GAARMS Report: December 2016 fred-gibbs
Fred Gibbs

 

gaarms dec16 1Again, thankfully there have been no fatal accidents since the last newsletter, nor has the NTSB releases any findings on any of the 2016 accidents to date, thus there is not much to report. We currently stand at 6 fatal accidents so far, with 9 fatalities, all pilots, including 2 CFII’s. We only have one more month to go, and let’s hope there continues to be nothing to report.

In case you haven’t noticed, winter is coming! I have, and in fact as I am writing this, it is snowing up here in Flagstaff! Arizona, with its huge diversity of terrain and elevations, can cause some significantly different weather patterns and conditions over a relatively short distance. Think of flying from Deer Valley to Flagstaff: DVT, with clear and 10 miles visibility, Sedona (SEZ) at 3000 broken-to-overcast with 10 miles visibility, and then there is Flagstaff, with indefinite ceiling 800 feet, 1 ½ miles with light snow and blowing snow. All that in less than 100 miles! And then, of course, there is the temperature – mid 60’s in the Phoenix area (almost short-sleeve weather) and only 30 degrees and FREEZING up in Flagstaff! So not only do you have to consider the airplane, the weather and the airport conditions, you have to consider the pilot and his/her exposure to the elements. How does the cabin heat work? Smell anything funny? Got a carbon monoxide detector in the cabin? How about dressing appropriately for any anticipated conditions? Flip-flops, Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt do not offer much protection trudging across the wind and snow swept ramp up here in Flag!!! But winter is not all bad. A really beautiful flight is one in the dead of the winter, in the dead of night, over snow covered territory, brightly lit up by a full moon – it is spectacular! But again, caution is advised; slick, slippery runways and taxiways, ice in them there clouds, frozen brakes, snow-packed wheel pants, cold starts with the associated potential for fire, ice-jammed control surfaces, balky instruments, cold-soaked radios, and frozen-solid seat cushions can make the whole experience less than wonderful.

People often ask me if the flight school up here even flies during the winter, and I always answer with an enthusiastic “FER SHURE!” In fact, the 172s really like the cold weather; they like the cold dense air. They get more power out of the engine, the propeller gets to bite into denser air producing more thrust, the wings love the dense air and produce more lift, and the airplane gets to act like a youngster again, jumping into the air in less than 800 feet of run down the runway – vs the 2500-3000 feet it needs in the heat (and density altitude) of the summer. We just dress warmer!

TALPA – Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment:
During my winter safety program I just did up here in Flag, we discussed the NEW braking action and runway condition reporting procedures just introduced by the FAA. It is called TALPA – Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment. The entire document can be read at - https://www.faa.gov/

Synopsis: The Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment (TALPA) initiative aims to reduce the risk of runway overruns by providing airport operators with a method to accurately and consistently determine the runway condition when a paved runway is not dry. This information will enable airplane operators, pilots, and flight planners to determine the distance required to stop on a wet or contaminated paved runway in a more accurate way. Beginning October 1, 2016, 0900 UTC, federally obligated airports will use TALPA procedures to conduct runway assessments and to report those conditions in newly formatted Field Condition (FICON) Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs). This will allow pilots and flight planners to use the information, along with manufacturer's aircraft-specific data, to determine the runway length needed to safely stop an aircraft after a rejected takeoff or a landing

gaarms dec16 2

The airport operator will use the RCAM chart above to assess paved runway surfaces, report contaminants present, and through the assistance of the Federal NOTAM System, determine the numerical Runway Condition Codes (RwyCC) based on the RCAM. The RwyCCs apply to paved runways and may be the same or vary for each third of the runway depending on the type(s) of contaminants present. RwyCCs will replace Mu reports which will no longer be published in the NOTAM system. Additionally, contaminant coverage will be expressed in percentage terms for each third of the runway, beginning at the Runway end from which it was assessed. This is typically the primary runway in use.

Pilot braking action reports will continue to be solicited and will be used in assessing braking performance. Effective October 1, 2016, the terminology ”Fair” will be replaced by “Medium” and pilot braking action reports will now describe conditions as Good, Good to Medium, Medium, Medium to Poor, or NIL. This will harmonize the NAS with ICAO standards. Additionally, it will no longer be acceptable for a federally obligated airport to report a NIL braking action condition. NIL conditions on any surface require the closure of that surface. These surfaces will closed until the airport operator is satisfied that the NIL braking condition no longer exists.

For example, using today’s assessment process, a runway that is covered with two inches of dry snow would be reported as:
“FICON 2IN DRY SN OBSERVED AT 1601010139. 1601010151-1601020145” along with Mu values as:
“TAP MU 29/27/29 OBSERVED AT 1601010139. 1601010151-1601020145.
(FYI - A Mu number describes a braking co-efficient of friction derived from a piece of equipment used by the airport operator to determine braking actions. The Mu value is converted to plain English for the pilot.)

