Do You Know How to Prevent Runway Incursions?

"N321, I have a phone number for you to call. Advise when ready to copy."

Instantly the panic sets in. The entire flight flashes before your eyes. Uh oh. Did you just taxi across runway 32 on your way to depart runway 5 without a clearance?

Runway incursions are a big problem in aviation, so much so that they are among the FAA’s special emphasis areas. Simply put, special emphasis areas are areas of operations that are critical to flight safety.

Runway Incursion, Defined

A runway incursion involves the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on an area designated for takeoff and landing of aircraft. Notice here that an aircraft is not always the cause of a runway incursion.

Many airports have fuel trucks, tugs, and other vehicles moving around the premises. For example, the driver of a fuel truck reaches down to the floor to grab something. They end up crossing the runway without permission. That driver has committed a runway incursion.

If you are out exploring or walking about the airport, and you walk on an active runway. You are now an incursion. Pilots and others who work in or around an airport must understand what an incursion is and how to avoid it. Not only can runway incursions vary in whether an aircraft, vehicle, or individual commits them, but their severity also varies.

Types of Runway Incursions

The FAA has classified runway incursions into four categories — A, B, C, and D — is descending levels of severity. Reaction time, corrective action, environment, speed of aircraft or vehicle, and proximity all determine the severity of an incursion. Two aircraft moving fast while departing a wet runway on opposite ends, head-on in IMC is a recipe for disaster. That incursion is potentially a Category A incursion, the most severe kind of incursion possible. An incident or collision is certain to occur.

In a Category D incursion, someone or something is improperly on a runway, but no immediate consequence may happen. Not all runway incursions are going to be a disaster that will be on the news or a documentary on TV. But regardless of the severity, there is always a potential hazard, though not necessarily an imminent one.

Avoiding Runway Incursions

The best way to prevent runway incursions is to do what you can as part of the aviation community to prevent the next major tragedy. If you work at an airport, make sure all employees or individuals who will be working around runways are properly trained. Training should include knowledge of airport signs and markings as well as handheld radio communication. Have employees talk with pilots and instructors to better understand what to look for in a traffic pattern or on the final approach ends of the runway. (For example, landing lights are a good visual for spotting airplanes.)

Teach employees to avoid distractions in critical areas such as at hold lines and to keep ears open for any traffic in the pattern. Most pilots love talking about airplanes and flying and would not hesitate to answer questions and help improve the safety of the runway environment.

Pilots can do a lot to reduce the risk of runway incursions. The most immediate thing you can do is look outside to be aware of and follow runway and taxiway signs, lights, and markings. Of course, you should also understand airport signs and surface markings so you can determine where your aircraft belongs and where it does not. Your flight instructor can help you recall what these signs and markings mean.

Airport diagrams, located in many newer planes, are a great tool for determining destination locations and potential hot spots, but make sure it is up to date. Airports often undergo construction, and a non-current airport diagram can lead to problems.

Use all your available resources, including your electronic flight bag (EFB), airport diagrams, and even ATC for progressive taxi instructions. When avoiding runway incursions, you truly cannot be over-informed.

When receiving taxi instructions from Air Traffic Control (ATC), write down the instructions so you have a reference if you forget any crossing or hold instructions. Before receiving a clearance, review airport diagrams and brief possible directions. Exercise caution when briefing expected taxiways and do not become complacent and follow your clearance instead of the one ATC gave you.

Listen to the clearances and location of other aircraft for the “big picture.” Doing so will improve your situational awareness. Limit your workload and accomplish any task that you can before taxi and stress the importance of a sterile cockpit with your passengers. The golden rule always is “If in doubt ask!” Do not act on what you think you were told; consult ATC for clarification. It is better to ask a question and look foolish than have an incursion and be foolish.

Pilots often overlook positive aircraft control when avoiding runway incursions. Make sure you fully understand your aircraft’s control inputs. Steering the aircraft is a good example. Some aircraft may be heavier on controls than others. One airplane might taxi fast it is very responsive. You might try to steer another airplane and end up in the grass or on a runway because that airplane has a more temperamental steering system. Familiarize yourself with aircraft braking capabilities as well. You do not want to taxi to the hold line only to realize you cannot stop and end up becoming an incursion.

