Pilot Tips & Tricks (while flying)

[MyassisDragon]

I always find it interesting to fly with someone else (or instructor) and learn a new thing to make life easier that you wouldn't find in a text book. So I am asking what are some of your more interesting ones to simply cockpit life?

I will start:
1) When flying with GPS I use the OBS dial to remind me of altitude changes that ATC provides en-route or on approach. Turn the dial to 3 for 3000ft 10 for 10,000ft ect. (funny thing is when I forget or know my filed alt, my wife will reach over and turn the dial for me, with a smile and some sort of comment that I forgot)

2) In order to preform a radio check at towered airport I use lower radio for clearance and ground then top radio for tower and departure this way I check both before take off without even thinking about it.

3) Post it notes make great sun blocks in a pinch on windows when you don't have sun visors.

Whats your favorites?

 

[jordane93]

Using the heading bug for the active runway. It helps me visualize what kind of pattern entry to make/what I can expect. I also use NAV2 to dial in the wind direction to help me remember.

 

[jsstevens]

It's not while flying but while preflighting. Since the club(s) I have belonged too used full serve fuel, my primary instructor taught me to sump and check the levels of the fuel first. If I need fuel I can call and get the truck moving while I do the rest of my preflight.

John

 

[frfly172]

When flying IMC and the controllers keep changing the route,using airways and intersection. Set one gps on current leg,second gps on next leg. Easier to capture the airway.

 

[Seanaldinho]

When flying the glider I load a camel bak up with ice and then water, keeps me cool and hydrated, not uncomfortable either.

Before departure its "Lights, Camera, Action" = Strobes, landing light, and transponder.

 

[Iceman21]

When flying IMC and the controllers keep changing the route,using airways and intersection. Set one gps on current leg,second gps on next leg. Easier to capture the airway.

Damn, must be nice to have 2 GPS's let alone 1! Haha.

 

[jordane93]

Damn, must be nice to have 2 GPS's let alone 1! Haha.

I did my IR in a 172 with 2 G430W's. I felt so spoiled! Flying IFR was easy in that plane.

 

[Zeldman]

Put your hand on the trailing edge of the high wing before walking under it. This will keep you from bruising your forehead and stops people from pointing and giggling.

When doing the pre flight and a mechanic is watching, always stop and stare intently at some part as if you actually know what that part is for. This impresses the mechanic.

When friends and/or family are watching you preflight, ask a young boy what kind of aircraft this is. Peer into the engine bay intently, ask the young boy again to be sure.

After taking the pilot seat, be sure that the controls and instrument panel is in front of you. If not, slowly turn around as if you are checking that the area is clear for engine starting. Have the young boy point at the front of the airplane for you.

After engine start, be sure to tap on instruments and gauges, even if you do not know what they are for. This impresses the passengers.

When speaking into the mic, speak clearly. Wait for ATC reply. Then tap on the mic. After that, locate the radio master and turn it on. Be sure to point at something outside the aircraft to divert the passengers attention first.

To taxi, release brakes. Add power slowly, then reduce power. Add a little more power. After a minute, reduce power. Ask the young boy to remove the tail tiedown. Then add a little power.

During the flight, point out land marks. This diversion of attention may help quiet down the screams and shrieks emanating from the rear seat.

After landing, taxi to parking. After shutting down the engine, ask the passengers to remain in the aircraft for a little longer. Quickly jump out and ask a young boy for the name of the airport. If this is indeed the airport you were hoping for, let the passengers disembark.

Stand next to the prop. Look proud just like a real aviator. Lean against the prop. Be sure to turn the prop for the best picture. After the engine has stopped again and excitement dies down, ask a young boy to turn the mags off for you.

Go into the FBO and ask the passengers why they are renting a car....

 

[tehmightypirate]

When operating in a controlled environment switch the landing light on only when you've been given clearance to land. Check the light regularly, if you don't have the light turn on then ask yourself if you've been cleared to land. If you're worried about traffic not seeing your aircraft without a landing light on then use your taxi lights as a reminder instead.

 

[James331]

I turn landing lights on with my gear drop, 1 dot below the GS, or 3mi from the FAF.

As for tricks, using an ADF as a lightning strike detector is a good one, it'll point for a second at a strike

Don't bother saying or remembering or writing the 1 on VHF frequencies, they all start with 1.

Always programming in a approach when landing at a unfamiliar airport to get a extended center line.

For the reciprocal runway, add a 2 to the first number, subtract from second number, if the first number is above 3 when adding do the inverse.

70% VR by half the runway or abort.

