VoiceFlight's VFS101 is an FAA certified speech recognition system that allows pilots to enter way points and airways into their GNS430W/530W GPS units

Today, Platinum inked a deal to be an installing dealer for the product. We are working with VoiceFlight to create some special hardware and installation procedures to reduce installation costs and aircraft downtime. We have a plan to make the VoiceFlight installation in all Cirrus Aircraft quick, inexpensive and simple.

We tried this unit out at Sun N Fun. As some of you may know, our company President, Alfredo Cortellini is Italian. Alfredo speaks very fluent English, but does have a heavy accent. The VoiceFlight system performed flawlessly with Alfredo’s voice, never once making an error.

Cirrus Aircraft owners like flying with the latest technology. VoiceFlight is pushing the edge of the envelope creating this new voice recognition technology. We are excited to be a part of this.

See and Avoid!

As a student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the early 2000s, I was lucky enough to receive my flight training at an institution that was a test bed for ADS-B. This advanced technology has helped prevent more near mid-air incidents than I would care to count. As professionals we do our best to keep our eyes peeled for any other air traffic that could be perceived as a threat, but think about just how many times you have been flying along and didn’t notice that other aircraft within 2NM until you heard the traffic alert. Embry-Riddle’s safety culture went so far as to order special Cessna 172SP models with skylights installed. Standard operating procedure required pilots to use the skylights to scan for traffic above the aircraft as well. In addition to visually attempting to acquire traffic, pilots were expected to utilize the ADS-B equipment to see and avoid other air-traffic with active transponders.

As my flying career progressed and I found myself in the right seat of an A-320, the same level of importance for the “see and avoid” concept was drilled in to us. At altitude in RVSM airspace aircraft are separated by only 1,000 feet in opposite directions. So, here we are hurtling through space at 500mph and another pilot opposite direction from us doing 500mph only 1,000 feet above. With a closure rate of 1,000mph it can be difficult to determine if that pilot is on a collision course with you or not. Thankfully, all jetliners are equipped with modern traffic and collision avoidance systems (TCAS), which essentially is the same type of traffic alerting system in place on the Cirrus.

I would also like to elaborate on the fact that just because you are IFR does not alleviate you from your requirement to SEE AND AVOID. I dare someone to go pick up the FAR/AIM and from cover to cover tell me how many hundreds of times you see the words, “When pilots are in VMC conditions whether on IFR or VFR flight plans it is their responsibility to see and avoid”. Often times when descending to land at FLL, the captain and I would really put our game faces on below 6,000 feet. The joke was always, “Hey, let’s be heads up, we’re entering Indian country.” For those pilots who think that it is okay to fly in IMC conditions while not on an IFR flight plan, you are playing a dangerous game not only with your life but possibly the lives of hundreds of others. I cannot tell you how many times we would be descending for an approach and TRACON would issue a traffic alert regarding someone squawking 1200 in our vicinity. Well, how scary do you think this is while we are doing 230kts in the clouds at 4,000 feet and some guy in his Cherokee thinks no one else is up there.

As a flight instructor working with Platinum Aviation, I have really noticed some negative trends in the past few years. While the safety design of the aircraft has continued to improve, the aeronautical decision making of the pilots has certainly not improved. Several times a week I find myself flying with an individual who thinks they are the only one in the sky. Whether we are flying cross-country or staying in the local area to practice private pilot maneuvers, there is a lack of general concern for the fact that the “Big Sky Theory” is hogwash. The practical test standard for the Private Pilot check ride indicates that collision avoidance is a special emphasis area. What this means to the private pilot applicant is even if you perform every maneuver flawlessly, the examiner can still fail you for not adequately clearing the airspace prior to executing a maneuver.

