THE COMMUNITY OF FLYING
by Josh Smith, General Manager

Wow was it rainy in Feb. or what. I practically need floaties to get to the MX hangar from my office.  It looks like we may be getting some sunny weather which would be nice to break the monontany of this rain. I know we need it and all but come on! I would like to encourage those that have been waiting out this deluge of rain.., etc.., Hook up with your favorite CFI and get a currency flight in. As much as we dread having to demonstrate our skills to someone else there is always some new angle, or new kernel of knowledge that we can learn that will make us better pilots. I recently completed my BFR and had a great time flying with one of our CFI's, Mark Moran. great guy! As intimidating as it can sometimes be to schedule a currency flight etc., its great to go out there and challenge yourself to see where your skills are at.

A couple of quick hits.
We are hoping to get the BBS side of the website upgraded within the next couple of months. We are currently on version 1.9 and 3.0.4 is available. There are a lot of new features that are out there which will greatly enhance the usability of the bbs forum. And by "new" I mean features that have been out there for a while but which will be new to us and bring the Clubs forum into the current century. Our goal is to stick with "myPHPBB" code, hoping that we can save the current forum strings etc. I will send out updates as we get closer to let everyone know how their use of the site will be affected. Having looked into this, it seems we have a good chance at keeping our legacy of forum data. Our goal is to have this completed by May

A final note on the bbs, we are making a lot more documentation available on our docs section of the website. Currently the Chiefs office is working to make all the .pdf files searchable and compressed, and then we are going to focus our attention on developing E forms. There is an E form version of the aircraft checkout form and members regulations quiz. These forms can be filled out online and printed once everything has been filled out and comleted.

Check out Mary Ann's video for more information. She is listed on the right hand side of this Email. Also we are in the process of developing our own You Tube channel. I know we need more content, however, we need to start somewhere. West Valley youtube channel

I have created a new, hopefully helpful page off of the website to called the West Valley Weather Page . The goal is to simply put out a quick hit page with current conditions at the 3 airports and a few helpful links to websites I have found over the years that provide useful WX planning data. This includes a website that houses a link to all of the various cameras around the Bay to pick up live feeds of actual conditions as they exist.

Everyone remember staying current is no accident.

Take Care and stay safe.

FROM THE DESK OF THE CHIEF
WVFC Chief Pilot chief pilot@wvfc.org

I’ve now been in the chief pilot office for a couple of weeks. I want to express my thanks to the CFIs and members at large that have expressed their support and best wishes as we move the Club into the future. Each month, I’d like to use this column to discuss a particular safety or training issue that I’m seeing amongst the membership. This month, I’d like to discuss the passenger, and takeoff briefing and checklists. I’ve done quite a few phase checks recently and it’s a fairly consistent theme that these checklists and briefings are being skimped over or omitted completely. I sometimes get the impression that students feel that this task is for show and once they become “real” pilots then it won’t be necessary or cool to do such a briefing. On the contrary, we would do well to learn from our professional brethren on this one. The professionals run checklists on the ground in a consistent and repetitive fashion – it’s definitely not cool for them to skip over them. Let’s review some of the checklist items that I like to use myself and hopefully you do to.

The passenger briefing.

There’s all the obvious stuff like seat-belts, door operation, windows etc. that all passenger briefings should contain. I won’t belabor the details here but I’m still surprised at how many pilots don’t even do these basics. There’s little skill required to deliver these instructions so why isn’t it done every time on every flight?

But there are some more subtle ones that we should talk about. Take my Blackberry for example. Ever noticed how some Blackberries cause interference with the intercom and avionics in the plane. Do you, as a procedure, ask passengers to turn off all cell phones and Blackberries before flight? I will deliberately not do this on phase checks unless asked to do so by the pilot. If I don’t turn it off, then throughout the flight there will be an annoying random buzzing in the intercom. This can be a huge distraction for the pilot if they a) are not used to it and b) they don’t know where it’s coming from.

Do you establish a “signal” with your non-pilot passengers that you will use to indicate to them that you would like them to be quiet so that you can communicate with ATC or you simply need to concentrate. I’ll often agree with the passenger that my simply holding up a finger is the sign to be quiet for a short period of time.

The takeoff briefing

This is one of my real pet peeves when pilots don’t brief what’s expected to happen on the take off and more importantly what they’re going to do when those things don’t occur as planned. You need to set solid expectations for what the plane is going to do as you advance the throttle on the runway. What power indications will you expect to see? Have you adjusted these expectations based on altitude? What airspeed are you expecting to see and by when? This is sometimes described as the accelerate/stop distances of the plane on a certain runway. A really approximate rule of thumb for most of the planes we fly is that the plane should have reached 70% of rotation speed before the 50% point of the runway in use. And that’s really a worst case scenario, it should often be airborne by this point but keep the worst case scenario in mind so that you know to abort if you’re not reaching the minimum speed by the half-way point. If there’s absolutely any doubt in your mind about the runway length and/or conditions then it’s prudent to automatically apply your short-field take-off skills to maximize your chances of getting the airplane airborne and climbing in the minimum distance.

