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Backup

I was out recently with a friend/neighbor/CFI, brushing the rust off some basic skills. After 20 or so minutes of slow flight, stalls, steep turns and some erratic, uncoordinated maneuvers purporting to be Lazy 8s, we rolled straight and level for a few minutes to chat and move away from a cloud deck.

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The author experienced a partial failure of his primary vacuum-powered artificial horizon, highlighting the critical need for reliable backup flight instrumentation, especially for IFR pilots.
  • It is crucial to install backup instruments powered by a different source (e.g., electrical backup for a vacuum-powered primary) to ensure continued flight safety and dispatch reliability in case of a system failure.
  • Installed backup instruments, ranging from dedicated electronic units to retaining traditional systems when upgrading to glass panels, are highly recommended over less reliable and non-primary-legal app-based solutions.
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I was out recently with a friend/neighbor/CFI, brushing the rust off some basic skills. After 20 or so minutes of slow flight, stalls, steep turns and some erratic, uncoordinated maneuvers purporting to be Lazy 8s, we rolled straight and level for a few minutes to chat and move away from a cloud deck.

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