Question: I want to get my private pilot certificate, but I was told that I will never be able to because red-green colorblindness runs in the family. If I have it, will that keep me from being a pilot?

Answer: Not necessarily. Red-green color vision deficiency—a fancy term for colorblindness—is also known as deuteranomaly and is the most common form of the condition. Because aviation is filled with color-coded information—including light gun signals, arcs on the airspeed indicator, lights in the cockpit, presentation on glass cockpit instruments, airport signs, lights and symbology on sectionals—color vision is important, especially at night when colored lights are used to identify aircraft in flight and determine its direction relative to you and locate airports by spotting the rotating beacon.

• READ MORE: FAA Updates its Policy for Special Medical Flight Tests

As a private pilot, you will be required to obtain a medical certificate that includes color vision testing using a pseudoisochromatic color plate test. It’s a series of several dots of a specific color arranged to form a number while other dots of a different color surround them. People with color perception challenges may have difficulty distinguishing the numbers. If you fail this test because of red-green colorblindness, you will still be able to obtain a medical certificate, but there will be a limitation preventing you from flying at night. The FAA defines this restriction as “no night flying or color signal control.” You will still be able to fly during the day. The night limitation exists because  land airports are identified by rotating green and white beacons at night.

The post Can a Pilot Be Colorblind? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“If you don’t know something, don’t try to b.s. the examiner. Look it up.”

Do you remember getting this admonishment before your private pilot check ride? I do. It meant picking up the appropriate text—more often than not the FAR/AIM—and going to the back of the book to the index. The index was pretty easy to use as the words are arranged alphabetically. Sometimes it took a few tries to find what you were looking for—would the airspeed indicator be listed under airspeed or required instruments for VFR flight?—but with a little patience you could find it and follow the page number to the appropriate section.

As we have progressed to a digital society, fewer and fewer learners and even instructors know how to use the index in a paper book. In an e-book, it’s easy. An algorithm does the work for you.

In a paper book, it is a little more involved, starting with the introduction of the user and the concept of an index. I have added this to the list of things I teach my clients, and occasionally, my coworkers.

I use the paper version with learners that are tactile and kinetic and learn better by holding a book in their hands and turning the pages. When the new versions come out, we make a game of making tabs to make it easier to find certain things—such as FAR 61.87 requirements for solo. You can buy the books pre-tabbed, but many learners find the task of making tabs and placing them in the book aids in the learning process.

That is not to say I don’t also use the digital version: I do. Frankly, it doesn’t matter if you get the information from paper or digitally. The important thing is you know where to find it.

Analog Clock

Can you tell time from an analog clock? The ability to read one is becoming a lost skill. I recently met a freshly retired high school teacher who told me that most of the kids in her classes cannot tell time from an analog clock. “They use their phones,” she said.

This is concerning, because in aviation the analog clock is used as a reference to determine position, i.e. “traffic at your 3 o’clock.” It is getting more difficult to convey this concept to learners, so much so that one CFI I know has taken to having learners set their smartwatches to an analog display or obtain a cheap analog watch to help them learn the directions that correspond to the numbers.

Aviation Weather.gov Gets a Makeover

Flight instructors have learning curves too. As I write this, I am learning how to use the redesigned version of NOAA’s weather page, AviationWeather.gov. I have relied on the webpage for years for supplemental weather information.

• READ MORE: NOAA Changing Weather Site

For years, my day began by tapping on the icon on my smartphone, putting in “@WA” and clicking on TAFs and METARs, and in an instant the weather from every available airport in the state of Washington was displayed. That told me if the day was going to be spent in the air or on the ground. When it was an air day, Leidos briefings followed before each flight and ForeFlight followed us into the cockpit. Weather is a hobby of mine, going back to my fledgling television career where I figured if I was going to report the weather, I needed to know something about it.

The new AviationWeather.gov site offers a great deal of information on climate, severe weather, fisheries, etc. I can imagine it being a good resource for studying these topics. But it’s an awful lot to wade through for a supplemental weather briefing.

Learning Takes Place

I watched the video tutorials. Because the new one has so much information, you need to go on a scavenger hunt to find what you want. The TAFs and METARs are buried under layers labeled “Tools and Resources.” A few times, I got the NOAA version of the “spinning beach ball of death” as I searched for things. There are more colored graphics on the new site, and if that is how you like your weather information presented, you’re going to be a happy camper. If you prefer black and white text, the graphics are a lot of noise. The Terminal Weather Dashboard is confusing and hard to read, and although the redesign was supposed to make it easier to use on smartphones, I have not found this to be so.

I am not the only person having a challenge. The day the site went live hundreds of pilots, including many instructors, voiced their displeasure. A colleague noted that the weather is presented in the decoded form and predicted that this would “throw a monkey wrench into the knowledge tests” as learners are asked to decode weather reports.

There is no such thing as an FAA-approved weather briefing, but some products are better than others. I am partial to those that require a discreet login and can be customized so that a few keystrokes take you to the place you need to be. Some pilots find the app-based subscription products not worth the investment when they only fly a few times a year. Same goes for the budget-minded learner who’d rather spend the money on flight lessons.

I am still compelled to show the learners how to use 1800WXBRIEF.com to get a briefing and file flight plans since it does not require a paid subscription.

When was the last time you called 1-800-WX-BRIEF for a weather briefing? With the development of online applications, calling for weather has fallen out of favor. But until that option goes away, I want my learners to know how to get a weather briefing by phone, just in case their iPad, tablet or smartphone fails or goes missing. If the internet crashes or cell towers are jammed, you’ll know how to use pay phones as well—granted, the most challenging aspect is likely finding one. You may end up borrowing the phone of the FBO in some cases.

Don’t be intimidated. Follow the voice prompts and when you get the person, explain you are a student pilot, and they will walk you through the process. It is not that difficult, and you can check that off your “have to try it at least once” list, treating it like it is the aviation version of going to the L.L. Bean store in Maine and getting your picture taken in front of the giant boot. If you have the opportunity, make it happen. 

The post Teaching Analog Skills in a Digital World appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: A friend told me a story about an airplane that intentionally landed on the lawn of the White House. That got us to wondering, have any U.S. presidents actually held a pilot certificate?

