Once in a while, I get in the airplane and it's almost like my head is outside of the cockpit. This afternoon I went out for a short local flight, looked for a moose and did a few beach landings. Nearly perfect weather. Had not been in it for at least 3 weeks. I found myself going through the motions, landings were decent, was coordinated throughout. But it just seemed off...like I was going twice as fast. I remembered the high level of confidence I felt the last time I parked it, and wondered what the Hell happened. I was being flown, not the other way around.

Days like this make me appreciate the fact that I can take it back to the hangar and go home, and make me further appreciate how the pros do it safely day in and day out.

Know the off feeling...... And the Zen.

Gump

A couple of weeks ago I hopped in the plane to go do some touch and goes at another airport and refuel while I was out there. I operate out of a class C airport. I called up ground like I was sitting in a class D airport and proceeded to step all over my crank getting the class C clearance and taxi instructions. If I'd have sat for a minute and tightened up the nut behind the yoke before I cranked the motor I'd have been ok.

It was not the first time I'd operated from a C. Shoot, I've been in and out of B airports more than a few times for work. Just wasn't thinking about what I needed to do.

It happens. Better to learn from stuff like what I did the first time, though.

In your case, it's good to analyze the contributing factors: did you eat? Skip your coffee? Have a big night last night? My performance is directly related to things like these.

I'm not sure what your hour level is or how often you fly, but sometimes "off" days do happen. The more proficient you are, the less "off" the day will seem to other people, though.

gbflyer wrote:...Days like this make me appreciate the fact that I can take it back to the hangar and go home, and make me further appreciate how the pros do it safely day in and day out.

agreed

The ol' CPU doesn't always run at the same speed, unfortunately. I know the feeling well.

I have a theory that one of the most common "unknown" factors affecting many pilot's performance is often dehydration.

The effects of dehydration are very subtle, but can be quite profound. And many pilots intentionally dehydrate themselves to avoid/minimize pee breaks.

That's my excuse, anyway.......

MTV

Hydration is the single most important practice anyone can perform for good cognizant performance. It keeps the blood thin which distributes oxygen more easily both to the brain and muscles.

Sometimes people spend much of their day torturously dehydrated and do not know it. Happened to me on several occasions and consciously now try to avoid it by having water on the checklists.

Also, sunscreen and lanolin help prevent fatigue for me.

Shit, do you guys know how many airplanes I almost crashed...

With seats full of pax, and a bladder full of pee, trying to get down and stopped and jumping from the airplane as the prop is winding down.

All so I can make a sub 5 second 40 yard dash to behind the nearest Conex box before I wet my Carharts.

Dehydrated my ass.

Gump

Yuri Gagarin had similar issues.

http://fyeahcosmonauts.tumblr.com/traditions wrote:...This is a strange tradition. After getting into their sokol suits and before reaching the launch pad, the bus stops and the crew pees on the tire. This is supposed to have started with Gagarin...

I'm with Gump on the dehydration thing. I drank coffee until heat of day and then water. I got out to take a leak every couple of hours.

We did ten flight hour days for a few weeks in Cambodia. Mind gets fuzzy and landings get hard because you just don't care about finesse.

Why is it you can never find a place to piss when you arrive at an unfamiliar airfield. It seems like I am always wondering around looking for some place or something to piss on. I wonder if anyone has ever been awarded a public urination ticket at an airport. And then if you are lucky enough to find a proper restroom it's often locked with some silly code like the first 3 numbers of the ASOS frequency. I don't remember that number, I just flew in and I am about to piss my self. I sure as hell ain't going to make it back to the aircraft to look it up.

And then there are the popular spots. I wonder how many of you have pissed behind the fuel shed at Yakutat AK.

Excuse me, I need to go take a leak.

Gatorade is your friend...

First as a hydrator, then as a urinal Does a more perfect solution to this equation exist?

8GCBC wrote:Hydration is the single most important practice anyone can perform for good cognizant performance. It keeps the blood thin which distributes oxygen more easily both to the brain and muscles.

Sometimes people spend much of their day torturously dehydrated and do not know it. Happened to me on several occasions and consciously now try to avoid it by having water on the checklists.

Also, sunscreen and lanolin help prevent fatigue for me.

Am I correct in assuming that higher altitude flight for several hours, 10 to 12 K anyway, also adds to dehydration? It sure seems like it to me anyway. Then, to make it worse, once I realize I forgot to put the water jug (I always fly with some, in case I have to hike out somewhere) where I can reach it in flight, I sure as hell am not going to burn off all that alt. just to get a drink. I had a 5 hr leg two days ago with just this situation. I finally set down off airport just to get at the water, and while also taking a whizz noticed my urine (sorry) had a pretty dark color to it, isn't that some kind of indicator of dehydration also?

I just had a thought: I could easily hang my CamelBack behind the seat, and have easy inflight access to the water without having a water jug rolling around on the floor along with the other junk already down there. That'd be the camera and the PortaJon (TM). Between being on crane jobs and being a pilot, I often have to take a leak in "unapproved" areas, no big deal if one is smart/tricky/sneaky about it, as long as you keep "it" outa sight.

I'm constantly amazed how after an unusually long stretch of no flying, like 10 days, how I feel a bit out of it and almost behind the airplane. As compared to the usual several times a week flying general sharpness. The same exact thing happens to me running the crane, the cure for both is to fly and run the crane often, a win win!

courierguy wrote:

8GCBC wrote:Hydration is the single most important practice anyone can perform for good cognizant performance. It keeps the blood thin which distributes oxygen more easily both to the brain and muscles.

Sometimes people spend much of their day torturously dehydrated and do not know it. Happened to me on several occasions and consciously now try to avoid it by having water on the checklists.

Also, sunscreen and lanolin help prevent fatigue for me.

Am I correct in assuming that higher altitude flight for several hours, 10 to 12 K anyway, also adds to dehydration? It sure seems like it to me anyway. Then, to make it worse, once I realize I forgot to put the water jug (I always fly with some, in case I have to hike out somewhere) where I can reach it in flight, I sure as hell am not going to burn off all that alt. just to get a drink. I had a 5 hr leg two days ago with just this situation. I finally set down off airport just to get at the water, and while also taking a whizz noticed my urine (sorry) had a pretty dark color to it, isn't that some kind of indicator of dehydration also?

I just had a thought: I could easily hang my CamelBack behind the seat, and have easy inflight access to the water without having a water jug rolling around on the floor along with the other junk already down there. That'd be the camera and the PortaJon (TM). Between being on crane jobs and being a pilot, I often have to take a leak in "unapproved" areas, no big deal if one is smart/tricky/sneaky about it, as long as you keep "it" outa sight.

I'm constantly amazed how after an unusually long stretch of no flying, like 10 days, how I feel a bit out of it and almost behind the airplane. As compared to the usual several times a week flying general sharpness. The same exact thing happens to me running the crane, the cure for both is to fly and run the crane often, a win win!

Most people ignore or mask the signs of dehydration. Good for you carrying water (Idaho can get hot and dry!)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehydration