Hoy hice mi segundo exámen médico. El médico sirve para comprobar que estás en condiciones para ser piloto y se hace anualmente. Para hacer el trámite de la licencia, se tienen 90 días a partir del día que hayas hecho el exámen médico (Que "ley" o lo que sea tan estúpida, en vez de que acepten el exámen médico anterior). Aquí el relato:
Llegué a la SCT aproximadamente a las 6:45 de la mañana. La fila para registrarte no duró mucho. Esperamos a que abran el CIS (Centro Integral de Servicios) y una vez más esperar para que te atiendan. Ya que te toca, te piden la copia de la acta de nacimiento, IFE y el pago (El pago se puede hacer entre 5 y 2 días ántes de la cita).
Te dan un número con el que te van a identificar los médicos (me tocó 15 hehe) y vas a la prueba que te digan. Lo primero que hice fue el electrocardiograma. Todo bien, corazón sano hehe o bueno... algo así.
La segunda prueba que hice fue la muestra de orina y de sangre. Es lo más rápido.
Tercera prueba, la vista. La semana pasada le pusieron a mis lentes otra graduación. Estuve algo nervioso al hacer la prueba de la vista. Te fijas en un aparato y hay 11 cuadros divididos en 4. Un cuadrito dentro del cuadro tiene forma de ajedrez y tienes que decir si está arriba, abajo, izquierda o derecha. Me puse algo nervioso desde ese momento... no sabía si sí lo había pasado.
Cuarta prueba, audiometría. Dependiendo del doctor, te checan los oídos y luego te metes en un cubículo con unos audífonos. Te piden cerrar los ojos y cuando se oiga un sonido, presionas un botón. Mi corazón latía muy fuerte y no podía concentrarme, pero todo salió bien. Quinta prueba, psicología.
En psicología te dan primero un tipo test con preguntas de kinder. Después te dan un librito con preguntas y una hoja con todos los números de las pregúntas con un espacio al lado, para responder SI o NO. Luego te dan unas figuras que tienes que dibujar en otra hoja. Más cosas de kinder :D
La sexta prueba que hice fue la dental. El dentista (muy buena onda, fue el que me dió el curso aeromédico y decía sus decía cosas domingueras LOL), me checó y todo estaba bien.
Next and last... historial médico, peso, altura y presión. Aquí es el famoso "Ahora bájate los pantalones", pero no me tocó pheeeew... Además me tocó una doctora y si me lo hubiera pedido, pues con todo gusto hahahaha. 1,94 y flaco, presión buena y las preguntas fluyeron muy bien (Si me he desmayado, si he chocado, si tomo alguna medicación, cuánto duermo, etc). ¡Listo! Todo completado y fui a la Gran Plaza a comer algo (Los resultados tardan en salir).
En la Gran Plaza fui al Food Court porque se me antojaba un Subway. Todavía no daban servicio y pues fui al Starbucks. Pedí un Sandwich y un Frappuccino Caramel (nom nom hehe). Después, fui a Mix Up y estuve oyendo un nuevo disco. Vi el A State of Trance 2008 de Armin van Buuren y lo decidí comprar, además de que era una ganga hehe.
Feliz con mi álbum nuevo, me dirijí de nuevo a la SCT. Estuve esperando con el calor y los nervios a que me llamaran.
Aprox. una hora después, el doctor dice unos números, incluyendo el mío, 15. Lo seguimos al CIS, en donde nos iban a entregar los resultados. Entonces me toca y :o APTO. Yeah!! Fui feliz desde ese momento haha. "Es todo" - "¡Muchas gracias!" respondo y de ahí fui a mi escuela de vuelo. Dejé una copia de mi médico y vi que volaba el miércoles :D Parece que todo el trámite va a tardar mucho :S pero bueno...
Así es todos los años para un piloto mexicano. Espero no haberlos aburrido hehe, nos vemos y hasta el próximo Post. Bytes!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
La Aventura del Bonnie
Antier 2 de Febrero al llegar al aeropuerto preparamos el Eco para nuestra salida a McAllen. Hice el preflight check y nos dieron la autorización IFR. Tengo que decir, que me hice bolas: Ruta GDL-V61W-AGU-V61-SLP-V43-CVM-V21-REX-V10-MFE a 14000ft, salida GDL2B por la pista 28. De haber tenido el plan de vuelo en mano me hubiera servido, pero así pasa cuando las cosas se hacen con prisa. Eso no debe pasar. Encendimos el motor, todavía con el sol debajo del horizonte y rodamos a la pista 28.
El despegue muy tranquilo y nos autorizaron directo al fijo GOYAS. Al salir el sol, cambiamos de IFR (Instrumento Flight Rules) a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) ascendiendo a 10500 pies. Volamos directo a Reynosa y contactamos en la ruta a San Luis Potosí para la información de altímetro local.
Continuamos hacia Reynosa. Todo el vuelo muy tranquilo hasta que llegamos a la frontera por Reynosa, en donde se puso movido. Empezando el descenso y checando Reynosa, pasamos con Valley Approach. Al acercarnos a McAllen pasamos con torre en 118.50: "EUE make left base to runway 31". Había rachas de 18 nudos y se puso más movido. Es la primera vez que me dejaban hacer un aterrizaje en esas condiciones. En el flare reboté en la pista y luego ya tocamos sin problema. Llegamos.
Rodamos a Customs y nos bajamos del avión. Ahora la aventura con los de customs: Al tener pasaporte alemán, había un problema porque los europeos solo pueden entrar a USA por tierra o avión comercial. Este vuelo era privado y yo no podía entrar a USA. Entonces, regresamos a Reynosa en donde no hubo problema con migración y agarramos un taxi para ir de regreso a McAllen. Pasamos la frontera otra vez, ahora por tierra, sin problemas y por fin llegamos a McCreery Aviation. Estuvimos un rato en el FBO mientras le cambiaban el Transponder y cargaban combustible al Eco. Compramos las cartas WAC y Sectional de San Antonio y cuando ya estábamos listos, nos metimos al Eco para volar a Spicewood. En el vuelo de McAllen-Spicewood teníamos un viento de frente un poco fuerte, pero ascendimos como cohete! Apenas 15NM de MFE y ya teníamos los 6500ft.
