It's been a lot of years, but learning seems to be what makes life so interesting and worth while.  It's amazing just how much we know, but it's even more amazing how much we don't know.

During all of these experiences, I have learnd how to avoid depression by realizing what is really important in life.  Some believe money or power are the most important things, but they would be wrong because I've had both and neither has made me happy.  Articles on this web site will help others understand how best to cope with the challenges of life based on my experiences and what has worked for me.

There are also discussions about science, mathematics and aviation that might be interesting to some, while others will find them a bore.  That is the beauty of life - so much to learn and in such a short time.

The Universe is a huge place and it's obvious that most of us have no idea just how big it is.  Keep it real here - the earth alone is over 25,000 miles round (in circumference).   In a normal car, non-stop, it would take you about 18 days to circle the entire planet.  Using a more realistic number of hours per day of driving, 10, it would take you 41 days to circle the entire globe.

That doesn't sound too bad.  But......

Think about the number of people on this planet and how many you will pass as you take your around-the-planet drive.  If you really think about this, you should really begin to realize the importance of just a single person like yourself.  There are about six and one half billion (6,500,000,000) people currently alive on this planet.  This is an absolutely huge number, and it means that if you lined everyone up in a straight line along your driving path around the planet, you will see 260,000 people for every mile or 43 people for every foot you travel!

Yet another way to think about this is if you actually had $6,500,000,000 dollars in your pocket.  How upset would you be if you lost just a single dollar!

More to come!

I get blown away every time I think about these numbers:

The total age of the planet earth is about five billion years old (using current nuclear aging techniques).  The human species has existed for about 4 million years.  That means that the human species has only been in existance for .08% (percent) of the total age of the planet Earth.

It is currently estimated that the total number of humans to have ever lived on this planet is 107 billion (107,000,000,000) human beings.  That means there have been an average of only 21 people on the earth for each year that the earth has been in existence.  This is such a small number, over such a huge amount of time, it's incomprehensible just how insignificant each of us is!

Another number that makes my mind swim....

Each of us live an average of 77 years.  If a single generation lasts for 25 years, there are an average of 3 generations alive on the planet during our lifetime.  That means that there have been a total of 156,000 generations of human beings on this planet.  If you had 156,000 dollars in your pocket, would you miss one of those dollars if you misplaced it?  I doubt it - and that is an ENTIRE generation, much more than just a single person!

And it gets even better....

Again, if each of us lives an average of 77 years, and considering the age of the planet (5 billion years), we each live only .00000154% the age of our planet.  Our lives aren't even a moment when compared to the age of this planet.

So, are you beginning to feel more humble?  You should be!

Is this depressing?  Not to me!  Instead, these numbers give me a feeling of freedom.  By realizing just how insignificant I am, I feel more like living today in its fullest and I no longer worry about meaningless problems and events.  I am at peace with these numbers, as you should be.

More to come....

Recently, I gave a presentation on Glass Cockpit IFR flight in an Abrams Aviation Single-Pilot-IFR Seminar.  The attendees had  a lot of input into my presentation and all were experienced in glass panels (some even owned a glass-panel aircraft).  I thought it would be valuable to reflect some of what was discussed.

First of all, let me make one thing perfectly clear.  I LOVE the technology surrounding glass cockpits.  All of the information in one place makes a glass cockpit equipped aircraft easy to understand and control because of the proximity of the information to other information.  But be warned, you need to stay proficient.

u

What is Glass-Panel all about?

The configuration of a glass panel system

There are normally two different displayed used in a glass panel configuration (using in this case, the Garmin G1000 glass panel system)

• Primary Flight Display (PFD).  Used to display the primary flight instruments to the pilot

• Multi-Function Display (MFD).  Used to display engine, GPS and other systems to the pilot

What does all of this mean?

TOO MUCH INFORMATION!

Too much information for the un-initiated

There is so much information on these displays that it is very easy to get confused and finding yourself in trouble.

Easy to get behind the technology

Getting behind the technology - what does this mean?  Since there is so much information displayed to the pilot, it is very easy to get behind the information as it is updated and displayed to the pilot.  This means that the pilot may be making decisions based on old data which could lead to problems.

