AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021 - 106

FLY WITH AOPA
ASI TIPS /
Eyes outside
Go beyond see and avoid
BY ALICIA HERRON
MIDA IR COLL ISIONS: potentially disastrous events with a probability
that's low but never zero. Most midairs occur in day
visual meteorological conditions on warm weekends within five
miles of an airport, aka the most popular time of year to fly and
with the best visibility.
The rules for maintaining separation from other aircraft
during VFR operations are spelled out in FAR 91.113(b):
" When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an
operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual
flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating
an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft. " But
just looking out the window to see and avoid might not be
enough; relying solely on in-flight traffic displays might not
be enough, either.
Here are some steps you can take beyond see-and-avoid
and flight displays to help minimize the possibility of a
collision.
* Proper altitude. Adhere to the VFR and IFR cruising
altitudes that correspond with your magnetic course.
East is odd; west is even. Observe traffic pattern procedures.
Announce your position at nontowered airports
and remember that not everyone makes calls or even has a
radio onboard.
* Anticipate where you may find high-traffic/high-workload
areas. Find out which special-use airspace along
your route is active. Avoid these areas or maintain extra
vigilance during those phases of the flight. Be mindful of
the local sightseeing landmarks and practice areas, and
where to find the frequencies used there.
* Lights. Even during the day, external lights make the
aircraft more visible. Recognition lights increase the aircraft's
visibility to others by a factor of 10. Turn on the
landing light during final approach and departure and in
busier areas.
* VFR flight following. While only offered on a workload-permitting
basis, ATC may provide another set of
watchful eyes especially in busy radar environments.
* Know your route, frequencies needed, and key takeoff
and landing data for your departure and destination.
Fold charts, prepare your electronic flight bag, preset
navigational aids, and program avionics on the ground to
minimize head-down time in the air.
* Educate passengers during the preflight briefing-
explain basic scanning procedures and have them assist in
spotting traffic.
106
AOPA PILOT / September 2021
* Observe a sterile cockpit and limit idle conversation during
the first and last 10 minutes of each flight in order to
concentrate on aircraft operations and scanning for traffic.
* Improve your traffic scan by cleaning bugs or other contaminants
off the windshield that can block an aircraft
from view and make it more difficult to focus properly. At
a safe altitude, use cruise-climb airspeeds to get a better
view over the nose. alicia.herron@aopa.org
airsafetyinstitute.org/spotlight/collisionavoidance
NEW FROM ASI /
'The Runway Behind You' /
Is the " impossible turn " in a single-engine airplane possible?
Ask a group of pilots and you'll stoke a passionate debate
about what is also known as the " 180-degree turnback "
to the departure runway after engine failure on takeoff.
The AOPA Air Safety Institute decided to test the disputed
turnback theories, using a Piper PA-18 Super Cub, a
Van's RV-4, a Cessna 172N, and a Beechcraft Bonanza
A36. Our study was conducted by highly experienced and
proficient pilots flying predetermined profiles in nearperfect
conditions. But the different results of turning back
to the runway were surprising. airsafetyinstitute.org/
realitycheck/runway_behind_you
http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/spotlight/collisionavoidance http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/realitycheck/runway_behind_you http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/realitycheck/runway_behind_you
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021