Teníamos Flight Following y hubo un reporte de tráfico interesante: "EUE traffic is 11 o' clock 2 miles at 7000" Lo buscamos y cuando lo ví, eran dos luces. Una arriba de otra y cuando cruzaron por encima de nosotros pude ver que aviones eran: Dos T-45 Goshawk Los ví y woooow dos T-45s :D Empezamos el descenso y aterrizamos en Spicewood. Muy padre el aeropuertito, tiene una pista de 1268x9 metros.
Vimos el Bonanza. ¡Esta padrísimo! :D Es un Beechcraft B36TC Bonanza. Después, fuimos a comer/cenar a un restaurant muy X. Pedí pollo y sabía al pollo de las Tenderkrisps de Burger King... pero bueno, al menos comimos. Después, fuimos al Wal-Mart a comprar cosas y ya nos fuimos al hotel a dormir.
El día siguiente, fuimos a Spicewood para regresarnos a Guadalajara. El Eco salió antes que nosotros y luego hicimos un vuelo de prueba rápido del Bonnie. Está muuuuuy padre el Bonnie, me encantó.
Espero volarlo algún día. Después, nos regresamos a McAllen. El Bonnie es muy rápido, además porque es turbo. Se vuela muy bien y tienes que estar muy atento al motor, porque es muy sensible por el turbo. Llegamos a McAllen, en donde comimos y continuamos nuestro vuelo a Guadalajara. El Eco salió ántes que nosotros y nos encontramos cerca de Monterrey en donde volamos un poco juntos. Durante el vuelo, curoseamos con los GPSs y otros instrumentos que tenía el avión. Probamos el piloto automático y empezábamos a familiarizarnos.
Por San Luis Potosí empezó una turbulencia ligera y duró lo que nos quedaba del vuelo. Empezamos el descenso y aterrizamos en Guadalajara sin problemas. Finalmente llegamos. Nos checó aduana y migración y todo estuvo excelente. Al pasar 20 minutos, llegó el Eco. Después, rodamos el Eco y el Bonnie juntos al hangar, en donde bajamos todas las cosas y por fin, finalizamos la aventura.
A ver cuándo vuelvo a volar en el grandioso Bonnie :)
Nos vemos!
El despegue muy tranquilo y nos autorizaron directo al fijo GOYAS. Al salir el sol, cambiamos de IFR (Instrumento Flight Rules) a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) ascendiendo a 10500 pies. Volamos directo a Reynosa y contactamos en la ruta a San Luis Potosí para la información de altímetro local.
Continuamos hacia Reynosa. Todo el vuelo muy tranquilo hasta que llegamos a la frontera por Reynosa, en donde se puso movido. Empezando el descenso y checando Reynosa, pasamos con Valley Approach. Al acercarnos a McAllen pasamos con torre en 118.50: "EUE make left base to runway 31". Había rachas de 18 nudos y se puso más movido. Es la primera vez que me dejaban hacer un aterrizaje en esas condiciones. En el flare reboté en la pista y luego ya tocamos sin problema. Llegamos.
Rodamos a Customs y nos bajamos del avión. Ahora la aventura con los de customs: Al tener pasaporte alemán, había un problema porque los europeos solo pueden entrar a USA por tierra o avión comercial. Este vuelo era privado y yo no podía entrar a USA. Entonces, regresamos a Reynosa en donde no hubo problema con migración y agarramos un taxi para ir de regreso a McAllen. Pasamos la frontera otra vez, ahora por tierra, sin problemas y por fin llegamos a McCreery Aviation. Estuvimos un rato en el FBO mientras le cambiaban el Transponder y cargaban combustible al Eco. Compramos las cartas WAC y Sectional de San Antonio y cuando ya estábamos listos, nos metimos al Eco para volar a Spicewood. En el vuelo de McAllen-Spicewood teníamos un viento de frente un poco fuerte, pero ascendimos como cohete! Apenas 15NM de MFE y ya teníamos los 6500ft.
Teníamos Flight Following y hubo un reporte de tráfico interesante: "EUE traffic is 11 o' clock 2 miles at 7000" Lo buscamos y cuando lo ví, eran dos luces. Una arriba de otra y cuando cruzaron por encima de nosotros pude ver que aviones eran: Dos T-45 Goshawk Los ví y woooow dos T-45s :D Empezamos el descenso y aterrizamos en Spicewood. Muy padre el aeropuertito, tiene una pista de 1268x9 metros.
Vimos el Bonanza. ¡Esta padrísimo! :D Es un Beechcraft B36TC Bonanza. Después, fuimos a comer/cenar a un restaurant muy X. Pedí pollo y sabía al pollo de las Tenderkrisps de Burger King... pero bueno, al menos comimos. Después, fuimos al Wal-Mart a comprar cosas y ya nos fuimos al hotel a dormir.
El día siguiente, fuimos a Spicewood para regresarnos a Guadalajara. El Eco salió antes que nosotros y luego hicimos un vuelo de prueba rápido del Bonnie. Está muuuuuy padre el Bonnie, me encantó.
Espero volarlo algún día. Después, nos regresamos a McAllen. El Bonnie es muy rápido, además porque es turbo. Se vuela muy bien y tienes que estar muy atento al motor, porque es muy sensible por el turbo. Llegamos a McAllen, en donde comimos y continuamos nuestro vuelo a Guadalajara. El Eco salió ántes que nosotros y nos encontramos cerca de Monterrey en donde volamos un poco juntos. Durante el vuelo, curoseamos con los GPSs y otros instrumentos que tenía el avión. Probamos el piloto automático y empezábamos a familiarizarnos.
Por San Luis Potosí empezó una turbulencia ligera y duró lo que nos quedaba del vuelo. Empezamos el descenso y aterrizamos en Guadalajara sin problemas. Finalmente llegamos. Nos checó aduana y migración y todo estuvo excelente. Al pasar 20 minutos, llegó el Eco. Después, rodamos el Eco y el Bonnie juntos al hangar, en donde bajamos todas las cosas y por fin, finalizamos la aventura.
