Who's the boss?

Don't get me wrong, airplanes with no autopilot can always be trimmed - a poor person's autopilot! On the ailerons, elevators and rudder (the three flight control surfaces) there are often "trim tabs." Using wheels inside of the cockpit, a pilot can trim their airplane so that it flies straight and level. That's fine as long as you want to just fly straight and level. What about turns, climbs and descents, etc? More sophisticated airplanes (or at least avionics packages) can practically do an entire flight from start to finish. Unfortunately, it can cause a pilot to become lazy. It takes good control touches to level out at an altitude and adjust the power simultaneously so passengers don't even realize it's being done. Also, pilots must monitor the autopilot - since it's only as good as what's entered in there (just like any computer: garbage in, garbage out).

Ultimately, what the airplane does is ultimately the responsibility of the pilot in command (PIC). If the autopilot isn't programmed correctly, the airplane could fly the incorrect routing. If this creates a problem with air traffic control, the pilot could get "violated:" like getting a traffic ticket for pilots. It's no excuse to say that it's the autopilot's fault. The PIC must operate the airplane safely and correctly, and that includes the operation of the autopilot.

For example, say a pilot isn't able to complete an instrument approach into an airport and she has to execute the missed approach. Since she studied the missed approach in case this happened, she knows that she must fly straight ahead until 1000 feet above ground level (agl) and then turn left to a 300 degree heading, then climb to 2000ft agl. If she didn't program in a climb to 2000ft, the airplane may level off at 1000ft. As soon as the pilot realizes that the airplane isn't climbing to 2000ft, she MUST correct this - whether it is to quickly reprogram the autopilot or to disengage the autopilot to do what she is required to do. This is something that is looked for on checkrides: does the pilot have an awareness of where she is, where she's going and is she ready to make corrections immediately (some people will look at the autopilot in confusion, saying, "what's it doing?" until it's too late - hopefully busting the checkride will be the only consequence). Yes, it is said that pilots are almost now just "systems managers!"

I saw a great example in AvWebFlash:

Short Final

Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air"

I was doing practice approaches when I heard approach control contact another aircraft on a similar mission:

Controller:"N1234, what are your intentions after this approach?"

N1234:"I'll be missed approach, and I'd like vectors to the ILS 36."

Controller:"Missed approach instructions: Climb to 2800 and direct to the VOR."
[... sometime later ...]

N1234:"Approach, N1234 is missed approach direct to the VOR. Request vectors for the ILS 36."

Control:"Turn right to 1-1-0 degrees, vector for the ILS. Maintain 2800 feet. I'm showing you at 3400 feet."

N1234:"Descending to 2800. I'm sorry. I'm having a discussion with the auto-pilot as to which of us is actually pilot-in-command."

John Steinervia e-mail


Autopilot is great - although I have flown airplanes without an autopilot, nothing beats cruise control on long flights!

Flying and Pregnancy

I know I haven't been posting lately. My employer is keeping me busy flying!

I did receive an email from someone asking:

I have a good question to ask you, I dont know if you might know the answer to it but here it goes. One of my aunts was telling me today that she heard on the news that many women pilots have to face a decision on wether they want to be pilots or be a mother, reason being because they were saying that studies show that when a women flies in high altitudes it messes up their menstrual cycle and when this happens it cuts down their chances to be mothers to 50%. Is this true? Im curious to know if its true and why I have never heard this before. I kind of dont believe it but then again i dont know.

I did a little quick research (I'm a pilot, not a doctor), and have posted what I found. Do you have any experience being a pilot and pregnant? Visit the message board and let us know.

Today's Quiz

While I was in San Diego for the Women in Aviation conference, I went to the San Diego Air and Space Museum. There, I came across this display for Jacqueline Cochran.