Easy to get distracted

All of the pretty colors and graphics are a real distraction.  The technology itself and the 'newness' of this technology could bring out the 'geek' in all of us.  Instead of looking outside the plane, staring at the technology could itself cause problems.

Easy to acquire �Glass Panel Syndrome�

This is the result of the previous topic - easy to get distracted.  by looking at the technology too often, staring at the GPS during flight and fixating on a single instrument (like the over-sized attitude indicator), the pilot can forget about all of the other information displayed to them.

Easy to rely on just the GPS

Only a very small portion of an aircraft is based on the GPS receiver(s) installed.  The OBS's, DME's, ADF's and other navigation equipment installed in the aircraft are still required for certain types of approaches where the GPS can ONLY be used for GPS approaches.  The GPS can only be used for positional awareness during VOR, VOR/DME, NDB or ILS/LOC approaches and not as the primary navigation tool.  The GPS will even tell you that when you try and use it for a non-GPS approach.

What steam gauges are still required?

As can be seen in the picture here, there are three steam gauges that are required for most if not all glass-panel implementations:

- Airspeed Indicator

- Attitude Indicator

- Altimeter

- Magnetic Compass

These gauges work exactly as their counterparts work in non-glass panel implementations and allow the pilot to control the aircraft in all but the worst of flying conditions - even IMC.  However, can you fly IFR with only these gauges?

NO!

You could fly with these in an emergency, but to do an approach, you have absolutely no navigation aids that will allow you to even attempt an approach.  During a complete power failure, there will be no way for you to know where you are at any time during your flight.

So in this author's opinion, the backup gauges are good for flying the aircraft, but only under VMC (Visual Meteorological Conditions) conditions.

Glass Panel Configuration Flavors

The picture above shows the configuration of a Cessna 172SP with G1000.  Notice the backup steam gauges located under the G-1000 screens.  The position of these gauges are completely different from what all pilots are used to.

The Barron configuration to the right shows the backup steam gauges on the right of the G-1000 screens.

This is a little more like the normal 6-pack configuration, but still alien to most pilots considering the angle of the instruments and the change or orientation when moving from glass to steam during a failure.

Seeing these two different configurations should bring one thing home to any conservatively minded pilot:  practice makes perfect.  Don't underestimate the differences between a conventional instrument aircraft and a glass panel aircraft.  Practice and stay proficient with all of the glass cockpit aircraft you plan on flying, or 'catch up' with an instructor before going on a trip when you haven't flown that particular glass cockpit for a while.

What could go wrong?

• An IFR student, in a Cessna G1000 equipped 172SP, past the final approach fix on a VOR approach at night, accidentally turned off the avionics master switch instead of turning on the landing lights
  • An immediate missed approach was required using only the compass and the steam altimeter.  It took a good 3 minutes for the aircraft's avionics to come back up in order to navigate effectively.
  • The malfunction was reported to the Tower/ATC

• An IFR student, with their IFR check-ride scheduled, was asked to fly with only the compass while hooded.  A complete electrical failure was simulated.
  • The check-ride was rescheduled

Remember, all glass-panel implementations are based on not only hardware but also software.  I have worked in the software industry since 1979 and I don't trust software.  I have never met a computer program that did not have something wrong with it, and they always tend to fail at the most inappropriate times.

What does this mean?  Assume that the system will fail.

What does this mean for my flying skills?

It's very easy to get complacent with a glass panel.  Easy to get spoiled with the technology and relying on it too much.

It's easy to lose VOR and NDB navigation skills.  Remember, VOR and NDB approaches can only be done with a VOR or ADF receiver and not with the GPS.  There is a reason for this.  I'm still not convinced that the GPS system won't just 'blue screen' fail at some point in the future.

It's easy to forget that technology and batteries fail.  There are backup power sources in glass-panel aircraft, but these won't assure that the pilot will do the correct thing after a failure.  If your alternator and/or main battery die, some of these glass panel implementations will continue for up to an hour.  If you are over the mountains when a failure like this occurs, and you have a minimum of 1 hour flight time before reaching flat land or an airport, what options do you have?

There is a solution.

