Approach and Landing
Heading back to the airfield, Kerry took control and seemed to be in constant communication with the tower. His language was peppered with phonetics and numbers and it was difficult to make sense of what was actually being said.
As we neared the airfield, I felt a rush of excitement in my belly as I couldn’t wait to tell my friends back on the ground, what I’d just experienced. I sat exhausted and happy whilst Kerry was aligning the craft with the runway centre-line. Applying flap, decreasing throttle, then allowing the Cessna to glide over the threshold before greasing the wheels onto the tarmac.
I was sold. I totally got what old John Gillespie Magee was on about. I went straight to the flying school and booked myself another lesson.

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As the adage says, what goes up must come down and in aviation, landing is a phase of flight which can give pilots both pride and embarrassment. Landing an airplane requires precise control of speed and descent and it is essential to fly a good approach in order to land smoothly and safely. When I was learning to fly, landing an airplane was not something which came naturally to me and there were several walks of shame from the aircraft back to the flying school. However, by the time I was ready to fly my first solo, I was greasing those wheels on the tarmac like a pro. If you are finding it difficult to do smooth landings, don’t worry too much. You won’t break the undercarriage and all pilots have to go through the same struggle. However, soon you will be wondering why on earth it was so hard to master it in the first place.
As crosswind landings warrant an entire post, I will leave them out until another day. I learnt in a Cessna 172, so all speeds and flap setting apply to this aircraft type.

Prepare for landing on base and final legs

Normal landing
As I mentioned before, a good landing follows a good approach. It’s important to have the aircraft flying at the correct speed on final, and this means reducing the speed on the downwind and base legs.
Before turning from downwind to base, reduce power to 1500rpm, hold the nose level and allow the speed to drop to 75 KIAS. Apply 10 degrees of flap. When the threshold of the runway is about 45 degrees behind you, turn onto the base leg.
While on base, apply 20 degrees of flap and get your speed down to 70 KIAS. You should aim to be turning onto final at 500 ft AGL.
Once on final, apply 30 degrees of flap and keep speed at 65 KIAS. Control the descent using power. Aim for a spot on the runway just forward of the threshold (piano keys) and keep that spot in the same position in your cockpit window. If the spot is moving downwards, you are too high and will overshoot your aiming point, so reduce power. If the spot is moving upwards, you will undershoot, so apply a little power.
Once over the threshold it is time to flare. When to do this takes good judgement and a lot of practice. Flare too high, and the aircraft will drop onto the runway and bounce. Flaring too low is called crashing into the runway!

Short Field

The main objective for a short field landing is to clear any obstacles in the approach path and land in the minimum distance possible.
In order to clear obstacles in the approach path calls for a steeper angle of descent which means a lower approach speed and use of full flap. Once clear of any obstacles, power should be reduced to idle. Touch down and flare should be as close to the threshold as possible, retracting flaps and applying full brakes when safe to do so.
I hope you have enjoyed today’s post. Please feel free to comment if you have anything relevant to say. Please do not spam as you will be wasting your time.

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As Prochnow reached the area he estimated Norfolk Island to be in, he began looking out for it but all he saw was the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. After 10 minutes of searching he contacted Auckland ATC and informed them that he was lost. At this point there was no imminent danger as he still had plenty of fuel in reserve. After Prochnow had located beacons on some nearby islands, he discovered that his ADF (Automatic Direction Finder) was malfunctioning. Just where it had started malfunctioning he had no idea.  All he knew for certain at this stage, was that he was lost somewhere over the Pacific.

After declaring an emergency with Auckland ATC, he was told by them that the only aircraft in the area was an Air New Zealand DC-10 flying from Fiji to Auckland. The Captain, Gordon Vette, also held a navigator’s licence and he knew that he and his crew would be the only chance Prochnow had of getting found.

Vette used the position of the setting sun to get an approximation of Prochnow’s position. VHF contact was then established between the DC-10 and Cessna, which meant that the two aircraft were within 200 nautical miles of each other. Vette had hoped that the DC-10’s vapour trail might now be visible to Prochnow. Because the weather conditions at the time were not conducive to the formation of a vapour trail, the DC-10 crew decided to dump some fuel. This was to no avail, and now that darkness was fast approaching, Prochnow was seriously considering ditching in the sea.