A ver cuándo vuelvo a volar en el grandioso Bonnie :)
Nos vemos!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Spins
A spin is an aggravated stall resulting in rotation about the center of gravity wherein the aircraft follows a downward corkscrew path. Spins can be entered unintentionally or intentionally, from any flight attitude and from practically any airspeed—all that is required is sufficient yaw at the moment an aircraft stalls. An incipient spin is typically driven by inputs made and held by the pilot, whereas a fully developed spin is a self-sustaining maneuver. In either case, however, a specific and often counterintuitive set of actions may be needed to effect recovery. If the aircraft exceeds published limitations regarding spins, or is loaded improperly, or if the pilot uses incorrect technique to recover, the spin can lead to a fatal crash.
In a spin, one wing is sufficiently stalled and generates significant drag but little or no lift, and the other is either not stalled or not stalled as fully as the other, and generates significant lift. This causes the aircraft to autorotate due to the non-symmetric lift and drag. Spins are characterized by high angle of attack, low airspeed, and high rate of descent.
Spins differ from spiral dives which are characterized by low angle of attack and high airspeed. A spiral dive is not a type of stall because the wing is not stalled and the airplane will respond to the pilot's inputs to the flight controls.
Taken from Wikipedia
The Cessna 152 POH indicates the recovery procedure:
Should an inadvertent spin occur, the following recovery procedure should be used:
1. PLACE AILERONS IN NEUTRAL POSITION.
2. RETARD THROTTLE TO IDLE POSITION.
3. APPLY AND HOLD FULL RUDDER OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION.
4. JUST AFTER THE RUDDER REACHES THE STOP, MOVE THE CONTROL WHEEL BRISKLY FORWARD FAR ENOUGH TO BREAK THE STALL. Full down elevator may be required at aft center of gravity loadings to assure optimum recoveries.
5. HOLD THESE CONTROL INPUTS UNTIL ROTATION STOPS. Premature relaxation of the control inputs may extend the recovery.
6. AS ROTATION STOPS, NEUTRALIZE RUDDER, AND MAKE A SMOOTH RECOVERY FROM THE RESULTING DIVE.
NOTE
If disorientation precludes a visual determination of the direction of rotation, the symbolic airplane in the turn coordinator may be referred to for this information.
Intentional spins are approved in this airplane. Before attempting to perform spins, however, several items should be carefully considered to assure a safe flight. No spins should be attempted without first having received dual instruction in both spin entries and spin recoveries from a qualified instructor who is familiar with the spin characteristics of the Cessna 152.
The cabin should be clean and all loose equipment (including the microphone) should be stowed. For a solo flight in which spins will be conducted, the copilot's seat belt and shoulder harness should be secured. Spins with baggage loadings or occupied child's seat are not approved.
Intentional spins with flaps extended are prohibited, since the high speeds which may occur during recovery are potentially damaging to the flap/wing structure.
In a spin, one wing is sufficiently stalled and generates significant drag but little or no lift, and the other is either not stalled or not stalled as fully as the other, and generates significant lift. This causes the aircraft to autorotate due to the non-symmetric lift and drag. Spins are characterized by high angle of attack, low airspeed, and high rate of descent.
Spins differ from spiral dives which are characterized by low angle of attack and high airspeed. A spiral dive is not a type of stall because the wing is not stalled and the airplane will respond to the pilot's inputs to the flight controls.
Taken from Wikipedia
The Cessna 152 POH indicates the recovery procedure:
Should an inadvertent spin occur, the following recovery procedure should be used:
1. PLACE AILERONS IN NEUTRAL POSITION.
2. RETARD THROTTLE TO IDLE POSITION.
3. APPLY AND HOLD FULL RUDDER OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION.
4. JUST AFTER THE RUDDER REACHES THE STOP, MOVE THE CONTROL WHEEL BRISKLY FORWARD FAR ENOUGH TO BREAK THE STALL. Full down elevator may be required at aft center of gravity loadings to assure optimum recoveries.
5. HOLD THESE CONTROL INPUTS UNTIL ROTATION STOPS. Premature relaxation of the control inputs may extend the recovery.
6. AS ROTATION STOPS, NEUTRALIZE RUDDER, AND MAKE A SMOOTH RECOVERY FROM THE RESULTING DIVE.
NOTE
If disorientation precludes a visual determination of the direction of rotation, the symbolic airplane in the turn coordinator may be referred to for this information.
Intentional spins are approved in this airplane. Before attempting to perform spins, however, several items should be carefully considered to assure a safe flight. No spins should be attempted without first having received dual instruction in both spin entries and spin recoveries from a qualified instructor who is familiar with the spin characteristics of the Cessna 152.
The cabin should be clean and all loose equipment (including the microphone) should be stowed. For a solo flight in which spins will be conducted, the copilot's seat belt and shoulder harness should be secured. Spins with baggage loadings or occupied child's seat are not approved.
Intentional spins with flaps extended are prohibited, since the high speeds which may occur during recovery are potentially damaging to the flap/wing structure.
Cessna 152 II Part 2
Something very important, any pilot should know it:
Section 3 (Emergency Procedures) provides checklist and amplified procedures for coping with emergencies that may occur. Emergencies caused by airplane or engine malfunctions are extremely rare if proper preflight inspections and maintenance are practiced. Enroute weather emergencies can be minimized or eliminated by careful flight planning and good judgment when unexpected weather is encountered. However, should an emergency arise, the basic guidelines described in this section should be considered and applied as necessary to correct the problem.
The first two problems of General Aviation are: Weather and fuel exhaustion. I won't write the Checklist of the procedures, but I'll write from the AMPLIFIED PROCEDURES section:
If an engine failure occurs during the takeoff run, the most important thing to do is stop the airplane on the remaining runway. Those extra items on the checklist will provide added safety after a failure of this type.
