The Comair crash reminds me...

This is just one of those "little extras" that every pilot should include in
that last second look around the pit before opening the throttle. With me; I
always made it a point to hestiate for a few seconds for a line up re-check.

Yep... lights, camera, action, where the action - check dg / line it
up with runway numbers. Before now, I'll admit, all I did was reset the
dg to the runway heading, but from now on, I'll be paying much closer
attention to the variance. Too much means something ain't right.

--
Guy

wrote in message

Plus it was a 0600 flight, which meant awakening at around 0430.
With a muggy motel room listening to countless AC units hum, I
wonder what their sleep situation was ??

It was clearly reported shortly after the crash that their rest period had
been "well in excess of" the required amount. An 0430 wake up should not
be problematic for a flight crew - its normal. You just hit the rack by 8
or 9 PM. Same deal for 0200, or 2300 for that matter.

As to the picture you paint of shabby, low-grade accommodations, all I can
say is that its highly unlikely. Even 25-30 years ago flying regional, we
stayed in reasonable places such as Ramada, Hampton, or HI. A simple
search showed that within 5 miles or so of the field there are about 11
national name hotels that offer good reasonable quality, and very often free
stuff for flight crews, iirc. It would be very easy to ascertain exactly
where they stayed.

Dudley Henriques wrote:

This is just one of those "little extras" that every pilot should include in
that last second look around the pit before opening the throttle. With me; I
always made it a point to hestiate for a few seconds for a line up re-check.
Dudley Henriques

"Christopher Brian Colohan" wrote in message
. ..


"Dudley Henriques" writes:


It can happen and has happened and will happen again as long as pilots
don't
remember to physically check the runway heading by glancing at the DG or
HSI, or even the magnetic compass EVERY time they line up for takeoff.
This
should be an automatic reflex action for a pilot, especially at busy
airports where runways are 30 degrees or less apart in direction.


All of my training so far has been at an airport with only one runway
(KPAO). Thank you for pointing this out -- checking the runway
direction has not been on my checklist before now...

Chris






Be sure you set the DG to the magnetic compass before you turn onto the
runway and not do like some pilots I have seen. Line up on the runway
and set the compass.

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

Guy Elden Jr wrote:

all I did was reset the dg to the runway heading,

Guy, I am curious about this. I have flown with other pilots who reset the
DG to the runway heading, but when I question them about this, they admit
to setting the DG to the runway number (with the trailing zero, of course).
As you most likely know, the runway number (with trailing zero) can be off
from the actual heading by as much as 10 degrees.

This leads me to my question: How do you easily discover the actual runway
heading at an unfamiliar airport? Do you, after deciding on the runway you
would use once you start the aircraft, pull out instrument charts or
airport diagrams and write down the runway heading?

I am curious how others integrate this into their post-start, pre-taxi or
pre-takeoff checklists.



--
Peter

John Gaquin wrote:
wrote in message

Plus it was a 0600 flight, which meant awakening at around 0430.
With a muggy motel room listening to countless AC units hum, I
wonder what their sleep situation was ??

It was clearly reported shortly after the crash that their rest period had
been "well in excess of" the required amount. An 0430 wake up should not
be problematic for a flight crew - its normal. You just hit the rack by 8
or 9 PM. Same deal for 0200, or 2300 for that matter.

They were all out of town based according to news reports:

"Bornhorst would not say whether the crew had experience flying into
and out of the Blue Grass Airport. The first officer and flight
attendant had been based out of New York, the pilot out of
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, according to the
airline.
Bornhorst did say that the crew was well rested and had spent the night
in Lexington in preparation for the early-morning takeoff."

You can hit the hay at 9pm, but falling asleep with motel noises is
another matter...JG


As to the picture you paint of shabby, low-grade accommodations, all I can
say is that its highly unlikely. Even 25-30 years ago flying regional, we
stayed in reasonable places such as Ramada, Hampton, or HI. A simple
search showed that within 5 miles or so of the field there are about 11
national name hotels that offer good reasonable quality, and very often free
stuff for flight crews, iirc. It would be very easy to ascertain exactly
where they stayed.

Dudley Henriques wrote:

This is just one of those "little extras" that every pilot should include in
that last second look around the pit before opening the throttle. With me; I
always made it a point to hestiate for a few seconds for a line up re-check.

Same here. I wait just long enough to let the compass settle, check it
against the DG and against the runway I was cleared to, record the
takeoff time and turn the transponder from standby to ALT. Only takes a
few seconds once you get the procedure down.

I also hope everyone is checking their power indications, vacuum,
alternator, etc. as they commence the takeoff roll, especially if
launching into IMC.

Matt

Peter R. wrote:

Guy Elden Jr wrote:


all I did was reset the dg to the runway heading,


Guy, I am curious about this. I have flown with other pilots who reset the
DG to the runway heading, but when I question them about this, they admit
to setting the DG to the runway number (with the trailing zero, of course).
As you most likely know, the runway number (with trailing zero) can be off
from the actual heading by as much as 10 degrees.

This leads me to my question: How do you easily discover the actual runway
heading at an unfamiliar airport? Do you, after deciding on the runway you
would use once you start the aircraft, pull out instrument charts or
airport diagrams and write down the runway heading?

I am curious how others integrate this into their post-start, pre-taxi or
pre-takeoff checklists.

I don't care what the actual runway azimuth is. I care that my DG is
set to my compass and that both agree within reason to the runway I'm
on. I'm curious: why do you care what it is?

Matt

Ross Richardson wrote:

Dudley Henriques wrote:

This is just one of those "little extras" that every pilot should include in
that last second look around the pit before opening the throttle. With me; I
always made it a point to hestiate for a few seconds for a line up re-check.
Dudley Henriques

"Christopher Brian Colohan" wrote in message
...


"Dudley Henriques" writes:


It can happen and has happened and will happen again as long as pilots
don't
remember to physically check the runway heading by glancing at the DG or
HSI, or even the magnetic compass EVERY time they line up for takeoff.
This
should be an automatic reflex action for a pilot, especially at busy
airports where runways are 30 degrees or less apart in direction.


All of my training so far has been at an airport with only one runway
(KPAO). Thank you for pointing this out -- checking the runway
direction has not been on my checklist before now...

Chris






Be sure you set the DG to the magnetic compass before you turn onto the
runway and not do like some pilots I have seen. Line up on the runway
and set the compass.

I set mine before I begin taxiing and then check it on the runway right
before launch. It is very helpful to have a correctly set DG when
taxiing, especially at unfamiliar airports.

Matt

wrote in message

You can hit the hay at 9pm, but falling asleep with motel noises is
another matter...JG


Well, I guess for 22 years of flying I was the beneficiary of incredibly
coincidental good luck.

The only time time I stayed in noisy hotels was long, long ago when I was
travelling on the cheap, and it had less to do with the hotel than the
surrounding neighborhood..

John Gaquin wrote:

The only time time I stayed in noisy hotels was long, long ago when I was
travelling on the cheap, and it had less to do with the hotel than the
surrounding neighborhood..

For the last 13 years I have traveled just about every business week.
Early on I learned to carry with me a Sharper Image travel-sized white
noise radio. This device, which omits white noise similar to a waterfall
when switched on, has been responsible for many a restful night's sleep,
including one week at a very loud Brooklyn, NY, hotel.

I would suspect that most experienced travelers, including airline pilots,
do something similar.

--
Peter