Forced landings are one of the most feared situations that runs through a pilot’s mind.

We all know what our instructors have asked us: "Why do airplanes have propellers? His/her answer was always (with a chuckle): "Because it keeps the pilot cool!"   Nothing could be closer to the truth than that statement. Still, with practice and proficiency you will be able to maintain your cool, and hopefully set the airplane down successfully.

Well, truthfully now, when was the last time you practiced your forced landing techniques and procedures? I don’t mean just pulling the power off while downwind, but really reviewing and performing the actions necessary for a successful outcome? Below is a ‘generic’ emergency checklist; however, since each aircraft is slightly different, the FAA approved Aircraft Flight Manual is your final authority source.

Upon noticing initial engine failure your immediate action items should be:

IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS:

Airspeed --  BEST GLIDE (while looking for an emergency landing field.)
Carb heat---ON (if so equipped)
Fuel –-   FULLEST TANK
Mixture --- Rich
Throttle — Forward
Mags — Checked — ON.

Uh Oh! The darn thing won’t start and / or run, what now?

For this study we will assume that you are on a flight from Visalia to Las Vegas via China Lake in your Cessna 182. You have had either a catastrophic engine failure (you know, looking out the front windshield you observe a piston half-way through the cowling) OR, major of all aviation transgressions, you thought the "E" on the fuel gauges meant ‘enough’! So, hey guys, this is the real thing! Now you need to complete your secondary action items:

SECONDARY ACTION ITEMS

Airspeed—BEST GLIDE; (emergency landing field located)
Mixture—IDLE CUTOFF
Fuel—OFF
Master—OFF
Magnetos—OFF
Doors—UNLATCH —prior to touchdown

STAYING COOL—you remember your instructor’s words: AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE. Well, you have the aviate portion down, now you are picking out a place to put it down. Uh Oh, (again). You’re over the far reaches of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (south of Mineral King, elev. 9,000 msl). As fortune would have it, you notice a beautiful desolate meadow at your 2 o’clock, with plenty of room. Subsequently, you set up for your landing. Now COMMUNICATE. Squawking 7700, you make a quick mayday call on 121.5 and then continue your approach. Noticing from the surrounding brush that there is little wind, you select full flaps to minimize your forward speed and then CONTACT! A little bumpy here a little bumpy there, then BANG, the nose gear digs into a soft berm and over you go. A little shaken, but hanging from your lap and shoulder belts, you are unscathed !

Actually, according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, only 5.2 % of forced landings result in pilot fatality. In 69% of the crashes there were no injuries at all.

All well and good, you think, but now that you have survived the forced landing, you notice that time is passing quickly and that it will be dark soon. You comment to yourself how grateful you are that you attended the other day’s Pilot & Passenger Survival Seminar with Richard Dilbeck at the regularly scheduled Fresno FSDO’s "Wings" program. You had decided to assemble a small yet efficient survival pack before this journey, and you immediately retrieve it for your ‘survival’ night in the mountains.

What to put in a survival kit:

There are many sources where information can be obtained concerning a good survival kit. One of the best this editor came across was no less than published by Boy Scout Leader, Mr. Ken Pulford on 11 Nov ‘93.

{What follows are several suggestions from well-known "authorities." I have (Mr. Pulford) commented on them. Ultimately, you have to be your own judge of what you want and need. This is why the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge pamphlet has no specific list, though it has a lot of suggestions of things you might want to consider.

Backpacking One Step at a Time, New, updated edition, Harvey Manning (1985), lists 10 essentials plus some additional (Chapter 15; pp 374-401):

This list contains no water (which should be essential), water carrier, water purification, and nothing to use as a cooking utensil.

NEXT SOURCE

Fieldbook, Boy Scouts of Canada, (1984), p. 196

Every good woodsman always carries a knife, matches in a waterproof container, a compass, and a few adhesive bandages in his pockets. Under normal conditions, that's enough. But you're prepared for more than just normal conditions when you assemble and maintain your own survival kit. In addition to carrying a first aid kit, you can further prepare by taking a lightweight survival kit on all your outings. Put the following items in a small plastic container, tape it shut, write the date on it, and open it only to replace perishable items or for a real emergency. The container should be waterproof and small enough to fit in your backpack or small area of the aircraft. It should contain:

The Charles Taylor award was initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration in honor of the first Aviation Mechanic, CHARLES EDWARD TAYLOR. In honoring Mr. Taylor, we are recognizing and honoring those mechanics that have been in aviation maintenance for 50 or more years. They are the mechanics who have brought the aviation industry forward into the 21st Century.

Charles Taylor has been called the "Unsung Hero of Aviation". He is the absolutely indispensable person without whom the Wright Brothers could not have made the first flight in 1903. Charles Taylor is the first aviation mechanic in powered flight, the man who built and maintained those first aircraft engines.

During six weeks, in 1902, Charley built this engine for the Wright flyer using basically only a lathe and drill press. He machined the block in his own shop and made the crankshaft from a slab of high-carbon tool steel, working it down to size on a lathe. The finished engine was a simplified version of a contemporary automobile engine with four water-cooled, horizontal cylinders. The fuel was injected directly into the cylinders by gravity from a tank fastened to a strut near the upper wing. There were no spark plugs and opening and closing two contact points in each cylinder created the spark. The first successful aircraft engine built by Charley was a four-cylinder piston engine, which weighed 179 pounds, producing 12 HP at 1000 rpm’s.

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To apply for this award you must have 50 years in Aviation Maintenance; 30 of those years must be certified and the remaining 20 years may be accepted if it was in the military, worked in aviation maintenance or aviation manufacturing. For more information see AC-65-26 and if you know anyone that may be eligible please contact this office at 559-487-5306 ext. 243.

