Sonntag, 26. Juni 2016

Safety Training in EDAY- The Need for Speed!

This weekend I have spent 12 hours on a German Autobahn to travel from Munich to East of the German Capital, Berlin: Airport Strausberg was the destination.

WHY?

RUWE Aero, a flight academy for Microlight Aircrafts, owns a Full-Motion-Flight Simulator, incl. the option to simulate the release of the "Ballistic Recovery System".

With some folks from the airports EDML and EDMY we arrived on Friday midnight at Strausberg.


Sharp in time we met on Saturday morning Norbert, a very experienced retired military pilot, in both German Airforces, (East- and later West-Germany), who is leading the "Microlight Safety Program" of RUWE Aero. A short introduction to the facility by Derek, the MD of RUWE Aero, and we started straight in the meeting room.


Firstly we got an overview of the current situation, including some typical causes for accidents with MicroLights.

We have been one, on the perception that avoiding problems is the best way to stay away from dangerous situations. So we tried to identify the main root causes of critical situations, flying an aircraft.

And, in simple words, it's all about speed. Speed is uplift, and uplift is time.

But don't get me wrong: it's not about speed for itself, it's about the right speed. Many pilots are not aware of the "best glide speed" of their aircraft. Being 4 mph faster or slower then it, eats your height within seconds away.

And this is a slogan we must not discuss:

HEIGHT IS TIME IS LIFE!

Our Microlight Aircrafts have glide factors of 1:10 to 1:15. This means if we move horizontal 10 m or 15 m, we lose 1meter in height. Being in a critical situation in a height of 500 m above the ground, we might move between 5.000 and 7.500 m! Not so bad, right?

Sounds cool, but there is one big thing to keep in mind: it works, as the gas consumption we get promised by the auto manufacturers, only under exactly defined regulations and environments.

One of the most critical key points is the "best glide speed". And this speed is individual for each aircraft. Take your "Manual/Handbuch" and look out for it. Start seeking for in a critical situation is far too late!

And the difference between the 1:15 to a 1:7 is only a difference of  + or - 3-5 mph!!!

Seeing the formulas, calculating some (typical) situations is one thing.



DOING it, would give evidence, that our assumptions and calculations are correct.



Instead of crashing plenty of aircrafts, we changed the scene, after our lunch with the team, to the RUWE Aero Microlight Simulator for the next level.


Steering dashboard
Full-motion Simulator


All our assumptions and calculations have been confirmed! Even if we experience a fatal engine failure, we have time enough (given we are in a certain height) to take decisions, to find good places to land, maybe to get back to our airfield, to prepare for landing.

And if we are not 500 or 800 ft AGL? It's much more crucial to safe EACH single foot of height!

Remember: 
HEIGHT IS TIME IS LIFE!

No kidding around: even with that knowledge, good trained skills and calm blood we cannot recover all.

So finally we have simulated another scenario: 

recognizing that there is NO RECOVERY possible!

We have the "Ballistic Recovery System", mandatory by law in Germany, equipped in our aircrafts! 

So we brought our aircrafts (with good help of Hannes, the technical engineer from RUWE) in situations, where we had to decide:

do or die!

Do stands for PULL the RED HANDLE!

It may sound strange, but there was a constraint to pull this RED handle. Exactly what probably happened to some of the pilots, crashing fatally in the past months. 

To recognize and to talk with the group about this very same experience, made all of us more "FREE" to pull the handle. As we could make the experience, that we couldn't recover a situation, where we BELIEVED we could, brought us closer to our limitations and boundaries. 

We pulled, and we SURVIVED!

Limitations and borders are not bad, as long as we know them!

Special thanks to the Team of RUWE Aero and my flight mates for this great experience. You all made our future flights safer!


But one person, we regrettably did not meet on Saturday has to be mentioned extra:


Klaus Dieter Tschäpe, the founder and owner of RUWE Aero:

in times where it seems only profit, KPIs and make more profit are THE values, he is taking all his passion for flying and offers this great program to ALL Microlight pilots for FREE.

Not to sell anything afterwards, but to make MICROLIGHT Flying more safe!

(And you can trust me: no hidden costs, no fees. Only for FREE.)


The RUWE Aero Team:
Derek Hans, Norbert, Hannes, Angelika

The EDMY/EDML Folks:

Stephan, Jan, Claudia, Roman, Andi

Safety Training in EDAY- The Need for Speed!

This weekend I have spent 12 hours on a German Autobahn to travel from Munich to East of the German Capitla, Berlin: Airport Strausberg was the destination.

