U/L Ground School

•      Regulations

•      Preflight Procedures

•      Aerodynamics/Performance

•      Weather

•      Navigation and Cross Country Flight

•      Emergency procedures

•      Written Examination Review

Regulations

•      FAR 103

•      FAR 61

•      FAR 91

•      Exemption #6080

•      Airspace

•      Right of Way

•      Airport Operations/Patterns

Regulations

•      FAR 103

–     Un-powered 155 lbs..

–     Powered 254 lbs.

–     5 gal fuel

–     55 knots full power level flight

–     Power off stall no more than 24 knots

–     Used or intended to be used by single occupant

 

–     Review of FAR

 

–     30 min before SR and after SS with Strobe visible for 3 statute miles in uncontrolled airspace

Regulations

•      FAR 61 parts

–   .87  Solo flight

–   .93  Cross Country

–   .107  Flight Proficiency

–   .105  Aeronautical Knowledge

Regulations

•      FAR 91

–   General Operation and Flight Rules

Regulations

•      Exemption #6080

–     496 lbs.

–     10 gal fuel

–     75 knots full power level flight

–     Power off stall no more than 35 knots

–     Marked with “TO BE USED FOR INSTRUCTION ONLY”

–     Must be inspected annually or every 100 hour of flight whichever is less

–     Training hours must be reported every 6 months

–     Agree to report all accidents

–     Flight authorized for Training, Proficiency, ferrying to training and maintenance.

–     You sign a contract to adhere to above

 

 

Regulations

•      Airspace

–    Class A - Positive Control Area (PCA), 18,000 MSL and above

–    Class B - Terminal Control Area (TCA), Example Chicago O’Hare

–    Class C - Airport Radar Service Area (ARSA) Example Indy

–    Class D - Airports with Control tower other then Class B/C

–    Class E - General Controlled Airspace

–    Class G - Uncontrolled Airspace

–   Cruising Altitude VFR

•    Above 3000’ AGL and under 18,000’ MSL

•    Even thousand + 500 for heading of 180-359

•    Even thousand - 500 for heading of 0 - 179

Regulations

•      Right of Way

–   U/Ls MUST YELD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY TO ALL AIRCRAFT (FAR 103.13)

•      General

–   Operation of formation flight is authorized only with prior agreement between the PIC of each aircraft.

 

Regulations

•      Airport Operations/Patterns

–   Left hand Pattern

–   500 AGL and inside

 

Preflight Procedures

•      Planning

•      Rigging and assembly

•      Inspection

•      Pre-start Procedures

•      Taxi and Ground Operations

Preflight Procedures

•      Planning

–    Have a routine and follow it each and every time

–    Ensure you have enough fuel and oil and properly mixed

–    Always plan for EXTRA (fuel, oil, batteries, etc.)

–    Ensure you have the proper clothes (remember it gets colder the higher you go)

–    Allow for extra time if things change. (weather, winds, air traffic)

–    Always ensure you are up to the task!

–    NEVER TAKE UNDUE RISK

 

Preflight Procedures

•      Rigging and assembly

–    Double check to ensure the aircraft is properly assembled and rigged IAW the manual.

•    Safety Pins

•    Lock Nuts

•    Cables properly installed an free

•    etc.

–    Remember just one nut, bolt, safety pin could be a matter of a good flight or YOUR LAST FLIGHT!  

 

Preflight Procedures

•      Inspection

–   The PIC is responsible to ensure the aircraft is in a condition for safe flight.

–   The PIC should as a minimum do a walk around inspection of the aircraft.

 

Preflight Procedures

•      Pre-start Procedures

–   Ensure the area is clear of persons and things

–   “CLEAR PROP”

–   Follow Starting procedures for your specific aircraft and engine

 

Preflight Procedures

•      Taxi and Ground Operations

–    w/ Radio let others know your intentions

–    Maintain a speed to allow a safe stop if required

–    Taxiing in Wind

•    Head wind = Neutral Elevator and up aileron toward wind

•    Tail wind = Down Elevator and Down aileron toward wind

–    System Run-Up

•    Check power, gauges

•    Check Mags

•    Set altimeter

Aerodynamics/Performance

 

•      Theories of aerodynamics

•      Airfoils and lift

•      Control functions and axis of control

•      Aerodynamic forces

•      Stalls/Spins

Aerodynamics/Performance

•      Critical Speeds

•      Density Altitude Effects

•      Carb Icing

•      Weight and Balance

Aerodynamics/Performance

•      Theories of aerodynamics

–    Bernoulli’s principle -Pressure decreases as velocity increases.