From the WASP on the Web (the source for information on the Women's AirForce Service Pilots):

JACQUELINE COCHRAN: Founder and Director of the WASP.
Rags to riches doesn't even begin to describe her story. As her husband describes the picture below, it's "the little girl in the center surrounded by some of the women she made herself into during her lifetime." From barefoot girl stealing chickens to decorated pilot dining with kings, queens, presidents, pashas and premiers, Jacqueline Cochran was truly one-of-a-kind. She went from sweeping up the beauty parlor to founding her own successful cosmetics company. She worked as a shampoo girl and a dancer, had a audience with the Pope, was best friends with Amelia Earhart and was founder and
Director of the Women's Airforce Service Pilots--the WASP. She played poker with Jimmy Doolittle, was the first woman to enter Japan after World War II,
witnessed General Yamashita's surrender in the Philippines and the trials at Nuremberg, and flew to England and convinced General Eisenhower to run for
President (and she was a Democrat!).

But here's the quiz part. Do you see the shiny items in the bottom left of the top picture? Here's a closer view. They're a pair of brass, strap-on, ... well, whats? They look like they are put on over the heels of boots, with a protusion in the back with slots as if to fit over something. My cousin, who is really into aviation, though not a pilot, had not a clue. I thought they might be for flying high performance aircraft - so that during manuevers the pilot's feet wouldn't slip off the pedals.

Any insight, anyone?

Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum

I just heard about this Compton, CA, organization because of some of their students making a world record:

On March 15. 2008 TAM's young pilots will break more world records in Aviation. Witness this event. For the press release on this event or to read more about these young pilot's historical attempt, Click Here »

But there's more at Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum:

Learn To Fly At The World's First Non-Profit Flight School

Imagine, if you will, The Ultimate Flight School. The "Top Gun" of civilian flight training where you receive the best instruction in the industry while helping a child to achieve their dream of becoming a pilot. Boy have you come to the right place!!

We have brought together all of the proper elements to provide you with the most thrilling, rewarding, and complete aviation experience possible. We think the combination of seasoned professional instructors, clean, well maintained equipment, a wide variety of standard & exotic aircraft, state of the are facilities, and a staff that is focused on the same goal of providing excellent customer service is the right one for unparalleled satisfaction.The Aero Squad is based at Compton Woodley Airport, 961 West Alondra Blvd., Compton, CA, 90220. Click here for directions This school is a branch of Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum, a 501(c)3 non-profit educational institute that integrates youth mentoring with aviation, community involvement, outreach and social action. The museum is a dynamic integral part of the community serving the children, young adults and their families.

The Aero Squad is designed to fill the needs of potential pilots all across the United States and we will be opening new locations in towns across the country. All of the locations operate under one central management team who all share a passion for satisfied customers and helping the young adults of our communities.

There is also a mentoring program, Positive Vibrations Youth Mentoring Program

A Different Kind of Outreach Program; Positive Vibrations is a unique youth mentoring program that utilizes positive and constructive initiatives to teach and assist parents and teachers to motivate and inspire youth to reach their maximum potential.

Community Outreach

I am on my way to go give a presentation at a local (Cleveland suburb) elementary school. As a professional pilot, I enjoy speaking to girls about what I do and why I love it! I hope to inspire girls to consider all of their available opportunities (not just flying). At the Women in Aviation conference we put together a little video of other women talking about the same things - it will be on the website soon.

However, if you are in the Northeast Ohio area and interested in a Girls With Wings presentation (or elsewhere in the country I can locate a volunteer - like the two other pilots in this picture - willing to speak), please contact me.

Thank you!

The Women in Aviation Conference

Once again, I am humbled by the willingness of others to help me pursue the mission of Girls With Wings. You have not heard from me lately because I don't like to announce when I'm out of town, but I am just returning from the Women in Aviation Conference in San Diego, CA. My group of volunteer workers (from left to right) are: Monika, who I am now coordinating with to promote her documentary, "Flyabout," an inspirational tale of her 30 day trip around Australia in an airplane. Then Adrienne, a Continental Airlines pilot; me; Dave, Kim's boyfriend and charter pilot; Kim, future C5 pilot and USAF Officer; and Kristina, pilot and loving mom of a GWW model!

