2003-09-Whats-Going-On_

THE VINTAGE INSTRUCTOR

What’s going on?

DOUG STEWART

T

he rumble was unmistakable. Since I no longer was living in the Bay Area of San Francisco, and the floor was not bouncing enough for me to call Flight Service with a PIREP (pilot report) of constant light chop with occasional moderate turbulence as reported by a man in his living room, it could only be one thing. A round engine.

A Continental 220.

Sure enough, looking over to the downwind to Runway 29, there was a yellow and blue Stearman. All eyes and ears were on the pristine biplane as it flew the pattern. Lining up on the centerline, its descent was perfect. On target, on speed. No need for a forward slip. No need for a blast of power. Rounding out into the flare, it touched down perfectly in a threepoint landing. No bounce, no wobble. This pilot appeared to be a master of his craft.

Who amongst all of us watching and listening would not agree as to this pilot’s skill? Who would not harbor envy as this pristine beauty taxied in?

There was definitely one who would not. Our chief mechanic. He too is a master of his craft, but he is also known to be one who does not mince his words, one who does not believe in tact. He is quick to tell you what he thinks and feels in words and actions 22

SEPTEMBER 2003

that make the strongest of us wince. And the pilot of the Stearman was about to experience the verbal wrath of our chief mechanic.

Taxiing in to the ramp on this warm summer day, the pristine Stearman tailed to the open hangar doors of the repair shop. The pristine repair shop. Most of us admiring the scene were in aural ecstasy as the round engine revved up just prior to the pilot pulling the mixture and shutting down the engine. There was about one nanosecond of silence between the stopping of the engine and the full fury of the chief mechanic’s verbal onslaught. And although that unfortunate pilot of the Stearman might never return to Great Barrington, I do hope he learned an important lesson that many pilots are in need of learning, and that is don’t ever tail an airplane with a running engine to the open doors of a hangar.

We all, as pilots, are aware of how crucial situational awareness is to our safety when in the air. We always have to be able to answer two questions— “Where am I?” and “What’s next?”—if we are to stay ahead of the aircraft. But unfortunately I witness so many pilots who seem to be unaware of the need for situational awareness when on the ground. I am not referring to awareness of runways and taxiways and

the need to be ever vigilant of runway incursions.

Most pilots have that awareness, especially after the FAA, EAA, and other organizations have done such a good job of educating us about that need.

I am talking about an awareness of things like who, or what, is behind us as well as in front of us as we fire up our engines, about whether or not we are blocking the only egress to a runway, and about where the wind is in relationship to us as we taxi and run up.

And sad to say, from my observations there are many pilots who do not have this awareness, as the pilot of the Stearman found out.

For example, do you pull your airplane out from its tiedown spot and line it up in the taxiway prior to starting? I’m sure the owner of the aircraft parked behind you will be appreciative, especially if it is an award-winning beauty at a major fly-in. But it wouldn’t matter if it were an old veteran of a rag-tag flight school; the need for courtesy remains. And if there are folks sitting in that row of lawn chairs by the FBO office, holding up their score cards after each landing, on a sunny summer afternoon, I’m sure they don’t want their bodies blasted with dirt, grass, and exhaust, even if they do get off on the smell of combusted 80 octane.

I’m sure the combined scores they give a pilot for startup will be on the negative side if that pilot is not aware that his judging panel sits directly behind him as he starts up. And that hangar with the open doors?

Would you believe that I once witnessed a pilot blast a set of struts sitting just inside an open hangar, that were still wet with paint, not once, but three times, as he taxied in circles trying to decide where to park. I know that you will be more thoughtful.

If you are at an airport where there is only one taxiway on and off the runway, do you taxi up to the hold short line before checking if there are aircraft landing, or in the pattern for landing? More than once I have observed an airplane have to go around, because there was another plane still on the runway, unable to clear the runway because the taxiway was blocked by yet another plane that appeared to be oblivious to everything but its own needs. I hope that you will not be one of those pilots.

To the pilot of a high-wing taildragger the position of the controls when taxiing with a quartering tailwind is critical, lest he or she end up having the prop dig divots in the grass beside the runway as the wingtip holds the point like a toe dancer doing a pirouette. But it is just as important for every airplane, be it high wing or low wing, taildragger or not, to have the controls positioned properly. If there is a quartering tailwind as you taxi, then you should “dive away” from the wind to minimize the chance of an “incident.” To do otherwise courts disaster worse than the fury of self-righteous mechanic.

What never ceases to befuddle me is to watch an airplane taxi to the run-up area with its controls posi-

tioned correctly for the quartering tailwind, showing what I assume to be the pilot’s awareness of where the wind is, and then only to stop the aircraft in the runup area with the tail pointing into the wind. As the throttle is advanced for the mag check, the airplane starts to jump around like an agitated kangaroo, while the yoke or stick jabs and stabs at the pilot as only Muhammad Ali could do. The pilot probably wonders (then again, maybe not) why the tachometer seems a bit less stable during the run-up. I guess I am wrong when I ass-u-me that the pilot is aware of the wind.

Had the airplane been faced into the wind prior to the run-up, it would have been more stable on the ground, have more accurate instrument indications, and have been less prone to overheating.

So as we see, situational awareness is important in our ground operations. Be aware of where you are and what’s next. It is important not only from a safety standpoint, but from a courtesy standpoint as well. The lack of awareness might not necessarily lead to an accident or incident, although there are certainly situations where it might, but it will definitely lead to ill will from one’s fellow pilots and mechanics. Practice situational awareness on the ground, as well as in the air. It’s one of those steps we take as we transition from being a good pilot . . . to being a great pilot!

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