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Hey Mom,
My question is this: what is WAAS? Is it a different kind of GPS, or is it something totally different? I don’t really understand what it is or if it’s something I even need to know to get started on my instrument rating.
Thanks,
Worried About WAAS
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Wassup, Worrier?
The skinny on the WAAS is that it’s an improvement of the existing GPS system. In fact, WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation System. GPS, as you probably know, is the Global Positioning System. A constellation of 27 satellites orbit the Earth, courtesy of the US Department of Defense. 24 of those are necessary, the last 3 are spares. Basically, the receiver you’re toting around in your airplane (or in your back pocket, whatever) picks up as many of these as it can and then triangulates your position based on that information. You need at least 3 of those bad boys to get a two dimensional location nailed down. 4 or more in sight can get you altitude information as well.
WAAS uses a network of 25 ground-based reference stations and 2 master stations to measure small variations in the GPS satellites’ signals. Measurements from the reference stations are routed to those master stations, which send the correction messages to geostationary WAAS satellites. Those satellites broadcast the correction messages back to Earth. The gist of all this is that the ground stations function similarly to additional satellites, meaning that you’ll be hard pressed to be out of range enough NOT to be able to get 3D info from the system wherever you happen to be. In North America. Eventually, WAAS capability should be worldwide, but for the moment, that’s all still up in the air. All these extra signals with additional corrections also improve the accuracy of the whole shebang. Bonus.
So why is everybody so excited about this? Consider this. Instrument approaches are designed to get you down nice and low, hopefully low enough that you can get below the clouds, right on top of the airport, so you can see enough to find your runway and make a nice landing. You know, the kind that doesn’t scare your passengers. Precision approaches are preferred as they give a pilot vertical navigation guidance as well as the lateral nav we’re all accustomed to. This lets a pilot get lower in most cases, and adds to the safety margin. Up until now, the equipment to do this has been expensive to install and maintain. GPS approaches already allow approaches at many airports that had none before the advent of satellite navigation. If, through the addition of WAAS, we can make many or most of those approaches into precision approaches, pilots have far more options, and pilots with options are happy pilots indeed. WAAS also gives us another tool to improve RAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring), the GPS receiver’s self check that it’s getting adequate and accurate information on which to base the navigation solution.
WAAS that all you wanted to know?
Fly safe, and make sure that thing is certified for IFR before you start trusting it in the clouds,
Mom
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You’ve got questions? I’ll find you an answer. Email your aviation related question to mom@myskymom.com and check out myskymom.com to read the answers to questions previously posted. An educated pilot is a safe pilot is a happy pilot! Read on, fly safe, and remember: the only stupid question is the one you didn’t ask!
Hey Mom,
What does the word METAR mean? I’d like to know what the acronym stands for.
Thanks,
Mostly Expecting True Aviation Relevance
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Hi, My Entertainingly Trusting Acronym Requester,
While I’m Mostly Engaged in Taking Actual Requests, My Extra Time Always Rushes by so fast, this one took a couple days. Massive Etymological Testing Always Results in a bit of extra work. Had enough of this yet? Me Either; Truly, A Really good definition wasn’t that hard to find. I have a Marvelous, Exactly True Answer Ready, so enough with my Marginally Entertaining Talk About Rather pointless stuff.
A METAR, otherwise known as an Aviation Routine Weather Report, is actually a contraction of the french term MÉTéorologique Aviation Régulière, which essentially means “routine aerodrome weather”. Many English speaking pilots forget that quite a few everyday words in aviation are actually derived from other languages. There you have it.
Making Extra Time to Access Reasonable requests,
Mom, Exceptional Tabulator of Aviation Research
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You’ve got questions? I’ll find you an answer. Email your aviation related question to mom@myskymom.com and check out myskymom.com to read the answers to questions previously posted. An educated pilot is a safe pilot is a happy pilot! Read on, fly safe, and remember: the only stupid question is the one you didn’t ask!