Although things were starting to look bleak for Prochnow, Vette and his crew weren’t about to give up. Using a technique called ‘aural boxing’ they were able to locate the Cessna within an hour. Vette then switched on the DC-10’s strobe lights hoping that Prochnow would now be able to spot the plane. He saw light but it was from an oil rig which was being towed from New Zealand to Singapore. This provided a fix for Prochnow.

The crew of the DC-10 had been remarkably accurate in their estimated position for the Cessna which was 150 miles from Norfolk Island. Prochnow decided that he had enough fuel to get to the island and headed there touching down safely after being in the air for 23hours and 5 mins. The Cessna, which had been fitted with extra fuel tanks for the journey, had 22 hours of fuel. Prochnow had managed to eke out the remaining 1 hour and 5 mins purely by effective fuel management.

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Chocks Away!

The first thing most people think about when talking about pilot careers is the coveted position of airline pilot. If as a pilot you subscribe to the ‘bigger is better’ philosophy then perhaps a career as an airline pilot is the one for you. However, there are many interesting careers as a pilot. Although they may be missing the glamour and high salary of a job with the airlines, they can be just as rewarding in other ways.

Airline Pilot
Seen by many as the crème de la crème of pilot careers, landing a job with an airline takes a lot of hard work, determination and financial outlay.  On the plus side there is the kudos, large pay packet and opportunity to fly the largest and most technologically advanced aircraft in the world. A major drawback would be the effect imposed on your family life. You might return from your umpteenth London-New York-LA-New York-London trip to find your family no longer recognise you.

Military Pilot

Lockheed Hercules

If you are as passionate about your country as you are about aviation, the military has many different careers for pilots. Not everybody who joins the air force gets to be Maverick out of Top Gun and fly F-14 Tomcats though. There are pilot jobs transporting troops in aircraft such as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules (shown right), carrying out humanitarian missions or flying search and rescue operations.

Flying Instructor
If you have a desire to shape future generations of pilots, and can remain as calm as a Hindu cow when your pupil gets the mixture and throttle controls the wrong way round, then perhaps you are suited to this pilot career. Many budding airline pilots use this job to build up their flying hours so that they can get the experience needed to be considered by the airlines.

Sea Plane/Float Plane
Out of all the different careers as a pilot this strikes me as being the most interesting as you are no longer confined to the land which means that travel to interesting and remote destinations is possible.  A sea plane is an aircraft designed purely for taking off and landing on water, whereas a float plane is a land plane which has been fitted with floats. Pilots are able to make sea/float plane transitions with 5-10 hours of instruction and if you fancy working out in the Canadian or Alaskan wilderness flying sight-seeing tours, then this is the job for you.

Corporate Jet Pilot

Gulfstream V

Although not as well paid as airline pilots, corporate jet pilots have a greater chance of being able to go back home after a day spent flying business execs and celebrities around the country. If you choose this road to go down, make sure you bring a good book to work with you everyday as there is a lot of waiting around airport lounges for your clients to finish their day’s business. Having said that, take a look at the picture of the Gulfstream (right) – it is such a sexy bit of kit!

Beechcraft King Air

Medivac Pilot
Probably one of the most challenging careers as a pilot, a medivac pilot flies aircraft such as the King Air (shown left) on critical missions supplying medical supplies to remote areas of the world or transporting patients between hospitals. Shifts can last up to 12 hours and you will have no idea where you will be flying to or for how long when you report for duty.

Test Pilot
These pilots have to be the most skilled in the business as they have to fly planes at the edge of the flight envelope and beyond. This is hazardous but vital work as new and overhauled aircraft have to be certified airworthy. Test pilots also have to produce written reports on their findings and make suggestions for improvements. Some test pilots like to really push an aircraft to impossible limits like this pilot did in the 1950’s whilst testing the Boeing 707.

I hope you have enjoyed today’s post. Please feel free to leave comments.

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The theory involved when learning to fly requires a good grasp of Maths and Physics. In fact, many airline training programs in the UK require A-Level Maths and Physics before you would even be considered for an interview. It isn’t that pilots need to know the depth of knowledge study at this level entails, but having these qualifications demonstrates that you will be able to understand the theory for a CPL or ATPL.

