This is an entire stream taken from an old message board. I didn't realize I still had it but ran across it and thought you might enjoy it. I did have to delete some photos and links because I could not otherwise get it to post. Here goes.
Author: William Gibson Topic: On flying airplanes
posted 11/15/01 6:57 PM
I’m sure that a number of readers are aware that I have a substantial interest in aviation, as do many others in our county. It occurs to me that this forum might offer an opportunity to do something that might be of interest to some of the readers who have never been exposed to flying.
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If there are people out there who are interested in aviation and would like to learn more about it, I will be happy to start an extended series of postings that will tell how the whole thing works. In such a series, I would try to provide the answers to such questions as these: How do you get started? What kinds of licenses are available and how do you get them? What’s involved in owning or renting a plane once you are licensed? What sorts of career opportunities exist? And, probably the most fun of all, how do you fly an airplane?
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Another fun thing is that, if I undertake this project, the nature of pilots is such that they would read every word I wrote and jump on me with both feet for even the most trivial error – and I’m sure they’d have plenty of opportunities. That might be entertaining to some.
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The reason for this post is simple. Such an undertaking would involve a tremendous expenditure of time – an expenditure that I don’t mind - but I don’t want to do it if nobody’s interested.
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Is anyone interested? If so, please post a note in this folder or drop me a line by email (just click on the envelope at the top of this post).
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No charge. No commitment. I don’t even need to know your name. I just want to get a feel for how many folks might read it if I took the time to write it.
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Thanks.
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PS: If you notice some little dashes in the text above, that’s me trying to find a way to separate out the paragraphs. This message board doesn’t seem to do that very well and it makes the posts a little more difficult to follow than they otherwise might be.
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Georgia Girl posted 11/16/01 1:12 AM
What a wonderful idea, William! I think that it would be very interesting. If you do it, I promise to read every word, something I don't do on a lot of the topics posted.
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Eric B. posted 11/16/01 11:29 PM
Count me in.
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whobird posted 11/17/01 1:56 PM
Yes, maybe some of them won't have to go to Florida to their information!!!
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William Gibson posted 11/18/01 1:36 AM
Georgia Girl, Eric B.,
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Thank you for your interest. I'm not ignoring you. I'm just kind of holding off in hopes that we'll pick up one or two more before we start.
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I'm working on the series with a couple of posts already written. Now they need to be edited. Give me a day or two.
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In the meantime maybe somebody else will express an interest. I'm sure we'll have lurkers but it would be nice to have a few folks step up like you guys did. That might help to establish a core of students who could work together to pursue it further after we're done.
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Another thing is that if, after reading an installment, more then one person has the same question or concern, that would tell me that I need to be more clear.
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Anyway, give me a day or two and we'll get started.
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NoFlyer posted 11/18/01 3:07 AM
Count me in as a lurker. I'm afraid I'm not up to being a student. Remind me to tell you about my experience attending ground school.(it is really funny--would have made a good plot for the "I Love Lucy" show or "All in The Family")
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William Gibson posted 11/18/01 3:46 AM
Welcome NoFlyer,
We'll talk (a little) about ground school - maybe you'll be so kind as to tell us about it. Maybe you'll even change your mind. Or maybe not. You're welcome either way.
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Eric B. posted 11/18/01 4:23 AM
Looking forward to it. I used to love playing with the Flightsimulator (The real old one, before there was Windows, I believe it was from Microprose back then) I thought is was fascinating flying over cloud cover at night using VOR and ADF and then performing an ILS approach just to see the runway lights right in front of you when you penetrate the clouds during descent. If you ever need extra ballast when you fly, give me a holler :)
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William Gibson posted 11/19/01 6:05 PM
HOW DO YOU WORK THIS THING?
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When you watch a pilot in a movie it may kind of seem that flying is like driving a car. Well, it is, sort of. But just sort of. Cars go left and right, forward and backward. Planes do too – but they also go up and down. And there’s the basic difference. That extra dimension changes everything. You get in trouble in a car, you hit the brakes and the car slows down. It’s a little different in a plane. First, the brakes only work when you’re on the ground, and second, if you slow a plane down too much, it falls. There are other differences; I think they’ll become apparent as we go forward.
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What I’m going to do now is try to tell you about the major controls. Maybe the best way to do that is to go for a ride.
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To simplify, we’ll pretend we’re at Brantley County’s airport. No taxiway. No tower. We’ll just do what we’ve got to do.
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The first thing that happens is that the pilot (that’s you) checks the plane. I’ll tell you more about that in another post. Let’s say you’ve already done that and we’re ready to go.
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Let’s climb into the plane. Be careful where you step - remember this thing is made of light materials: aluminum, in some cases cloth. Step only where the pilot tells you. And be careful what you grab to pull yourself up and in. Boy, it sure is cramped in here isn’t it? Hey, we’ve got to keep the weight down, so when we build it we don’t waste space.
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Okay, we’re in. You’re going to do the flying so you’ll sit in the left seat. We’ll both have a steering wheel (a “yoke”) and pedals but we’ll just use yours for now.
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Now, lets make sure all the radios and electronics (the “avionics”) are off. Check all the fuses and circuit breakers. Next you, as “pilot in command”, make sure that the seats are adjusted so you can reach the pedals, latched so they won’t slide and that we’ve both got our seat belts on. We’ve got two fuel tanks, let’s make sure we’re set to the one with the most fuel. Now we’re going to start the engine.
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Look all around. Make sure there are no people (especially little people), dogs, cats, goats, rabbits, chickens or other such anywhere near the plane or near enough to get to the plane before we can shut it down and the propeller stops turning. Put the key in the ignition. Notice that there are five settings: off, magneto 1, magneto 2, both and start. Don’t turn the key on yet.
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Apply the brakes. Those pedals on the floor? The TOP part of the pedal is the brake. You’ll have to lift your feet up a little to mash the top part. It’s different from a car. You have a left brake and a right brake. What if your car had two brakes? And what if you hit one brake harder than the other. Things could get ugly. Let’s keep that in mind while we taxi, take off and land. It might be a good idea to tell me about keeping my fat feet off those pedals.
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Reach up and turn the master switch on (not the key - the master switch). Turn on the booster pump and check the gauge to make sure the fuel pressure is in the green. This is not the main fuel pump – it’s a backup. Okay, it’s good. Turn it off for now. Look around again. Twist and pump the primer once. Push the mixture control all the way in – “full rich”. Pull the throttle all the way out and then about 1/8 inch in. Hold the throttle with one hand, put the other hand on the key. Look around again - thoroughly and carefully. Shout “Clear” to insure that everyone knows you are going to start the propeller turning. Look around again. Turn the key to start, push the throttle all the way in once and then pull it back to about a quarter inch from all the way off. The engine will start. I hope so anyway. Real fast now – check the oil pressure. If it doesn’t immediately go into the green, shut everything down by pulling the throttle all the way off and pulling the mixture control all the way back. Okay, it’s green.
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Ease off the left brake just a little. Mash it again. Is it working? Okay, same with the right brake. Turn the alternator switch on. Is it charging? Turn the navigation lights and strobes on. Put on your headset. Get the mike positioned right up against your lips. Turn the “transponder” on “Standby.” Set it to frequency 1200. Turn the radios on. Make sure we’re on frequency 122.90. Turn the intercom on. Check to see that the radio and intercom are working properly.
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Push the throttle in a little to bring the RPM’s up to 1100 just long enough to get us rolling at a walk. Feet down. No brakes unless we have to have them. We’re going to steer with the rudder. The BOTTOM of the pedals controls the rudder (that’s the vertical vane on the tail) and turns the nose-wheel. Left pedal moves the rudder left, the plane turns left. Right pedal moves it right. We’re moving. Cut the RPM’s back to between 850 and 1000. Don’t use the yoke (unless there’s a cross-wind – more about that later maybe). Using your feet on the lower half of the pedals, steer us towards the end of the runway. Look at the DG, the “directional gyro.” Does it turn as the plane turns? Good. Is the “turn indicator” tracking? Excellent.
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We’re about to go onto the runway. Stop. Use the brakes if you have to. Look ALL around for other planes on the ground or in the air. Anything on the runway? Anybody getting ready to land from either end? No? Okay. Press the mike button on the yoke. “Brantley County traffic, Beechcraft 2344 Quebec, back taxi, runway 1.” Why runway 1? Because it points north and there’s a little wind from that direction. We want to take off into the wind. Brakes off, a little throttle, use the rudder to turn right onto runway 19 (that’s this end of runway 1, we’ll talk about that later). Use the rudder and the throttle to taxi down the runway to the far end. Keep your right hand on the throttle. Remember, steer with your feet. Turn right into the loop at the end, go left around the loop until you’re about to re-enter the runway – it’s runway 1 now – we’ll be headed north when we pull out onto it. Feet up. Brakes on. Throttle to idle.
