AirOps Best Practices
Division Chief - Wilson Riggan DVC-OA

Written lists (Worksheets) help to keep pilots and observers in complete situational awareness.

The AUXAIR Flight Ops Worksheet is, a job aid, and not an "official form".  It is designed to serve as a mission checklist and to help capture information needed to fill out post mission paperwork. Several districts and many individual pilots have their own version of such a worksheet.  This example has proved helpful to some pilots and crews.  Feel free to use it as it is or to modify it in any way.

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Below is a kneepad list developed for use during Search and Rescue.  Click here for .PDF copy.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Dual Controls

Q:  Can a Beech Bonanza with a throw-over yoke be accepted as a facility?  Is it considered to have dual or single flight controls?   Is there any restriction on its use as a facility?

A:  When in doubt, take a look in "the book."  In this case, the Operations Policy Manual (OPM) is the correct "book." 

According to the OPM, there is no blanket requirement for dual flight controls in order for an aircraft to be accepted as a facility.  However, there are a couple of situations which do require dual controls.

• The first restriction is found in Annex 1, Section I, 2. b. - "Dual flight controls, but not flight instruments, are required for night or IMC flight."
• The second restriction is found in Annex 1, Section J, 2, which outlines facility requirements for performing Air Intercept Exercise Support Missions.  Dual controls are required for all of those missions.

The intent of the dual control requirement is to insure that the safety pilot is able to intervene quickly when necessary, should the first pilot lose situational awareness in these demanding flight conditions. Thus, an aircraft with single controls may be a facility, but it is restricted from being used in IMC or at night.  Also, it may not be used for AI Exercise Support Missions.

Q: Is the Bonanza with a throw-over yoke dual or single control?

A:  If you count the number of flight controls, there's only one set, isn't there?  That single set of controls may be used in either the right or left seat, but not in both at the same time.  That doesn't lend itself to having the second pilot assist in an immediate crisis.  Thus, it would appear that the Bonanza with throw-over yoke is a single flight control aircraft.  It may be used as a facility, but it may not be used at night, nor in IMC and not for AI Exercise Support Missions.

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Useful web sites for flight safety.

Here are a couple sites worth making available to any USCGAux aviators:

http://www.usahas.com/BAM/map/map.asp?Cmd=INIT
Bird Avoidance Model...very timely info on bird activity for your area.  Factors in historical data, and current migration and weather info. http://www.seeandavoid.org info on military bases around the country.  Airspace, training routes, etc. part of the Mid-Air Collision Avoidance program