Moonless Night Claims Two Senior CAP Officers

Darkwing wrote:


Would you do it with a TAWS equipped GPS?

Would you trust your life to a TAWS equipped GPS?

Instrument rules will keep you away from things that go bump in the night.
When flying VFR at night in the mountains, you have to know exactly where you
are and exactly where the granite is (at least until you've climbed high
enough).

On the occasions that I do fly night VFR in the mountains, I only do so
when I can get high enough to clear all terrain, or fly the whole route over
a highway. On climb out and descent, I stay over visible highways.

I know some pilots that are using the terrain features of their Garmin
396/496 to keep them clear of mountains at night. I think they're nuts.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

--
Message posted via AviationKB.com
http://www.aviationkb.com/Uwe/Forums...ation/200711/1

On 11/13/2007 4:01:55 PM, "JGalban via AviationKB.com" wrote:

I know some pilots that are using the terrain features of their Garmin
396/496 to keep them clear of mountains at night.

And also the terrain database of the GNS430W/530W units, too, I would
imagine.

--
Peter

Peter R. wrote:

And also the terrain database of the GNS430W/530W units, too, I would
imagine.


I might trust one of those a bit more than the handheld versions. At
least they have RAIM.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

--
Message posted via AviationKB.com
http://www.aviationkb.com/Uwe/Forums...ation/200711/1

On Nov 13, 2:01 pm, "JGalban via AviationKB.com" u32749@uwe wrote:


I know some pilots that are using the terrain features of their Garmin
396/496 to keep them clear of mountains at night. I think they're nuts.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

John,
Good call on your terain avoidance tactics. As for your GPS comments,
the next time you fly on an airliner go tell the crew they are nuts.
The use of MAP mode is actually required in mountanous terain.

F. Baum wrote:

John,
Good call on your terain avoidance tactics. As for your GPS comments,
the next time you fly on an airliner go tell the crew they are nuts.
The use of MAP mode is actually required in mountanous terain.

Aren't airliners flying IFR? Terrain avoidance is built in to instrument
procedures (assuming you follow the rules). I've also never seen a 396/496
handheld in an airliner cockpit.

As someone else posted, the handhelds can give an indication when
satellites become unavailable, but I don't think they are quite at the level
of RAIM integrity in the IFR approved units. I've seen a 396 just freeze on
position, with no error indication. Don't get me wrong, they are good.
Just not up to the level that I'd be willing to trust my hide to one.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

--
Message posted via AviationKB.com
http://www.aviationkb.com/Uwe/Forums...ation/200711/1

"Darkwing" theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com wrote in news:x6qdnY-
:


"NW_Pilot" wrote in message
. ..
Flying mountians at night with an overcast is looking for trouble!



Would you do it with a TAWS equipped GPS?


I do it all the time and haven;'t hit anything yet, AFAIK



Bertie

I refused a visual mountain search at night for a found out later to be a
false ELT. I was a Mountain Mission Pilot with CAP for some 20 odd years.
I and my squadron were punished for the refusal. "I order you to fly this
search!" No, thank you. Be happy to launch at first light.

No longer with them.

Watson

"Bertie the Bunyip" wrote in message
.. .
"Darkwing" theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com wrote in news:x6qdnY-
:


"NW_Pilot" wrote in message
. ..
Flying mountians at night with an overcast is looking for trouble!



Would you do it with a TAWS equipped GPS?


I do it all the time and haven;'t hit anything yet, AFAIK



Bertie

"Watson" wrote in
:

I refused a visual mountain search at night for a found out later to
be a false ELT. I was a Mountain Mission Pilot with CAP for some 20
odd years. I and my squadron were punished for the refusal. "I order
you to fly this search!" No, thank you. Be happy to launch at first
light.

No longer with them.


Well, I've known quite a few of them over the years. Some really good guys
in the CAP, but about 95% are complete and utter assholes.



Bertie

On Nov 13, 3:21 pm, "Watson" wrote:
I refused a visual mountain search at night for a found out later to be a
false ELT. I was a Mountain Mission Pilot with CAP for some 20 odd years.
I and my squadron were punished for the refusal. "I order you to fly this
search!" No, thank you. Be happy to launch at first light.

No longer with them.


Since you were with CAP for 20 years, you are aware (and others might
not be) that all members are volunteers, and each and every mission is
a volunteer mission that can be refused because it is unsafe, or you
are tired, or your dog is sick.

While there are "politics" in the CAP wings, there is no way anyone
should have been punished, by any definition. If the situation is as
you described, someone should have run this all the way to National.

Sorry we lost you.

On Nov 13, 2:21 pm, "Watson" wrote:
I refused a visual mountain search at night for a found out later to be a
false ELT. I was a Mountain Mission Pilot withCAPfor some 20 odd years.
I and my squadron were punished for the refusal. "I order you to fly this
search!" No, thank you. Be happy to launch at first light.

No longer with them.


I did hear about this story. Apparently the IC was not a qualified
pilot and did not correctly understand the PIC authority. That IC was
relived of duty that day.

-Robert