Category: Tips

SkyDemon and IFR flight

Posted on December 13, 2024 by - Advanced training, GPS, IMC rating, Planning tools, Tips

IRR students often ask “Can I use SkyDemon to navigate on an IMC training flight or test?”

The official and legally correct answer is “No”. SkyDemon is a VFR tool. Only certified,

installed GNSS navigators, such as an IFD550, GTN650 or GNS430 can be used to fly IFR and instrument approaches. Furthermore, the license conditions of SkyDemon expressly forbid its use as a primary means of IFR navigation.

In real-life flying, though, it is prudent to use anything which makes the task easier, provided it is not inherently unsafe or misleading. Many IFR pilots have SKyDemon running in the cockpit as a adjunct to their formal navigation aids.

In what ways can you use SkyDemon to support your IFR planning and flying?

  1. For route planning, use it to generate the data for an IFR PLOG
  2. For situational awareness whilst navigating cross country
  3. To display traffic detected from an external source such as SkyEcho.
  4. To store and call up instrument approach plates from national AIP’s in flight
  5. For situational awareness whilst flying an approach

There are a few set-up steps to be undertaken on your planning computer and in-flight device:

  • Mapping: show Rado Navaids and Airways Reporting Points (these are the 2-syllable, 5-letter names in the database of GNSS navigators)
  • Setup – Planning: ensure that IFR features are turned on (otherwise Instrument plates will not appear when you look at aerodrome information)
  • Setup – Planning: set the MSA calculation to IFR (1000 feet above, 5nm either side of track)
  • Setup – Navigation – set the display to Heading up

For route planning, we can do all the normal stuff to generate a PLOG, check NOTAMs etc. Flying IFR, we may route via Airways reporting points and the SkyDemon PLOG delivers everything you need to know. If we are using VOR radials and distances to achieve a desired route and avoid Controlled Airspace, we might construct these with SkyDemon to get really accurate Track, Heading and Distance. It’s a bit of a faff; I find it easier to draw the lines on a paper chart and measure the radials and DME distance. It’s your choice.

We can use Instrument Approach plates from SkyDemon in 2 ways

  • Simply use your inflight device to display the plates – this necessitates downloading them to your device before flight. In theory, you can use Internet in flight but a 4G or 5G signal is not reliable at 2000 ft.
  • GeoReference the (downloaded) approach plate onto the SkyDemon display by using the ‘Pin’ button. This assists situational awareness but is not accurate enough to fly the approach– they are not a substitute for ILS receiver or certified GNSS navigator onboard!

Give it a try – ideally with a safety pilot onboard. In any event, don’t allow operating SkyDemon to distract you from the task of flying the aeroplane.

Buying an aircraft share – eyes wide open

Posted on April 16, 2024 by - Advanced, Aircraft, Tips

So you’ve got your PPL. Congratulations.  Now you want to buy an aircraft share. What do you need to think about? I’ve tried to summarise key considerations in this blog but the most important advice is to avoid an impulse buy, and get advice – your instructor may be a good starting point n how groups work, and a licensed engineer may be able to help on the technical and mechanical aspects.

Firstly the aircraft – is it what you need?

What is your ‘mission’ and is the aircraft suitable for that. Local bimbling or hour-building on your own, VFR touring with family, IFR training and flights will each set different requirements. If it doesn’t meet your needs, you’ll get frustrated. If it exceeds your requirements by a long way, you are paying for capability you don’t use.

Is it a match for your abilities? A modest step-up is a reasonable ambition, but  a big ‘step-up’ in performance or complexity may require a lot of additional training and mentored flights before you can head off on your own. The insurance company may also set a certain level of experience.

If you are considering something more exotic that a Cessna 172 or a PA 28, do your homework  – find out about handling characteristics, known issues, maintenance costs etc. See and buy before you fly. If you’re starting a group, then follow all the advice about buying an aircraft outright – pre-purchase inspection, through review of maintenance records etc.

Secondly the budget – how much can you afford to spend?

Always buy comfortably within your means. With the best will in the world, there will be unforeseen costs, even in something as routine as a 50 hour check.

In most groups, you will pay a lump sum for your share, a fixed monthly charge to cover fixed costs like hangarage, insurance and annual maintenance, and an hourly rate which typically covers oil, fuel and the 50 hours maintenance checks. But some groups have different arrangements which may be more or less advantageous to a frequent or infrequent user.

