PlasticPilot.net

When I prepared my post about the new Cirrus Perspective, which includes G1000 and an upgraded autopilot, I read some info about an auto-pilot button labelled “LVL”, for wings-level. This sounded to me like the basic mode of most autopilors, I was even surprised that so many reports were even mentioning it.

It’s only when I read an AOPA news post calling it “emergency switch”. This auto-pilot mode is indeed a new and cool thing: it does bring the aircraft in wings-level and pitch-level from (nearly) any attitude ! As long as the bank does not exceed 75° and the pitch does not exceed 50° (both rather extreme…), pressing this button will make the autopilot restore wing and pitch level attitude.

Even if all IFR pilots are trained for unusual attitude recovery, this is not an easy thing. Turbulence in IMC can be challenging, and loss of spatial orientation is sadly not a seldom thing. So if everything else fails, this button can be a life saver.

Missing what this new feature is, and how good it is was for me a practical lesson about human performance. In the first report I read, it simply sounded like “that’s not really new…”. When I got additional information, my mindset turned towards “you guys are annoying me with that”.

I strongly sticked to my original idea, and simply removed that possibility that I could have a wrong understanding for the list of options. Which of the five dangerous attitudes do you recognize in that (more than one correct answer) ?

This was my personal “I learned about flying from doing that blog” lesson for today, and I’m not particularly proud about that. Hope it will help someone else.

UPDATE: Strangely, the editor of AviationWorld had the same kind of reaction, and also published about it here.

Pilots flying aircrafts with retractable landing gear must know three things: how to extend and retract it, the speed restriction for its operation… and the emergency extension procedure. As any equipment on board, the landing gear extension system can fail, and manufacturers have to plan an emergency system.

On the PA-32 Saratoga, the gear is operated with a dedicated hydraulic system, which is rather simple. When the gear must be retracted, the pump creates pressure on the appropriate side of a cylinder, which raises the gear. To extend the landing gear, the pump removes pressure, by moving liquid back in a tank.

One of the drawbacks in this system is that if pressure diminishes in flight, the gear can move, and the pilot gets a warning. This also re-activates the pump, which brings the gear in the “fully up” position. The first time it happens is always a surprise to new pilots !

The Bonanza uses a full electrical system. Gears are mechanically linked to a “master wheel”. When the wheel rotates in one direction, the links bring the gear up. When the wheel motor drives it in the other direction, the links bring the gear down. No pump, no liquid, no hydraulic circuit. The gear won’t move by itself, as nothing will move the master wheel.

So is one of these systems better than the other one ? In normal operations, the answer seems obvious. But emergency operations is another world..

The emergency system to extend the Bonanza’s landing gear is a crank coupled to the master wheel. It’s normally folded betweent he pilot’s and co-pilot’s seats, in a relatively aft location. If the gear engine fails, the pilot must unfold the crank, and turn it… 50 times ! The first turns are easy, but then the air resistance to the unfolding gear comes in the game, and more force is required to turn the crank.

I practiced that a couple of times, and I it took something like two and a half minutes. If this happens in VMC condition, or IMC with autopilot working, this can be done. But if the reason of the failure is a total loss of electrical power, the whole procedure must be done without auto-pilot. Good luck.

The Saratoga’s hydraulic system includes a by-pass valve. If the gear can’t be extended normally, pull the lever to open the valve. The fluid in the cylinder will go back to the tank, and after 9 seconds, the gear will be extended. That’s it. Ok, one must first reduce speed to 90 kts, instead of the usual 132, but that’s no big deal.

So, which system do you prefer now ? If you know other systems, let me know which is your favorite.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know my opinion about distractions in cockpits (if not, read this post on clean cockpit and that one about safety-pilots). On the other hand, I know how cool it can be to listen to your favorite music in flight. There are a couple of options, and I’d like to have your feed-back about that.

The first way to listen to music in flight is to tune an AM station in your ADF receiver, and turn up the volume. I know, ADF receivers are not so frequent nowadays, nor are AM stations, at least in Europe. By the way, if you fly in Switzerland, try 765kHz…

If you fly without headset (yes, that is possible, speaker and hand-mike), you can simply take your portable stereo with you, and pump-up the volume to MAX. There are also some pilots who slip a mini ear-phone below their aviation headset.

There is a clear drawback to all these methods: you could miss an ATC message. If you use the portable stereo and the hand mike, you will also broadcast your music when transmitting… Not exactly the best way to impress a controller…

Some other options allow a better integration of music. At first, some intercoms have a music input, usually mini-jack plugs. You can connect your favorite MP3 player (or walkman if you’re old-school), and get your favorite songs directly in your headset.

With this solution you can switch music off at any time via the intercom panel, and moreover the intercom itself turns it off each time a squelch is triggered. So when ATC transmits, or when a passenger want to talk to you, the music automatically fades out.

If your favorite aircraft is not equipped with such an intercom, you can buy a portable adapter. Plug the adapter the headset jacks, and your headset in the adapter. There is an additional input in the adapter for a music source, which then goes in the headset as well. This system also automatically stop the music when someone talks to you. The only drawback when compared to the intercom is that music is not brodcasted to all on board.

As I said earlier, I do understand the reason why one would like to have music on board, and proper integration in the audio system is probably not a problem. What is much more arguable is that portable adapters are now available for cell-phones.

This not only raises the issue of VHF disturbance, but also of being a much more serious distraction than music. Why create a clean cockpit, and open the way to incoming phone calls ? Adapters manufacturers say it makes easier to get a clearance on the phone before departure. Correct and fine, as long as the phone is then disconnected.

I have no personal experience with music in flight (except the ADF way a couple of times…), so if you have some and want to share… the floor is yours !