Pre Season RefresherContents
• Flying after a long break• Flying in Spring weather• Pre flight decision making• Avoiding problems during the flight
Midweek Seminars
Pre Season RefresherFlying after a long break
• Flying can be more stressful after even a short break
• Comfort zone will have contracted• Take more time pre-flight by
• IMSAFE• Licence validity• Chart validity – study new chart for changes• More thought to route, RT, procedures at
destination• The more you prepare on the ground, the less
work in the cockpit
Midweek Seminars
Pre Season RefresherIMSAFE
I Illness – Am I fitM Medication – am I on medsS Stress – am I calmA Alcohol 12 hours bottle to throttleF Fatigue, am I alert and restedE Eating – am I fed
Midweek Seminars
Pre Season RefresherLicence
Check your licence.Is your JAR licence validIs your class rating validIs your medical valid
Midweek Seminars
Pre Season RefresherNew Chart
New S England chart edition 41 is out. Changes include• London CTR now Class D and TMZ, can get CAS
transit• Southend has Class D CAS. Again you can get
transit• Marked masts just north of Petersfield. • Thorney Island appears to have lost its paragliding
siteScan the legend once a year to remind yourself what things are.
Midweek Seminars
Pre Season RefresherChart refresher
Midweek Seminars
Pre Season Refresher
Midweek Seminars
Pre Season RefresherPlanning
Study your planned route more thoroughly• Look for new airspace/obstacles• Look for en route frequencies• Plan highest and lowest altitude• Think more about departure and arrival procedures• Plan B!
Midweek Seminars
Pre Season RefresherWeather
Flying in Spring. Expect• Icing level much lower. In moist dry air you can
pick up frost• In cloud you can pick up rime ice• In rain you can pick up clear ice• Look our for radiation fog. If foggy before sunrise
on clear day, chances are it will be foggy as sun descends.
• Avoid thunderstorms. Fly upwind (opposite to anvil)
• Do not fly anywhere near a line of thunderstorms.• Review TAF and METAR decodes on Met Office
site. • If IMC or IR, look for cloud tops to climb above
cloud. Watch out for CAS. Don’t go VFR on top unless planned.
Midweek Seminars
Pre Season RefresherAircraft
Is your aircraft legal paper wise?Since it last flew is the ARC still valid?The 50 hour check also has a six month limitIs the insurance valid
CheckoutPay fuller attention to the checklist after a breakLook more carefully for• Oil/brake fluid leaks• Seized control surfaces• Water in the fuel• Foreign objects where they shouldn’t be
Midweek Seminars
Pre Season RefresherThe flight
Review the departure plates after a break. If the tower says “taxi via taxiway foxtrot to holding point echo to avoid the HTA” what would it mean and where would you go?Fly the route as plannedKnow what to expect from the destination tower by phoning ahead for a brief.Anything else?
Midweek Seminars
Pre Season Refresher
Midweek Seminars