Ask how the group funds upgrades and replacements. An inevitable big cost is the periodic engine replacement. Current regulations allow you to run an engine past TBO hours and calendar life, subject to annual checks, but the older an engine gets, the more likely that something can go wrong. A well-run group will put aside money from the hourly rate to contribute to an ‘engine fund’, and may have a fund to replace old tech with new. If that is not the case, I would shy away from an aircraft with a very high hours engine.

If you are the rookie pilot, the insurers may increase the premium and a group may expect you to cover the difference.

Thirdly the group – what is the group ethos? Sharing with like-minded people is important to avoid friction and disappointment later.

What is their attitude to upgrades and non-essential repairs? Are they a group who want to fly as cheaply as possible, and if that means a  scruffy aeroplane, so be it. At the other extreme, are groups owning a cherished asset to be handled with kid gloves. A happy medium is a group which wants their investment to maintain value and are they willing to upgrade things periodically. If your ambitions and skills are different to the others, you may have different views on non-essential repairs, upgrades and investments.

Understand how much  the other group members fly. For you, the ideal might be members who don’t fly much but always pay their bills. On the other hand, several frequent users might impact your plans, and a fair booking system will be essential.

Some groups are highly social, which means potentially you have a buddies with whom to share the cost and pleasure of flying. Does that matter to you? Do they have a preferred instructor for training and checkouts, or better still an instructor who is a group member?

 Fourthly, where is it based?

An aircraft close to home will get flown more than one which is an hour’s drive away. Is the airfield suitable for your kind of flying – do you need access out of hours, the ability to land at night and in all weather? What landing fees are you going to be paying?

Fifthly, understand the group rules

There are many things to consider here…… the group’s currency rules? How are decisions made? Does the group hold regular meetings? What paperwork and log-book keeping do you need to do? How are bookings made? Is there a fair use policy to ensure 1 or 2 people don’t hog the aircraft? Can you sell your share to anyone you choose, or does the group set the sale price and vet potential new members? Who manages the money and maintenance?

Many groups use a first-come first served online booking system but have some proviso to ensure fair use and allow members to take the aircraft away for longer trips.

 

 

A VFR kneeboard reference card

Posted on February 9, 2024 by - Flight Performance and Planning - PPL, Navigation - PPL, Planning tools, Tips

As part of my teaching toolkit, I offer PPL students a VFR reference card which fits on the kneeboard. A few people have expressed interest in it, so I am posting a copy here. Other handy planning aids can be found here and downloaded from here.

One side is for Planning with, for example, a checklist of items to be checked prior to a cross-country flight, the CAA take-off and landing performance factors, some Meteo rules of thumb and common conversion factors.

The other side is an In-flight aide memoire, with handy reminders of VOR intercept techniques, the standard closing angle for regaining track, checklist mnemonics, descent planner and a cross wind / drift estimator.

It’s written for a 90 kt training aeroplane, so will serve well for a Cessna 152 and PA28 Warrior. The original form is customisable for other aircraft speeds through an inbuilt spreadsheet.

Know your approach plates        

Posted on September 30, 2022 by - Advanced, Advanced training, IMC rating, Tips

When flying an instrument approach in a test, you’ll know ahead of time which approach is to be flown and can prepare on the ground. In real life, you may not be able to prepare in advance, so know your way around the plate so that you can extract essential information quickly.

Some pilots use unwieldy and generally unmemorable acronyms to brief the approach. I find that a flow, or visual scan, around the plate is a better way to self-brief. You can use a pen on the plate to highlight key information. The only elements requiring any maths are the approx. descent rate which varies with ground speed, and the all-important minima.

Presentations vary, but here is a ‘flow’ that works for the UK AIP plates.

Do I have to use the whizz wheel?

Posted on September 28, 2022 by - Flight Performance and Planning - PPL, Navigation - PPL, Test, Tips

First a confession. I am a big fan of the flight navigation (dead reckoning) computer, a.k.a. the whizz wheel. Sure, it takes a little investment to learn how to use it, but once over that hurdle, it is fast and accurate.

A bit of history

The ‘flight computer’ was invented in the 1930’s by Lt. Philip Dalton, a US military scientist and US Naval Reserve Pilot. It was portable and intuitive. “Really?”, I hear you say! In those days. slide rules were how mathematical and engineering calculations were performed. They were adopted by the US and UK military and soon made their way into civilian aviation too.

And in the 21st century?

In this digital age, virtually every PPL holder uses app’s on their smartphone for weather, navigation planning and maybe even for weight and balance. So is there an alternative to the whizz wheel in those pesky theory exams? Well yes there is.

An app (and there are many of them!) on a phone or tablet is not acceptable to the UK CAA– the concern here is that it is also a communication device and may hold other apps with which a candidate might cheat.

