Rust is real

midlifeflyer

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Please be careful out there. "Rusty pilot" after an extended time away from flying is a real thing. It's probably no coincidence that the FAA preliminary accident database for June 1 (includes weekend flights) lists 31 accidents, 19 of them common light GA Cessna, Piper, Mooney, and Beechcraft. Many of them are loss of control during takeoffs and landings.
https://www.asias.faa.gov/apex/f?p=100:94:235175877161::::P94_ENTRY_DATE:01-JUN-20
 
Timely.

There will be a new entry on June 2nd from my airport - Mooney on takeoff.


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God knows why I ever wanted to fly again. The endeavor is apparently much too dangerous.

I've checked, and while my oxidation is no where near thru and thru. I can't imagine subjecting an instructor to 20+ years of rust... As it came off in the cockpit, it would probably so cloud the evirons within that we would be unable to see to land.

I probably oughta give up in the crazy notion of flying again. Or not.

I know rust is real. I know this is a serious issue.

fly to the scene of the incident, or be recovered at the scene of the tragedy
 
Timely.

There will be a new entry on June 2nd from my airport - Mooney on takeoff.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Yeah, I know about that one. Fortunately both pilot and pax are ok. It's i the June 3 listing (the dates are the submission dates, not necessarily the accident dates)
 
I know rust is real. I know this is a serious issue.
That's the single most important part.

What we do in response is going to be different from pilot to pilot. No one really expects a pilot who has flown 100 hours a year in the same airplane for the past 10 years to have the same solution as a 50 hour private pilot who self-grounded the second week in March and hasn't flown since.
 
Talk about rust.....


flight%2Bmap%2B5.2.jpg


May 3rd Needing to shed the rust.

First up is a short hop to Delaware Coastal (KGED)for the RNAV GPS RWY 4 approach. With the fix loaded I was on my way. I get squared away and pointed towards the IAF and settled in for the short direct route. As I approached the fix everything was correct and a parallel entry was displayed. However, as I crossed the fix (red circle) 3 Tango Charlie turned right instead of turning slight left to fly the entry. If we fly with these systems we MUST monitor and be ahead of the plane. I immediately disconnect with the button on my yoke and turned out for another try at direct ZARVI.

This time I used the Heading and Altitude holds on the STEC 60-2 and flew with no problem. I really like flying the approach in this setup, I feel more in the game and I trust me more then any box. On this flight I thought I had an issue with the autopilot, honestly it was the operator of the autopilot. Yes, yours truly had a brain fart. I haven't shot an approach with the STEC since I reset my currency back on February 16th. I needed to be in HDG mode with GPSS selected and NOT select NAV until established. I selected NAV prior to crossing the IAF so the autopilot turned to track the final approach in the shortest route, which was the wrong direction. I went on to shoot the GPS RWY 2 approach back into my home base KOXB to finish up for the days practice flight. I obviously need more practice time!

Keeping current is wonderful, but being proficient saves your butt.
 
looking through there is a good reminder that takeoff is nothing to take for granted.
 
Talk about rust.....


flight%2Bmap%2B5.2.jpg


May 3rd Needing to shed the rust.

First up is a short hop to Delaware Coastal (KGED)for the RNAV GPS RWY 4 approach. With the fix loaded I was on my way. I get squared away and pointed towards the IAF and settled in for the short direct route. As I approached the fix everything was correct and a parallel entry was displayed. However, as I crossed the fix (red circle) 3 Tango Charlie turned right instead of turning slight left to fly the entry. If we fly with these systems we MUST monitor and be ahead of the plane. I immediately disconnect with the button on my yoke and turned out for another try at direct ZARVI.

