A2A Simulations Sale? I demand one!

[LAdamson]

My portable GPSs always had a fuel count down timer. Very handy, as it would flash, until reset.  You definitely want to switch tanks.  These low wing planes don't feed from both, like some high wing Cessnas.

[Alan_A]

@Christopher Low - am coming late to this, but if you ever have those startup issues again, check your starter circuit breaker. It pops sometimes and you have to reset it. Caught me out until I figures out what was going on. Hope this helps.

[Christopher Low]

Thanks, Alan. I will make a note of that.

[pilottj]

Quick start in a Cherokee, entering aircraft after preflight, making sure fluids are good and fuel selector on fullest tank (I prefer left if both full), its a pretty simple follow it with your virtual hand moving from center cockpit to left, then back around for after start checks.

 

door shut,

flaps up,

parking brake set

mixture rich,

throttle 1/4,

carb heat off,

mags both ,

circuit breakers in,

lights set,

fuel pump on (listen for pump sound and verify fuel pressure)

battery on,

prime 2-3 shots,

check area CLEAR

press starter,...engine should catch within ~3-5 seconds.

adjust throttle to 1000RPM,

verify oil pressure rising.

throttle 1200RPM when engine stabilized

lean to peak RPM

throttle 1000RPM

Avionics on,

fuel pump off

primer locked

headphones on

fuel to opposite tank

 

Allow engine to warm while you do pre taxi/instrument checks

 and off you go.

 

As far as swapping tanks, I usually start on left, switch to right for taxi, switch to left before runup, start timer on takeoff, after 20 mins, switch to right for 40 mins, back to left for 40 until landing, switch to fullest tank during approach checks.

 

The GTN and ADF have timers.  Using time is the preferred way in real life since fuel gauges aren't always accurate...especially in older airplanes.  If you want to use the gauges anyway, just go from the left, to the first tick mark, then switch to right, let it drop two tick marks, back to left for two tick marks..etc.

 

Cheers

TJ

[BillCusick]

I have tried compensating for it with the rudder (and aileron) trim, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. I have also tried adding a passenger in the right seat, but again......no change.

 

Chris, this is a confidential post for you only.

 

No one else is not allowed to read this...

 

Thank you so much for asking the questions which I have always wanted to ask. This is new territory for me also. This Cherokee is so real.... :Whew:

 

Don't tell anybody, but it took me two days to find that that fuel tank switch near my left knee made a difference...I am learning so much from this thread. Next time I go up with my PPL pal, I'll know what to do should he become incapasitated...er..er..ill during the flight...

 

I also have a stability problem. Any aircraft I fly tends to change its COG rather dramatically. I can't seem to stabilise the trim. I did have a problem with the blurries, but an extra glass of the amber liquid (None of that malt rubbish - it's scotch) cured those. Now everything is blurred.

 

...I suppose a fourth glass might improve the trim, do you think ?

 

..Incidentally, my eyesight blurries even occur on a Dell 30" at 2560 x 1600. Do you think it might be the whiskey ?

 

 

Ha !

Bill

 

Poppet - thanks for such a great thread !

 

[Poppet]

The rudder should already be set to compensate for left drift while at cruise flight speeds. It will never be perfect for other airspeeds, and the plane will yaw a bit, unless you compensate with the pedals, or adjust the rudder trim.  A lot of small planes have no adjustable rudder trim or aileron trim. The rudder trim is just adjusted by hand, for cruise flight airspeed.  I always used fuel from the left tank first, to compensate for no right seat passenger. Then I'd switch tanks every half hour.  As to the auto-pilot, do what you like. I had a two axis solid state gyro auto-pilot in my Van's RV6. I used it often, for those flights of an hour or perhaps four hours.  The altitude function was especially nice, when flying 30 miles through Class B airspace. 

I have been preoccupied for the last couple of days, but by reading the posts between Christopher and LAdamson its very clear i have a lot to learn and i'm learning loads through these posts. 

 

It also gives me great delight to learn Christopher has stopped guntering his Cherokee Accusim engine B) 

 

 

Quick start in a Cherokee, entering aircraft after preflight,

 

Fantastic info and tips TJ,  ill be using these myself. 

 

I'm going to tackle that failed journey again from Sumburg Scotland into main Scotland.  My destination in Scotland yet is unclear but making it to the main land will be a wonderful start. 