While the traffic avoidance system is great, it does have its limitations. The antenna is mounted on the top of the plane, and if you find yourself in a prolonged turn you may just be preventing the antenna from receiving a reply signal. Tina Oborny, founder of Platinum Aviation, was telling me a story a few days ago about teaching ground reference maneuvers in the local practice area. Tina said, “We were starting our second turn around a point and the client was not correcting for wind drift properly. I instructed my client to roll out and to re-enter the maneuver. As we were rolling out, I looked out my right window just in time to push the aircraft in to a nose down attitude. An aircraft came within 200 feet of our position and there was no traffic alert or any other indication they were there.” A pilot who makes great decisions in flight will understand how to fully utilize all the equipment installed in the airplane, while respecting the fact that everything has its limitations. It is of the upmost importance for pilots of small general aviation aircraft to NEVER maneuver around traffic utilizing the onboard collision avoidance system. All aircraft must be visually acquired prior to maneuvering for safe separation. For those of us who have been instructing for a number of years, we can easily tell when our client’s eyes are in the cockpit. Whether or not you are flying in a high-density environment is irrelevant. Keeping a positive scan for potential threats to your aircraft should be just as important as remembering to maintain fuel balance by switching your tanks. The benefit Cirrus pilots have is the ability to get somewhere fast. We don’t just have to fly out to the practice area to do our maneuvers; we can fly 50 miles past the practice area and find some clear airspace to do what we need. Fly safe, fly smart.

I recently flew with a customer that wanted to be checked out and had scheduled an aircraft for a flight to Chicago. My instructor that had flown with him last on a checkout had warned me that his skills were not up to par, so a couple of flights with me were scheduled to reevaluate.

The first flight did not go well. We flew an entire cross-country flight followed by several trips around the traffic pattern and the pilot never once touched the trim control. We followed that up by trying to fly an ILS without ever loading it or setting up the CDI to the localizer. We flew through the localizer and even after my prompting nothing was done to correct the issue. During this flight the pilot told me that he felt extremely confident flying the Cirrus 22 Turbo and didn’t like VRF flying and preferred to go IFR all of the time. Needless to say, we scheduled another flight.

As we prepared to take the second flight the customer reminded our dispatcher of his planned trip to Chicago and gave fueling and TKS instructions.  We went to the plane and I gave the pilot a simple destination and allowed him to use the autopilot the entire flight. From the start, it was clear he was not able to quickly achieve the required tasks using the Garmin Perspective system. Giving the pilot plenty of time, about 35 miles prior to the destination I announced that he should expect the VOR DME-A full approach from over the VOR initial approach fix. For the next 34.5 miles I watched as he tried to load the approach. One half mile before the VOR he admitted that he didn’t know how. I quickly loaded the approach and reminded him that he was cleared for the approach. The approach called for a decent after passing the VOR, but this pilot didn’t know that since he had not even looked at the approach chart! Once inbound and crossing the final approach fix, we began a 150 fpm decent to no target altitude and eventually crossed over the top of the airport at 1800 feet where I took over and told the customer that there was no way I’d rent an aircraft to him.

The point of this story is to point out that this guy would have taken the flight to Chicago had I allowed it. AMAZING! Even more amazing is how often I see similar pilots.

On the other side of the spectrum I have customers that I have taught from zero time that are sharp and can accomplish any task given to them, yet they continue to schedule me for refresher lessons and encourage me to “beat them up.”

There is no wonder that fatal accidents continue to happen. This customer was a potential renter and there was a process in place to stop him. Had he owned his own aircraft he would have been the next entry in the NTSB accident database. You, as a pilot, must objectively look at your piloting skills. IFR flight is a ZERO DEFECT GAME! If you make ANY mistakes you need to seek addition training until you are proficient and thus safe.

As a leader in aircraft manufacturing and training, Cirrus Aircraft has done a great job of designing the Cirrus Pilot Learning Plan. In a nutshell the Cirrus Pilot Learning Plan takes pilots who have recently completed their Cirrus Aircraft transition training and sets up a pre-scheduled timeline for recurrent proficiency training. Once the pilot receives his/her initial transition certificate they are asked to return in 60 days for a half-day evaluation. More aptly this 60-day refresher is designed to help mitigate the onset of bad habits and sharpen/promote correct decision-making. After the initial 60-day consultation, pilots are requested to receive recurrent training every 6 months. In addition, Instrument rated pilots are also requested to complete an IPC (Instrument Proficiency Check) during this 6-month evaluation. The best part of the CPLP is that it allows instructors some latitude on what to focus.

