It’s a shock to you and your buddy when just passing through a cloud for 30 seconds turns an IFR practice flight into a serious icing emergency. Now what will you do to salvage the situation and get an airplane safely on the ground when you can’t see out the windscreen and can barely hold […]
When the frequency gets busy and ATC can’t talk fast enough, it can seem like you’ve been forgotten—and perhaps you have been. How far will you let this situation deteriorate before you take preemptive action, even though it may be in direct violation of an ATC clearance? The clock is ticking.
Getting your whole family and a week’s worth of gear to the Gulf means flying a loaded Beech Baron near the limit of its fuel range. That’s not a problem … until your landing gear decides to take its own holiday right as you approach the final approach fix. Will this be an annoyance or […]
After a wedding weekend in Canada, you’re hopping south across the border to get home to Seattle, Washington. The only catch is that potentially sub-freezing clouds stand between you and your appointment with U.S. Customs and Immigration. Which branch of the government will you risk making angry?
Modern avionics improve safety with both advanced guidance and built-in warnings. What do you do when the guidance says you’re spot-on and safe but the warning says you’d better change plans and fast? This approach to Sidney, NY has you stumped and you have only seconds to figure it out.
We all tell ourselves that if we had an engine failure in IMC, we’d simply head for the nearest airport. However, what seems nearest isn’t always the best choice – or even the airport we’re most likely to make. What would you do with an engine failure in flight levels where strong winds are a […]
It’s a rare day when dozens of VFR aircraft complicate an instrument approach to minimums, but that’s exactly what’s happening as you try to visit the Greenville International Seaplane Fly-In. Is there a way to end this flight safely, or is it simply time to call it quits? The decision is up to you.
We commonly think of ATC as our partner in the cockpit, especially when we fly alone. Yet ATC is as fallible as any other human resource. What will you do when you when the situation leaves you only moments to decide if following the clearance as issued will lead to salvation or catastrophe?
Not everyone can afford a glass panel in their aircraft, but the iPad revolution means anyone can have a moving map and backup attitude indicator for less money than a new TV. Having that backup is one thing, but using it in place of an instrument during an emergency is something else.
You and three pilot friends have been planning this trip to Oshkosh since last year. The first leg to Buffalo went flawlessly, but now you must negotiate your way through a line of dangerously strong thunderstorms and you can’t get the routing you think is safe. What’s your plan?
It’s been a long week away on business followed by a long flight home. Now less than 100 miles shy of your weekend, with icing above and low IMC below, you’ve lost your primary guidance instrument. Or did you? See if you can finish this flight at least close to your original plans.
iPads and other EFB devices have become increasingly popular in the cockpit with the incredible situational awareness and detailed information they provide. But when something goes wrong on an IFR flight you make frequently, does your iPad help you or hurt you?
0
