Once, long long ago, when I was a low time private pilot in the UK, returning from a successful trip from the south coast, feeling pretty good, keeping my navigation log up to date, making sure I was avoiding restricted areas,

Whoaa! What was that!

A purple coloured aircraft, twin engined, diving and turning to my left, a near-miss (or near hit as I prefer to call them, after all we did miss). Didn’t see him, until too late, clearly head on slightly lower and much faster than me. Maybe 200 ft laterally and 50ft below. Too close for me. What did I do wrong? Head in the cockpit too long? No TCAS in my little Cessna 152?

I spent a lot of time looking into what could and should be done after that. Let’s start with the obvious:

1) Keep your lookout going. Even in the circuit, I know it’s a busy time but some people fly right through circuits oblivious of their existence. Day-time VFR lookout is simple: small segments of the sky say 10 degrees, concentrate on that sector (you’re looking for any objects that tickles your eye-balls), then move on to the next 10 degrees. As one of my first instructors said to me

“The plane that kills you comes from the side”. He was a bit inscrutable, but I think he meant make sure your scan covers from 8 O’clock all the way to 4 O’clock, not just ahead and 30 degrees to the side.

2) Don’t got heads-in. Every task in the cockpit can be broken down into small chunks giving you the opportunity to look out again. Even dialing frequency numbers can be broken down

One- Look – One – Look – Nine – Decimal Nine – Look. You get the idea.

3) CRM is crucial. If you have an instructor on board, make sure they are looking as well, they probably are anyway. If you have a passenger on board, pay them to spot small aircraft at your level. Playing games on the Nintendo DS while you fly is a waste of two good Mark 1 eyeballs. Pay them one pound for every aircraft they see.

4) Get a traffic service, ATC load dependent of course, but sometimes a big distraction in crowded areas:

“Traffic 2 O’clock , three miles, no height”, usually means theres an airbus 10,000 feet above you, still it’s better than not having the service.

5) Position reporting by you is especially important at lightly controlled airfields, such as in the USA where CTAF frequencies are for exactly this purpose.

“Lakeland traffic, Cessna 3421 Zulu, down-wind for runway 21, Lakeland traffic”.

This tactic may not be much use if someone is just bombing through a zone, because they are probably not even on the right frequency.

6) Get TCAS. There are some very good cheap models out there, that warn you of conflicts. I like the G1000 warning system, where you can overlay the traffic on your moving map. This is a great system. I once ‘watched’ a conflicting aircraft fly below me and across. I knew exactly where it was (the TCAS told me) but I never once saw it. These systems are great.

7) Get an Instrument rating. This one obviously is a little harder to achieve, but the idea once you have an IFR flight plan someone else is also responsible for keeping legally mandated minimum distances from you to the next plane.

Don’t fly at the same height as everybody else. Choose an odd altitude, Why fly at 2,000′ when you can fly at 2,150′ feet? If you look at the density of traffic at different altitudes in a VFR environment, you see a huge number of aircraft at 2,000′ . Look slightly higher, the density of traffic is much lower. Again this doesn’t help with circuit blasting.

9) Finally, I would recommend you read the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) or look at their website. It details events that were near hits and describes in detail what everybody did, when they did it. If you understand these events you can get into the mind set to avoid these events.  

Finally I would say collision avoidance is a major task of the VFR pilot, especially single pilot operation. As a low time pilot you may not have the capacity to keep your look out going all the time, but as you build up more experience more time can be allocated to lookout. As my instrument instructor said:

“If your’e doing nothing on a single-pilot operation flight, you should feel guilty, look out, check something, what possible conflicts could there be”.

None of the above are foolproof of course, but lowering your chances of that scary moment happening are what it’s all about.

Tweet. He stared at the screen. Another pilot, consoled. Another family now enjoying the luxuries of aviation. He sighed. Still more pilots come. Tweet.

Aaaaarghhh!! We’re going to crash. I want to get out.  I want to get out.