Starting October 1, 2016, the same NOTAM with contaminants would be reported using Runway Conditions Codes as follows:
DEN RWY 17R FICON (5/5/3) 25 PRCT 1/8 IN DRY SN, 25 PRCT 1/8 IN DRY SN, 50 PRCT 2 IN DRY SN OBSERVED AT 1601010139. 1601010151-1601020145

This example says that runway 17Right at Denver has a braking action value of 5 (which is Good – see chart above) for the first 1/3rd of the runway, a braking action value of 5 for the middle 1/3rd of the runway, and a braking action value of 3 (which is Medium – see chart above) for the last 1/3rd of the runway, and the first 1/3rd of the runway is 25% covered with 1/8th inch of dry snow, and the middle 1/3rd of the runway is 25% covered with 1/8th inch of dry snow, and the last 1/3rd of the runway is 50% covered with 2 inches of dry snow, and the big long numbers at the end are the date and time of observation(s).
But after all that, The tower will still tell you the braking action(s) in plain English, i.e., Good, Good to Medium, Medium, Medium to Poor, Poor, or Nil. So, be careful when landing on snow-covered or ice-slick runways – you need to be straight, slow, and use minimal brakes. It can be done safely…but beware of cross winds!!

 

The story of "Bad Angel": Pima Air and Space Museum’s P-51 as received from a long time friend...
 
gaarms dec16 3On Saturday following Thanksgiving 2013, I was visiting Pima Air and Space Museum. We were in Hanger #4 to view the beautifully restored B-29, when I happened to take notice of a P-51 Mustang near the big bomber. Its name ? "Bad Angel". I was admiring its aerodynamic lines and recalled enough history to know that until the Mustangs came into service, the skies over the Pacific Ocean were dominated by Japanese Zeros. Then something very strange caught my eye. Proudly displayed on the fuselage of 'Bad Angel' were the markings of the pilot's kills: seven Nazis; one Italian; one Japanese,  AND ONE AMERICAN!

Huh? "Bad Angel" shot down an American airplane? Was it a terrible mistake? Couldn't be! If it had been an unfortunate mistake, certainly the pilot would not have displayed the American flag. I knew there had to be a good story here. Fortunately for us, one of the Museum's many fine docents was on hand to tell it. 

********************

gaarms dec16 4In 1942, the United States needed pilots - lots of planes, lots of pilots! Lt. Louis Curdes was one. When he was 22 years old, he graduated flight training school and was shipped off to the Mediterranean to fight Nazis in the air over Southern Europe. He arrived at his 82nd Fighter Group, 95th Fighter Squadron in April 1943 and was assigned a P-38 Lightning. Ten days later he shot down three German Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters. A few weeks later, he downed two more German Bf -109's. In less than a month of combat, Louis was an Ace.

During the next three months, Louis shot down an Italian Mc.202 fighter and two more Messerschmitts before his luck ran out. A German fighter shot down his plane on August 27, 1943 over Salerno, Italy. Captured by the Italians, he was sent to a POW camp near Rome. No doubt this is where he thought he would spend the remaining years of the war. It wasn't to be. A few days later, the Italians surrendered. Louis and a few other pilots escaped before the Nazis could take control of the camp.

One might think that such harrowing experiences would have taken the fight out of Louis, yet he volunteered for another combat tour. This time, Uncle Sam sent him to the Philippines where he flew P-51 Mustangs. Soon after arriving in the Pacific Theater, Louis downed a Mitsubishi reconnaissance plane near Formosa. Now he was one of only three Americans to have kills against all three Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, and Japan.

gaarms dec16 6Up until this point, young Lt. Curdes combat career had been stellar. His story was about to take a twist so bizarre that it seems like the fictional creation of a Hollywood screenwriter. While attacking the Japanese-held island of Bataan, one of his wingmen was shot down. The pilot ditched in the ocean. Circling overhead, Louis could see that his wingman had survived, so he stayed in the area to guide a rescue plane and protect the downed pilot.


It wasn't long before he noticed another, larger airplane, wheels down, preparing to land at the Japanese-held airfield on Bataan. He moved in to investigate. Much to his surprise the approaching plane was a Douglas C-47 transport with American markings. He tried to make radio contact, but without success. He maneuvered his Mustang in front of the big transport several times trying to wave it off. The C-47 kept head to its landing target. Apparently the C-47 crew didn’t realize they were about to land on a Japanese held island, and soon would be captives. Louis had read the daily newspaper accounts of the war, including the viciousness of the Japanese soldiers toward their captives. He knew that whoever was in that American C-47 would be, upon landing, either dead or wish they were. But what could he do?

Audaciously, he lined up his P-51 directly behind the transport, carefully sighted one of his .50 caliber machine guns and knocked out one of its two engines. Still the C-47 continued on toward the Bataan airfield. So, Louis shifted his aim slightly and knocked out the remaining engine, leaving the baffled C-47 pilot no choice but to ditch in the ocean. The big plane ditched successfully, in one piece, about 50 yards from his bobbing wingman. At this point, nightfall and low fuel forced Louis to return to base. The next morning, Louis flew cover for a rescuing PBY that picked up the downed Mustang pilot and 12 passengers and crew, including two female nurses, from the C-47. All survived, and later, quite ironically, Louis would end up marrying one of the nurses!

For shooting down the unarmed American transport plane, and thus saving the lives of all aboard the C-47, Lt. Louis Curdes was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Thereafter, on the fuselage of his P-51 "Bad Angel", he proudly displayed the symbols of his kills: seven German, one Italian, one Japanese, and one American flag

How’s that for a true American hero story???
 
SAFETY PROGRAMS:

Should you desire a safety or educational program at your local airport, simply contact APA via our website and connect with me through the Safety Program Director. You can also contact me directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call me at 410-206-3753. The Arizona Pilots Association provides the safety programs at no charge. We can also help you organize a program of your choice, and we can recommend programs that your pilot community might really like.

 

Please login to add a comment.