Tag: Flysto.net

365 FlySto: Bringing Airline-like Flight Analysis to General Aviation

Max Trescott talks with Patrick Lienhart about FlySto.net, a platform designed to bring Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) capabilities to general aviation pilots. They begin by explaining FOQA, a tool used by airlines to analyze flight data, identify trends, and enhance safety through proactive measures. FOQA has played a crucial role in maintaining the stellar safety record of Part 121 airline operations.

What is FOQA?
Patrick describes FOQA as a system that collects and analyzes flight data from various aircraft systems. It helps airlines identify safety trends before they become incidents, allowing training departments to address issues before they lead to accidents. FOQA data encompasses parameters such as altitude deviations, speed variations, and operational limits. Airlines have used FOQA for decades to prevent unsafe practices, and FlySto aims to bring similar capabilities to GA pilots.

Introducing FlySto
Max highlights how Safety Management Systems (SMS) are now being mandated for charter operators in the U.S., creating an opportunity for GA pilots to adopt FOQA-like analysis tools. FlySto enables GA pilots to analyze their flights independently, offering insights into performance, adherence to standard operating procedures, and areas for improvement. Pilots can review their flights at any time and compare data without external grading pressures.

How FlySto Works
Patrick explains that FlySto processes avionics data to provide an in-depth look at flight performance. It offers a range of perspectives, including:

  • 2D and 3D views: Displaying flight paths for situational awareness.
  • Cockpit HUD (Heads-Up Display) view: Simulating a PFD for post-flight review.
  • Graphical analysis: Allowing pilots to correlate factors such as cylinder head temperature (CHT) with airspeed and other parameters.

    Uploading and Accessing Flight Data
    FlySto supports multiple data sources, including:

  • Avionics systems such as Garmin and Dynon.
  • Engine monitors.
  • ADS-B track logs from FlightAware and ADS-B Exchange.
  • Navigation apps like ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot.

Pilots can upload flight data directly to FlySto, enabling them to visualize their performance over time and track improvements.

Reviewing and Comparing Flight Data
One of FlySto’s standout features is its ability to compare an individual pilot’s performance against fleet averages. For example, a Cirrus SR20 pilot can compare their traffic pattern with the model’s average performance, identifying deviations in lateral spacing, power settings, or approach speed. The system does not judge performance but helps pilots recognize differences and make informed adjustments.

Approach Scoring and Landing Analysis
FlySto includes an approach scoring system that assigns a percentage score to landings based on predefined parameters such as:

  • Speed at 50 feet above the runway.
  • Rate of descent.
  • Lateral deviation.

Pilots can compare their approach scores against fleet averages or customize scoring criteria for personal tracking. Additionally, FlySto provides landing limits, helping pilots ensure they meet safe approach parameters.

Customizable Flag Rules
FlySto allows pilots and fleet managers to set custom alerts, known as flag rules. These can highlight exceedances such as:

  • High CHT for extended periods.
  • Excessive bank angles at low altitudes.
  • Starter engagement exceeding manufacturer recommendations.

Flight schools and aircraft owners can use these features to monitor aircraft usage and detect trends that may indicate unsafe practices or excessive wear on components.

Aircraft Performance Analysis
FlySto offers real-world aircraft performance analysis by comparing actual takeoff, cruise, and landing performance against POH (Pilot’s Operating Handbook) figures. This helps pilots verify if their aircraft is performing as expected or if factors like engine wear are affecting performance. The system interpolates POH data for real-time conditions, including weight, density altitude, and wind, revealing discrepancies between expected and actual performance.

Video Integration
A unique feature of FlySto is its ability to overlay flight data onto recorded cockpit videos. Pilots can upload a video of their flight, and FlySto will synchronize it with flight data to display an instrument panel overlay. This feature helps pilots visually correlate their actions with aircraft behavior, enhancing debriefing sessions.

ADS-B Traffic and Wake Turbulence Awareness
FlySto integrates ADS-B traffic data to enhance situational awareness. Key functionalities include:

  • Collision detection alerts: Identifying potential midair conflicts.
  • Wake turbulence tracking: Showing aircraft positions from the past few minutes to alert pilots of potential wake encounters.

Patrick shares an example where a Cessna 206 unknowingly crossed the wake of a Boeing 787 three minutes after it passed, illustrating how FlySto can help pilots recognize invisible hazards.