However, the UK CAA’s exam instructions state that a candidate may use: a “Scientific calculator, or a mechanical navigation slide rule (DR calculator), or an electronic flight computer”. Electronic flight computers were all the rage 20-30 years ago and Sporty’s E6B and ASA’s CX3 are still available, if you have £100 to £150 to spare.

Save your cash

Here’s the solution which several flying schools offer…. Buy Sportys E6B app for your phone and practice with that. It will cost under $10 on Android and a bit more if you insist on using an iPhone or iPad. For the real exam, borrow a Sporty’s E6B electronic computer from your friendly and helpful instructor. The user interface is well-nigh identical. Job done!

2025 edit –  the CAA have now decided that electronic flight computers , in any form, may NOT be used for theory exams. You may still use them in the skills test, but expect to be tested on how they work and alternative manual calculations!

Geo-referenced instrument approach plates

Posted on September 5, 2022 by - Advanced, Advanced training, IMC rating, Tips

Aircraft with sophisticated GNSS (aka GPS) navigators may have approach plates installed in the database. SkyDemon offers a simple way of accessing geo-referenced plates. It uses the AIP plates (whose format varies from one country to another). Geo-referenced? This means that they are displayed to scale, in the right location on the map display.

They are a great aid for situational awareness and for coarse positioning on an instrument approach. They should not be used as a substitute for receiving the relevant radio navigation aid (VOR, NDB, ILS, GNSS) using NAV equipment such as a CDI (Course Deviation Indicator).

Here’s how to go about it:

  1. In Setup, Planning options, enable IFR features
  2. Right click on Airfield, right click on Information
  3. Click on Instrument Plates. Select the plate(s) you want. Green means they are available on your device. On some devices, you may have to click on individual plates to make them available offline
  4. In flight, click on the Airfields tab. Click on the Pin symbol to display the plate you want. It appears to scale on the chart.

LSA’s in Europe (again)

Posted on July 31, 2022 by - Advanced, Aircraft, Official documents, Tips

It’s the middle of summer, with travel plans made or indeed already flown.  I’m returning to the question of permits for UK registered factory built LSA’s (i.e. UK Permit aircraft), which cannot be operated freely in EU members states without specific permissions. Below is a list of the permission requirements and processes for different countries:

SWEDEN – apply at  https://www.transportstyrelsen.se/en/Forms/Aviation/Airworthiness/Application-for-permission-to-fly-within-Swedish-airspace-with-foreign-registered-aircraft-which-has-not-an-approved-ICAO-CoA-or-EASA-Permit-to-fly1/

IRELAND – fill out form 138C: https://www.iaa.ie/docs/default-source/publications/forms/airworthiness-application-forms/awsd-f-138c-rev-2.pdf?sfvrsn=c4ab0df3_20  with copies of Certificate of Registration, UK CAA flight permit, permit conditions (form 18B and the Datasheet). Send to  arc@iaa.ie  If o response, contact Ruth Bagnell, Aeronautical Inspector, Tel.: + 353 1 603 1463, Mob: + 353 87 279 8054, Ruth.BAGNELL@iaa.ie . There is no fee and the permit was for 12 months.

FRANCE – Step 1….. Go to https://redevances.dcs.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/index.php/laissez-passer-permit-to-fly.html/ and select “Validation d’un certificat étranger – MTOW < 5,7. create an account and reply to the confirmation email. Then pay 50 euros online. Take a screenshot of the payment page in case the pdf receipt by email gets lost (it takes several hours). Step 2….. Download, complete and save form LP6. Google “France form LP6” to find it. Step 3…. Send form by email to dsac-nav-bf@aviation-civile.gouv.fr , with relevant aircraft documentation –  “Airworthiness document issued by the State of registry, along with the associated validity certificate and/or operating limitations =  UK Permit, the EASA form 18B and the aircraft Datasheet). Include the receipt for payment. The permit arrives in a few working days. Mine was valid until 7 days before permit expiry, so it’s a once per year exercise.

BELGIUM – go to https://mobilit.belgium.be/en/Temporary_permission_to_fly and download the application form. Fee 108 euros.

NETHERLANDS – use form ILT.231 here . When I applied, permission was refused because my aircraft is not one of the categories covered by the tick boxes on the form. The Dutch allow microlights into their airspace and also amateur built aircraft – both on the basis of the ECAC agreement- but not factory built permit aircraft. We have taken this up with the NL branch of AOPA who are addressing it with the Dutch NAA but there has been no progress.

