ASK LANCE TOLAND Let’S Focus on Giving Transition Pilots All the Help They Need

WHY PRESSURE PATTERNS MAKE THE MOST SENSE

WINTER 2017 PILATUS OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION CHANGES IN THE AIR WHEN ATC ALTERS THE GAME PLAN AT THE LAST MINUTE

ALONE IN THE COCKPIT When no one’s there to catch your errors PLUS FLYING YOUR PC-12 FLTPLAN GO JUST FROM SPACE GETS BETTER Surprising how much we do and say Great new features keep coming is now coming from a satellite Power, Performance, and Prestige The New Structural Composite 5-blade STC for Pilatus PC-12

The Pilatus PC-12 has earned its reputation for outstanding versatility, performance, reliability, and operational flexibility. The new Hartzell 5-blade composite STC raises it to a whole new level. The numbers speak for themselves: 〉 2-3 knots improved cruise speed 〉 Over 10% shorter takeoff roll 〉 Up to 100 feet per minute better climb rate

A BOLD STATEMENT DOESN’T NEED TO MAKE NOISE.

For 2017, the Pilatus PC-12 NG launches bolder than ever. We’ve partnered with Designworks, a BMW Group Company, to offer six modern and elegant interior designs, each tailored to a Now available for immediate delivery and installation. unique style and attitude – yours. The new PC-12 NG’s composite five-blade propeller makes Contact your local Pilatus Sales & Service Center for details, the cabin even quieter and the ride even smoother. After all, great style is never loud. or visit hartzellprop.com Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd • +1 303 465 9099 • www.pilatus-aircraft.com

PIL0117_POPA_BoldStatement.indd 1 2/3/2017 8:21:56 AM Power, Performance, and Prestige The New Structural Composite 5-blade STC for Pilatus PC-12

A BOLD STATEMENT DOESN’T NEED TO MAKE NOISE.

PIL0117_POPA_BoldStatement.indd 1 2/3/2017 8:21:56 AM CONTENTSPILATUS OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION • WINTER 2017 • VOLUME 19, ISSUE 4

4 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 8 12 24 30

DEPARTMENTS

6 FROM THE PRESIDENT 8 NEW & NOTABLE

40 ALONE IN THE COCKPIT When no one’s there to catch your errors BY DICK ROCHFORT 46 ASK LANCE TOLAND Let’s focus on giving transition pilots all the help they need. BY LANCE TOLAND 48 SKYGAL Securing the future of women in aviation today BY P. J. GOLD

49 SIMCOM Q&A BY ROBERT BROOKS 50 SEND LESS TO THE IRS A valuable look at depreciation and tangible-property regs BY HARRY DANIELS 54 MIPAD Going beneath the surface with Fltplan Go BY WAYNE RASH JR. 58 WEEKENDERS BY MICHELLE CARTER FEATURES

12 PRESSURE-PATTERN FLYING The shortest distance between two points isn’t always a Great Circle route. BY BILL COX

18 CHANGE IN THE AIR When you’re suddenly faced with big revisions to your flight plan only seconds away from touchdown. BY THOMAS P. TURNER

24 I HAVE TO BE THERE Do you REALLY have to? BY JOHN MORRIS

30 FLYING YOUR AIRCRAFT FROM SPACE With NextGen, more and more aviating is controlled by satellite. BY SCOTT MCCABE

34 MANAGING FATIGUE A surprising number of pilots admit to sleeping in the cockpit BY THOMAS P. TURNER From the President

PLANNING FOR COEUR D’ALENE

Now that the holidays are behind us, I’m certain everyone is busy moving into an exciting 2017! I know that you have many exciting travel destinations in store for your PC-12. And I hope, chief among them, is the POPA annual convention scheduled for June 8-10 in beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho! Your board, advisors and mostly Laura Mason are qualify. And the best part? The cost is fully paid on hard at work planning an agenda, recruiting speakers your behalf by POPA! Can’t beat that! So if you and nailing down the myriad details involved in put- qualify, please take advantage of this special program. ting this program together. If you were able to join us Speaking of our commitment to training, we know last year in Quebec City, you know how high the bar that many among us (including me) find great value has been set. We are working hard to make this year’s in alternating simulator training with in-aircraft convention the best ever! Please plan to join us. training. There is enormous value in a challenging This year is destined to be an exciting one in the training environment while sitting at your own con- Pilatus family with deliveries of the PC-12 continu- trols. Toward that end, we have some very exciting ing at a torrid pace and the first-ever deliveries of the news to share with you! The details are still in the PC-24! If you were able to attend the recent NBAA development stage, but your board has been working Nconvention, I hope you were also able to see the real closely with SIMCOM to develop an in-aircraft train- article resting briefly from its rigorous test schedule ing program using SIMCOM instructors and focus- at the static display. What a stunning aircraft! And ing on aircraft systems, emergencies and decision- As always, we the performance is reported to meet or exceed all making in a LOFT format. Our vision is that this will are anxious original expectations. If you are one of the fortunate be custom-tailored to your aircraft and equipment at ones on the delivery schedule, congratulations! It will a location of your choosing. We believe the potential to hear from be wonderful to see a few PC-24s on the ramp mixed value of this program is enormous and will keep you you if you have in with the PC-12s at the 2018 convention! up to speed as we work out the details. any specific As you are no doubt aware, as a POPA member, As always, we are anxious to hear from you if you you receive exceptionally favorable pricing when you have any specific requests regarding convention requests complete your recurrent training at FlightSafety. Last speakers and topics so let us know what’s on your regarding year, many POPA members took advantage of this op- mind! In the meantime, here’s wishing you a safe and portunity, setting a record number of training events at adventurous journey. convention FSI! As a result, FlightSafety has continued the special speakers and pricing program for POPA members into 2017. topics so let us Just as exciting, we have worked with FlightSafety to develop a new-to-PC-12 pilot transition program. know what’s If you have fewer than 100 hours in the aircraft on your mind! and want to polish your skills in the simulator, you Brian Cleary

6 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 WINTER 2017 VOLUME 19/NUMBER 4

POPA BOARD

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Laura Mason Phone: 520.299.7485 Fax: 520.844.6161 Cell: 520.907.6976 [email protected]

PRESIDENT Brian Cleary

VICE PRESIDENT Jack Long

SECRETARY/TREASURER Dan Muller

BOARD MEMBERS Todd Hotes, John Zimmerman, Susan Peck

BOARD ADVISORS Tom Aniello, Piotr “Pete” Wolak, Phil Winters, Ray Torres, Joe Howley

AJ PUBLICATIONS STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lyn Freeman

MANAGING EDITOR Michelle Carter

SENIOR EDITOR Bill Cox

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Hans Lubke

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT William Henrys

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Nina Harris, Paul Simington, Katrina Bradelaw, Paul Sanchez, Wayne Rash Jr.

ART DIRECTOR Robbie Destocki

PHOTOGRAPHY Paul Bowen, Mary Schwinn, James Lawrence, Lyn Freeman, Jodi Butler, Gregory L. Harris

PUBLISHER Thierry Pouille

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sophie Pouille

PRODUCTION MANAGER, U.S. Guillaume Fabry

ADVERTISING SALES Thierry Pouille, 561.452.1225 Meredith Howard, 561.841.1551 ext. 7

AD SALES COORDINATOR Rick Vachon, 508.237.2631

CORPORATE OFFICES 1931 Commerce Lane, Suite 5 Jupiter, FL 33458 Telephone: 561.841.1551 Fax: 954.252.3935

FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CORRECTIONS, REPRINTS AND BACK ISSUES, PLEASE CONTACT [email protected]

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©2013 Pilatus Owners and Pilots Magazine is published quarterly. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Please send comments to the attention of the publisher.

PRINTED IN THE USA.

WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 7 New Products The Beauty of P ecisin Germa Engineering

5- Blade Natural Composite Propeller for the Pilatus PC-12

When you use only the finest natural composite materials on a 5-bladed propeller, it means: Reduced Vibration Let the app Quieter do the map More Takeoff & Climb Thrust Got plans for an upcoming vacation taking Better Icing Performance in multiple spots on your trip? The Relay app is perfect for travel to dense “must Reduced Weight see everything” locations as it allows you to map all your sight-seeing spots in one No Blade Life Limits place. The custom map, dotted with all More Ground Clearance the restaurants, coffee shops, museums, AMERICA’S FIRST FLYING CAR theaters and whatever else you want to Increased Resale Value visit during your trip, displays the distance SCHOOL OPENS IN UTAH and time to allow for travel between sites. Iitatin s he Easy Field Installation In preparation for the PAL-V One flying car that will hit the market in 2018, the company Creators Oliver Brooks and Craig Mer- Charles Caleb Colton R amp Appeal has opened America’s first flying car school in Nephi, Utah, to train those already com- chant designed the map to function simply ighe fom a ery. mitted to buying the Pal-V, which requires a pilot’s license to fly/drive. At least 40 hours and efficiently so the traveler can spend of flight time is needed to earn the license. The land/air vehicle is not an aircraft but a less time on the phone searching for direc- gyrocopter that drives like a car on the streets but push a couple of buttons and a tail, tions and more time seeing what he or propeller and rotors appear. Then the vehicle is ready for a short lift-off needing less she wants to see. Superfast, the Relay app’s than 600 feet. Once airborne, the Pal-V flies at 100 mph for up to 250 miles below 4,000 flexible layout is compatible across all iOS feet on one tank of unleaded gas. The Utah site was chosen because of the easy access screen sizes, from the iPhone 4 all the way Follow the LEADER. and the availability of gyrocopter instructors. The company is working with Gyroplane to the iPad Pro. The app has features that training guru, Phil Harwood and the International Association of Professional Gyroplane are easily accessible, and most things can Training to help create standardized flight-training programs. There are two Pal-V One be done in one or two taps. It costs $1.99. Finnoff Aviation Products models: Sport Edition ($400,000) or a Limited Pioneer edition ($600,000). PAL-V.com RelayMaps.com info@ﬁ nnoff | 303-444-0552 www.ﬁ nnoff.com

8 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017

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When you use only the finest natural composite materials on a 5-bladed propeller, it means: Reduced Vibration Quieter More Takeoff & Climb Thrust Better Icing Performance Reduced Weight No Blade Life Limits More Ground Clearance Increased Resale Value Iitatin s he Easy Field Installation ighe fomCharles Caleb a Coltonery. R amp Appeal