WHY?

RUWE Aero, a flight academy for Microlight Aircrafts, owns a Full-Motion-Flight Simulator, incl. the option to simulate the release of the "Ballistic Recovery System".

With some folks from the airports EDML and EDMY we arrived on Friday midnight at Strausberg.


Sharp in time we met on Saturday morning Norbert, a very experienced former military pilot, in both German Airforces, (East- and later West-Germany), who is leading the "Microlight Safety Program" of RUWE Aero. A short introduction to the facility by Derek, the MD of RUWE Aero, and we started straight in the meeting room.


Firstly we got an overview of the current situation, including some typical causes for accidents with MicroLights.

We have been one, on the perception, that avoiding problems is the best way to stay away from dangerous situations. So we tried to identify the main root causes of critical situations, flying an aircraft.

And, in simple words, it's all about speed. Speed is uplift, and uplift is time.

But don't get me wrong: it's not about speed for itself, it's about the right speed. Many pilots are not aware of the "best glide speed" of their aircraft. Being 4 mph faster or slower then it, eats your height within seconds away.

And this is a slogan we must not discuss:

HEIGHT IS TIME IS LIFE!

Our Microlight Aircrafts have glide factors of 1:10 to 1:15. This means if we move horizontal 10 m or 15 m, we lose 1meter in height. Being in a critical situation in a height of 500 m above the ground, we might move between 5.000 and 7.500 m! Not so bad, right?

Sounds cool, but there is one big thing to keep in mind: it works, as the gas consumption we get promised by the auto manufacturers, only under exactly defined regulations and environments.

One of the most critical key points is the "best glide speed". And this speed is individual for each aircraft. Take your "Manual/Handbuch" and look out for it. Start seeking for in a critical situation is far too late!

And the difference between the 1:15 to a 1:7 is only a difference of  + or - 3-5 mph!!!

Seeing the formulas, calculating some (typical) situations is one thing.



DOING it, would give evidence, that our assumptions and calculations are correct.



Instead of crashing plenty of aircrafts, we changed the scene, after our lunch with the team, to the RUWE Aero Microlight Simulator for the next level.


Steering dashboard
Full-motion Simulator


All our assumptions and calculations have been confirmed! Even if we experience a fatal engine failure, we have time enough (given we are in a certain height) to take decisions, to find good places to land, maybe to get back to our airfield, to prepare for landing.

And if we are not 500 or 800 ft AGL? It's much more crucial to safe EACH single foot of height!

Remember: 
HEIGHT IS TIME IS LIFE!

No kidding around: even with that knowledge, good trained skills and calm blood we cannot recover all.

So finally we have simulated another scenario: 

recognizing that there is NO RECOVERY possible!

We have the "Ballistic Recovery System", mandatory by law in Germany, equipped in our aircrafts! 

So we brought our aircrafts (with good help of Hannes, the technical engineer from RUWE) in situations, where we had to decide:

do or die!

Do stands for PULL the RED HANDLE!

It may sound strange, but there was a constraint to pull this RED handle. Exactly what probably happened to some of the pilots, crashing fatally in the past months. 

To recognize and to talk with the group about this very same experience, made all of us more "FREE" to pull the handle. As we could make the experience, that we couldn't recover a situation, where we BELIEVED we could, brought us closer to our limitations and boundaries. 

We pulled, and we SURVIVED!

Limitations and borders are not bad, as long as we know them!

Special thanks to the Team of RUWE Aero and my flight mates for this great experience. You all made our future flights safer!


But one person, we regrettably did not meet on Saturday has to be mentioned extra:


Klaus Dieter Tschäpe, the founder and owner of RUWE Aero:

in times where it seems only profit, KPIs and make more profit are THE values, he is taking all his passion for flying and offers this great program to ALL Microlight pilots for FREE.

Not to sell anything afterwards, but to make MICROLIGHT Flying more safe!

(And you can trust me: no hidden costs, no fees. Only for FREE.)


The RUWE Aero Team:
Derek Hans, Norbert, Hannes, Angelika

The EDMY/EDML Folks:

Stephan, Jan, Claudia, Roman, Andi

It's (all) about decisions or what diving has to do with flying an aircraft


Some people are asking me;" Hey, what are you doing to prepare for this trip. You will not know everything what will happen, so how will you prepare or exercise!?"