CHARLES TAYLOR "MASTER MECHANIC" PAST RECIPIENTS Fresno District

July 25, Tues. Fresno (FAT) Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUPS) S. J. Valley College Aero Dept. 4985 Andersen, Fresno (next to FSDO) 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.	August 10 Bakersfield (BFL) Performance Calculations: Aerodynamics, engine performance and the summer weather Kern Cty Sheriff’s Complex, Building "F" 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.	August 17 Atwater (MER) Performance Calculations: Aerodynamics, engine performance and the summer weather Bld 411 Castle Airport 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.	August 24 Fresno (FCH) Performance Calculations: Aerodynamics, engine performance and the summer weather Chandler Admin. Bld. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
September 14 Bakersfield (BFL) Human Factors involved in the chain of events of an aircraft accident (Sept) Kern Cty Sheriff’s Complex, Building "F" 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.	September 21 Atwater (MER) Human Factors involved in the chain of events of an aircraft accident (Sept) Bld 411 Castle Airport 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.	September 28 Fresno (FCH) Human Factors involved in the chain of events of an aircraft accident Chandler Admin. Bld. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

AC 61-91H - FAA’s Pilot Proficiency Award Program - outlines the eligibility requirements for pilots to qualify for Phase I through Phase XX Pilot Proficiency Awards.

Regular proficiency training is essential to the safety of all pilots and their passengers. The objective of the Pilot Proficiency Award Program is to provide pilots with the opportunity to establish and participate in a personal recurrent training program.

All pilots holding a recreational pilot certificate or higher and a current medical certificate, when required, may participate. In addition, uncertificated pilots of qualified ultralight vehicles under FAR 103 may participate. The Pilot Proficiency Award Program is now a 20-phase program. Upon completion of each of the first 10 phases, pilots become eligible to wear and are presented with a distinctive lapel or tie pin (wings) and a certificate of completion. No complimentary wings will be issued. Pilots, regardless of certificate type, ratings, or position, must earn the privilege of wearing the pilot proficiency wings. A pin and certificate will be awarded for Phases I through X. A certificate only will be awarded for Phases XI through XX. Seaplane-rated pilots who specify "seawings" on their proficiency record/wings application form and complete the requirements will receive a distinctive seawings pin.

A pilot need not accomplish the flight review requirements of 14 CFR part 61, paragraph 61.56, if since the beginning of the 24th calendar month before the month in which the pilot acts as pilot in command, he or she has satisfactorily completed one or more phases of an FAA-sponsored Pilot Proficiency Award program in an aircraft (reference 61.56(f)).

Minimum requirements, which include specific subjects and flight maneuvers, have been established for airplanes, seaplanes, and amphibians, rotorcraft, gliders, lighter-than-air aircraft, and ultralights. All training requirements for each phase of the program must be completed within 12 months. After completing a phase of the program, pilots may begin working on the requirements of the succeeding phase at any time; however, 12 months must pass between the date of completion of a phase and application for the award for the next phase.

Safety Meetings

All applicants must attend at least one FAA-sponsored or FAA-sanctioned aviation safety seminar or industry-conducted recurrent training program.

Attendance at an Aviation Safety Program aviation safety seminar must be verified in the pilot’s logbook or other proficiency record. This verification must be signed by an FAA SPM, other FAA inspector, or an ASC involved in conducting the seminar.

Attendance at a physiological training course conducted under the FAA/U.S. Air Force or U.S. Navy training agreements at various military installations in the United States is also acceptable as a safety meeting.

Airplanes

One hour of flight training to include basic airplane control, stalls, turns, and other maneuvers directed toward mastery of the airplane.

One hour of flight training to include approaches, takeoffs, and landings, including crosswind, soft field, and short field techniques.

One hour of instrument training in an airplane, FAA-approved aircraft simulator, or training device.

Training Substitution

Completion of a training program or a flight instructor refresher clinic conducted by various organizations such as flight schools, air carriers, or other training facilities may be substituted for the requirements of the Pilot Proficiency Award Program, if the minimums are met.

For more information on seaplanes, amphibians, rotorcraft, gliders, lighter-than-air, and ultralights, please see AC 61-91H.

 

Visalia Area Pilots !

Be advised that according to Fresno Air Traffic, the operating procedure concerning IFR departures from Runway 12 is to follow the published Rwy 30/12 departure procedure. That is "Rwy 12, turn right, climb heading 230 to 2000 to intercept V23" This procedure is necessary because they cannot ‘see’ you on radar until 1800-2000 msl. VFR guys, listen up for departing traffic; IFR guys, likewise!

QUESTION: Where do I go to search the aircraft records?

Answer: Aircraft records maintained by the FAA are on file at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, Registry Building, Oklahoma City, OK. Microfiche copies of aircraft records may be requested for review. For more information on ordering and costs, contact the Civil Aviation Registry at (405) 954-3116. There may be other records on file at federal, state, or local agencies that are not recorded with the FAA.

Resource: PLANE SENSE, General Aviation Information publication FAA-H-8083-19

NOTICE: ADVISORY CIRCULAR 43-16A,
AVIATION MAINTENANCE ALERTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE.

This publication is once again available in printed form.

In the December 1998 issue of the Alerts, the FAA informed readers of the decision to discontinue printing the Alerts. The decision was a difficult one to make, and we have heard from many of our readers. There is good news on the horizon.

The Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office (GPO), has agreed to distribute the Alerts for a subscription fee. The subscription charge will be $25 yearly for domestic mailings and $31.25 for foreign mailings.

To receive a monthly copy of the Alerts, you may mail a request letter to:

WINGS PROFICIENCY
AWARD PROGRAM