LEADING EDGE: CHOOSING YOUR TAKEOFF

If a nonpilot asks you "How do you take off?" how would you answer? Line up with the runway, add power, accelerate to liftoff speed, raise the nose and go. But is it really as simple as that? Every year airplanes fail to get off wet or muddy runways, or to clear obstacles past the departure end. Every summer we hear of airplanes that can't get airborne or, if they make it into ground effect, don't have the power to climb any higher. The answer to "How do you take off?" is "I have to choose the technique to match the takeoff conditions." So how do you choose your takeoff?

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AVIONICS GONE WILD

Whether it's a calamity of wrong button pushes or a subtle input failure to a glass panel, understanding the interface is key to safety.

As an avionics guy, I'm often asked if I would rather deal with total avionics failure in an all-glass or round-gauge aircraft. My preference is all-glass because total failure is pretty unlikely. And even if it did happen, the situation shouldn't be debilitating. With dual batteries, dual electrical systems, standby instruments and a portable GPS, there's little reason why you couldn't put down safely. But for an older retrofit panel, the risks are elevated.

You don't have to be an avionics tech to understand what makes your panel tick, but you do need to know what can make it a ticking time bomb. Perhaps you pushed the wrong button sequence for an autopilot-coupled approach, or maybe an encounter with ice has turned your Aspen PFD into an expensive tic-tac-toe game. Knowing how to troubleshoot on the fly the way a technician might troubleshoot on the ground can keep you alive. Here's some advice for taming the avionics when the automation you trust and rely on tries to kill you.

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PODCAST: FLYING ON RECYCLED FUEL
Ross McCurdy, a science teacher and private pilot in Rhode Island, worked with members of the Paramus Flying Club in New Jersey to test a 50/50 biofuel blend in their diesel 182. After returning from a 1,000-mile test flight, he talked with AVweb's Mary Grady about how it went, why they did it, and what he hopes to do next. More...

MEET THE AVWEBFLASH TEAM

AVwebFlash is a twice-weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the world's premier independent aviation news resource.

The AVwebFlash team is:

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Tom Bliss

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

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Russ Niles

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Scott Simmons

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Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

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Kevin Lane-Cummings

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Karen Lund

Avionics Editor
Larry Anglisano

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