No matter how severe or mild the runway incursion may be, the best runway incursion is one that does not happen. The key to runway incursion avoidance is situational awareness and resource management. Keep your eyes outside, and if in doubt ask. ATC can give you a progressive taxi at controlled fields, workload permitting. In the end, it is better to ask for help or clarification instead of getting a phone call from the FAA because of negligence.

Why Every Pilot Needs Risk Management

My father worked in a manufacturing facility during my childhood. A workplace specializing in chemically treated textiles is fraught with safety issues, prompting many safety initiatives. My dad brought home a pencil from one safety meeting, a white pencil bearing an important reminder in red block letters:

“I didn’t think it could happen to me!”

Have you been there? After so many hours flying, so many certificates and ratings, “I didn’t think it could happen to me!” I didn’t think that runway incursion, that prop strike, that flight into accidental IMC, insert problem here — it didn’t seem possible, did it?

Yet it happened.

Some occurrences are truly accidental despite our best efforts to mitigate them. I can list several examples. You can too. But effective risk management can prevent most issues we encounter.

Who Needs Risk Management Anyway?

Risk management seems like a good topic to preach to new pilots. Indeed, you folks new to piloting need to learn about and practice effective risk management if you want to be a safe pilot (which should be all pilots). You need to learn good aeronautical decision-making. You must know how to avoid accidental flight into the clouds. You should be proficient at obtaining weather briefings. You should master using your Electronic Flight Bag (EFB).

Experienced, advanced pilots, I’m talking to you too. It’s easy to lull yourself into a false sense of security when you’ve flown 2,500 hours with no incident or accident. It doesn’t make you immune to risk; it just means you’ve been lucky.

We experience risks in all aspects of our lives, for life is inherently dangerous. That’s why we need frequent reminders of what risks exist and how to mitigate them.

“So What” About Hazards?

The first step in risk management is identifying the hazard. Otherwise, how would you know what to do? Identifying hazards is methodical and time-consuming but worth the effort. I recommend asking “so what?” to every aspect of your flight, starting with the pre-flight plan. You’re flying at the coast with a cold front coming through. So what? You know when rising warm air meets cold air, it creates a thunderstorm. Probably not a good idea to fly into that, right?

You glance at the aileron and see a dark line. So what? Well, if it’s just a smudge, then your only hazard is flying a dirty plane. If it’s a crack, then you need to rethink the flight. Even if the pilot before you was not as proactive and flew with a cracked aileron, would you want to risk failure of a critical flight control? A critical eye toward everything you do could be the difference between a smooth flight and an emergency. We all know how to answer the “so what?” to that statement.

What’s Bugging You?

None of us are immune to stress, but some of us think we are immune to the effects of stress. Sorry to break it to you, but you are not.

That bad day at work will carry over when another pilot makes a snappy comment toward you on the UNICOM. When your passengers are eager to start their vacation, but you insist the weather is unfavorable — you will second-guess yourself when rechecking the TAF. Finding out you need to move your mother into hospice care the morning of your checkride will weigh on you during your test. Not hydrating well before a long cross-country on a sweltering late July day will affect your physical performance in flight.

If you're experiencing any outside pressure that can cause you to engage in risky or unsafe behavior, you must stop and consider how that pressure will affect you. Not how you hope it affects you, but how you will react. No one knows you better than you.

Why Are You Doing This?

I came across a great TED Talk by author and speaker Simon Sinek discussing why we do what we do. The video focuses on marketing messages, which is in my wheelhouse, but it ties well into aviation risk management.

Sinek explains that our brain is one part neocortex (rational and analytical thought) and two parts limbic (feelings). The neocortex guides those “so what?” decisions I mentioned earlier. The limbic parts give us that gut feeling, that tiny language voice inside our heads that we try to ignore and often wish we did not ignore.

In practical application, you have been flying legacy instruments since you started training 30 years ago. Because a good pilot is always learning, you decide to give the glass panel a try. Your rational brain says, “This should not be hard. You are an early adopter of tech. You have this.” Your limbic brain counters, “Do you truly want to fuddle around with this device 4,000 feet in the air?”

