Flight Training - July 2011 - 50

INSTRUCTOR REPORT»

in a certain order. I wanted them to think about when we move that switch—what are we doing in relation to that system? Let’s look at a simple example involving one of today’s popular training aircraft, the Cessna 172SP. When teaching a student the electrical system, an instructor can give the student a scenario: During cruise flight, “Volts” illuminates on the annunciator panel. The instructor can begin to work through the problem with the student through a series of related system questions. What causes this to come on? The instructor and student then turn to the appropriate checklist, first item Avionics Master Switch…OFF.

DO THE RIGHT THING: DECISION MAKING FOR PILOTS
In flying, making the right choices isn't always easy. This Air Safety Institute course offers some simple but effective ways to improve your aeronautical decision making skills (http://flash.aopa.org/ asf/decisionmaking.dtrt.cfm).

While looking at the electrical schematics, what does this switch do? What are we turning off and what items are on the associated buses? As you work through the checklist, keep in mind differ-

ent scenarios, such as: what if it’s night or instrument conditions? How is safety affected in different flight conditions when we are required to turn off certain items? There are many possibilities to teach and learn through aircraft checklists and the use of aircraft schematics. Furthermore, different scenarios can be used to think about what risks go along with the abnormal conditions. Today a growing number of general aviation aircraft are equipped with glass cockpits and advanced avionics, and as a result, electrical systems are becoming more complex. Certification of these aircraft requires more redundancy of flight instruments,

Steep turns, slow flight, stalls—accident rate not what you'd expect.
» By David Jack Kenny

NOTHING TO SEE HERE

WHILE IT SEEMED natural to follow

last month’s discussion of landing accidents (see "Down to Earth," June 2011 Flight Training) with a quick analysis of accidents during airwork, this turned out to be harder than expected—not because

the results are so complex, but because there’s next to nothing to analyze. Believe it or not, a quick review of accidents during primary instruction found none during the past five years that arose from loss of control while practicing steep

Which is not to say that the instructor might as well go back to sleep while the student yanks and banks. There are pretty compelling reasons to keep your eyes open, particularly in a busy practice area. Midair collisions are very rare, but

THE MINIMUM ALTITUDES REQUIRED FOR MANEUVER PRACTICE REALLY DO SEEM TO PROVIDE REASONABLE MARGINS OF SAFETY, AND ARE GENERALLY RESPECTED.
turns, slow flight, or stalls—or ground reference maneuvers, for that matter—either solo or dual. (The one possible exception, a Texas crash in May 2010, is still under investigation.) EVEN IF THEY’RE not completely reassured, students who are nervous about doing stalls should take some comfort from this. The minimum altitudes required for maneuver practice really do seem to provide reasonable margins of safety, and are generally respected by students and instructors alike. do seem to catch aircraft practicing maneuvers a little more often than you’d expect, perhaps once or twice a year. (Still more occur during instrument training, perhaps because two sets of eyes really are better than one.) Of course, unintended stalls are another matter entirely, especially at low altitude. Most happen during takeoffs, landings, or go-arounds, when the instructor struggles to balance the natural desire to keep things under control with the educational imperative to let

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Flight Training - July 2011

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