Cirrus Pilot Proficiency Program (CPPP)-Conroe, KCXO

2024 Texas Top Aviation Shangri-La Fly In

ByHank Gibson January 15, 2024May 7, 2024

It’s that time of year again! Yes, it’s the New Year, but it’s also time to register for the 2024 Texas Top Aviation Fly In. The Aviator’s Academy’s sister company, Texas Top Aviation, is hosting it’s 4th annual fly in event on March 19th-22nd, 2024 at the Shangri-La Resort in Grand Lake, OK.

For those not familiar with the annual Texas Top Aviation Fly In, we’ve been hosting this event since 2019 and it is always well attended and fills up fast. Geared around aviation education, golf, community, and a whole lot of fun, the fly in is always very popular.

This year, we are adding a Par 3 Shootout for early arrivals on Tuesday, March 19th at the Shangri-La’s Battlefield Par 3 Course. The 4th Annual 2 Round Golf Tournament begins on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 20th and finishes up on the afternoon of Thursday, March 21st.

The biggest hit of the week is always the safety seminars on Thursday morning. This year, Texas Top Aviation has secured the talents of Paul New, expert Cirrus, Columbia, and Cessna mechanic, and owner of Tennessee Aircraft services. If you listen to Mike Busch’s podcast, Paul is a regular. Scott Williams, owner of The General Aviation Law Firm, will be presenting on LLC’s and Illegal Charters, while Hank Gibson, owner of Texas Top Aviation and The Aviator’s Academy, will present a study on several different accidents and what can be learned from other’s mistakes.

It’s guaranteed to be a fun week. The Grove Regional Airport in Grove, OK will be our host airport (KGMJ) this year. Sign up soon as space is limited. Registration is only open till February 23rd, 2024. For more information and to register, simply Click Here. We hope to see you there!

A Proper Cross Country Flight Checklist (Part 1)

ByAndrew Robinson February 8, 2016February 11, 2016

I love cross country flights. Airplanes are designed to travel.  When I was instructing private students, my favorite lessons were always the first cross country flights. I looked forward to getting my students out of the pattern, away from the practice area, and showing them what they could really look forward to as a private pilot.

When I was in college, my friend and I borrowed his dad’s Cessna 150, did a cross country flight in it from Indianapolis to Kitty Hawk, then down the coast to Florida. We camped in the grass next to the airplane wherever the airport managers would let us and had our own aviation adventure complete with mechanical problems, unexpected weather, and interesting people along the way. These types of trips have produced some of the best memories and experiences that I’ve acquired during my aviation career so far.

Unfortunately, I know many people whose only cross country flight experience is what was necessary to satisfy their Private and Instrument training requirements. Some of them are nervous about the idea of venturing away from the familiarity of their home airport, while others are relatively new pilots who simply don’t know where to start planning a long cross country flight.

I’ve taken some notes on my preparations for an upcoming cross country flight that I’ll be flying in my dad’s Bonanza. I’m hoping this checklist might help others feel a little more confident that they have everything they need to get going.

Oil

Its always a good idea to bring a few extra quarts of oil. If you stop somewhere and find you need some, its nice to have the right kind on hand. Never assume that the airport you’ll be landing at next will have oil available.

Fuel Stops

I’ve learned the hard way that calling ahead to verify fuel availability can be extremely important. I landed at an airport in Ohio one beautiful Sunday morning to find that the FBO wouldn’t be open until much later in the day. Naturally, there was no other fuel available on the field. I hadn’t called ahead to verify the hours of fuel availability (I assumed they had Self Serve) and had only 2 options: wait a while for the FBO to open, or try and find somewhere else nearby that had gas. As far as price, www.100LL.com is a valuable tool for finding cheap fuel. Foreflight also has posted prices for 100LL and Jet A, but it’s still a good idea to call ahead and verify price and availability.

Batteries for electronics

It’s miserable to run out of batteries for a noise canceling headset with hours remaining in your flight. Bring spares, not only for your headset, but for your flashlight and other gadgets as well. Make sure your hand held GPS, iPad, and Stratus are charged (if you have them). I like to carry a charge cable and adapter as a backup so that I can plug things into the cigarette lighter.

Jumper Cables

We always carry the ground power cable in the back of the Bonanza just in case we ever need a jump. Last month, when I was flying down to Texas, I was glad I had them; we had a dead battery after our fuel stop and had to borrow some power from an FBO worker’s pick up truck. Don’t assume that wherever you are stopping will have the correct cable to jump your airplane, especially if it requires a specific plug.

Parking Fees

Every airport is different. I like to call ahead and find out how much the FBO is going to make me pay in landing/overnight fees. When I flew up to Buffalo last summer, I paid 25 dollars for parking at Niagara International (IAG). Had I parked at Buffalo (BUF), they would have charged me over $200.

Approach plates and charts

Make sure you have current approach plates and charts either physically available or downloaded before you blast off. Having a copy of an AFD is a good idea as well, be it digital or paper.