Answer: I think the story your friend recalls is about a Helio Courier, a STOL aircraft designed during the Cold War. There are variations on the story: one is that it was put down in the Rose Garden; another has it landing in the courtyard of the Pentagon. Both times it was a demonstration of the ability to win a military contract.

• READ MORE: As FAA Investigates, Most Laugh Off Gyrocopter Stunt

To answer your question about U.S. presidents holding pilot certificates, there have been three: Dwight D. Eisenhower earned his certificate during his time in the U.S. Army, George H.W. Bush was a decorated Naval aviator who served in World War II, and George W. Bush also held a pilot certificate before taking office.

It’s also worthy to note that first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, obtained a student pilot certificate in the early 1930s as she was good friends with Amelia Earhart. Roosevelt logged 35 hours in a Piper Cub. FDR supposedly had reservations about the pair flying together. It may have had something to do with the time they ducked out of a state dinner to go flying— still wearing their evening gowns.

The post Did Any U.S. Presidents Hold Pilot Certificates? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: I know student pilots aren’t supposed to carry passengers, but can two student pilots fly together? Since both hold a student pilot certificate, doesn’t that make them both a crewmember and not a passenger?

Answer: No and no. Per FAR 61.89, which covers the limitations on student pilots, a student pilot may not act as pilot in command (PIC) of an aircraft carrying a passenger. Unless the aircraft, by type rating, is certified as requiring a crew of two (or more), that means one of the people on board is a passenger.

A student pilot can’t participate as a required member of the crew unless they are receiving instruction that indicates a CFI is on board.

Two student pilots in an airplane without an instructor is breaking the rules.

• READ MORE: Respect the Limitations of the Solo

There are some student pilots who try to argue their way around this by saying the FAA has not defined the term passenger, suggesting that as long as the other person holds a pilot certificate, they are not a passenger. Again, no. A student pilot who breaks this rule and is caught will be sanctioned by the FAA, and it is very likely their flight instructor will be contacted and possibly sanctioned.

There is a reason the limitations governing student pilots are included on the pre-solo exam and that phrase warning against the carriage of passengers is prohibited. When flying with an instructor during a flight lesson, you can carry a passenger because the CFI, not the student, is the PIC.

The post Can 2 Student Pilots Fly Together? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Attention all aviation weather geeks: On Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be launching a completely overhauled online weather resource. For decades, aviationweather.gov has been helping pilots supplement their weather information, providing access to TAFs and METARs and providing graphical forecasts.

The new site has a much cleaner appearance than the legacy site from the Aviation Weather Center arm of NOAA. It features more interactive maps, static images to embed in briefing material, and a dark mode.

User Features

The user can select raw data or, with a push of a button, have it presented decoded.

You can select the most recent weather or take a look as far back as 48 hours, and there is a “remember” feature.

Under the weather tab at the top of the page is a drop-down menu for observations and forecasts for ceiling, visibility, precipitation, thunderstorms, temperature, winds, turbulence, and icing. Each item is indicated with text and an icon.

Clicking on the icons calls up an interactive map with a slider that displays a graphic depiction of the forecast conditions.

According to the agency, the upgrade is designed to be adaptable to permit use on mobile devices.

All displays and tools available on the current aviationweather.gov are available on the updated website. In addition, the new website merges the legacy Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) tool into the same framework as the Graphical Forecasts for Aviation while keeping its focus on low-altitude flight.

The Aviation Weather site is a free service and does not require a discreet login or user account. This makes it more accessible as a weather tool. However, unlike products that require a discreet login, the user’s interaction with the site is more difficult to verify.

If you can’t wait until Monday, test out the new features here: https://beta.aviationweather.gov.

The post NOAA Changing Weather Site appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: Why is white used as a base color for so many aircraft? You look out on the ramp and most of the airplanes are white with stripes. Is that to make them more visible?

Answer: The color white is the most reflective, so it helps dissipate solar radiation. You may have noticed that the roofs of many buildings are painted white. The color reflects heat. Unfortunately, a white airplane flying over a city or town where most of the buildings have white roofs can make the airplane hard to see against that background. This is why white is usually the base color, and stripes or decals in contrasting colors are used on the aircraft. Some aircraft owners select their colors not for aesthetics, but for maximum visibility. The most visible colors against blue or gray skies are red and yellow.

The post Why Are So Many Airplanes Painted White? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: The EFB I use has an option for MOS forecasts… What is that and can that be used legally for planning a flight?

Answer: MOS stands for model output statistics and is pronounced “moss.” MOS has been around since the 1960s and was originally developed to provide aviation meteorologists with guidance to produce useful forecasts to pilots. But over the last decade, MOS has been making its way into the aviator’s toolkit and is offered by a couple of the heavyweight electronic flight bag (EFB) apps. 

So, what does MOS offer? Crazy as it may seem, most pilots really want to know what’s happening at an airport from a weather perspective. Before they depart, they’d like to know what the ceiling or visibility will be like when they reach their destination. Will they get that visual approach or will they need to prepare to fly an instrument approach? Or perhaps they want to find an airport with favorable winds to practice some crosswind landings. 

There’s nothing special about these requirements, however. One nice aspect about MOS is that it’s available for more than 2,100 civilian and military airports throughout the U.S. and its territories. At the moment, the National Weather Service (NWS) only issues a terminal aerodrome forecast (TAF) for 700 airports in this same region. So, if your departure, destination, or alternate airport does not have a TAF, MOS provides some useful guidance about the expected meteorological conditions significant to aviation at those airports at the time of your departure or arrival. 

Here’s the technical part. Most weather prediction models that you often hear about on the local news, such as the American or European model, don’t automatically produce a point forecast for a specific town or airport for various sensible weather elements, such as ceiling height, visibility, and surface wind. This is where MOS shines. 

MOS combines this “raw” model forecast with geoclimatic data in an attempt to improve upon it using a statistical method. It relates observed weather elements (decades of past observations) to appropriate variables (predictors) via a statistical approach. Because it uses geoclimatic data, MOS is capable of accounting for local effects that cannot be resolved by these models alone. In other words, if the airport is in a valley or on a hilltop or next to a large body of water, MOS is able to account for that local topography. It’s a lot like the old local pilot who has been flying for 50 or more years that can tell you exactly what to expect on the final approach when the winds are coming off of the mountains west of the airport. 

