The Angelina County Airport in Lufkin, TX (KLFK) will be hosting the Angelina County Airfest on Saturday, October 10th. The airport will open up at 9am.
Prepare for a day of food, fun, and some great performances. There will be warbirds and many other classic airplanes on display, not too mention a number of aerobatic performances as the day goes on.
To learn more about the Airfest, visit the Angelina County Airfest website. Tickets start at $10 for adults.
The Piper PA-46 series, which includes models like the piston engine Piper Malibu and Piper Mirage, and the turboprops Piper Meridian, M500, and M600, is a popular choice for private pilots and business aviation. Known for its impressive speed, range, and pressurization, the PA-46 is a very capable single pilot aircraft. However, like all high-performance aircraft, it presents its own set of challenges and risks, especially when pilot error or adverse conditions come into play.
The 2024 PMOPA (Piper M-Class Owner’s and Pilot’s Association) Convention was the first weekend in November and one of the sessions every year is the PA-46 Safety Review. Sadly, in 2024, the accidents involving various PA-46 models pointed out several areas related to decision making that all pilots need to put be aware of. These accidents highlight critical issues in weather awareness, pilot training, and decision-making, and they provide valuable lessons for other pilots in any type of aircraft.
Overview of the 2024 Piper PA-46 Accidents
The Piper PA-46 is generally regarded as a reliable and capable aircraft, but the safe outcome of a flight often times depends on the pilot’s decision making. There always can be mechanical malfunctions, but those still require good pilot decision making to be able to walk away from the accident.
In 2024, multiple accidents occurred involving different variants of the PA-46, with many of the accidents occurring during critical phases of flight like takeoff or landing. Some of the key factors contributing to these accidents included:
Three Key Lessons for Pilots
The Piper PA-46 accidents of 2024 serve as valuable reminders about the importance of pilot preparation, decision-making, and risk management. Here are three critical lessons pilots can take away from these accidents:
1. Prioritize Pre-Flight Weather Planning
Poor weather conditions were a significant factor in some of the crashes in 2024. Pilots of high-performance aircraft must place a strong emphasis on weather pre-flight planning, especially when flying into regions prone to rapidly changing weather or severe conditions and across frontal systems. Pilots should:
2. Master Emergency Procedures
Pilots of all aircraft, not just PA-46 models, need to practice engine-out procedures multiple times a year with an instructor, not just at recurrent training. The goal is to make emergency procedures second nature which creates the right mindset to handle the emergency, creating a much better outcome. Training should focus on:
3. Always Plan for an Emergency Landing
It is very important to know your options in the event of an emergency. When flying over mountainous or remote areas, pilots should always have a contingency plan for where to land if something goes wrong. An emergency engine out brief should be a part of every pre-takeoff briefing to put the pilot in the right mindset. Pilots should:
Conclusion
The Piper PA-46 series, while a capable and reliable aircraft, demands a high level of skill and preparation from its pilots. The accidents in 2024 serve as a sobering reminder of the critical importance of weather awareness, emergency training, and proper flight planning. By learning from these accidents, pilots can make better decisions, have the right mindset, and reduce the risk of similar accidents in the future.
By prioritizing weather awareness, mastering emergency procedures, and always having a contingency plan for forced landings, pilots of the Piper PA-46 can improve their ability to handle the challenges posed by these high-performance aircraft. These lessons are not just for PA-46 pilots, but for all pilots striving to fly safely and confidently.
My first chief flight instructor had an addage he would impart to his flight instructors when we began working at that flight school. “Pitch + Power = Performance” he would tell us. Then he’d glare at us and follow up with, “nobody teaches that right, so make sure your students know it.”
Now, having been a CFI for seven years, I would tend to agree with him. I have moved on from doing mostly primary training to transition training. Transition training is taking someone who is already a pilot and teaching them how to fly a different type of airplane. In jets, you get a type rating. In piston engine airplanes, there is no FAA requirement to go through any type of extra training as long as you are rated in category and class (eg. single engine piston). But, insurance companies know that Mr. Fresh Private Pilot can’t just hop from a Cessna 172 into a Cirrus SR22 or a Bonanza, so they require transition training before insuring those pilots.
What did my chief instructor mean when he imparted his wisdom? He was speaking about a particular phase of flight, the final approach phase, regardless of whether it’s a VFR approach or an IFR approach. The pitch of the airplane and the power setting of the airplane have to be utilized together to achieve the proper speed and descent rate (performance).
On the final approach leg of a VFR pattern, most piston engine aircraft are configured with landing gear down and flaps down in the landing position. This puts the airplane on the back side of the power curve in the region of reverse command. In the region of positive command, in cruise, for example, the more power you add, the faster you are going to go and, if you pitch up, you will go up and you pitch down, you will go down. But, they work together (if you point the nose down, you will accelerate unless you reduce the power); remember, Pitch + Power = Performance.
In the region of reverse command, the pitch controls the airspeed and the power controls your rate of descent, but, again, they work together. Let’s say the airplane is 5 knots above it’s approach speed on final. Initially, the pilot will need to pitch up slightly to bleed off that airspeed. The airplane will want to climb, so as he is pitching up, he’ll need to make a slight power reduction to stay on glide slope.
Alternatively, let’s say the airplane is high, but is on speed. The pilot will make a power reduction to descend to the glide path, but he’ll also need to pitch down to maintain the proper airspeed.