Hey Mom,
Since you seem to enjoy digging up the etymology of colorful aviator slang, how about telling us about “balls to the wall”? I’m interested, I bet other people would enjoy hearing about it, and it’s probably not as dirty as it sounds, if I recall correctly. So tell us where “balls to the wall” came from. I’m looking forward to it.
Thanks,
Word Geek
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Hi Geek,
Right you are, the term is not nearly as raunchy as it sounds, though I can guarantee you that it’s popular usage is at least partly due to the obvious double entendre. Rest assured though, ladies, that you can go balls to the wall with the best of ‘em. So where did this colorful expression originate? While some will insist that it started with the railroad, there is little evidence to support this claim. Military aviators were the first to talk about going “balls to the wall”. The throttle and mixture levers (and the prop control, for the machines so equipped) were topped with a ball, though many now end in a vernier type control for more precision and to make accidental movement of those controls less likely. Anyhow, “balls to the wall” is a simple reference to pushing all those controls full forward to the firewall, the wall that separates the engine from the cabin just in case of an engine fire. Balls to the wall gives you full power, maximum speed, as much as you can get out of that engine. Popular usage implies an uncontrolled maximum effort, a wild, almost desperate “give it all ya got” shot. Balls to the wall is about going full speed ahead, holding nothing back.
So balls to the wall, all of you, and finish your homework already so we can all go flying!
Mom
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You’ve got questions? I’ll find you an answer. Email your aviation related question to mom@myskymom.com and check out myskymom.com to read the answers to questions previously posted. An educated pilot is a safe pilot is a happy pilot! Read on, fly safe, and remember: the only stupid question is the one you didn’t ask!
Hey Mom,
I’m not saying I’ve lost it. I’m not even saying I’ve misplaced it, exactly. I’m just not totally certain of it’s precise location right now. Not that I’m worried, I’m sure it’ll show up just as soon as I start to look for it. But I’m sure it’s happened to pilots before, even if it definitely hasn’t happened to me probably. If I were to really lose my logbook, or something happened to it so that it was unreadable, what would happen?
Just Curious,
Lost Without My Log Book
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Hi, ya Loser! Am I allowed to call you that? Hm.
Anyhow, it HAS happened to pilots before. I hope you find yours because it’s going to be a bit of a hassle for you if it IS gone. Depending on how many hours you have, how long ago they were, and how good your other record keeping might be, it could turn out to be one heck of a headache indeed. If you’re a student, life is pretty good. Your flight instructor(s) are required to keep a record of what the two of you did and when in their own pilot logbook, so it’s pretty easy to use that information to reconstitute your logbook. Just buy them a beer and remember to say thank you!
If you’re past the student stage, you have your work cut out for you. Use diaries, receipts for aircraft rentals, and bank statements to pin down flight dates, places, and times. Anyone you rented an airplane from should have a record of that, though if it’s been a while, happy hunting. If you’re a pro, go get those company records. Suddenly all that paperwork they make you do starts looking pretty useful, doesn’t it? And did you know that you can use your last 87-10 form? It’s true. The 87-10 is that form you filled out last time you applied to the FAA for a certificate or a rating. Oh, and you know that spot on your medical where they ask you for your hours? They keep a record of that, too. You may write to the feds at these addresses to request copies of your records, or, go ahead and use their website to contact them. They make it easier and easier all the time.
FAA Airmen Certification Branch, AVN-46
P. O. Box 25082
Oklahoma City, OK 73125
FAA Aeromedical Certification Branch
P. O. Box 25082
Oklahoma City, OK 73125
Alrighty, then. If indeed, you’re only curious about the consequences of log book loss, lets talk about the things you can do to keep this from happening to you, shall we? Some pilots photocopy their logbooks and keep that copy in a safe place. Not a bad idea. Some pilots duplicate their logbook electronically. There are a plethora of good programs out there; in some cases you can even hire somebody to catch up on all that tedious data entry if you have so many hours that this strikes you as a daunting task! It goes without saying that you have the good sense to put your name and updated address and phone number in the front of this fairly important document, right? Of course, you did. Know, too, that you don’t need to carry it with you on every flight. That’s right. If you’re a solo student pilot, you do, but for the rest of us, carry your pilot certificate, medical, and government issued photo ID to be legit, logbook not required.
