AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2023 - 92

RUDDER & WRENCH
TOP OFF
YOUR PLANE &
YOUR WALLET
The only credit card
that supports AOPA
and general aviation.
update. While this circular contains excellent
information, there are some topics that
could be introduced or emphasized. What
follows are a few of my suggestions for an
improved version of the advisory circular.
Practice instrument approaches
AC 90-66C advises that " safety may best
be served by breaking off the approach and
entering the airport's downwind leg to not
disturb the current flow of landing and
departing traffic. " But that's just not realistic
in our bustling training environment,
and it would not be wise to give pilots the
idea that there will be fewer straight-in
approaches in the future.
Airmen certification standards for the
2%
Cash Back1
FBOs & Flight Schools;
Aviation & Auto Fuel2-4
CASH BACK1
APPLIED AS STATEMENT CREDIT.
QUARTERLY BONUS POINT CAP OF 2,500 POINTS4
Visit
AOPA.org/creditcard
to learn more
instrument rating require that the candidate
descend as low as 200 feet above the
ground at the missed approach point very
close to the runway. Negotiating with other
pilots in the pattern and even altering the
approach speed to facilitate myriad operations
should be part of every instrument
pilot's repertoire, and pilots who operate in
a standard pattern should always be on the
lookout for traffic on straight-in approaches.
Rolling wings-level on base to check the
extended final leg and the opposite base
leg is an important practice. Assuming that
there will be such traffic is an effective antidote
for complacency.
* Certain points and purchases restrictions apply, see full Rewards Terms and
Conditions for full details at AOPA.org/creditcard
editcard. 1. Rewards points can be
redeemed for Cash Back or other redemption items provided through AOPA Pilot
Rewards. A Cash Back redemption is applied as a statement credit. The statement
credit will reduce your balance but you are still required to make at least your
minimum payment. A minimum of 2,500 points is needed to redeem for Cash Back.
Values for non-cash back redemption items such as merchandise, gift cards,
and travel may vary. 2. Advertising, Aviation Insurance, PAC Donations and AFI
Donations are excluded. Visit www.commercebank.com/aopapilotrewards for
complete details on exclusions and bonus point categories. 3. Participating AOPA
partners include: Aero-Space Reports, Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co., Jeppesen®,
Pilot Workshops, SiriusXM®, Sporty's® Pilot Shop. The listed AOPA partners
are in no way affiliated with Commerce Bank, nor are the listed merchants to be
considered sponsors or co-sponsors of this program. Use of merchant names and/
or logos is by the permission of each respective merchant and all trademarks are
the property of their respective owners. 4. Please note that merchants self-select
the category in which transactions will be listed and some merchants may be owned
by other companies, therefore transactions may not be counted in the category
you might expect. Purchases made using Near Field Communication (NFC), virtual
wallets, or similar technology may not be eligible for bonus points.
Airspeed in the pattern
Facilitating multiple kinds of operations at a
nontowered airport doesn't end with communication
among pilots, as the accident
in Watsonville demonstrates. In AOPA Air
Safety Institute's " Early Analysis: Midair
at Watsonville Municipal Airport, " ADS-B
data shows that the Cessna 340 maintained
a ground speed of approximately 180 knots
until the collision on short final-at least
twice or possibly three times as fast as the
Cessna 152. Such disparity in approach
speeds surely made the charge to see and
avoid an especially challenging one.
Verbiage
AC 90-66C asks pilots to " consider that
non-instrument-rated pilots may not
understand " IFR phrases. But the example
it gives as a best practice, " Cessna
N1234 on VOR 6 not flying the published
missed approach, turning east for another
92
AOPA PILOT / September 2023
approach, " is at odds with the advice. Noninstrument-rated
pilots might not know
what a VOR approach is, and even instrument-rated
pilots won't be familiar with
the published missed approach unless
they are viewing the same approach plate.
" Cessna N1234, five-mile final, Runway 6,
low approach, " offers the pertinent information
and makes sense to any pilot.
" Cessna N1234, going around on Runway
6, departing east " during the missed procedure
can help coordinate with other traffic
in the pattern.
Defining the upwind leg
The first figure in Appendix A in AC
90-66C shows that the upwind leg of the
pattern is parallel to and on the opposite
side of the runway from the downwind leg.
But under the textual description it says
" The upwind leg is separate and distinct
from the departure leg and often used to
reference the flight path flown after takeoff
(or a touch and go). " This sentence seems
to say that some pilots are using " upwind "
when they really should be using " departure
leg, " but it's not clear to me where the
FAA stands on such a blurred distinction.
The circular could more clearly communicate
that these should remain separate legs.
Because FAA guidance condones entering
the pattern on the crosswind, flying
the upwind leg to delay turning crosswind
until a pilot can seamlessly enter
between or behind other traffic on the
downwind leg can be helpful. The Cirrus
pilot who entered on the crosswind leg at
Winchester could have used the upwind
leg to his advantage.
Flying with friends new to general
aviation always reminds me of the amazing
amount of trust they place in me.
Associated with the gift of their trust
comes the profound responsibility for me
to continually improve my abilities, preparation,
and decision-making skills, so
spending time with AC 90-66C proved a
valuable expenditure of my time. If you
haven't had the chance to review this new
version of AC 90-66, I hope you find the
time soon and make your own suggestions
to the FAA.
Catherine Cavagnaro teaches
aerobatics at UOS and is the Gaston Bruton
Swindell Professor of Mathematics at
Sewanee: The University of the South.
http://www.AOPA.org/creditcard http://www.AOPA.org/creditcard http://www.commercebank.com/aopapilotrewards
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2023