Rental cars

If you arrange it beforehand, many FBO’s will have the car ready for you upon arrival. You may also be able to drop the car off at the FBO when are finished, instead of taking it back to the rental agency. It sure is nice to have the car pulled up next to the airplane when it’s time to unload.

Hotels

Bigger FBO’s may have discounted rates with local hotels. If you call the desk and explain your needs they may offer to book it for you, or at least point you in the right direction. It may be worth picking an airport with more expensive fuel if it puts you closer to the hotels or restaurants you want to go to.

Come back next month for Part 2!

Andrew Robinson is a 135 Charter Pilot and flight instructor who lives with his wife and 2 daughters in Pennsylvania.  He flies Pilatus PC-12s and instructs in Beechcraft Bonanzas.

Landing Light Replacement

ByAndrew Robinson November 2, 2015November 5, 2015

One evening this summer, my wife and I were flying down the southern shore of Long Island in my father’s E33 Bonanza. We enjoyed the sunset as we flew westbound and our plan was to fly the New York Hudson corridor, where we would arrive just after dark. As we approached New York’s airspace, two voices in my head started having a debate.

The first voice said: “You should turn on your landing light when you get to New York to make the airplane more visible.”

The other voice said: “That’s true, but I bet you’ll burn the landing light out”

Well, as it turned out, both voices were right. My landing light fired right up when I needed it to fly the Hudson, but when it came time to land back home I had no such luck. Unfortunately, this was not the first time that I had been given the chance to practice my blackout landings. This Bonanza model has only one landing/ taxi light which is mounted in the lower cowling behind the propeller. This location is less than ideal because the filament in the bulb is fragile and can be damaged by engine vibration.

We landed uneventfully and after putting the airplane away, I decided it was time to look into upgrading the lighting to something a little more modern. I was unsure of my options, but seeing as the airplane needed a replacement bulb regardless, it seemed like a good opportunity to make a change.

After doing a little reading, I learned that HID or LED landing lights would be the best solution to my problem. I was familiar with LED aircraft lights, but had never heard of HID before.

Here is what I learned:

HID Landing Lights

HID, or High Intensity Discharge landing lights, create light by arcing electricity through a sealed gas capsule. They are brighter than LED and traditional incandescent, and the light created more closely resembles the look and feel of sunlight. HID installations require a ballast to carefully regulate the flow of electricity to the gas capsule and also require a “warm up” period after being turned on in order to reach their full brightness.

Fitting an aircraft with HID landing lights tends to be more expensive and time consuming than installing an LED light and would likely require involvement by an A&P/ IA. However, if you want the brightest light available, HID is probably the best bet.

Pros

• Brighter, more natural looking light
• Draws less power than standard bulbs
• Long bulb life
• Does not generate much heat

Cons

• More expensive than other lighting options
• Lights must “warm up” after being turned on
• Cannot be pulsed easily
• Cost/complexity of installations

LED Landing Lights

LED, or Light Emitting Diode landing lights, have no filament and work by moving electricity through diodes which are connected into a circuit. These lights have become very popular for many uses due to their simplicity, low cost, and brightness.

While not as bright as HID light, the LED lights require no “warm up period” and can be easily pulsed. LED lights draw much less power from the aircraft’s electrical system than traditional bulbs and boast incredible life length. LED bulb installation is very simple and can often serve as a direct replacement for the original lights.

Pros

• Instant light (no warm up)
• Incredible life length (>5,000 hours)
• Low Cost
• Simplicity of installation
• Can be pulsed easily
• Low power draw

Cons

• Not as bright as HID lighting

After weighing the options, I decided to replace the incandescent bulb in the Bonanza with an LED bulb. I read the reviews online and talked to some of my friends who work in aviation and eventually decided on the Lycoming Alphabeam. The Alphabeam is FAA/PMA approved and is available through Aircraft Spruce and other aviation parts vendors. The bulb cost around 250-300 dollars and I was able to install it as a direct replacement for our old light. All I had to do was take the old one out, put the new one in, and make a logbook entry.

Below are some pictures of the installation:

Last weekend I finally had an opportunity to take the airplane out after dark and see how the new light compared to the old one. I am pleased to say that it did a wonderful job and exceeded my expectations.

If you are interested in seeing a side by side comparison of the different lighting options, a quick Google search should provide what you are looking for. In my own experience, I would say that the LED light was brighter than the old light and did a very good job illuminating the taxiway and runway. It was extremely nice not to be concerned that my light wouldn’t work as I was setting up for landing at an unfamiliar field after dark. I also enjoyed feeling that I had the option to leave it on during climb and cruise in order to increase my visibility to other aircraft.

Many models of aircraft have multiple landing/ taxi lights installed which greatly reduces the likelihood of having to land without one. In our case, spending the extra money to upgrade to the LED bulb made sense because of the desire for increased reliability. If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive way to upgrade your airplane, LED or HID lighting may be something to consider.