Keep it organized, people, and know your options if you do lose it,
Mom
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You’ve got questions? I’ll find you an answer. Email your aviation related question to mom@myskymom.com and check out myskymom.com to read the answers to questions previously posed. The more you know, the safer you’ll be. Read on, and fly safe!
Hey Mom,
So, just where did the term “whiskey compass” come from, anyhow? There isn’t actual whiskey in there, is there? Is it a joke to see how gullible student pilots are, or some great legend from aviation lore? I’d be curious.
Thanks,
I’ll Drink to That
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You sent me this question a couple of days ago. The slowness of my response hasn’t been enough to drive you to drinking, has it?
Just in case it has, lets review the aviation drinkin’ rules, shall we? 8 hours bottle to throttle is the minimum, as per FAR 91.17. That’s right, no matter how small the sip, you stay away from that ramp until at least 8 hours has elapsed. And that’s not all. 04% alcohol concentration in the blood or breath is enough to get you in trouble with the feds as well. If that weren’t enough (and clearly it’s not, we’ve all heard the stories- here are just a few of fairly recent vintage) “no person may act or attempt to act as a crew member…while under the influence of alcohol”. Perhaps it takes less that that .04% concentration for you to be affected. Or have you considered how badly you’re likely to perform while hung over? Quite a few studies have documented the loss of performance, judgement, and reaction time you can anticipate even after your blood alcohol content has dropped back down to acceptable levels. Additionally, unless it’s a medical patient under proper care or an emergency situation, a pilot may not carry any person obviously intoxicated or under the influence of drugs in an aircraft. Not only must you be sober, your passengers should at least start out that way, too! Should any law enforcement officer request a drug or alcohol test, refusal to submit to it or to allow the FAA to know the results is grounds for suspension or revocation of your pilot certificate. If you end up with a DUI or similar motor vehicle violation regarding drugs or alcohol, you are required to report it to the FAA within 60 days, as per FAR 61.15. A first violation may not pose a problem for your pilot certificate, provided that you report it. Honesty really is the best policy here. If the FAA checks the National Driver Register (which they certainly do) and finds you’ve been less than forthcoming, you’ve got bigger problems.
All right, public service announcement complete! So where DOES the term ‘whiskey compass come from? Well, there are 2 big stories out there. I’ll tell ‘em both and you can pick. Aviation lore would have it that originally, they truly did use real whiskey as the lubricating fluid in that whiskey compass everyone flew by. Now kerosene, sometimes referred to as compass oil, is used. Doesn’t taste so good, so the pilots are less inclined to disable the hardware… The other story I find is that “W” stands for “wet” as in “wet compass”, another common descriptor of that piece of equipment we all know and love. Aviation phonetics use “whiskey” for “W”, giving us the obvious “whiskey compass”. Like I said, take your pick. Could be that both are true. All I can tell you for sure is that you don’t want to try to find out for yourself. Imbibing kerosene can’t be good for you, and the FARs don’t allow for flight without a functional magnetic compass anyhow…which is a separate question for another time, should anyone care to ask it.
Straighten up and fly right,
Mom
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You’ve got questions? I’ll find you an answer. Email your aviation related question to mom@myskymom.com and check out myskymom.com to read the answers to questions previously posed. The more you know, the safer you’ll be. Read on, and fly safe!
Hey Mom,
What does it mean when Flight Service tells me that a VOR is unmonitored? Can I use an unmonitored VOR? I couldn’t seem to find anything in the regs about this.
Thanks,
Monitoring your Very Organized Response
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Hey there, monitor this,
A VOR or a localizer being unmonitored simply means that it’ll be a surprise to you when it fails as ATC won’t know about it and thus be able to warn you. In most cases- at least, unless otherwise specified by those fine Flight Service folks- your friends in the tower or in the radar room (or wherever those Air Traffic Controllers do that voodoo that you do so well) have a way of seeing that the facility in question appears to be doing it’s thing with success, namely a light and an audio alarm meant to clue them in when something goes awry. Unmonitored merely means that nobody has a light and a buzzer in front of them at the moment in case this particular VOR were to fail.