Next you need to think about engine failures. You’ve heard this over and over again, but in almost all cases of an engine failure, once airborne, land straight ahead. Turn-backs to the runway often end in a broken plane, and worse, serious injuries or death. It can be done but it’s really easy to mess up the maneuver in a multitude of ways. West Valley instructors, as a group, are now generally discouraging turn-backs either in practice or in real-life scenarios.

Taking the runway

So most pilots take the runway and do a decent job checking final. The problem is that there are two finals – what about the other direction? Now at our friendly local towered airports this isn’t really a problem, but get yourself out to some uncontrolled fields like Byron and you’ve got relative chaos on the summer weekends with the jump planes heading down the runway in one direction and everyone else heading the opposite direction. How about a “clear right, clear left” as you pull onto the active runway?

So now you’re on the runway and you start to apply the throttle. But wait a second, are you sure you’re on the right runway? A famous accident down south a few years ago cost 50+ people their lives because the crew simply got on the wrong runway for take-off. Get in the habit on every single takeoff of verifying the heading indicator and compass match the desired runway heading. And finally, as the power comes in, verify that both the power is where you said it should be (take-off briefing) and that the airspeed indicator comes alive, and that all of the engine instruments are in the green.

None of this stuff is rocket science. 99.9% of the time, running these checks and briefings will appear to be a waste of time. But in aviation, we’re not preparing for the 99.9% of the time scenarios, we preparing for the 0.1% events that will eventually occur and you need to be ready, both for your sake and the sake of your passengers, who, by the way, now know how to get out of the plane safely because you actually did brief them on the ground.

Safe Flying.

AS THE WRENCH TURNS
by your friendly maintenance department, maintenance@wvfc.org

With as much rain as we have had, we can at times get some water in the fuel. This is why aircraft have fuel sumps in the first place is to check for such contaminates as water.

As a regular part of the 100 hour check, WVFC inspects the fuel cap and gasket to check for quality of seal and overall tightness. However, due to the amount of usage and the extra rainy weather, some water can find its way into the fuel system. As everyone knows, water is not flammable, at least not at these temps, so if any water makes its way into the engine it will cause the engine to either temporarily lose power or at worst, cause it to stall altogether. So water is not a good thing. Finding trace amounts of water in the fuel should cause a level of concern, however there is an appropriate way to drain it out and this can be done safely so that you can still go out and fly.

First and foremost, if you do not feel comfortable draining the water out, then don't. If it is Mon-Fri get a mechanic to help you, if one is not available then do not fly.

The good news is water is heavier than  Avgas, and drains are all at the lowest part of the tank. So we can remedy this situation if we are careful to assure ourselves we drain all of the H20 out.

First how to spot water. Water is clear, while the gas is blue. Ironic isn't it. So water will show up as a clear fluid bubble on the bottom of the GATS jar. Please do not dump any of the water back into the tank. You need to dispose of that sample. At KPAO they have fuel dump stations, at KSQL and KHWD you just dump it on the ground.

You need to re-sump the plane until you get all the water out. It usually does not come out on the first try. The other important step is to shake the wings up and down and move the aircraft a little in between sumping. This does not need to be violent, just enough to shake any excess water free. Moving the wings up and down will free the water and bring it back to the sump. Also remember to drain all the sumps especially the gascolator sump. This is usually the lowest sump on the plane and where water will collect if it makes it past the tanks. In some aircraft (Cessna) this is located on the belly, in the middle of the aircraft, and you would not even know it is a sump without looking twice. For aircraft that have multiple tank selections it is good to move the fuel selector around to be sure you get any trapped water out.

If you have taken several clean samples, and there is no more water, you are good to go.

Also, please never spin an aircraft into a tie-down. It really blasts whatever is behind it. The aircraft/people behnd you will get peltes with debris.

Remember we are all in this together, feel free to send us your questions.

Your friendly MX department.

THE OWNERS CORNER
by John Felleman

This month's column addresses decisions about which aircraft you choose to fly.  I will try to provide some thoughts about what to look for in a rental aircraft.