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FINN_PC12 PropAd1_011516.indd 1 1/15/16 3:21 PM Experience the difference first-hand with the defined leader in Pilatus insurance. Handcrafted trench boot $100,000,000 of legal liability insurance now by Oak Street Bootmakers available from Lance Toland Associates for qualified, Treat your feet with these handsomely handcrafted Trench Boots by single pilot, owner-flown PC-12 operators. Chicago’s Oak Street Bootmakers. The boots are made from Horween Chromexcel leather that undergoes 89 separate processes taking 28 days To learn more about proven knowledge based aviation insurance solutions contact and utilizing all five floors of the Horween facility in Chicago. Over the past 100 years very little has changed in the formula. Food-grade beef tallow, cosmetic-grade beeswax, marine oil, chrome salts, tree bark extracts and naturally occurring pigments are combined. The mixture is then applied using heat, steam pressure, the hands of craftsman and time. This ultimately yields the soft, supple and durable leather of the boots that sell for $426. OakStreetBootmakers.com 770.329.7200 [email protected] www.lancetoland.com LET KIDS LEARN HIGH STEM SKILLS AND WHILE DRY Avoid creepy HAVING FUN crawling things The soon-to-be-released and uncomfort- Lego Boost system is de- able rocks and signed to teach programming roots on your skills using Lego-built robots. next outdoor The 843-piece Lego set includes adventure with three Boost bricks with a tilt the waterproof sensor, a color/distance sen- Treepod camp- sor, and a motor plus plans for er, designed to five basic robots. A downloaded tablet app allows kids to suspend from a strong overhead anchor point. The lightweight build and code their robot creations using a simple drag aluminum frame and high tensile strength outer walls will sup- and drop method with graphic “code” bricks. Other robots port two adults with a 500-pound capacity. If a suitable tree is can be programmed to play a song or construct, code and not available, the company also makes a suspension system that operate the AutoBuilder to produce real miniature Lego hooks to the ball joint of your pickup. Also makes a great hang- models. For kids ages 7-12 (and their parents). It’s expecting tree house for backyard kid adventures! Available in April, it’s ed to be available for $169 in August. Lego.com 54 inches by 84 inches and costs $575. MyTreepod.com

Cigarette lighter to USB port For aircraft owners who have an old, 12-volt cigarette lighter socket in their current panel, Guardian Avionics has created a dual USB (2.1 Amp) instrument panel power port for FAA Part 23 aircraft and Part 27 and 29 helicopters that transforms the slot into a USB port. Simply remove the cigarette lighter and add the new USB port with only two screw holes needed; no panel cut required. The power supply can be wired to aircraft power through a two-amp circuit breaker in place of the existing circuit breaker for the 12-volt lighter socket. No more bulky adapters to power a smartphone or tablet! Both dual USB units are retail priced at $299. GuardianAvionics.com

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770.329.7200 [email protected] www.lancetoland.com TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PRESSURE PATTERNS

PRESSURE-PATTERN

FLYING THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO POINTS ISN’T ALWAYS A GREAT CIRCLE ROUTE. n By Bill Cox was preparing to fly a Piper Cheyenne II out of Gander, Newfoundland, for Shannon, Ireland, a distance just under 1,800 nm, and continue to Geneva the next day. As I waited for the weather briefer to finish another briefing, a young pilot stepped up, intro- duced himself and then asked where I was headed. When I told him Shannon, he asked if he could look at my flight plan since he was Iferrying a new Skyhawk in the same direction. I handed it to him. He looked at my plan, then his, and commented, “I see you’re not flying the normal Great Circle route.” “Yes, that’s true,” I replied. “Well, the briefer told me to come talk to you about the crossing. He thought perhaps you could give me some ideas that might help me.” Though I’ve been doing this job for a while, I’m hardly the old pro (old, yes — a pro, not so much), but at the time, I did have 200 trips logged across the North Atlan- tic and South Pacific in a variety of models. I pulled out the weather flow charts and forecast I’d used to plot my course and showed the pilot how I’d come up with my flight plan. Like so many recently licensed pilots schooled in the age of GPS, he’d been trained to believe there was nothing more efficient than flying direct, using the Navstar satellite system. My young friend’s interpretation was correct for those aviators flying comparative- ly short distances at low altitudes. But that may not be the case if you’re navigating long legs. Though a Great Circle route very well may represent the shortest distance between two points, distance isn’t always the most important consideration. Whether you’re flying your own aircraft, renting or operating a borrowed airplane, the overriding concern is time rather than distance. Knowledgeable pilots who fly turbocharged and turboprop aircraft are rarely concerned about how far they fly — only how long it will take. Aircraft expenses accumulate by the hour, not by the mile. It’s therefore logical that you should flight plan, using time as the primary consideration. Fuel in the tanks won’t necessarily govern how many miles you can cover in a minute or an hour, but it will definitely regulate how long the engine(s) will continue to run. Fuel is limited; gravity is forever. Flight planning based on time rather than distance demands a slightly different approach, usually known as pressure-pattern flying, and it’s especially apt for aircraft operating at high speed and high altitude, usually in positive control airspace above 18,000 feet.

12 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 PRESSURE-PATTERN

FLYING THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO POINTS ISN’T ALWAYS A GREAT CIRCLE ROUTE. n By Bill Cox

WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 13 Pressure Patterns

The airlines fly by pressure patterns as routes. Flight crews leaving the U.S. or Can- When I contacted Shanwick radar at what often as they can, not only to pare time en ada for points European were provided with I calculated to be 80 miles out, the controller route to the bare minimum, but also to avoid wind vectors for their chosen altitude(s), one came back and advised that I was only five areas of turbulence or other unstable weather. for each five degrees of longitude they’d cross. miles south of the proper track. Whew! Airline and corporate aircraft operators un- On the Gander/Shannon run, that meant 55 Pressure-pattern flying works just as well derstand that airplanes are least cost-effective degrees of longitude or 11 wind triangles. over land or sea but, coincidentally, the when they’re sitting on the ground so they do We’d simply calculate the heading and North Atlantic Track is perfect airspace for everything possible to optimize flight time. time for each of those flight segments, fly computer-generated flight plans that take You can’t employ this trick everywhere. all the resulting magnetic headings for the maximum advantage of eastbound tail- Over much of the congested airspace above required time and hope that Shannon was winds and minimize the negative effect of North America, airways are still favored with somewhere below us when we realized our westbound headwinds. In winter, when the Air Traffic Control. In some areas, controllers ETA. If we did it right, it was called “ded” jet stream sometimes drifts as far south as need to know you’re following a pre-existing (for deduced) reckoning. If we didn’t, it was New York or Washington, D.C., airlines and routes rather than making your own. spelled a little differently. (But hey, it worked other aircraft operating above FL180 over Theoretically, the new NextGen airspace for Lindbergh, didn’t it?) the ocean can sometimes pick up 75 to 100 system, currently scheduled to take effect in On my first crossing in a new Piper Seneca, knots by riding pressure gradients rather the U.S. in 2020, will allow every aircraft to headed to the Paris Air Show back in 1977, I than following simple Great Circle routes. operate on its own, individual route, utilizing did all the calculations over and over until I got In the most precise application of ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – the same answers twice, checked the fuel load pressure-pattern operation, an aircraft flies a Broadcast) to keep traffic separated. If all goes a half-dozen times and finally launched with continually changing arc to follow the most as planned (which has never happened before more than a few doubts. In those days, there efficient isobaric course from point of depar- with a government program), this will improve was only one radio navigation aid, an NDB on ture to destination. A simpler form requires efficiency and allow for shorter travel time. the back side of Shannon, and it wasn’t always only one or two larger course corrections that Not so long ago, both airlines and private reliable. I made the flight across the Atlantic in will roughly prescribe a semi-triangular or flights flew by a semi-sophisticated form of 11 hours without incident, but I was absolutely several-sided translation of the proper pres- E6B/VOR navigation, especially on ocean amazed that I didn’t miss Ireland completely. sure pattern to reduce flying time.

14 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017

Pressure Patterns

When the isobars of high- and low- speed of 640 knots at FL370 above the Pa- less application to piston aircraft that typi- pressure systems come together, they tend to cific. I was in uniform, and though the other cally coexist in the bottom three miles of compress the gradients and cause stronger passenger wasn’t a pilot, we’d been talking sky. Winds aloft are generally lighter and of winds. Circulation around low-pressure about airplanes intermittently for several less concern at lower altitudes than up high. systems in the Northern Hemisphere is hours, so the passenger turned to me and Certainly, if you’re flying 600 nm from counter-clockwise, whereas high-pressure said, “That’s not possible, is it? That’s faster Albuquerque to Long Beach, and a low- systems feature a clockwise rotation. than the speed of sound at this altitude.” pressure system is conveniently centered The ideal situation for eastbound flights I didn’t even try to explain the difference over Flagstaff, exactly in the middle, you above the equator would be a series of low- between true airspeed and groundspeed. I might be wise to flight plan for a more pressure systems north of the Great Circle just told him, “Well, this is a Super 747, one of curved, northerly track to take advantage of route and high-pressure systems farther the newest models. They’re much faster than the counter-clockwise flow. south. Plan your route for the point where the older ones.” Similarly, should you encounter unexpected the systems are in closest proximity, and Pressure-pattern operation isn’t reserved weather en route and need to fly around it rather you’ll usually realize the strongest tailwinds. exclusively for airlines cruising at six or seven than through, always favor deviating to the right Westbound flights need to hope for mile heights. Single-engine and multi-engine rather than the left, all other factors being equal. exactly the opposite situation, high pressure turboprops that fly in the relatively uncon- Circulation around even small low-pressure to the north and low pressure to the south. gested airspace between FL180 and FL310 systems will always be counter-clockwise, so no Again, the closer the isobar gradient lines may also rely on pressure-pattern operation matter what your heading, the right side of a low are together, the stronger the winds. to minimize flight time. Both the TBM- will always be the tailwind side. Below the equator, winds flow in the op- 700/850/900/930 and the Pilatus PC-12NG There’s nothing exotic about taking advan- posite direction at equal speed and can gen- offer range in excess of 1600 nm at long- tage of pressure patterns. It’s merely another erate similar, spectacular tailwinds. Once, range cruise settings in no-wind conditions. tool in a pilot’s repertoire of techniques de- years ago, returning home on a Qantas 747 Those airplanes can often see groundspeeds signed to optimize the airplane’s performance, following delivery of a Sgrike Commander that approach light-jet velocities when flying No matter what you fly, always remember to Sydney, Australia, my seatmate heard the by isobaric pressure patterns. that time, not miles, will define how much captain announce that we had a ground- For better or worse, flying by isobars has your flight will cost.

