AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2024 - 94

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that I wanted to start from square one,
even learning a new instrument scan.
When we met up, I was pleased that
Cessna 414 with 4-blade Propeller MTV-14
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It's easy for your old
bird to become a hero.
Williams was in no more of a hurry to start
Niky up and go fly as was I. We began by
sitting in Niky inside the hangar with the
battery and avionics master on to absorb
the panel layout. It took the better part of an
hour to populate the various user-defined
fields on my PFD, GPS navigators, and
iPad with the values that would make the
most sense. Among my primary flight display
(PFD), two GPS navigators, and iPad,
there are 19 spots to locate such values as
groundspeed, next waypoint, distance to
destination, and estimated time enroute.
We began by locating the most important
parameters on the PFD in front of me and
then worked toward the right side of the
panel with others that are nice to have but
not critical. After filling in the first 15, we
decided to leave all four fields in my number
2 nav/com blank to better see the map since
the screen on that unit is small.
In that session, we also constructed a
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94
AOPA PILOT / January 2024
panel flow pattern that I would use preceding
each critical phase of flight. Such a
flow ensures that all gauges indicate continued
engine health, that I have set up my
communication and navigational equipment
correctly, and that, if the autopilot
is engaged, it is guiding the aircraft in the
way I intended. A flow that makes sense
for Niky starts with the throttle, mixture,
propeller, and landing gear controls below
the center of the panel. I then run my hand
right to left across the circuit breakers that
I had relocated low and in front of the pilot.
Moving up, I commence a left to right flow
across the panel starting with my backup
attitude indicator and a careful view of
the PFD that includes communication
frequencies, engine gauges, as well as the
status of the autopilot. After that, I verify
the iPad, and my two navigators display the
information in a helpful format.
It turns out that time in Niky on the
ground was my favorite part of this training
event. With a photograph of my newly
configured panel, I spent time at home
relearning where I would look for the
information when I needed it. After updating
my IFR checklist to reflect the new
flows, it was finally time to plan the flight-
one that would better simulate flying
cross-country instead of three approaches
done in rapid succession on a typical IPC.
We departed Sewanee Franklin County
Airport (UOS) and headed 54 nautical miles
northeast to Upper Cumberland Regional
(SRB) for the ILS Runway 4 and flew the
missed approach. Walker County (JFX),
156 nm to the southwest, served up a VOR/
DME-A complete with a DME arc, and I
circled for a full-stop landing on Runway
27. After reconfiguring the avionics on the
ground, we flew a 61-nm hop for the RNAV
(GPS) 7 at Guntersville Municipal (8A1).
Although the flight was already well
over three hours, Williams asked if I would
like to fly an approach using only my iPad
and I jumped at the chance. So, we added
the RNAV (GPS) 36 at the Winchester
Airport (BGF) to the flight. With LPV minimums
and the availability of WAAS, I'd
normally have vertical guidance, but we
Most important, I
identified one of my own
weaknesses as a pilot and
tailored a flight review and
IPC to solve the problem.
simulated a complete panel failure, and
I stepped down along the fixes using my
standby altimeter and the geopositioned referencing
on my iPad. I had never done this
before, but it's a terrific confidence builder
in anticipation of a really bad day in the air.
After copious hours studying on the
ground alone, then with my instructor, followed
by a four-hour flight, I came away
with not only an IPC but also earned a phase
of FAA Wings Pilot Proficiency Program.
Most important, I identified one of my own
weaknesses as a pilot and tailored a flight
review and IPC to solve the problem.
Unless I have a new certificate or rating
to complete, I will use this method
to satisfy the requirements for a flight
review. Now that's a resolution I can keep.
Catherine Cavagnaro teaches aerobatics at
Franklin County Airport and is the Gaston
Bruton Swindell Professor of Mathematics
at Sewanee: The University of the South.
http://www.mt-propeller.com
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2024
