Search Results for: Cessna 172

Technique

What Is Minimum Fuel?

Fuel-management procedures are entwined into every aspect of flight, from planning to a periodic scan of the gauges while youre zipping along at cruise. But even the best-laid plans can easily fall victim to diversion, delays and even overly-optimistic thinking.

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Charts & Plates

Hocus Focus in Vermont

Tucked in a seam between the Green and Taconic Mountains, with the Adirondacks just to the west across the Champlain Valley, Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport (KRUT) serves a variety of aircraft from biz jets to homebuilts. The appeal of Vermont scenery and skiing tempts vacationers into Rutland despite the surrounding hills.

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Squawk Box

Actuated

The left main gear downlock actuator failed while the airplane was airborne and the landing gear was in the up position. Since the lock collapsed into its locked position before the gear was down, the left main gear was out of sequence. The result was that the pilot followed the flight manual procedure of pumping the gear fully up and then making an emergency gear-up landing.Part total time: 3379 hours

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Avionics and Gear

Briefing: December 2014

In October, Gulfstream announced it will add two new wide-cabin business jets to its line: the Gulfstream G500 and G600. The first G500 is already built, and taxied to the unveiling event in Savannah, Georgia. The company also revealed a 70-foot-long mockup of the G600, which it displayed a week later at the NBAA convention. Both jets carry up to 19 passengers in extra-wide cabins, and both can fly up to Mach 0.925, the same top speed as Gulfstreams G650 and G650ER. The cockpits feature active control sidesticks and touchscreen avionics. The G500 will start deliveries in 2018, with the G600 to follow a year later, the company said.

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I.L.A.F.F.T

I Learned About Flying From That: Saving Face

Through the magic of the Internet, I learned an important lesson recently about a flight that I piloted 40 years ago this month. I was a lucky kid who grew up around small airplanes. My father, a physician, had a 90 hp Cub on floats that he kept on the St. Lawrence River in front […]

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Weather

Have Some Compassion

Why is it when youre trying to do something good, the weather always turns bad? Todays mission is a Patient Airlift Services (PALS) flight from Montpelier, Vermont to Boston, Massachusetts. Your quick hop from your home base in Burlington, Vermont already gave you a decent instrument warm-up.

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Squawk Box

Electrical

Aircraft departed but pilot could not retract landing gear. Pilot diverted to nearby airport without problems. Maintenance found a broken wire at the gear selector switch. Repaired wire, ops checks good.Part Total Time: 15,557 hours

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Features

Long-Range Risks

After learning to fly, many pilots want to use their new skills to go places. Whether they rent or own an aircraft, and whether it’s a high-performance or a simple fixed-gear single, many pilots want to use their machines for on-demand transportation. It’s a natural desire for a freshly minted private pilot, and for a long time was general aviation’s bread and butter.

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Features

All About Ailerons

Last month in this space we tackled “Proper Rudder Use,” pointing out that in many situations involving angles of attack (AoA) at or near the stall, rudder and not aileron should be the control used to maintain both heading and a wings-level attitude. We also explored how rudder is used to compensate for adverse yaw, and presented a simple exercise pilots can use to demonstrate both its proper and improper application.

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News

Young Eagles Crash Ends in Tragedy

What started as a fun-filled Young Eagles event on Saturday at the Buffalo-Lancaster Airport in Lancaster, New York, with philanthropic pilots giving rides to young potential aviators, ended in tragedy as a Cessna 172 and an experimental Searey collided. The pilot of the Cessna and his 14-year-old passenger died in the crash that resulted from […]

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Pilot in aircraft
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