Flying for non-pilot partners

We are frequently asked by non-pilot partners about safety aspects of flying – in particular:

• what happens if the engine stops while you're flying?
• what happens if the pilot becomes incapacitated while we are flying?

Here are some answers:

Q: What if the engine stops?

A: First, prevention is better than cure.

1. Modern engine design makes it more unlikely than ever for the engine to stop in flight. Aircraft engines (certainly at recreational level) are much simpler than car engines, with fewer parts to wear out or break.
2. Aircraft have mandatory maintenance and servicing schedules. This means they are regularly checked according to an extensive list of items to make sure as far as possible that the aircraft is and remains airworthy.
3. Before each day’s flying, the pilot thoroughly checks every aspect of the engine: oil level and system, coolant system, exhaust system, any loose items which should be tight, any tight items which should be loose, and a range of other aspects. A very important check is to ensure there is enough fuel (one of the most common reasons for engines stopping in flight is, believe it or not, running out of fuel).
4. Before taking off, the pilot will check that both engine ignition systems are working correctly – all light aircraft have duplicate ignition systems in case one of them should fail. This means revving the engine at a speed the manufacturer recommends and switching off each ignition system in turn to make sure the engine keeps running on the alternate system.
5. Pre-take-off checks also include making sure that the fuel tanks are turned on and that the controls are ‘full and free’.

A: Second, if it all goes quiet.

1. Even with the engine stopped, light sport aircraft glide well, giving the pilot time to make decisions. Wherever possible the pilot should fly high enough to allow (a) a glide long enough to find a suitable paddock to land, and (b) time to sort out and if possible fix the reason the engine stopped.
2. The pilot will try to fix the problem – at the least by checking the fuel and ignition systems. Sometimes the engine has stopped through an inadvertent action, such as shutting off all the fuel (most aircraft have at least two fuel tanks and it occasionally happens that both get shut off by mistake).
3. If the problem cannot be quickly identified and fixed, the pilot will decide on a landing. Most light sport aircraft land very slowly, so the chances of damage or worse if you put down in a paddock is pretty low.
4. In any emergency in a light aircraft the golden rule is: first, ‘Aviate’ – ie do not panic, and make sure you keep flying the aircraft; next, ‘Navigate’ – ie know where you are and keep sight of the paddock you have chosen; and finally, ‘Communicate’ – ie tell someone what’s happened and where you are (usually the nearest air traffic controller, the emergency channel or friends flying with you nearby).
5. Before final touchdown, you should tighten your safety belt and check you know how to open the canopy to get out after you have landed. The pilot will switch off all the aircraft systems – fuel, ignition, battery etc – to ensure that the engine doesn’t suddenly pick up as you’re about to touch down and that there is a minimum chance of a fire, should you bump into anything.
6. Finally, ‘Communicate’ should also include switching on your emergency locator beacon – called variously an ‘ELT’ or ‘EPIRB’. It is mandatory to carry these in all 2-seat aircraft when travelling more than 50 nautical miles from your original starting point. When activated (a simple process) they automatically transmit an emergency signal which includes your location.

Q: What if the pilot becomes incapacitated?

To begin with, it is important to stress that pilot incapacity while flying is an extremely rare occurrence. It is not something to be particularly worried about, any more than the driver of a car becoming incapacitated during driving – probably a far more common occurrence. However, here are some suggestions:

A: First, prevention is better than cure.

1. Under light sport and recreational aviation regulations, it is not mandatory to take a regular medical to keep a flying license valid.
2. However, if you often fly with the same pilot – eg your partner – for their sake and yours, you should ensure s/he is medically fit to fly. This means generally – through regular health checks, and specifically – by not taking alcohol, drugs etc in the 8 and preferably 16 hours before the flight, and not flying if feeling at all unwell.
3. Further, if you often fly as a passenger/co-pilot but are not a pilot yourself, we strongly recommend you attend one of the POPE (Partners Of Pilots – Emergency) survival courses run regularly by Recreational Aviation Australia (RA-Aus) and other organisations. This helps you understand how the aircraft works & flies and includes practical training in how to land in an emergency. Light aircraft are not actually very difficult to land. You don’t need to be able to land perfectly in an emergency – just well enough to get out of the aircraft afterwards!

A: Second, what to do if the pilot cannot fly the aircraft.

1. There are three choices – either you land the aircraft yourself, you activate a rescue parachute (if there is one), or you submit to gravity.
2. First choice: as in point 3 above, you land the aircraft. This would usually mean at a nearby airfield – not necessarily in a paddock in the middle of nowhere! Landing at an airfield also increases the likelihood of available medical assistance for the pilot.
3. Second choice: if there isn’t already one in your aircraft, you may wish to consider fitting a Ballistic rescue System (BRS). This is simply a parachute for the whole aircraft. It is operated by pulling a red handle inside the cabin, which launches a small rocket, which pulls out a large parachute, which allows the entire aircraft and people in it to descend at a survivable rate. These BRS systems are not cheap – but what price peace of mind?
4. In our opinion, there is no third choice!