16 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017

CHANGE IN FLIGHT PLANS CHANGE IN THE

WHEN YOU’RE SUDDENLY FACED WITH BIG REVISIONS TO YOUR FLIGHT PLAN ONLY SECONDS AWAY FROM TOUCHDOWN. ByAIR Thomas P. Turner was arriving at Wichita with the Garmin set- up for the ILS Runway 1R approach. About 10 miles from the final approach fix, -Ap proach Control called and told me, “Change in runway. Expect the ILS 1 Left. Fly present heading to intercept the localizer.” My world got busy real fast. I was facing what safety researchers call an In-Close Approach Change (ICAC). Set up and briefed to fly one procedure, I was cleared to fly another with little timeI to prepare. It can be a scramble to get everything done while converging with the airport — and the ground. Done incorrectly, it becomes what NTSB calls an “ICAC event.” NASA reported on ICAC Events in Callback, the newsletter of the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). Administered by NASA, the ASRS was created to learn more about accident prevention by gathering and analyzing data from the many situations where risk was greatly increased but which did not result in a reported mishap. Known best as an FAA enforcement immunity system, the “get out of jail free” provision of filing an ASRS report was added later to encourage pilots, mechanics, controllers and flight crew members to file reports so more data is available from which to learn. (Immunity protection only applies to unintentional, non-criminal acts. It protects the reporter from penalties but does not keep enforcement action or citations off his or her record. Immunity can be invoked only after five years after a prior violation). Callback featured a NASA review of ICACs reported by airline crews in a 10-year period. In that time there were 313 ICAC reports — a pretty significant tally. Examples of these incidents include unstabilized approaches, track or heading deviations, speed deviations, controlled flight toward terrain loss of traffic

18 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 19 Change in the air DedicatedDedicated toto thethe Worlds Worlds GreatestGreatest

The great capability of GPS-based naviga- SingleSingle EngineEngine Turbine Turbine FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ICAC EVENTS REPORTS tion brings with it even greater complexity in an ICAC. Here’s the sequence you may Flight Crew Human Performance 197 need to follow, depending on the equipment ATC Human Performance 58 in your airplane:

Ambiguous (not clear from the report) 29 1. Access the approach chart in hard copy, or follow whatever steps are required to call Aircraft 11 it up from an electronic flight bag or other Weather 5 electronic source or multifunction display.

Environmental Factor 3 2. Change from autopilot “navigation” to “heading” mode if using an autopilot and you have Airport 2 it programmed to follow the magenta line. ATC Facility 2 (Be sure to set the heading bug first.) 3. Load the new approach into the GPS. separation or airborne conflicts, wake- the approach, here’s what you may have to do (Note: some systems require you first vortex encounters, loss of aircraft control, during an ICAC: delete an approach that’s already loaded breakdown in crew coordination, and before you can load a new approach). other safety concerns. The reports “reflect 1. Access the approach chart in hard copy a multiplicity of factors that contributed or follow whatever steps are required to 4. Confirm all settings and activate the to the incidents: flight crews ‘behind’ the call it up from an electronic flight bag or new approach on the GPS. aircraft, dividedattention in the cockpit, other electronic source or multifunction Flight Management Systems programming/ display. 5. Load the localizer or VOR frequency, if reprogramming issues, rushed flight crews, flying a non-RNAV GPS approach. (Some untimely ATC clearances, distraction, and 2. Change from autopilot “navigation” systems do this automatically when you other factors.” to “heading” mode if you’re using an activate the approach; others do not). autopilot you to follow the magenta line. BUT I FLY SINGLE-PILOT (Be sure to set the heading bug first.) 6. Identify the localizer. (Some systems What do a lot of airline ASRS reports tell us automatically monitor the Morse-code about single-pilot ICACs? The graph shows 3. Enter or activate the localizer/VOR/ signal and will not display the approach the most frequent contributing factors from NDB frequency. without a positive ID, but others do not.) the ICAC reports. With the exception of one — breakdown in crew-resource management 4. Identify the navaid with its Morse-code 7. Confirm the display is in the V-LOC — none of the contributing factors differenti- signal. mode if flying a non-RNAV GPS ap- ates between a crew and single-pilot airplane. proach. (Some revert to GPS NAV mode A strong case can be made the crew-resource 5. Re-engage the autopilot “navigation” or with input changes) management factor applies to the single- “approach” mode if you’re following a pilot cockpit as well. Remember, all these new transition or close to intercepting 8. Re-engage the autopilot “navigation” or reports came from professional pilots with the approach course. “approach” mode if you’re following a at least one additional, professional, cockpit new transition or close to intercepting crew member to share the workload. Every 6. Thoroughly brief the new approach, the approach course. reported contributing factor in ICACs applies including altitudes and headings, ap- at least as strongly in the single-pilot cockpit. proach minimums, obstacles, runway 9. Thoroughly brief the new approach, in- lighting, and the missed-approach cluding altitudes and headings, approach WHAT IT TAKES procedure. minimums, obstacles, runway lighting, What can we do to handle an ICAC? The and the missed-approach procedure. keys are preparation and flexibility. Here are 7. Set the course needle or OBS for the new some ICAC checklist templates you can tailor inbound course. 10. Set the course needle or OBS for the new to the equipment in each airplane you fly. Re- inbound course. member, you’re doing this in an already high- 8. Set altitude bugs and other reminders. workload environment, in a short period of 11. Set altitude bugs and other reminders. time, while converging with the airport and 9. Set up navaids as necessary for the the ground, often with a lot happening on missed approach and ID their Morse- 12. Set up navaids as necessary for the missed the radio. Committing your personalized code signals. approach, and ID their Morse-code signals. checklist to memory is vital, but so is double- checking your work with a printed checklist 10. Continue to observe altitude and head- 13. Continue to observe altitude and head- in case you missed something in the rush. ing clearances throughout — Aviate ing clearances throughout — Aviate If you are not using a GPS device to load before you navigate or communicate. before you navigate or communicate.

20 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 Dedicated to the Worlds Greatest Single Engine Turbine Change in the air The Beauty of Meta urgica Sience

Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67P Engine Upgrade for the Legacy Pilatus PC-12

Schedule some time now to sit in your air- in the time-crunch of an ICAC. amended clearance if you’re unable to make the plane on the ground to confirm one of these changes quickly enough to stay ahead of the air- checklists works for you or to modify it as Train frequent passengers to help you find craft. Ask controllers for a vector or a hold until To Overhaul the Old or necessary for your airplane’s equipment. approach charts and set up navigation radios you can properly set up for the new approach. (although you remain responsible to check Weigh REDUCING WORKLOAD their work). Train them on a custom “pilot Workload-related distraction is the biggest Go With New Here are some ideas to reduce the workload aid” checklist you create. Actually use their threat we face when flying an instrument Your Choices of an ICAC: help when the time comes. approach procedure. Be ready to manage that increased horsepower workload to minimize distraction if directed Don’t get too far ahead of the airplane. Use the “U” word (“Unable”). Request an to make an in-close approach change. Increased speed Don’t set up for a specific approach because Climb faster it’s “what they always give me.” Often we hear what we expect to hear. Setting up before you Seven-year warranty know what you’ve been assigned can make ICAC CONTRIBUTING FACTORS you misunderstand your clearance and lead from Pratt & Whitney. to an ICAC later on. ATC coordination issues Caefu y Preoccupation Keep all approach charts handy. If you use Specific airport presents problem hard copy charts, don’t pull the one you expect to use and put the binder (with the one you end Breakdown in CRM Dsign s o t os.Steve Jobs up needing) behind the seat. Before you take Pilot cites confusion off, download all the approaches for the airports Distraction you might use onto your iPad or other EFB. Timeliness of ATC clearence Get extremely familiar with cockpit tech- Pilot(s) rushed nology, including GPS, autopilots and EFBs. FMS programming/reprograming If you have it, you need to know how to use it. Divided attention in cockpit Follow the LEADER. Customize an ICAC checklist to your Flight crew “behind aircraft” airplane. Laminate the checklist and keep it handy in the cockpit. Practice using it fre- 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Finnoff Aviation Products quently to verify you haven’t missed anything Most frequent ICAS contributing factors (from NASA’s ASRS) info@ﬁ nnoff | 303-444-0552 www.ﬁ nnoff.com

22 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017

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WHEN SAFETY COMES FIRST

I HAVE TO BE

THEREDO YOU REALLY HAVE TO? n By John Morris hen I started flying, two early lessons were indelibly burned into me. First, the kind of frequent weather encounters common in South Florida are not friendly to aircraft, especiallyW light/small aircraft. Second, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) is even less friendly if you do not comply with its rules. In early December 2015, I flew a Legacy PC-12 from Daytona Beach, Fla., (KDAB) down to La Romana, Dominican Republic, (MDLR) to pick up a group of folks (10, to be exact). Yes, this particular PC-12 is in the corporate commuter configuration, STD-9S (no lavatory) with maximum utilization. I left KDAB at approximately 11:30 a.m. expecting my arrival time into MDLR would be about 16:30 AST. After clearing Customs, fueling, etc. the return was going to put the aircraft into the U.S. after Customs’ regular airport-of-entry hours (20:30 EDT). This would require me to clear Customs at the nearest 24-hour General Aviation airport-of-entry, Fort Lauderdale International (KFLL). For readers not familiar with international General Aviation arrivals to the United States: “Subject aircraft must land for CBP processing at the nearest designated airport to the border or coastline crossing point as listed under paragraph (b) unless exempted from this requirement in accordance with § 122.25.” The exemption is an overflight permit which in this case does not apply since KDAB is a coastal airport but not operational at my return hour, as was the case for the other coastline airports in south Florida. My weather briefing included typical scattered clouds with a slight chance of rain showers going down to the Dominican Republic and the terminal/ area forecast for south Florida was also typical, scattered thunderstorms possible with a low-pressure system sitting north of Key West producing some very large embedded cells over and near Key West with tops near FL300. This is fairly normal weather for south Florida but at least hurricane season was officially over. I have a Stratus 2 unit that I use occasionally along with ForeFlight on my iPad. I brought it along on this trip to compare to the ADS-B (FIS-B) to the XM system installed in the aircraft since I would be flying out of and back

WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 25 I have to be there

into the XM satellite/ADS-B coverage off the KDAB, except for the added “occasional to scat- gave us a slight route change but did not east coast of Florida. XM has an advantage tered thunderstorms in area possible.” Great! indicate a possible change of destination or for pre-takeoff but I wanted to see, based on No working aircraft radar, but I do have XM holding for KFLL. About an hour out, the altitude, when I would lose the ADS-B signal and Stratus on board and no other airports-of- MRKIIs started to detect occasional lightning HISTORY IS IN OUR BOOTS at long/high altitude range since we normally entry available. This means until picking up the to the northwest of our position and, by now, would not be “tooling” around at low altitude. XM/ADS-B I have to rely on the MRKII radar at least four airliners had decided to divert (On the flight to the Dominican Republic (eyeballs). And it will be dark two hours before to Ft. Myers, Fla., (west coast-90nm NW (DR) I picked up the ADS-B from Puerto arrival to KFLL. Just like the good old days! KMIA) with one airliner saying he would like Goodrich De-icer Factory Service Center: Boot installation you can trust. Rico when approaching the DR’s airspace The good news is that the passengers are to proceed to West Palm Beach (35nm north boundary but not via XM, which advertises couples, kids and baggage, which was light of KFLL) before turning west towards Ft. My- coverage in that area.) since this is the Caribbean. So I was able to ers to avoid the buildups. This was beginning Factory-direct pricing, industry-best turn times and free labor for life gurantee (following initial installation). Outbound to MDLR signal loss of XM put maximum allowable fuel on board which to get exciting, and not in a good way! Trusted installation and service on genuine Goodrich OEM ice protection products. and ADS-B, at FL270, was similar, about would easily take us to KFLL and then to The left-seater and I had already begun to dis- 100-125 miles east southeast of Florida. This KDAB without refueling. Total filled distance cuss possibly flying north to avoid all this “crap” Learn more at goodrichdeicing.com is due to the basic fact that the Nexrad radar for both legs was 1,000 nm. How many when we heard the radio conversations and saw sites are limited and not overlapping from planes in this category can do that? the distant NW lightning. We also discussed the Call 330 784 5477 for a no-obligation quote | [email protected] Florida. The only other noteworthy item on It was an uneventful flight until I shifted to fact that CBP takes a very dim view of not show- Located at the Akron-Canton Regional Airport in North Canton, Ohio this leg came when I was about an hour out the right seat to let the owner’s son/pilot take ing up on time, let alone not showing up at all. At of MDLR. I decided to fire up the on-board over the left seat. I started detecting with the this point, safety trumps a fine, or worse. So we Need de-ice boots? 800 DE-ICERS (800 334 2377) | [email protected] radar since the ADS-B (Nexrad) from Puerto MRKIIs the distant lighnting. It appeared to be proceeded on course for the moment as we did Rico only extended to the eastern tip of the due west/southwest of our flight path, which not have a good option of turning north with no Dominican Republic. The aircraft radar was west/northwest. Things got a little more weather data/radar available. did not work! (Note: I wrote two articles eventful on our frequency change to the Mi- At 35 minutes to landing (~100nm off- for POPA in 2008 with the first pertaining ami Center area covering south/southeast of shore), we started receiving XM and ADS-B to a DOA radar during a “mission” and the Miami. Miami Center was telling the airliners while simultaneously ATC started our second pertaining to weather avoidance. the average hold for KMIA was 45 minutes! As descent. Basically there were no differences Information collected for those articles will the crow flies KMIA is 19 nm from KFLL. on the displays. What we did see, however, be referred to in this one.) At this point we were still about an hour was our assigned flight path into KFLL was For the flight back to KFLL, the pre-flight and a half to proposed landing and nowhere almost entirely in the clear with only green weather briefing had not changed much com- near getting any weather info via XM or displaying over our flight path after cross- pared to the one I had received before leaving ADS-B. As we proceeded westward, Miami ing the coastline. Bizarre as it may seem (not

26 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 HISTORY IS IN OUR BOOTS

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Learn more at goodrichdeicing.com Call 330 784 5477 for a no-obligation quote | [email protected] Located at the Akron-Canton Regional Airport in North Canton, Ohio Need de-ice boots? 800 DE-ICERS (800 334 2377) | [email protected] I have to be there You Don’t Need Anti-Skid Braking... if you lived here) Miami (KMIA) was only feet flying through some heavy rain showers using one runway for landing due to the Lesson: Flying should with lightning not too distant. The lightning storms — one aircraft at a time to full stop NEVER include and heavy rain did NOT show on either XM with all airports within 50 miles landing to “I HAVE to be there” or the ADS-B displays but, to be fair, we were Until You Do. the east, but KFLL was reporting 2,500 OVC a tad busy flying “blind” at that moment. with light rain and visibility three miles. But as a condition. Also, if not already known, unless you have there was “red” just to the north-northeast of Stormscope or Strikefinder installed, the KFLL and a lot of “red” west and southwest Just because you own lightning displayed on either XM or ADS-B of KFLL, according to XM/ADS-B. And the or fly a PC-12 that has the same time-delay effect as already general movement of the cells was towards mentioned. It goes through the National the NE. With no on-board radar, we are can get you just about Lightning Detection Network, which then relying on data that is old. Even with the relays to the services using this network. I did “timely” data from XM/ADS-B we did have anywhere an airplane ask the controller about the nearby lightning the opportunity to turn towards the north, can land doesn’t mean strikes and was assured that we would be northwest/northeast since the heaviest weath- vectored away from cell in time. er to avoid would only be for about 30 miles. you should. Lesson: Flying should NEVER include But we still would be guessing as to the exact “I HAVE to be there” as a condition. Just location of those “bad boys,” at a low altitude. Radar. This radar, as the name implies, is for because you own or fly a PC-12 that can We made the decision to continue with the the terminal area, good for approximately get you just about anywhere an airplane flight plan assigned, which was to cross the a 40-nm radius. I will spare you the details can land doesn’t mean you should. In this coastline westbound, just south of KFLL, to (read my earlier article or go to NOAA case a possible federal violation is quite a approximately 10nm inland (radar vectors) website for info) but generally if the weather reason to “be there” but safety must come and then take a north/northeast turn to inter- gets bad, the controllers have the capability first. Planning, which for me always includes cept the ILS. This had little to do with CBP or of actually vectoring us around weather that, fuel for alternate destinations, as complete a the XM/ADS-B (not reliable for this!) but had even if the onboard radar was working, we weather briefing as I can get plus knowledge a great deal to do with the knowledge that couldn’t see but they can. Been there, had it of aircraft/equipment capabilities and, in this Miami Approach is one of 45 airports in the done for me in the past. particular instance, the radar network, all U.S. that has the Terminal Doppler Weather While we were on vectors we were at 2,000 contributed to the final decision made.

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28 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017

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FLYING YOUR AIRCRAFT FROM

WITH NEXTGEN, MORE AND MORE AVIATING IS CONTROLLED BY SATELLITE. KNOWING HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE NEW SYSTEM SAVES TIME, TROUBLE AND MONEY, SPACEBUT OLDER TECHNOLOGIES STILL OFFER LOTS OF BENEFITS. n By Scott McCabe

ne thing can be said for sure about the airspace above the United States and the rest of the world — it isn’t getting any bigger. As more airplanes compete for space and service from our country’s controllers, the FAAO is rolling out bits and pieces of NextGen, its new be-all, end-all technological overhaul of the national airspace system. As more of the pieces become operational, the feds say that pilots and passengers alike will enjoy more than $160 billion in benefits by the end of 2030.

Much of this new technology is coming from space. The FAA has already completed the infrastructure for a new nationwide surveillance system that will enable satellite-based air-traffic control. Read that again — satellite-based ATC. The FAA has also been busy redesigning the airspace over many metropoli- tan cities so that there are now more satellite-based procedures than older radar-based systems. One that many of you are already seeing is the new Metro- plex system, which is expected to improve traffic flow in the more congested parts of the sky. Instead of controllers giving you instructions to turn right at the “coastline” or proceed direct to “Mount Hoolahann,” a local landmark you may never have heard of, Metroplex has created a system of waypoints. Pilots can see ahead of time just how they’ll come and go, all streamlined and precise, thanks to GPS signals from space.

30 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017

Flying your aircraft from space

The FAA has 22 such Metroplex areas on 736 VOR and NDB approach procedures equipped with all sorts of ultra-modern the board, and 12 are already active or in the U.S. GPS equipment and ADS-B out capabil- completed. These more efficient procedures Then the air safety people came in and ity — some even with modern FMS (flight are expected to save billions of dollars in urged that the decommissioning of these management systems) — they rarely use all of reduced fuel consumption and to lower navaids be slowed. The FAA took a deep this tech for anything more complicated than emissions. If you’re not flying the new breath, admitted they were wrong, and going “direct to” their destination. Metroplex system now, you will be soon. reduced the number of decommissioned If you are still operating your aircraft this Despite the remarkable accomplish- VORs to a measly 308. way, it is a real shame because you’re wasting ments and aspirations of NextGen, pilots The alphabet safety groups also recom- time and diminishing safety. Moreover, you today are flying a mix of the old and new. mended that the number of “safe airports,” are losing cash with every extra minute it Knowing how to take advantage of the fields that are within range of a VOR and/ takes you to fly to your destination. NextGen latest and greatest can also be enhanced by or have an old-fashioned ILS instrument- navigation, combined with the navigational your skills with older ideas. For example, approach procedure, be increased from wizardry of today’s flight-planning software, with all this space-based tomfoolery going 145 to 189 so you’ll have some place to has given ATC the ability to send you on on, why in the world would you still have go to if the GPS space-based navigation circuitous routes that take advantage of winds. a VOR receiver in your panel, let alone and airspace system goes “kerflooie” some Fly this route instead of that route and you’ll train and review on how to use it? dark and stormy night have a tailwind, something all pilots seem to Because all the space-based stuff might The VOR method of navigation that the enjoy. NextGen will save you money. go away quickly when you’re in the air — whole national airspace system was based on Another way NextGen will help you fly and then what? was a replacement for the Low Frequency more economically is in helping you — and The FAA has certainly thought about (LF/MF) range system that existed from the ATC — determine the perfect descent point the possibility of a full-blown GPS outage. 1920s through the early 1960s. The “flying the for your arrival. Most descents to an arrival They initially wanted to eliminate more beam” method seemed archaic when it was involve descending, then leveling off, then than 500 active VOR stations in order to replaced by VORs, but it really wasn’t that descending, then leveling off, increasing save money and phase the system out. much less accurate than what replaced it. the rate of descent, then slowing that rate. While pulling the plug on your local VOR The AOPA Air Safety Foundation found Imagine how much fuel could be saved if you or NDB station, they planned to eliminate that even though most pilots fly aircraft could know when to just pull back the throttle

