Flight Training - May 2024 - 21

YOU CAN FLY
BY JULIE SUMMERS WALKER
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Dave Hirschman: I'm going with option two: This tribute
flight can be done safely as practiced, but only if both the takeoffs
and landings are made into the wind on Runway 30.
Runway 23 is out of the question. A crosswind gusting to
28 knots exceeds the demonstrated limits of both Bonanzas
and RVs, and an icy runway means it's even farther out of
bounds. If Runway 30 is available, the cold temperatures and
strong headwind will dramatically shorten takeoff and landing
rolls, so icy patches shouldn't matter.
Mechanical turbulence is likely to make the formation
portion of the flight unpleasant, but not unsafe. A standard practice for formation flying
is to separate the airplanes both vertically and horizontally, and adhering to that rule in
the bumps is especially important. If maintaining standard separation becomes difficult
in the bumps, we have the option of increasing separation for safety.
The upside of the nasty conditions is that we're likely to have the pattern to ourselves.
Who else is going to be foolish enough to buzz around the airport on such a
cold, blustery day?
Let's provide our fellow aviator a fitting sendoff despite the weather adversity.
dave.hirschman@aopa.org
GAME CHANGER
Ian J. Twombly: The commitment to perform the flyover
obviously makes this a difficult decision. For a crowd made
up largely of people knowledgeable about aviation, performing
the flyover has special meaning, further heightening the
pressure. In these situations, it's a good idea to ignore the
commitment and focus on the risks.
Like a hard math problem in school, we can use the
process of elimination. Choices three, four, and five can be
thrown out. Three negates the point of the mission, four
doesn't sufficiently reduce the risk, and five is a perfect demonstration of those hazardous
attitudes the FAA is always going on about.
The wind is unsuitable for Runway 23, but if Runway 30 becomes available,
the takeoff and landing shouldn't be a problem. Since the runway operations of a
formation flight are staggered, there's no risk of being too close together on such a
blustery afternoon. That leaves number two as a potential option.
Now we need to consider the formation portion of the flight. What is the collective
skillset of the group, have they flown before in these conditions, and have
they worked well together as a team in the past? I'd also want to see the winds aloft
because conditions like this on the ground don't always mean gusty, treacherous
conditions aloft. Conversely, sometimes it's even worse up there, and I'd want to
know that as well.
If the team has flown together before, or each member has been trained to a
standard and flown formation in similar conditions, I think I'd be fine with the
second choice. But if any member believed canceling is the right call, I'd fully
support them.
ian.twombly@aopa.org
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FLIGHT TRAINING MAY 2024
21

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Flight Training - May 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - May 2024