My advice? Listen to your limbic brain. If something does not feel right, then do not do it. Call your flight school and have them help you learn the nuances of glass-panel flying. The worst that happens with that decision is you shell out a few dollars to learn something new. The worst that happens when you make an unwise decision … well, we do not like to mention these things.

By the way, Sinek makes an aviation reference in his talk. Watch his presentation to learn why we consider Orville and Wilbur aviation pioneers and not Samuel Pierpont Langley.

Do You Rage Against the Machine?

Technology abounds in aviation. I am not sure about you, but I enjoy seeing innovation in our field. But this technology is not the end-all for aviation. It has flaws. My robot vacuum is smart in that I can deploy it anywhere in my house with the touch of a button. Yet if I ever-so-slightly move a chair, its world is completely rocked.

Technology is useful in an airplane, from the GPS to your EFB. But that usefulness can only go so far. If you rely solely on technology, you will be very sad when it fails. Notice I did not say if. I said when. There is no shame in having a little redundancy in your airplane. Think of how lost everyone in the house feels when the power or internet goes out during a storm.

Technology has its flaws. You, however, have good pilot training and common sense. In an episode of The Office, the Michael Scott character drives into a lake because his GPS told him it was a road. Do not get so enamored with technology that you fail yourself when it fails.

When you obtain your driver’s license, you typically take a comprehensive checkride-like test once and you are a licensed driver forever. In aviation, we have an advantage in that FAA regulations require pilots to test their skills at least bi-annually. That requirement is not red tape; it is because a good pilot never stops learning.

Likewise, a good pilot is vigilant, never complacent. Treat your flying with the same high level of attention you would other aspects of your life. Flying is risky, but you can manage the risk. Never forget that, whether you have one hour of flight time or 1,000 hours.

For more information on risk management, see the FAA’s Risk Management Handbook.

When Leigh Ann Whittle was a child, she kept a notebook in which she wrote and illustrated narratives about space shuttle launches and visits to the local Richmond (Va.) International Airport by the World War II “warbirds.” She later earned her B.A. from the Elon University School of Communications before working in the motorsports and reinsurance industries. Leigh Ann holds an M.A. in English (East Carolina University) and an M.Ed. in Adult Education (North Carolina State University). She is also an FAA-certified Advanced Ground Instructor. Leigh Ann has since returned to her aviation-writing roots as Elon Aviation’s marketing communications manager. She teaches online public speaking and business communication courses for two prominent Southeastern universities. She is also the conference proceedings editor for a communication-focused professional organization. Leigh Ann enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, hiking, and learning new things. Learn more about the Elon Aviation staff at www.elonaviation.com.

One Good Decision Leads to Another: Why ADM is So Important

What are the different skills that you need to fly an airplane? First, you must have your basic stick and rudder skills. Second, you need skills to operate the airplane systems of the airplane. Now, I bet you can guess what the third item is. That is right: Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) skills. These three items are all important for making you a safe and competent pilot.

What is ADM?

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines Aeronautical Decision Making as “A systematic approach to the mental process used by pilots to consistently determine the best course of action in response to a given set of circumstances.”

The ADM process is not only a term to remind you that you need to make decisions. Several steps help keep you from making improper decisions.

1. Identifying personal attitudes hazardous to safe flight

2. Learning behavior modification techniques

3. Learning how to recognize and cope with stress

4. Developing risk assessment skills

5. Using all resources

6. Evaluating the effectiveness of one’s ADM skills

Hazardous Attitudes

Step one mentions personal attitudes hazardous to safe flight. These consist of the many attitudes that could affect your proper decision-making.

1. Anti-authority “Don’t tell me!”

2. Impulsivity “Do it quickly!”

3. Invulnerability “It won’t happen to me!”

4. Macho “I can do it!”

5. Resignation “What’s the use?”

As a pilot, it is important that you understand these hazardous attitudes. It is not a flaw in your personality; it is normal. However, it is key to recognize these attitudes so they do not affect the safety of your flight.

Many examples demonstrate how these attitudes could affect a pilot. Let us look at a couple of these scenarios. You recently got your private pilot certificate and show up at the airport to fly. The winds are above your personal minimums, clouds are rolling in, and a local CFI suggests you do not fly. You decide to go anyway. This would be an example of anti-authority.

