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UID:a2984418f0390b820c76cb38a24369ab
CATEGORIES:Backcountry
CREATED:20160307T161807
SUMMARY:Back to Basics: Airstrip Safety Evaluation
LOCATION:Deer Valley DVT
DESCRIPTION;ENCODING=QUOTED-PRINTABLE:Back to Basics: Airstrip Safety Evaluation\nTuesday, March 15, 6:00 PM\nDee
 r Valley Airport\n\n\n\nHow do you prepare for landing at a new location? O
 ur January Back to Basics addressed preflight preparation actions and requi
 rements to familiarize us with all information relevant to a given flight. 
 The Airstrip Safety Evaluation (ASE) is my attempt to combine several diffe
 rent sources to provide a rubric for this preparation in the backcountry, o
 r for that matter anywhere we fly.\n\n\nHere is a twelve-step program for p
 ilots to use to prepare for landing at new locations. I have combined crite
 ria glider pilots use for land outs with the information provided in the Mo
 untain Flying Bible. The best way to prepare for a new location is to find 
 an experienced instructor or local pilot with specific experience to the lo
 cation you are intending on visiting. Never try to teach yourself these ski
 lls alone! If you are going to Utah or Idaho you can save quite a bit of wo
 rk by purchasing Galen Hansens’ Fly Idaho or Fly Utah books — h
 e also has a nice iPad product for Idaho.\n\n\nWhile airborne, or in prepar
 ation, I like to have something memorized or jotted down to make sure I thi
 nk of all eventualities. First from high overhead, or a satellite view on G
 oogle earth, I look for potential approach paths and ascertain whether a st
 andard pattern will work or if a modified or blind approach will be require
 d. While researching these options, I also choose abort points. Some local 
 pilot associations have already done some of this work, and there are PDF S
 afety Briefings and videos that are helpful in determining information on l
 ocal strips. I need to know abort points for my arrival as well as for my l
 anding. I need to be able to determine where on the ground I need to touchd
 own, and also where specifically I will go around if I have not touched dow
 n. I review my go around procedure. “If I have not touched down by th
 e clearing on the south side of the strip one quarter of the way in I will 
 apply full power, accelerate to Vx in ground effect while reducing to flap 
 position 1 and climb straight ahead until clear of obstacles. Once I’
 m clear of obstacles, I will accelerate to Vy and at the end of the strip I
  will turn left and follow the valley to where it widens and then will turn
  around and fly back towards the strip and out the drainage.”\n\n\n\n
 I want to leave nothing to chance. I do not want to reach an abort point an
 d then have to think. My thought was done while I had time and altitude to 
 determine best courses of action.\n\n\nPrepare for Arrival and Departure!\n
 \n\nOnce I have observed the strip from overhead, I am ready to announce my
  intentions for arrival on the strips frequency or backcountry common.\n\n\
 nWhile looking down at the strip, I want to apply the seven “S”
  criteria. I look at Size, Shape, Surface, Surface Wind, Surroundings, Slop
 e, and liveStock.\n\n\nSlope is one of my early observations as it is often
  observable from above. Begin paying attention to slope as you hike, drive,
  and interact in the wilderness so you pick up subtle changes. It is helpfu
 l to then walk the slope so you feel the effort change—imagine the ef
 fect of that effort on your takeoff and landing performance. If a slope if 
 visible from altitude, it is probably far greater than you predict. Don&rsq
 uo;t be afraid to label the strip one-way-in due to slope or surroundings. 
 The last consideration with slope is to consider the effect of slope verses
  the effect of the wind.\n\n\nWhen evaluating Size and Shape, I must rememb
 er that based on the Surface I may not be able to take off in the distance 
 I landed. If the surface is very soft it may take quite a bit more distance
  to takeoff than to stop—so it is critical to consider both takeoff a
 nd landing distances based on the surface type and condition to preclude ge
 tting stuck on the ground or worse! Also clearly, your aircraft type comes 
 into consideration when looking at size shape and surface. A Katmai on larg
 e tires will be able to go many places a stock 182 cannot.\n\n\nOther consi
 derations for Surface include evaluating rodent holes. As long as the strip
  is not a one way strip this can be accomplished by flying low over the str
 ip and observing and by touching a wheel to determine if the surface is fir
 m or is you are going to sink or settle.\n\n\nSome strips will have windsoc
 ks; find them at altitude so you are not searching during valuable time on 
 approach or landing. I do keep the wind sock in my cross check during appro
 ach and landing but I want to know where it is. If there is no sock then I 
 will have to use other sources of wind such as ripples on water, blowing sm
 oke, or movement of dust from my low pass or wheel touch. I want the wind s
 ource to be as close to the strip as possible, as winds in the backcountry 
 change often depending on terrain.\n\n\nWhen evaluating surroundings I want
  to know how high the trees are, location of any wires, fences, or power li
 nes, and terrain, roads or trails that enter the strip for possible traffic
  entering the runway environment.\n\n\nThe final S is liveStock, be ready f
 or deer, elk, cattle and other large game. The deer can be quite hard to sp
 ot as they move quickly.\n\n\nLastly, I Evaluate and if I am not happy with
  what I have found, I Escape.\n\n\nI don’t expect to ever find a stri
 p and land on it in my first attempt. Best case I would rather drive out to
  a location and spend time scouting all of the previous criteria prior to a
 ttempting this in my aircraft. Now if I’m flying to a location that l
 ocal pilots can brief me on the hazards and best practices, then I am stack
 ing the deck in my favor! Fly safe and enjoy becoming an ASE! The next page
  has some copies of this to print and take along flying.\n\n\nApproach\nAbo
 rt\nAnnounce\nSize\nShape\nSurface\nSurface Winds\nSlope\nSurroundings\nSto
 ck\nEvaluate\nEscape\n\n\nI’d love to hear your inputs on how you pre
 pare to land at a strip!\n\n\nYou can reach me at This email address i
 s being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
		
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CONTACT:Dave Dunteman This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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		 602-317-1123
DTSTAMP:20260629T235506Z
DTSTART;TZID=America/Phoenix:20160315T180000
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