April 1, 2005
Directional Control On Takeoff
Second only to landings, problems at the beginning of the flight offer a multitude of challenges
Even though a takeoff requires only 2% or 3% of a typical flight’s duration, the maneuver produces more than one-fourth of our light-plane accidents. A significant portion of these departure mishaps occur on the ground during the takeoff run—most often the result of a pilot’s loss of directional control.
A friend of mine recently asked me if I actually did a weight-and-balance calculation before every flight. When I answered yes, he seemed somewhat taken aback. “Really?!” he quizzed, somewhat perplexed.
With a simple flick of a switch or a pull of a handle, pilots become empowered to instantly change the shape (and in some cases, the size) of the wings. Imagine! Altering the aerodynamics of the wing and the flight characteristics of an airplane, all while in flight. By not understanding flaps thoroughly, pilots lose the ability to take full advantage of their capabilities, and under some circumstances, it can compromise safety.
Operating at uncontrolled or non-towered airports is something we all do and probably do often enough that we get so used to what happens at our “home ’drome.” We figure that operating procedures around these airports shouldn’t be as strict as controlled airports. After all, who’s watching us and what are the chances that there will be another airplane in the pattern, especially in such a remote area?
The idea probably started thousands of years ago, if not tens of thousands, when our ancestors first looked up to watch the birds. What would it be like to fly? It was only in the last 100 years that man actually conquered powered flight, and consequently, only a tiny fraction of the world’s population has had the opportunity—and what an opportunity!—to fly an airplane.
Feel your butt. Center the ball. Control torque, precession and P-factor. Check the nose attitude. Watch the runway numbers for movement. Get it down in the first 800 feet. Nail that airspeed. Stop holding outside aileron in the turns. Kill the drift. Put it on the mains and hold the nose off. Understand what the rudder is actually doing. Be smooth. Be precise. Be proud.”
On a warm, summer afternoon, a commercial-rated pilot and his three passengers climbed into a Cherokee for a pleasure flight over the picturesque landscape of northern Arizona. After he topped the tanks, the out-of-state pilot’s preflight was limited to the traditional walk-around inspection.
There is scant attention given to it. Most pilots overlook it. Some shrug it off, while others simply don’t know about its effects in the cockpit. The problem? Pilot dehydration. Most pilots are unaware of its devastating effects and symptoms, which can increase the risk of aircraft incidents and accidents, even during a mildly warm day.