GERMANY – apply here https://www.lba.de/EN/Operations/EntryPermissions/Restricted_Authorisation.html?nn=2099536. No fee, max 180 days. Two working days notice are required.

 

 

UK LSA to France?

Posted on February 14, 2022 by - Regulation, Tips

This is a bit of a niche topic of interest to owners of factory built (Part 21) LSA aircraft.

The problem

Thanks to a long-standing ECAC agreement, LAA permit aircraft (i.e. amateur built) can be flown in most EASA states – see this LAA document for details.

However, this does not apply to factory-built (Part 21) LSA’s, operated on a UK CAA permit , which pre-Brexit were EASA Permit aircraft.

To fly these outside the UK, you need specific permission from each State. This is one of those unintended consequences of Brexit. The rules and cost for a specific permission vary, but generally you can get a multi-entry permit for the duration of either the insurance or the current UK permit. Here’s how to get a French permit:

Three simple steps

Step 1. Pay the fee here . On the web page, select “Validation d’un certificat étranger – MTOW < 5,7″. You will need to create an account and reply to the confirmation email to activate the account. Pay 50 euros online. Take a screenshot of the payment page in case the pdf receipt by email gets lost (it takes several hours).

Step 2. Download, complete and save form LP6. Google “France form LP6” to find it.

Step 3. Send this form by email to dsac-nav-bf@aviation-civile.gouv.fr , with copies of relevant aircraft documentation. They ask for “Airworthiness document issued by the State of registry, along with the associated validity certificate and/or operating limitations”. I sent the UK Permit, the EASA form 18B and the aircraft Datasheet, which proved sufficient, plus the receipt for payment.

The permit arrives in a few working days. Mine was valid until 7 days before permit expiry, so it’s a once per year exercise.

Other countries?

I’ve not checked extensively but I hear that Germany ‘s LBA will also grant access. Reading their documentation, it appears that the Netherlands authorities will not (I haven’t tried). The Isle of Man has an exemption for UK CAA permits – so no paperwork or permission required. It is not entirely clear whether the exemption in the Republic of Ireland for LAA permit aircraft also applies to UK Part 21 permit aircraft – we have asked the question.

That club check-out – tedious chore or interesting opportunity?

Posted on January 16, 2022 by - Advanced training, Tips

Many clubs have a currency rule of some kind for PPL’s – e.g. a member must fly at least once in 28 days to stay current. After that they need a check-out within an instructor. If just out of check, that may just be a few circuits. If several months, it may include some general handling.

The check-out is often regarded as a tedious formality, but I always aim to make it useful. While checking the pilot’s general flying ability has not deteriorated, it’s also possible to inject something valuable that’s new or forgotten.

For example, within a circuit checkout, after appropriate briefing:

  • A briefing on transponder checks (a hot topic in relation to infringements)
  • A simulated engine fire on start-up
  • A soft field take off (topical at our muddy grass runway in winter)
  • A glide approach from an unusual position
  • Simulated stuck throttle on approach
  • A scenario of partial power after take-off, often (surprise, surprise) culminating in a simulated total engine failure to a glide approach
  • A bad weather circuit
  • Cross wind landing techniques

In a general handling check, a PFL, some stalls and steep turns are generally the norm. We could also include:

  • A bit of VOR tracking out to the local area
  • A practice PAN call to D&D 121.5 to simulate a emergency or being lost
  • A brush up of SkyDemon use.
  • A collision avoidance break (steep turn)
  • Demo (from a safe height) of the height loss after engine failure in a 180 degree turn-back (the height loss is more than most people expect)
  • Flight on instruments when returning from the local area

There are lots of possibilities.

Popular myths & little known facts

Posted on November 8, 2021 by - Air Law - PPL, Aircraft, Chat, Flight Performance and Planning - PPL, IMC rating, Instructors, Regulation, Tips

In my conversations with students during training and PPL holders during rating re-validation, some interesting myths emerge. So let’s put the record straight on a number of air law and licensing questions.

  1. It’s OK to fly outside the W&B (weight and balance) envelope as long as you have checked it’s safe, e.g. by a test take-off on a long runway. FALSE.

The PiC is legally required to assure himself that he is operating within W&B limits. And how would you know it’s safe other than by operating within the limits given in the POH? The manufacturer has worked these things out.

TIP –  It is so easy to calculate W&B, either on paper, spreadsheet or in an app like Skydemon. Consider making a handful of standard calculations – e.g. myself, flight bag + full fuel; myself, flight bag, wife + 90 litres fuel (= MTOM) – to which you can refer.

