LT Iain McConnell Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater HH-60J copilot Certified Flight Instructor, airplane single engine

Background USCG Academy USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) Navy Flight School, Pensacola Air Station Clearwater Civil Air Patrol orientation pilot and CFI, Clearwater Composite Squadron

Flight to visit family in Slidell, Louisiana

Archer II -- N8268C Rented from Clearwater Air Park My favorite plane! Two VHF radios ADF (it works sometimes) Endurance Cruise: kts Dual VOR, ILS, DME, handheld GPS Performance Cruise: kts

Preflight planning Route Weather IFR, VFR, or DVFR FAR compliance Fault tolerance Decrease risk

Clearwater to Slidell 396 nm

Route Distance Special use airspace Aircraft performance (including multi engine) Navigational aids Communication “dead zones” Distance to divert fields Notable locations to compute ahead of time: Equal time point (ETP) Point of safe return (PSR)

Weather Sometimes weather is incomplete or inaccurate offshore. Pay more attention to weather than normal. Destination WX +/- 1hr. Winds. Severe weather (added distance to divert). Forecast altimeter. Visibility and cloud clearance. Horizon may blend with the sky and water. Good visibility needed for making landfall VFR.

IFR, VFR, or DVFR Why not fly IFR? At least use VFR flight following. ADIZ. DVFR is not hard to do; Just do it right! Read AIM before you go. File on ground, not in flight. Transponder set to assigned squawk. Penetrate ADIZ +/- 5 minutes and +/- 20 nm over water. Monitor MHz for “Unknown Rider.”

FAR Compliance 14 CFR 91 has no requirements 14 CFR Extended Overwater Defined as 50nm from shore Redundant radios and nav. systems 14 CFR Emergency Equipment Life preservers, rafts, pyrotechnics, ELTs Fuel reserves Customs clearance for international flights DVFR flight plan

Fault Tolerance How many distractions or imperfections can I handle before changing my plan? Weather deteriorates or headwind strengthens. One anti-collision light is burned out. Copilot’s ICS station doesn’t work. Someone gets sick. I didn’t sleep well last night. My divert field’s AVGAS pump is “inop.” Another renter reports that the transponder may have a problem “sometimes.” One radio fails.

Decrease Risk Accept fewer faults when over water than when over land. I’M SAFE checklist. Hire a CFI. Don’t go, or go later. Go during day, not night. Choose a route closer to shore.

Ready to go?

Are you gripping your arm rests with fear? Max range of N8268C! Three family members together. Entire flight over water. No navigation input besides GPS and D.R. Requires DVFR flight plan. Communications dead zones. Warning Areas. Slight headwind increase not tolerable. First-time cross country student. New CFI. I have never pushed N8268C this far before!

Clearwater to Apalachicola 396 nm 159 nm

Breathe a sigh of relief! This route can be flown mostly on V97. Furthest point from land reduced. Stay within the ADIZ. No fuel reserve concerns. No communications “dead zones.” Closer to Air Station Clearwater! Shorter time between bathroom stops!

Take Off!

In Flight See and avoid: oil rigs, birds. Loss of horizon and depth perception. Keep VFR flight following. Over-reliance on GPS. Making landfall through the ADIZ. Visual landfall is very difficult. Use navaids.

Equal Time Point (ETP) Location where the time required to return to the last suitable airfield is equal to the time required to proceed to the next suitable airfield. 198 nm=half way No wind

Distance to ETP = Total distance x GS (return) GS (return) + GS (cont) Headwind… Distance to ETP = 396 nm x 140 kts = 231nm 140 kts kts Tailwind… Distance to ETP = 396 nm x 100 kts = 165 nm 100 kts kts

Headwind Tailwind 231 nm 165 nm wind

Point of Safe Return (PSR) For figuring out how to max your time offshore. The Coast Guard uses this often. Civilian pilots should not! Time on route which the aircraft can go and still safely return home, including Holding, Approach, and Landing fuel.

Time to PSR = T Ground speed returning from PSR = GS R Ground speed outbound to PSR = GS O Total fuel endurance in minutes = F (minus reserve fuel) T = GS R x F GS O + GS R Point of Safe Return (PSR)

Ditching!

Egress Rate vs. Survival Rate Egress – one or more occupants safely exited the aircraft % Survival – all occupants were rescued or swam to shore -- 88%

Will the airplane float long enough for everyone to get out? Study of ditchings does not provide enough data to determine “typical” float times. Out of 179 ditchings, there were only 7 instances where occupants didn’t escape. 3 of these were high wave conditions in the open sea.

Multi-engine Ditchings Multi-engine aircraft ditch at a rate equal to their single engine counterparts. In the study of 179 aircraft ditchings, 29 (16%) involved multi-engine aircraft. About 15% of the GA fleet is multi- engine. Increased exposure due to greater over- water flight. No one is immune!

Pre-ditching Checklist Ditch near a surface vessel if able. Determine appropriate ditch heading. Review ditching technique. Depressurize aircraft (if applicable). Configure aircraft – gear up, flaps as required. Place survival equipment in accessible location. Fasten seat belts. Unlatch main cabin door. Ensure alternate exits are accessible (if able).

Ditch Heading Ditch parallel to swell – maximize headwind component With strong secondary swell, compromise between pri & sec swells and land on the back side of wave Wind kts – choose compromise between primary swell and head wind Wind > 50 kts, land into wind

Approach to Water Choose power-on ditching if able Set power to maintain 10 kts above stall. Multi-engine w/ power to one side – fly slightly higher approach speed. Nose-high attitude (flaps may not be advisable). Power-off ditching Fly higher than normal approach speed.

Touchdown Reduce power, land slightly above stall speed. Land parallel or on the backside of the swell. Touchdown with wings trimmed to surface of the sea – not the horizon. Remove crab angle.

Ditching at Night, IMC, or on Glassy Water Set 10 deg nose up attitude 100 fpm descent rate Ditch wings level

Another Safe Flight It wasn’t an accident