Pilot Guide to Takeoff Safety

Pilot Guide to Takeoff Safety

The concept of Safety is very important in Pilot Decision Making.

Pilot decision making often is a fundamental element in accident causal chains, where a Pilot didn’t make the best Safety Decision about flying or non-flying situation.

It is estimated that about ¾ all fatal General Aviation accidents are attributed to Pilot performance.

Safety is an important part of all the work we are doing both in the air or on the ground, for Safety is the prevention of accidents or to reduce them.

Pilots must work all the time improve to achievement more information in an effort to avoid an accident during takeoff or any phase during flying.

I want to review and share this interesting issue regarding some basic definitions to develop and explore always new ways to avoid accidents and incidents in General Aviation.

Safety First, Zero Accident has been around for a long time. It sounds respectable, but unfortunately, it never has been. Recognized and corrected both if you think do not remember some of the concepts of the variation of some basic operational considerations are shown in this article.

Expected Conclusion: Provide new decision aids and educational training and develop the appropriate existing material.

The Rules:

Some basic FAA definitions may be useful talking specific performance, also more detailed descriptions of FAA, ICAO requirements can be found in the material attached to this article.

Takeoff must be based on a smooth, dry, hard surface runway.

Takeoff Speeds :

VMCG (Ground): The minimum calibrated airspeed at which the airplane is satisfactorily controllable with the use of primary aerodynamic controls alone following the failure of the critical engine. Maximum permitted lateral deviation from the runway centerline is 25 feet. Use of nose wheel steering including rudder pedal steering is not permitted in the determination of VMCG.

VMCA (AIR ) : The calibrated airspeed at which , with all engines developing maximum thrust and when the critical engine is suddenly made inoperative, it is possible to recover control of the airplane with that engine still inoperative and maintain straight flight either with zero yaw or , at the option of the applicant, with the angle of bank of not more than 5 degrees. During the recovery , using a maximum rudder pedal force 180 lbs., the airplane must not require any exceptional piloting skill, alertness or strength to prevent a heading change of more than 20 degrees.  

V1  Takeoff Decision Speed : As speed selected by the applicant which must be at least the minimum calibrated airspeed at which controllability is shown (during the takeoff run ) to be adequate to safely continue the takeoff using normal piloting skill when the critical engine is suddenly  made inoperative.

V1 may not be less than VMCG or greater then VR.

V2 Min Takeoff Safety Speed : May not be less than 1.2 Vs for turbojet powered airplanes without provisions for obtaining a significant reduction in the one engine inoperative power- on stalling speed.

May not be less than 1.10 VMC.

V2 Takeoff Safety Speed : Must be selected by the applicant to provide at least the required gradient of climb but may not be less than V2 MIN or VR plus the speed gained before reaching a height of 35 feet above the takeoff surface .

VMU Minimum Unstick Speed : The calibrated airspeed at and above which the airplane can safely lift off the ground and continue the take off .

VR Rotation Speed : May not be less than V1 or 1.05 VMCA or the speed that allows reaching V2 before the airplane reaches a height of 35 feet above the takeoff surface , or a speed that will result in a VLOF not less than 10 percent above VMU if the airplane is rotated at its maximum practicable rate with all engines operating (5 % with one engine inoperative).

VLOF Lift Off Speed : Is the calibrated airspeed at which the airplane first become airborne .

Speed Abuses :

It must be shown that the one engine inoperative takeoff distance using a rotation of 5 Knots less than VR does not exceed the corresponding one-engine –inoperative take off distance using the established.

Reasonable expected variations in service from the established takeoff procedures for the operation of the airplane (such as over rotation of the airplane or out of trim conditions) may not result in unsafe flight characteristics or marked increases in the scheduled takeoff distances.   

Distance :

Acellerated –Stop Distance : The sum of the distances necessary to Accelerate the airplane from a standing start to V1 and come to a full stop from the point at which V1 is reached assuming that the critical engine fails at V1 . The accelerate-stop –distance may include a Stopway.

Stopway: An area beyond the takeoff runway no less wide than the runway and centered or the extended centerline of the runway , able to support the airplane during an aborted takeoff  without causing structural damage to the airplane , and designated by the airport authorities for use in decelerating the airplane during an aborted takeoff .

Clearway: An area beyond the runway, not less than 500 feet wide,centrally located about the extended centerline of the runway, and under the control of the airport authorities. The clearway is not expressed in terms of a clearway plane, extending from the end of the runway with an upward slope not exceeding 1.25 percent, above which no object nor any terrain protrudes. However, threshold lights may above the plane if their height above the end of the runway is 26 inches or less and they are located to each side of the runway. The takeoff distance must not exceed the length of the runway plus the length of any clearway except that length of any clearway included must not be greater than one half the length of the runway. Also one half the distance from liftoff to the end of takeoff run must occur over the runway.

 

Takeoff Distance : The greater of the horizontal distance along the takeoff path from the start of the takeoff to the point at which the airplane is 35 feet above the takeoff surface considering an engine failure at V1 or 115 percent of the horizontal distance along the takeoff path, with all engines operating  from  the start of the takeoff  to the point at which the airplane is 35 feet above the takeoff surface.

Takeoff Run : If the takeoff distance includes a clearway, the takeoff run is the greater of the horizontal distance along the takeoff path from the start of the takeoff point equidistant between the point at which VLOF is reached and the point at which the airplane is 35 feet above the takeoff surface considering an engine failure at V1 or 115 percent of the horizontal distance along the takeoff path, with all engines operating, from the start or the takeoff to a point equidistant between the point at VLOF is reached and the point at which the airplane is 35 feet above the takeoff surface.

Takeoff Path : The takeoff path extends from a standing start point in the takeoff at which the airplane is 1500 feet above the takeoff surface, or to a point at which the transition from the takeoff to the enroute configuration is completed at an appropriate speed – whichever point is higher .

 

The airplane must be accelerated on the ground to V1 at which point the critical engine is made inoperative and remains inoperative for the rest of the takeoff. The airplane must then be accelerated to V2 during which time the nose gear may be raised off the ground at a speed no less than VR.

The landing gear retraction cannot be begun until airplane is airborne.

The slope of the airborne part of the takeoff path must be positive. The airplane must reach V2 before it is 35 feet above the takeoff surface and must continue at a speed as close as practical to, but not less than, V2 until it is 400 feet above the takeoff surface.

http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/training/media/takeoff_safety.pdf

Always Fly Safely !!!!