  1. The bi-annual instructional flight (the ‘1 hour with instructor’) must be done in the last 3 months of rating validity. FALSE.

You can do it any time during the last year of validity. However, the instructor or examiner can only sign your rating revalidation if you have met all the criteria (12 hours, 6 hrs PiC, 12 take-offs etc etc), so you might need to get the signature a bit later.

TIPS – get your 1 hour done early and don’t wait till winter, when the weather can prevent you flying. if you’ve met all the re- validation requirements early in the year, you can get the rating signed off and preserve the dates. There is no fixed agenda for the bi-annual instruction flight. From a ‘duty of care’ standpoint, most instructors will want to revise stalls, steep turns and a PFL, but in principle the instruction can cover anything. Find something that’s useful for you, such crossing CAS, short field techniques, bad weather circuits, night flying, even some instrument flight. The choice is yours and it’s not a test. You can ask the instructor to teach or demo something, or perform the manoeuvre yourself.  

  1. If I forget to get my rating re- validated by signature, I can always ask an examiner or any instructor to back-date it. FALSE.

The signature must be made before rating expiry date. And if it’s an instructor signing, ONLY the instructor who did your 1 hour of instruction is entitled to sign (don’t ask me why) although ANY examiner can do so.

TIPS – enter your revalidation dates in your diary – at least one month ahead of time. Get the signature at the time of the instructional flight, if at all possible.

  1. In order to accumulate IFR hours towards a CB-IR, I can record all my flights in VMC as IFR. FALSE.

You can only fly IFR (even in VMC) if you are qualified to fly IFR, i.e. hold either an IR or (IR(R) (the UK IMC rating).

  1. I can fly a 3-axis microlight on a PPL(A) and the hours count towards the 12 hours required for SEP re-validation. TRUE.

BUT….. in order to do so, you must first undergo differences training (by a microlight instructor) and get this signed off in your log-book. AND… for SEP re-validation, the 1 hour with an instructor must be in a SEP, not in a micro-light.

  1. If I hold SEP and TMG ratings, I can re- validate both with 12 hours etc flight time in the last 12 months, on both or either class. TRUE.

The hours are in effect inter-changeable. BUT… be careful. If your TMG and SEP ratings have different expiry dates, you must accumulate the hours and get the signatures while both are still valid.  If either of them expires, you must take a test (an LPC) on the expired class.

  1. If I enter controlled airspace by accident by less than 0.5 nm, or less than 100 feet, it won’t be recorded as an infringement. FALSE

Entering CAS without clearance, by any distance or height – however small – is an infringement and you can expect the CAA to take some kind of action against you. Airspace infringements are what are called ‘strict liability offences’, i.e. intent is irrelevant. All the authority has to do is to show – on the balance of probabilities – that you infringed. Evidence includes their radar and your transponder mode C output. Arguing that your transponder is inaccurate won’t wash, unless can get an engineer’s report to prove the mis-calibration.

TIPS – Why fly that close to CAS and risk it? Apply the Take 2 Rule – remain 2 nm away from and at least 200 ft (I prefer 300 ft) below CAS.  Do a transponder calibration check before flight: set your altimeter to 1013 and check it agrees with the transponder FL display.

  1. I am allowed 45 days leeway to fly after my medical expires. FALSE.

You can do the medical 45 days before expiry and preserve the dates, but you cannot fly after it has expired. However……

TIP –  a Class 2 medical lapses into a LAPL medical on expiry. So depending on what you are doing, you might be able to fly on LAPL privileges after the Class 2 expiry date. But LAPL privileges will also expire eventually and LAPL privileges carry further restrictions (aircraft weight, number of passengers, no night or instrument flight etc).

  1. If in my bi-annual instruction flight, I fly quite badly, the instructor can refuse to sign-off the flight in my logbook. FALSE.

He / she must sign it. But they may make an annotation ‘Further training recommended’, and they will discuss with you what additional training is needed. You would be well-advised to pay heed!

TIP – use the instructional flight to practice something you wouldn’t normally do and as an opportunity to get some (almost free) advice. Consider booking the instructor for a couple of hours so that you have time for a thorough briefing and for subsequent discussion.

  1. A listening squawk entitles me to enter Controlled Airspace. FALSE.

A Listening squawk merely signifies that you are listening on a particular frequency. You are not getting a service nor a clearance. You might reasonably expect ATC to warn you if you get too close to CAS, but that’s not guaranteed (if they are very busy, for example).

TIP – make sure you have set the corresponding frequency and have the radio volume turned up enough. Listen out in case they call you up, either by call-sign or by ‘aircraft in the vicinity of …..’