The other important element is that MOS downscales the model data into weather elements important to aviation. This includes, but is not limited to, cloud coverage, ceiling height, prevailing visibility, wind speed and direction, precipitation type, and the probability of precipitation or thunderstorms. 

While MOS does an excellent job most of the time, remember it’s an automated forecast—there’s no human in the loop like a TAF. It should never be used as a wholesale replacement for a forecaster-issued TAF. So it should never be used to replace a TAF from a legal perspective. If the airport has a TAF, that forecast needs to be used to determine if an alternate is required and alternate minimums for instrument flight rules. MOS guidance is best used as a way to fill in the blanks when the official forecasts don’t provide the details necessary. 

• READ MORE: Navigating Smoke

Two of the three existing MOS forecasts are being retired in the next few years. However, the only version of MOS that has made its way into the FAA literature (see the Aviation Weather Handbook/FAA-H-8083-28) is called LAMP, which stands for localized aviation MOS program. It is issued hourly and is being fully supported by the NWS in the foreseeable future. Does this effectively mean that LAMP can be used to make operational decisions about a flight? I’ll let the legal scholars opine on that. Nevertheless, visit https://vlab.noaa.gov/web/mdl/lamp to view the suite of LAMP forecasts.  

MOS has some important limitations you should know about. It cannot forecast multiple cloud layers as you see in a TAF. Except for when the forecast is shown as clear, a single fixed cloud layer is the best MOS can do at this point, and it cannot tell the difference between a definite and indefinite ceiling. MOS also cannot directly forecast showers in the vicinity (VCSH) or fog in the vicinity (VCFG), nor can it forecast precipitation intensity or tell the difference between rain or drizzle. MOS is also unable to predict a variable wind.

The post What Is a MOS Forecast? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: Why do some general aviation airplanes have static wicks on them and others don’t? I thought they were there to prevent lightning strikes—don’t all airplanes need this?

Answer: Static wicks are attached to an airplane to discharge static electricity. 

The static wicks—sometimes known as static dischargers—are often attached to the thinnest metal surfaces on the aircraft such as the horizontal stabilizer and ailerons. As the airplane moves through the air—any air—it picks up a static charge. Although a lightning strike is the big kahuna of a static charge, the static wicks don’t repel lighting, rather they dissipate the electrical charge.

• READ MORE: I Lost My Logbook. What Now?

When flying through clouds and precipitation such as those encountered when instrument flight rules (IFR) prevail, the static charge is greater than in clear weather (remember P-static?) Therefore, static wicks are more common on aircraft certified for IFR conditions, as opposed to VFR-only aircraft such as the Piper J-3 Cub. Also, IFR aircraft are much more reliant on radios, and static electricity can greatly compromise radio fidelity.

• READ MORE: Are Student Pilots Allowed to Fly Solo at Night?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Why Don’t All Airplanes Have Static Wicks? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

One of the first lessons a fledgling pilot learns is to keep your head on a swivel in places where aircraft congregate—such as the airport traffic pattern. The aviation world experienced a painful reminder of this Sunday with a midair collision of two North American Aviation T-6 Texans at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada. 

The pilots, both from California, were identified as Chris Rushing of Thousand Oaks, flying Baron’s Revenge, and Nick Macy of Tulelake, flying Six-Cat. Both Rushing and Macy were arguably two of the most skilled and experienced air race pilots in the world for the class.

• READ MORE: Reno Air Races Canceled Following Fatal Collision

The collision occurred after the race. Minutes before the accident, the pair had been competing in the last race of the Gold category. The races are run at 50 to 250 feet agl with engines consistently at full power and the aircraft flying nearly wing tip to wing tip. 

The intensity of the competition takes a toll on both the pilots and aircraft, necessitating a cooldown period following the final flag. There is no set rule for how long the cooldown is or how many laps the aircraft must take, or the order in which they will return for landing. It is left to the discretion of the pilots since it is not a “follow-the-leader” situation.

As noted in the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s Air Safety Institute (ASI) preliminary assessment of the accident, the collision happened when the aircraft were attempting to land on Runway 8 at Reno-Stead Airport (KRTS). 

Richard McSpadden, senior vice president of ASI, noted that the collision occurred at approximately the base to final turn for the runway. 

“It appears there are three potential factors that may have contributed to this accident: decreased vigilance departing the cooldown area, procedural errors in traffic deconfliction, and diminished visibility below the higher flying aircraft,” McSpadden said. “We’ll look for the [National Transportation Safety Board report] to determine the cause.”

Because the race was over, the attention of the crowd was not so much on the T-6s, and a great many attendees reported seeing the aftermath of the collision as wreckage falling from the sky or clouds of dust rising from the desert floor. Others described hearing a collective gasp from the crowd followed by confusion and a stunned silence. 

Both the FAA and NTSB are investigating the accident. The NTSB preliminary report is expected to be released in a few weeks.

The Takeaway

If anything can be drawn from this accident, it is that the pattern is no place to let down your guard. The combination of crowded airspace, inherent blind spots due to aircraft design, low altitude, and relatively slow speeds during a task-saturated phase of flight makes for a challenging environment.

This accident proves that experience and skill can only go so far—if it can happen to professionals, it can happen to us.

The post Early Analysis of Fatal Reno Accident Offers Lessons appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: It’s been decades since I last flew as PIC, and [after] moving several times since I was last current, I’ve lost my pilot’s logbook. I’m trying to get active again since retiring. What’s the best way to document my approximate hours and endorsements? I do have a new copy of my FAA-issued certificate.

• READ MORE: Are Student Pilots Allowed to Fly Solo at Night?

Answer: The FAA’s General Aviation Operations Inspector’s Handbook (FAA Order 8700.1) provides guidance for reconstructing lost airman logbooks. It states: “The airman should begin with a signed and notarized statement of previous flight time as the basis for starting a new flight time record. Such a statement should be substantiated by all available evidence such as aircraft logbooks, receipts for aircraft rentals, and statements of flight operators.” But if it has been decades since you last acted as pilot in command, and probably longer since you did your training, this is probably a long shot.

• READ MORE: How Can dBZ Values Be Negative?

