Flight Training - December 2012 - 41
leaves the ground, there can be thousands of people milling about on the edge of the taxiway, enjoying the show. But as with all things aviation, safety is the overriding factor in the balloon launch. That means a no-go is a distinct possibility, even though making that decision will disappoint all those spectators, not to mention the pilots, passengers, event organizers, sponsors, media, and ground crew members. The early signs of trouble came when the first balloons to rise to their full height began to dance around a little more assertively than the organizers might like. The announcer, who had been keeping the gathering crowds informed and entertained, mentioned the winds, but nobody was alarmed. After all, the skies were relatively clear, and the winds weren’t exactly howling. They were just a little brisk. Then they got brisker. The forecast was for the winds to continue to build, and that is a problem for balloonists. Balloons don’t land into the wind like airplanes do. They land with the wind, and at the speed the wind is moving. A light breeze at the surface provides the conditions for a gentle touchdown, followed by champagne and smiles. A wind of more than five miles per hour on the other hand sets the stage for a bouncing arrival that can cause the basket to be dragged, potentially causing damage to property and injury to people. The surface winds were at six miles per hour when the announcer broke the news to the assembled crowd: there would be no balloon flight this year. The winds were too high, and they were forecast to increase as the day wore on. Hearts may have been temporarily broken, and dreams may have been delayed, but no groans rose up from the crowd. More important, no physical harm came to anyone as the balloons were deflated on site and the crews folded their envelopes and tucked their baskets away for another day. A good decision had been made. It may not have been the most popular option available to the organizers and pilots, but
it was the right decision. Thankfully, the people responsible for the flights were thinking like PICs, and not like entertainers. The surface winds rose to 12 miles per hour later in the morning. They were even higher at altitude. Safety would have been compromised if a balloon had launched, so the decision to err on the side of safety, rather than on the side of appealing to the audience was a smart one. Safety over showmanship— that is the key to long-term success in the airshow business. Every pilot will face a decision like this one at some point in his or her flying career. Whether they are hobbyists or professional pilots, they will feel pressure at some point to make a flight when the conditions aren’t right. Maybe there is fog on the field you planned to take off from, or a fast-moving cold front is in between your departure point and your destination. Some of us will face reports of icing while piloting an airplane that lacks deice or anti-ice equipment. Or perhaps we will confront something as simple as frost on the airframe when we arrive for an early-morning flight. We can only hope that we will be true to our training and make a sensible and safe go/ no-go decision. There is always another day, or another time to go flying—unless we compromise safety for expediency. Those who fall prey to that mistake sometimes lose their opportunity to fly ever again.
Jamie Beckett is a freelance writer and active private pilot living in Winter Haven, Florida.
RESOURCES
Developing sound judgment to make a good go/no-go decision takes time and experience. Ground study can help refine the skill. Check out these resources: "General Aviation Pilot's Guide to Preflight Weather Planning, Self-Briefings, and Weather Decision Making" Brought to you by the FAA, this lengthy book with its lengthy title focuses on the perceive, process, perform method. (www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/media/ga_ weather_decision_making.pdf) Air Safety Institute's Flight Risk Evaluator Intended to make the decision easy with a simple score sheet that clearly sets out the risk factors. (http://flash.aopa.org/asf/ flightrisk) ASI's Do the Right Thing: Decision Making for Pilots An interactive course all about making the hard choice. (http://flash.aopa.org/asf/ decisionmaking/dtrt.cfm?) I'M SAFE Checklist Ohio State University's aviation department's discussion and instructions. (http:// aviation.ou.edu/SafetyCorner/documents/ SafetyCornerProofedFEB12.pdf) Air Facts Go/No-Go Scenarios The online publication has published a number of go/no-go scenarios that can be studied and commented upon. (http://airfactsjournal.com/go-or-no-go) AOPA Pilot magazine What about continuing to ponder the decision after you've taken off? AOPA Pilot examined that question. (www.aopa.org/ members/files/pilot/2001/wx0110.html)
DECEMBER 2012 FLIGHT TRAINING
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http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/media/ga_weather_decision_making.pdf
http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/media/ga_weather_decision_making.pdf
http://flash.aopa.org/asf/flightrisk
http://flash.aopa.org/asf/flightrisk
http://flash.aopa.org/asf/decisionmaking/dtrt.cfm?
