MART Vol. II MO/MP - NESA - Civil Air Patrol

for inquiring about fuel status once an hour. Then the pilot will review the taxi planand taxiway diagram, and assign crew responsibilities for taxi.Once everyone is settled in, organize the cockpit and review the "Engine Fireon Start" procedure.DepartureAlways use the checklists in CAP aircraft. Whenever possible, the observerreads the checklist items to the pilot; the pilot checks the item and repeats backaccomplishment of the item (i.e., the challenge-response method). The checklistshould remain close at hand so that it can quickly be opened to confirm andcomplete emergency items. The pilot should brief the observer on how to use theemergency checklists (e.g., read the bold face items first and then continue withthe rest of the items when directed).All crewmembers must wear their seat belts and shoulder harnesses at alltimes, unless other duties require their removal (e.g., taking photos).The greatest concern during taxiing is collision avoidance! An increasingnumber of taxi mishaps are the number one trend in CAP. Investigations revealthat pilots are: straying from designated taxi routes, not allowing adequateclearance, not considering the tail and wings during turns, taxiing too fast forconditions, taxiing with obscured visibility, distracted by cockpit duties, and notusing other crewmembers to ensure clearance.Review CAPR 60-1 requirements for ground and taxi operations (taxi nofaster than a slow walk when within 10 feet of obstacles; and maintain at least 50'behind light single-engine aircraft, 100' behind light multi-engine or jet aircraft, and500' behind helicopters and heavies). Go over the crew assignments for taxi,takeoff and departure. Use your aircraft lights as discussed previously.Go over the crew assignments for takeoff and departure and make sure eachcrewmember knows in which direction they should be looking during each.Remind the crew that midair collisions are most likely to occur in daylight VFRconditions within five miles of an airport at or below 3,000’ AGL! This means thatmost midair collisions occur in or near the traffic pattern. Since the pilot has onlyone set of eyes, this (and aircraft design) leaves several 'blind spots' that theobserver and scanner must cover -- particularly between your 4 and 8 o'clockpositions.Be sure and include the DF unit's Alarm light self-test in your scan duringstartup. The light should blink for several seconds; if it doesn't your unit may beinoperative. Also ensure that the DF, Audio Panel and FM radio are set upproperly. If this is the first flight of the day, perform an FM radio check. Selectyour initial VOR radial(s) and GPS setting (e.g., destination or flight plan).Obtain ATIS and Clearance (read back all clearances and hold-shortinstructions), and then verify the crosswind limitation. Set up the navigationalinstruments (e.g., VOR radials and GPS destination, entry points and waypoints).Obtain Flight Following.Once you begin taxiing the sterile cockpit rules begin; all unnecessary talk issuspended and collision avoidance becomes the priority of each crewmember.Sterile cockpit rules focus each crewmember on the duties at hand, namelyconcentrating on looking outside the aircraft for obstacles and other aircraft. Therules will always be used during the taxi, takeoff, departure, approach, pattern,and landing phases of flight; but the pilot or observer may declare these rules ineffect whenever they are needed to minimize distractions.188