Let the Ink Dry
I know how much hard work it takes to get a pilot’s license: I’ve got quite a few of them. We study diligently, put in the hours and we should ask a lot of questions (ask any question-don’t hold back). We spend money, we meet other pilots, we hang out at the airport as much as we can, hoping to pick up useful tidbits of aviation knowledge. We all remember the sleepless night before the check ride and the butterflies the morning before getting into the aircraft and we remember our elation when we realized “I did it! I am a licensed pilot! How cool is that?!”
I’m a PILOT—now what? For the most part, our thoughts are similar: “Man, we are going to have some fun!” We may plan to take our Mom and Dad up first, show them the neighborhood, fly over their house and local landmarks. Next up? Perhaps the girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other or maybe our college roomies or best friends. Isn’t it great? Isn’t it cool? BUT. . . whoa there, Nellie: we need to look at these flights from a technical perspective.
We will assume the weather is CAVOK (ceiling and visibility good-VFR), so let’s think about the aircraft:
How much fuel do we have and how much will we need? This one is kind of tough to figure out at first (determining how much Mom and Dad weigh, who is sitting in the back seat, are there three or four of us?) It might be tough to ask your Mom “Hey! How much do you weigh?” Most people lie about their weight, but the weight and balance is a non-negotiable part of flying.
Are you really feeling up to all of this at first? When you are showing off your new skill set, are you really going to perform steep turns over your house?
Oh, by the way, THINK FAST: What is the G load in a steep turn, how much altitude will you have over all the stuff down there? *
Here is my first “Will-ism”: AN AIRCRAFT IS NEVER AS HEAVY AS YOU THINK IT IS—IT IS HEAVIER! Think about this every single time you plan for a flight.
Let’s say you just got your pilot’s license: for the private ticket (according to the FAA) you must have 40 total hours in flight—that includes 20 hours with your instructor and 10 hours of solo flight. What I don’t recall is any requirement for training with your family while doing steep turns (FAR 61-109). DON’T DO IT!
One additional observation on WET INK is the FAR’s requirement for 3 hours of flight solely by instruments (FAR 61-109-[a-3]). This means you CANNOT go into a cloud or try to fly on instruments. Here’s another Will-ism: THERE IS METAL IN THOSE CLOUDS!
Go out fly around go places and gain some experience and LET THE INK DRY on your license, before you begin piloting your aircraft in flight regimes you don’t know about.
Until Next Time,
Captain Will Rondeau
* In level flight, a steep turn of 45 degrees increases the load factor 1.4% or increases weight by 400 pounds for each 100 pounds in the aircraft. A 60 bank angle increases the load 2X, which can increase the stall speed from 50 to 70 knots (AOPA) (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, p. 5-4,5-42).