Are you just starting out on your private pilot training, or perhaps getting ready to add a rating to your license?  Take some time to figure out which plane or planes you want to use.  Finding an aircraft or set of planes that is going to be available when you want and equipped the way you want will make your training go more smoothly.   If you are working on an instrument rating, you will want to avoid flying aircraft with different avionics configurations.  As a primary trainer, you still don't want to be switching between glass panel and steam gauges.  You might have your own preference for type, or your CFI may have some advice as well.  If you aren't sure, investigate a few options.  Check the aircraft listing pages to see what choices you have in a particular type at the airports you plan to use.  Perhaps you can stop by the airport and get a closer look at the planes you are considering.  If there are only one or two planes in the configuration you choose, it is worth contacting the owners to see if they have any plans for maintenance, upgrades or long trips that would impact you.  Once you make a decision, contact the owner and tell them you are starting training in their aircraft.  Since owners are pilots, they are usually happy to talk with other pilots about almost anything.  They may be interested in discussing block rates or sharing some "insider info" about how to operate the plane for best results.

Are you an established pilot just looking for a plane to fly for your regular use?  You will still benefit from a thoughtful selection process.  Unless you fly a lot, it takes time to learn and adapt to the different configurations of different types as well as different models within a type.  Switching between carbureted and injected models, different GPS brands, or other features means you won't necessarily have the edge you want as PIC.  Another more pragmatic benefit of focusing on one or a small number of aircraft is the opportunity to build a rapport with the owner.  Owner's appreciate repeat flyers.  We know that the more you fly our plane, the more likely you are to treat it as your own.  We also know that the competency you gain will make you a better renter, who knows how to minimize wear and tear and unnecessary damage to the plane.  As a result, we are more likely to accommodate your special requests.  Perhaps you want to fly the plane on a multi-day trip, but don't expect to meet the daily minimums.  We might be willing to waive those minimums since we know that you are keeping the plane flying throughout the year.  We might also be able to add to your flying experience.  My own plane is equipped with a harness for a Garmin 396.  Adding this unit provides the pilot with a second large-screen weather-reporting GPS that downloads flight plans from the Garmin 530, gets powers from the plane's electrical, and plays XM radio over the intercom.  It also provides a great backup in the even of an electrical failure.  For regular renters, I have loaned out the connector cable and even my own GPS on occasion.  Other owners will be able to offer similar benefits to regular flyers.

I want to close with a suggestion.  Once you standardize on an aircraft type or types, consider joining a type-specific club or organization.  These groups are an amazing resource for flight and engine management techniques, as well as a broad range of useful and interesting information.  For less than $100/year, it is one of the best bargains you will find in aviation.  I wish everyone blue skies and safe flying.

Among the Laws of Flight that I like to quote, one of my favorites is, “Whatever you’re not looking at turns to crud.” As any manager will tell you, the same concept applies to business, as well. But to stick to flying, there are a couple of typical ways in which people get into trouble.

The first, and easiest, way not to watch something important is to stop paying attention to flying. This can be done by looking outside the plane. Not that this is a bad idea, since there are lots of things worth seeing outside, like traffic, terrain, your pitch and bank, where the airport is, and so on. But what you can’t see is altitude, and the engine/electrical instruments. So the pilots that fly 500 feet above Red, White, and Blue Beach may be more focused on the sunbathers than on flying the plane. Meanwhile the airplane could be doing almost anything, especially with respect to the other airplanes in the area, which the pilot clearly hasn’t seen.

Even when you’re paying attention to flying-related things, you can get into trouble. I know (from personal experience) that you can end up in some pretty interesting situations just by watching a localizer needle and not getting back often enough to the Attitude Indicator. Actually it’s a classic method of setting up to need an unusual attitude recovery.

Other techniques for getting to trouble include spending thirty seconds or more reading a chart rather than flying the plane. The variation on this theme that is loved best by the folks at most simulator training places is to get both pilots reading and following an emergency checklist. The sim operator then makes the plane enter a steep spiral or 120 degree bank and waits for one of the pilots to notice. The immediate commentary from the pilots is invariable only two words, with the first one being “Oh,” and the second one being a mere four letters long.

Another favorite is the one in which the pilot is so focused on doing the pre-takeoff checklist during taxi that he taxis right past the hold short line. Or the priceless one in which a crew of mechanics were working doing engine checks on a 747 and no one was watching outside to notice that the brake hadn’t been set and the plane was moving across the ramp. The airplane taxied on its own through a blast fence and was totaled.

It’s even possible to focus so well on something good like traffic, that other things go wrong. For example, you’ve just seen another airplane, and watch it so intently that additional traffic goes completely unnoticed, as well as your altitude and heading.

The final point I’d like to make is that there is also mental tunnel vision, in which the pilot focuses so completely on what he’s doing that there is no effort spent on what happening next. A great example of this is the pilot who is so intent on landing that he forgets even to consider a go-around, or the instrument pilot who has no idea what the missed approach procedure is because the focus was on the approach, and no one briefed the miss. As you can guess, the likelihood of flying the missed approach correctly is nearly zero.

So, stay ahead of the airplane, and build a mental picture of what is going on by including data from inside and outside the plane, in short, situational awareness.