IFlyHooks

Returned from Bahamas. It’s not difficult to fly internationally via general aviation. It’s a great adventure. VRBO homes are reasonably priced and you snorkel in front of your house! We like Eleuthera and fly into MYEM.

Salt water reflection over Brigham Utah in a TBM900 this week. I posted previously about coupled go-arounds. I think that coupled go-arounds are only available if your autopilot has ESP (envelope protection) seems obvious to me now (mentioned by a commenter) that that might be the common denominator. Without it, a coupled go-around by a pilot who doesn’t pour the 850HP to it …TBM could bite quick w/o ESP. This TBM doesn’t have ESP/coupled GA’s and all 4 pilots I’m training absolutely improved their go arounds… these are highly competent and high time pilots. On your flight review, IPC, or just general training…spend some time on this….slow, low, configured, GA’s. Feel free to comment/correct…I’m trying to unpack this topic.

I find that all of us have some confusion on what happens when we push the Go-Around button...almost no one can answer with certainty. This isn't good. The source of the confusion is 1) we don't do it/have never done it. 2) different a/p's react differently. From the TBM850 G1000 manual below "... the A/P disconnects" and from the GTN500 AP manual "The A/P engages"... both are the modern Garmin Autopilot versions.

The Go Around/TOGA button should be used in a go-around and you should use the autopilot during this event but you must know how it will react (both physically - power req and technically - the automation sequence). So I took the GTN500 172M and a TBM910 and did it in both.

Both of those...the A/P remained on and both went to wings level/constant pitch up mode... Note, no more navigation.. it just climbs wings level pitch up. With flaps out/gear out pitch up... you must feed that power in deliberately and efficiently. Both maintained airspeed but full power is required while cleaning up after positive rate. On the 172M, the P factor immediately drifted the plane very left of course. I was watching the A/P and was lazy on right rudder and was really surprised just how far left I was drifting... so, push hard on right rudder and stay coordinated. Once climbing, and cleaning up, select HDG or NAV and the A/P will get on course. You must also change from PITCH mode (TOGA default) and select IAS mode which is safer and preferred.

Go try this in your plane. I had a surprise Go-around IMC and just clicked A/P off and did it manually... no reason for that if you have an A/P that will assist and you know exactly what it will do.

From GTN500 Manual...
3.4 Go Around (GA) Switch
A GO AROUND switch is provided for engagement of the go around mode. When go around
mode is engaged, the autopilot engages in wings level roll attitude and nose up pitch attitude.
The pitch attitude is dependent on the aircraft model. Refer to the appropriate GFC 500
Autopilot Airplane Flight Manual Supplement for the go around pitch attitude.

Congratulations Jeff! He passed his instrument check ride today. A big thank you to our local DPE Pat Brown!

I had a great day with Rafael. He brought his beautiful TBM910 to Houston for recurrent in-aircraft training. Contact Executive Flight Trainingg for TBM initial or recurrent - sim or in-aircraft.

Flew the TBM850 to Uvalde… only one non-precision approach available… ATC added a hold at the intermediate fix, 12kts out of the south… so …the circle to land 15. When you load the RNAV33@KUVA, your choices, as it turns out, IAF (no PT, Hold doesn’t load) or intermediate fix (Hold is loaded… but IAF isn’t). I was cleared to FIKFI (IAF) and told to Hold at Buxqu. To do that, load the Fikfi transition, then go to procedure page, touch BUXQU and u get the option to ‘add hold’, you need to enter the course, legs of the hold, then ‘add hold’ and it shows up as shown. The sequence… it will fly to the hold, enter the hold, and STAY in the hold until u make a change. Once cleared to complete approach, let it continue flying until you’re on the inbound to BUXQU, then Touch Buxqu on the screen and you get the option to ‘exit hold’. When you press that, it sequences immediately to Buxqu so thats why I wait until the hold is ‘almost done’ and you’re already headed there. If you’re still reading, I got to the FAF and saw advisory glide path come alive… that EPIC just followed advisory into a mountain in steamboat… I’m in IMC, I just ignored it and focused on executing the LNAV… hitting level offs appropriately.. descending to MDA and leveling off… uneventful circle to land as weather was clear below the deck. If you’re a new instrument pilot, this can feel stressful so try it sometime in VMC and understand how to make your navigator work. We practice holds, we test on them… we don’t get them. This is my 4th in 18 years. But when you do get it…it’ll be IMC.

Congratulations Brad! Passed his instrument checkride and a big thanks to our local DPE Pat Brown!

For my many friends who’ve flown N9903V…. Behold! Rebuilt pilots seat frame! It’s tight… cranks like 1974.

03V has its factory new 180HP upgrade. I flew it an hour over Hooks for the first flight. At 75% power (break in procedure), I was making 123 knots TAS the whole time. Bigger engine and new bigger prop … it quickly left the runway. Useful load increased from 840 # to 1,020 lbs. David Gunn will be teaching a couple of students in it soon. With all garmin panel this ‘74 Cessna 172M is hard to beat!