Approach articles from November 2008

Approach archives from November 2008

The initial approach fix.
November 1, 2008... In FY08, we lost six Navy and Marine Corps personnel and 17 aircraft in aviation mishaps. Each loss had causes, and every cause was preventable. Naval aviation can do better; we must do better. While the overall, long-term trend in mishaps...

The maintenance department and you, the aviator.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "As the maintenance department goes, so goes the squadron." Sound familiar? If not, ask yourself a couple questions. Is your squadron struggling to keep aircraft up to meet commitments? Are the same old gripes...

To launch or not to launch.(BLUE THREAT)
November 1, 2008... Fast-forward 10 weeks. The squadron just has assumed the assault-support role in the Al Anbar province, Iraq, based at Al Taqaddum (TQ) Airfield. The squadron's primary mission is to transport personnel and cargo throughout the area of...

Two down, two to go: less than three minutes after completing the emergency-shutdown checklist for the No. 1 engine, the flight engineer called out malfunction indications on the No. 2 engine.
November 1, 2008... Just before 0600 on a January day, our crew departed our home base for a SAR operation 200 miles off the coast of Oman. We were the third in a series of P-3C maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft launched to aid in the search. Because it...

Bravo Zulu.(emergency preparedness)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Capt. Patrick Eldridge, USAF, flew as a primary, flight-training instructor pilot assigned to Training Air Wing Six, NAS Pensacola. He was flying a midshipman-orientation flight as part of TW-6's ProTraMid detachment at NAS North Island. After...

Cleared on the left, starting the left.
November 1, 2008... I was in the left seat of Liberty 604, preparing for the first launch of the day for a surface-surveillance-and-control (SSC) mission. The flight schedule was light, and we walked early enough to avoid rushing our 1445 departure. Our plane...

When pigs fly.(AEROMEDICAL)
November 1, 2008... Have you ever felt that you're rolling backward while stopped at a traffic light? That is spatial disorientation (SD). You weren't moving, but you slammed on the brakes because it felt like you were. How does this happen? SD is a failure...

Christine's lust for mayhem.(Crew Resource Management)(military aircraft)
November 1, 2008... As a newly qualified EA-6B functional-check-flight (FCF) pilot, it only took two days before I was scheduled for my first FCF. We had the resident troublemaker of our squadron, aircraft 03, nicknamed, "Christine." She had been down for a broken...

Faces that always will remain.
November 1, 2008... I'd like to share a recent experience I had involving a humanitarian-assistance, disaster-relief (HADR) operation. The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) Strike Group provided immediate relief supplies to Filipinos affected by Typhoon Fengshen (or...

One bad decision, one fortunate outcome: decisions you make today may affect you for the rest of your life.(ORM Corner)
November 1, 2008... Like most young aviators, I felt bigger than life and always looked ahead, but one morning in Corpus Christi, I didn't take the time to see what was happening around me. I had finished a flight the night before. Eagerly awaiting the next...

Old tales from the crypt.
November 1, 2008... Here it is: What Does It Mean To Be an Aircraft Commander? I recently finished my first long cruise as an H2P, flew more than 300 hours, and gained a wealth of knowledge and experience. During preparation for our aircraft-commander...

Rollin' on rims.
November 1, 2008... Wednesday was a clear, gusty autumn day as our E-6B crew of 14 (LANT crew 3) took off around midday for a flight from Tinker AFB to Offutt AFB. We landed and dropped off most of our crew, except for the third pilot (3P), flight engineer (FE),...

Tahoe pucker factor.
November 1, 2008... A few years ago, I attended USAF Test Pilot School, where I flew 26 different aircraft. Before this, I had had a modest amount of flight time in civil aircraft; I also had had a tour in the EA-6B Prowler. Flying the latest and greatest Super...

The importance of switchology.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Everyone who has flown a Hornet knows the airplane can be smarter than the person flying it. One of the assumptions, however, is that the jet gets properly programmed by its human operator. I'm talking about what is...

Montauk lighthouse landing.(aircraft piloting)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The winter of 1944 was typical for New England: cold, snowy, icy, and miserable. We were on our last week at the Navy training base at Groton, Conn. Our unit would head west to rendezvous with our new home, the...

Aviation mechanic's creed.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Upon my honor... I will hold in sacred trust the rights and privileges conferred upon me as a certified aviation mechanic. Knowing full well that the safety and lives of others are dependent upon my skill and judgment, I will never subject...