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Set the instruments. Altimeter 97 feet (field elevation above sea level). Directional gyro equal to the whiskey compass. Artificial horizon where it’s comfortable for you. Transponder from “standby” to “altimeter.” Set the clock. Check the seats again, check the seat belts, check the door. Close the windows. Hold the brakes. RPM’s up to 1800. Pull the carburetor heat on – check for an RPM drop of about 150. Okay, we got our drop. Carburetor heat off. Ignition switch to “Mag 1”. Did we get an RPM drop of 50-75? Okay. Back to “Both.” Switch to “Mag 2”. 50-75 drop? Okay. Back to both. Pull the throttle back to 1500. Ammeter still active but near the bottom? Good. Check the controls. Yoke left and right, in and out. Rudder pedals working? Back to idle. Flaps up? That’s the thing that looks like a sports car’s emergency brake. It should be all the way down. Trim set? The wheel between the seats. Set it to the takeoff position. Check the runway and the sky for traffic (other aircraft). No traffic? Radio. “Brantley County traffic, Beechcraft 2344 Quebec, departing runway 1.”
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Ready? A lot of things are getting ready to happen real fast. Clear your mind. You’ve got 3000 feet of runway. By the end of the first 1000 we should know that all our engine gauges are showing green, that we’re up to half of our takeoff speed and that the plane feels right. If any of these are wrong, we’ll shut it down – that’s one reason we’re keeping our right hand on the throttle. Remember, the runway’s only 50 feet wide and we’re going to accelerate big-time. Steer with the rudder – DON’T TOUCH THE BRAKES. Left hand on the yoke. A little cross-wind from the right front. Turn the yoke a little to the right. Notice that vane on the trailing edge of the wing. There are two of them on each wing? Yes. We’re looking at the one closest to the wingtip. That’s an “aileron.” The one on the right just came up and the one on the left went down. That’s the sideways influence of the yoke. Push the yoke forward. Notice that vane on the horizontal portion of the tail. That’s the “elevator.” Of course, if it’s a Beechcraft or a Piper, the whole tail is the elevator; they call it a “stabilator.” Regardless, the trailing edge should be pointing down.
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Here goes. Hang on. I’ll shut my eyes if I get scared.
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Brakes off. Feet down. Toes on the rudder pedals. A little throttle. Left rudder. Out onto the runway. Line up on the centerline. Don’t use any more runway than you have to in order to get out and lined up. Boost pump on. Mixture full rich. Down pressure on the yoke. NO BRAKES. Heels on the floor. Toes on the rudder pedals. Throttle wide open. KEEP YOUR RIGHT HAND ON THE THROTTLE UNTIL WE’RE AT 2000 FEET AND LEVEL OFF. We’re moving. Faster. Faster. Steer with the rudder. Check the engine gauges. All green. Steer with the rudder – a little more right rudder as we pick up speed to offset the engine torque. 1000 feet of runway almost gone. 40 miles per hour? Okay. Keep going. Hold that nose down. More right rudder. Keep her straight. 70 miles per hour. MORE RIGHT RUDDER. Oops, too much. A little less. 75. Hold her down. Oh my lord, here comes the end of the runway. 78. 79. 80. Pull back on the yoke. Pull. PULL... We’re off. We’re flying. We’re climbing. There goes the highway under us, the power lines, that house.
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NO. Keep your hands on the controls, I’ll wave at those people on the ground – you fly the plane.
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Use the ailerons to keep us level. Left and right on the yoke. Pull back to slow down. Push forward to speed up. We want 90 miles per hour for the climb-out. That gives us 500 feet per minute of climb.
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Oops. Forgot about the right rudder – we’re drifting to the west. Okay, we’re back on our heading, 10 degrees (runway 1 = 10 degrees on the compass, runway 19 = 190 degrees). Watch out, we’re slowing down. Push the nose down just a hair. Okay. 90 miles per hour. We’re at 500 feet and climbing nicely. Look out – a gust of wind from the right. A little right aileron to hold that wing down. Take your hand off the throttle for just a second (give it a little twist to the right to lock it). Turn the trim wheel a little either up or down, whichever is needed, to relieve the forward/backward pressure on the yoke. Hand back on the throttle. Left twist. Keep her level. Stay at 90. Right rudder, you’re drifting again. Look all around for other planes. Remember, there are no yellow lines up here. You’ve got to keep a constant watch. 1000 feet and climbing nicely. You’re doing great. Look along the side of the nose at the horizon. Remember that sight picture. That’s the attitude that you need in order to climb at this speed and rate under these conditions. File it away in your head. Level the wings. You’re speeding up, pull back a little - TOO MUCH. Okay, now you’ve got it. Scan for other planes. Check the gauges. All green? Check your heading. Still 10 degrees? 1500 feet. Everything’s going fine. Keep it level. Keep your speed right – don’t use the throttle, use the yoke. The throttle controls the altitude, the elevator controls the speed. You’ve got to WHAT? Well why didn’t you do that before we left. Sorry, you’re just going to have to hold it. Coming up on 1800 feet. Push the nose over a little. Little more. 1900 feet. Nose over a little more. MORE. Look, who’s flying this plane anyway? Oh. You are. Well, who owns the confounded thing then? Yes, that’s right. Now push it over.
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Good.
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Yes, I know it goes against all instinct. But that’s the way it works. Get the nose down a little; if you don’t, then, in order to maintain level flight, you’ll have to reduce the power to an unacceptably low level to prevent climbing. The engine will be running slower than it should. The next time you change the oil and send off a sample, the results will come back showing a little more iron, aluminum and chrome than is ideal. With the nose down a little you can run the engine at its optimum setting. That will not only help the engine, the plane will fly better.
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Okay, we’re leveled off at 2000 feet. Pull the throttle back to 2300 RPM. Lock it. Let the speed build. 100. 110. 120. Okay. Boost pump off. Adjust the pitch (nose up or down) to maintain that speed. Adjust the throttle a tad to keep your altitude. Use the trim wheel to take the pressure off of the yoke. Now. Look at the horizon. That’s called “Straight and Level.” Take your hands off the yoke and your feet off the pedals. See. We’re going in a straight line and we’re staying at 2000 feet. That’s what the planes designed to do – fly straight and level at cruise speed and power if nothing interferes with it. That’s why the wings are set at an angle to the fuselage with the left wing having an imperceptibly greater angle to counteract the engine at cruise speed. And that’s why the wings have a little twist that you can’t see – to distribute the lift equally across their length.
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We made it. We’re flying. We’re headed toward Jesup. Look down. See the power lines and the highway? That’s Highway 32. Look to the left. See that? That’s 301. Look back and a little to our left. See the water towers? Way back there? That’s Nahunta.
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Scan for traffic. Look around and identify places to set down if something goes wrong – not a highway (cars and power lines) – look for solid looking fields, young pine plantations. Check your instruments and gauges. Scan for traffic. Instruments? Gauges? Attitude? Traffic?
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Okay, we’re flying. Whee!
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NoFlyer posted 11/20/01 5:14 AM
William, I forgot to tell you I get air sick.....WHERE'S THE BARF BAG?????
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This was great!!!!!
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William Gibson posted 11/20/01 5:07 PM
Thank you NoFlyer.
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If you'll look closely, you'll note that there's a pouch on the back of each of our seats. Look into the one on the back of my seat and you'll find a one-gallon sandwich bag. Sorry but that's the best I can offer right now.
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A note to Brantley County pilots:
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There is a GLARING (but small) error (at least one) in "HOW DO YOU WORK THIS THING." It should be immediately obvious to a Brantley County pilot. Let's see if you were paying attention.
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(Students: Don't worry, it won't affect you and will be cleared up in due course. I just want to see if the lurkers are on the ball. If anyone catches it, good - if not, I'll tell you later; it has had no affect on us thus far and will be corrected before it does. My hope is that, in looking for it, they will catch other things that I may have missed and bring them to our attention.)
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I think we'll talk about licensing and training next but don't forget where we are: 2000 feet over Highway 32, headed 10 degrees north, trimmed out at 2300 RPM.
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When is the next installment? Probably a day or two. Be patient with me, I am no longer young.
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Oh, one other thing: if you have any questions, just ask.
