EAA Sport Aviation - December 2011

Greg wasn’t your average student. A seasoned mechanic, and son of a captain of a major airline, he was a bit more on the ball than the average student pilot. It was a valuable lesson—at least for me.

While knowing how to stop an aircraft with a failed brake can be handy, nothing takes the place of knowing early in the game that we have a problem. We’ve all been taught to test the brakes before we taxi, but there are times when a quick tap on the brakes can give us some critical insight. An extra brake check a good distance before a turn or stop is needed can alert us to the fact that the ramp is slick or that a brake is not functioning as it should. The more time and distance we have to sort out such an issue, the more options we may have available.

RUNAWAY RUN-UP

One of the scenarios that quickly adds
excitement to winter taxi operations is
attempting to perform a run-up on slick
pavement. Even the moderate rpm settings
for most training aircraft are sufficient to
start an aircraft sliding when surface fric-
tion on the ramp is diminished by ice or
hard-packed snow. One day I watched in
horror as the pilot of a single-engine trainer
nearly T-boned a departing a twin. The
pilot was completing his run-up near the
departure end of the runway, with his nose
pointed toward the active runway. He was
so focused on his instruments during this
critical check that he didn’t realize his air-
craft was moving until it was headed across
the hold-short line. Luckily, the twin
received his clearance and started his take-
off roll just in the nick of time, narrowly
missing the oncoming trainer.

FINAL ANALYSIS

It might seem that while we’re on the ground, there is little to worry about. But the truth is there are plenty of traps around to snare us as we taxi to and from the runway. As we’ve all heard from time to time, we can never stop flying until the tiedowns are secure.

Robert N. Rossier, EAA 472091, has been flying for more than 30 years and has worked as a flight instructor, commercial pilot, chief pilot, and FAA flight check airman.