Training Time

According to my numerous titles here at SPA, I am supposed to be the Training Manager.  I figured that would be an easy thing to add to my job jar because one of our early members, "Jet Jerry" who was a real-world commercial airline pilot built us some great training training fights and videos.  So, what more would I have to do?

However, John and I have been having a conversation about the level of pilot activity here at SPA  and we agree that we wish it were better.  I haven't been making much of a contribution along those lines recently, as I have been spending almost all of my SIM time working on the 387th Bomb Group project and, so far, that has not been a big success in terms of stimulating pilot interest.  So, this morning I had a look at our activity page and noted that there has been zero training activity for the month of December.  So, it seems like I'm not making much of a contribution there either (I am consistent).  Since I definitely want my high dollar employment contract to be renewed for next year, I thought I might try something different.
 
As I am sure you all know, You Tube is a great place to learn about anything, and that includes aviation.  In addition to channels that focus on the details of WWII combat aircraft there are a number that focus on commercial aviation.  One of my favorite channels to which I subscribe, is Juan Browne's "Blancolirio" channel.  He just did one on a fatal aircraft accident that happened in Medford, Oregon on Dec. 5, 2021 (). He is really knowledgeable about aviation and does great explanations.   Check it out; I think you will really like it and learn a lot.

So, I did a training flight of my own this morning based on the accident he described.  It involves a private pilot executing the Brute 7 departure out of Medford, Oregon (KMFR) on his way to Fallon, NV, in IMC.  Medford is at 1300', nestled between mountain ridges with peaks over 9000'.  It's one thing when you can see them, and another when you can't.  Set up this departure for yourself, build the weather conditions that Juan describes (200' OVC and 3.0 NM) and do the flight.  Hand fly the departure as this pilot did and see how you do.  Since you have no horizon reference, you will have to use your instruments and since the departure involves consecutive, closely spaced turns, you can't really use the AP.  Of course, you won't have to contend with the disconnect between what your eyes and inner ears are telling you and what the instruments say, like he did, but you will have to deal with a lot of quickly changing information in a short period of time: speed, climb rate, altitude, heading  and it's real easy to get your aircraft into a stall attitude as this unfortunate pilot (and his unfortunate passenger) did.  I had a lot of trouble a  nd I had to restart the flight several times before I got an acceptable departure, and even that was nothing to write home about.  I'm going to try it several more times and see if I can fly the aircraft without the AP when I can't see anything out the windscreen.  I think I agree with Juan's advice - don't fly in a private (Part 91) aircraft in IMC.  Use your credit card to get a motel room.

I'm not going to take the time to build this flight into the training schedule on the website, but you can log it with a self-initiated flight number as described on the top of the home page.  Just get yourself a light, twin engine GA aircraft and take care to set up the weather conditions.  Best of all, do it at night.

Mike

Thanks Mike,

I'll have to give that a try. I'm a faithful follower of air crash investigation show "Air Disasters", and sometimes have been inspired by those videos to fly the flights depicted there.

I find the investigation process fascinating and learn much from the mistakes of others, even though my flights are only simulation.

While those shows are primarily airliner disasters, the general aviation crashes are equally interesting and the lessons learned probably more relevant to the types of flights many of us do here at SPA.

John

Mike,

I watched the video and found it fascinating as I do with these things, and the pilot doing the video did a fantastic job.  It's a shame that the ATC can't make a friendly suggestion that the pilot may wish to re-evaluate the flight conditions and review the SID and return procedures.  I'm wonder if the commercial pilot could hear the GA pilot's befuddlement and added the "minimum conditions" warning as much to dissuade the pilot from taking off as to notify the ATC that the airport was at absolute minimums for landing.  If the commercial pilot could hear the transmissions, I'm sure he was as concerned as the pilot doing the video was based on the GA pilot's questions about the departure.  Wow!

John