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DRU SMITH posted 11/20/01 7:20 PM
Yes William, you have to be very specific with Brantley piolts. Do not forget the four-wheelers crossing the runway!
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Eric B. posted 11/20/01 10:20 PM
Student here:
Didn't set the fuel selector switch to test the other tank or set to both tanks for takeoff??
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Eric B. posted 11/20/01 10:27 PM
Oh, don't forget to put the seat and tray in the upright position before takeoff :)
What about the fuel mix after takeoff?
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DON GIBSON posted 11/20/01 10:50 PM
William; I vowed to myself not to nit pick minor discrepancies. However since you insist on quizzing the most obvious mistake was the altimiter setting of 97, I always use 80, but as long as your coming back to the same place it is only relative. Readers please remember that it is not a complicated procedure, it is merely a great number of simple ones which anyone can learn.
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William Gibson posted 11/21/01 1:55 AM
Eric,
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Good catch. You're right. We should have checked the fuel selector to see that it moved freely and that the detents held it properly on each setting: left, both, right. Then, for takeoff purposes, we should have chosen both.
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The reason that we didn't is that we're flying Beechcraft 2344Q: a 1963 Beech Musketeer. It has only left and right settings (there is no "both") - that's why I said to set it to the tank that contains the most fuel.
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Fuel mix after takeoff?
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Okay. I was going to talk about this later and probably will. I'll just hit the high points for now.
- As a general rule, in this plane (and most others too), and at near sea-level, you leave it at full-rich unless you're going substantially higher than we did. I don't worry about it below 3000 feet.
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This plane has a gauge that shows the cylinder head and exhaust gas temperatures and that is what I use to set the mixture. For those of you who are confused, remember when I said "Set the mixture to full-rich"? Well, next to the throttle is the mixture control. Full-rich is all the way in. As you pull it out the engine gets more air and less fuel - that is called "leaning" the engine. It is done to provide the ideal fuel/air mixture for the conditions in which one is flying.
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I set it by cylinder head and exhaust gas temperature. What if I didn't have those gauges? Well, as I changed altitude I would fine tune it occasionally (every 2500 feet or so). I'd "lean" it until the engine started to run a little rough and then I'd richen it just a little.
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There is, however, a catch to all this. ONCE YOU'VE "LEANED" THE SETTING - DON'T FORGET!" You can damage the engine or cause it to start messing up at an inconvenient time.
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If you've "leaned" it and you get ready to descend, make it rich again. If the weather is real cold, either descend slowly (500 feet per minute is fine) or stop your descent every once in a while to give the engine temperature a chance to adjust. If you descend rapidly in really cold weather you could possibly shock-cool the engine and do permanent damage.
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Let's say we're at 4500 feet and we want to decend to 1500 fairly quickly - say 3 minutes (1000 feet per minute). We've got the mixture set lean. Our cylinder head temperature is around 350 degrees and our exhaust gas temperature is around 1250 degrees.
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We make the mixture full-rich, cut the power and push the nose over. Okay, when we went to full-rich we started reducing the temperature of the engine, when we cut the power we reduced it further. Then, when we pushed the nose over, we started taking a lot more cold air over the cylinder-head fins, and that air is moving faster because we're descending. Let's just be mindful of the problem and exercise a little extra caution.
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William Gibson posted 11/21/01 2:29 AM
Don,
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That's it. I thought you'd catch it.
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Readers - here's what's going on. The published elevation for the Brantley County airport is 83 feet. I said to set the altimeter to 97 feet. Don sets his to 80 feet.
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Okay, what's the deal here?
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First, the 97 feet was an error on my part. Regardless though, Don uses 80 and I use 83. That few feet isn't going to matter. Here's why. The altimeter is driven by the ambient barometric pressure. When you get ready to take off you set it to field elevation and it will thereby be adjusted for the current barometric pressure. The catch is that the pressure keeps changing. If we set it to 83 feet, take off and fly for an hour, and then land, it may read 74 feet or it my read 86 feet - depending on whether the pressure has changed and on how much it has changed. The altimeter is not precise; it's kind of a guide. The difference will not be terribly significant.
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When we take up landing, I'll tell you to do something at 10 feet. I'm not talking about the altimeter - you ain't got time to be looking at a bunch of altimeters at that point.
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When we're flying at 2000 or 3000 feet, 3 or 4 feet, plus or minus, isn't going to be a real problem.
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Now, why does Don set his at 80? Well, I'm going to guess. (I could ask him but then I wouldn't have the chance to tell you this). Altimeters have graduation marks. There's a mark at 80. Some have a mark at 90, some don't. I set mine by guess at 83. Don uses a finite mark on the instrument at 80. His approach probably makes a lot more sense than mine. You do what works for you.
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Now, to his other point.
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He's absolutely right. When you take it all in one big lump it can really be confusing and perhaps might make a novice think that he could never remember all that.
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Well, you don't have to remember all that. You just have to remember what comes next and do it. And that's how you learn it - one step at a time, each one of which is really pretty easy.
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Later I'll talk about "check-lists." A lot of this stuff is pretty standard. You will have some of the procedures written down on 3x5 cards and color coded. When you get ready to land you grab the yellow one.
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Don't worry about it. If Don and I can fly, ANYBODY can fly.
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Eric B. posted 11/21/01 2:53 AM
To be fair, I did look up a checklist and compared it with your post, which is written very very well.
Here's the links to the checklists I consulted.
(Links deleted - no longer active)
I too noticed the difference in altimeter settings, but decided that it was not too relevant.
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Eric B. posted 11/21/01 3:03 AM
Here a few pics to set the mood on flying around the airport. (Click to enlarge.)
(Pictures deleted)
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Phillip posted 11/21/01 3:34 AM
Hey, William, and all others, keep this up, this is what i like to read. Thank you, so much for putting something other then gossip on this board! Especially love the pics from above!!! Here's to all hopeful pilots! God Bless, cause, i'm one of em!
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William Gibson posted 11/21/01 3:44 AM
Eric,
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Thanks. Great pics.
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Clyde Aldridge posted 11/21/01 4:02 AM
When I retired from the Navy in 1975, I came back home to Brantley and opened up my business in Nahunta shortly thereafter. I did not know anybody in the Nahunta area very well and had only heard of a few people from reading the Brantley Enterprise for several years while in the Navy. One of my first "advisors" that I met down at the Gold House was "Mr Pete". I usually strolled down there about twelve and had nothing else to do and he and I would sometimes talk for quite a spell when he had no afternoon appointments. One of our favorite topics of discussion was flying airplanes. My wife Barbara had never flown in an airplane and he insisted that he wanted to be the person to introduce her to flying. He said that a person's first experience could be less than favorable and could turn them against flying forever. After many weeks/months of discussion I finally convinced Barbara that Mr. Pete was serious about wanting to take us up for a spin and so we did. I expect that he enjoyed that almost as much as me and Barbara did and I also suspect that he had done that sort of thing many times before and probably since. I will always be a supporter of the Brantley County Airport and will probably utilize it sometime in the near future and certainly do not want to see it "go away"!!!!!!!!!! I have grandchildren who might want to fly one of these days and when they do, Grandpa will make sure that they have something to fly in!!!!!!!!
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DON GIBSON posted 11/21/01 5:31 AM
Thank you Mr. Aldridge; You may not know, in addition to promoting flying, my father so loved it that he underwent a kidney operation in order to pass his flight physical at 87 years old and never recovered from it. He could have flown illegally or quit and would probably be alive today except that neither choice suited him. He took that risk in order to fly. It is a wonderful world up there. Nature gives us so much and we take so little of it.
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Moni posted 11/24/01 1:06 AM
I am really glad that you did this post. My husband is really wanting to learn how to fly so we can take trips without spending all the money on airline tickets. We can also go and visit family in another state whenever we want to. So please tell me what he needs to do and go to find out about doing this. Thank you very much!
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DON GIBSON posted 11/24/01 3:13 PM
MONI; Several years ago I took my wife and another couple, drove to Brunswick, rented a four place plane, left at 10 a.m. on Friday and three (3) hours later was sitting in Freeport Bahamas, including landing at West Palm Beach to go through a port of exit. We flew back on Sunday afternoon and the airplane costs $200. Today that cost would be $300 for a rental plane. The oppurtunities are limitless.