Prompt lowering of the nose to maintain airspeed and establish a glide attitude is the first response to an engine failure after takeoff. In most cases, the landing should be planned straight ahead with only small changes in direction to avoid obstructions. Altitude and airspeed are seldom sufficient to execute a 180º gliding turn necessary to return to the runway. The checklist procedures assume that adequate time exists to secure the fuel and ignition systems prior to touchdown.
After an engine failure in flight, the best glide speed (60 IAS) should be established as quickly as possible. While gliding toward a suitable landing area, an effort should be made to identify the cause of the failure. If time permits, an engine restart should be attempted as shown in the checklist. If the engine cannot be restarted, a forced landing without power must be completed.
FORCED LANDINGS
If all attempts to restart the engine fail and a forced landing is, imminent, select a suitable field and prepare for the landing as discussed under the ”Emergency Landing Without Engine Power” checklist.
Before attempting an "off airport" landing with engine power available, one should fly over the landing area at a safe but low altitude to inspect the terrain for obstructions and surface conditions, proceeding as discussed under the Precautionary Landing With Engine Power checklist.
Prepare for ditching by securing or jettisoning heavy objects located in the baggage area and collect folded coats for protection of occupants' face at touchdown. Transmit Mayday message on 121.5 MHz giving location and intentions, and squawk 7700 if a transponder is installed. Avoid a landing flare because of difficulty in judging height over a water surface.
LANDING WITHOUT ELEVATOR CONTROL (Very interesting)
Trim for horizontal flight (with an airspeed of approximately 55 KIAS and flaps lowered to 20º) by using throttle and elevator trim controls. Then do not change the elevator trim control setting; control the glide angle by adjusting power exclusively.
At flareout, the nose-down moment resulting from power reduction is an adverse factor and the airplane may hit on the nose wheel. Consequently, at flareout, the trim control should be set at the full nose-up position and the power adjusted so that the airplane will rotate to the horizontal attitude for touchdown. Close the throttle at touchdown.
FIRES
Although engine fires are extremely rare in flight, the steps of the appropriate checklist should be followed if one is encountered. After completion of this procedure, execute a forced landing. Do not attempt to restart the engine.
The initial indication of an electrical fire is usually the odor of burning insulation. The checklist for this problem should result in elimination of the fire.
ROUGH ENGINE OPERATION OR LOSS OF POWER CARBURETOR ICING
A gradual loss of RPM and eventual engine roughness may result from the formation of carburetor ice. To clear the ice, apply full throttle and pull the carburetor heat knob full out until the engine runs smoothly; then remove carburetor heat and readjust the throttle.
If conditions require the continued use of carburetor heat in cruise flight, use the minimum amount of heat necessary to prevent ice from forming and lean the mixture slightly for smoothest engine operation.
SPARK PLUG FOULING
A slight engine roughness in flight may be caused by one or more spark plugs becoming fouled by carbon or lead deposits. This may be verified by turning the ignition switch momentarily from BOTH to either L or R position. An obvious power loss in single ignition operation is evidence of spark plug or magneto trouble. Assuming that spark plugs are the more likely cause, lean the mixture to the recommended lean setting for cruising flight. If the problem does not clear up in several minutes, determine if a richer mixture setting will produce smoother operation. If not, proceed to the nearest airport for repairs using the BOTH position of the ignition switch unless extreme roughness dictates the use of a single ignition position.
MAGNETO MALFUNCTION
A sudden engine roughness or misfiring is usually evidence of magneto problems. Switching from BOTH to either L or R ignition switch position will identify which magneto is malfunctioning. Select different power settings and enrich the mixture to determine if continued operation on BOTH magnetos is practicable. If not, switch to the good magneto and proceed to the nearest airport for repairs.
LOW OIL PRESSURE
If low oil pressure is accompanied by normal oil temperature, there is a possibility the oil pressure gage or relief valve is malfunctioning. A leak in the line to the gage is not necessarily cause for an immediate precautionary landing because an orifice in this line will prevent a sudden loss of oil from the engine sump. However, a landing at the nearest airport would be advisable to inspect the source of trouble.
If a total loss of oil pressure is accompanied by a rise in oil temperature, there is good reason to suspect an engine failure is imminent. Reduce engine power immediately and select a suitable forced landing field. Use only the minimum power required to reach the desired touchdown spot.
ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS
Malfunctions in the electrical power supply system can be detected by periodic monitoring of the ammeter and low-voltage warning light; however, the cause of these malfunctions is usually difficult to determine. A broken alternator drive belt or wiring is most likely the cause of alternator failures, although other factors could cause the problem. A damaged or improperly adjusted alternator control unit can also cause malfunctions. Problems of this nature constitute an electrical emergency and should be dealt with immediately.
Electrical power malfunctions usually fall into two categories: excessive rate of charge and insufficient rate of charge. The paragraphs below describe the recommended remedy for each situation.
EXCESSIVE RATE OF CHARGE
After engine starting and heavy electrical usage at low engine speeds (such as extended taxiing) the battery condition will be low enough to accept above normal charging during the initial part of a flight. However, after thirty minutes of cruising flight, the ammeter should be indicating less than two needle widths of charging current. If the charging rate were to remain above this value on a long flight, the battery would overheat and evaporate the electrolyte at an excessive rate.
Electronic components in the electrical system can be adversely affected by higher than normal voltage. The alternator control unit includes an over-voltage sensor that normally will automatically shut down the alternator if the charge voltage reaches approximately 31.5 volts. If the over-voltage sensor malfunctions or is improperly adjusted, as evidenced by an excessive rate of charge shown on the ammeter, the alternator should be turned off, nonessential electrical equipment turned off and the flight terminated as soon as practical.
I won't write the SPINS procedures, this needs a new post.
Section 3 (Emergency Procedures) provides checklist and amplified procedures for coping with emergencies that may occur. Emergencies caused by airplane or engine malfunctions are extremely rare if proper preflight inspections and maintenance are practiced. Enroute weather emergencies can be minimized or eliminated by careful flight planning and good judgment when unexpected weather is encountered. However, should an emergency arise, the basic guidelines described in this section should be considered and applied as necessary to correct the problem.