–    This is reflected by the air moving on the upper surface of the wing traveling a farther distance causing less pressure and thus causing lift.

 

Aerodynamics/Performance

•      Airfoils and lift

–    An airfoil is a specially shaped surface designed to produce lift as air flow over it.

–    Chord line - a line that passes through an airfoil from the leading edge to the trailing edge.

–    Relative Wind - The direction from which the wind is moving when it reaches the airfoil.

–    Angle of Attack - the Angle between the Chord Line and the Relative Wind.

Aerodynamics/Performance

•      Control functions and axis of control

–   Pitch (Lateral Axis)

•   Elevator - Control Stick

•   Control Bar - push/pull

–   Roll (Longitudinal Axis)

•   Aileron - Control Stick

•   Control Bar - Right/left

–   Yaw (Vertical Axis)

•   Rudder - Rudder Peddles

Aerodynamics/Performance

•      Aerodynamic forces

–     Lift

–     Weight

–     Thrust

–     Drag

•      Straight and Level flight is when

–     Lift = Weight

–     Thrust = Drag

•      Drag

–     Induced - Drag that is caused by the production of lift < w/airspeed

–     Parasite -  Drag caused by friction air over the craft not related to lift > w/airspeed

•       Turns Increase the load factors on the aircraft.

•       Wake Turbulence

Aerodynamics/Performance

•      Stalls/Spins

–   Stall is when the Critical Angel of attack is exceeded.

–   When one wing stalls and the other maintains lift.  Caused by a stall during uncoordinated flight.

Aerodynamics/Performance

•      Critical Speeds

–    Vne = Never Exceed Speed

–    Vy = Best Rate of climb - Best climb over Time

–    Vx = Best Angle of climb - Best climb over Distance

–    Vstall = Speed at which the Critical Angle of Attach is exceeded

–    Va = Designed Maneuvering Speed

Aerodynamics/Performance

•      Density Altitude Effects

–   The altitude in standard air where the density is the same as that of the existing air.

–   3 Highs

•   Pressure

•   Moisture content

•   Temperature

–   Major changes in Altitude require the fuel mixture to be changed (Lean/Rich)

 

Aerodynamics/Performance

•      Carb Icing

–    The vaporization of fuel, combined with the decreasing air pressure as it flows through the carb, causes a sudden cooling of the mixture.

–    Days of high moisture and a temperature between 20 - 70 Deg F.

–    Commonly associated with reduction of power

–    Indications of Carb Icing is a loss of RPM

•    Roughness in engine operations

–   When conditions exist add power for short Burts during idle down.

Aerodynamics/Performance

•      Weight and Balance

–    It is important that the maximum allowable gross weight is not exceeded and the center of gravity is within the allowable limits.

–    Excessive weight reduces flight performance of the plane by:

Weather

•      Standard conditions

•      Fog and restrictions to visibility

•      Lapse rate

•      Dew point

•      Stability characteristics

•      Air masses and fronts

•      Pressure and air circulation

Weather

•      Wind Shear

•      Hazardous weather

Weather

•      Standard conditions

–    The Earth’s Atmospheres

•    Troposphere - From the surface up to 20K’ at the poles and 65K’ at the equator

•    Stratosphere - layer above Troposphere

•    Mesosphere is the next higher atmosphere

•    Thermosphere the outer atmosphere

–   Are Based upon Sea level at 59 Deg. F

Weather

•      Fog and restrictions to visibility

–   Fog is formed as the temperature and the Dew point converge.

Weather

•      Lapse rate

–   Temperature of the air in the troposphere decreases with altitude at a rate of :

•   Average = 2 deg C per 1,000 feet.

•   Dry = unsaturated air is 3 deg C per 1,000 feet.

•   Moist < dry dependent upon dew point

Weather

•      Dew point

–   The temperature to which the air must cool to become saturated by the water vapor that is already present in the air.

–   Dew point spread is reported by the temperature in deg before the dew point (66-62)

–   As the temperature and dew point converge, fog and rain are likely.

Weather

•      Stability characteristics

–    Clouds (High)

•    Cirrus

•    Cirrocumulus

•    Cirrostratus

–    Clouds (Middle)

•    Altocumulus

•    Altostratus

–    Clouds (Low)

•    Stratus

•    Stratocumulus

•    Cumulus

 

Weather

•      Air masses and fronts

–    Air masses - When a body of air comes to rest or moves slowly over an extensive area having uniform properties of temperature and moisture, the air takes on the same properties.

