Tips and tricks thread

[KAG]

Hello all, been awhile. Every so often a thread is started with tips to help keep you safe, get the job easier. Every plane is unique, so are the areas we fly.
I'm just getting this started, and will add to it later tonight (have board games to play with my son).
So please, those of you who've got some wisdom to share, please do.
The industry is about to open up again, movement will be crazy. A little hangar talk may just save someone's ass one day.

[Col. Panic]

My biggest tip is to know what is “normal” for your aircraft, and if the AP/FD tries to put you so far outside the normal range that you don’t feel right, click it off and fly the aircraft. What is normal varies by type…. The pitch attitude in a normal climb in a DHC2 is pretty nose low, whereas in a DC-9, it’s extremely nose high! We have memory items for “unreliable airspeed” - a pitch attitude and power setting to fly if you have reason to believe your airspeed indicator is lying to you! This is a reasonable configuration to fall back on if all else fails!

tl;dr… don’t fly for 5 miles at 75’ because the command bars told you to…

[Flight94]

The guys that talk the most, know the least.

The most knowledgeable and experienced pilots I know are the most humble and friendly.

A generalization, but it's the internet, so.....

Is that a tip or trick, maybe not. I don't know. Enjoy whatever you are doing and whatever you are flying.

[JHR]

Those toes you step on on your way up the ladder may be attached to the ass you have to kiss later. Don't make enemies

[PilotDAR]

Some random thoughts for "tips and tricks":

If you don't know that plane, read the flight manual, and the flight manual supplements. If something you read leaves doubt in your mind, ask for more information.

If, after lifting off the surface, there's nothing in your way, accelerate to Vy, and climb away. Climbing away at Vx puts you at much greater risk in the case of a low altitude engine failure. Those "Valdez Alaska" type very steep climbouts are a terrible habit when not needed.

Actually practice airwork, slow flight, stalls and power off landings from time to time. If you're not comfortable doing it, then you really should practice! Take an experienced pilot with you....

There's no shame in telling ATC that you've made a mistake, or you're not sure of where you are, if that is the case. It's better than blundering on, and making it worse.

Once you've chosen at action during an emergency, it has become the better choice. It is unlikely that changing your emergency action will make things better. (Example, if the engine quits, and your cause checks cannot get it running, a well planned forced landing in a suitable spot is a good decision. If the engine seems to come to life on short final, don't change your mind and go around!).

I'll think of some more later....

[digits_]

Union jobs are terrible.
Non-union jobs are worse.

[Donald]

Take more pictures.

The journey is so amazing.

I grew up before digital cameras and smart phones, so I don't have nearly enough memories recorded.

['97 Tercel]

Never break two laws at the same time - that's how you get caught.

[digits_]

Take more pictures.

The journey is so amazing.

I grew up before digital cameras and smart phones, so I don't have nearly enough memories recorded.

Unless you post them on instagram. Then you're just annoying

[Bede]

If you don't know that plane, read the flight manual, and the flight manual supplements. If something you read leaves doubt in your mind, ask for more information.

Not only be familiar with the type, but be familiar with the actual aircraft you're flying. A little while ago I was ferrying a C185 on a long flight and I nearly ran out of fuel. The aircraft had a fuel tank mod (different bladders) reducing the usable fuel below what was stated in the POH.

[scdriver]

Never break two laws at the same time - that's how you get caught.

This is key

[PilotDAR]

Never break two laws at the same time

Yeah... especially laws of physics.....

[W5]

Never run out of altitude, airspeed and ideas at the same time.

[KAG]

When I first started out as a rampy at wasaya a c208 pilot who had thousands of hours on floats told me somthing that stuck with me - if you're running out of runway (or water) and just get airborne, point at the tree tops, "I'd rather see you clear those trees at 10 feet and a 100 kts rather then 100 feet at 60 kts". You get scared you push forward and build speed.
Ideally you're never in that situation but things happen.

The late Bob Heath (just curious) said something so simple but yet made a huge difference for my time in YEV, " you can be as low as you want but if you can't see miles ahead, you have no business being there". Being new to borek, it had a powerful effect on me.

If you're new to flying and doing night vfr flying, NEVER FLY IN SPARCELY SETTLED AREAS. if you're in a black hole (no stars, few lights on ground) you are IMC. You can easily kill yourself. I've buried a few peers because of this.

[TG]

When I first started out as a rampy at wasaya a c208 pilot who had thousands of hours on floats told me somthing that stuck with me - if you're running out of runway (or water) and just get airborne, point at the tree tops, "I'd rather see you clear those trees at 10 feet and a 100 kts rather the 100 feet at 60 kts". You get scared you push forward and build speed.
Ideally you're never in that situation but things happen.

