AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2016 - 104

NEWS & NOTES

AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE

AOPA FOUNDATION

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Sharing stories
Been there, done that-
hangar flying at its best
IF YOU'RE AROUND AVIATION long enough,
you'll eventually witness an invigorating
session of pilots sharing troubling flying
experiences, thus providing an opportunity
for others to avoid similar predicaments.
Building on this valuable aspect of hangar
flying, the AOPA Air Safety Institute created its Real Pilot Stories series about a
decade ago, featuring pilots who got into
an "I'm up here, wishing I were down
there" situation-and lived to tell about
it. Whether the problem came about from
their own doing or was out of their control,
these pilots agreed to share hard-earned
wisdom and newfound perspectives in the
hopes that others can learn from them.
The 22 Real Pilot Stories cover a broad
spectrum of mishaps, including a new
instrument pilot's icing encounter over the
Appalachian Mountains; a brief, but terrifying entanglement with a snake in the
cockpit; a pilot being trapped on top of the
clouds while low on fuel; a flight instructor
battling a fire in the cockpit; and a fourhour cross-country flight that turned
into a search-and-rescue mission in the
unforgiving Idaho backcountry-to name
just a few.

The pilots discuss the problems and
solutions in their own words, with the goal
of helping you avoid a similar situation. A
mix of actual or flight simulator footage and
ATC audio (when available) form a realistic re-creation of the event. For example,
the story of Doug White-a single-engine,
Cessna 172 pilot at the time of the incident
who had to take the controls of a multiengine Beech King Air when its pilot became
incapacitated-was re-created with flight
simulator footage and ATC audio recordings. The story recounts controllers talking
White through the process of stabilizing the
airplane and eventually landing safely, with
his wife and daughters seated in the cabin
behind him ("Real Pilot Story: Pinch Hitting
a King Air").
Reviewing these experiences is a great
way to sharpen your flying skills and help

DID YOU KNOW?
Each time you complete
one of the AOPA Air Safety
Institute's free online safety
courses, Real Pilot Stories, or
Accident Case Studies, you
are entered in ASI's Learn and
Earn Safety Challenge for a
chance to win a Garmin GDL
39 ADS-B receiver for the
iPad. Take more courses-get
more chances (www.airsafety
institute.org/learnandearn).

you anticipate gotchas that can creep into
everyday flying. ASI thanks the pilots who
have been willing to share their stories and
contribute to aviation safety. You can follow
their flights on ASI's website (www.aopa.
org/training-and-safety/online-learning/
real-pilot-stories).

AVOID TAKING YOUR AIRPLANE
ON A ROLLER-COASTER RIDE
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS UNLEASH their
fury above the Earth's surface, they present a multitude of weather conditions
that are dangerous to aircraft and their
pilots. So with storm season in full swing,
you will benefit from checking out the
Thunderstorm Avoidance Safety Spotlight,
which gathers storm-related courses, videos, recorded webinars, quizzes, and

104 | AOPA PILOT July 2016

publications in one place (www.airsafety
institute.org/spotlight/thunderstorms).
Guess how many thunderstorms form
daily around the world-the answer can
be found in the Thunderstorm Avoidance
quiz. Test your knowledge of storm avoidance techniques and learn why smart pilots
won't tangle with Mother Nature (www.
airsafetyinstitute.org/t-storm).

GOING TO EAA
AIRVENTURE?
ATTEND ONE OF
ASI'S SEMINARS
DURING THE EVENT

(www.airsafetyinstitute.org/
seminars).
July 27-"The 80/20 Rule"
July 28-"Setting Personal
Minimums"
July 29-"What Went Wrong"
July 30-"Mind Over Matter"

http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/learnandearn http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/learnandearn http://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/online-learning/real-pilot-stories http://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/online-learning/real-pilot-stories http://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/online-learning/real-pilot-stories http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/spotlight/thunderstorms http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/seminars http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/spotlight/thunderstorms http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/seminars http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/t-storm http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/t-storm

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2016