In a certain way this is a valid point. I do not know exactly what I have to expect. The best weather forecast is not a guarantee for a bright sky, and especially in the Northern Atlantic, fog or rain can appear immediate and with very limited pre-warning.



But preparation for a project like this is not only to foresee all possible situations, but to be prepared for taking good decisions.

It's given, that humans have only limited cerebral capacity to solve problems. While I'm training my skills in handling and operating the aircraft and its technical equipment,  I'm producing "free capacities" to handle unforeseen situations and issues- and to take (good) decisions.

In my time as scuba trainer and guide in Germany and Egypt, I was very often facing difficult, and sometimes, dangerous situations.

I remember one situation while a wreck dive in the "Lake Constance", at the triangle Germany, Austria, Suisse. I wanted to explore the wreck of the "jura", a wooden boat, sunk in 1864, with a group of experienced divers. The relic is in very good shape, due to the cold waters, and it is one of "the" hotspots in this lake for experienced divers. Laying in 39 meters, doesn't make it a "piece of cake". The weather was drizzling, the ride with the boat to the diving spot was a kind of a nightmare, due to wind and current and waves.



While the descent into the cold and dark lake, in approximately 30 meters, I felt alarming symptoms of "rapture of deep"  occurring.

Within seconds I lost contact to my group, and my breath was escalating. I had to take an immediate decision what to do. Due to the well trained skills for handling my dive gear, I was using a dry suit, and the "self-acting" skills in buoyancy kept me enough resources to analyze my situation, take some options into consideration and take a decision.

Understanding the root cause of the problems I had, there was only one way to get back to safety: a slow and controlled climb. Nitrogen can lose it's bad impact on a diver within only a few meters.

Having taken this decision, I was within a few seconds climbing controlled 4-6 meters. The impact of the harmful nitrogen decreased. Holding the new level for some minutes got me back to normal and I could resume my dive. Finally I met my group again, and could enjoy the wonderful wreck of the "Jura".

Well, having the skills and routines for the "normal" workload (handling the airflow in my dry-suit, breathing and pressure equalization, using the lamp, controlling the air supply), gave me time and capacity for taking problem solving decisions.

So this is exactly what I have to train and practice for this adventure in the opposite element. My skills for the basic workload in an aircraft.

As a scuba diver you have to dive, dive and dive. As an aircraft pilot, guess what?




Airborne Again





As those of you, who follow my flight career, know there has been a major incident some weeks ago at the Jesenwang Airport (EDMJ). A pilot crashed with an aircraft after taking off. Beside the human tragedy of two victims, my training aircraft Breezer B400 got fatally destroyed.

Since one week there is a replacement aircraft based in Jesenwang, the Breezer B 400 D-MABR. This aircraft was designed as demonstration aircraft. Therefore we see now one of the most beautiful planes currently in duty:



To get not stuck in my preparations again (there might always be a technical issue grounding an aircraft), I'll use a second aircraft from next week on:

the Breezer B 400 D-MDDK, based at Mühldorf Airport (EDMY).

Not that nice design, but the same reliable aircraft.


Mühldorf (EDMY) will become my new "Homebase" from next week on, Jesenwang will become the backup.

As always in flying, redundancy is one of the key issues.



Sonntag, 12. Juni 2016

Nanuq 2017- Let's start the adventure!




NANUQ 2017


... stands for the plan to make a Solo Maiden Flight with a Microlight Aircraft from Germany to Nerlerit Inaat (Constable Pynt), close to the city of Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresbysund) on the  East Coast of Greenland. It will happen in the arctic summer months of 2017. So 12 months have left for planning, training and preparation.

In comparison to set a new highspeed record, a Maiden Flight will be linked to the name of the pilot and his aircraft forever. A good reason in my opinion, to make this project happen.



Why Greenland? Greenland, the largest island of the world, perpetual ice, igloos, inuit, polar bears, midsummer nights, polar lights. Greenland is linked so closely to our weather phenomenons, the Global Warming can be witnessed there, each time an Iceberg is breaking from the shelf, and traveling over the North Atlantic Sea.

There are so many good reasons the see this extreme region. Why not in a combination with this once-in-a-lifetime adventure?

Let me invite you to come along with me over the next months, to watch the efforts and activities for the preparation of the "NANUQ 2017" Project.

You will learn about me, the aircraft, the planned routing, my preparations, my trainings and the negotiations with supporters and sponsors. Get a close view on the passion of flying a Microlight Aircraft.

Next blog will introduce the To-Do-List for the next 12 months.

Make it your project, too!

CU

Mario