Fly a scenario
Level
Preflight
24Water in the Sump
Water in the sump after a night of hard rain.
Before It Can Move At All
Everything holding the aeroplane down has to come off.
The Little Red Flag
A red flag hanging under the wing, still attached.
Two Words That Mean Two Things
The control check is two separate checks in one sentence.
The Gauge Or The Tank
The gauge says one thing. You can go and look.
Reading It Or Remembering It
The checklist is in your bag…
A Worn Patch On The Rubber
One patch of the tyre looks different from the rest.
A Light That Does Not Work
Your torch is dead and the sun is going down.
What Holds You In
Two straps, and one of them is often left hanging.
Looking Through Dirt
A windscreen covered in yesterday and a low sun ahead.
Something Has Moved In
Straw and twigs behind the cowling of a parked aeroplane.
Before They Get In
Your passenger has never been in a small aeroplane.
A Cap That Is Not Quite On
The fuel cap turns further than it should.
Rough Mag at the Run-Up Pad
The mag drop is wrong at the hold-short line.
Leadville on a Hot Afternoon
Hot, high, loaded. The numbers say something unwelcome.
Four Up and a Full Boot
Four adults, full fuel and a boot full of bags.
Is This Aeroplane Legal Today?
Signing it out. What has to be aboard, and current?
A Blue Stain on the Walkaround
Wet blue dye under the wing, ninety minutes to sunset.
Taking Friends Up After Dark
Two friends, city lights…
A Line Through the Runway
The runway you planned on is closed and nobody told…
A Quart Low and a Long Way to Go
The dipstick is low and the placard says a number.
The Date on the Certificate
The medical expired and nobody noticed until now.
Everything Here Is Legal Except One Thing
Everything about this flight is legal except one thing.
The Forecast Is Not a Promise
The forecast turns marginal exactly when you plan to arrive.
Taxi
13The Line You Do Not Cross
Four yellow lines and a red sign…
A Brisk Walk
How fast should an aeroplane move on the ground?
Following The Yellow Line
A yellow line under the nose…
Saying Where You Are
A quiet frequency, and nobody knows you are there.
Pointing The Right Way
Where you stop for the run-up…
The Thing At The Front
A propeller that is not turning can still turn.
The Orange Thing On A Pole
A windsock tells you two things, not one.
Taxiing a Light Airplane in a Gale
Taxiing something light in a gale, controls to the wind.
No Brakes Leaving the Ramp
The pedals go to the floor leaving the ramp.
Something Is Still Attached
At the hold, and something is still attached to the…
You Do Not Know Where You Are
Taxi instructions at a field you do not know.
A Lighted X
A lighted X where you were told to taxi.
How Much Room Is There Really
A narrow gap on the ramp and an unseen wingtip.
Takeoff
14Saying It Before You Need It
Thirty seconds of talking before the throttle goes forward.
Looking Before You Go
Before you line up, one look in a particular direction.
One Glance Down The Runway
Full power, and one look inside before you commit.
Keeping It Straight
The aeroplane wants to go left, and your feet decide.
It Stumbles at Forty Knots
Power fails with runway still ahead. Stop, or go?
Wet Grass at Sunrise
Wet grass at sunrise and a nosewheel that wants to…
Fifteen Gusting Twenty-Two, Forty Degrees Off
Fifteen gusting twenty-two, forty degrees off the nose.
Twenty-Two Hundred Feet and a Line of Poplars
Twenty-two hundred feet and a line of poplars.
Something Comes Off the Field
A flock lifts off the grass as you accelerate.
The Wind Is Behind You
One runway, and the wind is from behind.
The Runway Is Under Water
Standing water on the runway after heavy rain.
Four Hundred Feet and Silent
The runway is behind you. No altitude to trade.
The Decision Has No Time In It
Something is wrong at rotation and the runway is running…
The Seat Goes All The Way Back
The seat slides back just as the nose comes up.
Climb
11Not Yet
You are airborne with flap out…
Up Steeply Or Up Quickly
Two climb speeds, and they are not the same thing.
When You Can Turn
How high before the first turn out of the circuit?
What The Nose Is Hiding
In the climb, the nose is exactly where the traffic…
The Door Pops at Three Hundred Feet
The door pops at three hundred feet.
It Is Still Running, Just Not Very Well
Still running, just not very well, and still climbing.
The Needles Are Going the Wrong Way
Temperatures climbing on a hot day, and you are heavy.
It Was Right There a Minute Ago
You have lost sight of the field you just left.
Engine Failure at 3,000 Feet
Cruise, smooth air, and the engine goes quiet.
The Airspeed Is Reading High in a Climb
The airspeed reads high in a climb, which is impossible.
Nothing Out the Windscreen
Nothing out the windscreen but black.
Cruise
37Levelling Off And Settling Down
You have levelled off. There are four things to do.
Pulling The Red Knob
The red knob, and what it actually does.
Odd Or Even
The altitude you pick depends on which way you are…
Looking Without Seeing
Staring out of the window is not the same as…
Before You Turn The Knob
You are about to change frequency. Say so first.
Taking The Weight Off
You are holding pressure on the yoke…
Where The Fuel Has Gone
Fuel is measured on a clock, not on a gauge.
The Code Everybody Uses
Four digits in the transponder…
One Wing Is Heavier Than the Other
One wing is carrying noticeably more than the other.
How Close Is Too Close
The gaps are narrowing. How close may you fly?
Somebody Is Coming The Other Way
He is not moving in the windscreen and he is…
A Box Of Airspace You Cannot Enter
Restricted airspace ahead is active and you are pointed at…
How High Before You Need It
Climbing on a long leg…
Nobody Else Can Speak
The frequency has gone dead and it might be you.
