S & S Aviation Flight School

Standard Operating Procedures

February 2019

ContentsStudent Requirements & Information..................................................................................3Instructor Requirements & Information..............................................................................4Solo Student Pilot Weather Minimums...............................................................................5Preflight...............................................................................................................................5Ground Operations...............................................................................................................5Traffic Pattern Procedures...................................................................................................6Cross-Country......................................................................................................................7Post Flight............................................................................................................................7Student Pilot Solo Flights....................................................................................................8Flight in the Practice Areas..................................................................................................9Maneuvers..........................................................................................................................11

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Student Requirements & InformationPrior to initiating flight training, S & S Aviation must receive the following items from the student (note: For the purposes of S & S Aviation standard operating procedures [SOPs], a student includes both student pilots and licensed pilots receiving instruction from S & S Aviation. Rules applicable to only student pilots will be specifically stated):

1. Signed aircraft rental agreement 2. Driver’s license 3. Proof of United States citizenship, which may be a passport or birth certificate.

This only applies to students seeking an FAA rating.4. Medical certificate (When available)5. Pilot certificate (When available)

Additionally: Each student will be assigned to an S & S Aviation flight instructor unless the student

has requested a particular instructor.

At any point during training, a student may request to be trained by a different flight instructor.

If a student or flight instructor has any personality conflicts or course progression difficulties, the issue will be brought to the attention of the chief flight instructor or owner of S & S Aviation.

In the event of an aircraft cancellation, students will give S & S Aviation six hours of notice or they may be charged for one hour or half of the scheduled flight time, whichever is greater. This does not include cancellations due to inclement weather.

Students should arrive at least 30-minutes prior to their flight instruction time as noted in the HoldShort flight scheduling program to receive ground instruction and obtain a weather briefing. Note that instructors may prescribe earlier show-times as necessary. Students may preflight the aircraft prior to their scheduled time in HoldShort if the aircraft is available.

Students will be reimbursed for fuel purchased while completing the long cross-country flight required for the completion of the private or commercial pilot license, provided they use S & S Aviation’s preferred long countries.

o The fuel purchase should include enough to ensure at least one-hour of reserve fuel on-board and does not necessarily need to be “topped off.”

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o Students will be reimbursed at the current S & S Aviation fuel rate for fuel purchased during a non-preferred cross-country.

Students are responsible for payment of all landing, airport, after hours, or any other associated fees.

Anyone who observes an S & S Aviation aircraft being operated in a reckless or unsafe manner is to immediately report the matter to the chief flight instructor, flight school administrator, or owner of S & S Aviation.

S & S Aviation reserves the right to refuse flight training or aircraft rentals to any pilot.

S & S Aviation aircraft do not contain approved floatation gear nor a pyrotechnic signaling device. As such, they may not be operated over water beyond power-off gliding distance from shore per §91.205(b)(12).

Students and instructors will work together to schedule their lessons through the HoldShort application, which is available at https://holdshort.com/.

Instructor Requirements & InformationInstructor pilots must comply with the following information:

Instructors will maintain training records for each student and store those records in the office filing cabinet labeled “Active Students.” It is highly recommended that instructors use the Gleim syllabi for the appropriate training program (private, instrument, or commercial) which S & S Aviation provides free-of-charge to the student and instructor.

Prior to a private pilot student’s first solo, the instructor will prepare a lesson for and conduct an introductory cross country flight to Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE). This introductory flight will include teaching the student how to contact Columbia Approach and instructing the student how to program the Garmin GNS 430 to fly direct to CAE. Instructional videos on operating the GNS 430 are available on YouTube.

Following a student’s first solo, the student’s primary instructor will conduct a stage one check in accordance with the Gleim syllabus.

Prior to endorsing a student for the practical test (check ride), students will complete a stage two check in accordance with the Gleim syllabus. The stage two check must be conducted with an authorized check pilot who is not the student’s primary instructor.

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Solo Student Pilot Weather MinimumsAll student pilots will use the weather minimums stated below for solo flight unless their flight instructor requires more restrictive limitations. Ceilings are above ground level (AGL) and NO scattered layers below are allowed. Students working toward a private pilot certificate are not to launch solo when crosswinds are in excess of 5-knots.

Practice Area – 5 statute miles visibility, 3,000-foot ceilings, and 5-knots of crosswind.

Traffic Pattern – 5 statute miles visibility, 1,500-foot ceilings, and 5-knots of crosswind.

Cross-Country – 5 statute miles visibility, 5,000-foot ceilings, and 5-knots of crosswind.

PreflightStudents must comply with the following procedures when conducting the preflight inspection:

Prior to each flight, students must conduct a weather review for their area of intended flight.

