Instrument ground lesson 1 Flashcards

Valuation and Risk Assessment

• PAVE Checklist (Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, External Pressures): Used to analyze potential problems and ensure solutions are in place. If a solution doesn't work, return to the start and find an alternative.

DECIDE Model

• A six-step process for logical aeronautical decision-making:
  • Detect: Identify the problem.
  • Estimate: Determine the necessary changes.
  • Choose: Select the best outcome.
  • Identify: Determine actions to control the change.
  • Do: Implement the chosen action.
  • Evaluate: Assess the results.
• Example:
  • Detecting a problem (e.g., running out of fuel).
  • Estimating actions (e.g., reducing power, seeking a landing spot).
  • Choosing the best action (e.g., preparing for landing).
  • Identifying actions (e.g., switching fuel tanks).
• Automatic Decision Making: Involves instincts taking over without analytical problem-solving; the problem remains unaddressed.

Operational Pitfalls

• Traps that pilots can fall into; awareness is key to avoidance.
• Scud Running: Flying lower to maintain visual contact in deteriorating weather; can lead to hazardous situations.
• "Get-There-Itis": The need to reach a destination despite personal or external pressures, often leading to poor decisions (e.g., flying through thunderstorms).
• VFR into IMC (Visual Flight Rules into Instrument Meteorological Conditions):
  • Leads to spatial disorientation or collisions.
  • Average lifespan of a VFR pilot in IMC: approximately two minutes.
• Loss of Situational Awareness: Losing track of the aircraft's position or attitude.
• Operating Outside the Envelope: Attempting to operate beyond the aircraft's capabilities.

The 3P Model

• Process to assess risks by evaluating the surroundings.
  • Perceive: Understand the given circumstances.
  • Process: Evaluate the impact on flight safety.
  • Perform: Implement the best course of action.

Defining Risk Management Elements

• Hazard: A condition, event, or circumstance that could lead to an accident (e.g., mixing props, pilot fatigue, improper fueling).

Recognizing Hazards

• The ability to recognize hazards depends on a pilot's experience, education, and personality.
• Training quality is crucial for making sound decisions.

Tools for Hazard Awareness

• Advisory Circulars (AC): Non-regulatory information to comply with regulations, providing guidance and amplifying the intent of rules (e.g., collision avoidance).

Defining Risk

• The future impact of an uncontrolled or uneliminated hazard.
  • Total Risk: Sum of identified and unidentified risks.
  • Identified Risk: Risks known to the pilot.
  • Unidentified Risk: Risks yet to be recognized.
  • Unacceptable Risk: Risks that cannot be tolerated.
  • Residual Risk: Risks remaining after safety efforts.

Risk Assessment Matrix

• Helps differentiate between low and high risks by considering severity and likelihood.
  • Severity: Ranges from catastrophic to negligible.
  • Likelihood: Ranges from probable to improbable.
  • Example: Nick in the prop
    • Severity: Catastrophic (prop could break off mid-flight).
    • Likelihood: Depends on the size and presence of cracks, ranging from probable to remote.

Human Behavior

• Human Error: Accounts for 75% of accidents.
• Disdain for Rules: Directly correlated with aircraft accidents; 75% of accidents involve disregard for rules.
• Traits of Accident-Prone Pilots: Disregard for rules, poor driving records, thrill-seeking behavior, impulsivity, underutilizing resources.

Hazardous Attitudes

• Since poor decision-making by pilots, human error has been identified as a major factor in many aviation accidents, human behavior research tries to determine an individual's predisposition to taking risks and the level of an individual's involvement in accidents:
  • Anti-Authority: "Don't tell me what to do." Antidote: Follow the rules; they exist for a reason.
  • Impulsivity: "Do something quickly." Antidote: Think first.
  • Invulnerability: "It won't happen to me." Antidote: It could happen to me.
  • Macho: "I can do it." Antidote: Taking chances is foolish.
  • Resignation: "What's the use?" Antidote: You can make a difference.

Identifying and Mitigating Risks

• Pilots must search for risks to understand their implications.
• PAVE Checklist: Pilot, Aircraft, Environment, External Pressures.
  • Pilot: Use the "I'M SAFE" checklist (Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotions).
  • Aircraft: Assess limitations, equipment, fuel, capacity, and runway requirements.
  • Environment: Consider weather, terrain, airports, and airspace.
  • External Pressures: Are there influences that might compromise safety (e.g., someone awaiting arrival)?

Single Pilot Resource Management (SRM)

• Managing all available resources to ensure a successful flight.
  • Internal Resources: Passengers, POH, checklists, electronic flight bags (e.g., ForeFlight).
  • External Resources: ATC, GPS, other pilots, VOR, DME.

The Five P Checklist

• Practical application for SRM in daily flights: plan, plane, pilot, passengers, programming.
  • Plan: Weather, route, fuel, publications; update regularly.
  • Plane: Mechanical issues, database currency, automation status.
  • Pilot: I'M SAFE checklist.
  • Passengers: Utilize their capabilities for assistance.
  • Programming: Plan when and where to program avionics.

Instrument Flying Basics

• Fundamental skills: instrument cross-check, interpretation, and aircraft control.

Instrument Cross-Check

• Continuous and logical observation of instruments.
  • Radial Cross-Check: Alternating to airspeed, then to turn coordinator, then HSI, vertical speed, and altimeter.
  • Inverted B Cross-Check: From attitude to turn coordinator to HSI, but not common.
  • Rectangular Cross-Check: From attitude to airspeed to turn coordinator, HSI, vertical speed, and altimeter.