This was truly the best WAI conference I've been to yet. I don't know if it was an East Coast v. West Coast thing (it was sunny but still cold for CA!), but there was a lot of positive energy and enthusiasm here. Thank you to all that stopped by the booth to talk and who also purchase GWW merchandise to help fund the GWW website and program. Thanks also to my cousin Mike and his family for helping me with merchandise shipping and receiving - at their house - and getting me back to the airport.

A 1st: the Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to a woman

I couldn't let this pass by - given it's the month of the woman!

Michelle Goodman's Historic Distinguished Flying Cross

For the first time, the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) has been awarded to a woman, Flight Lieutenant and helicopter pilot Michelle Goodman, 31, of the Royal Air Force. Flight Lieutenant Goodman earned the medal by last June flying her Merlin helicopter through heavy fire and mortar rounds into the center of Basra, Iraq, at night to rescue a seriously injured soldier. She flew at 160 mph at very low level across a hostile city using night vision goggles; her aircraft was hit with enemy fire and she executed an approach and landing at an unfamiliar landing site that was taking mortar fire and shrouded in swirling dust. Goodman kept the aircraft on the ground for a full five minutes as her crew retrieved the injured rifleman. She then flew her aircraft, which detected a missile threat and automatically launched countermeasure flares, through a path covered very closely with friendly artillery fire to distract enemy forces. Flight Lieutenant Goodman could have elected not to take on the mission at all, determining that it required too much risk, "But if it was me lying down there," she told The Daily Mail, "I'd like to think there was someone prepared to come and get me."

The aircraft touched down at a British Field Hospital 14 minutes after launch. Before the flight, Goodman had asked her crew if they were up to the task and they agreed. Without Goodman's leadership, and her Incident Reaction Team, the wounded man would have died within 15 minutes. Goodman has completed three tours in Iraq. The DFC is one of the highest military decorations offered, below only the Victoria Cross and Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.

The heroism gives me goosebumps - for all of the troops. They are always in my thoughts.

Happy International Women's Day!

I couldn't let this day go by - a special day within Women's History Month (and yes, there is an International Men's Day!).


India is celebrating with an all women flight on International Women's Day
--> All women flight on International Women's Day-->
Sat, Mar 8 08:16 PM
Chennai, March 8 (IANS) On the occasion of the International Woman's Day, an all women-operated Air India flight left Chennai Saturday for Colombo. A press statement here said captain M. Deepa and Flight Officer N.R. Veda Bakavati flew flight number IC 573/574 to the Sri Lankan capital. Besides Deepa and Veda Bakavati, airhostesses Upasana, Nancy, Shreyas, Dhanpreet and Maya completed the all female crew who greeted the woman passengers on the flight with rose buds to mark the day.

There is a website devoted to International Women's Day. Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate their achievements. While there are many large-scale initiatives, a rich and diverse fabric of local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.

Special Messge for Ohio High Schoolers/Aviation Enthusiasts

Date = Wednesday, April 2, 2008.
Title = 121st Air Refueling Wing 2008 Job Shadow Day
Location = Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base
Description = The purpose is to introduce area high schools students to Air National Guard career options in Central Ohio. We are honored to showcase potential job opportunities at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base.

We anticipate a full day of activity including:
10:00 am– 10:20 am Arrival, Welcome, Introductory Briefings
10:20 am-12:15 am Shadow sponsor in the workplace
12:15 pm-12:45 pm Sack lunch eaten at the dining hall while visiting with sponsor
12:45 pm- 1:20 pm Tour KC-135 and “job fair-like” table top displays of various jobs
1:20 pm– 1:30 pm Bus pickup

Eligible youth include those who:
1. are in 9th to 12th grade,
2. have demonstrated maturity and good judgment,
3. are US citizens,
4. speak English, and
5. have no serious legal offenses.