Students will conduct a preflight inspection in accordance with the aircraft’s checklist. CAUTION: All pilots may manipulate flight control surfaces only by grabbing along a rivet line. Manipulating the flight control surfaces between rivet lines over the long term will result in damage to the airplane.

If any non-documented maintenance discrepancies are found during the preflight, the student will inform someone on the S & S Staff. CAUTION: Students are prohibited from launching an aircraft with inoperative equipment.

Ground OperationsStudents must comply with the following procedures before and while taxiing:

Verify the area around the aircraft is clear before taxiing.

Conduct a brake check upon leaving the tie-down area.

Adjust the ailerons and elevator to compensate for the winds while taxiing.

Do not taxi faster than the pace of a brisk walk.

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Follow the taxiway centerline and never taxi between parked airplanes or over airplane tie downs.

Traffic Pattern ProceduresStudents must comply with the following procedures when flying any traffic pattern:

All takeoff and landings are to be performed into the wind.

Traffic patterns at Fairfield County Airport (FDW) are to be flown at 1,400 feet mean sea level (MSL) using left-hand traffic. This number is determined based on the field elevation (578’ MSL) plus the recommended traffic pattern altitude of 1,000’ AGL (Advisory Circular 90-66B), rounded to the next hundred feet.

At uncontrolled airports other than FDW, students will fly the traffic pattern using the airport’s traffic pattern altitude and preferred direction of flight as stated in the appropriate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Chart Supplement.

Except for the purposes of flight instruction and gusting crosswinds in excess of 10-knots, all landings are to be performed at full flap extension.

All landings will be flown to permit touchdown within the first one-third of the runway. This may be waived by an instructor pilot for the purposes of emergency procedures training. If unable to touchdown within this distance, the student must execute a go-around unless instructed by the flight instructor.

Student pilots are to enter the traffic pattern on a 45O downwind and adhere to the airport’s preferred traffic direction.

Student pilots are not allowed to perform touch and goes or stop and goes while flying solo.

Students will not taxi clear of the runway until at normal taxi speed. Do not use hard / maximum braking except in an emergency situation.

The preferred calm wind runway for FDW is Runway 22. Students should be aware that pilots not associated with S & S Aviation may be unaware and may not comply.

There are two hold short lines prior to Runway 4. The one nearest the runway is the correct one and the other one may be disregarded.

Cross-CountryStudents must comply with the following procedures when flying cross-country:

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Initial student pilot solo cross countries should be flown from FDW directly to Greenwood County Airport (GRD) and back. This is subject to the instructor's discretion.

The preferred long solo cross-country for private pilot students is FDW – Orangeburg (OGB) – Florence (FLO) – FDW. While at FLO the student shall complete the required 3 takeoff and landings at a controlled field. This is also subject to the instructor’s discretion

The preferred long solo cross-country for commercial students is FDW – Raleigh-Durham, NC (RDU) – Statesboro, GA (TBR) – FDW.

When possible, students are to use air traffic control and request flight following on cross-country flights.

Post FlightStudents must comply with the following procedures after landing:

Upon completion of every flight, students will record the Hobbs/Tach time, insert the control lock, place the cover on the pitot tube, chock the pilot’s side main gear, and tie down the aircraft.

If any maintenance discrepancies are discovered during flight, they are to be noted in the “Comments/Squawks” section on the airplane’s time sheet.

S & S Aviation checklists, airplane keys, and completed time sheets are to be attached to the airplane’s clipboard and returned to the front desk.

Students will immediately inform a member of S & S Staff if any of the items below occurred during flight:

o Abnormally hard landingo Excessive braking resulting in the skidding of tireso Tail strikeo Bird strikeo Collision with any object on the ground or during flighto Any operating limitation stated in the pilot’s operating handbook (POH) was

exceeded

Student Pilot Solo FlightsStudents must comply with the following procedures when conducting solo flights:

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Student pilots will ensure they have their medical certificate, student pilot’s license, and log book in their possession at all times.

Students will complete three “supervised solos” where an S & S Aviation flight instructor is present at the airport before the student is allowed to schedule themselves for solo flights.

Once approved for unsupervised solos, students should contact their instructor for questions regarding solo conditions.

Student pilot solo flight at night is not permitted.

Students will depart with enough fuel for the scheduled time plus one hour for flights in the local practice area.

When cleared for local solo flights, students must stay within 15-NM of FDW. This is more restrictive than the requirements in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §61.93 to prevent students from inadvertently entering CAE’s Class Charlie Airspace.

Students will inform a member of S & S Staff as to which practice area the student intends to use.