Instrument Interpretation

• Understanding the construction and operating principles of each instrument.

Aircraft Control

• Two methods: control and performance, and primary and supporting.
  • Control and Performance Method: Controlling attitude and power, using control instruments (attitude indicator, manifold pressure gauge, tachometer) and performance instruments (airspeed, altitude, climb performance, heading, coordination).
  • Primary and Supporting Method: Focusing on instruments that depict the most accurate information for each flight regime, using altimeter and HSI as primary instruments.

Primary and Supporting Method: Flight Regimes

• Straight level flight: Primary instrument pitch is going to be the altimeter. For bank, it's your HSI.
• Constant Airspeed Descents and Climbs: Primary instrument is the airspeed indicator.
• Constant Rate of Climb and Descent: Primary instrument becomes the vertical speed indicator.
• Standard Rate Turns: Primary instruments will be our altimeter for pitch, your turn coordinator for bank

Inoperative Instruments

• Gather required information from operative instruments, as shown in diagrams.
  *Example if you: Lose airspeed indicator, then you'll lose the primary instruments for bank which will be your turn and corner area, HSI
  Lose the primary instruments for pitch, you would then reference your HSI internal coordinator for bank, magnetic compass, airspeed, altimeter, and BSI for pitch

Aircraft Systems: Weight and Balance

• Terms: arm, station, datum, CG, CG limits, basic empty weight, zero fuel weight, max takeoff weight, max ramp weight, max landing weight, empty weight, payload, usable fuel, standard weights, useful load, fuel load, moment, moment index.
  • Standard weights, we know that is gonna be about six pounds per gallon. Oil is seven and a half pounds per gallon.

Effects on Performance

• Excessive weight reduces flight performance:
  • Higher takeoff speeds and longer takeoff runs.
  • Reduced climb rates and lower max altitude.
  • Shorter max range and slower cruise speeds.
  • Reduced maneuverability, higher stall speeds, and longer landing rolls.

Effects on Performance: Balance Control

• Forward CG Effects: -Longer takeoff rolls and longer landing rolls, High stall speeds
  • Easier stall recovery and Decreased cruising speed
• Aft CG Effects:
  • Lower stall speed, reduced elevator authority, difficult stall recovery, faster cruising speeds.
    Forward CG = High stall speed, slow cruise speed, Easier stall recovery

Aft CG = Lower stall speed, Faster Cruising speed, difficult stall recovery

Weight and Balance Example

Total up everything by calculating your arm and your CG
After getting your weight and balance chart, normal category of an aircraft must fall into this category to safely perform normal flight maneuvers such as takeoffs, landing, steep turns, slow flight, stalls, etcetera.
Then the other little envelope is a utility category.
Now this one, I can't remember if the diamond if the d a twenties have a utility category or not. I imagine they would.
But, typically, your utility category, an aircraft must fall into this category to perform special point maneuvers such as spins or other maneuvers specified in the aircraft's POH. So if you wanna be able to spin the aircraft because they can, your weight and balance would have to fall in this utility category.

Instrument Preflight Procedures

• NW KRAFT(NOTAMS, WEATHER, Known ATC delays, Runaway, Alternate airports, Fuel requirement TAKE OFF and landing distances)
• NOTAMs: Check for any notices to airmen that may affect your flight.
• Weather: Ensure suitable conditions for the flight.
• Known ATC Delays: Check for delays along your route.
• After filing, You want to plan a trouble.
• Alternate Airports: Required for IFR flights.
• Fuel Requirements: Destination, alternate, plus 45 minutes.
• Takeoff and Landing Distances: Compute takeoff and landing distances using performance charts from the POH.
  -You must fly IFR flight because you can't file unless you do!
  So make sure it's 30 minutes filed before flying and file an IFR flight plan to avoid ATC messing you up!
• You have two hours after the departure time, remember from lecture(ex. filing for 11:45)! So just remember that ATC system does not really care whether how busy they are!! IFR will take a lot that time!

Obtaining an IFR Clearance : CRAFT

(Clearance Limit, Route, Altitude, Frequency, Transponder)

• CRAFT, c r a f t.
  It's a CRAFT clearance.
• Clearance Limit: Where you're initially cleared to (often the destination airport).
• Route: The specific route you're expected to fly.
  Typically, your clearance will sound like a AJODAlpha cleared to Mike Golf Yankee as filed
• Altitude: Initial altitude to climb and maintain.
• Frequency: Departure or other relevant ATC frequency.
• Controlled Field: Tuning to the airport's ground control frequency or the clearance delivery frequency
• Uncontrolled field: Obtaining via phone or radio frequency. So reference the FAHR supplement or call
• Pilots will get a clearance void time which requires the clearance prior to the clearance void time

Magnetic Compass

Errors includes:

• Variation: Difference between true north and magnetic north; use sectional charts to find variation.
• Deviation: Errors due to electromagnetic fields in the aircraft; refer to compass deviation card.
• Magnetic Dip: The compass dips as it gets closer to magnetic north due to what may happen from each error.
• Oscillation: caused by rough turbulence in flight which makes compass unusable!
• Northerly turning errors; So in terms and utilize the acronym in those undershoot north, overshoot south.
  20 degrees, 20 degrees. Use terms in both East or West