Potential job shadow experiences include those in administration; public affairs, fire fighting, pilots, aircraft maintenance, personnel, life support equipment, logistics, civil engineering, security forces, computer technology, audio- visual, weather, and/or finance. For more information about our wing, please review the video at http://mycooljob.org/shadow/refuel.

Although we cannot guarantee we will be able to honor every student’s first choice job shadow experience, we would appreciate each attendee completing the enclosed RSVP form. Participants will be accommodated on a first come first serve basis as space will be limited.

Location = Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base (Columbus, OH)

For more information = SMSgt John Schmitt, (614)492-3572 or (614)348-3801. Please RSVP no later than March 19, 2008 via email at John.Schmitt@ohcolu.ang.af.mil.

Read Memo/RSVP.

See all other events on the Girls With Wings calendar.

Advice for an eZine reader...

With the message board back up and running, I would like to encourage everyone to post questions to the board so that all may have an opportunity to respond. New people joining the board would love to hear from you!

The best resource out there is all of us, combining our collective knowledge....

For example, I received this question:

Do you know anyone who has taken an excellent accelerated training program in
Florida to obtain the private pilot license? I want someone who can tell
me her experience and its upsides and downsides.

There is no way I
can complete this staying here in --. Too many obligations (work, family,
etc.) and crappy weather. I’m going to have to bite the bullet, crack into
investments and give up 2-3 weeks of needed income, and “just do it.” I
need the best, most effective program in existence in a reasonable climate near
friend with whom I can stay (or a cheap motel).

Please visit the message board to post your advice!
Lynda

Crosswind landings

Wind strength and direction is so important to a pilot. Tailwinds (those coming from behind us) are usually good - they push us to where we are trying to go, getting us there faster. However, tailwinds are NOT good on takeoffs or landings.

According to AOPA (Airplane Owner and Pilots Association):

Don't underestimate the effect of tailwinds--no matter how small--on either takeoff or landing. Not only do they cause an airplane to use more runway in both situations, but on takeoff they'll also flatten the climb angle, which may hamper your aircraft's ability to clear obstacles. In addition, a quartering tailwind makes a tailwheel airplane difficult to control. If landing runway length is even remotely a factor, as little as two knots on the tail can take away your margin, so landing on, or near, the numbers (at the beginning of the runway) becomes critical. The best remedy is to avoid takeoffs or landings in tailwinds of any kind.

Headwinds are not desirable during the cruise portion of the flight, but they work to pilots' advantage on takeoffs and landings, increasing airplane performance and decreasing the amount of runway used. I would say "needed" except most pilots do not PLAN for the headwind (landing on a shorter runway), but just take the headwind's benefit as a bonus during landing. One wouldn't want to plan on a headwind and then have the winds suddenly die down or shift directions.

Speaking of shifting directions, what if the wind is not straight down the runway? It is then called a crosswind. Most airplanes have a maximum crosswind limitation (often 20-30 knots). An airplane compensating for a crosswind has to "crab" into the wind so it can continue to travel in the intended direction. To imagine what I'm talking about say you have to swim across a river. If you pick a point directly across from you, you will end up farther down the bank than you had intended because of the current pushing you UNLESS you swim an appropriate amount upstream to compensate for the speed of the river.

On takeoffs and landings, crosswinds can be a little tricky. Beginning pilots (and experienced pilots) practice and have to pay a lot of attention to the effect of the crosswind.

AOPA again:

The most commonly taught crosswind landing technique is the cross-control, or wing-low landing. The pilot slips the airplane to the runway with just enough cross control to keep the aircraft aligned with the centerline. Remember that
the ailerons control the airplane's lateral movement. Use them to counteract the downwind drift caused by the crosswind and put the airplane on the runway centerline. Use the rudder to align the airplane's longitudinal axis with the runway centerline -- keep the nose pointed straight down the runway. (The pilot transitions from a "crab" to a "slip" right above the runway so the airplane will land straight down the runway - to not land on the gear while going sideways.)