If you love flying and have ambitions to become an airline pilot, but enjoy Maths as much as you enjoy bashing your head against a brick wall, have no fear! The most taxing that the Maths will be is GCSE standard trigonometry. If you can understand graphs and do simple calculations in your head, you definitely have enough Maths knowledge to become an airline pilot. The same goes for Physics. You don’t need to understand Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to fly a plane. Knowledge of how radio waves behave and basic mechanics, is more than enough to become a commercial pilot.

There are several universities in the UK and around the world that offer degree qualifications to become a pilot. Kingston University in London offers a foundation degree in Aviation Studies for Commercial Pilot Training which aims to give you all the theoretical knowledge you could ever hope to need, in your career as a commercial pilot.

If you are intent on pursuing a career in flying, focus on building up your flying hours rather than gaining qualifications to be a pilot. It is the number of flying hours which really counts when going for a job, not how many qualifications you have. Sure, having qualifications will not hinder you in any way and anything that proves you have a good aptitude for Maths and Physics, will be a bonus if you want to go down the airline sponsorship route. However, the best qualifications you can get, would be to get out there and start building up hours, and by taking the necessary exams and tests to get your pilot’s licence.

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Wing Stall

When we talk about stalling a plane we are referring to the wing stalling. As the angle of attack of the airflow over the wing increases, the lift generated by the wing increases up to a certain point. When the angle of attack reaches around 16 degrees (for most training aircraft), the airflow over the top of the wing is no longer smooth and breaks down into swirls and eddies, resulting in no lift. Unless the pilot takes action to correct the situation, down she goes!

How To Perform A Stall

Before putting the aircraft into a stall the HASELL checks need to be carried out:
H – Height. If you want a long and enjoyable flying life, make sure you have enough height to recover from a stall – 1500ft AGL minimum.
A – Airframe. Flaps set as required.
S – Security. Hatches and harnesses secure. Make sure there are no loose objects that could dislodge and give you a nasty surprise mid-stall.
E – Engine. Carb heat on to ensure no ice. Set mixture to rich, check engine temperature and pressure then push carb heat back to cold.
L – Location. Use your common sense! Performing a stall over the town centre or airfield is not conducive to a long and happy life.
L – Lookout. Before carrying out the stall, make gentle turns to the left and right and lookout to see if there are any aircraft below you.
After you have done the HASSEL checks, you are now ready to put the aircraft into a stall. This involves closing the throttle and pulling back on the control column to maintain height. As the airspeed drops, you will need to apply more back pressure on the control column to stop the plane from descending. Just before the stall, everything goes quiet and the aircraft will start buffeting due to the partially stalled wing. The stall warning will then sound and shortly after, if you keep applying back pressure, the nose will drop. There may also be a drop in either the left or right wing.

Stall Recovery

To recover from a stall we need to get some airspeed, so push throttle in for full power and push the control column forward. If there has been a drop in either the left or right wing, apply a touch of opposite rudder to correct the situation. NEVER use ailerons as you will exacerbate the situation and send the plane into a spin. Once you are gaining airspeed and are flying straight and level again, you have successfully recovered from a stall.

If you have enjoyed this post or think I have overlooked anything, please feel free to leave a comment. Thank you.

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The Boeing 787

Today Boeing delivered the first 787, a twin-engined, long haul, medium capacity airliner, to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA). Boeing is relying on this super efficient, light weight jet to secure its future, and the aircraft marks a profound shift in the way passenger aircraft are made. It is the first airliner to use composite materials for most of its construction rather than aluminium, which has been the main material used for over a century.

Sonic Cruiser

Sonic Cruiser
In the late 90’s, Boeing was considering developing a delta winged aircraft capable of speeds up to Mach 0.98. The project was shelved in the wake of 9/11, when rising oil prices and an uncertain future for commercial aviation, made the aircraft economically unviable. However, Boeing decided to incorporate some of the technology from the Sonic Cruiser into a more conventional airliner and the Boeing 787was born.

