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Thread: Settle An Argument....

  1. #21
    Senior Member SkyPirate's Avatar
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    Default Re: Settle An Argument....

    I didn't see day or night for this scenario , being a heavy I was thinking altitude hence the compass , you really wouldn't need any instruments if during daylight hours, just your own personal resources and sensory perception , what if it's 12 o'clock noon, above a layer so ground visibility is limited and your right under the sun per season .... If we are going to have odds against us , let's take on worst case scenario ,.. 😁
    Chase
    Model 5 OutBack
    912 UL

  2. #22
    Senior Member Peteohms's Avatar
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    Default Re: Settle An Argument....

    Breathalyzer!
    Pete
    Leander, TX
    Model III SN 1000
    912
    Grove

  3. #23
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Settle An Argument....

    Quote Originally Posted by avidflyer View Post
    ...When I am flying behind a 4 stroke, it is definatly comforting to see that gauge in the green. I blew an oil cooler line on my Jabiru engine once and as the cockpit was filling with smoke, I noticed the oil pressure gauge go to zero. I did use the ASI some while trying to land in a short field without stalling. I know that one should be able to feel the plane, and sense your speed without the ASI, but when I was thinking we were on fire and the best thing to do was to get on the ground and out of the plane ASAP, I tried to use it some. Didn't STARE at it though!! :-) I need a good kick in the rear to get back to working on that plane, and maybe someday get it back into the air....... Jim Chuk
    I guess after reading the posts, I would have to agree with Jim. Early one morning - Sept 2007 - on our way to the factory fly-in in Idaho we hit an inversion layer shortly after lift off that prompted me to keep my eyes on the engine instruments as we were in a steep climb to the 10,000 ft. we needed to cross the Sierras. Bingo my eyes caught the oil pressure needle drop to ZER0. We found a small clearing in the oak covered foothills and put it down. It destroyed the airplane but we came out OK. My wife would occasionally ask me what would have happened if our oil pressure failure had occurred a half hour later. We would have been over the barren granite boulders in the Desolation Wilderness Area at the crest of the Sierras rather than over a grassy clearing within five minutes of emergency responders. Ten minutes later and we would have been over steep pine covered canyons. I'm sure glad I had the few minutes to find the right spot.

    It took months for the FAA finally going over my salvage airplane to tell me it was indeed an oil pressure problem - contamination in the oil. All that time I was concerned it might have been simply a gauge failure. I now have oil pressure plus an idiot light - each powered by different senders. If the needle drops to zero and the little light stays green, I am OK If the light changes from green to flashing red and the needle is still up, I am OK.

    I am certain that one size won't fit all in this discussion especially with the differences in our routine flight areas and our flight experiences in the mix - I think I understand where Grover's compass preference comes from.
    Lowell Fitt
    Goodyear, AZ


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  4. #24
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    Default Re: Settle An Argument....

    It's comparing apples to oranges, but when I was first learning how to fly in ultralights, I did some flying with a guy in SC while I was down there visiting family and friends. He had this old Quicksilver MX 2 with an old 503 on it and he flew out of a big cow pasture. Complete with cows and what they leave behind. (use your imagination) All he had for instruments was a Halls airspeed indicator which is basically a tube with a red disc in it that is pushed up by air coming in a small hole at the front/bottom of the tube. Very simple but fairly accurate in the 20 -45 MPH area. Well the second day I'm flying with him, as I'm taking off, I notice him doing something with the ASI. What had happened was the cap on top of the tube had flew out, and he tried to catch the red disc as it was going out the top. Now we had no instruments at all. I guess we had a gas gauge, cause you can see how much gas is in the semi transparent fuel tank up above your head. We ended up flying for at least an hour after that, and I made 5 takeoffs and landings just by feeling the wind in my face. What's the best instrument? Long story short, I suppose it all depends on the situation. Jim Chuk

  5. #25
    Senior Member Slyfox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Settle An Argument....

    ok, my thoughts. first off, which airplane, this is for kitfox's I will use that plane. Me myself is only vfr. so here goes. the most important, this is because I look at it all the time. is... air speed. than rpm. than oil. oil I look at just because, and I have two of them, one is pressure vary and the other is on off, in case the stupid vary type quits. air speed because that can bite you especially if the fan quits. rpm, because of my in flight adjustable it can bite you also if you are paying attention. I always fly that one during the day so a compass. not needed really, if the sun is out go by that, there should be roads, fly down to them and follow one. I generally fly local and I fly a bunch, so I know the area. if you get lost find a house land on the road go to the house. my gauges are manual, so the chance of all of them going out, pretty slim.

    oh just to muddle things just a little. I've had two emergencies in each of my planes, both lost almost all power on takeoff. both times the most important thing I had was air speed. with that I was able to turn both and land back on the runway and save both airplanes, and most important myself. airspeed is my friend.
    Last edited by Slyfox; 12-29-2014 at 08:04 AM.

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