I basically got the same advice first time I headed to a small dirt runway in a C-206 on wheel.
"If anything, aim for the tree's tops with spare speed. They are soft to punch into, better than a stall trying to clear them"

[photofly]

When I first started out as a rampy at wasaya a c208 pilot who had thousands of hours on floats told me somthing that stuck with me - if you're running out of runway (or water) and just get airborne, point at the tree tops, "I'd rather see you clear those trees at 10 feet and a 100 kts rather the 100 feet at 60 kts". You get scared you push forward and build speed.
Ideally you're never in that situation but things happen.

I basically got the same advice first time I headed to a small dirt runway in a C-206 on wheel.
"If anything, aim for the tree's tops with spare speed. They are soft to punch into, better than a stall trying to clear them"

Can you explain that in a bit more detail?

[88gtst]

Ignore everything you read on avcanada and your life will have much more positivity.

[TG]

When I first started out as a rampy at wasaya a c208 pilot who had thousands of hours on floats told me somthing that stuck with me - if you're running out of runway (or water) and just get airborne, point at the tree tops, "I'd rather see you clear those trees at 10 feet and a 100 kts rather the 100 feet at 60 kts". You get scared you push forward and build speed.
Ideally you're never in that situation but things happen.

I basically got the same advice first time I headed to a small dirt runway in a C-206 on wheel.
"If anything, aim for the tree's tops with spare speed. They are soft to punch into, better than a stall trying to clear them"

Can you explain that in a bit more detail?

Tree tops are much softer than they look and it's apparently safer if badly cornered on take off, to go through it
(Up to some point of course) Instead of above and stall.
The actual tip would be not to put yourself in such a position.

[imjustlurking]

Never break two laws at the same time - that's how you get caught.

Also, never film yourself breaking a law with premeditation.

[photofly]

I basically got the same advice first time I headed to a small dirt runway in a C-206 on wheel.
"If anything, aim for the tree's tops with spare speed. They are soft to punch into, better than a stall trying to clear them"

Can you explain that in a bit more detail?

Tree tops are much softer than they look and it's apparently safer if badly cornered on take off, to go through it
(Up to some point of course) Instead of above and stall.
The actual tip would be not to put yourself in such a position.

Isn't it the best thing to do to climb at your best-angle-of-climb speed, and ignore the trees altogether?

[cargocowboy]

Can you explain that in a bit more detail?

Tree tops are much softer than they look and it's apparently safer if badly cornered on take off, to go through it
(Up to some point of course) Instead of above and stall.
The actual tip would be not to put yourself in such a position.

Isn't it the best thing to do to climb at your best-angle-of-climb speed, and ignore the trees altogether?

That's a flight school thing. Best angle of climb doesn't really exist in an operational world. That's an argument unto itself, but the gist of the original treetop comment is, maintain the free energy of ground effect as long as possible and have excess airspeed when skimming those treetops. Far safer than pitching up and riding the stall speed while clawing for altitude over said trees.

[photofly]

That's a flight school thing. Best angle of climb doesn't really exist in an operational world.

It sounds like it should.

maintain the free energy of ground effect as long as possible

How would one tell what "as long as possible" is?

but the gist of the original treetop comment is,

Actually that's not how I interpret the gist of the treetop comment at all. I interpret it as, if you're not sure if you can clear the trees, don't panic and haul back on the yoke. If you're going to hit them, do so under positive control, instead of stalling it in. Or maybe the gist is just that climb performance falls off rapidly if you get too slow, and that's easier than it sounds when in a corner. But the ambiguity is why I asked for more explanation.

But if you can "aim at the top of the trees" and still clear them by 10 feet flying at 100 knots, then you wouldn't be in any danger of hitting them at all, at any sensible airspeed - maybe 60 is too slow, but 70, 80, or 90 wouldn't be. So I don't know how it helps.

[TG]

If you're going to hit them, do so under positive control, instead of stalling it in.

In a nutshell yes.

I repeat, nutshell.

[digits_]

Can you explain that in a bit more detail?

Tree tops are much softer than they look and it's apparently safer if badly cornered on take off, to go through it
(Up to some point of course) Instead of above and stall.
The actual tip would be not to put yourself in such a position.

Isn't it the best thing to do to climb at your best-angle-of-climb speed, and ignore the trees altogether?

Because a CPL in general, and especially a bush pilot, will go through great lengths to come up with alternative procedures to avoid having to admit something he learned from a flight instructor actually made sense.

[PilotDAR]

maintain the free energy of ground effect as long as possible and have excess airspeed when skimming those treetops. Far safer than pitching up and riding the stall speed while clawing for altitude over said trees.

That's my policy, which I try to never have to use.