The Safety Corner...

In this safety article you are a flight instructor and the safety officer of a prestigious local flying club.  Remember Nuff Said from the Poker Run article?  Well, that's you and here's your chance to show how much you have learned from your many years of flying experience, or you superior common sense or just your incredible good luck.  In this article you and Andy Mouse fly out of MGY.  Stop reading the article anytime you see: "Nuff said"; think about what you would say to Andy (your student) about the event or procedure taking place, then read the rest of the sentence to see how well it matches.  The actual comments (the rest of the sentence) are excerpts from the AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Advisor circular number 3 titled "Operations at Non-towered Airports" (clever title!).  The complete circular is available on the AOPA web site; it makes good reading.

Andy Mouse discovered that of the 12,000 airports in the US only 400 have control towers.  Wanting to improve his pilot proficiency he realized that he needed to review the procedures for operating at non-towered airports.  Andy called his favorite flight instructor, Nuff Said, and scheduled some dual time to review the procedures for operating at non-towered airports.  Prior to the flight Nuff told Andy to review the FAA recommended procedures for operating at non-towered airports found in CFR 91.113, basic right of way rules; CFR 91.126 and 91.127, which describe traffic flow rules; the AIM and Advisory Circular 90-66A that expand on the regulations.  And AOPA circular number three!

After his reading assignment Andy complained that he still had a lot of questions about things that, from his own experience, were not addressed by the FAA regulations.  Nuff said the FAA left the rules general because some things that are appropriate for one airport may not work at another.  Obstacles or hazards may dictate differences.  Right of way and non-towered airport traffic patterns and procedures exist for only one purpose--to prevent collisions in the air and on the ground.

After a normal preflight Andy started his aircraft, announced his position on the CTAF and his intentions to taxi to the runway in use.  Andy then turned the radio down so he could talk to Nuff without the disruptive chatter.  Nuff said turn the volume back up so you can hear the position announcements and pilots' intentions on the CTAF.  Get a mental picture of who is where and

what they are doing.  Knowing who, when and where will help you look in the right place for the traffic.

After run-up Andy taxied to the runway looked for traffic, heard the call and saw the Piper turning final and the Mooney entering downwind.  As soon as the Piper landed Andy announced his intentions to take the active runway for takeoff and immediately taxied into position and stopped to wait for the Piper to complete the landing roll out and taxi off the runway.  Nuff said don't taxi onto the runway until you can take off.  The Mooney may be turning final, but you can not see behind you; the piper may not be able to use the midfield turn off and have to back taxi and your access to this taxi way will be blocked when an aircraft taxies up to the hold shot line.  Your position, sitting on the runway is extremely vulnerable.  You are unable to take off or taxi clear.

The Piper cleared the runway and Andy complained that with all the people in the pattern he could not get a word in on the radio but since he was sitting on the runway, he decided to take off.  On the roll, Andy told Nuff that he had the new whiz-bang engine modification and now this thing can clime like a treed cat.  Nuff said always announce your intentions on the CTAF, be specific and brief; identify the airport, the runway, and your model aircraft, shorten your call sign and end with the name of the airport.  On a short runway or practicing short field you need to climb at Vx but today use Vy because of the of the number of other planes in the pattern.  The higher the angle of climb the less the visibility you have over the nose and today we need to focus on see and avoid.

Andy wanted to go to another airport to practice since there was so much traffic here.  He climbed to pattern altitude on the runway heading and turned right to depart the pattern to the east.  Nuff said announce your intentions before you turn and it is safer to climb about 500 feet above pattern altitude if you are turning out to the right (opposite normal traffic flow).  If you are staying in the pattern here you should begin you turn to cross wind about 300 feet below pattern altitude.

They flew by several other local non-towered airports in search of a not too busy place to practice.  Andy could see the traffic so he did not bother to call on the local CTAF until he found a place where they could do pattern work without having to wait.  Nuff said always monitor the local CTAF while in the vicinity of a non-towered field.  Pilots should be announcing their positions and intentions to land about 10 miles out.  Their announcements will alert you where to look for poten