Good pilots plan for the worst and hope for the best.
This morning's flight started out as any other with the first leg happening before the sun came up. My friend and I both planned to get about an hour of flight time while the other served as safety pilot. As I took over, just before the sun would begin break over the horizon, we noted a lower-than-expected voltage number on our engine instrument.
Hoping for the best, we planned for the worst.
Electrical Failure - now what?
We began experiencing an electrical failure with about 30 miles left to go.
Our radios began to cut in and out. We had already made contact with Air Traffic Control, so they knew where we were and that we had an issue. In a plan-for-the-worst scenario, letting someone know that information meant someone would be looking for us if our issues progressed and we couldn't make it back to our home airport.
Now we needed to focus on getting back on the ground safely.
Aviate, Navigate, Communicate
Pilots learn this phrase and rely on it in emergency situations.
Aviate - The engine was running perfectly, and without electrical power we still had everything we needed to fly for hours. Many aviation accidents go from bad to worse when the pilot forgets to focus on the most important task, flying the airplane. Since we had two pilots, I was able to calmly fly while my co-pilot worked on some additional tasks.
Navigate - Knowing where we were and where we were going was a priority. Losing electrical in our airplane also meant we lost GPS navigation, but we were able to navigate based on an iPad and a backup GPS unit called a Sentry. Even without this, we would have been able to navigate based on ground references.
Communicate - This was our biggest challenge, since our radios were failing in the airplane. Thankfully I had a handheld radio as a backup, and though the range was weak, we were able to at least communicate that we had radio issues.
Purchasing backup GPS units and handheld radios may seem like extra expenses when getting started, but today I was thankful to have both of them in the plane with me. The flight ended uneventfully, which is the best way to end a flight.