You can request copies of your medical application and Airman Certificate and/or Rating Applications (FAA Form 8710) from the FAA, which will have documentation of your experience at the time of application. You can access this by contacting the Airmen Certification branch at 9-AMC-AFS760-Airmen@faa.gov or 405-954-3261 and follow the prompts to request your records.

As far as additional endorsements, such as tailwheel, complex and high performance, etc., if they are not recorded on the last 8710 on file, you will need to be reendorsed. But since you will need a flight review anyway, you may want to kill two snakes with one rock and do the recurrent training for the flight review in an aircraft that requires an endorsement. Good luck, and welcome back to the sky!

• READ MORE: Why Are Some Airport Buildings Painted in a Checkerboard Pattern?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post I Lost My Logbook. What Now? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: My instructor soloed me last week and said I would need another endorsement to fly solo at night. Another CFI told me that student pilots aren’t allowed to fly solo at night. Which is correct?

Answer: Your instructor is correct. FAR 61.87 section (o) reads: “Limitations on student pilots operating an aircraft in solo flight at night: A student pilot may not operate an aircraft in solo flight at night unless that student pilot has received flight training at night on night flying procedures that include takeoffs, approaches, landings, and go-arounds at night at the airport where the solo flight will be conducted.”

There also needs to be navigation training at night in the vicinity of the airport where the solo flight will take place, and the instructor needs to endorse the student’s logbook for the specific make and model aircraft to be flown for night solo flight. 

• READ MORE: How Can dBZ Values Be Negative?

Night takeoffs and landings can be a little tricky because of the lack of visual cues you have in the daylight. In addition, make sure you know how to activate the runway lights. This is usually done by clicking the microphone transmit button a set number of times.

The night solo endorsement is good for 90 days, just like the daylight endorsement. If the takeoffs and landings are being done for currency at night, they need to be done to a full stop.

• READ MORE: Why Are Some Airport Buildings Painted in a Checkerboard Pattern?

In regard to student pilots not being allowed to fly at night, provided they have the night solo endorsement, the student pilot is legal in the eyes of the FAA. The flight school, however, may have a policy against student pilot solo flight at night. It may even have a rule that student pilots need to be on the ground one hour before sunset. Check the renter’s agreement before you commit.

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Are Student Pilots Allowed to Fly Solo at Night? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: On some NEXRAD images, I sometimes see a negative value for dBZ (decibel related to Z) for the reflectivity. How can these values be negative?

Answer: Of all of the weather guidance available to pilots prior to a flight, the images produced by the NWS WSR-88D NEXRAD Doppler radars are likely the most widely used in the U.S. These images have an extremely high glance value and are packed with important life-saving guidance assuming that a pilot knows how to interpret all the pretty colors.  

The colors you see on the Nexrad image displayed by your favorite website or heavyweight electronic flight bag (EFB) app depend on many factors. Unfortunately, accepted standards do not exist in the industry. Any private organization, vendor, or government agency is free to map the data (e.g., reflectivity) to colors of their choosing (although certified displays in the cockpit do have standards). Depending on their operational requirements, they may use three colors representing light, moderate, or heavy precipitation—or they are free to use 30 different colors.  So, it is important always to reference the scale that is normally located somewhere on the image or around the image border. For EFBs, that legend may be located on their interactive map, or you may have to look it up in their pilots guide. 

• READ MORE: Are Pilots Required to Call Flight Service for a Briefing Before Departure?

More importantly, there are many kinds of images and products that you may encounter. Therefore, knowing the kind of radar image you are viewing is also paramount. The image may display base reflectivity from a single NWS Nexrad radar that is in clear-air mode. Or it may be one of the volume products such as composite reflectivity or echo top heights. Another possibility is that the image may represent a radar mosaic that has combined the base reflectivity or composite reflectivity data from multiple Nexrad sites into a regional or national image.

• READ MORE: Why Are Some Airport Buildings Painted in a Checkerboard Pattern?

While forecasters at the various NWS local weather forecast offices (WFOs) do have real-time access to all of the data, the “raw” data that is generated by the WSR-88D Nexrad Doppler radars is not distributed directly to other government and private organizations in real time. Therefore, a Nexrad Information Dissemination Service (NIDS) has been established that includes only a subset of the entire WSR-88D base and derived products for use by external users. Below is the RPG console that you’ll find at every WFO that manages a WSR-88D Nexrad Doppler radar.

One of the most ubiquitous products is called base reflectivity. Note that the term “base” does not mean “lowest” as most pilots are taught or assume. It comes from the term “base data” since every elevation scan has a base reflectivity product (note in the image above that says “Base Data Display”). How you interpret the base reflectivity image will depend on the mode of the radar. In most cases, the base reflectivity will be the lowest elevation scan on various websites and apps since it better approximates the precipitation that is falling from the base of the cloud.     

The WSR-88D radar operates in one of two modes: precipitation and clear air. The main difference between the two is that clear-air mode offers the advantage of greater sensitivity because of a slower antenna rotation rate, which allows more energy to be returned back to the radar. However, clear-air mode takes twice as long to generate a product so it suffers from temporal resolution, but is able to detect smaller objects in the atmosphere such as light snow or drizzle.   

In either mode, the radar sends out a known pulse of energy in the microwave band (a wavelength of 10 cm to 11 cm). Some of this energy strikes airborne objects referred to as hydrometeors. This includes rain, snow, hail, dust, birds, insects, etc. and the power returned is referred to as the reflectivity parameter or Z. In basic terms, Z is the density of water drops (measured in millimeters raised to the sixth power) per cubic meter of air. As you might expect, there is a very wide range of possible Z values. Converting Z to dBZ (decibels of Z) makes that range smaller and easier to use.

When the radar is in precipitation mode, the range of dBZ values displayed can be as low as 5 to a maximum of 75, whereas clear-air mode offers a range from -28 to +28. Negative dBZ values can occur in clear-air mode because dBZ is a logarithmic function. So, an increase of only 3 dBZ actually represents a doubling of power returned. Anytime Z is less than 1 mm⁶/m³, dBZ becomes negative because of the nature of logarithms. Negative dBZs are only found when the radar is in clear-air mode such as shown above. This radar image shows light snow falling around the Bismarck, North Dakota, area. Given that light snow is falling, the operator at the NWS set the radar to its most sensitive mode, namely, clear-air mode. Notice the negative dBZ values in the dark taupe color. If the radar were in precipitation mode, the amount of coverage would be limited to the baby blue areas. 

A negative dBZ means that the radar is detecting very small hydrometeors. As mentioned above, this is a great way for forecasters to detect very dry light snow or drizzle which have lower reflectivity values. One of the disadvantages of clear-air mode is that any dBZ value under 5 typically gets filtered by the datalink weather. The Nexrad clear-air mode image above shows a rather wide area of light precipitation around the Bismarck radar site that represents light snow in this case. However, the SiriusXM weather image shown below only includes the returns that are greater than 5 dBZ. The areas shown in the taupe color in the Nexrad image have been effectively filtered out of the SiriusXM-delivered product due to their lower dBZ values.     

• READ MORE: Can I Fly VFR in Smoke?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post How Can dBZ Values Be Negative? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As a pilot and airplane owner, I try to share my passion for flying by donating my time and airplane—a recently purchased single-engine Cessna 172N—for worthy causes like Pilots ‘n Paws. 

Recently, Roland Vegiard and I embarked on a charitable trip in support of Pilots ‘n Paws relocating some sheltered animals for the Bradford County Humane Society from Towanda, Pennsylvania, to Asheville, North Carolina. 

We volunteered to take two dogs, brothers Denver and Dakota, down to Asheville and return with nine puppies. With the help of Bob Heinrich of Heinrich Aviation at the Bradford County Airport (N27), we loaded up and launched off for Asheville Regional Airport (KAVL) with a fuel stop at West Virginia International Yeager Airport (KCRW) in Charleston. 

• READ MORE: Rescue a Pet, Build the Connection

Arriving at Asheville we were met by Natasha Kush and her team who handles pet relocations there. We loaded up nine of the cutest puppies you could ever hope to meet and headed back to Charleston for another fuel supply and then back to Towanda.

Roland and I were cruising VFR at 9,500 feet msl working with TriCities Approach over southern Virginia when suddenly things got extremely quiet. Not the radio…the engine!

We completely lost engine power. As there were only 60 or so hours on this zero-time rebuild engine, it was instantly one of those WTF moments when Roland and I looked at each other in disbelief and immediately began to go through the standard emergency procedures trying to troubleshoot the situation. We advised ATC of our situation and, thanks to the updated GPS and moving map displays, glided our way without any further difficulty into the Virginia Highlands Airport (KVJI) at Abingdon, Virginia. 

The staff at KVJI couldn’t have been nicer and more accommodating even summoning Washington County Sheriff’s deputies Sgt. Alexander and Dep. Blalock of their Animal Control Division, who arrived with pet food, water bowls, and makeshift leashes to make sure that our nine “passengers” were watered, fed, and given the opportunity to visit the grassy areas on the airport. 

I simply cannot thank these folks enough for their hospitality, time, and assistance. We were able to rent a minivan from the local Avis car rental service and then embarked on the more than nine hour drive back to Pennsylvania. All of these great people will forever be in my debt and gratitude. 

Roland and I use trips such as this to better hone my IFR skills and become more proficient with the Garmin glass panel suite that I had installed last year in my airplane.

It was almost comical when this happened. It was like a robot took over both Roland and me at the very same instant. Roland was flying this leg from KAVL to KCRW while I was working the radio and pretty much monitoring the Garmin 3X Touch. As soon as we recognized from the multifunction display that the engine stopped producing power and oil pressure was at zero, Roland instantly went to the best glide speed while I went through the mixture, carb heat, mags, and fuel selector tasks.

Fortunately, KVJI was visible through a thin cloud layer at 9,000 feet, about 10 miles away, and we headed directly there to circle over the pattern. I think that the comical part was Roland kept the landing roll-out speed pretty brisk, making it possible to make the turn off of the runway onto the taxiway and then on to the ramp rolling right up to the front door of the FBO. We later joked that the late Bob Hoover would’ve been proud by this ‘conservation of energy’ display.

The post Engine Failure Turns Puppy Ferrying Flight Into Glider appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: Am I required to call flight service to get a briefing before I depart?

Answer: The short answer is no. The regulations do not specifically state that you must call Lockheed Martin Flight Service (LMFS) (e.g., 800-WX-BRIEF) to get a briefing. FAR 91.103 (a) simply states, in part:

91.103 Preflight action.

Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. This information must include—

(a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC.

• READ MORE: Why Are Some Airport Buildings Painted in a Checkerboard Pattern?

Certainly, a phone call on a recorded line to Flight Service (now known as Leidos) will fulfill most of these requirements. Briefers can provide the adverse weather along your proposed route of flight and assist you with identifying important NOTAMs and TFRs that may be relevant. You still must check many other aspects of the flight, such as takeoff and landing distances as well as weight and balance. But from a weather perspective, can you skip the call to Leidos and roll your own “weather” briefing and be perfectly legal?

Yes, you can, but here are the caveats. The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) and advisory circulars such as Aviation Weather Services, AC 00-45H, Change 2, provide you with guidance on how to get a good preflight briefing. These documents mention making the call to 800-WX-BRIEF as a legitimate source. While these documents are not regulatory, if you decide to roll your own briefing and something bad happens during your flight, you will likely need to show the FAA how you briefed yourself for the flight. If you can’t or your explanation isn’t satisfactory, the FAA will likely cite this as being “careless or reckless” under FAR 91.13 since it handed you the proper recipe for a briefing in these nonregulatory documents that clearly state it is wise to make that phone call.

Nevertheless, the FAA is making a reasonable attempt to recognize that more and more pilots are briefing on their own and not making that phone call. In the revision memorandum in AC 00-45H, Change 2 (November 2016) it states:

The experience of listening to a weather briefing over a phone while trying to write down pertinent weather information becomes less tolerable when the reports are easily obtainable on a home computer, tablet computer, or even a smartphone. To see weather along your route using a graphic of plotted weather reports combined with radar and satellite is preferable to trying to mentally visualize a picture from verbalized reports. Although most of the traditional weather products, which rolled off the teletype and facsimile machines decades ago, are still available, some are being phased out by the National Weather Service (NWS) in favor of new, Web-based weather information.

I fully approve of this message.

