Discuss Items:

Safe-for-solo off-wing check flight. The guiding factor in evaluation of this flight shall be safety. While the flight demands a reasonable degree of proficiency in all areas, the overriding concern shall be the student’s conduct of the flight with regard to course rules, his ability to maintain a proper lookout doctrine, and the safe maneuvering of the aircraft in the landing pattern and during simulated emergencies.

ANY PREVIOUSLY INTRODUCED OR DISCUSSED ITEM IS GAME.

Unauthorized solo maneuvers - Solos may not practice spins, stalls, simulated engine failures, PPEL’s, or any maneuver which has not been previously introduced. Solo launch time is no earlier than sunrise with RDO on station. Solo recovery is no later than 30 minutes prior to official sunset. The solo hop is complete only if you log a minimum of five landings.

Prohibited Maneuvers (at any time):

1. Night formation flights
2. Inverted flight above 220 KIAS
3. Intentional spins with flaps and/or gear
4. Intentional inverted spins
5. Intentional spins with the prop feathered
6. Inverted stall maneuvers

Lost aircraft procedures

If you get lost, admit it and try to communicate using all available channels and NAVAIDS. Be prepared to give a long count (i.e., 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1) or short count (i.e., 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1) in the event of a lost plane search. Land as a suitable airfield before you run out of gas. The best policy is to remain oriented and don’t get lost. If you actually get lost, it will be necessary for you to use your own initiative and good judgment. Since every situation will be different, it is impossible to establish criterion which will apply to every set of circumstances. However, the following 5 C’s will generally apply to every case:

1. CONFESS. Admit that you are lost and need some form of assistance.
2. CLIMB. Ceiling and visibility permitting, climb to improve radio reception and forward visibility.
   
   If approach control replies, they will ask you to squawk a certain code on your transponder. They may also ask you to provide other information in order to give you a vector (heading) to homefield. If it appears that clouds will be on your vectored flight path, advise Approach and circle VFR if necessary.
   
3. COMMUNICATE. Request assistance on the area working frequency from an instructor pilot or advice form your FDO/ODO. If unable, try calling Approach Control frequency with a PAN report and request vectors to homefield. If unable to receive any reply, switch radio and try again on GUARD frequency.
4. CONSERVE. Operate the aircraft (when straight and level) at maximum endurance power setting (420 ft-lbs).
5. COMPLY - With instructions received from another dual aircraft Approach or your base. Many prominent landmarks are available in and around your working areas to give clues as to your general whereabouts.

If you find yourself lost, the important think to remember is to not fly around aimlessly. Be calm and develop a plan using your good judgment and established procedures. If you still cannot identify your position after having gone through the 5 C’s, look for any established landing field. Before landing at a strange field, circle it at a safe altitude to locate all obstacles and hazards. Determine the wind direction and duty runway and try to get a rough estimation of runway length and width. If there is a tower at the field, try to contact Approach or tower on GUARD prior to landing. Once you are ready to land make a normal traffic pattern. Remember that the field elevation may be considerably different from that of your homefield. Use the best estimation and adjust accordingly. Once on deck, notify your base of the situation.

During foul weather, maintain a visual reference to the ground. DO NOT FLY ABOVE AN OVERCAST. If you happen to blunder above a cloud layer, try to find a hole in the clouds and let down VFR. If letdown is impossible and no other instructions have been received (5 C’s) BAILOUT is imminent. Do not wait until fuel exhaustion, but do not be in a hurry to “throw in the towel” either. Be calm and exercise good headwork.

Unintentional instrument flight

Instrument conditions are to be avoided at all times during FAMs. If actual instrument flight is encountered, immediately level you wings on the attitude gyro and time for 30 seconds. If not VFR at the end of 30 seconds, attempt to regain visual flight conditions by making a shallow turn (15° AOB) for 180° to return to the airspace previously in.

Any time the horizon is not distinguishable, in accordance with OPNAVINST 3710.7, you are in IMC. Additionally, if the existing weather conditions are less than that specified for VMC you are also in IMC. As a result, if for some reason you find yourself in the above situation “unintentionally” you must request an IFR clearance so that you’ll be under positive control. If you don’t, you’ll increase the probability of a midair collision which makes for a very bad day. IFR shall be conducted to the maximum extent possible.

Emergency Orbit Pattern:

This pattern will be used for landing gear emergencies requiring visual inspection or special assistance. It is also used for aircraft unable to maintain 170 kts in the entry channel (on course rules).

This racetrack pattern is oriented over the duty runway. Pattern altitude is 2000’ MSL weather permitting. Turns in the pattern will conform with break direction for the various runways.

