Índex per January/February 2020 a Flying

The six-cylinder, 310-hp Continental growls and pops as I line up on Runway 7L then builds to a throaty roar as I open the throttle. I feed it in slowly, just like Joe told me to, in order to keep this Lancair with its castoring nosewheel, tiny tail and monstrous torque pointed straight down the runway. But around the time I figure I’m at full throttle, I discover I have another inch to “firewall power,” and when I get there, the acceleration becomes gut-wrenching. We’re up to 85 knots in no time at all. I ease back on the stick, and we leap into the dry desert air. This is my first time flying an airplane that has the power and speed to compete in the famed Reno Air Races…

VALUING SERVICE I typically enjoy Mr. Younger’s column, however, I have to take issue with his comment about not being able to cheer as easily for the F-35 as for the P-51 [from “Stoke,” November]. Please leave the personal politics out of Flying magazine. Whether or not you’re fond of the current administration, the fact remains that the F-35 is a remarkable piece of American ingenuity and manufacturing flown by outstanding young Americans who risk their lives on our behalf every time they strap into it. I’ve had the privilege of training some of those aviators myself as an active duty Marine Corps and Navy Reserve instructor pilot, and I can assure you that they are worth cheering for. Dave Elert via email Hi, Dave, Thought I’d take a moment…

When the National Transportation Safety Board announces the probable cause of an accident, it often makes use of certain stock phrases. One of the most common is: “loss of control for undetermined reasons.” Unlike “controlled flight into terrain,” which can often be traced to an incorrectly selected radio frequency or a sectional chart left behind, loss of control for undetermined reasons remains mysterious. These are not the loss-of-control accidents that result from icing encounters or from a non-instrument-rated pilot flying into IMC; in those cases, reasons can at least be plausibly guessed. Undetermined reasons really are undetermined. In October 2007, a VariEze crashed shortly after taking off from a Virginia airport. Witnesses saw the airplane roll down the runway and lift off, then turn crosswind and downwind; the pilot announced…

After reading, rereading and ruminating over an article on the direction of relative wind as affected by slips and skids, I still wasn’t getting it. Because I don’t have Peter Garrison’s number, I called another friend who has written extensively about all things aeronautical, and as expected, he patiently dumbed it down to where even I understood what the guy was trying to say. Our conversation then morphed into a discussion about readers who assume that because an aviation writer is so knowledgeable about the art and science of flying, he’s a de facto great pilot. My friend inferred he wasn’t—at least not anymore. I agreed, but I was lying. This guy is a vastly experienced, exceptionally gifted pilot (and writer) who has spent a lifetime honing his craft. But…

Aircraft Performance Group launched its iPreFlight Genesis app for the iPad this past year, delivering a robust flight-planning and performance tool that we’ve had the chance to follow through additional layers of development. APG has optimized the app for the business-aviation market segment, which the company feels it knows best. The app is designed for use across the market, both on the flight deck and in a wide range of operations. The app is tail-specific, so we had a Cessna Citation M2 loaded in for our testing. Without referring to prior notes, we downloaded the app onto a fifth-generation iPad Mini. After importing the latest updates, we were underway. Weather, airport data, terrain data and other updates come in various frequencies—daily, if needed. In this way, the app works with…

With Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) notorious as the busiest airport in the US—with passengers carried at just over 103 million—the air traffic in the Atlanta area can, at times, be intense. DeKalb-Peachtree (PDK), just 17 nautical miles northeast, is a perfect GA airport for anyone visiting the metro area interested in avoiding ATL traffic. When PDK winds blow from the west and south, the RNAV (GPS) Y Runway 21L is regularly used during IFR conditions—and often just to establish a stable arrival during VFR conditions. A. AWSON ARRIVAL Pilots en route to Atlanta from the northeast should note the (GPS) Y procedure “is not authorized for arrivals at AWSON [while] on V5-311-417 westbound.” From a planning perspective, an arriving pilot might want to consider including AWSON in their flight…

Here’s a situation you’ve likely experienced: You drive 45 minutes to the airport, walk out to your airplane and start unpacking your flight bag. As you go through your normal preflight routine and organize your gear in the cockpit, you experience that sinking feeling and realize you left something behind. If you had to pick the most important piece of pilot gear and consider canceling the flight, what would it be? Your automatic noise-reduction headset, iPad or backup radio? If you’re like most pilots these days, there’s no question it would be the iPad. You could get by without a headset and use the airplane speaker and hand mic. The handheld radio is essentially an insurance policy. But it’s the iPad most pilots would consider the MVP of the flight…

ELECTRONIC STABILITY AND PROTECTION: The advanced aircraft-recovery function built into Garmin flight decks since 2014. ESP works in the background while the pilot is hand-flying the airplane. It’s independent of the autopilot but is activated using the autopilot servos. If the pilot exceeds a 60-degree bank, and ESP is on, then ESP will engage and nudge the flight controls to a more level flight attitude and encourage the pilot to perhaps roll that bank out a little bit. It works similarly with nose-up and nose-down pitch attitudes. If ESP is activated for a prolonged period of time, the autopilot will engage in level mode. EMERGENCY-DESCENT MANAGEMENT: A system that monitors pressurization and, in the event of a pressurization loss, maneuvers the airplane down to 15,000 feet or lower, unless the…

In late October, Garmin introduced an emergency autoland system that will fly an airplane to a suitable airport taking into consideration enroute weather and obstacle clearance, extend gear and flaps on final, control throttle position to a safe landing and even an engine shutdown; all the while communicating with ATC, and I imagine at least one not-very-calm passenger who has pushed the red button. The debate over magenta lines and we children who follow them is a moot one. Whether or not you rely on automation, it is happening. VORs are quickly disappearing. GPS is decidedly the future proof standard bearer for navigation. Magenta is our present and future. The debate must move from discussing “if” to “how?” How do we remain proficient in this era of automation? How best…

For so many reading this profile, “giving back” through some form of philanthropic flying is a big part of why we fly. To see the smile on a child’s face when a rescued puppy is delivered to its forever family, or taking a person up for their first taste of what our world of flight is like is one of the most rewarding experiences a pilot can enjoy. While some of us have dreamed of filling our dream hangar with the proceeds from a winning Powerball ticket, that is not reality. Sometimes, though, people are very successful in business and can fill their dream hangar by manufacturing products people purchase in large quantities for a respectable profit. One of those people is Dianna Stanger—based in Texas and California—a very active…

The flight is almost over now. You’re on that early portion of the downwind, that time when the power is pulled back, and the airplane is slowing in preparation for landing. The air is like a glass topped coffee table: smooth and clear. This gliding feeling reminds you of ice sliding on a smooth surface. Through the coffee- table glass you can see the runway, the FBO, the trees and the cars circling the airport on the road that rings it, but you are just sliding along, frictionless, on the glass itself. The airplane has performed flawlessly. It almost seems to recognize that the time for flight is drawing down. She will give up altitude with grace. You set the flaps to 15, and she slows a bit more. The…

The cover story in The New York Times magazine for September 22, 2019, was entitled, “What Really Brought Down the Boeing 737 Max?” The writer, William Langewiesche—son of the sainted author of Stick and Rudder, Wolfgang Langewiesche—is a veteran of Flying, an experienced pilot, and a thorough and technically savvy researcher of his wide-ranging articles and books. As you can imagine, I read it eagerly. The article had been posted online a couple of days earlier. By the time I checked, it had garnered more than 1,500 comments. I didn’t read all of them, but the reactions I saw seemed about equally divided between friendly and hostile. I wrote a letter to the editor myself; it was not published. Despite the variety of online reactions, however, the letters to the…