Can you use an unmonitored VOR? Certainly. Use it just the way you’d use any other VOR. Be certain to identify it by it’s Morse Code and watch for an orange flag or a barber pole on your OBS so you’ll know if your navaid of choice has suffered an untimely demise. Part 91 doesn’t say anything about unmonitored VORs, so most of us can operate with impunity. There are other operators who may need to change their plans when filing an alternate, but most of us can rest easy on this one.
Aviate, navigate, communicate, and don’t forget to identify,
Mom
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You’ve got questions? I’ll find you an answer. Email your aviation related question to mom@myskymom.com and check out myskymom.com to read the answers to questions previously posed. The more you know, the safer you’ll be. Read on, and fly safe!
Dear Mom,
I have been a pilot now for about 3 years and I have just recently been experiencing extreme amounts of stress at work. I consulted with a physician to help me cope with the symptoms of the stress that I am currently under and the doctor prescribed Lorazepam. Like a good patient, I went ahead and filled the prescription on the way home from the doctor’s office. Upon reaching home I looked up the Lorazepam on the FAA’s website and found that if I were to take one tablet I would have to not fly for a minimum of 90 days. I would then be subject to a medical flight review before they would reinstate my flying privileges. My question to you, Mom, is: since I have not yet taken any of the Lorazepam (nor do I intend to) is it too late to dispose of these pills and pretend this never happened or should I consult an FAA FSDO and find out more about this subject before I fly again? The pills were never mandatory and are only to be taken “as needed”.
Like any pilot, I find flying is a great way of relieving stress. Not being able to fly would make things worse. Do you have a recommendation as to how I should proceed with this?
Thanks,
Under Pressure
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Hello, my high pressure friend,
This is kind of a tricky one. What I would advise you to do is exactly what I did: Call AOPA (the venerable Airplane Owners and Pilots Association) 1-800 872-2672 so that they can discuss all the details of your particular situation with you. I’d highly recommend that every pilot and student pilot join AOPA for just this sort of thing. They give great, free, expert advice on all matters medical and legal for their members and can often smooth the way for those who have less usual situations to contend with. Anyhow, I gave them a call. Here’s what they had to say:
Firstly, do not pass go, do not collect $200, and for the love of aviation, DO NOT call the FSDO. That’s what they said. The FSDO is likely to overreact and ask questions later, which is not terribly helpful to you, to say the least. Secondly, they looked up the requirements for Lorazepam and discovered that it’s not actually disqualifying and does not require the draconian measures you detailed above. Well, that’s a relief. If it was prescribed on an “as needed” basis, you may take it. What’s the dosage schedule? You should double the dosage schedule since the last time you took it before you fly again. For instance, if you may take it as needed every 12 hours, you must wait 24 hours since the last time you took it before you may fly again. Those oh so helpful AOPA folks assured me that even if you took it continuously for a week “as needed” and then stopped, that this would not be a problem. If you find you need to take it on a daily basis over a longer period of time, that will be another matter and there will be some different requirements for you in that case.
Kinda nice to find out that it may not be as dire as it first sounded, isn’t it? However, don’t (PLEASE don’t;) take my word for it. If you’re not an AOPA member already, get thee signed up! Join now. And call them. They’ll have a few additional questions for you beyond the information you sent in your email and the answers you give may make a difference. The other obvious consideration is the stress level you’re trying to manage in the first place. Stress and fatigue are huge factors behind many (most) aviation accidents and incidents. If you’ve been under a lot of stress lately, I guarantee you that your focus is not as good just now as it otherwise might be. Good enough? Maybe. Is that a chance you’re willing to take? I know a couple of very good pilots who’ve made some impressive, expensive mistakes on days when they were very very stressed or starting to feel the effects of fatigue. Something to think about. It’s easy sometimes to figure that just because something isn’t prohibited, there’s nothing wrong with doing it. Especially when the “it” in question has to do with flying and you really, really want to. Sometimes good decision making requires hard choices, at least in the short term. Like I said, something to think about. Only you know how stressed you are right now and how that stress is affecting you. Better safe than sorry, though. A bad day in an airplane can add to your stress load considerably…
Your prescription? Make that phone call, and fly safe,
Mom
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You’ve got questions? I’ll find you an answer. Email your aviation related question to mom@myskymom.com and check out myskymom.com to read the answers to questions previously posed. The more you know, the safer you’ll be. Read on, and fly safe!
