Page 17 - Twin and Turbine September 2017

2. Establish a Personal SOP
Along with checklists, it can be helpful to develop a personal Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that includes more than just weather minimums. A personal SOP sets limits and builds margins into any part of your flight operation – and you can be as strict or lenient as you see fit (within the bounds of the FAR’s and AFM of course).
Pilots can either find an SOP template online to fill out, or draw one up their own and adjust as they go. Some examples of SOP topics: departure and approach minimums, autopilot usage, maximum winds, takeoff performance requirements, minimum fuel requirements, duty times, currency and training flights.
As your SOP develops and your skills and experience grow, it is acceptable to modify procedures. But try to avoid making such changes or exceptions in the middle of a flight. You chose the listed minimums for a purpose, so it’s important to adhere to them while in flight or in making a go/no go decision.
3. Build (and Sustain) Confidence
The FAA and most insurance companies have listed requirements for currency and training in specific aircraft. It is not only important to meet those requirements, but to stay confident in your flying skills while doing so. As the sole occupant of the flight deck, single pilots need to be well prepared for anything that could possibly go wrong. Need refreshing? There are a few routes you can take to sharpening those skills back up.
Consider allotting a portion of your regularly scheduled f lights to practice, whether it be non-precision or circling approaches, missed approaches, go-arounds, or whatever it is you wish to improve. This takes self-discipline and self-analysis, but is well worth the extra time and effort.
You can also choose to regain proficiency with a instructor/mentor. Be candid with the instructor. Let him or her know what skills and maneuvers need refinement and then review those
September 2017
PHOTO CREDIT: GLENN WATSON
Receiving your IFR clearance prior to startup is another great way to relieve workload. Picking up your clearance in advance allows you more time to review your departure procedure, plot your route and take note of any weather or delays that you may expect.
procedures and memory items on the ground. Once airborne, continually practice each maneuver until it becomes comfortable again. If you fly the procedure perfectly the first time, feel free to move on to others, but try coming back to it again later in the f light when you are more mentally fatigued. Was your performance still up to par? Remember, you are practicing these procedures because you don’t get the chance to fly them frequently in your day-to-day f lying, so take advantage of this time.
Both options are effective and fairly easy to organize. However, certain failures and maneuvers cannot safely be performed in the aircraft, and require the use of a simulator. Whether you opt for a few hours or a full-on recurrent training, there is no substitute for the confidence and skill that these training events can provide. (See “Recurrent Reality Check” by Tom Turner, Twin & Turbine, June 2017)
4. Act Like There Are Two Pilots
Checklists, briefings and call-outs can all be accomplished by a single pilot in the same way that they would be done by a crew: verbally. By verbalizing or talking yourself through a procedure, you reduce the chance that a checklist item will be omitted or completed incorrectly. It helps to imagine yourself listening to your f light transcripts afterward. Is there still active verbal communication? You will also notice that while flying the
aircraft or monitoring the autopilot, if you verbalize what you are seeing and what corrections should be made, it will help prevent fixation or checking out.
An additional tip is to understand and utilize all the resources at your disposal, including the people outside of the cockpit. The controller on the other end of the microphone should be used often. Feel free to request information such as weather ahead, delays, expected arrivals or approaches.
Another technique is to keep an ear out for other pilots on your same frequency. By paying attention to what is happening with aircraft ahead, pilots can get alerts on weather, holding or reroutes – possibly eliminating the need to request such information from the controller.
5. Apply Automation
Though some pilots fear the implementation of advanced technology in the cockpit, when used properly, automation can be a single pilot’s best friend. Whether it’s an electronic flight bag, an autopilot, or a fully integrated flight deck, there is a lot to be gained from effectively managing the information these tools can provide.
“Trust but verify.” “Garbage in, garbage out.” Phrases like these are commonly used by pilots of technologically advanced aircraft. The sayings are designed to remind users that computers are logical and can only be as effective as the programmer. When adding a
TWIN & TURBINE • 15