• READ MORE: How Many Hours in What Aircraft Are Needed Before Commercial Check Ride?

Moreover, a letter dated June 28, 2017, from the assistant chief counsel of the FAA stated in a legal interpretation that, “The PIC’s failure to contact LMFS prior to a flight would not be a violation of 91.103.”

How about using one of the heavyweight electronic flight bag (EFB) apps to get your briefing? Yes, some of the heavyweight apps also provide a way to get a briefing that is logged and recorded that will fulfill the regulatory requirements in part. In fact, the FAA stated in the same 2017 opinion letter that “similarly, a PIC’s reliance on only an EFB would not be a per se violation of 91.103.” The letter also cautioned that “we note, however, that there may be limitations and quality assurance issues in connection with the information available through certain EFB products that may affect compliance with 91.103 and necessitate further information gathering regarding the flight.”

• READ MORE: Can I Fly VFR in Smoke?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Are Pilots Required to Call Flight Service for a Briefing Before Departure? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: Why are some buildings at airports painted in a checkerboard pattern and others in solid colors?

Answer: The short answer is that the FAA has determined that some structures need to be more visible than others during daylight hours. 

• READ MORE: How Many Hours in What Aircraft Are Needed Before Commercial Check Ride?

According to Advisory Circular (AC) 70/7460-1L, “recommendations on marking structures can vary, depending on terrain features, weather patterns, geographic location, and the number of structures.” The AC goes on to state “alternate sections of aviation orange and white paint should be used as the contrast in colors provides maximum visibility of an obstruction.”

The checkerboard pattern of aviation orange and white are normally displayed on water, gas, and grain storage tanks, as well as structures exceeding 10.5 feet across with a horizontal dimension that is equal to or greater than the vertical dimension of some buildings.

• READ MORE: Why Are Windsocks the Color They Are?

The same AC states the sides of the checkerboard pattern “should measure not less than 5 feet or more than 20 feet and should be as nearly square as possible.”

For cylindrical objects like communication towers, poles, and smokestacks, horizontal, alternating bands of aviation orange and white are used in odd numbers.

• READ MORE: Can I Fly VFR in Smoke?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Why Are Some Airport Buildings Painted in a Checkerboard Pattern? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hundreds of flights in and out of Florida have been canceled as the Sunshine State prepares for Hurricane Idalia to make landfall Wednesday. 

On Tuesday morning, the storm was gaining strength as it moved over the state’s Gulf coast. It was expected to make landfall as a Category 3 storm.

“On the forecast track, the center of Idalia is forecast to move over the eastern Gulf of Mexico [Tuesday], reach the Gulf coast of Florida within the Hurricane warning area on Wednesday, and move close to the Carolina coastline on Thursday,” the National Hurricane Center said in a statement Tuesday morning.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “there is a danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation along portions of the Florida Gulf coast, including the Tampa Bay and Big Bend region of Florida which may see water as high as 8 to 12 feet above ground level.

Tuesday morning, the FAA said it was rerouting aircraft, closing Gulf routes, and also considering pausing flights at Palm Beach International (KBPI), Miami International (KMIA), and Fort Lauderdale International (KFLL) airports.

The FAA is re-routing aircraft and closing Gulf routes as Hurricane #Idalia is expected to hit the Florida region Wednesday morning. We may pause flights in and out of @flyPBI, @iflymia and @FLLFlyer to keep you safe. Monitor https://t.co/smgdqJNBiL. #FAAWeatherSquad pic.twitter.com/xkwSDMsuGy

— The FAA (@FAANews) August 29, 2023

As of Monday night, approximately 500 flights in and out of Tampa International Airport (KTPA) were preemptively canceled, CNN reported. By Tuesday, cancellations continued at several airports, resulting in a domino effect across the nation’s air travel grid. More cancellations are possible.

According to the storm models under review by NOAA, the agency that tracks hurricanes, Category 3 storms carry winds greater than 80 mph. 

As of 11 a.m. EDT, a look at the TAFs for the state shows multiple airports with strong winds from the south with gusts forecast to approach 50 mph.

Time is running out to prepare for Idalia! Follow the urgent advice from local officials. This hurricane could very well join the extensive list of storms starting with the letter I that have been especially destructive. pic.twitter.com/GjryWUCnl1

— NWS Director (@NWSDirector) August 29, 2023

The post Flights Scrapped as Florida Braces for Hurricane Idalia appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Seven Days after my first solo in the iconic T-37 while in U.S. Air Force pilot training at Williams AFB in Chandler, Arizona, I found myself strapping in for my second solo flight. To be sure, I was excited. The T-37, “Tweet” as it was affectionately called, was a small twin engine jet trainer that’d been in the USAF inventory since the late fifties. Maybe when it was brand-spanking new, the crews that flew it were awestruck. But by the time I began training in that little sucker in the early ‘80s, it was kicked around as the ugly sibling to the more beautiful and much better-performing T-38 Talon.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

If you’re not already a subscriber, what are you waiting for? Subscribe today to get the issue as soon as it is released in either Print or Digital formats.

Subscribe Now

Featured

But, your first jet is always your favorite. OK, not really, at least not my feelings about the Tweet. But I had been flying a 150-horsepower Piper Super Cub for four years prior to entering the USAF, so to me, the T-37—with its twin 1,000-pound thrust Continental jet engines—was a big responsibility. I took each flight, solo or with an instructor, as a very serious affair, and I felt extremely blessed to be training in jets in the USAF.

The T-37 was relatively small, possessed a midwing, and sat quite low to the ground. It had side-by-side seating and a big plexiglass canopy, hinged at the back, that allowed easy access to the cockpit. The two smallish jet engines that powered it were nestled in the fuselage, slightly below each wing, with the exhaust exiting behind and below the trailing edge of the wings right next to the fuselage. The instrument panel, compared to modern jet aircraft, looked as if someone took all the displays, dials, lights, knobs, and handles needed to operate the aircraft, threw them against the panel and installed them where they hit it. Random is a word that comes to mind on the placement of some of the lights, displays, knobs, etc. There was nothing ergonomic about that instrument panel, but, hey, it was a jet, and I was strapping in to go on my second solo.

