TRAINING & RESOURCES

Pilot Safety Committee Update – Jay Duncan

A gentle reminder as we approach summer that density altitude will play more of a role in our operations.  The higher performance that we have been experiencing in the colder months are a thing of the past as we approach the warmer and more humid days.  As you know high altitude, high temperature, and high humidity create less dense or thinner air that contribute to high density altitude and impact aircraft and engine performance. While most of us don’t regularly deal with high terrain, we most certainly will experience high humidity and temperature conditions, which significantly degrade aircraft performance and longer takeoff and landing distances and shallow climb gradients. One trick is to try to fly earlier or later in the day when at least the temperature is not as much of a factor.  Regardless,  it doesn’t hurt to pop open that POH and consult your performance charts for impact to density altitude (see example below) in general as well as for your specific aircraft.