• Assume a failure will occur.  Train accordingly

  • Practice VOR and NDB approaches

  • Practice these approaches without the PFD technology operating (pull out the AHRS circuit breaker in the case of a G1000 system)

  • Practice flying with just the compass and other backup 'steam' gauges

  • Train in a conventionally equipped aircraft regularly.  The steam gauge practice will keep you on top of your game.

  • Use a flight simulator to keep costs down and train for steam more often.  Microsoft Flight Simulator X includes both steam and glass panels in their simulator.  You can't log the time, but your proficiency will stay high.

  • Currency does NOT equal proficiency

• Redundancy - I do this in any plane, but in class panel equipped aircraft, I make it a point.

  • Carry a backup portable COMM/NAV radio

  • Carry extra batteries

  • Carry an extra GPS receiver

  • Carry an extra 12-volt power supply.  I found a small 5 pound portable battery with cigarette lighter connection for only $60.00.  Will give both my backup GPS and radio power for hours.

In Conclusion

• Continue to think of the Glass Panel as a backup to your primary flight instruments

• Assume a failure will occur

• Don't lose your basic steam gauge flying skills

• When you begin relying on technology, it will inevitably fail

Have fun and Fly Safe!

Note:  The Cessna 172SP and Barron screen captures came from Microsoft Flight Simulator X and are copyright Microsoft.

A large number of my IFR students own their own aircraft and most of these aircraft are relatively new, some in fact are G-1000 equipped.  These advanced technology aircraft are also equipped with some sort of autopilot device to add even more information being delivered to the IFR student or pilot.

Overview

What's the point here?  First of all, IFR pilots and students are busy enough managing mandatory reporting points, ATC directions, FAA regulations and approaches without something else being thrown at them to manage during an IFR flight.  Autopilots themselves both increase this information overload and help to decrease it at the same time.  The issue is, how does the pilot manage all of this and what should they expect during an autopilot coupled flight in IMC?

Failures

Technology fails - it's as simple as that.

My limited liability company (Komanetsky Aviation, LLC) owns two aircraft and one Basic flight simulator.  Both aircraft are Cessna's, circa 2003, a 172SP and a 183T and the simulator is an Elite Basic ATD PI-135.  The avionics installed in the aircraft are Bendix King with the KAP 140 autopilot which makes me relatively knowledgeable of this equipment.

Most G-1000 equipped aircraft today also use the Bendix King KAP 140 auto pilot which is unfortunately not 100% integrated with the G-1000 navigation equipment, so, transitioning into these highly technical aircraft is pretty smooth for Bendix King experienced pilots.

The KAP 140 WILL fail.  Both of my aircraft have had portions of the KAP 140 replaced at least twice in their lives which hasn't been that long to date (12/2006).  In three years, I have had to replace devices that are critical to the operation of the autopilots and one of my aircraft has an autopilot failure occurring that no one can diagnose.

The currently failing autopilot is behaving like this:

1. After takeoff, everything is fine.  The autopilot is flying on HDG mode as well as on NAV mode.  It turns when required by the coupled GPS and holds altitude very well.

2. Within an hour, the autopilot begins to turn the aircraft when it isn't being asked to.  The only way to fix this is to disengage the autopilot and start flying by hand.  Fortunately, this failure is rather dramatic, so the pilot does feel it as the plane begins to turn (this is important if flying in IMC since a gradual slow turn may make the pilot completely unaware that the plane is turning).

3. If the autopilot is left off for a while, it will be able to be used again, but it never flies for more than 10 minutes after the initial failure

No avionics shop I have taken this plane to for repairs has been able to diagnose the problem and many other KAP 140 owners have had failures like this as well.  As a safety precaution, I let my customers know just what is going on before flying this particular aircraft.

Think about this type of failure during an approach while in IMC near minimum altitudes.  This is one of the types of failures I will try and imitate with students that are flying in a KAP 140 equipped aircraft to assure myself that they can deal with such a failure.  It's not a popular thing to do, but necessary to assure that the student is managing the flight and not just going along for the ride.