Hold the stick back during run ups to save the elevator paint and the prop

Whenever you hand comes off a towbar, the towbar comes off the plane

Keep your cockpit organized

Tape two AAs together and leave them in the side pocket for your ANR headset

Hold your hand out to the horizion, each palm width between the sun and horizion is a hr of light left.

Always carry tie downs and cash, ya never know when you're going to need em

Flashlight are good, head lamps are better

Never hesitate to ask for a progressive taxi if you're at a unfamiliar and busy airport

Strobes and landing lights OFF when you're off the runway

In a cross wind you can raise your flaps when your mains touch to help the plane STOP flying (poor mans spoilers)

When all else fails err on the side of action, meek + aviation = bad

Don't trust line people, not in fueling, not in marshaling, they are there to help, but you're still PIC, presume they are going to fill your plane with KY jelly and marshal you into a small child.

Don't be afraid to question your A&Ps, they screw up too.

Develop a flow check for your plane, use the CHECK list to QUICKLY check after your flow. Check lists are not "do" lists.

 

[Cpt_Kirk]

Put your hand on the trailing edge of the high wing before walking under it. This will keep you from bruising your forehead and stops people from pointing and giggling.

When doing the pre flight and a mechanic is watching, always stop and stare intently at some part as if you actually know what that part is for. This impresses the mechanic.

When friends and/or family are watching you preflight, ask a young boy what kind of aircraft this is. Peer into the engine bay intently, ask the young boy again to be sure.

After taking the pilot seat, be sure that the controls and instrument panel is in front of you. If not, slowly turn around as if you are checking that the area is clear for engine starting. Have the young boy point at the front of the airplane for you.

After engine start, be sure to tap on instruments and gauges, even if you do not know what they are for. This impresses the passengers.

When speaking into the mic, speak clearly. Wait for ATC reply. Then tap on the mic. After that, locate the radio master and turn it on. Be sure to point at something outside the aircraft to divert the passengers attention first.

To taxi, release brakes. Add power slowly, then reduce power. Add a little more power. After a minute, reduce power. Ask the young boy to remove the tail tiedown. Then add a little power.

During the flight, point out land marks. This diversion of attention may help quiet down the screams and shrieks emanating from the rear seat.

After landing, taxi to parking. After shutting down the engine, ask the passengers to remain in the aircraft for a little longer. Quickly jump out and ask a young boy for the name of the airport. If this is indeed the airport you were hoping for, let the passengers disembark.

Stand next to the prop. Look proud just like a real aviator. Lean against the prop. Be sure to turn the prop for the best picture. After the engine has stopped again and excitement dies down, ask a young boy to turn the mags off for you.

Go into the FBO and ask the passengers why they are renting a car....

This should be stickied.

 

[flyingron]

I actually set the course arrow for the runway or the first leg on takeoff. Of course if you're using an LOC or VOR you pretty much need to do this anyhow, but for GPS or even visual nav it helps a lot with the horizontal situation.

 

[mattg]

70% VR by half the runway or abort.

Additionally, you should know what RPM your engine goes to at full power when stopped or on take-off roll on the ground.

If you don't see that number when you go to full throttle for your take off roll, ABORT.

 

[AlabamaCFII]

As soon as you learn the active runway (by ATIS, listening, or by observation) set the heading bug on the heading of that runway. When you taxi onto the runway to depart, the heading bug should be at the top. Don't think numbers, just the sight picture of "the bug is at the top." This checks the slaving mechanism, if you have one, or reminds you if you've not set the DG correctly. Once you get used to doing his, not having it at the top "just looks wrong" for takeoff.

 

[upstateny]

If you have a spare OBS doing nothing at the moment, set it to the wind direction. It serves as a reminder and shows you the direction of the crosswind.

Rule of thumb: For every thousand feet of altitude, 1 mile disappears under the nose. Ex: You're at 5000' AGL. That airport that just went under the nose is ~5 miles out. YMMV

 

[turbofan]

I write down all assigned headings, altitudes, and frequencies, even if I'm operating in a familiar area.

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

Turn your transponder off and all that airspace stuff you struggled with just goes away.

 

[gismo]

I have a issues with a few of your suggestions (If you strongly disagree, to each his own). I very much liked the ones I left out from your OP.

I turn landing lights on with my gear drop, 1 dot below the GS, or 3mi from the FAF.

My lights are flashing anytime I'm on a runway or in the air, except for night when I put them on continuously for short final and at the start of the takeoff roll.

As for tricks, using an ADF as a lightning strike detector is a good one, it'll point for a second at a strike

While this does work to some extent it's a long way short of a Strikefinder or Stormscope. IME it only works at all when there's just one strong cell in your vicinity and the needle keeps pointing in the same direction. Otherwise the needle can't respond fast enough when it's far off to begin with. Also, the frequency needs to be down low (<500 KHz) or you'll pick up distant AM radio stations.