In another example, you just earned your instrument rating. You want to fly your family to the beach. The weather at the Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport (KBUY) is VFR with no clouds in sight. Meanwhile, the Wilmington, N.C., (KILM) TAF shows low IFR. This will be your first time in actual IMC solo, and it will be the lowest ceiling in which you have flown. This seems an easy decision: you are not going to Wilmington. But your family has really been looking forward to this trip. Now your macho attitude comes in and you think, “I can do this.”

Based on these examples, you can see the importance of recognizing when you have these hazardous thoughts.

The Five Ps

You make so many decisions before, during, and after a flight when acting as Pilot in Command (PIC). Pilots like easy ways to remember things. For ADM, you can check your decision making from easy memory items. One such memory item is the “Five Ps.” The Five Ps forms a practical application of the decision-making process. The Five Ps stand for:

1. The plan

2. The plane

3. The pilot

4. The passengers

5. The programming

The plan. The plan is your mission or task. The plan, from one of the above examples, is flying your family from Burlington to Wilmington. Add to that scenario a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over Fayetteville for the President. That TFR will certainly alter your flight plan. What do you do in this situation?

The plane. Before you get into the airplane to fly, you notice the inspections are not up to date. Now the plane is not ready for the trip. How do you handle this issue?

The pilot: This one is very important. Are you good to go for your flight? The “IMSAFE” checklist can help you determine if you are safe to go on the flight.

No Illness

No Medication

No Stress

No Alcohol

No Fatigue

No Eating

Did you have a long, stressful day at work and skipped lunch so you could leave early enough to get some flying in after work? Would you consider yourself safe to fly in this situation?

The passengers. You need to consider your passengers in your decision-making activities. Are they pressuring you to perform your flight as planned?

The programming. Programming might be the last of the checklist, but you should never overlook it. Consider the trip to Wilmington from the perspective of an instrument-rated private pilot. Remember, the ceiling is low in Wilmington in our scenario. You are renting an airplane with new avionics. You feel comfortable shooting approaches with low ceilings in your normal airplane. Would the new avionics make you change your mind?

Many decisions go into each flight you make and you could inadvertently threaten the safety of the flight by forgetting to check something. Effective aeronautical decision-making can help reduce the chance of these mistakes happening.

Andrew Brock found a love for aviation when he flew on his first airline flight at the age of 16. He decided to do a First Flight discovery flight at Elon Aviation, which made him love aviation even more. Learn more about Andrew and the rest of the Elon Aviation staff at www.elonaviation.com.

Paper or Plastic? How to Determine Which Navigational Tool is Right for You

When you are heading somewhere unfamiliar in your car, what is one of the first things you do? More than likely, you set your phone’s navigation app to your destination, then drive where it tells you to go. If you are “old school,” you might pull out your trusty state roadmap

Likewise, you need a navigational tool when you are flying. Aviation navigational tools offered more detailed information than “turn left here.” These tools tell anything from services provided at each FBO to the height and location of tall objects such as towers and mountains.

Pilots used to access navigational information with paper charts including chart supplements, terminal proceedings, sectional charts, or Terminal Area Charts (TACs). Some pilots continue to use these resources. With advances in aviation and technology, pilots have more navigation options, including Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs). Before deciding to use “paper or plastic,” consider the pros and cons of each.

What is an EFB?

The FAA describes an EFB as any electronic information management device that helps flight crews perform flight management tasks more easily and efficiently with less paper. EFBs keep navigation charts, weight and balance, aircraft performance charts, flight planning, and other essential information in one place. Some aviation companies use EFBs to streamline how they manage important aircraft records.

EFBs come in various forms. Most general aviation (GA) pilots use an iPad running an app such as Foreflight or Fly Q. The FAA states there are two types of applications that you can use with EFBs. Access AC 120-76D for more details. This Advisory Circular pertains to fractional ownership, charters, and air carriers, but Part 91 operations find this information useful too.

Pros

As I mentioned, an EFB can streamline paperwork and organize maintenance logs and other documents. For instance, Foreflight makes it easy to keep up with your personal logbooks. You can even track currency without having to thumb through your logbook. EFB software also updates periodically to give you the most current information.

