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on a three-mile final for Runway 27 at precisely the place I wanted to be – Oshkosh...knowing it was the least likely of outcomes on this trip, and I was just as ready to end up with any of the other equally acceptable options. I landed about 9:15 a.m. before several bands of showers began taking KOSH in and out of IMC for most of the day.
Lessons Learned and Reaffirmed
The key lessons of my trip to Oshkosh include:
• Check not only the weather state (how it exists in the briefing), but the weather trend (is it getting better or worse?).
• Part of the weather trend is not only checking which way the forecasts say the weather is going from now on, but also how the current state compares to previous forecasts for the current time. In other words, did yesterday’s forecast accurately describe today’s weather? If not, is today’s weather better or worse than was earlier forecast? If it’s worse, is there a front or other major weather feature to break the trend, or do you have to assume the forecasts for
later on are inaccurate, too? Forecasts and actual weather trend evaluation is something that happens over days, not hours.
• Don’t be afraid to make requests from ATC. But don’t be disappointed or argumentative if you don’t get what you ask for. Sometimes, as they say, the answer is “no.”
• Before you make a request, be fully prepared to execute it immediately. It’s bad form, at the very least, to ask ATC to do you a favor and then not be able to do it when granted. It’s even worse if you force yourself into a high-risk, high-workload condition because you aren’t ready to do what you initiated in the first place.
• Brief yourself for as many options as possible, and realize that any number of outcomes can be equally acceptable as long as you are prepared.
Flying is all about weather and options. The better prepared you are, the more options you’ll have. T&T
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Thomas P. Turner is an ATP CFII/MEI, holds a master's Degree in Aviation Safety, and was the 2010 National FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. Subscribe to Tom’s free FLYING LESSONS Weekly e-newsletter at www.mastery-flight-training.com.
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September 2018
TWIN & TURBINE • 15