Autopilot Proficiency

It is extremely important to be proficient in flying an autopilot equipped aircraft, something that I don't believe needs to be said.  There have been a number of examples of deaths because of the fact that the pilot was not 100% proficient in the use of the equipment

During an IMC flight, a pilot was coming into a northern California airport and was passed off to the tower by ATC.  The pilot hadn't gotten the correct tower frequency, turned on the autopilot so they could free up their hands to look up the tower frequency, and the autopilot flew them into a power tower.  The pilot hadn't been trained in the use of the autopilot and turned on the HDG mode with the heading bug far to the right of course causing the plane to make a standard rate turn to the right - something they didn't really want to do

The morale of this and other stories is - train with the autopilot, make it second nature to you, and practice using it quite often.  Don't become over confident of the technology and assume it will fail.  With an autopilot installed, you are still the pilot and still must verify that the autopilot is doing what you are intending for it to do.

Flying proficiency

Once you have become proficient at using your autopilot you will probably want to use it as much as possible in all flight conditions.  You probably already know where I'm going with this....

During a recent IFR student flight, I pulled the AP (auto pilot) circuit breaker to see how the student would respond.  Unfortunately (for the lesson), the system let out a scream that made us both jump out of our seats and the student was able to diagnose the problem very quickly.  However, they were very concerned as to why I would have done such a thing.  The result of flying without the autopilot was a good one - the student was just not ready for their check ride.  Headings were held well, but altitudes were all over the altimeter and focus on a single instrument instead of a good scan was observed - not a good prospect for IFR flight.

It is important to understand and use the autopilot installed in any aircraft you plan on flying, but it is even more important to keep your flight proficiency skills to their maximum.  The autopilot WILL stop working at some time and you need to make sure you can effectively pilot the aircraft without the help of this device.

Your flight instructor (as I do) should have taught you to expect an engine out condition at any time.  They should have taught you to scan your current location for landing places all through any flight, just in case an engine out condition occurs.  You need to be prepared!  There is absolutely no difference between an engine out condition and an autopilot out condition - you need to be able to pilot the plane and conclude the flight without incident.

The Moral:  Prepare for an autopilot-out condition.  Practice flying the aircraft in IMC (or simulated IMC) without the autopilot,  Finding out your flying skills have diminished because of a lack of practice flying without an autopilot in NOT a good idea while in IMC.

A military cargo carrier and its wingtip vortices
Credit: Russell E. Cooley IV, USAF

What wingtip vortices are and how they form is relatively simple to understand.

• The air on top of the wings of an aircraft in flight is at a lower pressure than the surrounding air.  This is one of the basics of aerodynamics - Bernoulli's Principle
• The air underneath the wings of an aircraft in flight has a higher pressure than the air above the wings
• This differential air pressure causes the air below to want to take up the area where the reduced air pressure is located above the wings
• The wing tips are really the only place along the wings where this can occur.  So, the air below circles around the tip of the wing to meet the air above
• This circling action creates horizontal 'tornadoes' that trail behind the aircraft as the aircraft moves forward
• The air being pushed to the side of the aircraft's fuselage also contributes to the movement of the vortices.  They tend to move away from the aircraft and then they follow the wind direction

The generation of Wingtip Vortices and their movement
Picture used courtesy of the FAA (FAA Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge)

Why are Wing Tip Vortices dangerous?

Slow, Heavy, airborne aircraft are the greatest contributors to the development of wingtip vortices.  These little 'horizontal tornadoes' can take a small general aviation aircraft like a Cessna or warrior and flip it completely over.  This is the absolute worse condition to be in during landing since you are low to the ground and recovery may be impossible.

Wingtip Vortices can occur at any altitude, but again, near the ground is the most dangerous because of your proximity to it.

How can I avoid Wing Tip Vortices?

The FAA spells out a pretty simple method to avoid wingtip vortices.

Where do Wingtip Vortices begin and end?
Picture used courtesy of the FAA (FAA Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge)

Here are some general rules

• Land beyond the touch-down point of the aircraft in front of you
• Make sure you lift off before the liftoff point of the aircraft in front of you in addition to turning away from that aircraft's flight path.  Since the larger plan is faster than you and probably climbs much faster as well, you may want to turn away so as to not 'run into' their vortex.

