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Tribal Knowledge
How do you acquire your knowledge about your air- plane? Flight instructors, mentors, simulator training and owner websites are just a few places. Sometimes, the best advice comes directly from fellow pilots who operate a plane just like yours. We call this interaction “hangar flying.” I recently witnessed a great example.
Ten Citation Jet Pilot’s (CJP) owners met for several days in Wichita this summer to discuss safety initiatives. On departure day, their airplanes were parked on the hot, dry ramp at Yingling Aviation. One member new to the Citation world, David Gasmire, was pre-flighting his beautiful M2. With inspections complete, David walked into the FBO to settle up.
Then someone shouting, “Hey Dave” got his attention. It was the voice of CJP Chairman Randy Broiles, an ex- perienced pilot, parked next to David in his Citation 2+. “I heard that a brief downpour passed over the airport last night. Not sure if you are aware, but the runoff can
On Final
by David Miller
accumulate in the main cabin door seal in heavy rain. It’s impossible to see unless you push the door seal apart. Trapped water can freeze at altitude, causing door prob- lems. Over time, it can even cause the seal to rupture and a loss of pressure into the cabin.”
“Wow, I am almost always parked in a hangar. I didn’t know that was an issue,” David replied. Randy went on to describe how to look for the water and easily remove it. Before boarding, David pulled the door seals apart and sure enough, Randy was right. Hidden between the seals was enough water to soak a handkerchief. In seconds it was removed, and David was on his way.
Years ago, at our CJP annual convention, we invited the late Bob Hoover to be our keynote speaker. On the first day of the event, Bob was admitted to the hospital and could not attend. We had to fill 90 minutes of time with no one to do it. Frantically, I suggested we put all the Mustang owners in one room, all the CJs in another room etc. and have them talk about their experiences. It turned out to be the highlight of the convention!
Tribal knowledge is an important part of flying. And it can happen in the least expected places.
A few years ago, I was in the fresh fruit section of my local grocery store. My cellphone rang.
“Hey Dave, I need some help.” It was fellow CJ1+ owner Bern Kotelko from Canada. “I am flying at FL400 over Alberta, and my Collins FMS has dropped offline.”
“So, Bern, you are at 40,000 feet and lost over Canada,” I mused. Hearing this, several moms gathered their chil- dren a little closer near the bananas. “It’s okay, Becky,” one mom said. “That man is just a little strange.”
Indeed, Bern’s flight management system (FMS) had gone bananas, and he had forgotten how to reboot it. Somehow, I remembered the steps and led him through the exercise. Within a couple of minutes, Bern figured out exactly where he was and how to get to his destination.
Tribal knowledge is a good thing. Pass along yours. Fly safe.
David Miller has owned and flown a variety of aircraft from light twins to midsize jets for more than 50 years. With 6,000 plus hours in his logbook, David is the Direc- tor of Programs and Safety Education for the Citation Jet Pilot’s Safety Foundation. You can contact David at davidmiller1@sbcglobal.net.
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