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Clyde Aldridge posted 11/25/01 9:07 PM
Hey guys? I am getting excited about getting back in the cockpit, or at least in the front seat again. I soloed on 12-2-78 and still have the "remains" from my shirt somewhere (I think) from that exciting adventure 23 years ago up at the Waycross Airport. Can a diabetic with high blood pressure get a license? My old log book is still around somewhere, I think, probably in my bank safe deposit box. I have not paid too much attention to what William has been ramblin bout here lately because I "been there, done that" back in the 1970s, at least far enough to be able to check out a "bird" and twist the nose and go up by myself for an hour or so and look at how crooked the great Satilla River is as it winds its way through Brantley County as it heads to the coast. Maybe we could start up a flying club. Any of you pilots certified to teach? I have had many "discussions" with Mr Pete about the fun that they used to have square dancing and flying back when a doctor came to town and turned local folks on to some new activities. You know that is when the building behind the elementary school got built? Maybe things are looking up in Brantley again.
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Eric B. posted 11/26/01 1:30 AM
I second the "Flying Club" suggestion...
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William Gibson posted 11/26/01 2:09 AM
Clyde and Eric,
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My next post will include a brief mention of two clubs in Fernandina. Further, my future post about airplane ownership will pursue the matter a little further. I think it would be really great if we could establish such a club and would very likely wish to be a member.
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William Gibson posted 11/26/01 2:53 AM
Clyde,
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About the medical question. I haven't checked the regs but I think that, if they are demonstrably controlled, neither diabetes nor hypertension are disqualifying. You'll probably have to do a cardiac workup and maybe some other stuff. You may also have to get with your doc and be sure you're taking the right medications. The FAA will accept some but will reject others. Best idea is probably to go see a flight surgeon.
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Good luck.
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William Gibson posted 11/26/01 3:04 AM
Eric,
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You're the picture guy. Any chance you could find and post pictures of the basic instrments: tach, airspeed, altimeter, turn and bank, artificial horizon, rate of climb?
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An entire basic panel would be nice too.
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Thanks.
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William Gibson posted 11/26/01 4:10 AM
SO YOU THINK YOU WANT TO FLY?
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How, if one thinks one wants to fly, does one begin?
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Well, I’m going to try to tell you.
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The first thing you ought to do is try it and find out how serious you are. If you’ve never flown, or flown only on big commercial planes, you need to be exposed to general aviation and, more specifically, to light planes.
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So how do you get that exposure? You contact a pilot and ask him or her to take you for a ride. Most pilots, if there is not some practical problem, and if they have a plane, will be happy to take you up. My cousin, Don Gibson, has posted such an offer in another folder and has given me permission to post it here. You can contact Don at 778-4697, or email him at flyguy@btconline.net. Don flies a Cessna 150 and is thoroughly qualified and experienced. He also has an abiding interest in aviation and will do his best to help you out.
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If, for some reason, neither of these options works for you, go to one of our local airports: Waycross, Brunswick, St. Simon’s Island, Jesup. Ask for the FBO (the Fixed Base Operator – he’s the guy in charge). Tell him what you’re after. He probably knows every pilot in his area and may well be able to help you out.
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Okay – let’s assume you have already flown or that you follow the above advice and give it a try. And let’s assume you like it. What’s next?
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Next is to get a license. Now I’m going to talk about ordinary flying here, if your interests go further (you want to be a professional pilot) you’ve still got to start somewhere. I would suggest that you start at the beginning – get a license to fly a light plane. Then, once you know what you’re doing , go after the more advanced stuff.
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There are two basic licenses: the recreational license and the private pilot’s license. A recreational pilot can, once he is licensed, carry one passenger, fly only within 50 miles of his home airport and fly only during the day. The private pilot can carry however many passengers his plane will safely handle, fly anywhere he likes and fly at night if he so chooses. There are three approaches to these licenses: 1) Get a recreational license if it fits (it will cost you less in both money and time), or 2) Get a private license right off the bat, or 3) You can go for a recreational license and then, after you’ve got it, go for the private license. Then, once you’ve got your basic license, you can think about things called “ratings”: instrument flying, multi-engine flying, commercial flying, jets, helicopters, aerobatics, even an instructor’s rating. But first you start with that basic license.
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All right, you’ve flown. You want to get a license. Here’s what you’re going to need to do. First you need to find an instructor. I’m not going to recommend one – you’re going to have to find your own. Why? Because it’s not “one size fits all.” You have to find the right guy or girl for you. Someone in whom you can place your full trust and someone to whom you are willing to cede control while you are flying. The instructor has two basic functions: first, to keep you alive while you’re getting started and making lots of mistakes (sometimes this is a really tough job – it requires a lot of skill and a lot of experience), second, to let you learn by experience under his care, and third to teach you what you need to know, and what you should and should not do in an airplane.
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Again, talk to pilots, get their recommendations. Go to the airports. Hang around. Listen. I don’t know any instructors in Waycross or Jesup. That doesn’t mean they’re not there, it just means I don’t know them. I do know that there are some in Brunswick. Go to the airports. Go to the FBO’s facility. Everybody there knows them.
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Okay, you’ve found an instructor. Now let’s find a plane. Again, check at the airports. Most of them have someone who will rent you a Cessna 150. That’s about a perfect trainer. If you are real heavy, and your instructor is too, you may need a 172 – it carries four passengers. The two passenger 150 will have trouble with two really big guys whenever the weather is hot and damp.
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Next you need to talk to your instructor about learning materials. You’re going to need some basic stuff, I recommend a course from Sporty’s or King. Both include a video or dvd course and a text. You can buy either at (another link deleted). You’re going to need a flight computer, a course protractor, and a map called a “sectional.” Better count on some incidentals too: sunglasses (preferably polarized), maybe some driving gloves. If you want to do it right, you’ll need a leather jacket and helmet, some goggles and a white silk scarf – or maybe not.
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Now you’ve got everything, make an appointment with the instructor and start. The two of you will fly together until you learn enough that he is prepared to let you fly alone. That’s called flying solo. Before you get there, you’re going to learn to take off, fly straight and level, do various kinds of turns, handle emergencies and land. You won’t master these with your instructor – you’ll just get enough to be turned loose to practice by yourself. That (your first solo) will be a big deal. Wear an old shirt because the instructor will cut the tail off of it, sign and date it. Sound silly? You will keep it with you for the rest of your life.
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Oh, one other thing. You don’t have to have a license to take lessons. You do have to have one (a student’s license) before you can solo. How do you get that? You find a flight surgeon (a doctor licensed by the FAA), fill out a form and get an exam. If you pass the physical exam, the flight surgeon will issue you a student license. You do whatever you like; I would get my license before starting – I wouldn’t want to spend the time and money, develop a passion for flying and then find out that, for vision or hearing or health problems, I would never be able to fly.
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Now, how much time is all this going to take and what’s it going to cost?
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First the time. I’ve known one guy that soloed after 10 hours. 25-40 is more common. And then? Well, FAA regulations require 15 hours with an instructor and 15 without for the recreational license (for the private license you have to do 20 and 20) plus your instructor’s sign-off before you can take your check ride with an FAA Examiner.
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Costs? Well, most instructors charge around $25-35 per hour. You can usually rent a Cessna 150 for $50-75 per hour (that will probably be “wet” – that is to say the gas is included in the price). One instructor in Brunswick has been charging $56 per hour for both him and his plane – whether he’s in it or not. The course materials will probably total up to $150-200 or so. When it’s all over, you’ll have to pass a written test; that should cost about $75. Then you must pass your check ride; that will probably cost $300.
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Sound like a lot of money? Yes, if you want to look at it like that. It’s not so bad though if you take it one step at a time. Try a couple of lessons. Spread it out over time. Let’s say that it’s going to cost $75 an hour. Okay, maybe you can work out one lesson a week? One every two weeks? Whatever works for you.
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One option that you might want to consider is to join a flying club. I suspect there may be one nearby – Brunswick or St. Simons. I know that there are two in Fernandina Beach. Both of them have Cessna 150’s. One of them has two instructors. Membership costs $60 a year (for the entire family) and entitles you to a $15 per hour discount on the plane. I don’t know what the instructors charge but I suspect it is probably less than the going rate if you’re a member.
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Now, another option. If you’ve got some time and some cash, go to St. Augustine (a GREAT airport) and talk to the school there. These guys know what they’re about. And, even if you don’t plan on signing up, go down there anyway. They’ve got a little café with a balcony overlooking the ramp. They are the home for a bunch of aerobatics pilots who routinely practice right there. And they offer all kinds of rides: introductory, aerobatics, fighters – all kinds. Go on a Sunday afternoon – be sure the weather’s nice. If you love flying, you’ll enjoy the trip. You’ll see some special planes and, probably, some special flying.
