Pilot seeks clarification on GLENN9 SID

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Keith Smith
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Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Pilot seeks clarification on GLENN9 SID

Post by Keith Smith »

http://www.pilotedge.net/recordings/hou ... _17510.mp3

Cirrus flying the Glendale9 SID out of Van Nuys (KVNY). Controller instructs pilot to join the VNY 095 radial and then resume the departure. The pilot sees a discrepancy on the chart graphic vs the chart text and wisely seeks clarification. This is excellent use of ATC resources.

I suspect the discrepancy he saw was the 090 heading for the lost comms procedure vs the 095 radial which is what the 090 heading will eventually intercept.
RFiery
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2011 9:47 pm

Re: Pilot seeks clarification on GLENN9 SID

Post by RFiery »

Actually this was a case of pilot overload. Here is the story behind the radio calls:

I was flying the Eaglesoft SR22 with the Reality XP Garmin 430 stack. This was my first time flying with a new installation of the Reality XP unit.

Loading the flight plan went fine including the loading of the Glendale 9 SID into the unit. I put in the first heading for the SID I needed to fly into my heading block on the Avidyne PFD - 250. I put in my expected rate of climb of 1300 FPM. I had the VOR frequency for VNY loaded and active for the SID and I MISTAKENLY dialed in 090 for the course on my VOR. It should have been 095. I quickly looked at the graphic (I guess) and just dialed it in. I then armed the flight director and it indicated a climb and a left turn just like I expected.

Then I took off and on climb-out engaged the autopilot. Well, it kept climbing and turning and was not obeying my heading bug selection even though everything was correctly engaged (I later re-installed the SR22 and the problem was resolved). Of course right about this time ATC interrupted my confusion as I was disabling the autopilot and transitioning back to handflying the plane. They wanted me to switch to approach. Of course I am right handed and I have a joystick and a mouse on the right side of the keyboard (unlike the real Cirrus with the stick on the left and the stack on the right). So I turned sideways made the switch and checked in. Then as I was in the process of trimming the plane and getting back on to the correct heading, ATC gave me the heading for intercept and the radial of 095 which didn't match my instruments. I knew something was up and had my hands full (in other words, I could not reset my IPAD with Forelight on it to easily read my chart) so I used ATC to help me out. This allowed me to focus on flying the airplane and not busting my clearance - the old Aviate, Navigate, Communicate in that order.

If this was a real world flight, I would have let ATC know about my A/P failure if I was behind the airplane and just ask for vectors until I was caught up. In this case, I was good once I got the correct radial dialed in.

All in all, a great simulated experience with real-world benefits. I have had this happen for real in Boston Class Bravo airspace - told them I needed vectors due to an autopilot malfunction when they gave me an intersection that was not along my routing. No problem at all...

Rick
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