Remember that all control forces will change during the transition from final approach to the end of the roll out. Wind direction and speed often change with altitude, and the control deflections required to maneuver the aircraft will increase as the aircraft's speed decreases. In general, you'll need to increase the aileron and rudder deflection as the aircraft speed decreases. Don't release your control inputs once the wheels are on the runway. The wind still affects the airplane, and you need to use the appropriate control inputs all the way to the tie down.

Would you like an illustration? Here is a video of a large Lufthansa jet landing with a major crosswind. Watch how much the airplane is "crabbing." It almost looks like it should be flying to your left, but it is coming straight towards you. Then at the last minute the pilot tries to slip - but the wind is so strong that it exceeds the maximum crosswind component for the airplane. The wingtip even touches the ground! http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080303/ap_on_re_eu/germany_rough_landing

The Message Board is Back!

There are so many times where I am amazed by the kindness of others. I am flying with a great Captain this week, who took time last night to research a problem I was having with the Girls With Wings message board. Thanks to him, you can now once again register and post messages. Finally, a place specifically for women and girls to talk Flying, Education, Scholarships, and to explore our opportunities. Let's inspire each other!

Mike with his daughters (from left) Ashley, Elizabeth, and Angel with their "First Flight" Certificates.

Brenda - Girls With Wings Scholarship Winner!

Hi all,

You've seen Brenda on here before, but I thought I would call to your attention the journal Brenda has started on http://www.girlswithwings.com/.

Brenda was the winner of the First Annual GWW scholarship, receiving an award to help pay for her flying lessons. She is also studying at San Jose State University, majoring in aviation, so she is well suited to share her experiences not only with flying, but also with everything else she is learning in her classes!

For example, Brenda just made a visit to Oakland Center, which is "shorthand" for saying Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center (or ARTCC). See her pictures and read about her adventures!

So, what is an ARTCC and why do we care?

The United States Federal Aviation Administration defines an ARTCC as "[a] facility established to provide air traffic control service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within controlled airspace, principally during the en route phase of flight."

If you think of talking to ATC (Air Traffic Control) as layers of a cake, ARTCC is the at the top. When a pilot begins to go on a flight, she has to talk to a series of controllers.


In order (normally and simplified):


1. She gets her clearance from one frequency, and then once her flight plan is activated, she talks to ground so that she can taxi out to the runway.


2. She switches to tower to get her takeoff clearance.


3. She talks to departure (also called TRACON or Terminal Radar Approach CONtrol) as she climbs up to 10,000 feet.


4. She talks to center as she reaches the higher altitudes enroute to her destination.


5. During her descent, she talks to approach (like departure).


6. Then tower, to get her landing clearance.


7. Then ground, to get to her parking.





Would you like to know more? See Wikipedia's Air Traffic Control.

Weather Issues

Hi All,

I am in the Atlanta area, waiting to get down to southern Florida to pick up a passenger. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating with our plans. We use a WSI (not sure what it stands for) computer terminal shown to the right.

WSI Pilotbrief provides a complete solution including WSI NOWrad® national and regional radar, radar summary charts, high-resolution satellite imagery, plotted SIGMETS, AIRMETS, and more. It's the choice of the nation's top FBOs, FAA Flight Service Stations and corporate flight departments.

Our picture is shown to the left. As you can see, there is a white box shown between Atlanta and Miami. The white boxes signify a SIGMET.

Wikipedia: SIGMET, or Significant Meteorological Information, is a weather advisory that contains meteorological information concerning the safety of all aircraft. There are two types of SIGMETs, convective and non-convective. The criteria for a non-convective SIGMET to be issued are severe or greater turbulence over a 3000 square mile area, or severe or greater icing over a 3000 sq mile area or IMC conditions over a 3000 sq mile area due to dust, sand, or volcanic ash.

A Convective SIGMET is issued for convection over the Continental U.S. Convective SIGMETs are issued for an area of thunderstorms affecting an area of 3000 sq miles or greater, a line of thunderstorms at least 60 nm long, and/or severe or embedded thunderstorms affecting any area that are expected to last 30 minutes or longer.