Weather Data Integration
FlySto archives real-time METARs, radar imagery, and significant weather advisories, enabling pilots to review historical weather conditions during flight debriefs. Pilots can overlay radar images onto their flight path to assess weather avoidance strategies and storm development timelines.

Future of FlySto and Pricing
Currently, FlySto is free, but a subscription model is planned. Pricing will remain accessible, with basic access available at no cost for students and low-hour pilots. More advanced features, such as fleet tracking and in-depth analytics, will be available through premium subscriptions, though costs will remain modest compared to overall flying expenses.

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345 Cessna 182 Prop Strike: Interview and Analysis using Garmin G3X data and FlySto.net

Max talks with listener Jim about his prop strike incident what occurred while landing his Cessna 182. The interview provides an in-depth look into his flying background, the circumstances leading up to the incident, and his reflections on what might have gone wrong, along with considerations on how to prevent such an event from happening again.

Jim began his aviation journey in January 2012, when he took an introductory flight that ignited his passion for flying. By 2013, he had earned his private pilot’s license and accumulated around 760 flight hours, primarily in Cessna 172s. He also had some experience flying the Cessna 182, including retractable-gear versions, at his flight school in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2021, he obtained his instrument rating and soon after relocated to New Mexico. With no convenient rental options nearby, Jim joined a flying club in Las Cruces, about two hours away from his home, where he continued to maintain his currency in flying.

In August 2022, Jim purchased his own aircraft—a 1969 Cessna 182—largely because it matched the year and model of the plane he had flown at the flying club. He upgraded the plane’s instrument panel with a Garmin G3X system and other modern avionics, and by the time of the incident, he had been flying this aircraft for about four months, accumulating around 300 hours in various Cessna 182s.

The flight in question was a return trip from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, where Jim and his wife had celebrated her birthday with a relaxing spa day. They departed for Silver City, their home airport, in the afternoon. The weather was slightly challenging, with some showers and turbulence over the mountainous terrain. Jim, mindful of his wife’s discomfort with turbulence, took a longer, less direct route to avoid the roughest air.

As they approached their home airport, the conditions seemed favorable. The winds were mild, and Jim planned a straightforward landing on runway 26. He recalls that the winds were reported as 310° at 6 to 8 knots, which aligned well with his intended landing direction. However, what began as a routine landing quickly turned problematic.

Jim had been using the autopilot (a Garmin GFC 500) for much of the flight but had disconnected it before entering the pattern to hand-fly the landing. He admits that he had been struggling with slightly flat landings in recent months and was particularly focused on making this landing as smooth as possible. To ensure a stabilized approach, he flew a long downwind leg before turning onto final.

During the final approach, Jim followed his usual procedure: maintaining 94 miles per hour on the downwind leg and reducing speed to around 78-80 miles per hour on final. He applied 30 degrees of flaps for the landing, which was standard for him at this airport, given the long runway.

As Jim neared the runway, everything seemed under control. He was lined up with the runway and descending steadily. However, just before touchdown, the situation deteriorated rapidly. Jim describes feeling a sudden yaw to the left and a significant bank to the right, followed by a pitch down. Although he managed to get the plane on the ground, it was immediately clear that something had gone wrong—the propeller struck the ground.

The Garmin G3X recorded the data from the incident, and Max uploaded the flight data to Flysto.net. He and Jim then watched a replay of Jim’s aircraft in the traffic pattern. Max noted that the aircraft was unstable with a 1200 foot descent rate at 500 feet AGL, but that by 300 feet, the aircraft was stable. Later, Max identifies some incorrect control inputs, which are revealed in the podcast episode, that led to the prop strike. Max comments that using Flysto, they were able to definitively identify the issue that led to the prop strike. Without the data recorded by the G3X, they would have been only able to speculate on several potential issues that might have caused the prop strike.

Jim also talks about the aftermath, which includes getting the aircraft repaired, and getting some additional flight training while the aircraft is down for maintenance, which is expected to take at least four months. There are also some surprising insurance ramifications that Jim talks about.

Despite the incident, Jim remains committed to flying and views this experience as an opportunity to become a better and safer pilot. The interview ends with Jim encouraging other pilots to share their experiences, both good and bad, as a means of learning and growing within the aviation community.

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Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let’s you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk.
Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset $1199
Lightspeed Zulu 3 Headset $899
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Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk

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Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself. Yes, we’ll make a couple of dollars if you do.

Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android.

Check out Max’s Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/

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