Hello,In low temperatures I must turn on the Pitot Heat to avoid freezing my instruments, but what should be the problem if I always leave it on ? Thanks,Ulisses

I don't know if it's ever happened, but if you're flying in 50*F skies, with the pitot heat on (which is hot enough to burn your hand if you grab it), there's a possibility of melting down the whole contraption. Not too good if you need to know how fast you're going.

Hi Ulisses,Normal procedures for transport category aircraft is to turn on the pitot heat just before takeoff. Then they are left on until the efter landing check list. The heated pitot probes are designed to operate with constant heat applied when flying regardless of OAT. The main reason for turning them on and forgetting about them is to negate the possibility of forgetting to turn them on when in icing conditions.Cheers,JohnBoeing 727/737 mechanic

:-lol hahaha That reminds me of a story, when I was working in Abbotsford (CYXX) as a Ramp Rat, this guy I worked with was telling me one of his 1st days working, it was in the winter right, so the pitot heat on a Westjet 737-200 is on, so :-lol lol he touches it, "Hmmm strange, it's not hot" so then he grabbed it "AHHHHHH!" :-lol LMAO haha and this guy Scott (WJ AME) is there staring at him in awe :-lol lots of those little stories :-hahBest Regards Derek Beal :-wavePROUD RUSSIAN/CANADIAN! :D

In GA aircraft you will burn out the element that does the heating...

Hi aca_dia,Very true for GA. Much less to do in GA than transport category so forgetting it is less of a problem.Cheers,JohnBoeing 727/737 mechanic

Regardless of the element, I'd rather have the alternator output amperage for something else, if the pitot heat isn't needed. I've installed a heated pitot on my experimental aircraft, and a bright annunciator light to remind me that it's on.L.Adamson

My initial post was in regards to GA aircraft.

Thanks guys...Now for FS2002 I think you can keep it on for the rest of your life and no problems...Ulisses

Nope, it won't overheat the graphics adaptor...Alex

Alex, your killing me here!!! ROFLMAO!!:-lol

If the aircraft model is good, the instruments should stop to work by pitot overheating...or not ?Ulisses

Hi Ulisses,it may depend on the aircraft. As for the Meridian, its checklists remind to turn on PITOT HEAT and if not, you are warned with an AMBER flag.Hope this helps!

My Debonair was originally equiped with a generator-it was later modified with an alternator.The pitot heat is one of the biggest drains on the electrical system-indeed if I want to check the alternator I usually click the pitot heat and watch for a drop on the needle.It is possible to overstress the alternator on my plane-running everything, and then turning on both the landing light and pitot heat can be enough to cause my alternator not keep up-at least initially-and when cycling the gear with both these items on there will for sure be a brief discharge. That is the reason I added the two red light warning system on my panel that warn of any kind of discharge or even belt slippage-this is one thing I often have to manage in my aircraft. Often in the winter if the plane has set a while in the cold weather I will have to manage my electrical use for heavy drainers like the pitot heat until the battery gets fully charged up again.Therefore on my plane at least-I turn the pitot heat on shortly before entering clouds, and turn it off when exiting, or when I feel pitot icing may be a problem. Leaving it on all the time will just task my electrical system.http://members.telocity.com/~geof43/Geofdog2.jpg

I'm curious to know if in FS2002 the clouds can affect the pitot or only low temperatures...Ulisses