The first two problems of General Aviation are: Weather and fuel exhaustion. I won't write the Checklist of the procedures, but I'll write from the AMPLIFIED PROCEDURES section:
If an engine failure occurs during the takeoff run, the most important thing to do is stop the airplane on the remaining runway. Those extra items on the checklist will provide added safety after a failure of this type.
Prompt lowering of the nose to maintain airspeed and establish a glide attitude is the first response to an engine failure after takeoff. In most cases, the landing should be planned straight ahead with only small changes in direction to avoid obstructions. Altitude and airspeed are seldom sufficient to execute a 180º gliding turn necessary to return to the runway. The checklist procedures assume that adequate time exists to secure the fuel and ignition systems prior to touchdown.
After an engine failure in flight, the best glide speed (60 IAS) should be established as quickly as possible. While gliding toward a suitable landing area, an effort should be made to identify the cause of the failure. If time permits, an engine restart should be attempted as shown in the checklist. If the engine cannot be restarted, a forced landing without power must be completed.
FORCED LANDINGS
If all attempts to restart the engine fail and a forced landing is, imminent, select a suitable field and prepare for the landing as discussed under the ”Emergency Landing Without Engine Power” checklist.
Before attempting an "off airport" landing with engine power available, one should fly over the landing area at a safe but low altitude to inspect the terrain for obstructions and surface conditions, proceeding as discussed under the Precautionary Landing With Engine Power checklist.
Prepare for ditching by securing or jettisoning heavy objects located in the baggage area and collect folded coats for protection of occupants' face at touchdown. Transmit Mayday message on 121.5 MHz giving location and intentions, and squawk 7700 if a transponder is installed. Avoid a landing flare because of difficulty in judging height over a water surface.
LANDING WITHOUT ELEVATOR CONTROL (Very interesting)
Trim for horizontal flight (with an airspeed of approximately 55 KIAS and flaps lowered to 20º) by using throttle and elevator trim controls. Then do not change the elevator trim control setting; control the glide angle by adjusting power exclusively.
At flareout, the nose-down moment resulting from power reduction is an adverse factor and the airplane may hit on the nose wheel. Consequently, at flareout, the trim control should be set at the full nose-up position and the power adjusted so that the airplane will rotate to the horizontal attitude for touchdown. Close the throttle at touchdown.
FIRES
Although engine fires are extremely rare in flight, the steps of the appropriate checklist should be followed if one is encountered. After completion of this procedure, execute a forced landing. Do not attempt to restart the engine.
The initial indication of an electrical fire is usually the odor of burning insulation. The checklist for this problem should result in elimination of the fire.
ROUGH ENGINE OPERATION OR LOSS OF POWER CARBURETOR ICING
A gradual loss of RPM and eventual engine roughness may result from the formation of carburetor ice. To clear the ice, apply full throttle and pull the carburetor heat knob full out until the engine runs smoothly; then remove carburetor heat and readjust the throttle.
If conditions require the continued use of carburetor heat in cruise flight, use the minimum amount of heat necessary to prevent ice from forming and lean the mixture slightly for smoothest engine operation.
SPARK PLUG FOULING
A slight engine roughness in flight may be caused by one or more spark plugs becoming fouled by carbon or lead deposits. This may be verified by turning the ignition switch momentarily from BOTH to either L or R position. An obvious power loss in single ignition operation is evidence of spark plug or magneto trouble. Assuming that spark plugs are the more likely cause, lean the mixture to the recommended lean setting for cruising flight. If the problem does not clear up in several minutes, determine if a richer mixture setting will produce smoother operation. If not, proceed to the nearest airport for repairs using the BOTH position of the ignition switch unless extreme roughness dictates the use of a single ignition position.
MAGNETO MALFUNCTION
A sudden engine roughness or misfiring is usually evidence of magneto problems. Switching from BOTH to either L or R ignition switch position will identify which magneto is malfunctioning. Select different power settings and enrich the mixture to determine if continued operation on BOTH magnetos is practicable. If not, switch to the good magneto and proceed to the nearest airport for repairs.
LOW OIL PRESSURE
If low oil pressure is accompanied by normal oil temperature, there is a possibility the oil pressure gage or relief valve is malfunctioning. A leak in the line to the gage is not necessarily cause for an immediate precautionary landing because an orifice in this line will prevent a sudden loss of oil from the engine sump. However, a landing at the nearest airport would be advisable to inspect the source of trouble.
If a total loss of oil pressure is accompanied by a rise in oil temperature, there is good reason to suspect an engine failure is imminent. Reduce engine power immediately and select a suitable forced landing field. Use only the minimum power required to reach the desired touchdown spot.
ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS
Malfunctions in the electrical power supply system can be detected by periodic monitoring of the ammeter and low-voltage warning light; however, the cause of these malfunctions is usually difficult to determine. A broken alternator drive belt or wiring is most likely the cause of alternator failures, although other factors could cause the problem. A damaged or improperly adjusted alternator control unit can also cause malfunctions. Problems of this nature constitute an electrical emergency and should be dealt with immediately.
Electrical power malfunctions usually fall into two categories: excessive rate of charge and insufficient rate of charge. The paragraphs below describe the recommended remedy for each situation.
EXCESSIVE RATE OF CHARGE
After engine starting and heavy electrical usage at low engine speeds (such as extended taxiing) the battery condition will be low enough to accept above normal charging during the initial part of a flight. However, after thirty minutes of cruising flight, the ammeter should be indicating less than two needle widths of charging current. If the charging rate were to remain above this value on a long flight, the battery would overheat and evaporate the electrolyte at an excessive rate.
Electronic components in the electrical system can be adversely affected by higher than normal voltage. The alternator control unit includes an over-voltage sensor that normally will automatically shut down the alternator if the charge voltage reaches approximately 31.5 volts. If the over-voltage sensor malfunctions or is improperly adjusted, as evidenced by an excessive rate of charge shown on the ammeter, the alternator should be turned off, nonessential electrical equipment turned off and the flight terminated as soon as practical.
I won't write the SPINS procedures, this needs a new post.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Cessna 152 II Part 1
I'll describe the little Cessna 152 II I fly hehe. I'll be taking the information from the POH (Pilot Operating Handbook)
Airplane and Systems Descriptions
AIRFRAME
The airplane is an all-metal, two-place, high-wing, single-engine airplane equipped with tricycle landing gear and designed for general utility purposes.