It is no surprise that people will always take the path of least resistance, so the question became how do we as experienced instructors entice them to WANT to participate in recurrent training. The answer lies in providing a challenging and interactive training environment and moving away from the boring flight review concept to a dynamic learning experience. As always Platinum Aviation will adhere to all FAR’s while providing recurrent training.

Kerry Hackney (Director of Training at Platinum Aviation) and I are currently designing an advanced IFR pilot training program to help better prepare pilots who have a need to fly into high-density airports around the United States. While the basics learned during your instrument rating are the solid foundation from which to build experience, this is NOT a beginner’s instrument rating course. Platinum Aviation has designed our own departure and arrival procedures for local airports where we will subject you to a simulation of the high-paced unforgiving atmosphere of a place like Teterboro, NJ. With our combined experience flying into high-density airports, we have developed a training program to help current instrument rated pilots hone their skills in resource management and fast pace high workload operations. Platinum Aviation believes that recurrent training should be fun and productive. Although, our advanced IFR course is an incredible challenge the benefit of thinking outside the box with your flight training could pay off tenfold.

Platinum Aviation prides itself on being the largest Cirrus only flight school in the United States and designing new and innovative ways to further the flight training experience.

Check back with us soon for an update on the advanced IFR course.

Nose wheel shimmy occurs when the wheel assembly oscillates from side-to-side, due to loose or worn steering components. Or from a badly scalloped tire. Think of the crazy shopping cart front wheel, that is shimmy!

Cirrus uses a castering nose wheel that requires tension to be within a certain range. Too little tension, and it moves too easily, but too much tension will make it hard to steer. There is a careful balance to maintain.
The first step is to disassemble the nose wheel fork from the strut. The strut spindle is cleaned, along with the fork pivot bushings. Common contaminants are engine oil dripping down the strut, and caustic soap residue from washing the plane. Any worn parts are replaced, and then the fork is reassembled to the spindle. (The fork’s pivot parts are teflon coated and no lubricants are used. It’s recommended to have the nose fork removed and cleaned at every annual, to remove the contaminants that damage the spindle bushings. ) The only lubrication, on later models, is some grease on the spindle’s lower castle nut & washers, to provide corrosion protection.

With the fork back on the strut, the tension is set by tightening the castellated spindle nut. With the proper tension, you’ll be able to steer easily, and the shimmy will be gone.

Now let’s talk about shake. Nose wheel shake is a vertical vibration caused by out of round or out of balance tires, and by loose nose strut components. The number one cause is the tire itself. Once the tire is balanced, or replaced if it’s scalloped, the nose strut rebound bumper and strut pucks are examined for cracks, compression, or wear. Cirrus recommends a five year life limit on the rubber parts. It’s a very good recommendation that will extend the life of not only the landing gear, but instruments and interior plastics as well. Old pucks will be stiff, giving a harsh ride, and they also compress, compromising propeller ground clearance. A loose rebound bumper can allow metal-to-metal contact when the strut extends during take-off. That can damage the landing gear, and also allow the strut to hang on the lower cowl, cracking the fiberglass.

If your plane is more than five years old, replace the pucks and rebound bumper to restore the propeller clearance and the ability of the nose gear to absorb landing stresses.

Shimmy and shake can be easily corrected, with a little quality time in the shop!

Thursday morning December 17, 1903, on the strong winds of Kill Devil Hills, NC Wilbur and Orville Wright became the first men to achieve powered flight. Their success ignited an industry that has transformed our world in just over 100 years. From the wright flyer to the Cirrus SR-22 it is amazing to see what human ingenuity can achieve. As a professional pilot my passion has been aviation since I was little. I have been incredibly fortunate in my aviation career from my time flying commercial airliners to teaching in the world’s most sophisticated single engine piston airplane. However, all of this would not have been possible without the ardent drive of two brothers from Ohio.

Wright Flyer

As a flight instructor with Platinum Aviation, I often travel to exclusive destinations with my clients. My latest cross-country was truly the icing on the cake. I have recently returned from a trip to Kill Devil Hills, NC while on a pilgrimage every pilot should take at least once in their life. I must admit I occasionally caught myself chuckling at the juxtaposition of flying a technically advanced airplane to the place where the Wright brothers made the first powered flight. As if the technically advanced airplane wasn’t enough, I also had my iPad with a BadElf WAAS – GPS receiver plugged in running ForeFlight. All the while cruising along at a 230kt ground speed in air-conditioned comfort listening to XM satellite radio. The Wright brothers certainly could not have imagined this.

