Page 12 - Demo

Top-of-Mind
The FAA and industry were con– cerned about collision avoidance at non-towered airports even before this collision. Two recent publications address collision avoidance at non- towered airports:
NBAA: The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has published, “Operating into a Non- Towered Airport?” The document is aimed primarily on the issue of closing contract control towers, turning Class D airspace into Class E and often Class G close to the surface. The guide states:
When approaching the airport, crews should also make a point to keep their eyes outside the cockpit in order to see and avoid other traffic and monitor the radio to help ascertain the positions of other aircraft in the vicinity. Pilots should also communicate their position and cooperate with other pilots in the area to establish the safest approach to the field, with the least potential for conflict with other traffic.
This is fairly basic guidance, and is prefaced by this statement:
...pilots operating under an IFR flight plan to a newly non-towered field will need to be prepared for the transition from the positive control environment of instrument flight when approaching their destination. These are skills that all business aircraft pilots should be familiar with, but now will have to be applied at locations with newly closed control towers....
Well, yes, business pilots not only should, but must follow the rules of visual flight in non-towered and uncontrolled airspace. See and avoid is the first and last defense, regardless of the aircraft type or performance. The NBAA guide does not specifically address the issue of non-towered operations at airports with intersecting runways.
FAA: In March 2018, the FAA issued Advisory Circular 90-66B, “Non- towered Airport Flight Operations.” Also basic in its guidance, it states:
The pilot in command’s (PIC) primary responsibility is to see and avoid other aircraft and to help them see and avoid his or her aircraft. Keep lights and strobes on. The use of any traffic pattern procedure does not alter the responsibility of each pilot to see and avoid other aircraft. Pilots are encouraged to participate in “Operation Lights On,” a voluntary pilot safety program described in the AIM, paragraph 4-3-23, that is designed to improve the “see - and - avoid” capabilities.
Pilots should clearly communicate on the CTAF and coordinate maneu– vering for and execution of the landing with other traffic so as not to disrupt the flow of other aircraft. Therefore, pilots operating in the traffic pattern should be alert at all times to aircraft executing straight-in landings.... Instrument approaches should be par– ticularly alert for other aircraft in the pattern so as to avoid interrupting the flow of traffic, and should bear in mind they do not have priority over other VFR traffic. Pilots are reminded that circling approaches require left-hand
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10 • TWIN & TURBINE
June 2018