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Okay, those are the high points.
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Questions?
Author: William Gibson Topic: On flying airplanes
posted 11/15/01 6:57 PM
I’m sure that a number of readers are aware that I have a substantial interest in aviation, as do many others in our county. It occurs to me that this forum might offer an opportunity to do something that might be of interest to some of the readers who have never been exposed to flying.
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If there are people out there who are interested in aviation and would like to learn more about it, I will be happy to start an extended series of postings that will tell how the whole thing works. In such a series, I would try to provide the answers to such questions as these: How do you get started? What kinds of licenses are available and how do you get them? What’s involved in owning or renting a plane once you are licensed? What sorts of career opportunities exist? And, probably the most fun of all, how do you fly an airplane?
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Another fun thing is that, if I undertake this project, the nature of pilots is such that they would read every word I wrote and jump on me with both feet for even the most trivial error – and I’m sure they’d have plenty of opportunities. That might be entertaining to some.
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The reason for this post is simple. Such an undertaking would involve a tremendous expenditure of time – an expenditure that I don’t mind - but I don’t want to do it if nobody’s interested.
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Is anyone interested? If so, please post a note in this folder or drop me a line by email (just click on the envelope at the top of this post).
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No charge. No commitment. I don’t even need to know your name. I just want to get a feel for how many folks might read it if I took the time to write it.
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Thanks.
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PS: If you notice some little dashes in the text above, that’s me trying to find a way to separate out the paragraphs. This message board doesn’t seem to do that very well and it makes the posts a little more difficult to follow than they otherwise might be.
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Georgia Girl posted 11/16/01 1:12 AM
What a wonderful idea, William! I think that it would be very interesting. If you do it, I promise to read every word, something I don't do on a lot of the topics posted.
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Eric B. posted 11/16/01 11:29 PM
Count me in.
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whobird posted 11/17/01 1:56 PM
Yes, maybe some of them won't have to go to Florida to their information!!!
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William Gibson posted 11/18/01 1:36 AM
Georgia Girl, Eric B.,
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Thank you for your interest. I'm not ignoring you. I'm just kind of holding off in hopes that we'll pick up one or two more before we start.
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I'm working on the series with a couple of posts already written. Now they need to be edited. Give me a day or two.
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In the meantime maybe somebody else will express an interest. I'm sure we'll have lurkers but it would be nice to have a few folks step up like you guys did. That might help to establish a core of students who could work together to pursue it further after we're done.
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Another thing is that if, after reading an installment, more then one person has the same question or concern, that would tell me that I need to be more clear.
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Anyway, give me a day or two and we'll get started.
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NoFlyer posted 11/18/01 3:07 AM
Count me in as a lurker. I'm afraid I'm not up to being a student. Remind me to tell you about my experience attending ground school.(it is really funny--would have made a good plot for the "I Love Lucy" show or "All in The Family")
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William Gibson posted 11/18/01 3:46 AM
Welcome NoFlyer,
We'll talk (a little) about ground school - maybe you'll be so kind as to tell us about it. Maybe you'll even change your mind. Or maybe not. You're welcome either way.
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Eric B. posted 11/18/01 4:23 AM
Looking forward to it. I used to love playing with the Flightsimulator (The real old one, before there was Windows, I believe it was from Microprose back then) I thought is was fascinating flying over cloud cover at night using VOR and ADF and then performing an ILS approach just to see the runway lights right in front of you when you penetrate the clouds during descent. If you ever need extra ballast when you fly, give me a holler :)
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William Gibson posted 11/19/01 6:05 PM
HOW DO YOU WORK THIS THING?
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When you watch a pilot in a movie it may kind of seem that flying is like driving a car. Well, it is, sort of. But just sort of. Cars go left and right, forward and backward. Planes do too – but they also go up and down. And there’s the basic difference. That extra dimension changes everything. You get in trouble in a car, you hit the brakes and the car slows down. It’s a little different in a plane. First, the brakes only work when you’re on the ground, and second, if you slow a plane down too much, it falls. There are other differences; I think they’ll become apparent as we go forward.
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What I’m going to do now is try to tell you about the major controls. Maybe the best way to do that is to go for a ride.
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To simplify, we’ll pretend we’re at Brantley County’s airport. No taxiway. No tower. We’ll just do what we’ve got to do.
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The first thing that happens is that the pilot (that’s you) checks the plane. I’ll tell you more about that in another post. Let’s say you’ve already done that and we’re ready to go.
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Let’s climb into the plane. Be careful where you step - remember this thing is made of light materials: aluminum, in some cases cloth. Step only where the pilot tells you. And be careful what you grab to pull yourself up and in. Boy, it sure is cramped in here isn’t it? Hey, we’ve got to keep the weight down, so when we build it we don’t waste space.
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Okay, we’re in. You’re going to do the flying so you’ll sit in the left seat. We’ll both have a steering wheel (a “yoke”) and pedals but we’ll just use yours for now.
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Now, lets make sure all the radios and electronics (the “avionics”) are off. Check all the fuses and circuit breakers. Next you, as “pilot in command”, make sure that the seats are adjusted so you can reach the pedals, latched so they won’t slide and that we’ve both got our seat belts on. We’ve got two fuel tanks, let’s make sure we’re set to the one with the most fuel. Now we’re going to start the engine.
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Look all around. Make sure there are no people (especially little people), dogs, cats, goats, rabbits, chickens or other such anywhere near the plane or near enough to get to the plane before we can shut it down and the propeller stops turning. Put the key in the ignition. Notice that there are five settings: off, magneto 1, magneto 2, both and start. Don’t turn the key on yet.
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Apply the brakes. Those pedals on the floor? The TOP part of the pedal is the brake. You’ll have to lift your feet up a little to mash the top part. It’s different from a car. You have a left brake and a right brake. What if your car had two brakes? And what if you hit one brake harder than the other. Things could get ugly. Let’s keep that in mind while we taxi, take off and land. It might be a good idea to tell me about keeping my fat feet off those pedals.
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Reach up and turn the master switch on (not the key - the master switch). Turn on the booster pump and check the gauge to make sure the fuel pressure is in the green. This is not the main fuel pump – it’s a backup. Okay, it’s good. Turn it off for now. Look around again. Twist and pump the primer once. Push the mixture control all the way in – “full rich”. Pull the throttle all the way out and then about 1/8 inch in. Hold the throttle with one hand, put the other hand on the key. Look around again - thoroughly and carefully. Shout “Clear” to insure that everyone knows you are going to start the propeller turning. Look around again. Turn the key to start, push the throttle all the way in once and then pull it back to about a quarter inch from all the way off. The engine will start. I hope so anyway. Real fast now – check the oil pressure. If it doesn’t immediately go into the green, shut everything down by pulling the throttle all the way off and pulling the mixture control all the way back. Okay, it’s green.
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Ease off the left brake just a little. Mash it again. Is it working? Okay, same with the right brake. Turn the alternator switch on. Is it charging? Turn the navigation lights and strobes on. Put on your headset. Get the mike positioned right up against your lips. Turn the “transponder” on “Standby.” Set it to frequency 1200. Turn the radios on. Make sure we’re on frequency 122.90. Turn the intercom on. Check to see that the radio and intercom are working properly.
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Push the throttle in a little to bring the RPM’s up to 1100 just long enough to get us rolling at a walk. Feet down. No brakes unless we have to have them. We’re going to steer with the rudder. The BOTTOM of the pedals controls the rudder (that’s the vertical vane on the tail) and turns the nose-wheel. Left pedal moves the rudder left, the plane turns left. Right pedal moves it right. We’re moving. Cut the RPM’s back to between 850 and 1000. Don’t use the yoke (unless there’s a cross-wind – more about that later maybe). Using your feet on the lower half of the pedals, steer us towards the end of the runway. Look at the DG, the “directional gyro.” Does it turn as the plane turns? Good. Is the “turn indicator” tracking? Excellent.
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We’re about to go onto the runway. Stop. Use the brakes if you have to. Look ALL around for other planes on the ground or in the air. Anything on the runway? Anybody getting ready to land from either end? No? Okay. Press the mike button on the yoke. “Brantley County traffic, Beechcraft 2344 Quebec, back taxi, runway 1.” Why runway 1? Because it points north and there’s a little wind from that direction. We want to take off into the wind. Brakes off, a little throttle, use the rudder to turn right onto runway 19 (that’s this end of runway 1, we’ll talk about that later). Use the rudder and the throttle to taxi down the runway to the far end. Keep your right hand on the throttle. Remember, steer with your feet. Turn right into the loop at the end, go left around the loop until you’re about to re-enter the runway – it’s runway 1 now – we’ll be headed north when we pull out onto it. Feet up. Brakes on. Throttle to idle.