Boeing 787 Specs
The Boeing 787 comes in two variants, the 787-8 and a longer range 787-9.
                                                   787-8                                                                787-9
Length                                       186ft                                                                 206ft
Wingspan                                  197ft                                                                 208ft
Height                                       56ft                                                                    56ft
Empty Weight                    242,000lbs                                                    254,000lbs
Max Take Off Weight        502,500lbs                                                    553,000lbs
Passengers                             210-250                                                         250-290
Cruise Speed                        Mach 0.85                                                       Mach 0.85
Range                                     8000nm                                                           8500nm

Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Dubbed the ‘Dreamliner’ the new Boeing 787 aims to offer passengers a more comfortable flying experience. Because it is made of highly advanced composite materials, cabin pressure can be nearer that of sea level atmospheric pressure. The airliner is also fitted with the largest windows in any commercial jet, and air inside the cabin can be maintained at a higher humidity making the long haul flying experience more comfortable for passengers. Only time will tell if the Boeing 787 truly deserves the name ‘Dreamliner’.
Boeing is gambling on the prediction that demand for a long haul, medium capacity airliner is on the increase, and it seems that many airlines are in agreement. With 821 aircraft on order, it is set to secure Boeing’s future for many years to come. The only comparable airliner the Boeing 787 is in competition with, is the Airbus A-350 due out in 2013, so Boeing are off to a good head start in this sector of the market.
Please feel free to post any relevant comments.

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There are three significant speeds involved during the take off phase which ensure the plane can lift off the runway safely.

V Speeds

In the operation of an aircraft there are many V speeds, but three apply to taking off – V₁, V₂ and VR. These take off speeds provide reference points to help the pilot make decisions about when to rotate or when to abort the take off in the event of an emergency.

V₁ is the maximum speed at which the aircraft can be brought to a stop on the remaining runway. It is a decision speed for the pilot. If there is an engine failure before this speed, the pilot can easily abort the take off and stop on the remainder of the runway. After V₁, things are going to get a little hairy (just joking!)

V₂ is the speed at which the aircraft is able to safely become airborne with one engine inoperative. So if there is an engine failure after V₁ the plane must be accelerated to at least V₂ before rotation.

VR is the speed at which the aircraft’s nose wheel leaves the runway.

The take off phase of flight is finished when the aircraft is in a positive climb and has safely cleared any obstacles in its flight path.

Taking off is a critical phase of flight in which it is essential for procedures to be in place in the event of things going wrong. The take off speed of an aircraft has to be sufficient for flight to take place safely and V₁, V₂ and VR are calculated to ensure all situations are covered in the event of an emergency and to provide pilots with guidelines to ensure they make the right decision in the event of an engine failing.

If you have enjoyed this post, I welcome any relevant comments or information that you think I have missed out.

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Today I am going to skew the view even more by outlining the circumstances concerning the ten worst plane crashes.

1.    KLM/Pan Am – Tenerife

A fatal communication breakdown was one cause of this accident

In March 1977, at Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands, a KLM 747 accelerating down a foggy runway ploughed into a Pan Am 747 which was taxiing down the same runway in the opposite direction. A bomb explosion at nearby Gran Canaria  Airport had resulted in many flights being diverted to Tenerife that day, which added to the work load of the air traffic controllers. The dense fog and the lack of ground radar at the time, meant they could not see what was happening on the runway. After a series of misunderstandings between the aircrew and the controllers, the KLM pilots made an attempt to take off unaware of the Pan Am 747 coming from the other direction. The resulting collision ended up killing 583 people.

2.    JAL – Mt Osutaka

In August 1985 a Japan Airlines 747 suffered an explosive decompression shortly after taking off from Tokyo, and crashed into Mt Osutaka. The air accident investigation traced the cause of the plane crash to a botched repair carried out on the rear pressure bulkhead seven years previously. The repair didn’t conform to Boeing’s safety guidelines and the bulkhead was too structurally weak to withstand the constant cycles of compression and decompression during the aircraft’s service. The explosive decompression severed the planes hydraulic lines rendering it uncontrollable. It crashed killing 520 people.

3.    Saudi Arabian Airlines/Kazakhstan Airlines – Charkhi Dadri

The Charkhi Dadri air disaster was the world's worst mid air collision

This plane crash was the worst mid air collision in history and happened in November 1996 over the village of Charkhi Dadri in India. The Saudi Arabian Airlines 747 had just departed from New Delhi and was travelling along the same airway as the Kazakhstan Airlines Illyushin 76, which was descending in preparation for landing at New Delhi. The pilot of the Kazakhstan jet had descended to below his cleared altitude. In order to correct this error, he applied full throttle to climb, and ended up hitting the left wing of the Saudi 747. The collision killed 349 people. The Kazakhstani pilot’s poor grasp of English was attributed as being the primary cause of the crash.