Wright Monument

My client and I took off from Ft. Lauderdale at 0900 with a planned stop in Hilton Head, SC. Flight planning had us expecting VMC on arrival, however, enroute we were not so surprised to see that Hilton Head remained IMC. Not a big deal, as good pilots we planned our escape before departure! We landed in Savannah, GA about two hours after leaving Ft. Lauderdale. Signature Flight Support was prepared for our arrival and loaned us what was the nicest crew car I’ve had the pleasure of driving. Jonathan and I grabbed lunch at a nearby local restaurant and watched how the weather was progressing. This cross-country would prove to be a great exercise in weather planning, as we would be crossing a cold front boundary enroute. After lunch we finished our flight planning, fueled the airplane up to our weight and balance limitation and departed for KFFA – First Flight Airport. Weather enroute was outstanding with a 50 knot tail wind most of the way. The air traffic controllers in the Carolina’s were busy with MOA’s and Restricted airspace and certainly earned their keep for the day. Our arrival to KFFA had us approaching from the due west over Albemarle Sound and above Coast Guard C-130 doing low-level grid patterns. At First Flight Airport the 3,000ft x 60ft runway is greeted by power lines and a high tree line that can bring about some “interesting” turbulence. Jonathan set up for runway 20 and made a solid short-field landing. After tying down for the night, Jonathan and I hiked up to the massive Wright Brothers monument. Knowing that we were standing on the hallowed ground where it all began was an unbelievable feeling.

Wright Brothers Memorial

The next morning Jonathan and I completed our flight planning and decided a landing at Wilmington, NC for fuel would be our next stop. The cold front had moved through the night before and the temperature was a chilly 50 degrees! Our arrival to Wilmington was welcomed by an Air Force C-130 Hercules doing touch and go’s. After a fresh cup of coffee and fuel uplift we set off for Hilton Head, SC. The original plan was for us to stop in Daytona Beach, FL on the way home, but our stomachs decided otherwise and why miss an opportunity to stop in one of the most beautiful destinations in South Carolina. The line staff at Signature Flight Support in Hilton Head was outstanding and offered us a crew car to take into town. After a quick bite we refueled and began the journey back to Ft. Lauderdale. There is nothing quite like watching the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico from 8,000 feet.

Other than a few evening showers around the Vero Beach Area the weather was outstanding heading home. Not only was this cross-country valuable time spent teaching Jonathan how to navigate through different topography and weather systems, but it is exciting to say that we have been to the place where the Wright Brothers ignited an industry.

Why Do We Adjust the Mixture Anyway?

Unlike cars and other ground based, motorized equipment, aircraft operate at a variety of density altitudes. Therefore, the fuel / air mixture cannot be set by the manufacturer of the engine, but must be set and adjusted by the pilot. As we go high and have less dense air, we need less fuel to keep the fuel / air mixture at its optimum setting. In more powerful engines, we also use the mixture to control engine temperatures.

Almost all pilots learn to fly in aircraft that are operated using a  “best power” mixture setting. In simple aircraft, we were taught to lean the mixture until the engine runs just a little rough, then “richen it up a little.” This simple procedure works on low power engines, but when this somewhat random approach is used on high power engines, damage can result. A more precise method is needed.

Exactly What is Happening As We Pull the Mixture Control Back?

Once we level off at altitude and set cruise power, we are operating with an overly rich mixture, meaning we have more fuel in the cylinder than can be burned with the volume of air that is there. The excess, unburned fuel will cool the engine, as it is a liquid / gas. As we pull the mixture back we have less of this excess “coolant”, and the Exhaust Gas Temperatures (EGT’s) go up. At some point, the EGT’s reach their peak … as high as they will go. Here, at this setting, we have the ideal fuel / air mixture, a perfect blend, with the exact amount of fuel and air to provide combustion with all of the fuel and air being converted to power.  Unfortunately, at this setting, the engine is operating optimally, but at its hottest, referred to as “peak”.