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Set the instruments. Altimeter 97 feet (field elevation above sea level). Directional gyro equal to the whiskey compass. Artificial horizon where it’s comfortable for you. Transponder from “standby” to “altimeter.” Set the clock. Check the seats again, check the seat belts, check the door. Close the windows. Hold the brakes. RPM’s up to 1800. Pull the carburetor heat on – check for an RPM drop of about 150. Okay, we got our drop. Carburetor heat off. Ignition switch to “Mag 1”. Did we get an RPM drop of 50-75? Okay. Back to “Both.” Switch to “Mag 2”. 50-75 drop? Okay. Back to both. Pull the throttle back to 1500. Ammeter still active but near the bottom? Good. Check the controls. Yoke left and right, in and out. Rudder pedals working? Back to idle. Flaps up? That’s the thing that looks like a sports car’s emergency brake. It should be all the way down. Trim set? The wheel between the seats. Set it to the takeoff position. Check the runway and the sky for traffic (other aircraft). No traffic? Radio. “Brantley County traffic, Beechcraft 2344 Quebec, departing runway 1.”
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Ready? A lot of things are getting ready to happen real fast. Clear your mind. You’ve got 3000 feet of runway. By the end of the first 1000 we should know that all our engine gauges are showing green, that we’re up to half of our takeoff speed and that the plane feels right. If any of these are wrong, we’ll shut it down – that’s one reason we’re keeping our right hand on the throttle. Remember, the runway’s only 50 feet wide and we’re going to accelerate big-time. Steer with the rudder – DON’T TOUCH THE BRAKES. Left hand on the yoke. A little cross-wind from the right front. Turn the yoke a little to the right. Notice that vane on the trailing edge of the wing. There are two of them on each wing? Yes. We’re looking at the one closest to the wingtip. That’s an “aileron.” The one on the right just came up and the one on the left went down. That’s the sideways influence of the yoke. Push the yoke forward. Notice that vane on the horizontal portion of the tail. That’s the “elevator.” Of course, if it’s a Beechcraft or a Piper, the whole tail is the elevator; they call it a “stabilator.” Regardless, the trailing edge should be pointing down.
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Here goes. Hang on. I’ll shut my eyes if I get scared.
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Brakes off. Feet down. Toes on the rudder pedals. A little throttle. Left rudder. Out onto the runway. Line up on the centerline. Don’t use any more runway than you have to in order to get out and lined up. Boost pump on. Mixture full rich. Down pressure on the yoke. NO BRAKES. Heels on the floor. Toes on the rudder pedals. Throttle wide open. KEEP YOUR RIGHT HAND ON THE THROTTLE UNTIL WE’RE AT 2000 FEET AND LEVEL OFF. We’re moving. Faster. Faster. Steer with the rudder. Check the engine gauges. All green. Steer with the rudder – a little more right rudder as we pick up speed to offset the engine torque. 1000 feet of runway almost gone. 40 miles per hour? Okay. Keep going. Hold that nose down. More right rudder. Keep her straight. 70 miles per hour. MORE RIGHT RUDDER. Oops, too much. A little less. 75. Hold her down. Oh my lord, here comes the end of the runway. 78. 79. 80. Pull back on the yoke. Pull. PULL... We’re off. We’re flying. We’re climbing. There goes the highway under us, the power lines, that house.
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NO. Keep your hands on the controls, I’ll wave at those people on the ground – you fly the plane.
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Use the ailerons to keep us level. Left and right on the yoke. Pull back to slow down. Push forward to speed up. We want 90 miles per hour for the climb-out. That gives us 500 feet per minute of climb.
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Oops. Forgot about the right rudder – we’re drifting to the west. Okay, we’re back on our heading, 10 degrees (runway 1 = 10 degrees on the compass, runway 19 = 190 degrees). Watch out, we’re slowing down. Push the nose down just a hair. Okay. 90 miles per hour. We’re at 500 feet and climbing nicely. Look out – a gust of wind from the right. A little right aileron to hold that wing down. Take your hand off the throttle for just a second (give it a little twist to the right to lock it). Turn the trim wheel a little either up or down, whichever is needed, to relieve the forward/backward pressure on the yoke. Hand back on the throttle. Left twist. Keep her level. Stay at 90. Right rudder, you’re drifting again. Look all around for other planes. Remember, there are no yellow lines up here. You’ve got to keep a constant watch. 1000 feet and climbing nicely. You’re doing great. Look along the side of the nose at the horizon. Remember that sight picture. That’s the attitude that you need in order to climb at this speed and rate under these conditions. File it away in your head. Level the wings. You’re speeding up, pull back a little - TOO MUCH. Okay, now you’ve got it. Scan for other planes. Check the gauges. All green? Check your heading. Still 10 degrees? 1500 feet. Everything’s going fine. Keep it level. Keep your speed right – don’t use the throttle, use the yoke. The throttle controls the altitude, the elevator controls the speed. You’ve got to WHAT? Well why didn’t you do that before we left. Sorry, you’re just going to have to hold it. Coming up on 1800 feet. Push the nose over a little. Little more. 1900 feet. Nose over a little more. MORE. Look, who’s flying this plane anyway? Oh. You are. Well, who owns the confounded thing then? Yes, that’s right. Now push it over.
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Good.
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Yes, I know it goes against all instinct. But that’s the way it works. Get the nose down a little; if you don’t, then, in order to maintain level flight, you’ll have to reduce the power to an unacceptably low level to prevent climbing. The engine will be running slower than it should. The next time you change the oil and send off a sample, the results will come back showing a little more iron, aluminum and chrome than is ideal. With the nose down a little you can run the engine at its optimum setting. That will not only help the engine, the plane will fly better.
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Okay, we’re leveled off at 2000 feet. Pull the throttle back to 2300 RPM. Lock it. Let the speed build. 100. 110. 120. Okay. Boost pump off. Adjust the pitch (nose up or down) to maintain that speed. Adjust the throttle a tad to keep your altitude. Use the trim wheel to take the pressure off of the yoke. Now. Look at the horizon. That’s called “Straight and Level.” Take your hands off the yoke and your feet off the pedals. See. We’re going in a straight line and we’re staying at 2000 feet. That’s what the planes designed to do – fly straight and level at cruise speed and power if nothing interferes with it. That’s why the wings are set at an angle to the fuselage with the left wing having an imperceptibly greater angle to counteract the engine at cruise speed. And that’s why the wings have a little twist that you can’t see – to distribute the lift equally across their length.
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We made it. We’re flying. We’re headed toward Jesup. Look down. See the power lines and the highway? That’s Highway 32. Look to the left. See that? That’s 301. Look back and a little to our left. See the water towers? Way back there? That’s Nahunta.
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Scan for traffic. Look around and identify places to set down if something goes wrong – not a highway (cars and power lines) – look for solid looking fields, young pine plantations. Check your instruments and gauges. Scan for traffic. Instruments? Gauges? Attitude? Traffic?
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Okay, we’re flying. Whee!
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NoFlyer posted 11/20/01 5:14 AM
William, I forgot to tell you I get air sick.....WHERE'S THE BARF BAG?????
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This was great!!!!!
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William Gibson posted 11/20/01 5:07 PM
Thank you NoFlyer.
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If you'll look closely, you'll note that there's a pouch on the back of each of our seats. Look into the one on the back of my seat and you'll find a one-gallon sandwich bag. Sorry but that's the best I can offer right now.
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A note to Brantley County pilots:
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There is a GLARING (but small) error (at least one) in "HOW DO YOU WORK THIS THING." It should be immediately obvious to a Brantley County pilot. Let's see if you were paying attention.
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(Students: Don't worry, it won't affect you and will be cleared up in due course. I just want to see if the lurkers are on the ball. If anyone catches it, good - if not, I'll tell you later; it has had no affect on us thus far and will be corrected before it does. My hope is that, in looking for it, they will catch other things that I may have missed and bring them to our attention.)
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I think we'll talk about licensing and training next but don't forget where we are: 2000 feet over Highway 32, headed 10 degrees north, trimmed out at 2300 RPM.
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When is the next installment? Probably a day or two. Be patient with me, I am no longer young.
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Oh, one other thing: if you have any questions, just ask.
