Stu Simpson’s “Decisions” article last month posed a few questions. He was looking for some feedback from any members who wished to chime in with their thoughts. Below appears the questions followed by member responses received

Questions:

“Based on last months article, I want to know what you think of a decision I once made, and what you’d have done in the same situation.

This wasn’t a major life changing choice, or a dangerous do-or-die scenario. It was nothing dramatic at all, but there was a chance that it could have mattered. It’s about a minorrouting change during a mountain flight. (See article last month)

Was my choice a good one, or bad? Should I have stuck to my original plan? Was the deviation minor enough that it really didn’t matter, or did it have a high potential to cause a great deal of grief for me and search responders, had I gone down?

So, what do you think? What would you do?”

Response submitted by Brian Taylor:

“I would take the deviation, My reasons are as follows:

• The highway pass is bad enough in a car, especially when traffic is heavy, never mind trying to land an airplane on the winding road; offroad landing is into the trees orrocks.
• When an engine quits an airplane is a glider, as those 2 pilots that experienced it, that I have talked to described; they landed on roads even though the engine quit a fair way from the landing spot. From regularly reading the Aviation Safety Letter, it seems landings in tall trees are often fatal due to the fall afterwards, into water is worse. Thus I would be more inclined to fly high overhead (good to 12,500).
• Not necessarily applicable, but from other reading about amateur built aircraft accidents (in Kitplanes) amateurs are slightly better fliers but not as good mechanics as with certified GA, so we need to be more vigilant with engine and systems maintenance.
• From what I have read, a 406ELT is only moderately better than 121.5, so the SPOT or something like it is a great idea.” BrianTaylor (no mountain flying experience)

BrianTaylor (no mountain flying experience)

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Response submitted by James Mcpherson:

“It’s good to know about alternate routes in the mountains. Two front doors and two back doors are betterthan one.

I have flown that Castle Junction to Radium route a few times (a couple of times over Sunshine and down the Simpson River to Kootenay Crossing too) down Highway 93 south. That section just before Radium is daunting.

Thanks for the alternate route… maybe a good way up to Golden too. It looks very safe if clear weather all around, but study the topos first.

I had a similar mental exercise flying down Lake Minniwanka last summer. In summer, that route is all over water, with no roads along the shore. In winter, the lake is frozen over, therefore in my view safer. There are no roads on the Eastern part.

I had looked at topos at Carrot Creek pass where it leads out of it to near Harvie Heights. This, in fact, is the historic route into the Bow before Minnewanka was formed by dams away back when.

Only a few trails on Carrot, but I took it as I could see my way clear to the Bow Valley and it cut off quite a bit of over-the-water distance. I had put that as a possible route into my fight plan. FISE is available from the Banff area though for enroute changes.

Best default plan is to plan your route and fly your plan!”

JamesMcpherson