Getting Personal, Meet Brandon Anderson, September 3, 2019

9/3/2019

The speed at which September arrived is indicative of the whirlwind summer the SimpleFlight crew experienced. Our tight schedules impacted the quantity of shows, but quality remained high. As we planned for the upcoming months it was clear that available free time for Al, was limited at best. For that reason, Al has decided to step away from SimpleFlight to focus on his many responsibilities at work and at home.

Marc and Joby sat down to create a short list of potential co-hosts. One of the first names on their respective list, was Brandon Anderson. Brandon, a former guest of the show, brings all the attributes our audience wants, starting with a passion for aviation. We're excited to have him join the crew. WELCOME BRANDON!

There is so much more, as you will hear listening to this week's episode of SimpleFlight radio. In addition to learning about Brandon's background, the conversation touched on philosophical topics, like personal minimums. We're interested to hear your perspective on the items discussed.

As always, we love hearing from you and ask you share your ideas with the entire SimpleFlight Facebook and Instagram community @simpleflightradio

Thanks for being a part of the SimpleFlight Family!!

3 Comments

Chad

11/3/2019 09:31:58 am

Marc, I was very interested in your perspective on Personal Minimums as they pertain to approaches in IMC. I understand your thought process but I have to say I don't agree. I think your missing a key point.

Sure, I buy that if you can fly without visual references at 1000ft then you can fly without visual references at 200ft. But that's a bit like saying there's no difference between flying in 35kt gusts at 5000ft and doing it on approach to landing. The problem is that the tolerance for error at a higher altitude is vastly greater than at a lower altitude like the 200ft mins of an ILS. To me, Personal Minimums equate to safety margin appropriate to your level of experience and proficiency.

As you descend on an ILS to lower minimums, the lateral and vertical bounds to keep you on course for that approach tighten. You have less time and altitude to react to a problem, errant control input, unexpected cross wind, etc at 250ft AGL just before breaking out at the end of an ILS than you do at 500ft or 800ft.

IMHO as a low time wanna be CFI, I believe flying to ILS minimums should only be for those that fly IFR regularly like you do. I would assert for many, probably most, GA non-professional pilots, their proficiency doesn't doesn't justify the minimal safety margin available at the lowest ILS minimums...legal or not.

Keep up the great discussions.

Marc

11/3/2019 10:39:48 am

Chad,

Thanks for your response. You bring up a great point. Every situation brings with it, it's own set of circumstances, which in term impacts risk. Flying in IMC at high altitudes probably carries less risk than at "approach" altitudes. I say probably, because there could be additional circumstances at cruise altitudes (e.g. turbulence, embedded storms, disorientation from strobes in the clouds, etc.) that may not be a factor while in an approach. My mistake was to generalize that flying in the clouds equals flying in the clouds, which of course fails to include the many additional factors that must be considered.

So the hypothetical question could be asked, What if all other things were equal? Smooth air, calm winds, flat terrain, etc. Does my position start to make sense? I think you sum it up best with your comment about proficiency in your last sentence ....

"I would assert for many, probably most, GA non-professional pilots, their proficiency doesn't doesn't justify the minimal safety margin available at the lowest ILS minimums...legal or not."

I agree with you that many GA non-professional pilots aren't proficient at shooting approaches to minimums (or maybe to even fly in IMC at all!). My assertion that it shouldn't make a difference is only correct if the pilot is proficient. If we are not proficient, then the concept of personal minimums must come in to play and proficient ADM should steer us away from risky situations.

I can also use this as a platform to encourage all of us to commit to practice with a purpose of getting and staying proficient. It's hard and expensive, but it's fun. And the benefits are immeasurable.

Thanks for being part of the SimpleFlight family.

Blue Skies,
ME

11/3/2019 12:59:58 pm

I can agree with that !

Getting Personal, Meet Brandon Anderson, September 3, 2019

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