Search Results for: Cessna 172

I enjoyed Decembers article, “Cold-Weather Ops.” I wanted to pass on a suggestion for virtually all pilots flying piston engine airplanes. The article states, “When you first get to the airplane, put the ignition key on the panel so people can see it….” The article goes on: “Checking to see if the engine is warm often involves rocking the propeller.” The reason given is that “with the key out of the ignition and readily visible, you are reasonably assured that the mags are not hot.” Wrong and possibly dead wrong! I was fortunate to be trained by a high-time 18,000-plus-hour flight instructor. He ingrained in me the importance of doing a mag check during shutdown, prior to pulling the mixture: Turn off one mag and then the other to see if the RPM dropped as it should. Although a mag check should be done during the pre-takeoff run-up, there is no guarantee that a wire might not come loose during flight. If that were to happen, the mags would still be hot and rocking the propeller could be catastrophic!

At times during my training it often seemed the phrase most often uttered by the instructor was, “Watch your airspeed,” or its more-assertive variant, “Mind your speed.” If I didnt respond immediately, he continued his urgings, which usually escalating in volume and octave. That I eventually figured it out is evidenced by a piece of FAA paper in my pocket. And that was just the primary training. In talks with other many fellow aviators, we found a shared memory of instrument instructors who seemed almost sadistic in their ability to distract us with airspeed warnings when all we wanted to do was center the needles or roll out on the correct heading. We all recalled the endless grilling as our instructors drilled us on our ability to quote, hit and hold target speeds. Of course, by the time wed hit instrument training, we all understood and absorbed the message-one which remains clear as crystal years later: Managing all of the multiple, simultaneous demands of flying becomes considerably easier once I could instinctively and automatically manage power and pitch to achieve the correct airspeed for each condition.

I had no preconceived notions or expectations as I rolled into the parking lot at the northern end of Lake Washington. The Seattle sky was a typical mixture of grey confusion, the clouds in various meteorological forms. A small swath of orange glowed in the distant northwest, a feeble reminder that the earth still revolved […]

Two wings. Check. Horsepower up front (or maybe in the back). Check. Liquid money in the tanks. Check. Somewhere to go? Hell, yeah! Hang on a minute. As absurdly simple as it sounds, it is a fact that different aircraft serve different roles. Sometimes, the plane, pilot and mission dont match up any more. We know how it goes. You go through primary flight training in a tame little trainer, perhaps a short-legged Cessna 152 or 172, or maybe a Piper Warrior. Youve become accustomed to the frequent fuel stops and finite loading capabilities, and know every avgas-fueled diner within 100 miles. But maybe youve started a family, gained a baby or just want to get out of your own backyard without stopping for fuel quite as often. Maybe something faster, more comfortable, something that will get you over the terrain and out of that miserable chop. And if you need to cover half the country in a day, youll definitely need a faster ride. Or not. If youve passed the point in your flying or professional career where you no longer need that go-fast airplane, youre a good candidate for a lower fuel burn and lower cockpit workload. Too, if your medical renewal isnt much of a gimme any more, perhaps the Sport Pilot and LSA world can open new doors to you as others close.

The price of gas, the price of gas. The shaky stock market and the hammered housing industry. These are the circling vultures of today. Suddenly, after years and years of moving up, making more, having more, feeling wealthier, I’m sensing the roller coaster slipping out from under me. On the internet, my trolling activity for […]

Transforming our elegant aerial machines into land vehicles is arguably the single most difficult aspect of flying. Many flight hours are spent practicing approaches and landings, occasionally followed by smooth deceleration to a safe, controlled stop. Brakes help make this possible, but if you ignore or abuse them they can bite back in a most spiteful way. The brakes in most general aviation airplanes involve relatively simple systems, but theyre not as robust as an automobiles. For one thing, most personal airplanes arent equipped with an anti-lock brake system. For another, automobile brake components are larger, heavier and more powerful. Yet, we often find ourselves in an airplane on or near the ground traveling at highway speeds. And, like so many tasks associated with aviation, theres also a right and wrong way to use an airplanes brakes. Lets start with how to inspect them.

Never have I regretted spending money on airplanes. The costs for upgrades and maintenance may have been prodigious, but they always felt good. The airplane was either improved or restored. I never questioned these investments. Same for hangar, insurance and fuel. I wanted the airplane protected indoors, I wanted to protect the people flying in […]

“On final,” states an unidentified submitter, “the student selected 30 degrees flaps; a loud pop was heard, the r/h flap came down to 30 degrees, but there was no movement at the l/h flap. The aircraft landed without incident. Investigation revealed the swaged ball end broke from the remaining cable (p/n 0400107-146).” The submitter suspects high time and cycles as contributing factors to the failure.

If you’re looking for a bargain on a 30-year-old piston single with a run out engine, well then, you could be in luck; the prices are down and the inventory’s up. It’s a classic example of supply and demand. But assessing the market for used (or if you prefer “pre-owned”) piston singles is a lot […]

June 1, 2006, Port Townsend, Wash.
de Havilland DHC-3T
At approximately 0830 Pacific time, the float-equipped airplane was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing in Puget Sound. The Airline Transport pilot and his 10 passengers were not injured. The flight was being as a Part 135 air taxi; instrument conditions prevailed. The pilot later said that as he approached Port Townsend, the flight encountered lowering ceilings and visibility. Water conditions were glassy smooth with no visual definition. As he began to turn back, conditions worsened and he elected to perform a precautionary landing on the water. With no visual definition, he misjudged the landing and…