Sloppy Piloting

If there had been any significant sink I would have been in deep
Kimchee. Had I been using my checklist this wouldn't have happened.
I was a sloppy pilot and a classic example of a few dumb errors that
combined could have put me in real harms way. It's very easy to kill
yourself if you aren't on top of your game. Sloppy is a great way to
describe it.

Switching planes is a great way to make sloppiness apparent.

I had recently transitioned to a Cessna 172, and I was on final approach for
Rwy 9 at Sylvania Field (C89) in Wisconsin. This airport had a 2300 foot
by 30 foot wide runway, with Interstate 94 just a few dozen feet off the
departure end of the runway.

Precision was rewarded.

I was approaching somewhat high and fast when another plane -- apparently
NORDO -- pulled onto the runway. I immediately firewalled the throttle --
and slapped the flap selector to the "up" position. Big mistake.

I was used to Cherokee flaps -- one click of the Johnson Bar up or down --
and was surprised to find my now-becoming-flapless plane sinking toward the
runway -- and I-94. I quickly put in a click of flaps, which arrested the
descent, just in time to clear the trucks on the freeway.

It was a great lesson to learn, if you lived through it.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Jan 7, 6:27*pm, gliderguynj wrote:
I'll admit to sloppy flying this weekend, and I hope I learned my
lesson. *I recently joined a club that flies a C150. *I transitioned
into it from a Cherokee. *One of the biggest differences I noticed
other than where the wings are is the climb out. *It's not exactly
robust. *I've also been grilled to be very careful to make sure I use
the Carb Heat in my landing pattern. *Well, I was doing pattern work
and wasn't using a checklist between landing and take offs. *On the
last T/O I neglected to put the carb heat off, which was a carry over
from neglecting to fully clean up my ship after exiting the runway.

After lift off, which took a bit more runway than usual, the plane
just felt anemic. *I realized something was wrong and looked at my
RPM's which were 200 less than what I needed. *I checked the throttle,
that was correct, mixture ok flaps ok then I saw my carb heat was on.
DOH!!!!!!

If there had been any significant sink I would have been in deep
Kimchee. *Had I been using my checklist this wouldn't have happened.
I was a sloppy pilot and a classic example of a few dumb errors that
combined could have put me in real harms way. *It's very easy to kill
yourself if you aren't on top of your game. *Sloppy is a great way to
describe it.

Doug

You say Kimchee like it was a bad thing. Yummmm Kimchee. smile

Wil

Jay Honeck wrote:
This group's own Rick Durden published an article in AOPA Pilot this
month entitled "Are you a good pilot?" In it, Rick raised many
interesting points about things that can affect good piloting.

...

I'm interested in hearing what you do to combat the human tendency
toward sloppiness? Any tricks that you might use, or methods you
might employ?

Don't know if this was mentioned yet, but AOPA Flight Training current
issue (Feb 08) has a good article titled "Are you on your game?" It
lists 10 things that we get sloppy on. To recap

1. Sterile Cockpit: gone
2. Fly Headings: Whatever
3. Level Flight: More or less
4. See and Avoid: Avoid Seeing
5: Nice Field down the finding an emergency LZ
6. Stealth Traffic Pattern
7. Flat Landings
8. Go Around
9. Slow flight: Or an inability to perform slow
10: Stalls

On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:24:29 -0500, Kevin Clarke
wrote:

Jay Honeck wrote:
This group's own Rick Durden published an article in AOPA Pilot this
month entitled "Are you a good pilot?" In it, Rick raised many
interesting points about things that can affect good piloting.

...

I'm interested in hearing what you do to combat the human tendency
toward sloppiness? Any tricks that you might use, or methods you
might employ?

Don't know if this was mentioned yet, but AOPA Flight Training current
issue (Feb 08) has a good article titled "Are you on your game?" It
lists 10 things that we get sloppy on. To recap

1. Sterile Cockpit: gone
2. Fly Headings: Whatever
3. Level Flight: More or less
4. See and Avoid: Avoid Seeing
5: Nice Field down the finding an emergency LZ
6. Stealth Traffic Pattern
7. Flat Landings
8. Go Around
9. Slow flight: Or an inability to perform slow
10: Stalls

wow such a detailed list.
you could do all that in the late evening at 65 knots and never even
raise a sweat. such a champion!

how about a sloppy pilot is the guy who cant fly his aircraft in a 20
knot crosswind.

fly a decent aircraft like a tailwind and you'll never get sloppy.
Stealth Pilot.

Stealth Pilot wrote in
:

On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:24:29 -0500, Kevin Clarke
wrote:

Jay Honeck wrote:
This group's own Rick Durden published an article in AOPA Pilot this
month entitled "Are you a good pilot?" In it, Rick raised many
interesting points about things that can affect good piloting.