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Flight in the Practice AreasThere are two designated practice areas near FDW, both of which are identified in Figure 1. These are the northwest practice area and the northeast practice area. The information for each practice area contains physical and aeronautical boundary descriptions, ingress and egress routing, altitudes, and advisories. The physical descriptions are based on landmarks easily identifiable from the air. The aeronautical boundaries are based on the Class Echo Airspace surrounding FDW and Chester Catawba Regional (DCM). The advisories contain data on the Victor and Tango routes, as well as the approach holds and paths to airports that encroach on the practice areas.

Figure 1. S & S Aviation's Designated Practice Areas

Northwest practice area boundaries: o Boundaries

Western boundary: The Broad River. Northern boundary: Railroad tracks leading to Chester and DCM’s

airspace. Eastern boundary: U.S. Route 321. Southern boundary: FDW’s airspace and the power lines that cross

Lake Monticello.o Ingress to practice area: After departing FDW and reaching a safe

maneuvering altitude, fly a heading of 345O and exit FDW’s airspace. This heading will lead to roughly the center of the practice area. Announce

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intentions on FDW’s CTAF and perform clearing turns before beginning maneuvers.

o Egress from practice area: When ready to exit the practice area, determine the optimal runway, announce intentions on CTAF, fly in a general direction of southeast, and climb the appropriate altitude to enter the pattern.

o Altitudes: The floor of the northwest practice area is 500’ AGL and the ceiling is 9,500’ MSL.

o Advisories: Caution: The VC Summer Nuclear Power Plant is located 1-NM

south of the southern boundary (southern tip of Lake Monticello). Avoid flying near the power plant.

Caution: Victor 53 runs west of the Broad River with a minimum enroute altitude (MEA) of 4,000’ MSL.

Caution: Victor 66 runs through the northern part of the practice area with a MEA of 4,000’ MSL and a GPS MEA of 2,300’ MSL.

Caution: Tango 203 runs parallel to U.S. Route 321 inside the practice area with a GPS MEA of 2,400’ MSL.

Northeast practice area:o Boundaries

Western boundary: U.S. Route 321. Northern boundary: DCM and CLT airspace. Eastern boundary: I-77. Southern boundary: FDW’s airspace.

o Ingress to practice area: After departing FDW and reaching a safe maneuvering altitude, fly a heading of 000O and exit FDW’s airspace. This heading will lead to roughly the center of the practice area. Perform clearing turns before beginning maneuvers

o Egress from practice area: When ready to exit the practice area, determine the optimal runway, announce intentions on CTAF, fly in a general direction of south, and climb the appropriate altitude to enter the pattern.

o Altitudes: The floor of the northeast practice area is 500’ AGL and the ceiling is 9,500’ MSL.

o Advisories: Caution: Victor 66 runs through the northern part of the practice area

with a MEA of 4,000’ MSL and a GPS MEA of 2,300’ MSL. Caution: Victor 37 runs over the top of I-77 with a MEA of 4,000’

MSL and a GPS MEA of 2,400’ MSL. Caution: The instrument approach to Runway 22 at FDW crosses

through the center of the northeast practice area. Prolonged flight in the approach path of any airport should be avoided.

Caution: The hold for the instrument approach to Runway 35 at DCM runs along the western border of the northeast practice area. Aircraft

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in this hold can be as low as 3,000’ MSL, and can descend to 2,200’ MSL 4-NM south of DCM’s airspace.

Caution: The hold for the instrument approach to Runway 6 at Lancaster (LKR) crosses through the northern part of the northeast practice area. Aircraft in this hold can be as low as 2,200’ MSL.

ManeuversStudents must comply with the following procedures when preparing for, or while conducting, aircraft maneuvers:

While performing all flight maneuvers, students and instructors will ensure the airplane is not operated outside the limitations of the POH.

Students are to avoid maneuvering near the VC Summer Nuclear Plant located at the south end of Lake Monticello.

Prior to performing maneuvers, ensure traffic is displayed on the GNS 430. Use this equipment in conjunction with clearing turns to maintain a high level of situational awareness and increase safe separation from other aircraft. Caution: Not all aircraft will be identified on the GNS 430, so it is essential that the student visually clears the area prior to performing maneuvers. For example, aircraft without electrical systems will not be visible on the display.

Prior to initiating any maneuver, students are to complete two 90O clearing turns or one 180 O clearing turn.

Student pilots will not perform stalls, slow flight, or simulated engine failures without an S & S Aviation flight instructor on board.

During simulated engine failures outside the traffic pattern, a go-around is to be performed at a minimum of 500 feet AGL, unless further restricted by 14 CFR §91.119 (minimum safe altitudes).

When practicing short field landings, maximum braking is to be simulated only and not applied unless operationally necessary.

Soft-field landings are to be simulated only. Landings on grass or unpaved runways in S & S aircraft is not permitted.

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