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Instructor » Mountain Flying » Cautions & Emergencies

Cautions & Emergencies

  • Performance comparisons including:
    • effects on turn radius
    • rates of climb
    • handling of sink
    • altitude/power considerations
     
  • New aircraft rating differences including:
    • often faster/heavier
    • greater turn radius required
    • more anticipation needed
    • higher workload (e.g. extra controls and instruments)
     
  • Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accidents - most occur by:
    • loss of visual reference (horizon)
    • stall in turn
    • attempting to out-climb terrain
    • poor decision making, resulting in reaction instead of anticipation
    • lack of decision making resulting in inaction
     
  • Forced landing and precautionary landing considerations including:
    • limited options
    • priority ~ make a plan; confined spaces may affect the ideal
    • tendency to crowd landing area
    • consider climatic/seasonal wind effects for calculated gamble on wind i.e. Anabatic versus Katabatic
    • consider valley gradient
    • awareness of mind sets and illusions
    • consider early Mayday or Pan call
    • habitation in remote area; look for airstrip/fertiliser bins
    • consider elevation 
    • use of lift conditions to glide down valley closer to potentially more suitable option and habitation
    • river beds - consider landing downstream; surface may be smoother
    • beaches;
      • stony patches usually indicate firm sand
      • steep indicates soft
      • wet sand - dangerous
      • flat, damp sand usually means firm sand
      • debris, especially following period of poor weather
      • no lagoon area above high tide line
      • x/w potential
      • sand type; quartz, iron, coal etc
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