The Aspiring Pilot

Finally started studying for CFI written exams

2012-01-09T09:27:47-06:00

Well, I finally took the plunge and am working toward at least the written portion of my CFI certificates. I already had the Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) book from Jeppesen, however, I just picked up the Gleim study guides for the FOI and the CFI and Ground instructor written.

I had passed the FOI once, about 5 years ago, so I'm not too worried about that one. Given my almost 8-9 year absence from actually flying, I KNOW I definitely need to brush up on the basics though, in terms of FAR's, airspace, flight physics, etc.

I'm hoping to do the FOI written around March/April and the CFI written around June/July. Currently, goal is to get current as well around February/March as well. I'll definitely be posting a little more about my progress now that I've actually STARTED the process! Here's to 2012 being the year I get back in the air.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

2011-12-28T09:07:06-06:00

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my followers! Also, with the end of the year approaching, a Happy New Year! Here's hoping you all received what you wanted for the holidays and also wish you all a great 2012! I'm hoping to finally be back in the air (sound like a broken record huh?) and so far, I'm on track to be back up by spring. Thanks to all that have supported the blog with the ads, I'm up to a few bucks a month now. Hopefully soon it'll cover the cost of the hosting and registration. ;) See you all in the New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T11:32:45-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers and followers! Enjoy your turkey day. Even if your not in the US, still take some time today to be thankful for all the good things you may have in your life at the moment. Looking forward to the rest of the holiday season and hopefully a great year in 2012 that will include me getting back up in the air shortly!

To anyone flying/working today, stay safe and have a great day!

Lauderdale Air Show returns after 5 years

2011-11-16T15:32:01-06:00

When the Lauderdale Air Show came to an end in 2007, the skies remained quiet along the beaches for 5 years. Today, Lauderdale Air Show LLC announced the return of the air show, beginning with the 2012 season. The show is scheduled to occur during fleet week, April 28-29, 2012.

There are currently no military performance teams scheduled, however, this will most likely change once the teams begin to announce their 2012 scheduled sometime in December. Even with the recent announcement, there are already 3 civilian performers lined up for the air show. The most recent addition is Rob Holland, the 2011 Freestyle Aerobatic Champion along with two GEICO sponsored acts, the GEICO Skytypers and Miss GEICO, a powerboat, vs. the Skytypers.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Lauderdale Air Show returning in 2012 after 5 year hiatus - National General Aviation | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/general-aviation-in-national/lauderdale-air-show-returning-2012-after-5-year-hiatus#ixzz1duFcoe3D

Perfect example of why I want to get back in the air

2011-11-08T20:50:10-06:00

The flying club I'm a member at, Windy City Flyers, posted a video on Facebook and Twitter from YouTube. It shows a dusk flight along the Chicago/Lake Michigan shoreline, with the amazing Chicago skyline lit up, (as well as Northerly Island, the former home of Meigs Field.) I can't wait to get back up and film my own videos of flights around the area...

FAA eases reporting of lasers being shined into cockpits

2011-10-27T22:58:23-05:00

As the number of dangerous laser incidents around the country continues to rise, the FAA has rolled out a new website to make it easier for pilots and the public to report laser incidents. The website also includes a knowledge base of articles and information on the subject, highlighting the dangers of shining a laser at the cockpit of any aircraft.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said that the 'safety of the traveling public is our absolute number-one priority. We will do everything we can to get the word out about how dangerous it is to point a laser at an aircraft. These incidents must stop.'

The website, http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo/, contains a collection of a wide array of laser information, links to reporting laser incidents, laser statistics, FAA press releases and FAA and industry research on the dangers these laser events pose to pilots. The site even includes downloadable videos.

Read the rest of my article here.

Now, this is definitely a good thing, but will it really do anything to decrease the number of incidents? Initially, I think it will make the numbers continue to increase, easier reporting means more incidents brought to the attention of the FAA. It won't necessarily mean there were more actual incidents, just more reported to be included in the stats.

I forwarded the article to the ORD Airport Watch group as well, so they know how to report anything they may see. Who better to spot and report something like this than airplane spotters in and around the areas/villages surrounding the airport?! In cooperation with the Bensenville Police and area municipalites the ORD Airport Watch has already been a great addition to anti-crime in the area and provides a way for airplane geeks like myself to enjoy watching and photographing planes without the hassle that used to come from the police.

Now, with an easy way to notify the FAA, we can easily report any suspicious activity or incidents that appear to involve lasers and airplanes. I've been 'lazed' on the ground once, while at a supermarket by a bunch of kids in the parking lot, and I will vouch that it really was uncomfortable and definitely effected my eyesight for at least 5 minutes.

That's the main issue though here is that I think the majority of these incidents are just that, KIDS. These laser pointers are easy to get, and the more powerful ones are getting cheaper. I will bet that the majority of these kids don't really realize just how dangerous their actions are! It will eventually lead to an incident/accident and, I'm sure they won't be prepared for the onslaught of criminal charges and civil lawsuits that they'd face.