Above and to the left are closer pictures. The one to the left has red boxes - which signifies tornado watches! Sorry they're hard to see, that's the flash of the camera.

This weather system hit us early this am in Atlanta, and has been moving slowly across the country. The weather picture on the computer can be "looped" so you can see the movement over time. It gives pilots a good idea of how fast the system is moving, and if it's building or lessening. This colorful one is generating severe thunderstorms (hail, turbulence, high wind gusts). Green is light rain, and as the colors go from there to yellow to red (there's even purple), the precipitation (and associated storm characteristics) get worse. Flying through yellow is uncomfortable. Red is bad. Purple, well, we don't want to go there. Ever. (Of course, there are people who fly through storms for a living. That's not my gig.)

So, we're continuing to analyze, to see if the storm will break up or move on by (it hasn't been moving very fast). Remember how I said in a previous post that "we're going to go eventually anyway?" We have a couple of options in such situations. We can either pick our way through and around, or wait. Sometimes it pays to stay safely on the ground!

I know our passenger is restless, wanting to be on his way. Unfortunately, this is a safety issue. There's been reports of severe turbulence (again, severe turb is NOT to be flown through). We can't do that much deviating either, because it burns up so much fuel. We may risk painting ourselves into a corner. Again, people pay pilots to keep them safe. It's our job.

WomenFly!

I have been asked to help find mentors to participate in this event. Can you help?

About WomenFly!
A Special Event for Young Women Interested in Aviation and Aerospace Careers
Audience: Young women (ages 13 - 19) interested in careers in aviation and aerospaceDate: Friday, March 7, 2008Time: 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
There will be an additional Women Fly! panel discussion held on Saturday, March 8, 2008, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm.
Women Fly! brings professional women in aviation to the Museum to share their career stories and life experiences with young women who are interested in aviation and aerospace careers.
Women Fly! is an annual event in support of The Museum of Flight’s public education mission.
The specific purposes of the Women Fly! event are:
To celebrate the significant contributions women have made and continue to make to the progress of aviation and aerospace;
To give young women who have an interest in aviation or aerospace careers the opportunity to interact with successful, professional women in those fields.
If you have additional questions, check the FAQs, e-mail, or call 206-768-7141.

Winter Weather

I've had a few emails lately from the scholarship applicants, frustrated with the winter weather, as it is delaying their progress toward their pilots' licenses. (Not everyone, however - Congratulations Cindy!).

Tongue in cheek, I replied to one:
We "professional" pilots - those that fly all the time, often joke: why should I look at the weather? It's not like we're NOT going to go... I know for training it's kind of tough working around the weather, but soon there will be very few weather events that will prevent you from going anywhere. Thunderstorms, icing, high winds, etc., at your destination, will eventually move on. Enroute, you just navigate around (or fly above) the icky stuff (thanks to some great in-flight weather radar and alert Air Traffic Controllers). Of course, we DO check the weather, not just because the FAA says we have to, but because it's the safe thing to do.

So why was your last commercial flight so late due to storms? Well, a large storm can funnel a lot of traffic into a smaller space. There are "arrival procedures" into airports coming from N, S, E, and W, and some of those may be shut down, forcing more airplanes to use fewer procedures. The same is true for "departure procedures." And even though a storm may be no where near your destination, the airlines have a domino effect. Late aircraft can send a ripple throughout the entire country!

Ragged Edge

For those of you that don't recognize the picture from yesterday's post, that is Maj Jill Long, of "Ragged Edge" fame. Yes, she is a Girl With Wings, so you can read more about her on the website. She and I have also agreed to support each other's missions of promoting aviation to girls. So the GWW logo will now be on her stunt plane! (May be the closest I ever get again to flying upside down.) See her website at http://www.raggededge.us/


Jill “Raggz” Long has been flying since she was 16. She is perhaps the most passionate aviatrix of the day. Her love of flying is tangible and obvious from the moment you see her “become one” with her aircraft. Her aviation passion is infectious and an inspiration anyone who has had the opportunity to glimpse her world. She has lived by the motto, ‘Never take “no” for an answer' and “Follow your dreams” and it has served her well.


