Flight Training - September/October 2020 - 6

ALWAYS LEARNING BY KOLLIN STAGNITO

TRAINING RESOURCES
IM SAFE explained
aopa.org/ft/IMSAFE
AOPA Pilot contributor Barry Schiff discovers
IM SAFE really works.
aopa.org/proficient/IMSAFE

Vice President of Publications/
Editor KOLLIN STAGNITO
learns as much about airmanship from
watching other pilots as he does flying his
own airplane. kollin.stagnito@aopa.org

KNOCK DOWN

Taxiing to the fuel pump after landing, my CFI friend said, "First
solo," pointing to the Piper Archer waiting to take off. "How do
you know that?" I asked. "People standing next to the runway,"
he answered.
Great observation. A group of six family members, friends, and a CFI with a handheld transceiver were walking down the taxiway toward the midpoint of the runway
with great anticipation, holding congratulatory signs.
Most every pilot cherishes the memory of this magical moment in their flying
career, so we also watched. The student pilot's radio call was confident, the takeoff
and lap around the pattern a tidy rectangle, and the landing about one third of the
way down the runway silky smooth.
As the pilot taxied back to the departure end of the runway, his fan club spotted a photo op. They lined up with their backs to the taxiway and held up their
signs. The CFI positioned himself to take a photo of the group as the airplane
taxied by in the background. Then, the unexpected happened.
The pilot, no doubt distracted by his fan club, struck the man standing closest to
the taxiway with the wing-knocking him down flat in the grass. The pilot must have
felt the airplane shudder and came to an immediate stop, engine idling. My friend and
I immediately understood what an awful decision it was for the CFI to walk the group
down an active taxiway and pose for a photo during a phase of flight training that
requires maximum concentration.
The CFI and pilot spoke to each other on the radio. After a few nervous minutes,
the man thankfully sat up. And...the airplane began to taxi to the end of the runway.
6 FLIGHT TRAINING SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

"What, he's not going to continue, is he?"
my friend asked. The student pilot didn't
shut down the engine to make sure the
man was OK-and neither the CFI nor
pilot took a close look at the wing to make
sure there was no damage.
Surprisingly, the student pilot sounded
unfazed on the radio, flew another nice
pattern around the airport, and made
an even better landing than the first. He
then haltingly asked the instructor if he
should taxi to the hangar, to which the CFI
answered "Yes." A pilot flying a Cessna 172
in the pattern said, "Nice job!" over the
radio. But I'm sure this day will be remembered as a complicated mix of highs and
lows for everyone involved.
Evidently the CFI did an excellent job
training this pilot in the skills of flying an
airplane. Not evident on this day was a
display of good judgment by either CFI or
pilot. Although inviting family and friends
to the airport on the day of a first solo is
common, it's best they remain far enough
away from the action to limit unwanted
distraction for the often-nervous student
pilot. And little could be more distracting
than people walking on active taxiways,
even if chaperoned by a CFI.
And if you hit anything with your
airplane, do not take off without giving
your airplane a thorough inspection for
damage. Having a CFI or friend look the
airplane over for you is not good enough.
You are pilot in command and responsible
for the airworthiness of the airplane, the
safety of people in the airplane, and the
safety of people on the ground.
Finally, you are responsible for determining your mental state, that you are safe
to pilot the aircraft. Any aircraft incident is
bound to be traumatic for all parties. Park
the airplane, get out, and assess the situation. Use the IM SAFE checklist. Most
likely, it's time to call it a day.
But don't quit flying. We all make
mistakes, and we all get better at our craft
by learning how to avoid those mistakes
in the future. FT

http://www.aopa.org/ft/IMSAFE http://www.aopa.org/proficient/IMSAFE

Flight Training - September/October 2020

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