...

I'm interested in hearing what you do to combat the human tendency
toward sloppiness? Any tricks that you might use, or methods you
might employ?

Don't know if this was mentioned yet, but AOPA Flight Training current
issue (Feb 08) has a good article titled "Are you on your game?" It
lists 10 things that we get sloppy on. To recap

1. Sterile Cockpit: gone
2. Fly Headings: Whatever
3. Level Flight: More or less
4. See and Avoid: Avoid Seeing
5: Nice Field down the finding an emergency LZ
6. Stealth Traffic Pattern
7. Flat Landings
8. Go Around
9. Slow flight: Or an inability to perform slow
10: Stalls

wow such a detailed list.
you could do all that in the late evening at 65 knots and never even
raise a sweat. such a champion!

how about a sloppy pilot is the guy who cant fly his aircraft in a 20
knot crosswind.

fly a decent aircraft like a tailwind and you'll never get sloppy.

I wouldn't imagine so!

Tell me a bit about the tailwind.. I've always had a bit of a yen for
one...



Bertie

On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:02:52 +0000 (UTC), Bertie the Bunyip
wrote:



1. Sterile Cockpit: gone
2. Fly Headings: Whatever
3. Level Flight: More or less
4. See and Avoid: Avoid Seeing
5: Nice Field down the finding an emergency LZ
6. Stealth Traffic Pattern
7. Flat Landings
8. Go Around
9. Slow flight: Or an inability to perform slow
10: Stalls

wow such a detailed list.
you could do all that in the late evening at 65 knots and never even
raise a sweat. such a champion!

how about a sloppy pilot is the guy who cant fly his aircraft in a 20
knot crosswind.

fly a decent aircraft like a tailwind and you'll never get sloppy.

I wouldn't imagine so!

Tell me a bit about the tailwind.. I've always had a bit of a yen for
one...



Bertie

deliberately uncomfortable to sit in for long periods ...so that you
dont go to sleep.

pretty well neutrally stable.

very sensitive controls that require you to fly with the arm resting
on the leg to steady the hand.

totally honest aerodynamics. all controls are well harmonised and
equally sensitive.

mine now cruises at 120 knots at 2500rpm and a little over 20 litres
per hour fuel burn.

takeoff safety speed 57 knots
best angle of climb 60 knots
best rate of climb 70 knots
turbulence penetration 100knots
vne 160 knots
max flap 85 knots
stall no flap 52 knots
stall 30 degrees of flap 47 knots
approach speed 70 knots

3 points with 20 degrees of flap.

fuselage has a noticeable buffet 5 knots before stall.

if you take a cessna 150 as a difficulty benchmark.
an Auster J1B is a quantum leap harder to fly.
a Tailwind is a quantum leap harder again to fly.
took me 100 hours to be really comfortable flying it. it is now just
an extension of my hand. I can and have and do fy in 20 knot
crosswinds.

mine is a W8 with the improved wing, 120 litre tank and slightly
stretched seat position.

if you fly at 80 knots and hold the stick rock steady, then haul on
full flaps, you will seem to be pointing vertically downward.

on a summer's day I can leave Perth in western australia at crack of
dawn and be in Ceduna in south australia by nightfall.
I've owned mine 9 years and 360 hours flying. the aircraft was first
flown in 1985 and the previous owner did 320 hours in it.

btw all that and more is etched in my head. I dont use checklists.
I use left to right and right to left scans.

I have no intentions of ever selling my aircraft.
I might be a quiet unassuming guy but I have stainless steel balls.
I'm a tailwind pilot :-)
Stealth Pilot

Stealth Pilot wrote in
:

deliberately uncomfortable to sit in for long periods ...so that you
dont go to sleep.

He he. Been there done that!


pretty well neutrally stable.

very sensitive controls that require you to fly with the arm resting
on the leg to steady the hand.

totally honest aerodynamics. all controls are well harmonised and
equally sensitive.

mine now cruises at 120 knots at 2500rpm and a little over 20 litres
per hour fuel burn.


O 200?

takeoff safety speed 57 knots
best angle of climb 60 knots
best rate of climb 70 knots
turbulence penetration 100knots
vne 160 knots
max flap 85 knots
stall no flap 52 knots
stall 30 degrees of flap 47 knots
approach speed 70 knots

3 points with 20 degrees of flap.

VNE is 160? How are the guys that are claiming over 200mph top speed
managing it? I know they are running O320s and probably hopped up at
that, but are they doing this at altitude, or are theydoing airframe
mods to raise VNE or are they hallucinating?


fuselage has a noticeable buffet 5 knots before stall.

if you take a cessna 150 as a difficulty benchmark.
an Auster J1B is a quantum leap harder to fly.
a Tailwind is a quantum leap harder again to fly.
took me 100 hours to be really comfortable flying it. it is now just
an extension of my hand. I can and have and do fy in 20 knot
crosswinds.