I looked back briefly. Remember : aviate, navigate, communicate. Don’t let the screaming put you off. The accident reports will look silly. “Controlled flight into terrain after the pilot was distracted by his daughter, probably caused by light turublence”. I turned the aircraft, a long slow turn, no more than 10 degrees of bank. Turn me away from controlled airspace and return to the field. No way I was going 300 miles with a screaming passenger.

If only I’d known all those years ago that there was a way to slowly acclimatise a passenger new to light aircraft. Obvious really, but it was never taught in my syllabus in the UK and it’s hardly ever mentioned in the US syllabus. I had to do something. I had to work out a method. Some step by step procedure to get from nervous passenger to confident traveler. After all if the passengers don’t go with you, flying becomes solo and then it becomes an expensive but lonely hobby, then you give up. Family is more important. So it was my duty as a pilot! As an ambassador for aviation. Find interesting places to take passengers, that way they see the point of it. If it’s faster than a car and more enjoyable then it becomes more likely your flying will continue. I had to do it! I had to form a new organization, but what should I call it?

Turning over Swansea, heading for home, only 150 miles or so to go. Perhaps I should point out the Severn bridge, I turned to to talk to my passenger. Oh! She’s asleep. Hey. You know what that means. She’s now so comfortable that she can sleep after an interesting day half way across the country. Was this a success for Flying Families. I think it was.

I think I’ll call it Flying Families.

The key to getting this right is to be relaxed and answer questions clearly and confidently for your passengers. The major points to cover are Safety belts, and Doors, seat adjustment is also important but emphasise that the passenger, if they are sitting in the front seat should keep clear of the controls. Explain in a matter of fact way what will happen during the take-off roll, especially the loud engine noise. Once off the ground many passengers jump every time the aircracft move slightly up and down, but the best you can do here is choose a day that is not turbulent. The situation during the cruise is usually better because less is happening, the acceleration phase has finished and now they’re on their way. A camera can help to distract passengers. Teenagers will want to play with electronic toys, but you should make sure these are not mobile phones. During this cruise phase make sure your angles of bank are quite shallow (no more than 15 degrees). If you use an autopilot then you should explain the noise it makes when it disconnects is loud and irritating for a reason. Naturaly the passengers will want to talk to you during the flight (and this should be allowed) but a clear method of stopping passengers talking should be established during the pre-flight briefing (see the briefing sheet). A hand signal is clear and unambiguous.  I would also recommend that during the approach and landing phase there no talking should be allowed by the passengers as this is a crucial phase of flight and you will not want to spare any brainpower for idle chit-chat. That’s the flying part of the experience for the passengers but just as important is the destination phase of the experience. Make sure you have researched ground transportation and how to get to your chosen venue. Make sure to keep to a time table as delays will cause you to rush and this will make everybody nervous, the last thing you want while in the air. Make sure to have an alternate in case of bad weather (or any other reason). If you take a passenger on a trip to a destination and get them back to base smiling then you will have a great feeling of satisfaction and have achieved Flying Families number one accolade GA ambassador.

 TV celebrities like Jeremy Clarkson refer to light aircraft as Flying Washing  machines. It gives the public the wrong impression and generally they don’t  have the right impression anyway. You’ve been flying for too long to realise but  your passengers, especially the new ones are full of questions and worries. Not  wanting to appear ignorant they’ll sit quietly and worry throughout the flight  that the flashing Transponder light is some indication of imminent disaster!  This is why I emphasise the use of SAFETY (See a previous HTGYFF).

Y is for  Questions. Try not to make the passenger or passengers feel they are being  foolish about asking what may appear to be obvious things to you.  I already have a very long list, and  suggested explanations and comforting words for would be passengers. My  favourite is :

Where’s the  parachute?

Hmmm.  Nervous passenger methinks. Still at least they’re asking. Try to use calming  words in your answers like Glide, precautionary landing etc.

Good Answer: We  don’t need one, unless we want to go parachuting and I can’t understand why  anyone would want to leave a perfectly functional airplane. In case we have to  land unexpectedly we’ll glide to the nearest convenient place. We have more  choices that those big lumbering jets!

Bad Answer: No point  in having one if the wings fell off we’d be gonners anyway.

Will ATC be able  to hear me when I speak?