What you don’t want to do is this: if the airplane is high on final, don’t push the nose down to try and get down. This does cause the airplane to lose altitude quickly, but the airspeed increases quickly. With a higher airspeed, the airplane has a lot more energy to dissipate when it gets to the runway, meaning you’ll float longer which can lead to forcing the airplane down or using up too much runway and not being able to get the airplane stopped in time.
On an instrument approach, you are on the front side of the power curve. When trying to stay on glide slope, the power is controlling the speed of the airplane and the pitch is keeping the airplane on glide slope. This can be a little bit confusing for VFR pilots transitioning to instrument approaches as they are not used to being on the front side of the power curve.
Keeping in mind that Pitch + Power = Performance, let’s put the airplane above the glide slope on an ILS approach. In order to get down to the glide slope, the pitch needs to be lowered as much as needed (it’s always better to pick a pitch attitude to fly and see if it is working to bring the glide slope back to center. If it doesn’t work, pick a new one. Don’t just push the nose down until the glide slope moves) and the power needs to be reduced to maintain airspeed (again, pick a specific power setting). Once the glide slope centers, then the pitch will be raised slightly and the power will need to be increased to hold glide slope and speed respectively.
The Garmin Perspective and Perspective + are awesome pieces of equipment. There is so much a pilot can do with this system that it can sometimes get overwhelming. There are two very important features of the Garmin Perspective that all IFR pilots need to know, but are tricky to do if the correct buttons aren’t pushed.
The two features of the Garmin Perspective I want to focus on today are the “Load Airway” feature and the “Hold at Waypoint” feature. The “Load Airway” feature is especially handy when flying IFR long distances with several airways as part of the clearance. Here’s how to utilize both on the Garmin Perspective.
Load Airway
Hold At Waypoint
The Garmin Perspective allows pilots to place a holding pattern at any waypoint that is in the Nav Database (or any user created waypoint). Here’s how to do it.
I am on a mission in flying for my head to be as comfortable as possible. I’m currently going through the process of experimenting with different ANR headsets to see which ones squeeze my head the least (which I’ll be writing a future article about). In the meantime, I decided to focus on sunglasses.
I wear glasses (can’t do contacts anymore since they irritate my eyes), so anytime I have a headset on, I have frames running underneath my ear cups. I had a pair of prescription sunglasses for years that were okay, but still caused soreness above my ears after more than 3 hours of flying. I routinely fly 4-5 hours a day in training folks, so I had to find a better solution.
I saw an ad in Flying Magazine one month for Flying Eyes sunglasses. It was a relatively new company with a cool concept. A pilot started the company with the goal to create as thin a pair of sunglasses frames as possible to increase the comfort and decrease the ANR loss when wearing sunglasses. What the company came up with is pretty cool.
The ultra-thin frames on the all the different Flying Eyes models are made out of Resilamide. The material is so strong that the frames can be bent back and forth while not breaking. The company even brags that the frames are virtually unbreakable. I had to try these out.
I ordered a pair of the Golden Eagle Sport sunglasses. The process of getting prescription lenses in them was no big deal and took about a week. The eyeglasses shop initially thought the shape of the lens could be an issue, but it proved no problem at all. The lens manufacturer even managed to chip the frames, but Flying Eyes sent a new set of frames for free, even though it was not at all their fault.
In about a month and a half of flying with them, they are very comfortable. Some squeeze on the side of my head after extended periods of wear underneath a headset, but I’m exploring headset options currently (see above). Much improved over my last set of sunglasses.
Flying Eyes offers several different frame models, some of which are prescription compatible and some which aren’t. The Golden Eagle Sport frames run about $180. Orders can be placed on the Flying Eyes website.
Ordering new sunglasses from Flying Eyes? Use this link to receive 10% off your order.
Randy Vanstory, a long-time customer of Texas Top Aviation, decided in early 2017 to build his own airplane. Randy currently owns a Mooney M20J and has been active in aviation for a number of years. He took on the Vans RV 10, starting in February 2017. He’s about halfway through right now, with an estimated completion of mid-2020.
I asked Randy what gave him the desire to build his own plane. “I love building things, learning new things, and working on things” he said. “This satisfies those desires all in one project.” Randy had a desire to work with his hands, to create something of his own, and building an airplane put several of his passions together in one project.
Lots of pilots out there dream of building their own airplane in their garage. There is a certain cool factor to putting together an RV or a Lancair in a garage, then trucking it out to an airport, attaching the wings, then flying a personal creation for the first time. An airplane unique to you, since there isn’t one quite like it any where else.
That’s the beauty of a homebuilt.
Here is a link to Randy’s build video done by Kobalt Tools.
Courtesy AOPA.org
We spend time training for them, but real-world emergencies are rare enough that it’s easy to get complacent. They don’t always happen to “other pilots,” though, and preparation can make a big difference when things don’t go as planned:
• What if you lose 500 rpm during takeoff, but the engine is running smoothly?
• What if the ammeter drops to zero during a flight in IMC?
• What if your left aileron develops a strong vibration in flight?
Our new seminar is full of expert tips on handling those “up here, but wishing you were down there” scenarios. We focus on how to keep abnormal situations from becoming full-blown emergencies, offer advice on keeping critical problems under control, and give our best advice on off-airport landings.
Find an AOPA Emergency Seminar near you!
