Aviation Safety Presentations
Last Update: October 1, 2007
Aviation Safety Presentations
Steven H. Philipson
I regularly give presentations on a variey of aviation subjects as
part of my duties as an FAA designated Aviation Safety Counselor and
senior pilot for the Civil Air Patrol. A partial list of these talks
appears below. I am available to give these presentations throughout
the San Francisco Bay area and on occasion give talks at other venues.
If you would like to have one of these talks given to your group, please
contact me at the address or phone number below.
Presentations Available Immediately
The following presentations are complete and can be given on short notice.
Surviving an Encounter with Mountain Wave (1.5 hours)
Mountain Wave is a powerful but common weather phenomenon. It is the
primary factor in several fatal airplane accidents every year. Learn how
to recognize it, avoid it when possible, and how to escape when you fly
into it.
Engine Failure on Takeoff: Impossible and Possible Turns (1.5 hours)
Conventional wisdom says that if an engine fails on takeoff it is
impossible to make a 180 degree turn to land back on the departure runway.
Yet we know that while some pilots who attempt this fail and crash, others
succeed and land successfully. This presentation looks at current research
and provides guidance on optimum technique, how to tell when the maneuver
can be successfully completed, and when it is advisable to attempt it.
You Need an Edge: New Techniques for Collision Avoidance (1.5 hours)
Collision avoidance is largely based on the concept of "see and be
seen". It often doesn't work very well. This talk looks at the
characteristics of the human visual system and the kinematics of aircraft
motion. New techniques for visual lookout are discussed which make traffic
detection more effective and reliable. In addition, techniques for last
ditch collision avoidance are discussed.
Search and Rescue: How to Use It; How to Be Found (1 hour)
This presentation takes a detailed look at the search and rescue system
in the United States. This information will help you to use the system
for maximum effectiveness so that you can be found and rescued as quickly
as possible following an aircraft accident or off-airport landing. Topics
include: Flight Plans,Search and Rescue Response, ELTs / SARSAT, Search
Procedures, and Procedures for Pilots. This talk qualifies as a Safety
Seminar for the FAA Wings program.
Rules of Thumb for Mountain Flying (1 hour)
Safe operation of light aircraft in mountainous areas requires
knowledge of those performance factors and techniques which allow
pilots to extract maximum performance from their aircraft. This
presentation covers rules of thumb on decision making, wind and
weather evaluation, aircraft performance optimization, and emergency
procedures. These rules are part of the Civil Air Patrol's Mountain
Fury training course for mountain search operations. This info is
applicable to all types of mountain flying.
Cockpit Resource Management for Light Airplane Pilots (45 minutes)
CRM is all the rage with the major airlines and military but gets
little attention in light airplane operations. Learn the basic principles
of CRM and how you can apply them to your advantage.
Wings Across America:
Crossing the US from Corner to Corner, Coast to Coast and Back
Again (1.5 hours)
A trip across a continent is a major undertaking but can be incredibly
beautiful and rewarding. Hear how one pilot faced the challenge in planning
and flying a trip all the way around the US, and learned many interesting
lessons along the way.
Survival Kits: You bet Your Life (45 minutes)
Airplanes can cover a lot of ground fast, but in the process often
fly over forbidding and inhospitable terrain. Crash victims have faced
tremendous challenges to survive even when within sight of civilization.
Learn what you should carry in an aircraft survival kit to help make you
be a survivor instead of a statistic.
Presentations under development
The following presentations are under development and require several weeks
advance notice.
Lies my Operating Handbook Told Me
Pilots rely on their aircraft operating manuals to determine whether
flight operations can be conducted successfully. Unfortunately most
handbooks contain at least some incorrect, misleading, or contradictory
information. This talk looks at some of the problems in aircraft
handbooks and can help you avoid being trapped by them.
Search and Rescue: How to Avoid Becoming a Target
It's the same old thing, year after year -- airplanes still crash for the
same reasons they did many years ago. Search and Rescue pilots have a good
idea where to look for missing aircraft (targets) because the crash site is
often predictable. Learn what these pilots know so that you can anticipate
the conditions and situations that lead to such accidents and thus avoid
getting into them.
Aerodynamics for Maximum Performance: How to get the Most Out of
Your Light Airplane
Inside every airplane is better airplane struggling to get out. When
operated properly it uses less runway, climbs and cruises faster, has more
range, turns tighter, and uses less fuel. Learn the principles of
aerodynamics and aircraft performance that can help you find that better
aircraft and make it your own.
Glider Techniques for Airplane Pilots
Glider pilots have some powerful knowledge -- they can take an unpowered
aircraft that can on its own can only descend, and make it climb to
tremendous heights and cruise for hundreds of miles. Learn how these
techniques can be applied to flight in powered airplanes to make them climb
faster, cruise quicker, with extended range.
About Steve
Steve Philipson is a pilot who wears many hats. He's a veteran of some
24 years and 6,000 hours of flying experience who holds commercial and
Gold Seal instructor certificates for airplane single and multi-engine
land, instrument airplane, and glider. He's been a SAR (search and
rescue) pilot and safety officer with the Civil Air Patrol for 18 years.
Steve's also an independent aviation researcher and author with published
work on flying airplanes in mountain wave conditions and mountain search
flying. In addition, he's an FAA designated Aviation Safety Counselor who
regularly delivers presentations on aviation safety.
Steven H. Philipson
936 Erica Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94086-8211
USA
408-530-9584
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