It Is About To Get Unpleasant
Your passenger has gone pale and quiet.
A Vibration That Was Not There an Hour Ago
The engine runs badly. The airport is behind you.
Losing RPM in Perfectly Clear Air
A slow, quiet loss of power on a damp day.
Low Volts, Two Hours from Home
Discharging ammeter. The battery is now a clock.
The Attitude Indicator Is Lying to You
In cloud, the attitude indicator lies to you slowly.
Nobody Is Answering
The radio dies in controlled airspace. Now what?
The Ground Is Not Going Past Fast Enough
The ground is not going past fast enough.
Show Them the House
They want to see the house…
You Need To Be Low, Now
A passenger is ill. Nine thousand feet to lose.
The Aeroplane Is Warning You
Soft controls, a shudder, and the warner coming and going.
No Reply Near Big Airspace
The transponder stops replying with Class B just ahead.
The Little Grey Dot
The carbon monoxide detector has changed colour.
The Gauges Are Ahead of the Plan
The fuel is going faster than the flight plan promised.
The Light Is Going Faster Than You Are
Sunset is coming and you are not night current.
The Magenta Line Is Gone
The moving map has quit in unfamiliar country.
How Fast Is Too Fast For This
Rough air, and you are in the yellow arc.
Finding Out Which Half
Rough running, and a way to narrow it down.
Something Smells Wrong
An electrical smell that may be nothing at all.
The Ceiling Comes Down to Meet You
The cloud comes down ahead and the ground comes up.
The Yoke Will Not Go Left
The yoke will not go left.
Everything Electrical Is Leaving
Night, and the electrics are draining with nothing to replace…
You Feel Fine at Fifteen Five
You feel fine at fifteen thousand five hundred.
A Grey Line on the Leading Edge
A grey line creeping back along the leading edge.
Descent
7Starting Down In Time
Ten miles out and three thousand feet too high.
Not Closing The Throttle
Coming down with the throttle shut, on a cold day.
On The Way Down
Before the airfield gets close, four or five things.
Arriving Where Nobody Is Talking
Nobody is talking on the frequency. Join anyway.
Down Quickly, and the Engine Notices
A fast descent from high cruise on a cold day.
It Hurts To Descend
A blocked ear on the way down, and getting worse.
The Words That Let You In
The controller said standby. Are you cleared in?
Approach
23Arriving Where People Expect You
A normal way to arrive, where everybody is looking.
The Point Where It Starts
On downwind, level with the threshold, something happens.
When To Turn In
How far past the runway before you turn towards it?
Four Calls And What They Are For
Everybody in the circuit is listening for the same four…
Where You Are Actually Going
The spot that does not move is where you will…
Set Up And Left Alone
By a certain point, everything should already be right.
The Decision Nobody Regrets
A go-around is a normal manoeuvre, not a failure.
The Runway Is Out There Somewhere
The field is out there in the dark, unlit.
Fast, High, and Not Configured
High, fast, close in. The decision has a deadline.
A Thousand Feet High on Base
A thousand feet high on base with the runway made.
Somebody Else Is On Your Final
Somebody else has called final. It is your final.
The Horn Is Telling You Something
The horn is telling you something on short final.
No Landing Light, No Moon
No landing light, no moon, and a black runway.
The Air the Big One Left Behind
Calm air, a wide-body ahead…
Two Voices, One Final
Somebody else has called final for the runway you are…
Fast, Then Suddenly Not
Told to keep the speed up, with something slow ahead.
A Clearance With a Line In It
Cleared to land, with a place you must stop before.
All Four Lights Have Gone Red
The approach lights say you are low, and getting lower.
They Are Staying Where They Are
The flaps will not move and the runway is short.
Land on the Other One
Cleared for one runway, asked to land on another.
The Bottom Falls Out on Short Final
Airspeed drops on short final and the sink builds.
Through the Centreline
You go through the centreline, low and turning.
Nothing There at Minimums
Minimums, no runway. Fly the miss, in order.
Landing
12Somebody Is Going to Come Looking
You have landed and something is still open.
The Last Twenty Feet
The runway comes up. What do your hands do?
After The Wheels Are Down
The landing is not over when the wheels touch.
Off, And Then Stop
Turning off is not the same as being clear.
The Bits After The Landing
Stopped clear of the runway…
The Wrong Runway, Correctly Flown
Down and straight, and the wind is not finished.
It Came Back Up At You
The landing bounced and you are back in the air…
Still Flying, Still Going
Floating, and the touchdown zone is behind you.
Two Runways, Neither Ideal
A gusty wind and two runways, both a compromise.
That Is Not the Runway
The strip you are lined up on is the wrong…
Balked at Fifty Feet
Something is on the runway at fifty feet.
Somebody Just Taxied Onto Your Runway
Cleared to land, and an aircraft taxis out.
Emergency
5In That Order
Three words, and the order is the whole point.
Asking For Help
One frequency and one code, memorised now rather than later.
Smoke From the Vents, Source Unknown
Smoke from the vents and no source you can name.
Flame and Smoke From the Cowling
Flame at the cowl. Hesitation costs altitude.
Burning Insulation Behind the Panel
A smell, then smoke, then the checklist takes everything.
Instrument
4He Said It Once and Quickly
A clearance arrived faster than you could write it.
Everything Arrives at Once
A hold, a clearance and a frequency change, together.
No-Gyro Vectors, Needle and Ball
Instruments gone, in cloud, on the remaining six.
The Ground Has Gone
You are in cloud and you are not rated for…