Comment: This is a  popular one. If you have a very quiet passenger it’ll be because they think  every word they utter will be heard and recorded by Air Traffic Control. You  need to explain carefully that you have to push a special button to talk to ATC.  In some aircraft you can isolate the co-pilot from ATC as well so that they  can’t even hear ATC. Decide on a hand signal to keep them quiet while you are  talking. Chat to them at other times to get them relaxed. Obviously not during  busy times.

Good Answer: No. But  I’ll be able to hear you when you speak. So if I need to speak to ATC I’ll let  you know before hand so we don’t have both of you speaking to me at the same  time. If you need to say anything just speak normally and I’ll hear you. It wont  be a problem.

Bad Answer: Doubt  it. They never hear me when I speak. Sometimes I can’t even get a word in  edge-wise

What happens if  the engine stops? After all Jumbos have four engines?

Comment: Another  nervous passenger. No sooner are they on board they’re imagining falling out of  the sky. 

Good Answer: It is  very unlikely to happen. The engine is inspected frequently as are all the  systems on this aircraft. Even if it did happen we’d land somewhere convenient.  This aircraft can land almost anywhere without any fuss and we practise doing  that all the time.

Bad Answer: God, I  hope that doesn’t happen. If we crash make sure to pull me from the wreckage  before the fire starts.

Why doesn’t the  undercarriage come up?

Comment: A more  sensible question.

Good Answer: In this  aircraft there’s very little loss in speed due to the gear being down. Some  bigger light aircraft do have retractable gear, but not this  one.

Bad Answer: Good  thing if you ask me. I’d forget to lower it anyway. Frankly I’d forget my head  if it wasn’t screwed on to my body.

Where are the  toilets?

Comment: If they’re  asking about toilets make sure they understand that they need to visit ground  facilities before the flight.

Good Answer:  Unfortunately there are none on this aircraft, but if you need to go now, pop  into the terminal building / Club building and do what you need to do. The  flight will only be (insert number of hours here). 

Bad answer: Let me  put it this way. Is that an expensive suit you’re wearing?

Do we get  peanuts?

Comment: This is a  good sign. The passenger is joking (I think). This might be time for little  levity.

Good answer: Sorry I  forgot the peanuts. I’ll make sure to pack some the next  time.

Bad answer: Sure,  but you’ll have to put on a short skirt and a silly hat to dish them  out.

Where are the  oxygen masks?

Comment: Another  sensible question. After all a passenger is not likely to know at what altitude  you need oxygen.

Good Answer: Just  breathe normally. We don’t need oxygen we will not be going up that  high.

Bad Answer: You  don’t get one. You’re only the passenger. You’re what they call acceptable  losses. Only kidding!

Finally, if you’ve  had some really good questions that made you laugh, or took you aback then  please e-mail them to me we could all learn from each  other!

For pilots Alderney has another fascination. Although owing allegiance to the Crown, the island, like the other ‘Channel’ islands is outside the EU and provides an opportunity to ‘learn the ropes’ of international flight while using an English speaking, GA friendly airport.

{mosimage} Alderney airport was built in 1938 to serve all the Channel islands. Information about the airport and its facilities can be gained from the Airport Manager – Keith Webster:  Tel +44 (0)1481 822624 – Fax +44 (0)1481 823005.

The history of Alderney is equally fascinating.. From Neolithic beginnings to the islands unusual association with the UK,  Alderney has a unique history. In the last war German Occupiers forced all the islanders to abandon their homes, a situation which would have seen the demise of many communities. Alderney has risen again largely due to the determination of the 2000 plus residents and now, despite a high cost of living, enjoys a low tax environment which makes the island attractive as a tax haven.

Alderney Events.

Alderney is only a short ‘hop’ away across the channel and makes an easy day, or even lunch trip from the southern UK.

Regular Events

Each year Alderney stages three memorable events which are worth a visit.

1) The seafood Festival in May. Wonderfully fresh seafood cooked by experts and very reasonably priced.
2) The Alderney Fly-in in June each year is a chance for pilots to get together and enjoy the island.
3) The Alderney Air Races. Usually held in November, just before the long doldrums of winter these might represent a last opportunity to spread your wings.