–    Fronts - As air masses move out of their source regions, they come in contact with other air masses with different characteristics.  The zone between two different air masses is a frontal zone or “front.”  Across this zone, temperature , humidity, and wind often change rapidly over short distances.

–    Types

•    Cold  Front is the leading edge of a cold air mass.

•    Warm Front is the leading edge of a mass of warm air.

Weather

•      Pressure 

–   High pressure pusses the air toward the lower pressure

–   The tighter the Isobars are on the weather map the stronger the wind moving parallel the isobars

•      Air circulation

–   High Pressure has a clock-wise rotation

–   Low Pressure has a counter clock-wise rotation

Weather

•      Wind Shear

–   Caused by two air masses moving past each other.  As the air masses rub together, a shear zone or turbulent mixing area is formed.

•   Sudden shifts in direction and strengths of winds make this EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

Weather

•      Hazardous weather

–   Thunderstorms - Towering Cumulus

•   Stages

–   Cumulus Stage (early)

–   Mature Stage (fully developed)

–   Dissipation Stage

Navigation and Cross Country Flight

•      Types of Navigation

•      Cross country flight planning

•      Airport operations

•      Communications

•      Wind Indicators

•      Charts and maps

•      Magnetic compass

 

Navigation and Cross Country Flight

•      Types of Navigation

–    Pilotage - Navigation by known landmarks and landmarks depicted on the sectional chart

–    Dead reckoning - based on computations involving course, wind direction and speed, airspeed, heading, ground speed, and time enroute.

–    VOR navigation - setting the COMNAV radio to track to or from a VOR site or group of sites (if equipped)

–    GPS - Following the route as depicted on the GPS to the waypoint identified.

–    Pilotage and Dead reckoning are a must for any pilot to know and practice

Navigation and Cross Country Flight

•      Cross country flight planning

–   PLANNING, PLANNING, PLANNING

–   Route

–   Weather Briefing 1-800-WX-BRIEF

–   Distance

–   Fuel required

–   Alternates

–   SAMPLE

Navigation and Cross Country Flight

•      Airport operations

–    When approaching an airport w/o an operating control tower look for the Segmented Circle to select the runway and determine the pattern direction.

–    Left hand pattern unless otherwise noted

–    U/L pattern should be 500 feet below and inside the standard pattern established for the airport.

–   U/Ls MUST YELD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY TO ALL AIRCRAFT (FAR 103.13)

Navigation and Cross Country Flight

•      Communications

–   It is not required for U/Ls to have Radios for communications, JUST recommended.

 

–   Emergency Freq. is 121.5

Navigation and Cross Country Flight

•      Wind Indicators

–   Windsock

–   Landing “T”

–   Tetrahedron

Navigation and Cross Country Flight

•      Charts and maps

–    You should have a Current sectional chart

–    Know how to read sectional chart

–    A wealth of information

•    Frequencies

•    Airports

•    Altitudes

•    Hazards

•    AND MUCH MORE

 

 

Navigation and Cross Country Flight

•      Magnetic compass

–   Magnetic Variation

–   Magnetic Deviation

 

Emergency procedures

•      Engine failures

•      System Failures

•      Communications

•      Light Signals

•      Lost Procedures

•      Equipment Malfunctions

 

Emergency procedures

•      Engine failures

–   FLY THE PLANE

–   Always remember you must give up altitude to maintain airspeed (get the nose down)

–   Always maintain a safe altitude to allow if the engine fails an emergency landing can be made w/o hazard to persons or property on the ground

Emergency procedures

•      System Failures

 

Emergency procedures

•      Communications

–   Radio on the airport Freq. if in the pattern or near airport that has someone monitoring the Freq.

–   Otherwise use Freq 121.5

–   Identify the problem and current location

 

Emergency procedures

•      Light Signals

Emergency procedures

•      Lost Procedures

–    To avoid getting lost “Plan Ahead” Always know where you are!

–    Maintain a constant heading

–    Don’t Panic!

–    Look for familiar landmarks

–    Check Sectional for ground references

–    If equipped with NAV/COM triangulate location or Fix on the airport VOR

–    Climb to a higher altitude for better coverage for ground references.

Emergency procedures

•      Equipment Malfunctions

–   if an engine overheats reduce power and increase the airspeed to assist in cooling

 

Written Examination Review

•      Ultralight Pilot Test

–   Trike

–   Fixed Wing

•      BFI Test

•      Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI)