Welcome to the Safety Section of the Flying Clubs Newsletter, Club Connector!
Each month we provide resources for flying club safety officers so that they can keep their clubs informed and safe. We also include links to the FAASTeam Topic of the Month PowerPoint slides providing talking points for your next safety brief. Along with the slides, we often provide links to relevant articles, videos, and other media that you may also find helpful. To learn more about this section, be sure to check out Episode 15 and 15b of Flying Clubs Radio!
If you are interested in using the FAASTeam WINGS program with your flying club, feel free to contact Steve, who is a Lead Representative and WINGSPro, and uses the program in his club.
More on WINGS for Clubs can be found here in Flying Clubs Radio Episode 8 and the May 2020 Question of the Month.
Before we get to this month’s Topic of the Month, let’s do a quick reminder of just some of the resources available to all pilots:
- The FAASTeam website is the portal to a vast array of courses, videos, links, and much more. Remember that WINGS not only encompasses “knowledge” activities, but also flight activities. Use the various search options to narrow done, to, say flight activities for a basic phase of WINGS and you’ll be able to find a syllabus and often a worksheet for each flight activity.
- AOPA’s own Air Safety Institute, which by the way, is funded by the AOPA Foundation just like the You Can Fly program, is packed with amazing content, including exceptional videos, podcasts, accident analysis, online courses, recorded webinars and more. Completing these activities may also earn WINGS credits. Of particular interest to flying club safety officers is the recently updated Safety to Go section. Here, you can download a selection of topics, each coming with PowerPoint slides and speaker’s notes!
Alright then, let’s get on with this month’s safety topic!
July Topic of the Month: Takeoffs and Landings
Background:
A stabilized approach is a key feature to a safe approach and landing. Operators are encouraged by the FAA and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to use the stabilized approach concept to help eliminate CFIT. The stabilized approach concept is characterized by maintaining a stable approach speed, descent rate, vertical flightpath, and configuration to the landing touchdown point.
Takeoff and Landing Considerations
- A recent count of aircraft accidents by Phase of Flight indicates that 45% of accidents happen during Takeoff (14%) and Landing (31%).
- It is important to know your AIRPORT including such information as: proper pattern, field elevation, runway lengths, temperature & humidity, wind speed and direction, and departure obstacles.
- It is important to know your AIRCRAFT including weight and balance, V speeds, expected aircraft performance, Go/No go criteria and your expected ground roll data for takeoff. And for landing flap and gear speeds and expected landing distances.
- It is important to know YOUSELF, an accurate assessment of your health and well-being are essential to safe flight. This would include establishing personnel minimums based on recent experience and current certifications.
- Non-stabilized approaches are one of the leading causal factors of Loss of Control accidents
- A Stabilized Approach is defined as on the correct flight path with only small corrections required, on speed +10/-5 knots, on glide slope / VASI or constant rate of descent not above 1000 fpm, in the landing configuration, and Landing checklist complete
- Know your Go-around and Missed Approach procedures and practice them so you can make a timely confident decision.
July Topic of the Month: Takeoffs and Landings