32 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 and leave it there all the way to the threshold? available for quite a while is the idea of fix- NextGen will do that. NextGen is happening crossing times and hard-approach times. Most We’ve all heard lots about ADS-B and now. We are updating current navigation systems have a feature that the many, many advantages that system will allows you to choose what time you cross a bring. There is no doubt that it will lead to a our platforms, fix. The system suggests an adjustment to your clearer picture of aircraft separation for ATC speed in order to make that time a reality. and that this should enhance safety. Not only modernizing our system. Let’s say you have been given holding will the controller see the traffic, you will fi- We’ve implemented instructions over a fix when you are still quite nally get to see the other guy or gal and create a distance away from it. ATC gives you an a mental picture of the airspace for yourself. new approaches in expected further clearance time and tells you TCAS escape maneuvers should become less Houston, north Texas that you can slow down if you like and that and less necessary as pilots get used to seeing slowing down won’t affect your position in the each other way before a traffic conflict exists. and Washington, queue. You can use this time as your target or Load ADS-B-out equipment into your D.C. Throughout the ask your controller what time he or she would cockpit today (required by 2020) and you like you to be over the fix and adjust your will save another chunk of change. ATC country, we’re rolling speed accordingly. can reduce your spacing with other ADS-B You don’t have that “cross the fix on time” traffic and get you to your destination earlier. out new procedures; it’s feature? No problem. Just note the estimated Of course, getting there sooner means your happening now. time your equipment tells you that you are flight just got cheaper. And there can be other crossing the fix and adjust from there. benefits as well. Ask anybody trying to beat a Paul Rinaldi, We are on a crossover between the old thunderstorm to the field. President, National Air Traffic and new way of navigating and separat- Are you worried that this reduction in ing our aircraft. It would really pay off for spacing between planes (aka reduced separa- Controller Association you if you use all the modern stuff without tion from heavier aircraft) will lead to more completely forgetting and eliminating the wake-turbulence encounters? Well, don’t. The wingspan, weight and stability instead of the old. Yes, get the new ADS-B system, and no, FAA has thought of that and has added more old-fashioned and often ineffective minimum don’t throw away your VOR. Learn how to science and common sense to the problem by spacing based only on mileage when an take advantage of the amazing new capabili- implementing Wake Recat, or wake re-cate- aircraft is above a certain weight. ties of NextGen, but don’t forget what you gorization. They now calculate the possibility There are also ways to save time and money learned as a student pilot. Not everything and safe spacing on heavy aircraft, based on without NextGen. One way that has been good comes from space.

WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 33 34 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 HOW TO OVERCOME FATIGUE MANAGING

FATIGUEA SURPRISING NUMBER OF PILOTS ADMIT TO SLEEPING IN THE COCKPIT n By Thomas P. Turner t was a surprising and fright- ening statistic. Several years ago I attended the Bombar- dier Safety Stand-Down in Wichita, Kan. The Stand- Down is a two-day series of safety seminars and workshops aimed Iprimarily at pilots and operators of business jets. It’s provided free annu- ally by Bombardier Aviation.

During one presentation, the speaker asked the roughly 300 pilots in attendance to answer a question: “Have you ever fallen asleep in the cockpit in flight?” Responses were anonymous through a clicker-type remote system. The result: More than 60 percent of the professional pilots in attendance admit to having fallen asleep at the controls at least once. In follow-up questions, at least half of the remainder reported at least one instance when they found it very hard to stay awake in flight. A year later, I attended an NBAA’s Single-Pilot Safety Stand-Down. One of the speakers asked the same question of this group of pilots, most of whom fly alone in piston twins and turbine airplanes. Again there was an anonymous response system, and nearly two-thirds of the pilots reported instances of having great difficulty staying awake in the cockpit. Several admitted to actually falling asleep while in solo command of an aircraft in flight. The National Transportation Safety Board reports that pilot- fatigue issues are contributors in nearly one-quarter of all aircraft crashes. NTSB investigators are now researching an accident pilot’s sleep patterns in the 72 hours preceding a crash when such information is available.

FATIGUE IS REAL Non-aviation but important research by the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety reveals that after rising from an interrupted eight-hour sleep:

WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 35 Managing Fatigue

• Being awake for 17 hours has the same Numerous studies list common behaviors It’s almost as if we could virtually eliminate performance effect as a 0.05 blood-alcohol in fatigue-study subjects. As you read the all aircraft crashes by making sure pilots get content. list, think about how often we read the same eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night words in discussions of aviation-crash factors: and limiting their duty day to avoid notice- • Being awake for 21 hours has the same • Reduced decision-making ability. able reductions in performance due to fatigue. performance effect as a 0.08 blood-alcohol • Reduced ability to do complex planning. That’s a little simplistic, of course, because content — the legal limit for driving in • Reduced communication skills. fatigue may be a factor but not necessarily the Canada and most of the United States. • Reduced productivity and performance. only factor. If the NTSB is right, however, we • Reduced attention and vigilance. could eliminate a substantial number of all • Being awake for 24 hours has the • Reduced ability to handle stress. accidents if we could tackle pilot fatigue. same performance effect as a • Reduced reaction time, both in speed blood-alcohol content of 0.10. and thought. COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM • Loss of memory or the ability to recall NBAA is quick to point out that its recom- details. mendations assume the pilot is otherwise • Failure to respond to changes in completely fit for flight and that sleep (or surroundings or information lack of sleep) is the primary determining provided— loss of situational awareness. factor for fatigue. Anyone who has ever • Inability to stay awake, involuntary micro gone through a stressful sleeps — short sleep periods the subject is time, however, not even aware are happening. • Increased tendency for risk-taking. • Increased forgetfulness. • Increased errors in judgment. knows that sleep patterns alone do not tell take into account periods when you are more of your trips in nighttime conditions. If your the entire story. A new baby in the house, a susceptible to fatigue, even when you have flight in the dark happens when you’re well family medical issue, business stresses, job been getting more sleep. rested and are at the beginning to middle of uncertainty, relationship challenges, and Another contributing factor is the longer your workday, the darkness will probably not many other factors will compound the fatigue nighttime we’re now experiencing in the add a lot to your overall fatigue level. But if, problem. northern hemisphere’s winter. There’s no way as is often the case, your night flight happens In other words, under strong adverse to get around the fact that human beings are after a long day at the office or visiting clients, stresses you will exhibit the symptoms of evolved to sleep when it’s dark. Since the sun the dark cockpit may magnify any shortcom- fatigue sooner into your workday and suf- rises later and sets earlier this time of year, ings you have as a result of simply being tired. fer diminished performance with a greater it’s more likely you’ll be flying at least some amount of sleep (a smaller sleep deficit). Your personal fatigue-management strategy must

WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 37 Managing Fatigue

EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT IT… To paraphrase Mark Twain, everybody talks For most Pilatus pilots, FATIGUE MANAGEMENT about fatigue, but nobody does anything you are the management STRATEGIES about it. Most Pilatus pilots use their airplane To avoid flying with excessive for business and limiting the duty day, that oversight and also the fatigue, consider these strategies: is, establishing a maximum number of flight crew scheduler hours from alarm clock to engine shutdown (NBAA recommends 14 hours maximum), (and, of course, the 3 Set a hard rule that you will be on runs counter to the realities of business and flight crew). How do the ground with the engine shut down the flexibility we get from the use of a busi- in less than 14 hours after you last ness or personal airplane. Reducing that 14- you reconcile succeed- awoke from restful sleep. hour recommendation when you haven’t had 3 If the end of your flight will be in eight hours of uninterrupted sleep the night or-fail business reality nighttime or LIFR conditions, make before seems even more anti-business. to the life-and-death your alarm clock-to-engine shutdown The association quotes Dr. Quay Snyder, reality of flying while duty-day limit 12 hours maximum. president and CEO of the Aviation Medical 3 Schedule trips, meetings and recre- Advisory Services. “Ensuring pilots are fit to fatigued? Like any good ational flights to meet your duty-day fly requires pro-active management to look at limitation. Just like an airline crew, pilot schedules.” business decision, it if you’ll “time out” before you reach For most Pilatus pilots, you are the man- requires strategy and your destination (including the flight agement oversight and also the flight crew to an alternate if needed), then stay scheduler (and, of course, the flight crew). flexibility. over and fly the next day when you’re How do you reconcile succeed-or-fail busi- fresh. ness reality to the life-and-death reality of everything gets better when it’s easier to see. 3 Think of your “awareness reserve,” flying while fatigued? Like any good business Like most people, I also tend to slow down the same way you manage fuel re- decision, it requires strategy and flexibility. in the middle of the afternoon, during “siesta serves: If the outcome of the flight is Your strategy may be as simple as planning time.” From a flying standpoint, that tells me ever in doubt, land and tank up (i.e., your meetings and site visits so you fly at the to avoid flights over the roughly 2 to 3:30 sleep) to re-fill your awareness tank. times that best fit your lifestyle. p.m. period. Take a good look at your per- For example, when I was flying a business sonal sleep and drowsiness patterns and see if aircraft more than 300 hours a year, I found you can arrange your schedule to avoid flying That may mean that you finish your last that I was far fresher getting wheels up at 5 during your awareness down times. meeting at 4 p.m. but stay overnight to fly a.m. than I was if I took off at 7 p.m. It also You have to be flexible because of weather home early the next morning, if that matches helped that an early-morning departure and equipment failures. Allow yourself to be your personal rest patterns. The good news meant I was flying into daylight conditions— as flexible about your fatigue state as well. is that most airport hotels have low aircrew rates (just ask), and modern interconnectiv- ity means you can work from just about Speaking at the opening session at the 20th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown, NBAA anywhere. With cell phones and wireless president and CEO Ed Bolen said the industry access, most people will never know you’re in still “has a long way to go on aviation safety.” Allentown instead of Albany or Atlanta. (Photo: Matt Thurber) AWARENESS RESERVES In flying as well as business, there’s a strong culture of rewarding those who push on for long hours and denigrating those who get tired and give up. Another word for “fatigue” is “weakness,” and no pilot or businessperson wants to appear to be weak. Instead, we should think about lack of fatigue — of awareness — as a resource. We need to make plans about fatigue reserve in our bodies the same way we strategize about fuel in the airplane’s tanks — establish a maximum duty-day limit and an even healthier personal-minimum “awareness reserve” at the end of every flight. Being tired in the cockpit makes it far more likely you’ll make the kinds of mistakes found in most NTSB reports. To reduce your risk by almost 25 percent, according to the NTSB, it’s time to get real about fatigue.

