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it’s because of conflicting traffic below us, an airspace constraint, letters of agreement between sectors, or the controller waiting for a “hand-off” from the next sector. Of course, in the cockpit, we joke that the reason for a late descent clearance is that they had to finish a donut, a sneeze, take a potty break, or simply forgot about us. In any case, it’s up to us to manage the resulting faster- than-normal descent.
WKF
WKF: White Knuckle Factor. Used in the measurement and evaluation of stress in the cockpit.
In modern GA, we can perhaps replace the minutes of sheer terror description above with excitement or, more accurately, intensity. If you fly enough, there will be events that elevate the intensity level, which in turn, increases the WKF. You may not have heard of WKF, but a moderate level of it is both real and desirable. It shows a person is paying attention. Too much, however, can result in panic and the disappearance of the laminate on the yoke.
Transitioning through the V-speeds and climb segments during a heavyweight takeoff or from a short runway can be much like a rocket launch, with several critical deci- sion points along the path. And if the departure or arrival requires precision due to terrain, weather or procedural constraints, the WKF can be elevated. Running low on fuel, an engine failure on takeoff, slippery runways, and hoping the visibility comes up another quarter-mile at the alternate are examples that could elevate the WKF to a new-yoke-needed level.
Relaxed
If the last hour (or five) in the flight levels have gone smoothly, we often find ourselves quite relaxed at the top of descent – with zero WKF. This pre-descent mental condition can resemble being sleepy, lethargic or having hypoxia. Because of this, the transition from cruise to descent can often come quickly and catch us by surprise. Like waking to an alarm set later than we meant, then trying to catch up. I’m sure that you have experienced it. You think you have prepared for the descent, but once it begins, you feel like you’re behind the airplane. The phe- nomenon occurs because our body and mind have been at a reduced level of tasking, and the new demand for physical and mental concentration is a relatively large and sudden change. What we needed was a warm-up period.
Just as during takeoff, it’s important to devote the req- uisite level of respect and attention to planning, prepar- ing and accomplishing the descent and approach. This is particularly important when the upcoming procedures are complex, dicey due to weather and terrain or ATC issues you a slam-dunk. There are several things we can do to prepare both physically and mentally for the descent and approach in order to get ourselves warmed up. These techniques include physical activity, mental aerobics and drugs.
Drugs
Since the suggestion of using drugs to enhance alert- ness raised your eyebrows, let’s cover stimulants first. In the military, pilots of single-seat aircraft flying long missions are issued prescription-strength amphetamines to be taken 30 minutes or so before landing. When strong stimulants wear off, the resulting mental crash can be significant and unpredictable, hence the reason military pilots go through a testing phase with the drugs first and why we don’t want to use them in GA.
Since prescription stimulants are not an option, more civil and predictable alertness-enhancing drugs can be found in common drinks. Caffeine in coffee, tea, or soft drinks is the most prevalent and is effective in most people. Energy drinks are another source. They use a combination of sugar, caffeine, ephedrine, taurine and ginseng for the desired effect; an intense and potentially unhealthy cock- tail – also inducing a follow-on mental crash. For some, however, none of these drinks are effective for long. In any case, you must manage the timing of the mental crash. And unless you have an onboard potty, the timing of all this drinking will be critical. You don’t want the distraction of a full bladder using up your 15 minutes of new-found alertness and concentration.
If cockpit or cabin space allows, standing up and doing a few “squat” type exercises or simply moving around can warm up the muscles. When flying the Citation, I like to
I always keep a supply of stimulant handy in case I see a snake, which I also keep handy. – W.C Fields
Let’s Get Physical
(Olivia Newton-John, 1981)
A well-planned descent will help prepare you for landings such as this.
TWIN & TURBINE • 23