FLIGHT CONTROLS
The airplane's flight control system consists of conventional aileron, rudder, and elevator control surfaces. The control surfaces are manually operated through mechanical linkage using a control wheel for the ailerons and elevator, and rudder/brake pedals for the rudder.
INSTRUMENT PANEL
The instrument panel is designed to place the primary flight instruments directly in front of the pilot. The gyro-operated flight instruments are arranged one above the other, slightly to the left of the control column. To the left of these instruments is the airspeed indicator, turn coordinator, and suction gage. The clock, altimeter, rate-of-climb indicator, and navigation instruments are above and/or to the right of the control column. Avionics equipment is stacked approximately on the centerline of the panel, with space for additional equipment on the lower right side of the instrument panel. The right side of the panel also contains the tachometer, ammeter, low-voltage light, and additional instruments such as a flight hour recorder. The left switch and control panel, under the primary instrument panel, contains the fuel quantity indicators, cigar lighter, and engine instruments positioned below the pilot's control wheel.
The electrical switches, panel and radio light rheostat knob, ignition and master switches, primer, and parking brake control are located around these instruments. The engine controls, wing flap switch, and cabin air and heat control knobs are to the right of the pilot, at the center of the switch and control panel. Directly below these controls are the elevator trim control wheel, trim position indicator, microphone, and circuit breakers. A map compartment is on the extreme right side of the switch and control panel.
GROUND CONTROL
Effective ground control while taxiing is accomplished through nose wheel steering by using the rudder pedals; left rudder pedal to steer left and right rudder pedal to steer right. When a rudder pedal is depressed, a spring-loaded steering bungee (which is connected to the nose gear and to the rudder bars) will turn the nose wheel through an arc of approximately 8.5º each side of center. By applying either left or right brake, the degree of turn may be increased up to 30º each side of center.
WING FLAP SYSTEM
The wing flaps are of the single-slot type, and are extended or retracted by positioning the wing flap switch lever on the instrument panel to the desired flap deflection position. The switch lever is moved up or down in a slot in the instrument panel that provides mechanical stops at the 10º and 20º positions. For flap settings greater than 10º, move the switch lever to the right to clear the stop and position it as desired.
LANDING GEAR SYSTEM
The landing gear is of the tricycle type with a steerable nose wheel and two main wheels. The landing gear may be equipped with wheel fairings. Shock absorption is provided by the tubular spring-steel main landing gear struts and the air/oil nose gear shock strut. Each main gear wheel is equipped with a hydraulically actuated disc-type brake on the inboard side of each wheel. When wheel fairings are installed an aerodynamic fairing covers each brake.
ENGINE
The airplane is powered by a horizontally-opposed, four-cylinder, overhead-valve, air-cooled, carbureted engine with a wet sump oil system.
The engine is a Lycoming Model 0-235-L2C and is rated at 110 horsepower at 2550 RPM. Major engine accessories include a starter, a belt-driven alternator, and an oil cooler. Dual magnetos are mounted on an accessory drive pad on the rear of the engine. Provisions are also made for a vacuum pump and full flow oil filter.
PROPELLER
The airplane is equipped with a two-bladed, fixed-pitch, one-piece forged aluminum alloy propeller which is anodized to retard corrosion. The propeller is 69 inches in diameter.
FUEL SYSTEM
The airplane is equipped with either a standard fuel system. The system consists of two vented fuel tanks (one in each wing), a fuel shutoff valve, fuel strainer, manual primer, and carburetor.
TOTAL FUEL VOLUME: 26 Gallons
TOTAL USABLE FUEL ALL FLIGHT CONDITIONS: 24.5 Gallons
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The airplane is equipped with a 28-volt, direct-current electrical system. This system uses a 24-volt battery mounted on the right forward side of the firewall as the source of electrical energy and an engine-driven 60-amp alternator to maintain the battery's state of charge. Power is supplied to a bus bar, and a master switch controls this power to all circuits, except the engine ignition system, clock, and flight hour recorder (if installed). The flight hour recorder receives power through activation of an oil pressure switch whenever the engine is operating, and the clock is supplied with current at all times. All avionics equipment should be turned off prior to starting the engine or using an external power source to prevent harmful transient voltages from damaging the transistors in this equipment.
Performance and Speeds (KIAS)
Maximum at Sea Level: 110 knots
RATE OF CLIMB AT SEA LEVEL: 715 FPM
SERVICE CEILING: 14,700 FT
TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE
Ground Roll: 725 ft
Total Distance over 50 ft obstacle: 1340 ft
LANDING PERFORMANCE
Ground roll: 475 ft
Total Distance over 51 ft obstacle: 1200 ft
STALL SPEED (CAS)
Flaps up, power off: 48 knots
Flaps down, power off: 43 knots
MAXIMUM WEIGHT
Ramp: 1675 lbs
Takeoff or landing: 1670 lbs
STANDARD EMPTY WEIGHT
152 II: 1133 lbs
MAXIMUM USEFUL LOAD
152 II: 542 lbs
BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE: 120 LBS
SPEEDS FOR NORMAL OPERATION (KIAS)
Takeoff:
Normal Climb Out: 65-75
Short Field Takeoff. Flaps 101, Speed at 50 Feet: 54
Climb, Flaps Up:
Normal: 70-80
Best Rate of Climb, Sea Level: 67
Best Rate of Climb, 10,000 Feet: 61
Best Angle of Climb, Sea Level thru 10,000 Feet: 55
Landing Approach:
Normal Approach, Flaps Up: 60-70
Normal Approach, Flaps 30: 55-65
Short Field Approach, Flaps 30: 54
Balked Landing:
Maximum Power, Flaps 20: 55
Maximum Recommended Turbulent Air Penetration Speed:
1670 Lbs: 104
1500 Lbs: 98
1350 Lbs: 93
Maximum Demonstrated Crosswind Velocity: 12 knots
Next one: emergency procedures.