38 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017

Avoiding errors in the cockpit SAFETY

requirement for single-pilot operators of turbine and pressurized aircraft. ALONE IN THE COCKPIT People make mistakes. Human error is WHEN NO ONE’S THERE TO CATCH YOUR ERRORS not a problem to be solved, but rather a By Dick Rochfort condition to be managed. In other words, single pilots can’t rely on perfect perfor- Single-pilot operations are significantly dents because they lack relevant experi- mance. They have to learn to eliminate or different from crew operations in that ence. They fly fewer hours and receive less correct their own errors before they lead there is no one to help reduce the work- training than their multi-pilot colleagues. to critically unsafe conditions. Primar- load or to catch the errors, which are While this is all true, it implies that single- ily this means avoiding what I refer to bound to occur. This glaring shortcoming pilot operators with more experience have as noble distractions. Noble distractions is evidenced in the accident rate which fewer accidents. True enough; however, it are any activity which interrupts or slows has remained stubbornly unchanged over is also true that, when experienced pilots down the completion of the task at hand. the years when adjusted for hours flown. have an accident, it tends to be more seri- Serious accidents tend to be born from So much so that the NTSB still has Gen- ous than the accidents for which inexperi- errors of omission — the pilot became eral Aviation loss-of-control accidents on enced pilots are responsible. While a clear distracted and failed to do the right thing the 10 most wanted list for improvement advantage exists, it seems that experience in a timely manner. Often, missing a task in transportation. alone may not be enough to reduce the is the result of some sort of self-induced A lot has been written over the years severity of aircraft accidents in single- distraction. about pilot error and single-pilot opera- pilot operations. The insurance-under- Here are some suggestions on how to tions. Much of it runs along the same writing community recognized this long organize your day-to-day single-pilot Stheme: Single-pilot operators cause acci- ago when specialized training became a operations and avoid noble distractions:

40 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 “Keep things as simple as possible, no sim- A lot has been written “Sixty knots, cross check.” Here we are p l e r.” — Albert Einstein cross-checking the primary airspeed over the years about indication with the backup-airspeed • Think of each flight as a series of tasks, indicator. We are also verifying that the such as pre-flight planning, pre-flight pilot error and single- 60-knot callout is made before reaching inspection, engine start, pre-taxi/taxi, run pilot operations. Much the halfway point on a short runway or at up, take-off, first-segment climb, second- a predictable spot on a normal runway to segment climb, cruise climb, cruise, of it runs along the verify proper performance. At 85 knots (or descent, arrival, approach, landing, taxi, same theme: Single- whatever your rotate speed may be) rotate, shutdown, postflight, etc. pilot operators cause pitch wings level 8½ degrees nose up. • Consider the objective of each task. Here we “Gear up, flaps up, trim up, autopilot on.” can and should make use of the vast amount accidents because they Verify the director bars are in the blue and the of information available to us from the FAA lack relevant experience. aircraft is performing as commanded. Hone and other excellent sources. For example, your technique to avoid common errors like the objective of the take off is to accelerate pushing. Using the same example of the take double tapping buttons accidentally or bump- smoothly and separate from the ground off, we should begin the take-off roll with ing the power lever. The 60-knot callout is an at the slowest speed consistent with safety. a series of callouts to ensure consistency adaptation of the halfway rule found in Chap- Begin the second-segment climb as quickly as in evaluating the condition of the aircraft ter 7 of the Aeronautical Information Manual: practical. Second-segment climb is the clean performance. “Airspeed alive,” while looking climb which is usually necessary to comply at the analog backup-airspeed indicator. It “Typical takeoff acceleration should allow with an obstacle departure procedure. is inconvenient at best to discover this item the airplane to reach 70 percent of lift-off has failed after take off but it is not possible airspeed by the midpoint of the runway. “Don’t mistake activity with achievement.” to check it otherwise on the ground. Then The rule of thumb is that should the air- — John Wooden “gauges green” and “annunciators clear” plane acceleration not allow the airspeed prior to 70 percent of rotate speed (around to reach this value by the midpoint, the • Develop a simple procedure to accomplish 60 knots) to check critical information while takeoff should be aborted, as it may not be the task with the least amount of button there is still room to abort safely if necessary. possible to liftoff in the remaining runway.” Avoiding errors in the cockpit

• Consider the limitations, if any, of the 2. Flows: A flow is not a memorized check- procedure. Modifications to the procedure I was always told to use list. In fact, a flow doesn’t tell the pilot may be needed for density altitude, run- a checklist, and I still what to do; it only tells what to consider. way length and wind conditions. Using a flow properly requires training and use them but only when discipline. The flow is one of the best-kept • Have well-defined expectations regarding I am stopped on the secrets to flying well as single pilot. the outcome. Pitch power configuration is important here because it allows us to evalu- ground in a safe area or 3. Memory items: Reserved for items that ate the correctness of our action. Know what on the autopilot at a safe require immediate action and/or concen- airspeed results when the task is performed tration such as engine stoppage (switch correctly. Use that knowledge to assess the altitude. When used at the tanks, fuel pump(s) on, etc.) or turbine- performance of the task. Know what ele- start temperature limits. ments of the approach environment you wrong time a checklist can need to see from the missed approach point be a major distraction. 4. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP): Sin- so that you can safely make a timely decision. gle-pilot operational safety can be improved by” means I’m busy right now. I will call you by emulating successful single-pilot training • Have a specific plan in case your expecta- back in a few seconds or it means I don’t and Safety Management System models. One tion is not met. The best way to stay ahead of know but I will check and call you back. such model is the National Business Aviation the airplane is to not get behind. Don’t allow Association’s Standard Operating Procedures. yourself to be distracted by conversation or • Develop a set of tools that will help you NBAA has reduced the number and severity out-of-order tasks. Get comfortable with the complete each task in an organized and of accidents involving its members through missed approach. Practice these regularly. efficient way the same way each and every the voluntary adoption of SOPs. Another time. Consider the following: worthy example is Cape Air. In 2009 Cape • Get familiar and comfortable with Air flew more than 65,000 accident-free phrases that help control the pace: “Ap- 1. Checklists: I was always told to use a checklist, single-pilot IFR hours in complex aircraft. All proach, 32 Bravo requests a 5-mile turn-on and I still use them but only when I am stopped the training and mentoring was provided by outside the final approach fix,” and “unable on the ground in a safe area or on the autopilot experienced instructors, in the aircraft, using 160 knots on the approach. I am planning at a safe altitude. When used at the wrong time a checklists, flows and memory items. 130 to the FAF and 120 to the lights.” “Stand checklist can be a major distraction. The procedures set forth in this document

This video is courtesy of the are derived from the NBAA pro-forma SOP. NBAA. It is a realistic illustra- They are adapted to apply to the challenges tion of how quickly a single associated with mid-level single pilot/owner- pilot can get behind: pilot operations and can be found at RWRPi- lotTraining.com/pa46-sop.html. Personal minimums are not the same as SOP. Those are specifically yours. Your flight training should include this topic. If you do not have personal minimums, ask your flight instructor to help you develop and maintain them,

• Seek excellent training at least twice per SCAN CODE ABOVE WITH YOUR SMARTPHONE TO BE TAKEN TO VIDEO year. Be sure you are training twice per year to ATP standards in order to develop the critical knowledge, skills and proce- This video is courtesy of dural discipline needed to safely fly high- RWR Pilot Training. It illus- performance aircraft as a single pilot. trates an actual instrument approach in low weather. Here are two videos, which may help clarify these remarks. If you have not already done so, download a free QR code reader to your phone or iPad. When you use the app to scan the codes below, the video will play:

About the Author: Dick Rochfort is a veteran flight instructor based in Baltimore, Md., with more than 25 years experience working with pilots and instructors of high-performance, pressurized piston and turbine aircraft all over the world. If you have comments or SCAN CODE ABOVE WITH YOUR questions, he may be reached at mail@rwrpilottrain- SMARTPHONE TO BE TAKEN TO VIDEO ing.com. – Fly Safely – Train Often

42 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017

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LET’S FOCUS ON GIVING TRANSITION PILOTS ALL THE HELP THEY NEED. By Lance Toland

Doing the same things over and over with Then add weather and the loss of an Granted, we all have to learn and gain the same failed results is the time-honored autopilot, and 45 seconds later an airplane experience. But it seems in these scenarios definition of insanity. tears apart at altitude. This doomed pilot that this predictable loss of life, involving History repeats itself time and time met all the FAA regs, but where were the low-time transitional pilots, will eventu- again. I remember in 2010 when a non- crucial gatekeepers — industry leaders, ally provoke legislation. The FAA will take POPA member with a fresh airplane concerned operators, training vendors? a closer look at turboprop and turbojet crashed and killed his entire family at Over the holidays this year, history re- transition pilots since it seems that none Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla., Airport (SRQ). peated itself again in a Citation 525, a high- of the industry gatekeepers want to hold I was in the air at the same time, making performance light jet. Who in their right the line. an approach into SRQ, when the ELT was mind would turn a 900-plus hour pilot loose Sorry for the rant, but we could make a Dsounding and the controllers were telling to takeoff over Lake Erie at 11 p.m.? I will difference if we continued to insist on slow, everyone they were too busy for vectors or tell you who — the eager sales team, ”Sure, methodical transitions in the PC-12. With special request. you can fly it if you buy it,” the eager insur- the PC-24 coming on line, I foresee more A post-mortem of the crash revealed a ance agent, “Sure, I can get you through and stringent transitions from the PC-12 from number of ingredients that made a perfect find a company to write you,” the underwrit- the responsible underwriting community. recipe for disaster. A low-time, high-net- er who needs to make year-end production This I can promise. worth pilot purchased a plane from a bank numbers so he in turn dilutes the under- I call on each and every one of you at (eager to unload an aircraft repo through writing, and the trainer, “Sure, you will be this time to commit to holding the hand a broker ready to close a deal), a junior okay after we finish with you.” of everyone who enters the Pilatus family, insurance underwriter who allowed this Each industry gatekeeper who turned We need to ensure that we never have a 800-plus hour pilot to fly SP after training, the keys in this chain of events is culpable for catastrophic loss due to inexperience in the with 35 hours or so in mm. the loss of people and aircraft, in my opinion. transition phase of ownership and steward-

