Transition Training Can Help a Pilot Add New Skills

The first step when getting checked out in a different aircraft should be reviewing the POH or AFM. Note the gross weight, useful load, V-speeds, physical dimensions and procedures, especially best glide. If appropriate, compare it to the aircraft you have the most experience in and note the differences. For example, a late-model Cessna 172 has a higher gross weight than the late 1950 models.

Pay special attention to the differences because this can help you avoid negative transference, which is when a pilot follows a habit from flying a familiar aircraft, yet it is the wrong thing to do in the transition aircraft.

For example, when the private pilot who had only flown his family’s Cessna 182 was getting a checkout in a flight school Cessna 172, he configured the C-172 for takeoff using 20 degrees of flaps. The go-around procedure for this model of C-172 was full power and flaps to 20 degrees, so I wondered if something had been lost in translation. When asked why he added 20 degrees of flaps for takeoff, he replied that it was standard procedure in the C-182 for short-field takeoff, and his airline pilot/CFI father taught him to use this technique on the runway that measured 3,650 feet. That was a negative transference. 

Many flight schools have a policy that includes the renter doing an open book test covering the systems, procedures, and airspeed of the aircraft they will want to fly. When filling in the answers, it is important to note where you got your information from—for example “Page 3, emergency procedures, C-182 POH.” One of the worst things you can write is “My CFI told me,” followed by referencing a random site located by Google. Part of being a pilot is knowing how to use FAA-approved sources, like the POH. After the test is completed, you will review it line by line with an instructor, and if that goes well, it is time to fly.

Airplanes, like people, have their quirks, and these quirks can bite you. The airspeed indicator in round-dial aircraft is a good example. In pre-1976 airplanes it is not uncommon for the airspeed to be calibrated in miles per hour. Most modern aircraft are calibrated in knots, and some have airspeed indicators that show both. Make sure you know which value is where, and which one you will use.

Note: If most of the fleet has airspeed indicators marked in one value and single aircraft marked with the other value, you can almost guarantee there will be some challenging landings when a pilot uses the wrong value. They see the needle on the number but don’t process whether it is in knots or miles per hour. If the pilot is accustomed to touching down at 60 knots and doesn’t recognize the airspeed indicator is calibrated in mph, they will be touching down at approximately 70 mph, which could be festive to say the least. Going the other direction, 60 mph translates to approximately 52 knots, and an approach at this speed, if it is below stall speed, can result in a hard landing. This is why many flight schools add a placard to the panel reminding the pilots of the values to be used.

While carburetors were removed from the automobile market in 1986, making them a rarity in cars on the road, you still find them in older aircraft. It is imperative that the pilot understand how the carburetor works, why it is prone to icing, and how to address this by the application of carburetor heat.

This is important even if you are flying in a part of the world that doesn’t have much moisture and a cold day is 60 degrees Fahrenheit, because it is significantly colder inside the device when it is in use.

The fuel injection system also needs to be understood. The engine start procedure for an aircraft with fuel injection is significantly different from a carburetor-equipped aircraft, so make sure you read and follow the directions of the checklist.

One of the most noticeable differences between older and more modern POHs is the amount of information they contain. The older ones are significantly thinner with less detailed information, especially when it comes to aircraft performance. In the post-1977 POHs, there are multiple pages of charts that spell out metrics rather than one or two that make the pilot interpolate.

If the aircraft is original and pre-1967, the instruments may be scattered as opposed to the standardized “six-pack.” Additionally, the knobs for the throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat may all be the same shape and color. In later models of the aircraft, often each knob got a different shape. If you find an original 1950-era Cessna 172, note the flat, round knobs. The later models have a square-shaped knob for the carb heat, a round knob for throttle, and a round knob with ridges for mixture, etc. There were color changes as well.

When you transition between a high-wing and low-wing aircraft, note the difference in sight picture. Also note that if the low-wing aircraft has retractable gear, you need to know where to look to verify the landing gear position. “Three in the green (lights), one in the mirror” is a phrase you may learn.

The fuel systems can be different as well. High-wing aircraft often have the fuel tanks in the wings and rely on gravity to get the fuel to the engine. If you get the airplane inverted or in a spin (and the fuel sloshes to the outside of the tank), expect engine stoppage.

In a low-wing aircraft an electronic or engine-driven fuel pump is used. Read the directions for the engine start, noting where to look for fuel pressure. Note the procedure for prolonged taxi on warm days to avoid getting vapor lock, which involves intermittent use of the fuel pump. Also note the process and timing for switching fuel tanks. Just touching the selector valve doesn’t do it–it—has to be repositioned.

Note the placards on the fuel selector—left, right, off, and both—so when you reposition the selector, you get the result you were expecting. On some of the older Cessna 170 series the top of the fuel selector is “both” and the bottom is “off.” This is opposite on some later models.

There is a big difference between flying G1000 (which is basically two computer-monitor-sized screens) and the smaller Garmin, Avidyne, and Dynon products. It’s the same information, but you must learn what buttons to push and knobs to turn to reach it. It is very much like cooking in someone else’s kitchen—you need to know where to find the oven mitts and utensils before you need them.

This is the queen mother of gotchas. Always double-check the amount of usable fuel per the POH and then add 2 gallons to that to be safe. Remember the only time you have too much fuel is when you are on fire. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident reports are filled with examples of poor fuel management that is sometimes caused by the pilot overestimating the amount of fuel remaining, unreliable fuel gauges, or confusing the information from another aircraft.

If you fly multiple similar but different aircraft, make yourself a reference card by writing this pertinent information for each one. This will be very helpful as there can be variation in empty weights, engine start procedures, V-speeds, fuel capacity and selector positions, and more. Make a review of the card for that particular aircraft part of your standard preflight procedure.

Many people do transition training when they buy or are shopping for a new-to-them airplane. This often begins with the pilot contacting their insurance company to ask what they would need to do (training wise) for the company to cover them.

According to Kim Skipper, an underwriter for Avemco with 38 years experience, says the company takes a phone call at least once a day from someone who is considering buying an aircraft, often a model they have never flown before, and want to know what they will need to do to receive coverage.

“Always check with your insurance company before you buy the airplane,” says Skipper, adding that you should also double-check to see if the CFI who will provide instruction has experience in that aircraft and the insurance carrier will cover them. “Don’t assume any CFI can do it.”

Many aircraft, especially the higher-value aircraft such as Cirrus and Beechcraft Bonanza, have organizations that specialize in transition training for new owners.

“The training can be as little as one to two hours or as many as 10, depending on experience,” says Skipper. “Sometimes we hear from a newly minted Cessna 172 pilot who wants a Cessna 340 or 421, or they go out and buy a turbine. The most challenging calls are when someone [has] very little experience or no experience, not even a private pilot certificate. With a new airplane and a low-time pilot, the risk is so much greater.”

Pilots who do extra training beyond the flight review every two years often find they qualify for a discount from their insurance carrier. So, it pays to train on a semiregular basis.

Doing transition training in an aircraft that’s new to you can also be a fun way to satisfy the requirements for the flight review per cFAR 61.56. The regulation requires most pilots complete at least one hour of ground and one hour of flight training. 

While the checkout will likely take much more than those two hours, it will give you more options as an aircraft renter, increase your overall piloting skills, and if you are working toward a career in aviation, having experience in multiple makes and models can make you more employable. 

This column first appeared in the January Issue 954 of the FLYING print edition.