Airplane and Systems Descriptions
AIRFRAME
The airplane is an all-metal, two-place, high-wing, single-engine airplane equipped with tricycle landing gear and designed for general utility purposes.
FLIGHT CONTROLS
The airplane's flight control system consists of conventional aileron, rudder, and elevator control surfaces. The control surfaces are manually operated through mechanical linkage using a control wheel for the ailerons and elevator, and rudder/brake pedals for the rudder.
INSTRUMENT PANEL
The instrument panel is designed to place the primary flight instruments directly in front of the pilot. The gyro-operated flight instruments are arranged one above the other, slightly to the left of the control column. To the left of these instruments is the airspeed indicator, turn coordinator, and suction gage. The clock, altimeter, rate-of-climb indicator, and navigation instruments are above and/or to the right of the control column. Avionics equipment is stacked approximately on the centerline of the panel, with space for additional equipment on the lower right side of the instrument panel. The right side of the panel also contains the tachometer, ammeter, low-voltage light, and additional instruments such as a flight hour recorder. The left switch and control panel, under the primary instrument panel, contains the fuel quantity indicators, cigar lighter, and engine instruments positioned below the pilot's control wheel.
The electrical switches, panel and radio light rheostat knob, ignition and master switches, primer, and parking brake control are located around these instruments. The engine controls, wing flap switch, and cabin air and heat control knobs are to the right of the pilot, at the center of the switch and control panel. Directly below these controls are the elevator trim control wheel, trim position indicator, microphone, and circuit breakers. A map compartment is on the extreme right side of the switch and control panel.
GROUND CONTROL
Effective ground control while taxiing is accomplished through nose wheel steering by using the rudder pedals; left rudder pedal to steer left and right rudder pedal to steer right. When a rudder pedal is depressed, a spring-loaded steering bungee (which is connected to the nose gear and to the rudder bars) will turn the nose wheel through an arc of approximately 8.5º each side of center. By applying either left or right brake, the degree of turn may be increased up to 30º each side of center.
WING FLAP SYSTEM
The wing flaps are of the single-slot type, and are extended or retracted by positioning the wing flap switch lever on the instrument panel to the desired flap deflection position. The switch lever is moved up or down in a slot in the instrument panel that provides mechanical stops at the 10º and 20º positions. For flap settings greater than 10º, move the switch lever to the right to clear the stop and position it as desired.
LANDING GEAR SYSTEM
The landing gear is of the tricycle type with a steerable nose wheel and two main wheels. The landing gear may be equipped with wheel fairings. Shock absorption is provided by the tubular spring-steel main landing gear struts and the air/oil nose gear shock strut. Each main gear wheel is equipped with a hydraulically actuated disc-type brake on the inboard side of each wheel. When wheel fairings are installed an aerodynamic fairing covers each brake.
ENGINE
The airplane is powered by a horizontally-opposed, four-cylinder, overhead-valve, air-cooled, carbureted engine with a wet sump oil system.
The engine is a Lycoming Model 0-235-L2C and is rated at 110 horsepower at 2550 RPM. Major engine accessories include a starter, a belt-driven alternator, and an oil cooler. Dual magnetos are mounted on an accessory drive pad on the rear of the engine. Provisions are also made for a vacuum pump and full flow oil filter.
PROPELLER
The airplane is equipped with a two-bladed, fixed-pitch, one-piece forged aluminum alloy propeller which is anodized to retard corrosion. The propeller is 69 inches in diameter.
FUEL SYSTEM
The airplane is equipped with either a standard fuel system. The system consists of two vented fuel tanks (one in each wing), a fuel shutoff valve, fuel strainer, manual primer, and carburetor.
TOTAL FUEL VOLUME: 26 Gallons
TOTAL USABLE FUEL ALL FLIGHT CONDITIONS: 24.5 Gallons
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The airplane is equipped with a 28-volt, direct-current electrical system. This system uses a 24-volt battery mounted on the right forward side of the firewall as the source of electrical energy and an engine-driven 60-amp alternator to maintain the battery's state of charge. Power is supplied to a bus bar, and a master switch controls this power to all circuits, except the engine ignition system, clock, and flight hour recorder (if installed). The flight hour recorder receives power through activation of an oil pressure switch whenever the engine is operating, and the clock is supplied with current at all times. All avionics equipment should be turned off prior to starting the engine or using an external power source to prevent harmful transient voltages from damaging the transistors in this equipment.
Performance and Speeds (KIAS)
Maximum at Sea Level: 110 knots
RATE OF CLIMB AT SEA LEVEL: 715 FPM
SERVICE CEILING: 14,700 FT
TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE
Ground Roll: 725 ft
Total Distance over 50 ft obstacle: 1340 ft
LANDING PERFORMANCE
Ground roll: 475 ft
Total Distance over 51 ft obstacle: 1200 ft
STALL SPEED (CAS)
Flaps up, power off: 48 knots
Flaps down, power off: 43 knots
MAXIMUM WEIGHT
Ramp: 1675 lbs
Takeoff or landing: 1670 lbs
STANDARD EMPTY WEIGHT
152 II: 1133 lbs
MAXIMUM USEFUL LOAD
152 II: 542 lbs
BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE: 120 LBS
SPEEDS FOR NORMAL OPERATION (KIAS)
Takeoff:
Normal Climb Out: 65-75
Short Field Takeoff. Flaps 101, Speed at 50 Feet: 54
Climb, Flaps Up:
Normal: 70-80
Best Rate of Climb, Sea Level: 67
Best Rate of Climb, 10,000 Feet: 61
Best Angle of Climb, Sea Level thru 10,000 Feet: 55
Landing Approach:
Normal Approach, Flaps Up: 60-70
Normal Approach, Flaps 30: 55-65
Short Field Approach, Flaps 30: 54
Balked Landing:
Maximum Power, Flaps 20: 55
Maximum Recommended Turbulent Air Penetration Speed:
1670 Lbs: 104
1500 Lbs: 98
1350 Lbs: 93
Maximum Demonstrated Crosswind Velocity: 12 knots
Next one: emergency procedures.
Chemtrails... say again?