I think it may be time to not only get the mainstream media to focus more on the dangers of the laser incidents (not just that they're occuring) but also look at having the aviation organizations like AOPA, EAA, ALPA, the airlines, etc. come together and get something into the schools to bring the actual dangers forth. It won't stop it, but I'm sure it will lead to a decrease in some of the events at least.

Last chance to register for a free seminar on L-39 training!

2011-10-10T09:03:28-05:00

Imagine climbing into the cockpit of a military jet training aircraft and being able to go for a flight whenever you wanted to. Don't think it's possible? Well, Gauntlet Warbirds, along with the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) will be hosting a seminar on Tuesday, October 11, starting at 7 pm at the Aurora Airport to discuss just that possibility.

The seminar has a maximum seating capacity of 90 and already 21 seats have been reserved and expectations are for 30-50 participants to attend. Registration can be completed on the FAASTeam site at http://www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/event_details.aspx?eid=40615 along with directions to the airport and seminar location. The seminar also counts for WINGS credit for pilots participating in the FAA's Wings safety program counting as 1 credit under the Basic Knowledge 3 category.

Continue reading on Examiner.com

Sorry for the lack of blog posts...

2011-10-07T14:10:06-05:00

I promise I'll be back writing more shortly. I've been busy with work at my full-time job due to some massive changes involved there, as well as now getting assigned/volunteering for the photo unit spot at the fire department I'm part time at. Add in family obligations, trying to meet minimum articles published at my Examiner.com page and, well, you can see how I'm a little tapped out for time.

I'm still hoping to be back in the air at some point, but that looks like it may not happen until 2012 now, but maybe, just maybe, it'll occur in the first quarter this time... here's to hoping! Wanna help me get there, so I can write about my flights and training? Support this blog by clicking on ad's that may be appealing (through google's adsense) . If you're feeling REALLY generous, you can always contribute/donate to using the 'Tip Jar' icon on the left, which will process a donation to my paypal account which I'm using for my flight funding. Finally, you can also follow my examiner.com articles which I am paid for (measly) per page view. Spread the news, share my links and posts!! ;)

A look into the ANA 737 roll event and possibly how it happened

2011-09-29T19:57:09-05:00

As has been plastered all over the main stream media sights, an ANA Boeing 737-700 travelling from Okinawa to Tokyo had an inflight 'upset' that resulted in two flight attendants being injured and a few passengers complaints. The incident itself took place on September 6th but wasn't brought to the airlines attention until the next day and was just recently reported to the public this weekend.

What happened was that the pilot of the airplane left the cockpit to utilize the lavatory. The co-pilot was in command and secured the door per safety requirements. When the captain tried to re-enter the flight deck and the first officer reached for the door lock controls, it appears that he accidentally turned the wrong knob. This caused the plane to eventually enter a descending roll. According to reports the plane descended 6,200 feet in less than 30 seconds and rolled 130 degrees, or 50 degrees short of being fully inverted. The Japan Transport Safety Board released a computer animation of the event and can be watched (.wmv file) here. (http://www.mlit.go.jp/jtsb/video/JA16AN-movie1.wmv)

The first officer and captain were able to regain control of the airplane and continue the rest of the flight uneventfully (though I'm sure there was some interesting conversation on the flight deck after that as well as in the cabin.) The pilot was reported to be near or at 60 years of age with over 16,000 hours of flight time and the first officer was 38 years old with 2,400 hours of flight time.

Now, how could this happen? If you look at the cockpit layout of the 737-700, the Flight Deck Lock knob and the Rudder Trim knob are located in the same section, and one right above the other. They ARE different sizes; however, if not really paying attention and reaching over blindly, you can see how they MAY be mistaken. I have added the following picture of a KLM 737-700 cockpit for reference. The two knobs are located at the bottom of the center console, in the middle. You can see the words, 'Flt Dk Door' above the bottom one that controls the lock on the door. I've included the link to the photo at Airliners.net so you can see the large version and the respective switches more easily.

Click Here to view the photo (click on large for full detail)

Another photo from a different airlines B737-700 shows the same knobs, but in a different location:

Click Here to view the photo.

Some closer pics of the same knobs, but on older models of the Boeing 737 when the knobs were actually a little farther apart. You can see they are still they same design in regards to shape and size.

Now, watching the video animation of the actual movement of the airplane, I'm still having a bit a trouble visualizing this ONLY being a rudder trim issue, and I've spoken with two Boeing 737 pilots for other airlines and it seems there had to be more at play. Both knobs are twist and hold, with a spring-return mechanism. So once you release, the knob should return to the neutral position. If this is accurate, than the first officer had to twist and hold the rudder control knob long enough to cause a significant enough trim move that the autopilot disconnected. If you watch the animation video, it seems like the plane started some motion to the right, compensated back to straight and level, and then snapped into the left roll and dive.