4.    Turkish Airlines – Paris

In March 1974 a Turkish Airlines DC-10 took off from Paris’ Orly International Airport for a short flight to London’s Heathrow Airport. As the plane was climbing after take-off, the rear cargo door failed causing decompression in the cargo hold. The pressure difference between the cabin and the cargo hold caused the cabin floor to collapse severing the control cables. The pilots were unable to control the aircraft, which crashed into a forest at a speed of 500 mph. In the 1970’s the DC-10 had a poor safety record due to its rear cargo door. It was designed to open outwards because of space limitations in the fuselage. This design flaw meant there was always a possibility of the door being blown out at high altitude. Other large jets such as the Boeing 747 had doors which opened into the fuselage, so when closed, would effectively act like a plug, sealing the door opening. All 346 passengers died in this plane crash.

5.    Air India – Ireland

An Air India Boeing 747 en route from Toronto to Bombay, exploded over Ireland in June 1985 killing all 329 on board.  A Sikh extremist group planted a bomb in a radio which was concealed in a bag and checked in at Toronto airport. The attack was part of a plot by the terrorist group to blow up two Air India planes that day. The other bomb exploded at Tokyo’s Narita Airport before it was loaded into the cargo hold, killing two baggage handlers.

6.    Saudia – Riyadh

In August 1980 a Saudia Lockheed TriStar L-1011 had to return to Riyadh International

The burnt out wreckage of the Saudia L-1011

Airport shortly after departure, after the pilots received cockpit warnings that there was a fire in the rear cargo hold. After making a safe emergency landing, the aircraft came to a stop at the end of the runway. Instead of the Captain ordering an immediate emergency evacuation of the aircraft, the wide bodied jet sat at the end of the runway for three minutes. It is still unclear why this was so. It took the emergency services several minutes to reach the aircraft and when they did there seemed to be no sign of fire anywhere. Still, there was no attempt by the air crew to conduct an emergency evacuation. Several more minutes passed before the emergency ground crew opened a rear door. Shortly after this, the plane burst into flames. All 301 people on board perished, and autopsies revealed the cause of death was from smoke inhalation, meaning the crew and passengers had died long before the rear door was opened.

7.    Iran Air – Strait of Hormuz

In July 1988, an Iran Air Airbus A-300 was shot down by a U.S Navy Missile Cruiser over the Strait of Hormuz. The airliner was on a routine civilian flight from Bandar Abbas in Iran to Dubai, and was carrying 274 passengers all of whom were killed. The attack happened at the tail end of the Iran/Iraq war. The U.S Navy defended their actions by claiming they thought they saw the Airbus attacking an F-14 Tomcat. The United States compensated the victims’ families in 1996 but they have never apologised for the incident.

The doomed DC-10 seconds before it crashed after take off

8.    American Airlines – Chicago

An American Airlines DC -10 lost its left engine on take-off from Chicago. This plane crash in May 1979 added further speculation about the safety of the DC -10, after the Turkish Airlines crash involving a cargo door five years previously (see no. 4).

An engine failure on take-off is a situation pilots are trained to handle. However, the pilots of the American Airlines DC-10 that day were not aware the engine had actually fallen off. When the engine detached, it was propelled over the top of the wing and damaged the hydraulic cables used to operate the aircraft. This caused the leading edge slats on the left wing to retract and increased the wing’s stall speed (the speed at which a wing loses its ability to create lift). As a result, the aircraft ended up flying almost upside down at an angle of bank of 112⁰ and crashed in a field close to the runway.

The air accident investigation attributed the cause to poor maintenance procedures when detaching the engine during a scheduled service. The engine pylon, the component which attaches the engine to the wing, had been damaged and was weakened as a result. 273 died (2 of who were ground fatalities) in the accident making it the deadliest plane crash in U.S history.

9.    Pan Am – Lockerbie

In December 1988, a Pan Am Boeing 747 exploded over the Scottish town of Lockerbie en route between London and New York. Two Libyans were accused of this terrorist attack, which killed a total of 270 people, 11 of who were on the ground.

10.    Korean Airlines – Sea of Japan

A Korean Airlines Boeing 747 was shot down by Soviet fighter aircraft over the Sea of Japan, just east of the Russian coastline, in September 1983. It had strayed off course into Soviet airspace at a time of heightened tensions between the US and the Soviet Union, during the Cold War. This fatal error by the pilots of the Korean jet, resulted in the death of all 269 passengers on board.

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