By Paul Wiley
To be considered as a TAA the aircraft must have:
- ·Autopilot
- ·Moving Map Display
- ·IFR Capable RNAV (GPS) Navigation
Note that to be a TAA does not necessarily require a “glass cockpit.” Typically, a glass cockpit uses Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS), Air Data Computer, and GPS along with other sensors and all this data is then displayed to the pilot on 2 or more large flat panel displays.
Also, while not technically a component of a TAA, the iPad with an application like ForeFlight running on it has become very common in many high performance and Technically Advanced Aircraft. This information must also be managed. Having a wealth of information has positive and negative aspects. New skills are required to manage the risk associated with large amounts of information in the cockpit.
Some positive aspects of all this information are better situational and positional awareness, more accurate calculations (e.g., fuel calculations), better awareness of airspace restrictions including TFR’s, and in-cockpit, near real-time weather.
Some negative aspects of all this information are fixation and subsequent loss of situational awareness, excessive head down time, improper workload management, and overdependence upon the technology. Especially dangerous is the misinterpretation of in-cockpit weather (more about weather later in this article).
There are three Key Flight Skills needed to safely manage flight in a TAA.
Information Management
The information available to the pilot includes (but is not limited to) information about the aircraft, airports, airspace, VFR and IFR procedures and, of course, weather. The information presented to the pilot of a TAA is overlaid and can create a very “busy” or workload intensive cockpit environment at critical times during flight. Typically, the manuals for GPS and autopilot operation are large, detailed and usually are required to be in the aircraft during flight. Many symbols and abbreviations are used to allow for display of a large amount of information in a limited space. This is especially true when dealing with weather reports and forecasts. Information overload is a risk that must be understood and mitigated/managed. Familiarity with symbols and abbreviations used as well as proficiency with your aircraft’s systems is the antidote to being “information rich and knowledge poor.” To enhance your proficiency, study your aircraft’s manuals and use a desktop simulator, especially for your aircraft’s GPS unit, if available.
Automation Management
Managing the automation is an important aspect of safely flying a TAA, especially when conducting instrument departures, arrivals, and approaches. The autopilot can dramatically reduce the pilot’s workload, but only if the pilot knows how to properly set up and use the autopilot. Get a thorough checkout, understand how to use your autopilot, and then practice using your autopilot in a low workload environment before using it during busier operations such as flying to a busy airport for the first time, during an instrument approach, or in poor weather. If you are instrument rated, practice both coupled approaches using the automation and “hand flying” approaches. Be familiar with reversionary modes and how and when to disconnect the autopilot.
Risk Management
Understanding and managing Risk is critical to a safe flight. Sound Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) is fundamental to being able to identify and manage risk. This is especially true when making the critical “go/no-go” decision. For some years now the FAA has evaluated pilot applicants on risk management during checkrides. The FAA has made it a requirement for the pilot applicant to demonstrate the “ability to identify, assess and mitigate risks” associated with every task the examiner is evaluating. A good way to understand important risk factors for a given task is to review the Airman Certification Standards (ACS). Start with ACS for the Private Airplane - FAA-S-ACS-6A.
Also, there are many tools available online today to help the pilot identify, assess, and manage risk. One such tool is the PPP model.
The PPP model is a process consisting of 3 elements:
- ·Perceive (hazards), i.e., always be on the lookout for hazards when planning a flight or flying.
- ·Process (assess the level of risk) i.e., evaluate the risk and how it could impact your safety of flight.
- ·Perform (Risk Management). This is the elimination or mitigation of hazards to acceptable levels of risk. Proper management of the risks associated with any flight is a process. There are good processes and many tools (such as checklists) available to pilots to help them evaluate and manage risk.
A note about obtaining in-cockpit weather. It is critically important to use in-cockpit weather, like ADS-B weather displayed on your iPad, for strategic weather avoidance and never for tactical maneuvering. For example: trying to pick your way around or through thunderstorms at night using the weather displayed on your iPad is very risky, mainly due to limitations involving this type of weather display. There have been several fatal accidents in the past few years involving pilots improperly using the near real-time weather displayed in cockpit with disastrous results. Remember that accidents categorized as “VFR into IMC” are fatal about 90% of the time.
In summary, have fun flying your Technically Advanced Aircraft, but first take the time to study the manuals and practice until you become proficient in properly using all the information and automation these aircraft provide.