46 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 The Right ship of the PC-12 and PC-24. I will commit accident-free, I recommend our prescribed Approach to you that I will continue to demand insurance protocols for transition a recipe aircraft training with at least two sources of for success. I will ask all responsible indus- dual before turning our new clients loose. try leaders, and especially the underwrit- To Financing With 20 years of our clients flying ing community, to adhere to. Business Aircraft

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WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 47 Sky Gals WOMEN IN AVIATION

WAI continually seeks ways to educate women about the opportunities and careers available in aviation, but it also promotes public understanding of the accomplishments and contributions of past women in aviation.

from 100 donors for a total of $10 million. These are generous scholarships too, like the GE AR UP. Boeing 737 Next Gen Type-Rating Scholarship of $28,000. Two of these scholarships will be Visit the online store for all your official awarded in 2017, along with 96 scholarships Pilatus brand merchandise, apparel worth more than $650,000. SECURING THE FUTURE OF Awarded at every stage of a career, these and pilot accessories. help women not only begin a career in avia- WOMEN IN AVIATION TODAY tion and aerospace but advance an ongoing CHAPTERS AROUND THE WORLD ARE COMING TOGETHER FOR THIS SINGLE GOAL. career. To apply, the applicant must be a www.PilatusGear.com member of Women in Aviation Interna- By P.J. Gold Members washed planes, cleaning 14 planes tional. Scholarship From the earliest days of aviation, women in (underbellies too) and raised $2,000 for their applications are the industry have persevered against tradition- scholarship fund. available at WAI. al role expectations to pioneer achievements Girl’s Aviation Day is a new event for girls org/scholarships PIL1016_PilatusGear_Ad.indd 1 10/6/2016 4:56:20 PM and create more opportunities for women. ages 8-18. Usually held at a local airport or and must be sub- While women today can be found working in aviation museum, the chapters hosted tours of mitted by Nov. 14. all areas of aviation, they remain under-rep- airplanes, speakers, hands-on activities such To get the most out resented. Of the 599,086 licensed pilots, only as learning to fly a drone, practice on a flight of what membership 6.61 percent are women. In non-flying aviation simulator, and anything else that might ignite in WAI has to offer, careers, 22.52 percent of the jobs are held by an interest in aviation. “This day of outreach is the annual confer- women. These numbers are something the an important way to help young girls to dream ence is the “must non-profit organization, Women in Aviation big — whether about aviation as a career or a Sky WAI Delta attend” event of the International (WAI), is determined to improve. rewarding hobby,” said Dr. Peggy Chabrian, scholarship recipient year. The 2016 con- Gurleen Saini The WAI is a dynamic organization that’s WAI president. ference in Nashville, grown from 150 members in 1990 to more than A popular way for the membership to Tenn., saw nearly 5,000 attendees, including 12,000 members worldwide in 2016. Dedicated connect is at Women Venture held during 91 international guests from16 countries. The to the support and advancement of women in all EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. During AirVen- 2017 International Women in Aviation Confer- Faviation career fields, its membership includes ture 2016, Wednesday was declared Women’s ence will be at Disney’s Coronado Springs astronauts, corporate pilots, maintenance tech- Day and featured speakers such as Lt. Cmdr. Resort in Orlando, Fla., March 2-4. nicians, air traffic controllers, business owners, Meagan Flannigan, a former Navy F-14 pilot, WAI continually seeks ways to educate educators, journalists, flight attendants, students, and Navy combat veteran Vanessa Christie. women about the opportunities and careers air-show performers and airport managers. The Aviation enthusiasts had a chance to talk with available in aviation, but it also promotes organization encourages young women to con- WASP Marty Wyall. And Alaska Airlines’ public understanding of the accomplish- sider aviation as a career and women already in B-737 900ER arrived with an all-female crew ments and contributions of past women in the industry to seek the next level in their career. and more than 100 Alaska Airlines employees aviation. Each year at the annual conference, The large membership is organized by providing the backdrop for the group photo of they honor historic notables such as Amelia chapters, according to regions in the U.S., with nearly 1,000 WAI members. Earhart, Bessie Coleman, Eileen Collins and others also in Australia, Canada, Ghana, India, But the most impressive and impactful pro- Jeana Yeager, with the Pioneer Hall of Fame Kenya, Nigeria and Switzerland. Chapters hold gram the WAI offers is the number and dollar award. It’s the hope of the WAI that they will members-only meetings as well as commu- amount of scholarships the organization gives be a similar inspiration to the many more nity events and fundraisers like the St. Louis out from a wide array of donors. In the past women in aviation tomorrow. Women With Wings chapter recently held. 20 years, WAI has awarded 1,400 scholarships More information is available at WAI.org.

48 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 GE AR UP. Visit the online store for all your official Pilatus brand merchandise, apparel and pilot accessories.

www.PilatusGear.com

PIL1016_PilatusGear_Ad.indd 1 10/6/2016 4:56:20 PM Q&A By Robert Brooks

ANSWERS TO FALL 2016 QUESTIONS

Question #1: What is the procedure for a run-away stabilator Question #4: What action should be taken for an extended trim? storage, i.e., not flying for more than two weeks?

Question #1 Answer: Select trim interrupt switch, pull stab/ Question #4 Answer: Check tire pressure, sump fuel, move pitch trim CB, return trim interrupt switch to normal, use aircraft to prevent flat areas on tires. (See Section 8) alternate trim switch.

Question #2: How much torque can be lost with the inertial WINTER 2017 QUESTIONS separator open in non-icing and icing conditions? 1. What is considered a serviceable check of the engine oil? Question #2 Answer: Up to 2.2 psi in non-icing and up to 2. If the oil sight gauge indicates the oil level is low, what is the 3.0 psi in icing. correct procedure for determining the level on a cold engine?

Question #3: During the winter months, what needs to be 3. What needs consideration concerning the ECS/ACS bleed-air considered regarding the VCCS (vapor-cycle cooling system)? switch after ground de-icing?

Question #3 Answer: Operate VCCS system 10-15 minutes 4. What action could possibly damage the de-ice boots? every two weeks. (See Section 8 of the PIM for cautions.)

WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 49 Send Less to the IRS FINANCE

2015), then what about the public in general? How do people deal with their depreciation, A VALUABLE LOOK AT repairs and supplies under the new regulations? With tax preparation on everyone’s mind this time of the year, I thought it would DEPRECIATION AND be a good idea to dig a bit further. Most of us love things that fly. Many of you TANGIBLE-PROPERTY REGS use your plane in your business. Planes are MANY TAX ADVISERS HAVE BEEN SURPRISINGLY SLOW IN IMPLEMENTING not cheap, and if they’re a business asset, we THESE CHANGES TO THE TAX CODE — EVEN AFTER TWO YEARS ON THE BOOKS. want to write them off and as fast as possible. Hence, the deduction for depreciation. Planes By Harry Daniels require maintenance and servicing. Hence, the need to keep track of repairs and mainte- At a tax seminar a couple of days ago, the implemented the regulations and were nance that we can write off immediately and presenter asked two questions. First, he advising their tax clients about what the not have to capitalize and depreciate. asked how many attendees believed the regulations involved and what the tax- FedEx, in its tax court case relating to new depreciation and tangible-property payers needed to do to comply with the its fleet of jets, contributed greatly to the regulations were of no consequence. No regulations. The answer to this question did writing of the final version of the regula- hands went up, and this surprise me. Just 45 percent said they did. tions. As such, aviation has an inside track did not surprise me. That got me thinking. If less than half when it comes to applying the regulations Then he asked how of the tax industry is not up to speed with to planes and the items associated with many had actually these regulations after two years (2014 and operating planes.

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WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 51 Send Less to the IRS

It is just about impossible to run a business will be treated for a given year. without expenses for repairs, supplies or depre- It is just about impossible I hope you have adopted these regulations ciation. In all likelihood, the tangible property to run a business without during the past two years. If you haven’t, I regulations will apply to your business. Even if encourage you to take a hard look and make your business is not associated with aviation, if expenses for repairs, sure you are following the regulations because you have repairs, supplies or depreciation, you supplies or depreciation. there have been some major changes. Business and your business will be impacted. taxpayers caught a very, very big break when, The good news is that the regulations will, In all likelihood, the after the fact, the IRS announced that it was in more cases than not, be a favor to the tax- tangible property not necessary to file Form 3115 for a change payer. Many of the issues that would normally in accounting method if you were adopting have ended up in tax court as a disagreement regulations will apply the regulations on a go-forward basis. But between the IRS and the taxpayer have been many businesses seem to have interpreted that cleared up. We as tax preparers and you as to your business. Even to mean that they don’t have to adopt the new the tax-paying public now have a much better if your business is not regulations at all, and that is just not the case. understanding of the boundaries. The regulations are here and must be In the past, installing an air condition- associated with aviation, followed. Please don’t let the IRS be the one ing system would have been automatically if you have repairs, who comes in and announces you have a capitalized as a building improvement with problem with your depreciation and repair a life of 39 years. Now you need to look supplies or depreciation, expenses. The really bad part about all of more deeply. You just may find that it can this is that the IRS can permanently disal- and should now be properly treated as an you and your business low unclaimed depreciation on an asset asset with a five- or seven-year life. Consider will be impacted. that should have been fully depreciated in a dedicated air conditioning unit to keep prior years because you did not assign the the computers and other data processing cost of that high-voltage power line specifi- proper depreciation life to the asset. equipment cool. The purpose isn’t to keep the cally added for that one piece of machinery. Do yourself a favor. Ask your accountant to building itself cool and comfortable. The air The regulations contain six separate revisit depreciation and tangible-property regula- conditioner actually becomes a part of the elections that you should consider on tions with you. Might just make your day. computer and data-processing system, which your return for every year that you claim a O. H. “Harry” Daniels Jr. is a CPA, CFP certificant, certi- has a five-year depreciable life. That’s a lot deduction for repairs, supplies or deprecia- fied valuation analyst and pilot. Contact him at harry@ better than 39 years. Don’t forget about the tion. Once made, that’s how those items harrydanielscpa.com.