For the reciprocal runway, add a 2 to the first number, subtract from second number, if the first number is above 3 when adding do the inverse.

I find it easier to start out going in the right direction otherwise you get to do the calculating twice sometimes. If the initial heading is above 180, add 20 and subtract 200.

Tape two AAs together and leave them in the side pocket for your ANR headset

Be sure to put some tape over at least one end of the batteries. Otherwise you may find your "side pocket" going up in flames if there happens to be something in there which shorts out the batteries.

In a cross wind you can raise your flaps when your mains touch to help the plane STOP flying (poor mans spoilers)

Personally unless you have a manual (Johnson bar) flap control I think this is a bad idea and a waste of time/focus. With electric flaps, buy the time the flaps come up you're already going slow enough that lift isn't a concern and if you're in the habit of moving switches on the panel during rollout you've become a good candidate for a gear up landing should you ever be flying a retract.

 

[turbofan]

I find it easier to start out going in the right direction otherwise you get to do the calculating twice sometimes. If the initial heading is above 180, add 20 and subtract 200.

Or just +/- 180...

 

[jordane93]

My dad taught me this one, he says all the airlines do it as a standard procedure. Whenever you cross a runway, give the folks a light show. Every light should be on, stobes, nav lights, landing lights, etc. That way your plane will be extremely visible when you cross if for any reason a plane is landing on that runway.

 

[flyingron]

Nav lights should be on at night from the time you start the engines. Any time you're on the runway I agree with your dad, though it's pretty much been shown that even with all the lights on (including the logo lights, etc..) on airliners, they still get pretty lost in the sea of lights at night when someone's waiting on the runway.

I've got a couple of night lighting stories. One is don't forget to turn your landing light on during approach. Landing at IAD at night there are tons of lights: approach lights, end lights, lights embedded in the runway, lights on the side, taxiway lights, etc.... landing isn't a problem but rolling out you realize something is wrong....oh yeah, no landing light. I make the analogy to when I was an ambulance driver. You'd be heading down the road at night with all the flashing and spinning lights and you realize something is wrong. Oh yeah, no headligts on.


My second story was when I was doing my tailwheel transition out of IAD. We end up being landed on the wrong side of the airport, so I'm crossing the middle of the airport on (then) T2 (which made far too much sense being the second taxiway from the control tower and hence was relettered B). Crossing that taxiway are two roads used by the "mobile lounges" big honking jacked up buses originally designed to take passengers from the gate to the aircraft but have been coopted into shuttle service.

Of course, I've got the rotating beacon and the position lights on, but a 170 is a pretty small plane. I'm coming up on the crossing and a mobile lounge is bearing down on the intersection. I'm getting ready to stop but the instructor tells me to keep going, aircraft have the right of way. This looks dicey to me when the owner of the aircraft who happened to be in the back seat reaches up from between the two of us and clicks on the strobes.

The lounge locks up the wheels to avoid us and I can see the passengers (many standees) toppling over inside.

 

[gismo]

Or just +/- 180...

Exactly. By adding 200 and subtracting 20 or vice versa.

 

[Captain]

Fly a stabilized approach. Manage descents.

I have one of those three hole pen holders on the glare shield and keep one pen in the far right slot, except when cleared to Line up / cleared for the approach it goes in the middle. Cleared to takeoff or land it goes in the left.

Always, and I mean always, touch to nose of the plane before you get in.

Don't switch radio freqs and start talking right away. Again, don't switch radio freqs and start talking right away.

Learn how to use foreflight BeForeFlight.

Don't take off with the crew car for hours on end.

If you're colliding with a bird, climb as birds tend to dive when scared.

Fly out of the sock. (Memory aid to remind you how to orient with a wind sock)

Try to pass CBs on the upwind side.

RainEx ain't just for cars.

Don't switch radio freqs and start talking right away. Seriously...why do people do this? You don't get any points for quick checkins. Listen for awhile...get the flow. Hear a few transmissions...maybe 10. Who cares? Take your time and relax.

If the static air temp is -40 or below it isn't icing conditions.

 

[James331]

My lights are flashing anytime I'm on a runway or in the air, except for night when I put them on continuously for short final and at the start of the takeoff roll.

I have strobes on in VMC, I don't burn my bulbs or like the draw outside of busy airspace, also my work plane has the taxi and landing lights on the gear.

Personally unless you have a manual (Johnson bar) flap control I think this is a bad idea and a waste of time/focus. With electric flaps, buy the time the flaps come up you're already going slow enough that lift isn't a concern and if you're in the habit of moving switches on the panel during rollout you've become a good candidate for a gear up landing should you ever be flying a retract.