What to do now? We need to do something to cool the engine. We have two choices, a “Best Power” setting or a “Lean of Peak” setting. Let’s learn what each of these really mean and how to properly control engine temps.

Best Power Setting

The “Best Power” method, adds excess, unburned fuel, as a coolant, to the engine to provide a method to control engine temperatures. As we move the mixture forward, the engine continues to cool until we reach the ideal position, with the engine 75 degrees cooler than it was at its peak, often described as 75 degrees, rich of peak. This is how most engines are operated and how most lower time pilots are use to operating. When the engine gets too hot, gauged by the Cylinder head temperatures (CHT’s), while operating at best power, you should enrichen the mixture adding even more cooling, excess fuel.

Lean of Peak Setting

This setting is the only approved operational method used on Cirrus turbo aircraft. Again, we are using the mixture to control engine temps, but in a far different way. After leaning the engine to its “peak” setting described earlier, we now continue to lean. How can this cool the engine?  “I always thought running too lean would make the engine run too hot”, you might say. Not on the lean of peak side!

Here is what’s happening. As you continue to lean, the engine does not have enough fuel to run efficiently and therefore begins to cool. Think of the extreme. Should you continue to lean, eventually you would operate the engine even less efficiently until there is not enough fuel to sustain combustion and the engine will stop… and COOL, eventually to ambient temperature. Makes sense, thought of this way?

So, setting the correct “Lean of Peak” setting is done by pulling the mixture back until we reach 50 degrees cooler than “peak”. In a Cirrus turbo Perspective aircraft, this setting is as simple as lining up the fuel flow with the blue caret on the fuel flow meter.

Cooling an Engine While Operating Lean of Peak

Now, how do we cool the engine if it runs hot referencing the CHT’s, after setting lean of peak? Well… we lean further, causing the engine to run in an even less efficient condition. Richening the mixture would put us in the worst possible place, causing the temps to rise. When operating “lean of peak”, always lean further to cool the engine. This is somewhat counter intuitive to many pilot’s primary training.

We will post further discussions of specific leaning procedures for each Cirrus Aircraft soon. Check back often, or register for our blog to get notifications of future posts.

The system used on aircraft engines is very simple. This is one reason it is so reliable. In cars, there are solenoids controlled by a computer that meter the proper amount of fuel into the cylinder at the correct time. Believe it or not, in the aircraft, the fuel flows into the cylinder all of the time. Even during the exhaust stroke!

Fuel system - Continental IO-550K

As you can see in this photo of a Continental IO-550K, during the annual inspection, you can see the high pressure fuel line coming from the fuel pump entering the fuel manifold divider. There is not much in the divider. The fuel basically just goes in there and comes out the six lines that go to each cylinder.  You can see where the individual fuel lines connect to the injectors (shown here, removed for cleaning).

Fuel injector fron a Continental IO-550K

The injectors themselves are also quite simple, nothing more than a calibrated leak. They do not spray or atomize the fuel as you may think. The fuel just simply slowly and constantly flows into the cylinder, mixed with a bit of air that is forced in through the small holes on the side of the injector.

We often hear people say that they think they may have a clogged injector. As you can see, the hole in the injector is larger than you probably thought. Truthfully, you are most likely to have a clogged injector after maintenance from a technician not completely blowing them out after cleaning them. The fuel that flows through the injector every day is actually a more powerful solvent than the cleaner used to clean them.

So as you see, it is a very simple system. Like most systems on aircraft they are designed to be simple so as to have as few failure modes as possible.

1948 Miami sectional chart

This Miami sectional chart is from 1948. Certainly simpler from an airspace avoidance point of view, there simply is not much there other than a couple of special use areas and the airspace right around Miami.  However, things could be a little more complicated for the navigator. This was prior to VOR’s being installed and there certainly was no GPS back then.

Four Course Range

If you are wondering what the lines are that look like airways, those are “four course radio ranges”, also called low frequency radio ranges or LFR. They were based on a network of radio towers which transmitted directional radio signals, the LFR defined specific airways in the sky. Pilots navigated the LFR by listening to a stream of automated “A” and “N” Morse codes. For example, they would turn the aircraft to the right when hearing an “N” stream (“dah-dit, dah-dit, …”), to the left when hearing an “A” stream (“di-dah, di-dah, …”), and fly straight ahead while hearing a steady tone.