Raggz has flown everything from the A-10 Thunderbolt aka the “Warthog” or “Tank Killer" to the venerable Taylorcraft. She has more than 3000 hours of flight time and has slipped the surly bonds of earth from such austere locations as Afghanistan to the more welcoming climes of Puerto Rico...but her favorite piece of sky remains over the good old USA.


She first fell in love with "those flippy things" (aka Aerobatics) when she took to the skies with her life-long mentor and friend Ralph Riddell in his RV-4. The passion for “anti-gravitational” endeavors hasn't stopped. Her current love is, of course, the nimble Pitts S2B.


Born in Michigan and raised in Oregon, Jill has called many places home; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Boise, Idaho; Portland, Oregon; the United Kingdom; South Korea; Tucson, Arizona; and Columbia, SC... she, and husband Chuck, are currently hanging their chocks in Wichita Falls.


She has been involved in the Women Soar program at Oshkosh (July 28- Aug 3), WI. EAA has published a page on her as well.

When she was 6 years-old, Jill Long, (EAA 721591) was at an air show and remembers telling her mother that someday she would perform in the sky.
“You can’t do that,” said a man who overheard. “You’re a girl.”
“How dare you tell her that!” Long’s mother responded. “She can do anything she wants to do.”
And Long has done just that.

Upcoming Events:
March 15 San Angelo, TX
May 3 Dyess AFB, Abilene, TX
May 10 Laughlin AFB Del Rio, TX
May 16-18 Joint Service Open House Andrews AFB, MD (this great nation's' capital!)
July 28-29 Women SOAR! EAA Airventure 2008 Oshkosh, WI
August 16-17 Offutt AFB Omaha, NE
September 20-21Midland, TX
October 4 Vance AFB Enid, OK
October 18-19 Dobbins AFB Marietta, GA
TBD CAF Ranger Wing Airshow Waco, TX

Women Soar

I have not been able to attend this event yet, because of my obligations otherwise (setting up my booth) at Oshkosh. I have heard great things!

http://www.airventure.org/2008/news/080206_womensoar.html

Women Soar, You Soar: EAA Seeks to Spark Young Women's Interest in AviationNow accepting applications for the two-day summer program!

Inspiring young women to reach for their dreams in aviation is again the mission of EAA’s fourth annual Women Soar, You Soar event July 28-29 at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh.
Registrations are now being accepted for this program, open to young women entering grades nine through 12 in fall 2008. Through the event’s introduction of aviation-based careers and a women-mentor network, the program encourages and supports these women to consider a career in aviation. During the first three years of the program, hundreds of teenage girls have benefited from the experiences and guidance of women actively involved in the world of flight.
This year, Women Soar, You Soar will host 150 girls in a variety of activities, including flight simulation, workshops, wing rib assembly, and mentor sessions.
Applications will be accepted through June 30, 2008, and are available online at www.airventure.org/WomenSoar/. The cost is $50, which includes lodging at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, meals and admission to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.” Registration scholarships are also available for young women meeting financial need requirements.
Space in the program is limited. Additional information can be obtained online or by calling the EAA Development Office at 800-236-1025.

Simulated Emergencies

Hi All,
I'm sorry about the silence from this blog - especially since I've gotten a couple questions about this simulator that we do our pilot training in. I took a couple of pictures of the actual sim because it looks nothing like the Microsoft Flight Simulator computer game!

(Wikipedia) A flight simulator is a system that tries to replicate, or simulate, the experience of flying an aircraft as closely and realistically as possible. The different types of flight simulator range from video games up to full-size cockpit replicas mounted on hydraulic (or electromechanical) actuators, controlled by state of the art computer technology.

Obviously, we are not be able to do things in the airplane to accurately simulate potential problems we pilots have to react to. For example, an engine failure in a go around (also called a balked landing). The high power settings on one engine with no power on the other engine can result in a loss of directional control. The airplane can potentially veer toward the operative engine with a loss of altitude (and you can guess the consequence of this). With practice, this can become a "non-event" (not really, of course an engine failure is a big deal - but we learn how to instinctively control the airplane through repetition).

I had someone ask me once - after she had experienced (as a passenger) an inflight emergency. She asked how the pilots stayed so calm and how they knew what to do. I told her that the sim is an opportunity to see the "worst of the worst" so we knew what the airplane was capable of, and to make us pilots proficient in reacting to emergencies. We have a saying in the aviation community, "aviate, navigate, communicate." So the first thing the pilot is concerned with is making sure the airplane is flying. Once the airplane is under control, we can worry about where we are and where we're going, and THEN start talking to Air Traffic Control to get us safely on the ground.

Simulators have changed a lot since I first started flying 15 years ago. In fact, when I was training in the Army, our flight simulator was the actual fuselage of a Huey with the windows painted white so we couldn't see outside (not that it would have helped seeing a bank of computers). These computers were hooked up to the flight controls and the instruments so we could simulate flight. The simulator never moved. It was pretty simple - but got the point across (it also saved a lot of gas money).

As you can see by the pictures, simulators are now fully maneuverable, so the pilots still get the "feeling" of flying. The graphics inside are pretty realistic (though they can be a little disorienting - since they're two dimensional computer images).

Here's a more thorough explanation:

Modern High-End Flight Simulators (Wikipedia)
High-end commercial and military flight simulators incorporate motion bases or platforms to provide cues of real motion. These are important to complement the visual cues (see below) and are vital when visual cues are poor such as at night or in reduced visibility or, in cloud, non-existent. The majority of simulators with motion platfoms use variants of the six cylinder Stewart platform to generate motion cues. These platforms are also known as Hexapods. Stewart used an interlinked array of six hydraulic cylinders to provide accelerations in all six degrees of freedom. Motion bases using modern Stewart based hexapod platforms can provide about +/- 35 degrees of the three rotations pitch, roll and yaw, and about one metre of the three linear movements heave, sway and surge.

These limited angular and linear movements (or "throws") do not inhibit the realism of motion cueing imparted to the simulator crew. This is because the human sensors of body motion are sensitive to acceleration rather than steady-state movement and a six cylinder platform can produce such initial accelerations in all six DoF. The body motion sensors include the vestibular (inner ear, semicircular canals and otoliths), muscle-and joint sensors, and sensors of whole body movements. Furthermore, because acceleration precedes displacement, the human brain senses motion cues before the visual cues that follow. These human motion sensors have low-motion thresholds below which no motion is sensed and this is important to the way that simulator motion platforms are programmed (and also explains why instruments are needs for safe cloud flying). In the real world, after conditioning to the particular environment (in this case aircraft motions), the brain is subconsciously used to receiving a motion cue before noticing the associated change in the visual scene. If motion cues are not present to back up the visual, some disorientation can result ("simulator sickness") due to the cue-mismatch compared to the real world.

In a motion-based simulator, after the initial acceleration, the platform movement is backed off so that the physical limits of the cylinders are not exceeded and the cylinders are then re-set to the neutral position ready for the next acceleration cue. The backing-off from the initial acceleration is carried out automatically through the simulator computer and is called the "washout phase". Carefully-designed "washout algorithms" are used to ensure that washout and the later re-set to about neutral is carried out below the human motion thresholds mentioned above and so is not sensed by the simulator crew, who just sense the initial acceleration. This process is called "acceleration-onset cueing" and fortunately matches the way the sensors of body motion work. This is why aircraft manoeuvre at, say, 300 knots, can be effectively simulated in a replica cabin that itself does not move except in a controlled way through its motion platform. These are the techniques that are used in civil Level D flight simulators and their military counterparts.

Checkride Day

Well, the reason you haven't heard from me in the past week is because today is my recurrent checkride in the Beechjet. Wish me luck!