportunity to do just that. The Maui Flight Academy (mauiflightacademy. com) offered island trips in their Cirrus SR22 for both non pilots and those with pages filled in the logbook. I booked a “circle Maui” trip and
Wset about preparing for the flight.
The academy sent some videos on Cirrus operation, and of the angle of attack indicator. I dug through the operating manual and reviewed the Kahalui airport diagrams. Ready for action, we made it to Maui 2 days late due to west coast weather and the beginning of the December airline chaos.
On the days leading up to my flight date, the weather was not great. Apparently, a “Kona low” was creating a disturbance,producing very strong easterly trade winds and squally conditions.
Flight was scrubbed for that day and set for a week later.
Flight time the following week was no better, the winds were still very gusty and rocked the car en route to the airport. Upon arrival, the owner/instructor Laurance said we are going, and we will find somewhere to fly to. If these conditions were at YYJ, I would be planted in the Dakota having a coffee!
We pulled N808HW out of the hangar, went over route briefings and a lesson on what is different from a 172. The plan now was to fly over to Molokai for
a touch and go at Kalaupapa, a 2700ft strip on the end of a peninsula. Two friends took the back seats, I got settled in the left. A major difference from the 172 or Arrow, and certainly a lot more comfortable!
Without nosewheel steering, the taxi took a bit to get used to, as did the sidestick control. Cleared for take-off, acceleration
and climb was fast into the 25kt winds. Automatic prop control removed a task, and power was set by percent.
The air was surprisingly smooth, and we leveled out at 1000ft, just under the cloud deck and flying over rough seas. The
Maui Flight AdventureCirrus is a beautiful plane to fly and relies heavily on proper trim, which is controlled by a directional button on the yoke. The Avidyne glass panels provided endless information; it was a lot to absorb in addition to the scenery.
We flew alongside the cliffs off the north coast on Molokai and eventually joined the circuit for a touch and go at
Kalaupapa. Wind was 30kts down runway 05, but still smooth flying. The angle of attack indicator was positioned at eye level on the glare shield, and it certainly made the correct approach angle and speed a lot easier to manage. Waves were crashing alongside the runway and at the end. A very unique perspective!
We returned to Maui at 1500ft to avoid the
multiple helicopter air tours coming at us and a good landing on 05 at Kahalui finished the fantastic experience
This is an adventure I would highly recommend for any pilot; I will do it again next time in Maui!
Meantime, I continue to dream of owning a Cirrus.
Maui Flight Adventure
The Cross Country Tour will visit 24 locations from coast to coast.
14 MARCH: Fort St. John, BC
15 MARCH: Charlottetown, PEI CFB Cold Lake, AB Whitehorse, YT
16 MARCH: Calgary, AB Moncton, NB
17 March: CFB Winnipeg, MB Edmonton, AB Ottawa, ON Saint John, NB Yellowknife, NT
20 MARCH: CFB Gander, NL North Bay, ON Toronto, ON Victoria, BC
21 MARCH: Kelowna, BC Kitchener-Waterloo, ON Halifax, NS
22 MARCH: CFB Goose Bay, Labrador Hamilton, ON London, ON Vancouver, BC
23 MARCH: CFB Trenton, ON
TBA: Montreal, QC Iqaluit, NU
Between March 14 and 23, 2023, Elevate Aviation is hosting their 7th Annual Cross Country Tour. This year we will showcase 96 guest speakers across 24 Canadian cities made possible by a team of over 300 volunteers. The Elevate Aviation Cross Country Tour empowers youth to consider a career in aviation through inspirational presentations and behind the scenes tours by women in aviation.
Each tour day is free of charge and features incredible guest speakers, lunch, and behind the scenes tours of the airport. Participants will hear from pilots, air traffic controllers, aerospace engineers, aircraft mechanics, and other industry professionals.
Elevate Aviation is a not-forprofit based out of Edmonton, AB with a mission to help women and underrepresented groups thrive and succeed through careers in aviation. The Cross Country Tour began in 2015 to introduce aviation careers to Canadians from coast to coast. 2023 marks the return of in person tours, as public health restrictions forced the tours to be moved online from 2020-2022.
With the aviation industry facing massive shortages, now is the time to promote careers. “The Cross Country Tour is one of our most important programs,” said Kendra
Kincade, President and CEO of Elevate Aviation. “When young girls see women as pilots, air traffic controllers, engineers, and mechanics, they then start to picture themselves in that career.”
Currently women make up only 6% of private pilots in Canada and fewer than 5% of all airline transport pilot license holders are female. Female mechanics make up less-than 2% of mechanics worldwide and women hold only 15% of jobs as Air Traffic Controllers in Canada.
“By reaching out to youth, Elevate Aviation's Cross Country Tour is helping to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the aviation industry by encouraging the next generation of female pilots, engineers, and aviation professionals", said Emily Reiman, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Elevate Aviation and CoDirector of the 2023 Cross Country Tour. “We hope to demonstrate to the students that the future of women in aviation is limitless.”
For more information and to register please visit: https://elevateaviation.vca/ programs/tours/
Our mission is to provide a platform for women and underrepresented groups to thrive and succeed through careers in aviation. Our vision is to be a primary provider of aviation career support for women, working alongside industry professionals to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Elevate Aviation has several programs in place to assist women in becoming successful in the challenging and rewarding aviation industry, including Junior Jets (an introduction to aviation program for kids ages 5-10), ACE (an Aviation Career Exploration program targeted to youth and women to discover aviation careers), and many more.
There are also numerous other events, such as the Cross-Country Tour, speaking engagements, and a mentorship program.
Bursaries are also available for women in Canada who show exceptional potential and require financial assistance throughout training are eligible for our bursaries. Since 2015 we have awarded over $50,000.
For more information, please visit: elevateaviation.ca, or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, or Facebook.
Social Saturdays at the VFC are a great time to meet up with other members of the Victoria Flying Club over a free cup of coffee and some donuts. But on February 4th, the VFC turned into a noholds-barred competition to determine paper airplane superiority once and for all!
The contest was divided into two categories: distance and unlimited/ aerobatic.
After the dust settled, only a few took home the title of victor (though by all accounts it seems like everyone had a good time)!
Here are the results from the paper airplane contest:
1ST PLACE: FOREST KRUUS
2ND PLACE: STEPHANIE JACKSON
High Flying Paper Airplanes!
3RD PLACE: COLIN WILLIAMSON
1ST PLACE: STEPHANIE JACKSON
From top, left to right: @ mooney_wp: "Great day of west coast flying."; @bwiseman131: A throwback to "Another collection of pics and videos from flight training recently"; @ victoriaflyingclub: Who knew that Coffee, Donuts and Fire went so well together?; @ sarahjeanmurray: congrats to Keith on his first solo!; @kirstieisme: "Cheers to girls weekends (and not having to write my thesis/ work on weekends anymore)"!; @royal_canadian_kilted_yaksman: "Year 30 has been one of personal growth." // Thanks for the share!
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