Bi-Ennial Refresher Training

In order to reduce face-to-face time it would be a great help if you could pick a couple of the topics below and review them.
You don’t have to read every section – pick the ones you think will be useful to you.
If there is anything in here you want more details on then we can discuss further – if I don’t know the answer then I’m sure I will be able to find it.

1) Infringement: https://www.nats.aero/features/infringements/
Please take extra note of the “separation bubble” - this is why, if you find you have infringed, contacting ATC is REALLY important.
It is also worth noting that, for PPLs:
   ●   As long as you have “done a reasonable job / best effor” then they will be sympathetic
   ●   This does involved having your transponder on, and set appropriately – if you don’t then the infringement will be treated less leniently
   ●   Turning off your transponder, once you realise you have infringed, will result in the infringement being treated as “malicious” (bad news)

Other good things you can do, to help prevent infringments, are: https://airspacesafety.com/infringement/
In particular:
   ●   Use “Listening Squawks”: https://airspacesafety.com/listening-squawks/
   ●   Plan the flight thoroughly – after an infringement you may be asked to produce proof that you did … so hang onto your notes

2) A while since your last flight
Especially this year a lot of use have not flown for a considerable period.
This makes pre-flight preparation even more important,
Take a look at these 2 – both provide a lot of useful points to consider before getting airborne after an extended period of no flight:

   ●   GASCO course: https://ispri.ng/VlGNZ
   ●   BGA “Getting Yourself Safely Current” (Mike Fox): https://youtu.be/82FJMlvhXsQ

3) Weight and Balance
I realise that for the type of aircraft flown at KGC W&B calculations mainly consist of simply checking maximum, and minimum, seat weights are observed.
That said it is important to be able to do the calculations – e.g. for that day you want to put something heavier than usual on the back shelf.

These links give a useful reminder (there are also plenty of youyube videos on the topic around):
   ●   AOPA: TECHNIQUE: WEIGHT AND BALANCE
   ●   CFI Notebook: Weight and Balance
If you are interested in knowing more … just ask (BGA Inspectors need not apply)

4) Performance
This covers 3 main topics (for GA):
   ●   Take off performance: Can I get airborne, and clear of any obstacles, in the distance available?
   ●   Landing performance: Can I get onto the ground, and stopped, within the distance available?
   ●   Fuel: Do I have sufficient for the journey PLUS a reserve to cover diversions?

Take Off:
In the KGC environment most of the aircraft don’t have performance charts to use – in any case the shape of the airfield would make their accurate use excessively difficult.
This being the case: “How do we judge when to abandon a take-off?”
NOTE: This advice is probably not appropriate for Tug pilots with a glider in tow – for guidance in this area please consult the Tug Manager.

There are a number of “rules of thumb” - they basically all involve picking a point, on the airfield, and deciding (BEFORE starting the ground run), that if a percentage of lift-off speed has not been reached, by that point, then the throttle will be closed and the brakes applied.
   ●   50/80: I prefer this one as it makes more allowance for the reduction in acceleration as the aircraft approaches take off speed
   ●   50/70: This is the one that is most quoted
The basic approach is:
   ●   Identify a point that is 50% of the distance between: Your starting point and the point you need to be airborne to clear any obstacles
   ●   If you haven’t reached 80% (or 70%) of take-off speed when you reach this point: Close the throttle and apply the brakes

Judging the appropriate abandon point on a domed runway is more difficult …
   ●   Once you reach the 50% point you will accelerate more quickly – as you are going downhill
   ●   Once you reach the 50% point you will take longer to stop – as you are going downhill

This link has a lot of tips, and thought provoking points, in it: https://www.av8n.com/how/htm/takeoff.html

Landing:
One VERY important point to note here is that most of the powered aircraft, found at KGC (Tugs possibly excepted) can be landed in a much shorter space than they need to get airborne – it really spoils your day if you execute a beautiful, short field, landing and then have to summon a trailer, and remove the wings, to get out of the field.

The general rules of thumb for landing are:
   ●   If you haven’t touched down by the middle of the runway – go around

   ●   As soon as the aeroplane is solidly on the ground (unlikely to hop into the air off a bump) assess the run remaining – if you are not CERTAIN you can stop, well within, the remaining distance – go around

This link has a lot of tips, and thought provoking points, in it: https://www.av8n.com/how/htm/landing.html

Fuel:
ICAO mandates, for General Aviation:
   ●   For IFR, enough fuel to reach destination, then alternate (if required), plus 45 minutes
   ●   For day VFR, enough fuel to reach destination plus 30 minutes
   ●   For night VFR, enough fuel to reach destination plus 45 minutes
This is to include:
   ●   Warm up / Taxi
   ●   Trip – plus a 5% contingency for things like unexpected head-wind
   ●   Holding time at destination (see above) – if it will take longer than that to reach the alternate then make sure to allow extra

You should measure fuel by direct observation of level, or by dipping the tank.
Remember the accuracy requirement, for fuel guages, is:
      “When the tank is empty the fuel gauge will show empty”
nothing more.

5) Navigation
This is not intended to cover the topic – more to raise some points for consideration.

   ●   Moving map: Are you familiar enough with it to use it effectively in the air:
       ●   Can you select, and enter, an alternate destination
       ●   Do you know how to get airfield frequencies from the device?
       ●   Have you set alarms (e.g. airspace) approporiately