Andrew Robinson is a 135 Charter Pilot and flight instructor who lives with his wife and 2 daughters in Pennsylvania.  He flies Pilatus PC-12s and instructs in Beechcraft Bonanzas.

Cirrus CAPS Saves Lives Again

ByHank Gibson September 9, 2015

In July, a Cirrus SR22 suffered an engine failure in Houston after departing KIAH.  The CAPS system was deployed and the airplane came to rest in a neighborhood on the north side of Houston.  This makes CAPS save number 53 for Cirrus and no fatalities.  The initial NTSB report is below.

14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, July 07, 2015 in Houston, TX
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22, registration: N422PB
Injuries: 2 Minor.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On July 7, 2015, about 1137 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR-22 single-engine airplane, N422PB, descended under the canopy of the cirrus airframe parachute system (CAPS) and landed in a residential neighborhood at Houston, Texas. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by AIRCCS, LLC; Humble, Texas, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. Day visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed. The airplane departed George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (IAH), Houston, Texas, at 1133 and was destined for Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin, Texas.

The pilot reported that during initial climb, he noticed the engine temperatures began increasing and he reduced power in an attempt to lower the engine temperatures. When the airplane was about 900 feet above ground level (agl) the engine began detonating, and soon after there was a complete loss of engine power. With no suitable forced landing areas the pilot deployed the CAPS ballistic parachute system and the airplane impacted terrain and came to rest upright next to a residence.

An initial on-scene wreckage examination showed there was adequate fuel on-board. At the facility where the airplane had most recently been refueled, refueling unit records and a review of security camera video showed that the airplane had been refueled with aviation gasoline and not with jet fuel. Postaccident fuel quality checks of that fuel facility were satisfactory.

The wreckage was moved to a different location and will be further examined. Several avionics components containing non-volatile memory (NVM), including engine performance data, will then be removed from the wreckage for examination and an extraction of useful data is expected.

At 1053 the Automated Surface Observation System at IAH reported wind from 160 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 20 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet agl, broken clouds at 25,000 feet agl, temperature 31 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 24 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.03 inches of Mercury.

Beechcraft Flap Issues

ByAndrew Robinson September 8, 2015

There has always been something that felt wrong to me about how the walkway on many models of Beechcraft extends onto the right hand flap. I have never felt right about stepping onto the flap as I make my way into and out of my dad’s E33A Bonanza and therefore I generally try to step over top of it and place my foot on the wing instead. But does this effort actually make any difference, or am I just making my self look silly for no reason?

Well, as it turns out, it wasn’t such a bad idea. In 2007, a pilot flying a Beech reported a split flap condition. Upon inspection, it was found that there was damage to the actuation rod attachment as well as the nose rib and nut plates. Six other aircraft were checked and found to have similar damage. These findings were submitted to Hawker Beechcraft and in 2008 and they issued a maintenance alert regarding the issue. In 2011 the FAA issued SAIB CE-11-21 (Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin) to alert owners, operators, and maintenance personnel about the problem; specifically warning of the potential for cracking in the nose flap rib (part number 35-165050-84). And while its true that this type of damage is not limited to the right hand flap, it is known to be much more common on that side. Stepping over the flap instead of on it is recommended by both the FAA and Beechcraft as a solution.

Unfortunately, the flap cracking is known to span a wide variety of aircraft types. A 2011 “Safety Communique” issued by Hawker Beechcraft lists the affected models as:

-Bonanza 33, 35, and 36
-Baron 55, 56, 58, and 95
-Duke 60

According the the FAA, the cracking can been found most commonly on airframes which are between 4,000 and 6,500 hours, but has also been found on aircraft with as few as 2,000.

So, what do we do about it?

First off, although much of the damage is difficult to detect without dis-assembly, the paperwork from both the FAA and Beechcraft recommend taking a look at the flap yourself to see if there are any obvious signs of problems. They also suggest taking special care looking in this area during your preflight inspections.

Next, if you have an airplane which may be susceptible to cracking, talk to who ever is doing your maintenance work and have them look carefully during your annual inspections. I talked to one of the IA’s at our shop who has dealt with this issue before and he told me that most shops will remove the flap and send it away to a repair station to have it fixed. It’s possible that if you purchased your airplane used it may have already had this issue taken care of; a quick look through the maintenance logbooks should clear up any questions.

Regardless of whether your airplane is known to suffer from this problem or not, do your best to avoid stepping on the flap when getting in and out of the cockpit. It is also a good idea to ask your passengers to do the same as this simple act could end up saving you big headaches and big money someday down the road.

For more information regarding the flap issues discussed above, talk to your maintenance provider and visit these links:

ABS Flight Controls, Flaps, and Trim System Inspection, Repair and Rigging Guide (See Page 17)

ABS Information on SAIB CE-11-21

Andrew Robinson is a 135 Charter Pilot and flight instructor in Pennsylvania.  He flies Pilatus PC-12s and instructs in Beechcraft Bonanzas.