I've been seeing TONS of videos of the so called "Chemtrails". I must say: What a bunch of @$%#!!. They say these trails are made of chemicals used to change the environment and make people sick. More at Wikipedia
I really don't know why people are thinking this. I just really don't get it. I remember my spanish teacher once asked me "Is it true that the trails planes throw away are chemicals?" I asked "Who said that??" "Somebody told me" I answered: "Well, he must be an assh..." Then I explained (of course, shorter):
Contrails: The clouds, which are made up of condensed vapor called condensation trails, or contrails, are generally produced by jets (turboprops also) flying between 25,000 and 45,000 feet in moist air. If the relative humidity is low, contrails may evaporate rather quickly, however, in high relative humidity conditions, contrails may remain visible for several hours. This indication of moisture content may point to other clouds and, possibly, precipitation moving into the area within the next day or two. And THAT'S IT!!
I laugh when they show photos and videos of contrails, saying they are "chemtrails". Also when they show a picture of an A-340/B-767/B-747 dumping fuel, stupidly misunderstanding it with "dumping chemicals".
I'll always laugh at them. Poor stupid ignorant people. Oh well... as I always say: There are too many assh. in this world.
I really don't know why people are thinking this. I just really don't get it. I remember my spanish teacher once asked me "Is it true that the trails planes throw away are chemicals?" I asked "Who said that??" "Somebody told me" I answered: "Well, he must be an assh..." Then I explained (of course, shorter):
Contrails: The clouds, which are made up of condensed vapor called condensation trails, or contrails, are generally produced by jets (turboprops also) flying between 25,000 and 45,000 feet in moist air. If the relative humidity is low, contrails may evaporate rather quickly, however, in high relative humidity conditions, contrails may remain visible for several hours. This indication of moisture content may point to other clouds and, possibly, precipitation moving into the area within the next day or two. And THAT'S IT!!
I laugh when they show photos and videos of contrails, saying they are "chemtrails". Also when they show a picture of an A-340/B-767/B-747 dumping fuel, stupidly misunderstanding it with "dumping chemicals".
I'll always laugh at them. Poor stupid ignorant people. Oh well... as I always say: There are too many assh. in this world.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
US Airways 1549
Es en estos incidentes en los que uno puede pensar que el profesionalismo, disciplina, responsabilidad y un excelente entrenamiento dan frutos.
El vuelo de US Airways (Callsign: Cactus) 1549 hizo un amerizaje de emergencia en el río Hudson, después de un birdstrike en el ascenso.
Sin duda, fue un excelente amerizaje. Felicidades a el Capitán Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, al Primer Oficial Jeffrey B. Skiles y a la Tripulación de Cabina por haber actuado de forma profesional.
Como no tenían suficiente altitud para planear a un aeropuerto cercano, decidieron amerizar en el río Hudson. Todos los aviones tienen procedimientos para amerizar. Al igual que el Airbus A-320:
Hicieron todo como marcaba en el Checklist. Es lo que se debe de hacer y punto. Al extender el tren de aterrizaje tendrías más resistencia, entonces necesitas una velocidad vertical mayor para seguir planeando. Además, en el impacto, el tren de aterrizaje provocaría una desaceleración aún mayor (Más Gs) y la estructura sufriría más. Los Airbus tienen un "Ditching Switch" que sirve para cerrar todas las válvulas, para que el agua no entre. Además, el combustible es más ligero que el agua y esto ayudó.
"Con combustible se usaria el APU y por eso pide al final cortarlo. También, por el hecho de contar con combustible y para prevenir un incendio se hace el procedimiento de emergencia para los motores y APU que además de cerrar varias válvulas, sirve para descargar las botellas de extintor."
Muchas gracias a Carlos, Primer Oficial de Volaris por la explicación y el ENG DUAL FAILURE - FUEL REMAINING Checklist.
MAS INFO
Ayer también hubo un incidente en el Aeropuerto de Guadalajara. El Interjet 809 con destino a Los Cabos, tuvo un birdstrike y un ave entró al motor izquierdo. Por suerte no hubo flame-out ni afectó mucho al motor. "Los parametros de los motores son correctos, son normales, estamos haciendo un regreso a aterrizar. Es precautorio. Los parametros se encuentran normal."
El vuelo de US Airways (Callsign: Cactus) 1549 hizo un amerizaje de emergencia en el río Hudson, después de un birdstrike en el ascenso.
Sin duda, fue un excelente amerizaje. Felicidades a el Capitán Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, al Primer Oficial Jeffrey B. Skiles y a la Tripulación de Cabina por haber actuado de forma profesional.
Como no tenían suficiente altitud para planear a un aeropuerto cercano, decidieron amerizar en el río Hudson. Todos los aviones tienen procedimientos para amerizar. Al igual que el Airbus A-320:
Hicieron todo como marcaba en el Checklist. Es lo que se debe de hacer y punto. Al extender el tren de aterrizaje tendrías más resistencia, entonces necesitas una velocidad vertical mayor para seguir planeando. Además, en el impacto, el tren de aterrizaje provocaría una desaceleración aún mayor (Más Gs) y la estructura sufriría más. Los Airbus tienen un "Ditching Switch" que sirve para cerrar todas las válvulas, para que el agua no entre. Además, el combustible es más ligero que el agua y esto ayudó."Con combustible se usaria el APU y por eso pide al final cortarlo. También, por el hecho de contar con combustible y para prevenir un incendio se hace el procedimiento de emergencia para los motores y APU que además de cerrar varias válvulas, sirve para descargar las botellas de extintor."
Muchas gracias a Carlos, Primer Oficial de Volaris por la explicación y el ENG DUAL FAILURE - FUEL REMAINING Checklist.
MAS INFO
Ayer también hubo un incidente en el Aeropuerto de Guadalajara. El Interjet 809 con destino a Los Cabos, tuvo un birdstrike y un ave entró al motor izquierdo. Por suerte no hubo flame-out ni afectó mucho al motor. "Los parametros de los motores son correctos, son normales, estamos haciendo un regreso a aterrizar. Es precautorio. Los parametros se encuentran normal."
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