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WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 53

CIBEF Know Ad_Resize_Aviation_POPA_Rev1.indd 1 1/19/16 2:40 PM MiPad ELECTRONICS

What’s nice about the split-screen capability is that you have a good selection of what to GOING BENEATH THE SURFACE show on each side of the split. You start with the screen you want as the first half of the split, WITH FLTPLAN GO and the touch the split screen icon (it’s the By Wayne Rash, Jr. second from the left in upper-left corner) to add another screen to the split. For example, Fltplan Go is one of those iPad apps that Exactly which of these functions you use you can start with a sectional that has your just keeps getting better. Between the time depends on the stage of the flight, or flight route on it and, below the split, you can have that I first looked at this expansive toolkit of planning, you’re in. For example, you can get something useful such as the weather. all-things-pilot and now, the basic software a weather brief, you can see navigation logs The Maps page also integrates with the has added new apps within an umbrella that for each stage of your flight, and you can even procedures app. This can be really useful if work to make it ever more useful for pilots. In show a checklist for your specific aircraft. you’re flying into a busy area, and you’re not addition, this app provides a lesson on how The Maps function provides a great deal of sure which arrival procedure you should use. integration should work. flexibility. You can overlay the basic map with Clicking on the procedures button will show When you’re looking at the main screen jet routes or low-altitude en route charts, you you the various approaches on the main map; of Fltplan Go, which for you is probably the can show approach plates or sectionals. In you can then select an arrival, and it will be map showing the course you’re planning to addition, Fltplan Go now allows a split-screen added to the map so you can incorporate it. fly, you’ll see a series of tabs along the left view that lets you keep important images open One problem with having all of the vari- edge. Those tabs each take you to a separate in front of you so that they’re accessible when ous maps, charts, NOTAMs and other mate- function within the main app. Some of you need them. You can, for example, have rial all available on your iPad is that you can Fthose tabs are functions within Fltplan Go your moving map open and, at the same time, lose track of what you have access to. With and some are apps that exist within the have your Navlogs visible, or you can bring in Fltplan Go, you can avoid downloading main app. your approach plates while looking at the map. things you don’t need. You can organize the

54 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017

MiPad

items you already have in binders (which are Overall, Fltplan Go and there’s even a logbook. The runway essentially folders that display downloaded wind calculator will help you prepare for items) so you can see what’s there. You can has become more the winds when you land, if you know set up separate binders in whatever way you them, and the airport wind calculator will choose, such as a separate binder for each valuable to pilots as show you the apparent wind at a specific route you fly or plan to fly. time goes on. There are airport. The Download tab performs a similar Overall, Fltplan Go has become more function, but in a different way. With this more functions added, valuable to pilots as time goes on. There are function, you can see what files you’ve al- functions that are there more functions added, functions that are ready downloaded and whether they’re cur- there become easier to use, and the integra- rent, expired or are some combination. You become easier to use, and tion becomes better. The effect to you is can even see items that aren’t downloaded, that you only need to enter data once, and so you can do something about them if you the integration becomes every app and function knows what it is. need those files on a specific flight. better. The effect to you And you can move easily between apps and A number of other useful features show functions without having to enter more up in those tabs on the left. For example, is that you only need to information or do anything manually. there’s a Tools tab that provides handy enter data once, and And, of course, you still have the moving calculators for things that you didn’t know map, and the weather information you’ve al- you needed, until it turns out that you every app and function ways had. They’re just better and do. Another tool lets you calculate the knows what it is. more useful than ever. halfway point for your flight when tak- Wayne Rash is based near Washing- ing winds and your aircraft’s speed over fuel burn and fuel requirements. You can ton, D.C., where he works as bureau chief and senior columnist for eWEEK. ground into account. You have a choice of calculate density altitude, weight and bal- He has been a pilot since 1968. He can conversions for fuel weight versus volume, ance, Celsius to Fahrenheit conversions, be reached at [email protected]

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¤ Your Aircraft, your Avionics PC12 Training ¤ You pick the time / location ¤ You don’t travel In your aircraft ¤ From 1999 - 2007, Simcom Full Time PC12 Instructor/ Approved by major insurance underwriters Pilot/Program Coordinator ¤¤¤¤¤ John K. Morris Only PC12 Training Providing Initial/Recurrent/ 407-721-7442 Transition/Part 135 training www.acftservices.com Another Choice For Training for all PC12’s since 2007 *Celebrating 10 years of Only PC12 training*

POPA WINTER 2017 ADVERTISER INDEX ACFT SERVICES PAGE 57 FINNOFF BATTERY PAGE 45 OK3 AIR PAGE 15 SKYTECHNIC PAGE 47 407.721.7442 ACFTServices.com 9 303.404.0119 Finnoff.com 800.388.4445 OK3Air.com 888.386.3596 skytechinc.com ADVENT AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS PAGE 28 FINNOFF ENGINE PAGE 23 PILATUS BUSINESS PAGES 3, 49 SWITLIK PAGE 41 918.388.5940 aircraftsystems.aero 303.404.0119 Finnoff.com 1.800.745.2887 Pilatus-Aircraft.com 609.587.3300 switlik.com AIR JOURNEY PAGES 7, 39, 44 FINNOFF PROPELLER PAGE 9 PNC AVIATION FINANCE PAGE 53 TEMPUS PAGE 17 561.841.1551 AirJourney.com 303.404.0119 Finnoff.com 1.888.762.2265 pnc.com 757.875.7779 TempusJets.com AIR TEXT PAGES 53 HARTZELL PROPELLER INC. COVER 2 POPA PAGES 51, 55 UTC AEROSPACE SYSTEMS PAGE 27 678.208.3087 send.aero 1.800.942.7767 hartzellprop.com 520.299.7485 PilatusOwners.org 330.374.3040 goodrichdeicing.com AOPA FINANCING PAGES 47 ICARUS INSTRUMENTS PAGE 53 PRO STAR PILATUS CENTER PAGE 21 WINGS INSURANCE PAGE 43 1.800.627.5263 aopafinancing.org donmask.com 603.547.9010 prostarpilatus.com 952.942.8800 WingsInsurance.com EAGLE AVIATION PAGE 51 LANCE TOLAND ASSOCIATES PAGE 11 RON COX PAGE 57 803.822.5555 Eagle-Aviation.com 770.227.5500 lancetoland.com 772.538.1965 RonCoxAviation.com EPPS COVER 3 NORTHEAST AIR PAGE 53 SIMCOM COVER 4, 49 770.458.9851 EPPSAviation.com 877.354.7881 [email protected] 866.238.4468 Simulator.com

WINTER 2017 I POPA MAGAZINE I 57 Hot Spots TRAVEL

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and the wide expanse and sit back and look. OPT FOR THE QUIET AND of Haro Strait, known Flying your own plane locally as Orca Highway. to the Roche Harbor WONDER OF ROCHE HARBOR If you prefer your Airport is your most di- BY MICHELLE CARTER views well-grounded, rect route, but you might Roche Harbor offers like to consider winging hh! If ever there Resort’s the only place lodging options on the trails through woods, your way to Sea-Tac was a best-kept to stay, offering you the sloping hillside on the pastures, lagoons, quar- Airport in Seattle or S secret, Roche historic Hotel de Haro, east side of the harbor. ries and marshes. Ex- Port Townsend so that Harbor in the San Juan which opened in 1886 Near the pool, play- plore at your own pace you could take the ferry Islands in the northwest to handle the business ground and grassy field, historic English Camp, across Puget Sound and corner of Washington brought in when lime these family accommo- climb to the top of get your on-the-water fix (and the lower 48 United deposits were discovered dations are perfect for Mount Young, or check before you even arrive. States) is it. But its private along the ridge above the those looking to engage out the shellfish-rich However you get there, airport (WA09) is your harbor. The high value the island outdoors. shoreline along Westcott the ferries will connect personal ticket to ride. of this mineral caused And outdoors at Bay. At the entrance to your with all the other Roche Harbor sits Roche Harbor to develop Roche Harbor most Roche Harbor you can San Juan Islands when on a sheltered harbor into a thriving hub with often means on the wa- ramble through a 19- you’re ready to broaden on the northwest side a modern lime factory. ter. If watching the orca acre outdoor sculpture your horizons. of San Juan Island with Remnants of the factory whales is on your bucket park, home to more than But chances are good British Columbia in are visible throughout list, you can get close 120 unique sculptures you’ll want to stay put hailing distance across the grounds of the resort. to the three pods (with by local artists. The San and keep the secret. Haro Strait. A quick Now it’s the well-pro- more than 80 whales) Juan Islands Museum of hop across the island tected marina that draws that frequent the waters Art curates this unique IF YOU GO… will take you to Friday most of the visitors to off San Juan Island, with piece of land that ROCHE HARBOR RESORT Harbor, which is bustling Roche Harbor — that a whale-watching excur- features gently rolling PO Box 4001 248 Reuben Memorial Drive with day-trippers and and those incredible sion right from Roche fields of grass cut to Friday Harbor WA 98250 harborside eateries, but seaside views from every Harbor. For a quieter, create natural corridors RocheHarbor.com 800.451.8910 or 360.378.2155 Our success at Epps Aviation hinges on your success. That’s why accept good advice and perch. The resort has more serene ocean ex- between sculptures. ROCHE HARBOR AIRPORT our service team treats your airplane as our own. Whether you stay in the privacy and capitalized on those perience, try a sea kayak. Or just snag an Ad- (WA09) desire an annual inspection or a new 5-Blade Hartzell prop, a calm of Friday’s quiet but postcard vistas by incor- Paddle through kelp for- irondack or a rocker on 8484 Roche Harbor Road Friday Harbor WA 98250 Garmin upgrade or Gogo® Inflight Connectivity, Epps Aviation’s stunning sister. porating many renovated ests, through protected your veranda and a glass 360.378.3500 expertise and capabilities with the Pilatus PC-12 are all under Roche Harbor waterfront cottages as pools, wildlife refuges of your favorite beverage one roof. Contact Greg Allen, Epps Aviation Pilatus Maintenance Manager, to schedule your next service.

58 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 770.458.9851 eppsaviation.com PDK-Atlanta Hot Spots TRAVEL

Authorized Pilatus Sales & Service Center WELCOME TO WINTER 2017 PILATUS COUNTRY

58 I POPA MAGAZINE I WINTER 2017 770.458.9851 eppsaviation.com PDK-Atlanta CALL NOW ABOUT OUR NEW “EXPRESS RECURRENT” DESIGNED BY PILOTS FOR PILOTS TAILORED TO YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS

Exclusive Factory Authorized Simulator Training Provider

SimCom is proud to be the Exclusive Factory Authorized training provider for the PC-12 NG fleet and has been since 1996. Nothing sharpens your flying skills and prepares you for the unexpected like simulator training.

Visit www.simulator.com to see a video describing why SIMCOM’s instructors, simulators and training BETTER TRAINING. SAFER PILOTS. GREAT VALUE. locations will make your training experience special.