Search Results for: oxygen

What, you may ask, is a middle altitude? A wiseacre might say that it is the airspace between low and high altitudes and he would be right. The highest level for the middle might be Flight Level 250. The aircraft certification standards change above that altitude. Or it might be Flight Level 230 where air […]

As I write this, the annual Sun n Fun Fly-In is ongoing at the Lakeland (Fla.) Linder Regional Airport, less than two hours away from me by car. I spent opening day there and will be returning as soon as I put the finishing touches on this issue. Even sun, fun and airplanes must wait when deadlines approach. My full day on the show grounds was spent mostly shopping. Events like this are great opportunities to stock up on airplane consumables-I bought some spark plugs, hydraulic fluid and other odds and ends at great prices-as well as drool over the latest and greatest offerings from a wide range of vendors. Owning and operating an airplane is never for the faint of heart, and finding good deals on parts and supplies leaves more scarce cash laying around for important stuff like $5.50/gallon fuel and unscheduled maintenance.

While in process of checking the individual oxygen masks during an annual inspection and five-year O2 bottle re-certification, a technician heard a very faint sound of a gas leak in the overhead interior paneling of the aircraft. After pulling the headliner for a closer inspection and plumbing in low-pressure nitrogen for troubleshooting, the technician narrowed down the “hiss” to a line just forward of the cabin door (p/n 5100107-46). To access this line, which passes through a structural beam in the overhead, it was necessary to drill out approximately 40 rivets securing a thin honeycomb panel to the overhead (structure). Above the panel is the ducting supplying the cabin Wemac vents. The line as pictured has been cleaned up and the corrosion removed for clarity. The corrosion occurred where the ducting passed under it. The ducting was removed to facilitate line removal, and was found to be totally deteriorated.

When Piper announced back in early November that it was going to produce an unpressurized, roughly $750,000 version of its Mirage six-place pressurized piston single, the reaction from the media was, well, downright tepid. At face value it seemed as though Piper was merely trying to lower the price point of its million-dollar-plus, cabin-class, pressurized […]

Air traffic controllers have an unenviable job, at least as far as pilots are concerned. Even though theyre well-paid and do their work inside, theres too much stress, the consequences of being wrong can be too high and they have the FAA for a boss. Trying to fit a 200-knot airplane in behind one doing only 100 knots is just one of the challenges many controllers face daily; for the most part, pilots can be oblivious to whats happening on the other end of the frequency. But pilots sometimes need to be more assertive, especially when ATC asks them to do something with which theyre not comfortable. Part of the problem pilots face when deciding whether to comply with ATC instructions and requests is the controllers presumed ability to write up a violation. Too, the very concept of a “controller” can be intimidating. Finally, most pilots understand the system and their role in it; in turn, theyll often try extremely hard to help out a controller, on the theory theyll get helped out next time.

A few years ago, as a relatively low-time private pilot with a brand-new instrument rating, flying a normally aspirated piston single in northern New Mexico, I decided that before I venture into the mountains on my own, I should take a mountain flying course offered by a local CFII. The three-day program was extraordinarily valuable, particularly to a low-time lowlander like myself. One thing we did made a huge impression on me; Id like to pass it along under the general heading of hypoxic stupidity. After taking off from Telluride, we headed back to Taos “over the ridge,” taking us to approximately 14,000 feet. About the time we actually got that high, the instructor told me to shed the oxygen, start the panel timer and give him reciprocals to headings hed give me. Normally, I can do that in my sleep, and for the first 1 minutes, I complied.

It should be a simple question. After all, it seems like almost every classroom, hangar, shop or production area has posters reminding people that “Safety Comes First” and to “Be Safe,” “Fly Safe” and “Work Safe.” Yet when I ask the people attending my Preventing Human Error seminar to define safety, to explain how to […]

When I earned my first jet type rating more than 25 years ago it was just assumed that I knew how to fly and could pass the course. If I couldn’t, the check ride would find my shortcomings, and I would be out the door. The training was one size fits all, sink or swim, […]

Happily, the days of a dealer tossing the keys to a new owner and wishing him luck are gone, at least for most of the industry. The delivery process today, even for light airplanes, is extremely involved. Before a new owner leaves the factory with his brand-new, shiny flying machine, he’ll have to sit down […]