Airspace will undoubtedly get more complex as we go forward, but navigation certainly continues to get simpler.

As an experienced flight instructor, I relish the opportunity to work with a client when an unexpected scenario presents itself.  As such, I would like to share an interesting experience recently encountered on an international training flight.

Preparing for an international flight consists of slightly more paperwork than domestic VFR or IFR flight planning and is often foreign information to many US pilots.  As these exercises usually entail short flights out and back, my client completed both an outbound and inbound international VFR flight plan and received a standard briefing from the Miami Flight Service Station (FSS).   In addition to filing flight plans, international operations require that we submit a notice of departure / arrival via eApis, to United States Customs and Border Protection.  The purpose of the electronic Customs submission is to monitor who is flying into and out of the United States.  Our trip was supposed to take us from KFXE to MYBG (Great Harbor Cay, Bahamas).

Departing the US is in many ways no different than any VFR cross-country flight.  After departure pilots must contact FSS and open their international VFR flight plan prior to penetrating the ADIZ.  Another factor to consider when flying internationally is operating through the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).  Pilots operating in the ADIZ must be equipped with a two-way radio, mode-c transponder, established on a VFR or IFR flight plan, and provide position reports if required.  General aviation pilots departing the US on international VFR flight plans are not required to use flight following and subsequently may be squawking 1200 during their departure to the islands.  However, inbound aircraft both VFR and IFR must have a discrete code assigned by FSS or ATC.

Screen Capture of ADIZ just east of KFXE

The Situation

Eight minutes after opening our VFR flight plan we found ourselves over-water in the middle of the ADIZ direct to MYBG with a master caution indicated on the CAS (crew alerting system).

Fuel Filter Master Caution

The master caution indicated “Fuel Filter” on the primary flight display (PFD).  I instructed my client to continue flying the airplane and assisted him with opening the checklist for possible corrective actions.  The Cirrus Aircraft checklist states, “If ‘Fuel Filter’ is displayed, the fuel filter is operating in bypass mode; Land as soon as practical” Well, being overwater with a possible fuel system issue isn’t exactly where most single-engine pilots enjoy finding themselves.  I conferred with my Client and we both agreed the best course of action was a return to KFXE.  It is important to note that during this decision making process the health of the engine was in no way showing signs of abnormal operation.

Here’s How We Handled The Situation

Now comes the hard part, we are operating inside the ADIZ squawking 1200.  In this post 9/11 atmosphere, an immediate turn towards KFXE for a simple abnormal might raise the suspicion of the authorities.  “Everything we do is going to be deliberate and methodical,” I said to my client.  I instructed my client to continue flying the airplane on a southeast heading while I helped him contact the FSS.  As prepared pilots, we had already filed our inbound international VFR flight plan and received our US Customs squawk code for inbound ADIZ penetration.  We informed the FSS briefer of the situation and asked if we should squawk our inbound code while we executed the 180° turn to KFXE.  The briefer replied that we should and informed us he would handle our flight plans accordingly.  In an effort to make us as visible as possible to all those who watch our border (via RADAR), I instructed my client to contact Miami Approach control, inform them of our situation and request flight following.  This request put us in positive RADAR contact with a local TRACON and gave us a new discrete transponder code.  When abnormal situations arise it is best to take things slow and take advantage of all available resources to safely complete the flight.

Our Arrival At KFXE

Upon landing we taxied over to US Customs to check in and inform them of our situation.  Predictably US Customs already knew we had to execute an air-return and they were waiting for us when we arrived.  The senior customs officer informed us that their air and marine division was “watching” us make our return to KFXE.  Although we did not land at a foreign port of arrival, it was still a prudent decision to visit customs and make introductions.  As general aviation pilots it is important to remember that even the most well maintained machines break down occasionally.  After Platinum Aviation maintenance technicians examined the fuel system, the cause was found to be simply a faulty connector.  Thankfully the situation was relatively benign, and provided an outstanding opportunity to focus on handling real life abnormal situations.