This time I used the Heading and Altitude holds on the STEC 60-2 and flew with no problem. I really like flying the approach in this setup, I feel more in the game and I trust me more then any box. On this flight I thought I had an issue with the autopilot, honestly it was the operator of the autopilot. Yes, yours truly had a brain fart. I haven't shot an approach with the STEC since I reset my currency back on February 16th. I needed to be in HDG mode with GPSS selected and NOT select NAV until established. I selected NAV prior to crossing the IAF so the autopilot turned to track the final approach in the shortest route, which was the wrong direction. I went on to shoot the GPS RWY 2 approach back into my home base KOXB to finish up for the days practice flight. I obviously need more practice time!

Keeping current is wonderful, but being proficient saves your butt.

What do you have for a GPS? I let my 175 tell me when to go to Nav with the APPCH annunciator.
 
Rust and don't forget about needing polishing in the first place for new pilots like me. I think being accurately self aware if you're not the stud muffin pilot you think you are will get you most of the way there. I'm even thinking about getting a CFI to fly with me for a 6 month review.

My X country tracks by the way are getting better. Still looks like I'm randomly dodging missiles or weaving to keep up with the bombers.
 
I did a rust mitigation flight last week. My landings were fine, the first takeoff could've used 'more right rudder!' After a couple circuits I was back in business. Oh yeah, and that other button on the yoke isn't the PTT its the com1/com2 select button.
 
I feel better NOT having the instrument ticket. Less "parts" to get rusty, I guess.

The ultimate goal will of course actually be to USE an aircraft to get somewhere other than an expensive burger.

So that means I will need the rating if I intend to really use the plane as a personal time machine.

First things first. If my instructor survives Covid 19, I'll get my review. Then start working the plan.

fly to the scene of the incident, or be recovered at the scene of the tragedy
 
I started knocking my 10 months of rust off. Technically I am passenger current but I wouldn't recommend it. ;)

I find it fascinating that at least for me, the landings don't get rusty. It's holding headings and altitudes that rusts. Also my prelanding checklist is no longer easy. I have to think about it.
 
I went about 3 and half weeks before I could fly. I was fortunate I could keep at it. Flew today, it was pretty busy out there, keep those eyes peeled.
 
Please be careful out there. "Rusty pilot" after an extended time away from flying is a real thing. It's probably no coincidence that the FAA preliminary accident database for June 1 (includes weekend flights) lists 31 accidents, 19 of them common light GA Cessna, Piper, Mooney, and Beechcraft. Many of them are loss of control during takeoffs and landings.
https://www.asias.faa.gov/apex/f?p=100:94:235175877161::::P94_ENTRY_DATE:01-JUN-20

I must say, I have spent a great deal of time on the sim during the shutdown period and learned all sort of stuff I didn't know before, including the "how to save an approach into a catalog flight plan on the 430" that you showed me.
 
I must say, I have spent a great deal of time on the sim during the shutdown period and learned all sort of stuff I didn't know before, including the "how to save an approach into a catalog flight plan on the 430" that you showed me.
I've been doing some of the same. I'm just finishing my third video where I compare Garmins with the IFD doing a particular task. There were two main triggers for it. One is a friend who flies with a IFD, so I wanted to get more familiar with it. The other is, the COVID restrictions gave me the time to put it together. Mine are just based on PC/iOS simulators and voice-over but it was still a good six hours editing for a 8-10 minute video. The guys who do the all the time, taking the output of multiple cameras and editing them into something interesting to watch have my everlasting respect, even @SixPapaCharlie :D
 
I've been doing some of the same. I'm just finishing my third video where I compare Garmins with the IFD doing a particular task. There were two main triggers for it. One is a friend who flies with a IFD, so I wanted to get more familiar with it. The other is, the COVID restrictions gave me the time to put it together. Mine are just based on PC/iOS simulators and voice-over but it was still a good six hours editing for a 8-10 minute video. The guys who do the all the time, taking the output of multiple cameras and editing them into something interesting to watch have my everlasting respect, even @SixPapaCharlie :D

Based on that recent discussion on 430 programming, I also made a video for my students, using Xplane as the sim. It is a very long video, but I had lots of time during the CV19, so don't judge me on that. This the youtube link.
 
