Developing Personal Limitations

[kodoz]

So I started with the limitations in my solo endorsement, but other than wind, visibility, and ceilings, what goes into developing your personal limitations? For limitations that aren't specified by an endorsement, how do you go about setting your limits without just arbitrarily picking numbers or conditions? Those of you who are instructing, do you have your students write down their limitations?

[Gomer Pylot]

I'm not sure how to answer this. I've never had any personal limitations written down. I just go with what I'm comfortable with at the time, and this can change from day to day, because everything is inter-related, and everything affects everything else. Some days I feel very alert, and some days I'm not. As a general rule, my limits are whatever is in the limitations section of the flight manual and in the company ops specs, but sometimes I back off from that. You have to decide at the time how far is far enough, and I can't tell you how far that is.

[Goldy]

what goes into developing your personal limitations?

 

 

Here's one. I make sure I dont have any alcohol..not 8 hours before I fly, but at least 12 hours before I fly, and thats a simple glass of wine. Try not to drink anything 24 hours before a flight. Also, if you have a cold, feel tired, or pop a non prescription decongestant...dont fly. No sense spending money when you really want to be in bed..,...and like the other post says, you won't be at the top of your game, which will not help you build confidence...and that is the one goal of flying solo...building confidence.

 

If youre flying solo, probably with a 15 knot wind limitation, thats probably ok if you land into the wind. If you have to hover/land crosswind or downwind, and if you are flying something light...like an R22, you may want to stay away from any crosswinds over 10 knots, it can get away from you pretty quick, and you can run out of left pedal at a 5 foot hover in hot conditions...

Edited September 13, 2007 by Goldy