Sounds like fun!

mine is a W8 with the improved wing, 120 litre tank and slightly
stretched seat position.


The tank all behind the panel?

if you fly at 80 knots and hold the stick rock steady, then haul on
full flaps, you will seem to be pointing vertically downward.

on a summer's day I can leave Perth in western australia at crack of
dawn and be in Ceduna in south australia by nightfall.
I've owned mine 9 years and 360 hours flying. the aircraft was first
flown in 1985 and the previous owner did 320 hours in it.

btw all that and more is etched in my head. I dont use checklists.
I use left to right and right to left scans.

Well, we do that in airliners for the most part. We have only an
abbrevisated checklist owadays, but OTOH we have a few warning systems
if we elave anything switched off.

I have no intentions of ever selling my aircraft.
I might be a quiet unassuming guy but I have stainless steel balls.
I'm a tailwind pilot :-)


Hehe I've seen some beauts!

How's the short field performance? Would you get out of a 4oo meter
grass strip 2up?
I've eyeballed the Buttercup as well, but I think I'd better finish the
hatz first!

Bertie

Stealth Pilot wrote:
On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:24:29 -0500, Kevin Clarke
wrote:

Jay Honeck wrote:
This group's own Rick Durden published an article in AOPA Pilot this
month entitled "Are you a good pilot?" In it, Rick raised many
interesting points about things that can affect good piloting.

...

I'm interested in hearing what you do to combat the human tendency
toward sloppiness? Any tricks that you might use, or methods you
might employ?
Don't know if this was mentioned yet, but AOPA Flight Training current
issue (Feb 08) has a good article titled "Are you on your game?" It
lists 10 things that we get sloppy on. To recap

1. Sterile Cockpit: gone
2. Fly Headings: Whatever
3. Level Flight: More or less
4. See and Avoid: Avoid Seeing
5: Nice Field down the finding an emergency LZ
6. Stealth Traffic Pattern
7. Flat Landings
8. Go Around
9. Slow flight: Or an inability to perform slow
10: Stalls

wow such a detailed list.
you could do all that in the late evening at 65 knots and never even
raise a sweat. such a champion!

how about a sloppy pilot is the guy who cant fly his aircraft in a 20
knot crosswind.

fly a decent aircraft like a tailwind and you'll never get sloppy.
Stealth Pilot.

Don't know about the list but the premise is sound. Pilots do get sloppy
for lack of a better word and it's a serious safety issue.
I'm involved right now with an international cartel of professional
airshow demonstration pilots including the jet teams and we're studying
this exact issue. It will be discussed in detail at a symposium in
London later this month.
The answers are many and complex, and are slightly different as they
relate specifically to us in the display flying community. The AOPA is
just touching the tip of the iceberg with their approach, but it is a
serious issue and deserving of serious attention by the entire aviation
community.

--
Dudley Henriques

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
...
Stealth Pilot wrote:
On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:24:29 -0500, Kevin Clarke
wrote:

Jay Honeck wrote:
This group's own Rick Durden published an article in AOPA Pilot this
month entitled "Are you a good pilot?" In it, Rick raised many
interesting points about things that can affect good piloting.

...

I'm interested in hearing what you do to combat the human tendency
toward sloppiness? Any tricks that you might use, or methods you
might employ?
Don't know if this was mentioned yet, but AOPA Flight Training current
issue (Feb 08) has a good article titled "Are you on your game?" It
lists 10 things that we get sloppy on. To recap

1. Sterile Cockpit: gone
2. Fly Headings: Whatever
3. Level Flight: More or less
4. See and Avoid: Avoid Seeing
5: Nice Field down the finding an emergency LZ
6. Stealth Traffic Pattern
7. Flat Landings
8. Go Around
9. Slow flight: Or an inability to perform slow
10: Stalls

wow such a detailed list.
you could do all that in the late evening at 65 knots and never even
raise a sweat. such a champion!

how about a sloppy pilot is the guy who cant fly his aircraft in a 20
knot crosswind.

fly a decent aircraft like a tailwind and you'll never get sloppy.
Stealth Pilot.

Don't know about the list but the premise is sound. Pilots do get sloppy
for lack of a better word and it's a serious safety issue.
I'm involved right now with an international cartel of professional
airshow demonstration pilots including the jet teams and we're studying
this exact issue. It will be discussed in detail at a symposium in London
later this month.
The answers are many and complex, and are slightly different as they
relate specifically to us in the display flying community. The AOPA is
just touching the tip of the iceberg with their approach, but it is a
serious issue and deserving of serious attention by the entire aviation
community.


They are all sloppy and all fjukkwits should be grounded

Bertie