http://flash.aopa.org/asf/decisionmaking/dtrt.cfm?
http://aviation.ou.edu/SafetyCorner/documents/SafetyCornerProofedFEB12.pdf
http://aviation.ou.edu/SafetyCorner/documents/SafetyCornerProofedFEB12.pdf
http://aviation.ou.edu/SafetyCorner/documents/SafetyCornerProofedFEB12.pdf
http://airfactsjournal.com/go-or-no-go
http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2001/wx0110.html
http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2001/wx0110.html
Flight Training - December 2012
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - December 2012
Flight Training - December 2012
Contents
President’s Perspective
Right Seat
Letters
Working for a Living
How It Works
News
Success Story
AOPA Action ASI News
Member Products AOPA Action
After the Checkride
Since You Asked
Training Products
Final Exam
Accident Report
Flight Lesson
Flying Carpet
Remote Control
College Directory
Under Pressure
Listening In
Technique
Weather
Checkrides and Failures
Career Advisor
Tech Talk
Nurture That Dream
One Simple Objective
Wrong Way Around
Advertiser Index
Debrief
Flight Training - December 2012 - Flight Training - December 2012
Flight Training - December 2012 - Cover2
Flight Training - December 2012 - 1
Flight Training - December 2012 - Contents
Flight Training - December 2012 - 3
Flight Training - December 2012 - President’s Perspective
Flight Training - December 2012 - 5
Flight Training - December 2012 - Right Seat
Flight Training - December 2012 - 7
Flight Training - December 2012 - Letters
Flight Training - December 2012 - 9
Flight Training - December 2012 - Working for a Living
Flight Training - December 2012 - 11
Flight Training - December 2012 - How It Works
Flight Training - December 2012 - News
Flight Training - December 2012 - Success Story
Flight Training - December 2012 - AOPA Action ASI News
Flight Training - December 2012 - Member Products AOPA Action
Flight Training - December 2012 - After the Checkride
Flight Training - December 2012 - Since You Asked
Flight Training - December 2012 - 19
Flight Training - December 2012 - Training Products
Flight Training - December 2012 - Final Exam
Flight Training - December 2012 - Accident Report
Flight Training - December 2012 - Flight Lesson
Flight Training - December 2012 - Flying Carpet
Flight Training - December 2012 - 25
Flight Training - December 2012 - Remote Control
Flight Training - December 2012 - 27
Flight Training - December 2012 - 28
Flight Training - December 2012 - 29
Flight Training - December 2012 - 30
Flight Training - December 2012 - 31
Flight Training - December 2012 - College Directory
Flight Training - December 2012 - 33
Flight Training - December 2012 - 34
Flight Training - December 2012 - 35
Flight Training - December 2012 - 36
Flight Training - December 2012 - 37
Flight Training - December 2012 - Under Pressure
Flight Training - December 2012 - 39
Flight Training - December 2012 - 40
Flight Training - December 2012 - 41
Flight Training - December 2012 - Listening In
Flight Training - December 2012 - 43
Flight Training - December 2012 - 44
Flight Training - December 2012 - 45
Flight Training - December 2012 - Technique
Flight Training - December 2012 - 47
Flight Training - December 2012 - Weather
Flight Training - December 2012 - 49
Flight Training - December 2012 - 50
Flight Training - December 2012 - Checkrides and Failures
Flight Training - December 2012 - Career Advisor
Flight Training - December 2012 - 53
Flight Training - December 2012 - Tech Talk
Flight Training - December 2012 - Nurture That Dream
Flight Training - December 2012 - One Simple Objective
Flight Training - December 2012 - Wrong Way Around
Flight Training - December 2012 - 58
Flight Training - December 2012 - Advertiser Index
Flight Training - December 2012 - 60
Flight Training - December 2012 - 61
Flight Training - December 2012 - 62
Flight Training - December 2012 - 63
Flight Training - December 2012 - 64
Flight Training - December 2012 - 65
Flight Training - December 2012 - 66
Flight Training - December 2012 - 67
Flight Training - December 2012 - 68
Flight Training - December 2012 - 69
Flight Training - December 2012 - 70
Flight Training - December 2012 - 71
Flight Training - December 2012 - Debrief
Flight Training - December 2012 - Cover3
Flight Training - December 2012 - Cover4
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