Pre Season RefresherContents

• Flying after a long break• Flying in Spring weather• Pre flight decision making• Avoiding problems during the flight

Midweek Seminars

Pre Season RefresherFlying after a long break

• Flying can be more stressful after even a short break

• Comfort zone will have contracted• Take more time pre-flight by

• IMSAFE• Licence validity• Chart validity – study new chart for changes• More thought to route, RT, procedures at

destination• The more you prepare on the ground, the less

work in the cockpit

Midweek Seminars

Pre Season RefresherIMSAFE

I Illness – Am I fitM Medication – am I on medsS Stress – am I calmA Alcohol 12 hours bottle to throttleF Fatigue, am I alert and restedE Eating – am I fed

Midweek Seminars

Pre Season RefresherLicence

Check your licence.Is your JAR licence validIs your class rating validIs your medical valid

Midweek Seminars

Pre Season RefresherNew Chart

New S England chart edition 41 is out. Changes include• London CTR now Class D and TMZ, can get CAS

transit• Southend has Class D CAS. Again you can get

transit• Marked masts just north of Petersfield. • Thorney Island appears to have lost its paragliding

siteScan the legend once a year to remind yourself what things are.

Midweek Seminars

Pre Season RefresherChart refresher

Midweek Seminars

Pre Season Refresher

Midweek Seminars

Pre Season RefresherPlanning

Study your planned route more thoroughly• Look for new airspace/obstacles• Look for en route frequencies• Plan highest and lowest altitude• Think more about departure and arrival procedures• Plan B!

Midweek Seminars

Pre Season RefresherWeather

Flying in Spring. Expect• Icing level much lower. In moist dry air you can

pick up frost• In cloud you can pick up rime ice• In rain you can pick up clear ice• Look our for radiation fog. If foggy before sunrise

on clear day, chances are it will be foggy as sun descends.

• Avoid thunderstorms. Fly upwind (opposite to anvil)

• Do not fly anywhere near a line of thunderstorms.• Review TAF and METAR decodes on Met Office

site. • If IMC or IR, look for cloud tops to climb above

cloud. Watch out for CAS. Don’t go VFR on top unless planned.

Midweek Seminars

Pre Season RefresherAircraft

Is your aircraft legal paper wise?Since it last flew is the ARC still valid?The 50 hour check also has a six month limitIs the insurance valid

CheckoutPay fuller attention to the checklist after a breakLook more carefully for• Oil/brake fluid leaks• Seized control surfaces• Water in the fuel• Foreign objects where they shouldn’t be

Midweek Seminars

Pre Season RefresherThe flight

Review the departure plates after a break. If the tower says “taxi via taxiway foxtrot to holding point echo to avoid the HTA” what would it mean and where would you go?Fly the route as plannedKnow what to expect from the destination tower by phoning ahead for a brief.Anything else?

Midweek Seminars

Pre Season Refresher

Midweek Seminars