[Christopher Low]

EGPC Wick would be the first stopping point, Elaine. It has an asphalt runway 6000 feet in length, so plenty of room for the Cherokee!

[Poppet]

Wick Airport would be perfect Christopher,  right at the entrance for Scotland.  Quick fuel refill + Check and carry on down the coast to Aberdeen,  very nice. 

 

 

TJ,  if i could just ask one maybe two questions 

 

 

lean to peak RPM

 

The Leaning thingy:   I usually keep mine at about 60% or 62% lean.   When using Carb heat,  i would Lean some more. 

 

 

 

carb heat

 

Carb heat:  I understand that Carb heat is an extremely complicated thing and there's no one answers that fits all.   But in short i would use Carb heat in short burst whilst monitoring the outside temperature.  I would use full Car heat while descending or obviously in very cold temperatures. 

 

Emergency protocol:    If i run into power problems in the air,  part of my emergency protocol is to go full rich + Check full selection tank + Pumps on + Carb heat on. 

[pilottj]

Wick Airport would be perfect Christopher,  right at the entrance for Scotland.  Quick fuel refill + Check and carry on down the coast to Aberdeen,  very nice. 

 

 

TJ,  if i could just ask one maybe two questions 

 

 

 

The Leaning thingy:   I usually keep mine at about 60% or 62% lean.   When using Carb heat,  i would Lean some more. 

 

 

 

 

Carb heat:  I understand that Carb heat is an extremely complicated thing and there's no one answers that fits all.   But in short i would use Carb heat in short burst whilst monitoring the outside temperature.  I would use full Car heat while descending or obviously in very cold temperatures. 

 

Emergency protocol:    If i run into power problems in the air,  part of my emergency protocol is to go full rich + Check full selection tank + Pumps on + Carb heat on.

 

Hey Elaine,

 

Leaning the mixture on the ground is good to prevent spark plug fouling.  While normally you don't lean the engine until above 3000ft....remember this is actually based on density altitude, as with most charts, not true altitude.  Dry and warm climates will typically have high density altitudes....density altitude is altitude corrected for non standard temp and pressure.  Say field elevation is 2000ft, and outside temp is 30C, with altimeter setting of 30.02.  29.92 - 30.02 = -0.10 -> -0.10 * 1000 = -100 -> -100 + 2000= 1900.  Pressure alt = 1900, use a chart or E6B to calculate density alt.

http://www.weatherwise.org/sebin/p/w/queries1.jpg

Density Alt ~ 3900.  So with this example, even tho your plane is at 2000ft, it will behave as if it were at 3900ft.

 

So for leaning the mixture, never assume just because you are at or near sea level you shouldn't lean the mixture.  Leaning to peak RPM is a quick way to get a reasonably accurate lean setting regardless of conditions.  I have had fouled plugs before in real life at sea level because I didn't lean properly, so I then applied the leaning techniques regardless of elevation and that solved the problem.  There is nothing wrong with just 'guessing' and pulling it back to 50-60%, I usually do that after landing, but the above method is good if you want to be more precise, depending on the airport conditions.

 

Now, when you do your runup, if below 3000' mixture full rich, if above, re-lean to peak power, then in a little bit (usually in about half from the peak lean point) for a good take off power mixture setting. 

 

For the Carb heat, I test it during the runup, watch for slight RPM drop.  I only use it when RPM is low (>~1500RPM) during the landing phase, then turned off during rollout or go around.  If power starts to drop during flight, carb heat is a good first item to check, especially if you are in conditions ripe for carb icing.  Otherwise use for emergency troubleshooting per checklists.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Cheers

TJ

[Christopher Low]

How high above sea level does carb icing become an issue? I rarely get above 4000 feet when I am flying around the UK.

[pilottj]

Icing can happen at any altitude, all there needs to be is visible moisture...ie clouds, rain, fog, mist...etc and temp from about 2C to -20C.  Give yourself a reasonable safety margin.  Same thing with Pitot heat, establish a safety margin for yourself.  I turn it on anytime in IMC or at night and outside temp is below 10C.

 

For anyone interested in the effects of icing, I highly recommend this AOPA safety video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKVeCukAO64

 

Cheers

TJ

[Poppet]

Thank you TJ for that,  much appreciated.  Its darn hard work flying the correct way :rolleyes:    A lot of fun though,  thanks again for all your info