Hobby Aftermath

Accident Chain: Unfamiliar Airport Long Flight (3hrs stuck in a small airplane) Get-there-itis (visiting sick father-in-law, and delivering her two passengers to the destination) Disregarded requirement for a Flight Review No spin recovery training Flustered by ATC Accepting clearances from ATC that put the airplane into undesired states Failed to be assertive with ATC to… Continue reading Hobby Aftermath

Hobby Flight

The Flight After being airborne for nearly 3 hours, N4252G approached the Class B airspace of Houston Hobby Airport.  Given the large speed difference between a SR20 and a Boeing 737 on approach, the approach controller had told 52G to maintain maximum forward speed if possible just before being handed off to tower.  Once on… Continue reading Hobby Flight

Hobby Accident Background

Flight Background On June 9th, 2016, Cirrus N4252G departed KOUN for KHOU about 350nm away.  On board was the pilot (Dana), her husband (Tony), and brother-in-law (Jerry).  The flight was to take them to the Houston area to see Tony and Jerry’s father, who was receiving cancer treatment at the Anderson Cancer Center.  Obviously, they… Continue reading Hobby Accident Background

Transponders

MODE C Transponders Well first, what is a transponder?  A transponder is a little box mounted in the panel of your airplane where you can set a 4 digit code that ATC assigns to you.  The purpose of this box is to tell ATC where you are and how high you are.  Transponders are also… Continue reading Transponders

Keeping up with Regulations

Keeping up with the latest and greatest! So you’re probably going to be a commercial pilot for many years to come.  And as time goes by it is inevitable that things WILL change, especially in the rules we follow as pilots. There are a couple good ways to keep up on the changes and be… Continue reading Keeping up with Regulations

Maintenance Responsibilities

Maintenance Responsibilities as a Commercial Pilot Title 14 CFR 91.405 Designated the “owner and operator” as being responsible for the maintenance of an airplane and ensuring it is in airworthy and legal status to fly. The caveat here is that although you may not own any of the airplanes you are flying as a commercial… Continue reading Maintenance Responsibilities

VFR Comm Pilot Scenario 2

Charter Flying Congrats on getting a new gig flying a Cirrus! KTVC 230412Z AUTO 23006KT 1 3/4SM -SN SCT018 OVC025 M08/M11 A2991 RMK AO2 P0000 T10831111 KTVC 230347Z 0304/0404 23010G18KT 2SM -SHSN OVC025 FM230800 22009KT 2SM -SHSN OVC025 FM231300 26006KT 1 1/2SM -SHSN OVC025 FM231800 33011G21KT 2SM -SHSN BLSN OVC025 FM232100 34012G23KT 4SM -SHSN BLSN… Continue reading VFR Comm Pilot Scenario 2

VFR Comm Pilot Scenario 1

A very bad first day on the job…. Congrats!  You are now a commercial pilot!  You just got hired at a scenic tour company with a 91.147 LOA to do scenic flights.  It’s your first day on the job and you already have a married couple you will be taking on a Sunset flight down… Continue reading VFR Comm Pilot Scenario 1

Holding Out

What is Holding Out? Think of holding out as holding out your hand to anyone in the public and asking for money.  It really is that simple.  If you are asking someone to pay you in exchange for flying them somewhere, then you are “holding out”.  The regs prohibit commercial pilots from “holding themselves out… Continue reading Holding Out