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DRU SMITH posted 11/20/01 7:20 PM
Yes William, you have to be very specific with Brantley piolts. Do not forget the four-wheelers crossing the runway!
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Eric B. posted 11/20/01 10:20 PM
Student here:
Didn't set the fuel selector switch to test the other tank or set to both tanks for takeoff??
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Eric B. posted 11/20/01 10:27 PM
Oh, don't forget to put the seat and tray in the upright position before takeoff :)
What about the fuel mix after takeoff?
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DON GIBSON posted 11/20/01 10:50 PM
William; I vowed to myself not to nit pick minor discrepancies. However since you insist on quizzing the most obvious mistake was the altimiter setting of 97, I always use 80, but as long as your coming back to the same place it is only relative. Readers please remember that it is not a complicated procedure, it is merely a great number of simple ones which anyone can learn.
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William Gibson posted 11/21/01 1:55 AM
Eric,
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Good catch. You're right. We should have checked the fuel selector to see that it moved freely and that the detents held it properly on each setting: left, both, right. Then, for takeoff purposes, we should have chosen both.
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The reason that we didn't is that we're flying Beechcraft 2344Q: a 1963 Beech Musketeer. It has only left and right settings (there is no "both") - that's why I said to set it to the tank that contains the most fuel.
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Fuel mix after takeoff?
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Okay. I was going to talk about this later and probably will. I'll just hit the high points for now.
- As a general rule, in this plane (and most others too), and at near sea-level, you leave it at full-rich unless you're going substantially higher than we did. I don't worry about it below 3000 feet.
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This plane has a gauge that shows the cylinder head and exhaust gas temperatures and that is what I use to set the mixture. For those of you who are confused, remember when I said "Set the mixture to full-rich"? Well, next to the throttle is the mixture control. Full-rich is all the way in. As you pull it out the engine gets more air and less fuel - that is called "leaning" the engine. It is done to provide the ideal fuel/air mixture for the conditions in which one is flying.
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I set it by cylinder head and exhaust gas temperature. What if I didn't have those gauges? Well, as I changed altitude I would fine tune it occasionally (every 2500 feet or so). I'd "lean" it until the engine started to run a little rough and then I'd richen it just a little.
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There is, however, a catch to all this. ONCE YOU'VE "LEANED" THE SETTING - DON'T FORGET!" You can damage the engine or cause it to start messing up at an inconvenient time.
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If you've "leaned" it and you get ready to descend, make it rich again. If the weather is real cold, either descend slowly (500 feet per minute is fine) or stop your descent every once in a while to give the engine temperature a chance to adjust. If you descend rapidly in really cold weather you could possibly shock-cool the engine and do permanent damage.
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Let's say we're at 4500 feet and we want to decend to 1500 fairly quickly - say 3 minutes (1000 feet per minute). We've got the mixture set lean. Our cylinder head temperature is around 350 degrees and our exhaust gas temperature is around 1250 degrees.
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We make the mixture full-rich, cut the power and push the nose over. Okay, when we went to full-rich we started reducing the temperature of the engine, when we cut the power we reduced it further. Then, when we pushed the nose over, we started taking a lot more cold air over the cylinder-head fins, and that air is moving faster because we're descending. Let's just be mindful of the problem and exercise a little extra caution.
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William Gibson posted 11/21/01 2:29 AM
Don,
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That's it. I thought you'd catch it.
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Readers - here's what's going on. The published elevation for the Brantley County airport is 83 feet. I said to set the altimeter to 97 feet. Don sets his to 80 feet.
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Okay, what's the deal here?
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First, the 97 feet was an error on my part. Regardless though, Don uses 80 and I use 83. That few feet isn't going to matter. Here's why. The altimeter is driven by the ambient barometric pressure. When you get ready to take off you set it to field elevation and it will thereby be adjusted for the current barometric pressure. The catch is that the pressure keeps changing. If we set it to 83 feet, take off and fly for an hour, and then land, it may read 74 feet or it my read 86 feet - depending on whether the pressure has changed and on how much it has changed. The altimeter is not precise; it's kind of a guide. The difference will not be terribly significant.
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When we take up landing, I'll tell you to do something at 10 feet. I'm not talking about the altimeter - you ain't got time to be looking at a bunch of altimeters at that point.
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When we're flying at 2000 or 3000 feet, 3 or 4 feet, plus or minus, isn't going to be a real problem.
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Now, why does Don set his at 80? Well, I'm going to guess. (I could ask him but then I wouldn't have the chance to tell you this). Altimeters have graduation marks. There's a mark at 80. Some have a mark at 90, some don't. I set mine by guess at 83. Don uses a finite mark on the instrument at 80. His approach probably makes a lot more sense than mine. You do what works for you.
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Now, to his other point.
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He's absolutely right. When you take it all in one big lump it can really be confusing and perhaps might make a novice think that he could never remember all that.
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Well, you don't have to remember all that. You just have to remember what comes next and do it. And that's how you learn it - one step at a time, each one of which is really pretty easy.
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Later I'll talk about "check-lists." A lot of this stuff is pretty standard. You will have some of the procedures written down on 3x5 cards and color coded. When you get ready to land you grab the yellow one.
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Don't worry about it. If Don and I can fly, ANYBODY can fly.
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Eric B. posted 11/21/01 2:53 AM
To be fair, I did look up a checklist and compared it with your post, which is written very very well.
Here's the links to the checklists I consulted.
(Links deleted - no longer active)
I too noticed the difference in altimeter settings, but decided that it was not too relevant.
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Eric B. posted 11/21/01 3:03 AM
Here a few pics to set the mood on flying around the airport. (Click to enlarge.)
(Pictures deleted)
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Phillip posted 11/21/01 3:34 AM
Hey, William, and all others, keep this up, this is what i like to read. Thank you, so much for putting something other then gossip on this board! Especially love the pics from above!!! Here's to all hopeful pilots! God Bless, cause, i'm one of em!
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William Gibson posted 11/21/01 3:44 AM
Eric,
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Thanks. Great pics.
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Clyde Aldridge posted 11/21/01 4:02 AM
When I retired from the Navy in 1975, I came back home to Brantley and opened up my business in Nahunta shortly thereafter. I did not know anybody in the Nahunta area very well and had only heard of a few people from reading the Brantley Enterprise for several years while in the Navy. One of my first "advisors" that I met down at the Gold House was "Mr Pete". I usually strolled down there about twelve and had nothing else to do and he and I would sometimes talk for quite a spell when he had no afternoon appointments. One of our favorite topics of discussion was flying airplanes. My wife Barbara had never flown in an airplane and he insisted that he wanted to be the person to introduce her to flying. He said that a person's first experience could be less than favorable and could turn them against flying forever. After many weeks/months of discussion I finally convinced Barbara that Mr. Pete was serious about wanting to take us up for a spin and so we did. I expect that he enjoyed that almost as much as me and Barbara did and I also suspect that he had done that sort of thing many times before and probably since. I will always be a supporter of the Brantley County Airport and will probably utilize it sometime in the near future and certainly do not want to see it "go away"!!!!!!!!!! I have grandchildren who might want to fly one of these days and when they do, Grandpa will make sure that they have something to fly in!!!!!!!!
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DON GIBSON posted 11/21/01 5:31 AM
Thank you Mr. Aldridge; You may not know, in addition to promoting flying, my father so loved it that he underwent a kidney operation in order to pass his flight physical at 87 years old and never recovered from it. He could have flown illegally or quit and would probably be alive today except that neither choice suited him. He took that risk in order to fly. It is a wonderful world up there. Nature gives us so much and we take so little of it.
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Moni posted 11/24/01 1:06 AM
I am really glad that you did this post. My husband is really wanting to learn how to fly so we can take trips without spending all the money on airline tickets. We can also go and visit family in another state whenever we want to. So please tell me what he needs to do and go to find out about doing this. Thank you very much!
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DON GIBSON posted 11/24/01 3:13 PM
MONI; Several years ago I took my wife and another couple, drove to Brunswick, rented a four place plane, left at 10 a.m. on Friday and three (3) hours later was sitting in Freeport Bahamas, including landing at West Palm Beach to go through a port of exit. We flew back on Sunday afternoon and the airplane costs $200. Today that cost would be $300 for a rental plane. The oppurtunities are limitless.