Hey Mom,
Why does the tachometer drop when I check the carb heat during the run up? I know it SHOULD, I even know HOW MUCH it should, I just don’t know WHY.
Thanks,
Pulling Out All the Stops
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Hi Stop,
When you pull that carburetor heat knob out (or pull the handle down, or deploy whatever variation your airplane happens to be equipped with), you’re routing warmer air through that carburetor than you were a moment ago. Warm air is of course less dense than colder air, meaning that you just aren’t gonna be able to fit quite as many air molecules into the same square inch as you could before. Less air for your engine to work with, less power. You know what didn’t change though? The amount of fuel you’re allowing to that fuel/air mixture. The same amount of fuel and less air to mix with it will give you a richer mixture by default, making you more prone to spark plug fouling, or at the very least, wasting some of that rather expensive 100LL you’re flying around with!
Keep it lean and fly safe,
Mom
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You’ve got questions? I’ll find you an answer. Email your aviation related question to mom@myskymom.com and check out myskymom.com to read the answers to questions previously posed. An educated pilot is a safer pilot. Read on, and fly safe!
Hey Mom,
I just retired from my job and was wanting something to do involving flying. I am hoping to fly for the forest department watching for fires. What is involved in obtaining this limited commercial license? I’m not wanting to invest the cost of going through an instrument rating.
Thanks,
Smoky the Bear Takes to the Air
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Hi Smoky,
Sounds like a great goal and a lot of fun! You’ll have two major considerations: What do the feds (the FAA) have to say, and how do the feds (the Forestry Service) feel about this? Lets start with the people who will be issuing you your commercial pilot certificate.
The FARs are pretty clear on this one. FAR 61.133 states that,
“A person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane category or powered-lift category rating and does not hold an instrument rating in the same category and class will be issued a commercial pilot certificate that contains the limitation, “The carriage of passengers for hire in airplanes or powered lifts on cross-country flights in excess of 50 nautical miles or at night is prohibited.” The limitation may be removed when the person satisfactorily accomplishes the requirements listed in §61.65 of this part for an instrument rating in the same category and class of aircraft listed on the person’s commercial pilot certificate.”
OK. You’ll be limited in your passenger carrying capabilities, but otherwise this shouldn’t be a problem. So do the forestry folks expect you to always fly solo at night or when more than 50 miles from home? And will their insurance allow for the hiring of a pilot without an instrument rating in any case? Don’t worry, I did your homework for you this time. Have a look at the US Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management jobs site for a quick overview of what they do and how they do it. And here are their minimum qualifications for hiring, which unfortunately for you, DO include an instrument rating. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but an instrument rating is just the beginning of what these folks want. They require at minimum a commercial certificate with instrument and single and multi-engine land ratings, and a second class medical certificate with total time of at least 1,200 hours including PIC 250 hours, multi-engine 500 hours, IFR & Night 100 hours, and at least 100 hours in the last 12 months. A tidy little resume to amass, to be sure, but by the time you have this experience, you’ll be a well trained and hopefully very safe pilot indeed. At least, the Forestry Department sure hopes so…
Don’t give up. There are other possibilities in aviation if this isn’t the one you’re looking for right now. True, it’s a tough job market at the moment for any pilot, but I’d argue that it’s a great time for training; when things finally do improve again, you’ll be at the front of the line with recent experience and ready to go!
Best of luck as you continue your search and your training,
Mom