Why Visit Alderney?

If you love beaches, and especially if you have children, the island of Alderney may be the ideal destination for you. Surrounded by long spectacular stretches of sand, Alderney is one place where you can be sure that children are safe, and you’ll find nothing in the sand or rock pools that nature didn’t put there. Longis Bay, guarded by a wall left over from the German occupation of the island, is one of the safest. The wall provides protection from the northerly wind and the water is the warmest around the island.

Salon Culinaire : 23 May 2007

The Salon Culinaire is a highly competitive event where the island’s finest amateur and professional chefs compete for the best dish in any of the ten categories or indeed for the best dish in show. There is both a Junior and Senior section so anyone of any age can enter the competition. Spectators are also welcome. The Boat House (The Moorings) from 12 midday to 5pm.

The Pilot

I don’t like last minute changes! I like to plan things ahead of time. That way there are fewer surpises. But guess what! Even carefully developed plans have to be changed at the last minute.

Plan change 1. I had planned to take my son and friend to Bembridge to the dinosaur museum. Unfortunately the granted permission to take the friend was revoked the evening before. Single pilot operations are not to be trusted apparently. Ah well! Another marketing challenge. So it was a daughter instead of a son.

Plan change 2. The last stage of my planning is usually the personal briefing. What’s this! The Red Arrows in my path! And at the same time as I would be there! Another last minute change. The extra workload in changing the pilot log and uploading to my GPS and eyeballing the route all added to the time to leave.

Still, having learnt my lesson from the last trip to avoid the renter’s hurry up, I allocated an extra hour to my booking, which should allow plenty of time for a visit to the museum, a leisurely lunch and relaxed flight back (now avoiding those Red Arrows).

The weather was as good as could be expected. Light winds from the North, and no significant weather. Luckily I was recently re-familiarized with the 35 grass runway at Wycombe and was getting some ‘greasers’ in (can you have greasers on grass?)

The down-side, of course, with good weather is that everybody else is flying as well. There was even a queue at the pumps. A bit like real life? Soon after departing Wycombe with my passenger nicely ensconced (and now getting fairly blase about the passenger briefing “Of course I know not talk when air traffic control are talking”).

Changing frequency to Farnborough radar for the FIS was sensible (especially with the Red Arrows about – and everybody in the air). Then the problem for the day became clear. Farnborough were so busy that all I could hear from them was

“G-ABCD, standby BREAK BREAK, G-WACY Standby, BREAK BREAK, G-RGAP Standby”.

You get the picture. This poor air traffic controller was completely flooded with calls. I Stood by as requested and kept silent, patiently waiting my turn (See Figure 1 – Circling Reading). Did I dare squeeze past Farnborough with the Red Arrows squeezing everybody to the West into a small funnel of traffic without speaking to Farnborough? No way. I waited. And waited. And waited. And called again. Eventually Squawk assigned and 2,400 set I made it past Farnborough. A good lookout was of course mandatory here. No sign of the Red Arrows however.

My daughter seemed intrigued by all the football matches she managed to watch from above. I asked her who was winning.

“The red ones just scored”

At the end of her duty shift the Farnborough controller went of shift (and got many thanks from pilots, who couldn’t understand how she coped).

With Farnborough far behind and Bembridge beckoning we made a smooth right base approach to runway 30. Nearly made it without having to backtrack to the taxi way. Maybe next time.

The Isle of Wight is packed with attractions, but we just headed for one. The Dinosaur museum. OK it’s not the Natural History museum, but it has some good exhibits and is near to many other attractions, including a beach if you have the time.

The journey back was timed to avoid the Red Arrows in time (we would be nearest to their area after their show had finished) and in space (we were at least 10 nm from the zone designated for their use). The best part of the journey back was the sleeping passenger. This is the passenger who many moons ago inspired me to start Flying Families by screaming her head off on an abortive flight to Jersey and distracting me enough to get me into the London Zone. This very same person was sleeping like a baby, while I brought my Cessna steed gently back down to earth to sweetly kiss the grass.

“Oh have we arrived”.

“Yes, we sure have”