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 Letâs imagine you find yourself on an airplane, in the sky, without a pilot. You are in a non-normal situation.
A useful guide to your initial actions if youâre in such a pickle is a simple mnemonic called ANC: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. Â
So, aviate. You need to keep the plane in the safe, stable flight you found it in.
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Use the control wheel and the horizon displayed on the attitude indicator to level the wings. If itâs gin-clear outside and the real horizon is obvious to you, feel free to use it.
Next, take a look at the altimeter and the vertical speed indicator. Pick an altitude as your targetâa simple number near your current altitude, like 10,000 or 15,000 feet. If youâre climbing away from your target, then very gently push the control column forwardâthat is, away from youâuntil youâve stopped climbing.Â
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If youâre descending, then pull the control column back, toward you, until youâre not descending anymore. Be gentle, as itâs easy to overcorrect.
Now, look at the airspeed indicator. Pick a target speed toward the higher end of the safe range. Itâs impossible to give numbers for every airplane, but try 100 knots in a small plane, 250 knots in a small airliner, and 280 knots in something like a 747. If your speed is higher than your target, pull the throttles or thrust levers back slightly to reduce power. If itâs lower, then add power.
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The goal is to reach an equilibrium in which your speed and altitude are safe and stable. Note the pitch attitude and power setting at which this occurs. The problem, as youâll soon realize, is that the inputs required to correct one aspect of your flight path will almost certainly upset another one.Â
The best way to catch any unintended changes early is to move your eyes between the primary instruments in a consistent pattern. This pattern is called the scan, and scanning is something you have to constantly do.
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Sometimes (Scan!) just (Scan!) maintaining (Scan!) level (Scan!) flight (Scan!) requires you to hold an awful lot of forward or backward force on the controls.
This brings up the important concept of trimming. Trimming, you might say, is a way of resetting the conditions under which the controls feel neutral. Or to put it another way, a perfectly trimmed plane would carry on doing what you want it to, even if you were to let go of the controls.
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Planes are typically trimmed by adjusting the positions of the panels and surfaces on the wings and tail that act on each of the three axesâroll, pitch, and yaw. Imagine an engine failure on a plane that has one engine under each wing. Youâd need a lot of rudder input to keep the plane flying straight ahead as Itâs tiring to hold that rudder position for a long timeâand if you trim correctly, you wonât have to.
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 In routine flight, pilots most often trim in pitch, especially after a change of speed. Look for a trim wheel, or trim switches on the control wheel. If you find you have to hold a forward force on the controls to maintain level flight, slowly roll the wheel or switch forward until that force is no longer necessary. If youâre constantly pulling back, then trim backward.Â
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Navigate a safe flight path (in relation to mountains, storms, air traffic zones, and other aircraft) and communicate with the folks who need to know what youâre doing, or who can help you to achieve a safe outcome.
For a trained pilot, navigation is a more immediate priority than communication (hence the order of the mnemonic, first A, then N, and last of all C). But for you the opposite is true, because unless you can see an airport right in front of you, youâre going to need outside help to remain clear of terrain and to find a runway.
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Radios work like a party line. Everyone tuned in to a given frequency can hear what anyone else says, but only one person can speak at a time. Itâs basically a giant conference call in the heavens, one that can be quite intimidating for new pilots.
To speak you need to press and hold a âTransmitâ button, then release it when youâve finished, just as you would on a walkie-talkie.
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Thereâs probably a button or switch on the control wheel, often on the back. If youâre sitting on the left side of the cockpit then itâs likely to be under your left index finger, a carefully chosen position that allows you to speak on the radio without removing your hand from the controls. Some switches rock up to transmit, and down to speak via the intercom that goes straight into the other pilotâs headset.Â
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You might also look for a âhand mic,â a microphone with a transmit button right on it. As you search for the transmit switch, keep in mind that on some control wheels and sidestick controllers thereâs an autopilot disconnect button, often red, where your thumb might land. You do not want to press that.
A pilot transmission often follows a standard four-part format: whom youâre addressing; who you are, expressed as a call sign, or identifier, thatâs absolutely unique to your aircraft or your flight; where you are; and what you want.Â
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Use your flight number or the aircraft registration (it will probably be on a placard in the cockpit).
Give your altitude and positionâas best you know itâand a concise summary of your situation. Then release the transmit button (important!) and listen for a reply.
If you donât hear one, transmit again. If you still donât hear a reply, itâs time to change frequency. Look for the radioâs control panel (below), which will have multiple digital displays of numbers in a certain formatâtypically three digits, a decimal point, and then a few more digits, such as 134.975.
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If no one has responded to your initial call, the frequency to enter now is 121.500 MHz, the universal emergency frequency.
Select this in the standby field, then swap the standby frequency into the active field by pressing the bidirectional arrow button. Change the frequency on all the panels you can find. Also, press every radio panel button with a â1â or âLâ on or near it, to make sure youâre transmitting via the correct radio, and not, for example, repeatedly making a PA (public address) to the cabin. Then transmit your call.Â
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Now that youâve established communications, itâs time to navigate. Ask the controller for a direction to fly in to keep you clear of terrain and perhaps also bad weatherâin some parts of the world the controllers can see weather systems on their screens. When the controller decides that you need to turn, he or she will give you a heading (known as a âvectorâ), measured in degrees, such as 090 degrees for east. Look down at the heading indicator and then gently turn the control wheel in the desired direction. You donât want to roll too steeply.Â
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As you roll, youâll need to pull back on the control column a little and probably add power too. Thatâs because some of the lift that was keeping you in level flight is now being deployed âsidewaysâ to turn you. If you donât create more lift, youâll start to descend. Pulling back creates that lift (and the more steeply you bank, the more you need to pull). But it also creates more drag, so youâll need more power to maintain your speed. And so it goes on. Thatâs why the scan is so important.
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Now you know how to keep the aircraft flyingâto aviate. The controller youâre in communication with is helping you to navigate. In fact, youâve earned a pause for another cup of tea (but actually, keep on scanning). Nor should you miss the chance to have a little fun (the technical aviation term for âfun,â by the way, is âfamiliarizing yourself with the feel of the airplaneâ). Try some gentle turns or climbs or, for extra points, combine them in a climbing turn. Enjoy!
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Up in the sky in the cockpit with no pilot.
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