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Standard Aero
We must understand our display.
experience a mental delay when we’re surprised or shocked by an event. Unlike piston-engine failure training in which we verify, identify and feather, and the well-known axiom to “Wind The Clock” to slow us down so as to not make a bad situation worse through our haste, it’s critical that we are trained and conditioned to react immediately and instinctively to both TCAS and TAWS warnings.
The escape maneuver or procedure for your plane likely includes disengaging some or all of the automation then hand-flying a prescribed maneuver. Once into the maneu- ver, it probably has you check your configuration for such things as spoilers and power settings, and then to monitor aircraft performance to ensure terrain separation followed by a return to normal performance after an event. Don’t think about it, don’t question it, don’t analyze a false warn- ing, don’t look around to figure out what it sees – and don’t delay. Be smooth but be quick. You can get on the radio after you have a successful recovery in progress, tell ATC or other aircraft what you are doing. And don’t worry, fol- lowing a TCAS RA or a TAWS warning gives you a get-out- of-jail-free card for violating any clearance or regulation.
Pilots Who Stare at Goats
Based on Jon Ronson’s non-fiction bestseller of the same name, the movie “Men Who Stare at Goats” (2009) is a tale based on the U.S. Army’s foray into psychic research for use as a weapon. During an allegedly true incident, a psychic operative stared a goat to death. Staring at a TAWS warn- ing is like staring at the goat in a cloud bank, believing it must be wrong. Even if you think you’re a psychic, the goat in the cloud won’t fall over, and the rocks won’t move out of your way. This is one of the few times in aviation you are encouraged to act quickly and instinctively. When the TAWS gives you an alert or warning, check your configu- ration and execute an escape maneuver if needed. Don’t wait until you see a goat in the clouds.
Kevin Dingman has been flying for more than 40 years. He’s an ATP typed in the B737, DC9 and CE-650 with 25,000 hours in his logbook. A retired Air Force major, he flew the F-16 and later performed as an USAF Civil Air Patrol Liaison Officer. He flies volunteer missions for the Christian organi- zation Wings of Mercy, is retired from a major airline, flies the Cessna Citation for RAI Jets, and owns and operates a Beechcraft Duke.Contact Kevin at dinger10d@gmail.com.
26 • TWIN & TURBINE / February 2023