Check it Out!

How do you get long-time  pilots excited about flying again?  Check out in a new aircraft.  Here’s how I do it…

 

I fly a lot of Cessnas, Pipers and
Beechcraft airplanes.  But, I was
recently asked to instruct in a Sky
Arrow 600, a somewhat different plane for me.  It is a Sport Aircraft, so it is much
lighter.  It has tandem seating, with
Rotax pusher engine mounted up and behind the rear seat.  So how can you systematically learn to fly
this comfortably?

 

Well, it turns out that, over the
years I have learned how to learn.  This
is a process which makes learning any new topic a bit easier.  Whether you are a musician, learning to play
a new instrument, or a computer programmer learning a new language, or a pilot
learning to fly a new aircraft, there are steps that you can take which move
the learning process along quickly and smoothly.  Here is how I address new aircraft.

 

First, I turn to our new friend, the internet
search engine. I find out all of the gossip about the plane.  Whether it is the newest thing on the block,
or it is a plane that arrived on the scene in the late 1930’s, there is a ton
of info out there that other people are willing to share.  What are the quirks? What did other people
like about it? Generally, how does it climb? 
How do the controls feel?  Other
people are really willing to share their experiences and knowledge.  I take advantage of that.

 

Then, read the Pilot’s Operating Handbook.
If you can name a plane, you can probably find a POH for it on the internet.  I have found just about every plane I have
looked for, including the POH for the B-17 and the Lockheed C-141
Starlifter.  If a POH was created, it is
out there somewhere.

 

I skip the early chapters initially,
and move right into the section on aircraft description.  How does the fuel system work?  Electrical system? The landing gear? Flaps?
What is new and different about this plane that I have not seen in the planes I
have flown before?  What is similar?

 

Then, I move to the performance
section. I am not looking for numbers to memorize, but I am looking for a
general feel for the plane.  Does it get
off the ground quickly, or does it hold on to the runway for 4,000 feet?  Climb performances – 300 fpm 3,000 fpm?  What seems to be a reasonable cruise speed
and fuel flow?

 

Next, I move to the normal
procedures.  The amplified portion of the
checklist often points out why certain parts of the plane act as they do.  Why, for example, do you want to ensure that
you take off using one particular fuel tank rather than another?  Why do you leave the cowl flaps open or (closed)
at a particular point in the flight.

 

With all of this knowledge swimming
around in my head, it is time to actually meet the plane.  I highly recommend finding an instructor that
is familiar with the airplane to assist with the check out.  I let them know my plan for getting familiar
with the plane.  They may offer
additional items.

 

When I meet the plane, I generally
walk around, going oooh and aaah.  But
then it is time to get serious.  I conduct
a preflight inspection, by the book.  But,
this is as much a “get familiar” inspection as an “is everything OK? “ inspection.  Then, I get in the airplane and just look at
every switch and dial.

 

As I taxi out, I am trying hard to
fix in my head, the sight picture of the plane on the ground.  Where is the horizon relative to the glare
shield, or the front part of the cowling? I care about this because this is the
picture I expect when I lower the nose as I roll out on my landing.  And, I will want the nose a bit higher than
this as I rotate for takeoff and as I start my flare to land.

 

Finally, I begin the inflight
portion.  The climbout and level-off
checks are accomplished by the book.  I
really spend a bit of time just feeling the controls.  How much force does it take to roll, to
pitch, to yaw?  How does it feel when I
slow down, as if to land?  This is also a
great time to get the feel of flying in different configurations.  Gear? 
Flaps? Speed brakes?  Try them
out.

 

And finally, I spend a good deal of
mental time, noting the manifold pressure or RPM settings coupled with the
outside sight pictures, for various airspeeds and configurations.  If I know target pitch pictures and power
settings for various phases of flight, it will become much easier to fly the
plane comfortably.

 

And finally, while at altitude, I
pull out the performance data for my altitude and check the actual performance
against the book numbers.  How will this
plane perform if I am travelling?

 

At the end of this exercise, I do not
expect to be an expert on the plane.  I
don’t really expect to be totally comfortable. 
But I do expect that I will know enough to fly it safely and
competently. And, I’m excited about flying!

 

For more information about
transitioning to a new aircraft, check out the FAA
Advisory Circular 90-109A.

 

Have fun.  Fly safe.

 

Christopher
Hope
2015 FAASTeam Representative of the Year
To contact the author, go to: www.ChrisHopeFAAFlightInstructor.com
For more information on the GA Awards program go to http://www.generalaviationawards.org/