THREE SECOND RULE
FRANK STAROPOLI
CFI II MEI ASMEL RH
ATP AIRPLANE HELICOPTER
SCANNING
• This presentation will hopefully help you,
THE PILOT IN COMMAND, to think about
extending your skills in VFR and IMC
conditions.
• THREE SECONDS OR LESS TO
INCORPORATE YOUR SCANNING INTO
A SAFER FLIGHT!!!!
How long would you take your eyes
off of the road while driving at 60
MPH?
–For every 10MPH, the general
rule for following the auto in
front of you is one car length or
approximately 2 to 3 seconds to
stop safely.
SCENERIO 1
• You are driving 70 MPH on a major road.
Speeding? Possibly.
• Your cell phone calls you.
• NEED to answer the phone???
• You NEED?? to text message.
• You NEED?? to dial a number.
• You NEED?? to change the radio, CD.
• You NEED?? to take care of a back seat
situation.
DO YOU NEED TO???
All of these situations are
happening every day as one drives
their auto.
• Are these the only situations?
• Can you name a few more that you know
about?
• What do these scenarios suggest that the
driver is doing or going to do?
• Might we accomplish the above safely?
EYES ON THE ROAD
• If a driver takes ones eyes off of the road
for approximately 2 to 3 seconds, the
possibility or odds for a major problem
increase dramatically.
• Traveling at 10MPH you would need 1 car
length to safely stop without an incident.
• WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH
FLYING?
SCENERIO 2
• You are flying IFR/VFR .
• Need to change a COM/NAV frequency.
• Need to pick up the pad/pen/pencil you
dropped.
• Need to copy a clearance.
• Those back seat situations.
• Where did I put that emergency checklist?
• Need to change fuel tanks.
All of these situations are
happening every day as one flies
their airplane or helicopter.
• Are these the only situations?
• Can you name a few more that you know
about?
• What do these scenarios suggest that the
pilot is doing or going to do?
• Might we accomplish the above safely?
SO WHAT AM I SUGGESTING?
• FLY THE AIRPLANE or HELICOPTER
• .
• FLY THE AIRPLANE or HELICOPTER.
OPTIONS
• Do you have an Autopilot?
• NO!!!
THEN….
• I am suggesting that you take care of the
situation that you are involved in for no
more than 3 seconds at a time
• FLY THE AIRCRAFT
FLY THE AIRCRAFT
• HOW DOES ONE DO THIS SAFELY?
3 SECONDS
• No more than 3 seconds to accomplish A
task before checking the flight instruments/
traffic.
• SAFE?
• WHICH INSTRUMENTS????
• HEADING >>DG
• ALTIMETER
• ATTITUDE INDICATOR
3 SECONDS
• 3 Seconds in a standard rate turn will give you
approximately a 10 degree change in heading if
you are not paying attention.
• SAFE?
• TRY 6 SECONDS—20 degree or more.
• PROBABLY NOT A STANDARD RATE TURN
ANYMORE!!!!!!
• 3 seconds at 500ft/min will give you
approximately 25 to 50 foot altitude change.
CFIS, CFIIS, STUDENTS
• What about any pilot?
• The 3 second rule is a SUGGESTION
designed to enhance SAFETY!
• EFFICIENT?
• YOUR CALL!!!!!!
• TRY IT. YOU MIGHT LIKE IT.
ANOTHER SUGGESTION
• Students, pilots!!!!
• Having a hard time
landing?
• A few of our pilot
brethren have on
occasion have had
hard landings usually
after flaring low or
high, poor timing.
• Have you?
3 SECOND RULE
• Airspeed slightly above 1.2x Vso ON
APPROACH. MAINTAIN A/S
• FLARE.
• Place the aircraft in the landing configuration.
• This usually requires a slightly high nose attitude
to prevent the nose wheel from touching first.
• YOU WILL FLOAT.
• If A/S IS TOO LOW, THERE WILL BE NO
FLOATING.
3 SECOND RULE
• COUNT 3 SECONDS. IF THE MAINS HAVEN’T
TOUCHED.
• ADD 100RPM OR 1” MP
• IF THE NOSE RISES, YOU ADDED TOO MUCH
THROTTLE, EASE OFF the throttle.
• Maintain landing configuration.
• Do not pull on the yoke more than necessary.
• (nose rises out of landing configuration)
• SQUEAK! SQUEAK!!
• REQUIRES A LONGER RUNWAY.
ANY QUESTIONS??
• FRANK STAROPOLI
• CFI II MEI
• fstar@starman1.com