Fuel in the Tank

Running out of fuel in flight is the worst of the stupid pilot tricks and the easiest to avoid. Good pre-flight fuel calculation with an adequate safety margin to account for unexpected winds or route changes should allow every pilot to land with an hour or so in the tank. If you have landed with less than that, then you narrowly avoided an in-flight emergency. 

Some pilots top off the tanks before each flight, which certainly gives them the most available fuel for that flight. Weight and balance issues aside, this practice can lead to fuel complacency, without a clear understanding of real fuel burn. Strive for more. Be sure to dip your tanks before and after your flight, and learn to better estimate what your aircraft actually consumes in different phases of flight. And be sure to land with plenty of fuel in the tank as a sign that you planned your flight well.

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Stop and Watch the Gate Close

Our aircraft parking areas include Zone B, the area right of the hangars that is accessed through a vehicle gate. It's a little unusual - walking through a vehicle gate using a remote entry key - but treat it the same way you treat access to other secure airport safety zones. Safety requires your awareness.

Stop and watch the gate close. This keeps the ramp secure from lost pedestrians, stray pets, terrorists, and anyone else that doesn't belong behind the safety fence. It may seem like an inconvenient waste of ten seconds, but it is required safety procedure for all airport personnel.

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Bay Flight - Say Type on Initial Contact

On initial contact with any facility, aircraft type is always included. Type communicates flight characteristics which are important for ATC to know. This is true regardless of whether you use callsign or tail number. If you get a radio handoff from one controller to the next, or if you hear the voice of the controller change as one takes over, use the aircraft type on the next call to re-introduce yourself.

Once communication is established, repeating aircraft type in each call is up to you. Sometimes restating the type on certain radio calls can help other pilots on frequency understand what type of aircraft to look for. Again, this is true regardless of whether you use a callsign or a tail number.

"San Carlos Tower, Arrow Bay Flight 17, Crystal Springs 2000, landing with Kilo."