1. Contact Approach Control for a random pickup/vector.
2. When directed by Approach, switch to Tower frequency for entry into the pattern. Comply with Tower instructions.
3. Maintain an altitude of 2000’ MSL while established in the racetrack pattern.
4. Once established, coordinate frequency change with Tower to contact appropriate RDO. The squadron RDO shall contact ODO with any information or assistance needed (e.g., another aircraft to join up with the emergency aircraft, a dual aircraft to join with a solo aircraft). Airborne gear inspections will not be performed by another aircraft below 2000’ AGL.
5. The pilot-in-command of the emergency aircraft shall keep the tower advised of all follow-on intentions and coordinate frequency changes through the tower. The squadron RDO and ODO shall keep each other and all parties concerned ( Operations Officer; Safety Officer) informed of the status of the emergency.

Discontinued Entry:

Lost communication procedures

ICS failure procedures

1. Cords, switches, and connections for proper position and condition.
2. Volume knob on the audio panel. Ensure it is full vol.
3. Hot mike (HM) communications attempts.
4. Shout or pass notes.
5. If front pilot wants to transfer the controls aft, he will
   Pat his helmet and then point to the aft pilot. The pilot taking control will:
   Shake the stick to signify assuming control. The front pilot will
   Lift his hands above his shoulders to confirm.
6. If rear pilot wants to transfer the controls aft, he will:
   Shake the stick to signify assuming control. The front pilot will
   Lift his hands above his shoulders to confirm he has given controls.
   Rear pilot will shake again.
7. Mirrors if necessary.

Radio failure procedures

1. Squawk 7600
2. PRC-90 Attempt communications.
3. ATIS on VOR 114.00
   OR
   Fly over NAS Corpus at 3,500' to determine duty runway - by looking for aircraft in the pattern or in the in the ground runup, or wind direction of windsock.
4. Radio calls in the blind
5. Rock wings when inbound for the break.
6. On Short final: look for ALDIS lamp signals. If none, WAVEOFF, if no ALDIS lamp signals on second pass,
   Land if the runway is clear.

ALDIS LAMP SIGNALS
Acknowledge during the day by moving your rudder and/or aileron on the ground and by rocking your wings inflight. At night, flash aircraft lights.

NACWS operation

The system uses the transponder replies of other aircraft to compute the responding aircraft’s range, bearing, altitude, and closure rate. The aircraft must have a transponder to be seen.

NACWS can track up to 50 transponder-equipped aircraft out to a maximum distance of 20nm.

The system can operate in either a passive or active mode. The passive mode is the primary mode of operation. Here it monitors radars as well as other aircraft transponders out to 20nm. In the active mode, no ground-based radar interrogations, NACWS transmits and receives it’s own interrogations out to 6nm.

There are two modes from within the system known as “enroute” and “landing”. The enroute mode’s proximity zone extends out 20nm from your aircraft and +/- 2700 ft. The protection zone within the proximity zone extends 1nm and +/- 500 ft. If NACWS detects an aircraft within 20 seconds of penetrating this protection zone, it’ll sound an alarm of 6 tones in 2 seconds in your headset. On the other hand, in the landing mode, the proximity zone extends 1.5nm and +/- 500 ft. The protection zone here is 0.1nm and +/- 500 ft. If NACWS detects an aircraft within 10 seconds of the protection zone, it’ll sounds an alarm of 12 tones in 2 seconds in you headset.

There are three screens that appear in NACWS under normal operating conditions. The “DME” screen is the primary screen. It is shown when there are no traffic advisories (TA) and provides the following information: current heading, DME distance, date/time, range selected (20, 10, 5, 3, 1.5 nm), the current operating mode (enroute/landing), and lat/long as obtained from GPS.

Since NACWS operates both in active and passive simultaneously, the only time you’ll see the “active” screen is when the passive capability becomes inoperable. Essentially what you’ll see is a prioritized listing of up to eight TA’s with the highest listed first. By pressing the RNG button you can toggle between enroute and landing mode. Keep in mind, the active screen does not offer any relative bearing information!

The last screen is the “proximity” screen. This screen provides the most data. By pressing the PROX button it’ll display for 45 seconds. If a TA exists the symbol will flash. Study the symbols in your NATOPS so you know what you are looking at (page 19-7)

• NACWS knows when it is near the ground and thus disables at 330 feet.
• NACWS receives it’s input from the encoding altimeter and directional gyro.
• The heading displayed must be within +/- 5 degrees and the time within +/- 15 minutes of GMT.
• Once the PROX button is depressed, the proximity display will show for 45 seconds, then back to the DME screen.

New Maneuvers for this event:

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