Page 19 - Volume 16 Number 6

that a few seconds of max-effort climb, followed by a power reduction at a decent altitude, would increase safety and spread a smaller noise footprint over the surrounding neighborhood. Cutting off the boost pumps sequentially, while staying alert for any resulting power change, would be better technique than just rushing through the checklist.
As we proceeded with the flight, I noted that he didn’t check the identifier of the approach navaid, even though he had plenty of time while en route to the IAF. Yes, I know the needles were alive and the flags were pulled, but what if he had misread the frequency or had the wrong procedure selected? We also know that displays can fail and tuners can jump out of calibration, so what you see may not be what you get. The only sure way to know you’re following the right course is to verify the dots and dashes. Granted, we’ll probably catch the false guidance when something doesn’t look right, but by then we may be too far into the procedure to get back on track.
One of our tasks I had planned was an RNAV/GPS letdown that required maneuvering to line up with the runway. Circling minimums were around 600 feet AGL; when he acquired the airport about a mile and a half out, he dialed the power back, dropped final flaps and made a descending, decelerating series of turns that left him at an unsafe altitude well before he was in a position to land. He wasn’t saving any time, he was just letting the airplane get ahead of him by reducing power prematurely.
It’s hard to reform a Type-A, but with constant expressions of concern, and hints at the penalty for hurrying, a CFI might make a dent in the armor covering his or her personality. If you carry the dominant Type A gene yourself, get an independent e•valuation of your flying style once in a while, and don’t take it personally. T&T
JUNE 2012
TWIN & TURBINE • 17