Now, this is ONLY my assumption and speculation, it would appear that the pilot probably reached over blindly to open the flight deck door. He accidentally twisted and held the rudder trim, and continued to hold it as the captain tried to open the door. The autopilot tried to compensate, resulting in the initial correction to back left as shown in the animation. Once the deflection in the trim caused enough motion, the autopilot disengaged, allowing the plane to snap into the roll/dive. It's amazing the pilot (not sure if the captain was back on the flight deck by that point) recovered in less than 30 seconds. Remember, this occurred at 1030 PM local time, and apparently over water, which could easily lead to further spatial disorientation. (The darkness and lack of ground reference could be why the initial yaw was not noted by visual cues outside the windows.)

The cause could be a combination of any factor, but fatigue (given the late hour of the flight) as well as even complacency that resulted in the pilot simply reaching over blindly to activate the door lock knob.

As for what happened behind the flight deck, the articles in other media have quoted the safety board as saying that the forces resulting from the roll and concurrent dive would actually have resulted in the passengers not feeling the full effects of a 12,000 FPM drop or 130 degree inversion. At first I was a little hesitant to believe it, but this is actually plausible as only two flight attendants suffered minor injuries and a couple of passengers complained of 'feeling strange' (you think?!).

I hope that the safety board releases a detailed report, with CVR and FDR transcripts to see exactly WHAT occurred aboard the flight that night. It's should be utilized as a great learning experience not only for the pilot's involved or ANA pilots, but all pilot's in any airplane.

Remember, the Air France Flight 447 was allegedly a result of pilot error resulting from spatial disorientation after the autopilot shut off following erroneous instrument readings. (Not saying this is related at ALL, but shows the need for pilots to always be aware of all circumstances surrounding the flight at each moment.)

If you are a B737, please provide your comments, opinions and thoughts below. I would love to have more first hand accounts on this issue.

Probably the coolest and oddest NOTAM yet?

2011-09-23T20:51:39-05:00

With the world turning their eyes skyward tonight to look for space debris, the FAA has issued a NOTAM that I don't think I ever even considered a possibility before. I did write an article on it here. However, this is just too cool, odd and well kinda scary to pass up writing about it again.

NASA's UARS satellite is expected to come crashing back to Earth tonight, mostly burning up in the atmosphere; however, a few large chunks of the half-ton satellite are expected to make it all the way to sea-level. Granted, with the majority of Earth being water, the sea is most likely where UARS will end up, it's still a very news worthy event. There are thousands of pieces of space junk out there and some of these are constantly re-entering our atmosphere. Almost all burn to oblivion as they streak through the atmosphere.

The UARS isn't expected to burn up completely, and is posing a danger to people, places and the FAA worries, airplanes. As astronomically remote a possibility, it's still a possibility. I'm almost 99.9% certain anyone flying tonight is safe (the night hours have very low air traffic). The primary purpose of the NOTAM I believe is to assist the FAA, NASA and the US Department of Defense in identifying where the UARS comes to rest and to try and pinpoint the location of any recoverable debris. So, if you haven't yet, here's the latest FAA NOTAM as of 8:30 PM CST.

!FDC 1/2720 FDC .. SPECIAL NOTICE .. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UNTIL 1109252359 UTC. AIRCRAFT ARE ADVISED THAT A POTENTIAL HAZARD MAY OCCUR DUE TO REENTRY OF SATELLITE UARS INTO THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE. FAA IS WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND NASA TO ENSURE THE MOST CURRENT RE-ENTRY INFORMATION IS PROVIDED TO OPERATORS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. FURTHER NOTAMS WILL BE ISSUED IF SPECIFIC INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE INDICATING A UNITED STATES AIRSPACE IMPACT. IN THE INTEREST OF FLIGHT SAFETY, IT IS CRITICAL THAT ALL PILOTS/FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS REPORT ANY OBSERVED FALLING SPACE DEBRIS TO THE APPROPRIATE ATC FACILITY AND INCLUDE POSITION, ALTITUDE, TIME, AND DIRECTION OF DEBRIS OBSERVED. THE DOMESTIC EVENTS NETWORK /DEN/ TELEPHONE 202-493-5107, IS THE FAA COORDINATION FACILITY.

So, if you piloting an airplane tonight and see flaming space debris streaking by, please put your camera down and kindly notify the ATC controller your on frequency with as directed, or if you work at an airport, etc, you can call the FAA Coordination facility at the number provided. Oh... and post those pics and vids of the space debris as seen from your plane as soon as possible for us!

Continue reading on Examiner.com FAA issues NOTAM for UARS space debris - National General Aviation | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/general-aviation-in-national/faa-issues-notam-for-uars-space-debris#ixzz1YpYA7GBL