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Clyde Aldridge posted 11/25/01 9:07 PM
Hey guys? I am getting excited about getting back in the cockpit, or at least in the front seat again. I soloed on 12-2-78 and still have the "remains" from my shirt somewhere (I think) from that exciting adventure 23 years ago up at the Waycross Airport. Can a diabetic with high blood pressure get a license? My old log book is still around somewhere, I think, probably in my bank safe deposit box. I have not paid too much attention to what William has been ramblin bout here lately because I "been there, done that" back in the 1970s, at least far enough to be able to check out a "bird" and twist the nose and go up by myself for an hour or so and look at how crooked the great Satilla River is as it winds its way through Brantley County as it heads to the coast. Maybe we could start up a flying club. Any of you pilots certified to teach? I have had many "discussions" with Mr Pete about the fun that they used to have square dancing and flying back when a doctor came to town and turned local folks on to some new activities. You know that is when the building behind the elementary school got built? Maybe things are looking up in Brantley again.
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Eric B. posted 11/26/01 1:30 AM
I second the "Flying Club" suggestion...
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William Gibson posted 11/26/01 2:09 AM
Clyde and Eric,
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My next post will include a brief mention of two clubs in Fernandina. Further, my future post about airplane ownership will pursue the matter a little further. I think it would be really great if we could establish such a club and would very likely wish to be a member.
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William Gibson posted 11/26/01 2:53 AM
Clyde,
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About the medical question. I haven't checked the regs but I think that, if they are demonstrably controlled, neither diabetes nor hypertension are disqualifying. You'll probably have to do a cardiac workup and maybe some other stuff. You may also have to get with your doc and be sure you're taking the right medications. The FAA will accept some but will reject others. Best idea is probably to go see a flight surgeon.
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Good luck.
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William Gibson posted 11/26/01 3:04 AM
Eric,
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You're the picture guy. Any chance you could find and post pictures of the basic instrments: tach, airspeed, altimeter, turn and bank, artificial horizon, rate of climb?
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An entire basic panel would be nice too.
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Thanks.
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William Gibson posted 11/26/01 4:10 AM
SO YOU THINK YOU WANT TO FLY?
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How, if one thinks one wants to fly, does one begin?
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Well, I’m going to try to tell you.
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The first thing you ought to do is try it and find out how serious you are. If you’ve never flown, or flown only on big commercial planes, you need to be exposed to general aviation and, more specifically, to light planes.
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So how do you get that exposure? You contact a pilot and ask him or her to take you for a ride. Most pilots, if there is not some practical problem, and if they have a plane, will be happy to take you up. My cousin, Don Gibson, has posted such an offer in another folder and has given me permission to post it here. You can contact Don at 778-4697, or email him at flyguy@btconline.net. Don flies a Cessna 150 and is thoroughly qualified and experienced. He also has an abiding interest in aviation and will do his best to help you out.
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If, for some reason, neither of these options works for you, go to one of our local airports: Waycross, Brunswick, St. Simon’s Island, Jesup. Ask for the FBO (the Fixed Base Operator – he’s the guy in charge). Tell him what you’re after. He probably knows every pilot in his area and may well be able to help you out.
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Okay – let’s assume you have already flown or that you follow the above advice and give it a try. And let’s assume you like it. What’s next?
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Next is to get a license. Now I’m going to talk about ordinary flying here, if your interests go further (you want to be a professional pilot) you’ve still got to start somewhere. I would suggest that you start at the beginning – get a license to fly a light plane. Then, once you know what you’re doing , go after the more advanced stuff.
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There are two basic licenses: the recreational license and the private pilot’s license. A recreational pilot can, once he is licensed, carry one passenger, fly only within 50 miles of his home airport and fly only during the day. The private pilot can carry however many passengers his plane will safely handle, fly anywhere he likes and fly at night if he so chooses. There are three approaches to these licenses: 1) Get a recreational license if it fits (it will cost you less in both money and time), or 2) Get a private license right off the bat, or 3) You can go for a recreational license and then, after you’ve got it, go for the private license. Then, once you’ve got your basic license, you can think about things called “ratings”: instrument flying, multi-engine flying, commercial flying, jets, helicopters, aerobatics, even an instructor’s rating. But first you start with that basic license.
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All right, you’ve flown. You want to get a license. Here’s what you’re going to need to do. First you need to find an instructor. I’m not going to recommend one – you’re going to have to find your own. Why? Because it’s not “one size fits all.” You have to find the right guy or girl for you. Someone in whom you can place your full trust and someone to whom you are willing to cede control while you are flying. The instructor has two basic functions: first, to keep you alive while you’re getting started and making lots of mistakes (sometimes this is a really tough job – it requires a lot of skill and a lot of experience), second, to let you learn by experience under his care, and third to teach you what you need to know, and what you should and should not do in an airplane.
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Again, talk to pilots, get their recommendations. Go to the airports. Hang around. Listen. I don’t know any instructors in Waycross or Jesup. That doesn’t mean they’re not there, it just means I don’t know them. I do know that there are some in Brunswick. Go to the airports. Go to the FBO’s facility. Everybody there knows them.
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Okay, you’ve found an instructor. Now let’s find a plane. Again, check at the airports. Most of them have someone who will rent you a Cessna 150. That’s about a perfect trainer. If you are real heavy, and your instructor is too, you may need a 172 – it carries four passengers. The two passenger 150 will have trouble with two really big guys whenever the weather is hot and damp.
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Next you need to talk to your instructor about learning materials. You’re going to need some basic stuff, I recommend a course from Sporty’s or King. Both include a video or dvd course and a text. You can buy either at (another link deleted). You’re going to need a flight computer, a course protractor, and a map called a “sectional.” Better count on some incidentals too: sunglasses (preferably polarized), maybe some driving gloves. If you want to do it right, you’ll need a leather jacket and helmet, some goggles and a white silk scarf – or maybe not.
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Now you’ve got everything, make an appointment with the instructor and start. The two of you will fly together until you learn enough that he is prepared to let you fly alone. That’s called flying solo. Before you get there, you’re going to learn to take off, fly straight and level, do various kinds of turns, handle emergencies and land. You won’t master these with your instructor – you’ll just get enough to be turned loose to practice by yourself. That (your first solo) will be a big deal. Wear an old shirt because the instructor will cut the tail off of it, sign and date it. Sound silly? You will keep it with you for the rest of your life.
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Oh, one other thing. You don’t have to have a license to take lessons. You do have to have one (a student’s license) before you can solo. How do you get that? You find a flight surgeon (a doctor licensed by the FAA), fill out a form and get an exam. If you pass the physical exam, the flight surgeon will issue you a student license. You do whatever you like; I would get my license before starting – I wouldn’t want to spend the time and money, develop a passion for flying and then find out that, for vision or hearing or health problems, I would never be able to fly.
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Now, how much time is all this going to take and what’s it going to cost?
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First the time. I’ve known one guy that soloed after 10 hours. 25-40 is more common. And then? Well, FAA regulations require 15 hours with an instructor and 15 without for the recreational license (for the private license you have to do 20 and 20) plus your instructor’s sign-off before you can take your check ride with an FAA Examiner.
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Costs? Well, most instructors charge around $25-35 per hour. You can usually rent a Cessna 150 for $50-75 per hour (that will probably be “wet” – that is to say the gas is included in the price). One instructor in Brunswick has been charging $56 per hour for both him and his plane – whether he’s in it or not. The course materials will probably total up to $150-200 or so. When it’s all over, you’ll have to pass a written test; that should cost about $75. Then you must pass your check ride; that will probably cost $300.
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Sound like a lot of money? Yes, if you want to look at it like that. It’s not so bad though if you take it one step at a time. Try a couple of lessons. Spread it out over time. Let’s say that it’s going to cost $75 an hour. Okay, maybe you can work out one lesson a week? One every two weeks? Whatever works for you.
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One option that you might want to consider is to join a flying club. I suspect there may be one nearby – Brunswick or St. Simons. I know that there are two in Fernandina Beach. Both of them have Cessna 150’s. One of them has two instructors. Membership costs $60 a year (for the entire family) and entitles you to a $15 per hour discount on the plane. I don’t know what the instructors charge but I suspect it is probably less than the going rate if you’re a member.
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Now, another option. If you’ve got some time and some cash, go to St. Augustine (a GREAT airport) and talk to the school there. These guys know what they’re about. And, even if you don’t plan on signing up, go down there anyway. They’ve got a little café with a balcony overlooking the ramp. They are the home for a bunch of aerobatics pilots who routinely practice right there. And they offer all kinds of rides: introductory, aerobatics, fighters – all kinds. Go on a Sunday afternoon – be sure the weather’s nice. If you love flying, you’ll enjoy the trip. You’ll see some special planes and, probably, some special flying.
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Okay, those are the high points.
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Questions?