I keep seeing that. What does that mean?
It means fly the plane all the way 'til it stops in the event of an emergency.

Failure to do so may cause the tragic demise of the pilot (you), and all your passengers.

My daughters never learned to fly.. but I participated mightily in teaching them to drive, including ice driving on empty parking lots in the winter.

And, I always told them to drive all the way to the scene of the accident.

You see, there's the moment, at speed, on the ground or in the air that something goes wrong and you may exclaim. "Oh! Fiddlesticks!" Or something sort of similar... Don't quit driving or flying. Swerve to avoid that tree or telephone pole in the car... Pick you landing spot.. on top of the trees, or in that glade over there.. Gear up? Gear down?

Act decisively... Do the best you can all the way to full stop. Walk away if at all possible.

fly to the scene of the incident, or be recovered at the scene of the tragedy
 
I get it. Kind of like Bob Hoover’s “fly the airplane as far into the crash as possible.”
I think that is what he means. I know that every bad situation I've been in has been resolved by charging head first into it and tackling it head on. That includes an ambush in Iraq in 2004, marital problems shortly after, money problems after that and a new deployment to a wonderful area near Fallujah that wasn't pretty. The point is, fly. Be the PIC every moment and make a decision even if it isn't a perfect decision. Take charge and become the master of your destiny.
 
Based on that recent discussion on 430 programming, I also made a video for my students, using Xplane as the sim. It is a very long video, but I had lots of time during the CV19, so don't judge me on that. This the youtube link.
I browsed through it. Nice work. Makes me wish I spent the time to learn to use (and the dollars for the machine to run) x-plane.

A question about something I may have missed because I was skipping around. I understand the reasons for showing there are multiple ways of loading an approach, but why, in the enroute portion, start with the longest, pre-430, method? Did you get to use the PROC key at all in the video?
 
I find it fascinating that at least for me, the landings don't get rusty. It's holding headings and altitudes that rusts. Also my prelanding checklist is no longer easy. I have to think about it.
My first landing after 16 years off was surprisingly passable....although I'll admit my patterns were not nearly as stabilized as they should be. In fact I was quite happy with most all of my airwork. Held headings and altitude fairly well too. Pretty much all was to PPL standards. For me it was more a feeling of uncertainty with the checklist, fumbling to find switches, not remembering things like power settings...basically unfamiliarity with the plane itself...and not feeling confident with airspace rules, etc.
 
I think that is what he means. I know that every bad situation I've been in has been resolved by charging head first into it and tackling it head on. That includes an ambush in Iraq in 2004, marital problems shortly after, money problems after that and a new deployment to a wonderful area near Fallujah that wasn't pretty. The point is, fly. Be the PIC every moment and make a decision even if it isn't a perfect decision. Take charge and become the master of your destiny.

Holy crap, somebody should write a book. Thanks for your service.
 
Holy crap, somebody should write a book. Thanks for your service.

Definitely not an exciting story. My earlier post is a great example of having a point when you started typing but after violating the 8 hour bottle to keyboard rule, the point gets lost in wild meanderings that, while they made sense when being typed, make the poster wonder why the H@#$ I typed that....
 
I browsed through it. Nice work. Makes me wish I spent the time to learn to use (and the dollars for the machine to run) x-plane.

A question about something I may have missed because I was skipping around. I understand the reasons for showing there are multiple ways of loading an approach, but why, in the enroute portion, start with the longest, pre-430, method? Did you get to use the PROC key at all in the video?

Why show the longest method first? I felt I could illustrate that the shorter method (PROC) is really a shortcut to the longer method. May be that message was lost in my wordy discussion. For the longest time I didn't realize that PROC and Select Approach were both taking you to the same WPT#5 page. Once I realized that, the menu layout started to make a little more sense.
 
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