P2 -(HERE) - “Hmm...64 pages of?? - Don't even know where to begin with this one..”.
Warning - Rant follows.
Perhaps with first principals !!– and maybe a refresher for instructing or check pilots. In the 64 pages of stuff and some nonsense; the essential elements were overlooked. Item 1 – this was to be a precautionary search and LANDING. This is an essential part of grass roots training; the underpinning notion simple, yet important; definitely not in the 'tick-a-box' grouping. The scenario is – here we are travelling East from the West to home base Bankstown, we need to cross the Blue mountains and the weather is against us; trapped – so; is there an airstrip handy? Yes – it is unfamiliar, so before committing; we execute a precautionary search, no animals, no power lines, no big holes etc, so after a good look, we execute a short field landing and STOP. That is the only reason we are here; to safely stop and wait out the weather.
So, the weather clears up and now we can begin our return to base. What do we do? Well, we can take a long hard look at the departure track, asses the terrain, even talk to the owner about the local traps for young players and decide how we are going to complete the next element – Safely Go. - Short field take off briefed – Tick. Best rate of climb speed noted – Tick – Engine run up and checked – Tick – flight path and speed brief complete – Tick. Next step, fire up and bugger off home.
The operator should have the differences in operations clearly defined – Precautionary Search v Touch and Go – different animals – different approach to task - . Had they survived the episode, that instructor and I would be having 'tea and biscuits' on return. Failure to understand, teach and execute the fundamental object of the exercise in inexcusable. But, for the ATSB to produce a 64 page epistle detailing everything the aircraft did, only omitting what the crew had for breakfast is risible. Missing the radical cause is unpardonable. One paragraph would have nailed it – the aircraft was to execute a precautionary search & landing at an ALA. Due to rising terrain on the departure track a short field, max rate climb along a suitable exit path should have been briefed and discussed. This was not done – the instructing pilot called for a touch and go. This completely made null and void the purpose of this essential part of pilot training for a Commercial Pilot Licence. - End of rant? Not quite......
Addendum: This ATSB confection also fails, utterly, to mention one other fairly important element. They mention a tail wind (5 kts ish) + up hill and down dale airstrip. So the question a good instructor would ask the 'wannabe' - .. “uphill with a tailwind for landing and downhill for the take off into wind sound about right to you?” Herewith the real lesson begins. It begs the question; what have we got for instructors these days, and, importantly WTF are ATSB thinking about (or not).
Toot – FCOL – Toot.........
Warning - Rant follows.
Perhaps with first principals !!– and maybe a refresher for instructing or check pilots. In the 64 pages of stuff and some nonsense; the essential elements were overlooked. Item 1 – this was to be a precautionary search and LANDING. This is an essential part of grass roots training; the underpinning notion simple, yet important; definitely not in the 'tick-a-box' grouping. The scenario is – here we are travelling East from the West to home base Bankstown, we need to cross the Blue mountains and the weather is against us; trapped – so; is there an airstrip handy? Yes – it is unfamiliar, so before committing; we execute a precautionary search, no animals, no power lines, no big holes etc, so after a good look, we execute a short field landing and STOP. That is the only reason we are here; to safely stop and wait out the weather.
So, the weather clears up and now we can begin our return to base. What do we do? Well, we can take a long hard look at the departure track, asses the terrain, even talk to the owner about the local traps for young players and decide how we are going to complete the next element – Safely Go. - Short field take off briefed – Tick. Best rate of climb speed noted – Tick – Engine run up and checked – Tick – flight path and speed brief complete – Tick. Next step, fire up and bugger off home.
The operator should have the differences in operations clearly defined – Precautionary Search v Touch and Go – different animals – different approach to task - . Had they survived the episode, that instructor and I would be having 'tea and biscuits' on return. Failure to understand, teach and execute the fundamental object of the exercise in inexcusable. But, for the ATSB to produce a 64 page epistle detailing everything the aircraft did, only omitting what the crew had for breakfast is risible. Missing the radical cause is unpardonable. One paragraph would have nailed it – the aircraft was to execute a precautionary search & landing at an ALA. Due to rising terrain on the departure track a short field, max rate climb along a suitable exit path should have been briefed and discussed. This was not done – the instructing pilot called for a touch and go. This completely made null and void the purpose of this essential part of pilot training for a Commercial Pilot Licence. - End of rant? Not quite......
Addendum: This ATSB confection also fails, utterly, to mention one other fairly important element. They mention a tail wind (5 kts ish) + up hill and down dale airstrip. So the question a good instructor would ask the 'wannabe' - .. “uphill with a tailwind for landing and downhill for the take off into wind sound about right to you?” Herewith the real lesson begins. It begs the question; what have we got for instructors these days, and, importantly WTF are ATSB thinking about (or not).
Toot – FCOL – Toot.........