I've come up with the ABC's (actually, ABCDEFGH's) of cruise flight that might help to remind you what to do throughout your flight.

A - Altitude

• Watch your altimeter and make sure you are at the correct altitude for your direction of flight or that altitude assigned to you

• Set your altimeter setting to the closest reported pressure measurement - listen to the AWOS/ASOS or ATIS nearest to your current position.

B - Bearing

• Are you on the right course?  Double check your position and your current course as it relates to your flight plan.

• Check your flight plan and make sure you know where you are.

C - Checklists

• Have you gone through all of the appropriate checklists for your current flight situation (cruise, climb, descent, etc.)?  Even if you have, it doesn't hurt to double check everything.

D - Dials

• If you are keeping track of your position using navigational aids, make sure you dial in the correct settings (navigational aid frequencies, OBS indicators for VOR navigation, ADF indicators for NDB navigation, GPS settings, etc.)

E - Engine

• How do the engine instruments look?  Is oil pressure within limits?  Oil temperature?  Exhaust gas temperature? Cylinder head temperature?  Vacuum pressure?

F - Frequencies

• Are your COM radios set to the correct frequencies?  Are your radios working?  Double check!

G - Gas

• Double check your fuel quantities using your fuel gauges.  Also double check your time in the air and your navigation log to make sure that your fuel gauges match your planned fuel consumption.

• Is your fuel/air mixture correct for your current altitude?  Double check this as you can foul your spark plugs and cause your flight to end early.

H - Hazards

• Don't forget to look for traffic in the area.  You, as the pilot, are responsible for all aspects of the flight including air safety.

• Is there any weather in the area?  Does everything still look good?

• Are there any ground obstructions that might cause your flight to become too difficult or uncomfortable.

There are two types of drag, Parasitic and Induced.

Parasitic Drag

That drag which is produced by the aircraft which is not associated with lift.  Example of parasitic drag include:

• Landing Gear
• Antennas
• The Fuselage of the aircraft
• Skin Friction

There's not much you can do about parasitic drag, however some air carriers have tried and claim that they save fuel dollars by doing so.  The simple task of washing the plane will reduce skin friction (a form of parasitic drag) since there will be less dirt particles attached to the aircraft causing the aircraft to slow down.

Induced Drag

That drag which is directly associated with the creation of lift.  The wings themselves create drag as they create lift.

In the illustration above (thanks FAA), this wing is creating lift because of its angle of attack.  The higher the angle of attack (up to a point), the more lift is created.  But, the relative wind seems to be impacting on the bottom-rear of the wing causing drag to be directed towards the back of the aircraft the wing is attached to.  This is a form of induced drag and a necessary evil but one of the reasons why your aircraft will slow down during a climb.

You can try this experiment when driving in your car:

1. When there isn't too much traffic around and your car is moving quickly down the highway, open up your window and stick your hand out flat with your palm facing down to the ground.  Relax your arm and let your hand slice through the air.
2. Slowly, angle the front portion of your hand up while keeping your hand flat -  notice the results
   • Your hand will begin to ascend (Newton's third law of motion causes your hand to lift).
   • Your hand will also begin to move backward if you relax your arm enough - this is the drag caused by the wind hitting the lower portion of your hand as you raise the angle of attack of your hand.

Another way to look at induced drag is that difference in the production of lift as illustrated below:

Lift is always produced perpendicular to the actual wing.  The light-blue arrow above shows this.  However, the resulting lift is shown with the pink arrow since the aircraft isn't actually moving backwards as it lifts because of the thrust of the propeller.  The Induced Drag arrow (black arrow) thus reflects the difference in the angles of these arrows and can be thought of as the induced drag produced by the wings lifting.

Another form of induced drag is that caused by the wingtip vortices caused by the aircraft being lifted.

Again, thanks to the FAA for the diagram above which effectively illustrates the production of wingtip vortices.  Wingtip vortices are caused by the low-pressure air above the wing trying to get down to the higher pressure area to equalize the overall air pressure in the wing area.  At the tips of the wings, however, high pressure air spills up reducing the effectiveness of the lifting of the wing near the wingtips.  This reduced the lift but keeps the drag at its normal level, thus increasing overall induced drag.