Welcome to the Safety Section of the Flying Clubs Newsletter, Club Connector!
Every month we provide resources for flying club safety officers to keep their clubs informed and safe. We include links to PowerPoint presentations (and smaller PDFs) that we use at our own meetings, so there is always a topic ready for your club’s next safety meeting. Along with the presentations, we also provide links to relevant articles, videos, and other media that you may also find useful. You can find this month’s safety article and the full archive, here: https://youcanfly.aopa.org/flying-clubs/flying-club-newsletter/safety
So, let’s get on with this month’s safety topic!
December Safety Topic of the Month: Overreliance on Automation
Click here to download the PowerPoint presentation
Background:
In this month’s safety topic, we will talk about how flight data recorders and cockpit data recorders don’t only apply to the airline world. Why would we ever need to record or monitor information from our flight? Our airplane is 50 years old! Let’s start with the reasoning behind part 121 world monitoring. Decades ago, aircraft typically had flight engineers onboard to monitor engine stats. This could be done simply by writing it in a log. Nowadays, passenger airliners can record everything. Sensors all over the aircraft, cockpit data recording, flight data recording, and cameras onboard. This brings accountability to the pilots onboard as well as the ability for airlines and mechanical teams to look for lingering or soon to be problems on the ground. In the general aviation world, cameras onboard the aircraft and cockpit voice recorders probably aren’t the most needed piece of equipment. Especially given the light useful loads that single engine and light twins provide. There are many options for equipment onboard that really do it all…or at least, allows the pilot in command to monitor the engine on a much closer level inflight. According to the FAA, many pilots tend to have unreasonable expectations for their aircraft. This could lead to complacency in allowing problems to grow.
Learning Points:
Other Safety Resources:
Here is a reminder of just some of the safety resources available to all pilots:
FAASTeam:
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 search options to narrow down to say, flight activities for a basic phase of WINGS, and you’ll be able to find a syllabus and often a worksheet for various flight activities. Use WINGS to keep you proficient and think of the flight activities as a progressive flight review—earnt over 12-months, rather than at the end of 24-months.
Wait…you don’t do WINGS?
That’s a big shame—you are missing out on a free pilot proficiency program that will help you enjoy your flying even more, allow you to earn a flight review every 12 months just by flying, and may provide insurance discounts.
The FAASTeam WINGS pilot proficiency program is the best way for general aviation pilots to ensure they are competent, confident, and safe in their flight operations. Oh, and being perpetually proficient will save you money in the long run.
If you are interested in using the FAASTeam WINGS program for your personal flying or with your flying club, create an account on the FAASTeam website, http://www.faasafety.gov, and explore the collection of courses and flight activities. Also, feel free to contact me (Cade Halle, WINGS Representative), and I’d be pleased to walk you through the program. More on “WINGS for Clubs” can be found here in Flying Clubs Radio Episode 8 and the May 2020 Question of the Month.
Other FAA Resources:
Don’t forget to regularly revisit these FAA safety gems, as new material is frequently added:
AOPA Air Safety Institute:
https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/air-safety-institute
AOPA’s Air Safety Institute (ASI), which by the way is funded by the AOPA Foundation just like the Flying Clubs Initiative, is packed with exceptional content, including exceptional videos, podcasts, accident analysis, online courses, recorded webinars and more. Completing ASI activities may also earn WINGS credits. Of particular interest to flying club safety officers is the updated Safety to Go section. There, you can download a selection of topics, each coming with PowerPoint slides and speaker’s notes!
