“+V Rocks!” It’s an almost universal response when someone flies an approach with a WAAS GPS receiver for the first time. “Look! A glidepath where there wasn’t one before!!!” It’s almost enough to make one giddy (but not quite).

Many pilots think, “GREAT! I can couple my autopilot to the glidepath and let George do all the work.” Nope. In fact, if you have a tendency to fly an LNAV+V with the same procedures you use for an ILS or LPV approach, you may some day find yourself in a world of hurt. Obstacles close to the runway environment may reach up and smite you from the sky.

You need a different technique.

Continue reading →

The relationship between pilots and ATC is a complex one. We pilots are required to follow ATC instructions, yet we remain the ones “in command.” It works in theory, but not as well in practice. When you spend an entire flight following instructions from ATC, it’s hard to remember that the pilot always must decide whether ATC instructions are right or wrong.

There is a growing pandemic of bad instructions from ATC. It appears to have started in Texas, it has definitely spread to Colorado and now it appears to be infecting other ATC facilities. It sounds something like this:

Continue reading →