From a GA perspective, an EFB can help clean up the cockpit because your charts are on one device. A touch of a button or screen gives you the desired information. You do not need to thumb through stacks of paper approaches or wrestle with a paper sectional or low enroute chart while trying to determine your location. I have found it can be a pain to use several sectional charts at once on long cross-country flights. In your app, you see a magenta line directly to your destination or a tailored route. Even if your flight is literally cross-country, you save space because you are not carrying multiple charts.

Cons

An EFB is a computer or machine, so it will encounter problems. Battery powered technology can charge, but that charge will not last forever. Long flights with a lot of screen time can soon drain a battery. You will need a battery pack or a backup device.

Small planes get hot, and batteries do not like to be hot. A hot battery will drain, or a hot device will shut down. I have seen random pop-ups requesting passwords on my EFB or the device itself needs to update mid-flight. These pop-ups are annoying when trying to fly an approach. You might find that the approach plate you thought you downloaded did not actually load onto your device. Before you fly, check your charts and devices for currency to mitigate the issue.

What About Paper?

What about paper charts? They have served pilots well for many years. But are they the best option for today’s pilot?

Pros

Why use paper when an EFB seems more convenient? Paper navigational tools are still useful in that they improve your flight planning skills more so than EFBs. Paper forces you to think and figure out courses and other factors that the computer does for you. Of course, if you switch to an EFB, you will at least understand what the computer is telling you and if it is correct.

Papers charts are dependable. Your chart or approach plates cannot lose charge or overheat mid flight. Paper is a reliable means of navigation with little room for technological glitches.

Cons

Paper charts do not have a back light to help you read them at night. Even using a red light can make it hard to read due to the color of the charts not contrasting with the light. Wear and tear is another issue. During training, you will plan most cross-country flights on the sectional or low en route charts. If you accumulate a lot of pencil marks, reading becomes difficult. Once again, paper charts take up room and often require you to juggle various charts.

Choosing an EFB or paper charts is up to you. Use what makes the most sense for you or consider trying both. Using an EFB can be efficient but using paper charts as a backup offers peace of mind. If your iPad dies in IMC flight, you have at least an approach plate to read. Using both resources can help make trip planning efficient and keep your flight planning skills proficient.

Ryan Spohn got bit by the aviation bug when he did a discovery flight during his time in the Boy Scouts, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. After that flight, he determined aviation was the life he wanted to pursue. Learn more about Ryan and the rest of the Elon Aviation staff at www.elonaviation.com.

How About That Weather? How to Obtain a Good Weather Briefing

How about that weather? That question is more than an item of small talk; it is an important question every pilot must ask before departing on a flight. On a sun-drenched day with not a cloud in the sky, you might be tempted to skip this important preflight step. Rapidly changing weather conditions and differences in conditions between your origin and destination make it critical to request a weather briefing before taking off.

Why You Should Obtain a Weather Briefing

While the meteorologist on your local news might be fairly accurate, their forecast does not qualify as a weather briefing. The forecast on the morning news might predict poor weather for the week, yet there were ample daily opportunities for VFR flight. Accessing weather data from an aviation-focused source provides you the specific weather data you need.

According to FAR 14 CFR 91.103, “Pilot in Command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. This Information must include – (a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC.”

Why would the FAA require you to obtain a preflight weather briefing? To determine that the weather conditions for your flight are safe for the aircraft and that you can handle the conditions. Your personal minimums will determine your appetite for handling certain weather conditions. The FAA states personal minimums are your “set of operating criteria, procedures, rules, or guidelines used to assist [you] in making personal flight decisions.”

You and your CFI will determine your personal minimums for wind, visibility, and ceilings. You can find a personal minimums checklist to walk you through this important step. If you rent, check your flight school’s required minimums for rental or for student pilots.

How to Obtain a Preflight Weather Briefing

Flight Service

Flight Service is the primary source for obtaining preflight briefings. You can call Flight Service at 1-800-WX-BRIEF or create an account on its website https://www.1800wxbrief.com. When you call Flight Service, you speak with an aviation-trained briefer who specializes in providing different types of weather information. Briefers are authorized to translate and interpret available forecasts and reports into terms describing the weather conditions that you can expect along your flight route and at your destination. Flight Service’s weather data is the most accurate and up-to-date information available. Flight Service can also assist you in filing a flight plan.