The gear up thing is a common OWT, the two levers feel diffrent and are very often in diffrent places. It's just part of my flow, I don't think about it, I just touch down and go through my motions.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Treat the landing gear as if it is the first set of flaps.

Configure your Landing Calculator on the ground, so it will be ready when you get near your destination airport.

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

Configure your Landing Calculator on the ground, so it will be ready when you get near your destination airport.

I have the older one that is powered by the A/C outlet in the plane so I have to do it en route.

Actually, I could do it in the car before the flight.
Good tip.

 

[farmerbrake]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but if you are practicing landings use the one VOR gauge (I can't think of the official name right now... grrrr, someone help?) To keep track of the # of landings.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but if you are practicing landings use the one VOR gauge (I can't think of the official name right now... grrrr, someone help?) To keep track of the # of landings.

Oh. I guess that's better than using the transponder.

(Arrow 3SA, why are you squawking 0006?)

 

[Captain]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but if you are practicing landings use the one VOR gauge (I can't think of the official name right now... grrrr, someone help?) To keep track of the # of landings.

"VOR gauge"...

 

[Sac Arrow]

"VOR gauge"...

I think my avionics shop has one of those.... (insert sarcastic smiley)

 

[sferguson524]

My dad taught me this one, he says all the airlines do it as a standard procedure. Whenever you cross a runway, give the folks a light show. Every light should be on, stobes, nav lights, landing lights, etc. That way your plane will be extremely visible when you cross if for any reason a plane is landing on that runway.

Or whenever you're operating in busy airspace.. A CFI at the school at CRQ where i trained for my PPL was killed in a midair. Lightbulbs are CHEAP, life isn't.

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20020927X05234&key=2

 

[coloradobluesky]

If I turn base and am crabbed AWAY from the final , I know I am going to get a tailwind on final.

 

[txflyer]

I try to fly and land my plane with the trim wheel.

And I like to fly and work on the farm with my cap light.

FYI: Take some dikes and cut the brain button off for your Bose, it won't hurt the cap ....

 

[Geico266]

If I turn base and am crabbed AWAY from the final , I know I am going to get a tailwind on final.

If you are waiting to find out which way the wind in blowing on base I would say you are well behind the curve.

 

[gismo]

I have strobes on in VMC, I don't burn my bulbs or like the draw outside of busy airspace, also my work plane has the taxi and landing lights on the gear.

Yeah, I'm cheating. I have HID landing lights which have bulbs that last 1000-2000 hrs and the current draw is only a few amps. When I had incandescent lamps I only ran the flasher near airports.

The gear up thing is a common OWT, the two levers feel diffrent and are very often in diffrent places. It's just part of my flow, I don't think about it, I just touch down and go through my motions.

There's some pretty compelling evidence that the difference in location, activation motion, and feel of flap vs gear selectors in many GA airplanes isn't sufficient to prevent operation of the wrong one. The problem is that you've operated each often enough that as you said you don't even have to think about and if you happen to reach for the wrong one, "muscle memory" will follow through and flip the switch before your conscious brain can prevent it.

You may not be susceptible to this but there are plenty who have done it so I wouldn't call it an OWT. I even know two of them personally and both were "certain" they were retracting flaps not gear.

I also think you'll find that electric flaps in most small GA airplanes moves so slowly that any improvement in landing distance due to raising flaps during the rollout is inconsequential. With manually activated flaps you can dump them in a fraction of a second and that can definitely make a difference.

 

[James331]

Yeah, I'm cheating. I have HID landing lights which have bulbs that last 1000-2000 hrs and the current draw is only a few amps. When I had incandescent lamps I only ran the flasher near airports.


There's some pretty compelling evidence that the difference in location, activation motion, and feel of flap vs gear selectors in many GA airplanes isn't sufficient to prevent operation of the wrong one. The problem is that you've operated each often enough that as you said you don't even have to think about and if you happen to reach for the wrong one, "muscle memory" will follow through and flip the switch before your conscious brain can prevent it.

You may not be susceptible to this but there are plenty who have done it so I wouldn't call it an OWT. I even know two of them personally and both were "certain" they were retracting flaps not gear.

I also think you'll find that electric flaps in most small GA airplanes moves so slowly that any improvement in landing distance due to raising flaps during the rollout is inconsequential. With manually activated flaps you can dump them in a fraction of a second and that can definitely make a difference.

HIDs rock!

As for the flaps, depends on what you're flying. I've never put many hours on anything where that was a worry, plane I fly now for work the flaps are by the throttle, condition levers and then gear are a lollipop on the dash.

My new personal plane (if the inspection goes well) has a Johnson bar and the gear are just below the dash with a lever with a ball on the end.