In as much as “Willy,” the nickname of Williams AFB, was a place where USAF pilots learned to fly, it was also, as we were told in our in-brief prior to the beginning of flight training, a place where the USAF trained its air traffic controllers. We were warned that sometimes the controllers would make mistakes, and to be skeptical and cautious if some ATC directives/clearances seemed unusual or unsafe. You kinda had the blind leading the blind at times when you had a solo student pilot being controlled by a controller in training; it was when another more authoritative voice came over the radio to countermand a training controller’s more tentative instruction that you knew the Supervisor Controller had taken command.

After strapping in and starting those extremely high pitched, constant noise, variable thrust engines on the Tweet, I was ready to taxi for takeoff. It was a fairly long taxi from where my Tweet was parked to the active runway. During this period in its operational life, Willy was very busy. T-38s, T-37s, and F-5s were mixing in with each other daily as they either taxied for takeoff or taxied back to their parking spots after landing, so you had to listen to the controller’s verbal taxi instructions while being wary, wondering if their instructions were tainted with some mistake.

I called ground with ATIS and told them I wanted to taxi for takeoff. They cleared me to taxi to Runway 30L, which was the normal T-37 runway; I had about a mile and a half, at least, to taxi to get to the assigned runway. Since the air conditioner on the Tweet was not very effective, we taxied with our canopy fully open; it was early summer in the desert, so it could get quite warm.

I was nervous as I prepared for this flight, yet cocky too, as I taxied out. I’d done well on my first solo, getting ‘excellents’ in all three areas in which I was graded. Having broken the ice with that fledgling foray into the wild blue of the western skies, I was looking forward to breaking the bonds of gravity without some instructor jumping on my ass about something I was screwing up. 

About two-thirds of the way to Runway 30L, after turning left onto another taxiway, ground control called.

“T-37 Solo [not my actual call sign], your aircraft is smoking,” said Ground in a casual tone and inflection.

“Roger ground, jet engines do smoke,” came my immediate response, thinking this was a controller intraining, and he’d not spent much time around jet aircraft.

“Ahhhhh, T-37 Solo, be advised that your aircraft is smoking much more than normal,” came a more authoritative voice from ground control.

I’d begun to suspect something actually might be wrong, though I was not sure what, when another voice came over the radio, and it was not ATC’s.

“Hey Ace!” came the familiar voice, “Look over your left shoulder.” It was one of the instructors in my flight (good grief). He was with his student taxiing behind me.

Since it was an instructor, and since he used the term “ace,” I felt compelled to do as he commanded; I looked over my left shoulder.

“Holy Shit!!” was my first thought as I saw a thick plume of whitish smoke being exhausted from the left engine. It filled the sky behind my jet; bloody hell, no wonder ground said my jet was smoking. All cockiness immediately left me, a modicum of fear replacing it, and I told ground that I was going to stop and do an emergency ground egress, shutting down both engines before leaving the jet. I never waited for a reply or another word from the instructor, who was now taking another route to the active runway.

As the smoke rapidly dissipated and my nerves settled, I stood off the taxiway to the side of my little Tweet; I could hear the sound of  “tinks” as hot metal cooled and the last wisps of smoke vaporized in the warm desert air. Other T-37s, T-38s, and F-5s taxied by and the pilots looked over at this pathetic student, still wearing his helmet, standing by his disabled Tweet.

A few minutes after shutting down and wondering what in the hell happened to my jet, while also wondering if I’d “FUBARed,” a maintenance truck drove up, along with an airport firetruck and a crew van. I told maintenance what happened: “smoke,” and filled out the maintenance log with the same thing I told maintenance: “Smoke.”

This article was originally published in the May 2023 Issue 937 of  FLYING.

The post When a Tweet Turns into a Smokin’ Hot Jet appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: I am preparing for my commercial pilot check ride. In addition to the hourly experience requirements I have logged six hours in a G1000 Cessna 172 (a technically advanced aircraft or TAA) and five hours of experience in a complex aircraft, specifically a Cessna 172RG. One of the instructors at the school says I need 10 hours in one or the other to qualify for the check ride. 

My previous instructor, however, said I needed a total of 10 hours, and I could mix the experience and even take the check ride in a Cessna 150 to save money. Which CFI is correct?

Answer: Your previous instructor is correct.

For this one, we refer to FAR 61.129—Aeronautical experience for the commercial certificate, airplane single-engine rating, with the relevant clause in bold text.

• READ MORE: Can I Fly VFR in Smoke?

61.129 (3) states:

 (3) 20 hours of training on the areas of operation listed in § 61.127(b)(1) of this part that includes at least—

(i) Ten hours of instrument training using a view-limiting device including attitude instrument flying, partial panel skills, recovery from unusual flight attitudes, and intercepting and tracking navigational systems. Five hours of the 10 hours required on instrument training must be in a single engine airplane;

(ii) 10 hours of training in a complex airplane, a turbine-powered airplane, or a technically advanced airplane (TAA) that meets the requirements of paragraph (j) of this section, or any combination thereof. The airplane must be appropriate to land or sea for the rating sought.

It is also correct that you can take your commercial check ride in a Cessna 150—just make sure that both you and your designated pilot examiner fit in it and comply with weight and balance limitations.

• READ MORE: Am I Required to Call Flight Service to Get a Briefing Before I Depart?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post How Many Hours in What Aircraft Are Needed Before Commercial Check Ride? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

When are pilots the most dangerous? This is a topic of discussion at many flight schools and anytime you get a group of seasoned CFIs together. Based on anecdotal evidence, there appear to be a few times in their aviation careers where pilots might get a little too complacent, or too cocky and overconfident, resulting in an accident or incident.

50 Hours After Private Certification

An experienced CFI once told me: “They are at their sharpest when you sign them off.” I share this knowledge with my learners, and I caution them to work hard to maintain their skills. It is not uncommon for the private pilot—as they gain more hours and experience—to become more relaxed, and procedurally, they may start to get sloppy. It starts slowly. Maybe it’s forgetting to use the checklist during the preflight inspection or engine run-up. Or maybe it’s using the “look out the window” technique to check the weather.

For the pilots that don’t pursue additional certificates or fly on a regular basis, their skills and attention to detail may wane until just before their first flight review. That’s when they practice again with great intensity with the purpose to pass the review.