You can use self-briefing displays, or you can request a briefing or help from the specialist on duty. You can request a standard briefing, an abbreviated briefing, or an outlook briefing.

Standard Weather Briefing

A standard weather briefing is the most common type of weather briefing you can obtain. Request a standard briefing when your departure time is within six hours of your call to Flight Service. A standard briefing will include information on adverse conditions, synopsis, current conditions, en route forecast, destination forecast, winds aloft, and Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs).

Adverse conditions include any sort of Airmen’s Meteorological Information (AIRMETs) or Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMETs). The synopsis covers front or pressure systems along your flight. The winds aloft assist in flight planning so you have a better idea if you will have a headwind or tailwind. NOTAMs inform you about runway and taxiway closures, airspace changes, and Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs).

The standard briefing is the most thorough available briefing. It provides you with the most information so you can decide if you will make your flight as planned or determine alternate arrangements.

If the briefer states, “VFR flight not recommended,” it is an advisory statement that the briefer is required to give. When you hear this statement, it means clouds or visibility is less than 3,000 feet and/or less than 5 statute miles. If you are training and your instructor approves, you may still be able to fly in conditions labeled “VFR flight not recommended.”

You will remember from your training that there are four levels of weather conditions: LIFR, IFR, MVFR, and VFR.

Low Instrument Flight Rules (LIFR) means that the ceiling is less than 500 feet and visibility is less than 1 statute mile. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) means the ceiling is between 500 feet and 1,000 feet and visibility is between 1 statute mile and 3 statute miles. Marginal Visual Flight Rules (MVFR) means the ceiling is between 1,000 feet and 3,000 feet and visibility is between 3 and 5 statute miles. Visual Flight Rules (VFR) means the ceiling is more than 3,000 feet and more than 5 statute miles.

Abbreviated Weather Briefing

Request an abbreviated weather briefing to update a standard weather briefing you received earlier. An abbreviated briefing can help you ensure current or forecasted conditions have not changed. The abbreviated briefing enables you to ask about specific items or clarify information from a previous briefing. Never bypass a standard briefing and only request an abbreviated briefing. The abbreviated briefing should enhance a standard briefing.

Outlook Weather Briefing

If your intended departure is six or more hours away, choose an outlook briefing. The outlook briefing provides available forecast data for your departure time. You gain a general idea of what conditions may be, which is useful in flight planning.

The benefit of each type of briefing is that you are talking with an actual person who access to all the data you could possibly want when planning your flight. Another advantage is that these phone conversations are recorded, allowing you to protect yourself in case some information was omitted from a briefing. A briefer may share their opinion on the flying conditions. Their comments can be helpful in determining whether the conditions are safe for flight.

While talking to someone can be advantageous, it has its drawbacks. The briefer may lack local knowledge of the departure and destination areas. You are not able to see any graphical images while talking with Flight Service, although you can access them on the Flight Service website or other commercial flight application.

Commercial Flight Applications

Various applications such as ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot provide an abundance of information. You can access these applications on any device, making it more enticing to use them instead of the traditional flight briefing. You may prefer to use these applications to view images of various weather conditions to make it easier to visualize the information Flight Service provides. You can also access these applications during flight if you have an ADS-B-In device located in your plane.

These applications are convenient and provide you with plenty of flight information, but you should use them in conjunction with contacting Flight Service to combine the best of both worlds.

The Aviation Digital Data Service (ADDS) is another weather information source. This website provides you with my favorite weather forecast. The Aviation Forecast Discussion offers a great overview of a selected area. It gives a general overview of the current weather and what is predicted to happen over the next several days. I would not recommend making a go/no-go decision from this forecast, but you will gain an idea of the conditions you can expect in your chosen area.

As you can see, you can obtain preflight weather in many ways. By using Flight Service in tandem with a commercial provider, you can involve a person and a graphical tool to help you see and understand weather for your flight. This might seem a bit excessive, but you can never know too much once you are airborne.