Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 16

PREFLIGHT ASI TIPS
BY DAVE HIRSCHMAN
'TRANSITIONING TO
OTHER AIRPLANES'
ONLINE COURSE
This course offers
straightforward,
important advice about
what to expect when
making the jump from
a familiar airplane
or avionics setup to
something new.
airsafetyinstitute.org/
courses/transitioning
AIRCRAFT CHECKOUTS
LEARNING THE NEW-TO-YOU AIRPLANE 'GOTCHAS'
GETTING CHECKED OUT IN A NEW AIRCRAFT IS A RITE OF
passage usually driven by insurance companies, not aviation
regulations. Based on the pilot's experience in similar models,
the checkout could require a flight instructor sign-off, or five or
10 hours of dual instruction in addition to that.
The thoroughness and quality of these checkouts varies. But
the real completion standard is best determined by the pilot
being checked out. Do they feel comfortable and confident flying
the new-to-them airplane as pilot in command? Are they knowledgeable
about the airplane's systems? And are they prepared to
successfully overcome in-flight malfunctions and emergencies?
A good place to begin an aircraft checkout is with the " Limitations "
section of the pilot's operating handbook. It sets the
boundaries for things that are approved and those that are not. I
was surprised, for example, that a Cessna Citation model I was
preparing to fly required a jet fuel additive that other similar airplanes
don't. The requirement was in the " Limitations " section.
A review of the airplane's normal and emergency checklists
is next. Taking a close look at those lists before boarding the
airplane gives pilots time to think them through, visualize, and
better understand aircraft systems. Should the electric fuel pump
be on during takeoff and initial climb? Should engine power
be reduced before propeller rpm? The pilot and the instructor
should define in advance what the checkout will entail and how
best to accomplish those tasks. Checkouts can be a few takeoffs
and landings, but ideally, they'll include slow flight and stalls and
explore the full range of the airplane's normal flight envelope.
When I'm checking out a pilot in an unfamiliar-to-them
aircraft, I want them to experience its novel characteristics. I
don't care whether steep turns meet commercial pilot checkride
standards. That's not the point. I just want them to know how
the airplane behaves when it banks steeply and let them make
adjustments as they learn. The main thing I want to know when
being checked out-and the central point I try to impart when
16
FLIGHT TRAINING MARCH/APRIL 2025
checking other pilots out-is the new airplane's gotchas. When
learning or teaching about the Beech D-17 Staggerwing, for
example, the two-valve, five-tank fuel system is the most important
feature for the new pilot to understand because it's the most
likely way they'll get into trouble. In a Cessna 180 or 185, pilots
need to experience how flap settings beyond 30 degrees and idle
engine power can lead to extremely high rates of descent prior to
landing. In a Cessna 182 or 206, practice go-arounds so the new
pilot sees how much forward pressure is required to keep the
nose from pitching too far up. The instructor will manipulate the
controls little if at all during the checkout itself. The pilot being
checked out gets the maximum amount of stick time.
It's also critical to learn during a checkout the things an
airplane can't do. One of the most eye-opening demonstrations
I ever received during a checkout took place in an amphibious
Piper PA-18 Super Cub. We had done many takeoffs and landings
in a variety of wind and wave conditions, and the airplane was
on the water and pointed at a small island about 1,500 feet away.
The instructor asked whether I thought the Super Cub could
take off toward the island and clear the trees in the middle of it
by a comfortable margin. I told him I was sure it could because
it was a Super Cub, an aerial mountain goat known for energetic
climbs in minimal space. During the takeoff run, however,
it quickly became obvious that I was wrong. The Super Cub
couldn't clear the island or its trees.
By simply turning the airplane slightly, I avoided the island
and took off normally. But the water run had been far longer in
time and distance than I had estimated. The same airplane on
wheels could have easily vaulted off a runway and over the obstacles,
but a Super Cub on amphibious floats is vastly different.
" That's what I wanted you to see for yourself, " the more
experienced Super Cub pilot told me. " Checkout complete. "
dave.hirschman@aopa.org
MIKE COLLINS
http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/courses/transitioning http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/courses/transitioning
Flight Training - March/April 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - March/April 2025