It can be alarming when they realize how much their skills and knowledge have degraded. I encourage these pilots to make a list of their soft spots and the things they want to work on and bring those to their flight review. You can’t fail a flight review, but you can practice things until both you and the CFI are satisfied you are flying to the level of your certificate.

Losing Your Landings

Sometimes working toward an additional certificate can create soft spots in other areas. For example, the learners’ procedural skills increase during their training for the instrument rating because they have to stay two steps ahead of the aircraft. However, their landings may suffer because most instrument approaches are practice approaches followed by missed approaches. You just don’t do as many landings for the instrument rating as you did for private pilot certification. Expect this, and take action to prevent it.

Set aside a few hours to focus on pattern work to keep from getting too rusty.

Failure to Practice Pilotage

If the pilot is enrolled in a Part 141 program, there is often a black hole where the learner needs to build hours to qualify for the commercial pilot certificate. The pilot often flies multiple cross-country flights usually to the same airports over and over again, often following the magenta line. Basic pilotage skills are lost. It can be especially challenging if the training organization limits where the learners fly to. When you fly to the same seven or eight airports, it is easy to see why some pilots burn out during this phase and start to zone out in the aircraft, often letting it arrive someplace well before their brain gets there.

Overconfidence Can Kill

Overconfidence can sneak up on any pilot. It often manifests as the “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” syndrome, when a low-time, low-experience pilot tries to do something beyond their capabilities, like flying into the backcountry or doing a mountain crossing in an underpowered airplane. It can bite higher-time pilots as well, such as those with thousands of hours flying a turboprop or light twin who decide to attempt a cowboy maneuver like flying between buildings or doing a buzz job at an airport for sport.

Milestone Metrics

Reaching certain metrics, such as 500 or 1,000 hours, can also inspire a pilot to do something silly. If the majority of those hours are so-called junk hours—the same laps in the pattern at the same airport and no stretching of skills or practicing maneuvers or proficiency—they might as well not be in the logbook at all.

CFI Challenges

If the pilot is pursuing the flight instructor certificate, there will be a learning curve as they adjust to flying from the right seat. Once certification is acquired, their basic VFR skills may soften a bit because CFIs usually don’t do much of the flying beyond demonstration of a maneuver—especially landings. CFIs need to make time  to stay proficient.

Many CFIs, unless they have their instructor-instrument rating, will find their instrument procedures get rusty as well. CFIs are required to have an instrument rating, but it is very common for instructors to have their instrument skills become soft because they don’t have the time—or money—to practice instrument procedures. Some flight schools try to thwart this by giving their CFIs an allowance for proficiency flights.

When a CFI-rated pilot reaches 750 hours, this appears to be a time when they take more chances, sometimes with poor results. Why? It is pure conjecture, but it might be because the pilot, if a time builder, is at the halfway point to the minimum hourly requirement for the airline transport pilot certificate.

Pretty much every flight school has a story about the 700-hour-ish pilot that ran out of fuel, flew VFR into IMC, and got themselves in a situation with a learner, or took an airplane without permission at night to get some more hours. And the list goes on.

Tedium

For those building their hours as instructors, the 1,000-hour mark can be dangerous.

Although you’re keeping busy, training and endorsing  people for check rides, the road to 1,500 hours can seem very long, and it’s easy to get bored with teaching and burn out.

If you are a CFI and this is happening to you, please find a time-building program that is something other than teaching, because just going through the motions with learners isn’t fair to them—and might even be a little dangerous.

The post When Are Pilots the Most Dangerous? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A pilot will find the town of Pine Bluff in the heart of a rich agricultural area in the Arkansas River Basin south of Little Rock, Arkansas. While you might consider it a straightforward approach—with the non-towered airport’s single runway (18/36) served by an ILS to Runway 18—the approach plate is a pretty busy one when you first take a look at it

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

If you’re not already a subscriber, what are you waiting for? Subscribe today to get the issue as soon as it is released in either Print or Digital formats.

Subscribe Now

Featured

A. DME ARCS—Three of Them

While some approaches will have a DME arc that a pilot may choose to use to establish onto an approach, this particular approach has three DME arcs. Three DME arcs?! Okay, one DME arc isn’t that common anymore. Three of them on the same approach is downright rare. But you might choose one to establish yourself onto the approach. The one you choose depends on the direction you are coming toward the airport. They all start at the PBF VOR.

If you were coming from the south, you could transition from the PBF VOR onto the 022-degree radial for the teardrop-shaped DME arc 12.4 miles from the VOR, onto the inbound course of 178 degrees on the localizer.

Coming from the west, you might choose to go to the PBF VOR and then outbound on the128-degree radial to IYTEL and fly the 8-mile DME arc with a left turn onto the inbound course.

Coming from the east, you might do the opposite and fly from the PBF VOR outbound on the 244-degree radial to the IYUNE IAF and fly right turns to the final approach fix while following the 8 DME arc. These two options don’t require a procedure turn and allow the pilot to get established onto the approach without making hard turns. You could always navigate to any of the IAFs using the GPS, as well. Or get vectors from ATC when they are available.

B. DME ARC to the  ILS

If you happen to be flying a DME arc using the PBF VOR, be sure to switch your navigation source over to the ILS/LOC when inbound. While the VOR is close to aligned with the inbound course, it isn’t directly in alignment with the airport and isn’t located on the field. A failure to switch navigation sources could have a pilot flying the “wrong line” toward the airport and result in being on an incorrect approach path.

C. No DME for the Maps

While you might be using DME on the ARC, there is no DME given for stepdown points or missed approach points along the ILS/LOC course. You will need to identify the FAF at the TUKER OM and the missed approach point either using time (for a LOC approach) or at a decision height.

D. Missed Transition, ILS to VOR

Going missed on this approach requires transitioning from navigating inbound on the ILS/LOC frequency to using the VOR. It also isn’t a straight transition. It requires the pilot to make a right turn to intercept the 211 radial and then fly it outbound to the RISON intersection at 15 DME where a hold will begin. This might require the pilot to pay a little extra attention to intercepting the radial than just following it immediately outbound. A turn to something more than 211 degrees after going missed will be required to intercept that radial.

This article was originally published in the April 2023, Issue 936 of  FLYING.

The post Pine Bluff, Arkansas ILS LOC RWY 18 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.