Random Griz Aviation Musings

[wink]

Several days ago I got the Luscombe's right wing tank drained, refueled, dip stick calibrated and gascolator tightened down and safety wired. Yesterday was my first chance to go flying to ops check fuel burn rate. Before take off the full left tank indicated just above 3/4 full, the right tank indicated half way between 3/4 and Full, maybe 4/5. AWOS temp on the deck was 13C. I have no OAT gauge for determining it in flight. AWOS re[ported DA of 1400 fleet. Pressure Altitude was 1230. Take off wind was a solid 10 kt direct cross so I came right around and did a touch and go for practice. I then set off on my triangle course that Foreflight had told me would take 58 minutes, calculated from winds the day before when I planned. This was not TPS worthy. I didn't get a winds update. I didn't fly a complete hour in cruise. And I didn't calculate any "true" values. Everything was indicated. I had an AME that never took fasting labs "because that isn't how we live our daily lives." I don't know if that was a good medical philosophy, but it was how I conducted this flight.

After the touch and go I climbed to 3500 feet and flew for about 25 minutes, made my turn and climbed to 4500 for proper altitude for direction (highest I have flown this plane ). On the first leg Forelfight logged a gps ground speed of 68 kts. I flew the entire flight at 2100 rpm and 90 mph indicated (78 kts). Next leg ground speed was closer to indicated airspeed. Before I made the entire planned route it was clear I'd be over 60 minutes, so I eventual flew straight back to home plate. I made a gradual decent to the 2500 feet pattern altitude at 1500 rpm and 90 mph. I shut down at the fuel pumps 58 minutes after take off.

Take off, touch and go, step climb to 4500, decent and a landing burned 4.3 gal in 58 minutes. The 6 page Owners Manual of Operations lists 4.5 gph burn inn cruise without reference to power setting or altitudes. With fuel gauges reading low, a calibrated dip stick, and rounding up to 5 gph for public school arithmetic I should never run out of gas. ?

 

[wink]

Since I don't yet have any air to air photos of my current Luscombe, here is me flying my first. This was 1981. I bought this plane for $7500 after I got back from my first cruise. Dig the permanent RAT deployed centerline.

 

[Jim123]

Dig the permanent RAT deployed centerline.

Exempt from transponder requirements

 

[ChuckMK23]

Busy day of training here at MXF today (3 hours in the airplane) - solid overcast at 3000' and an Airmet for turbulence didn't stop us. Got to fly a brand new (literally still 'new plane' smell 182) with the latest G1000 NXi. Really too much automation for a 140 knot airplane - but today was about working the whole flight on FD and AP from takeoff to enroute cruise to approach. This airplane also has envelope protection which I decided I don't like. Auto AP activation and wings level recovery if parameters are exceeded - designed for the septuagenarian doctor who flies to his beach resort. But the displays are beautiful. Still its a 235 hp, 3100 lb airplane. My IP was one of many GS-13/14 retired O-6's on staff that are living large. Heard some cool F-4 and A-10 stories from the 70's and 80's.

Flew into SEM which is used by AFSOC for a maintenance and training base - lots of unmarked turbo prop and small jets in the pattern that are based at HRT doing discrete things all over the world.

Oh and some cool static display aircraft here - a beautiful MH-53 Pave Low standing guard outside the Staff Judge Advocate school.

There is a road named "OODA Loop Road" here on base too. Too funny.

Oh and finished up today with the ILS/LOC 15 at MXF which I swear I did as a student in VT-6. (circle to land 33)

 

[Gatordev]

KSEM used to have a company on the airfield that also served as the FBO (he had a fuel truck and a loaner car). The owner was Ben Oliver and he had a beautiful UH-1. You can see KSEM, Ben (in a wig), and his Huey in the 1993 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Other than Gabarielle Anwar (and R. Lee Ermey), the movie isn't much to watch, but it's more watchable after having visited there, meeting Ben, and seeing the helicopter in person.

 

[Griz882]

Very cool @ChuckMK23 but when are you going to start sporting those CAP wings?

 

[wink]

Very cool @ChuckMK23 but when are you going to start sporting those CAP wings?

I want to be invited to THAT winging party.

 

[Griz882]

I want to be invited to THAT winging party.

Great idea!

 

[ChuckMK23]

Very cool @ChuckMK23 but when are you going to start sporting those CAP wings?

No CAP wings for me thank god - since I am a DAF - and I sport my gold wings with gusto. The command I am attached to is full of retired O-4/5/6's who are GS 12, 13, 15's. Mostly C-130 dudes although a few fighter guys. Our skipper (active duty AF O-6) is a former VT-3 IP and flew with him on Wednesday and he appreciated having a gold winger on his staff.

The combination of retired O-4/5 pension + GS-13 pay is a pretty sweet deal for the IP's here - none I flew with were interested in The Show despite their C-130/C-17 backgrounds.

My AF versions of my NATOPS checks are complete, as is my AF instrument ground school, open book, closed book and instrument written exams. Whew. Considering the 182 and 206 are airframes I have hundreds of hours in - it was quite a bit of shuffling to do it all the AF way.

The aircraft here at Maxwell are indeed factory new - flew a very nice Turbo 206 yesterday. A number of local 1 star and 3 star's use these aircraft as well - and they are maintained as such.

Here is a quick video of my IP flying the final landing of the day today after my checkride - (LOC 15 circle to land 33 at KMXF). We do a lot of power off stuff - "SFL" = Simulated Forced Landing = Navy HAPL/LAPL.

New video by Chuck Mahon

photos.app.goo.gl

Did not get a chance to go to the assault strip at KMXF - next time!

Gouge - The C-130's that are based here are being moved - and this will be the "RAG" for the MH-139 helo - and I heard number of CIV GS 12 and 13 IP roles will be hired in. Something to keep your eye on if you are interested. (@Gatordev )

Here's the 206 I flew yesterday - again brand new, Turbo and G1000 - note oversize tires.

 

[wink]

No CAP wings for me thank god - since I am a DAF - and I sport my gold wings with gusto. The command I am attached to is full of retired O-4/5/6's who are GS 12, 13, 15's. Mostly C-130 dudes although a few fighter guys. Our skipper (active duty AF O-6) is a former VT-3 IP and flew with him on Wednesday and he appreciated having a gold winger on his staff.

The combination of retired O-4/5 pension + GS-13 pay is a pretty sweet deal for the IP's here - none I flew with were interested in The Show despite their C-130/C-17 backgrounds.

My AF versions of my NATOPS checks are complete, as is my AF instrument ground school, open book, closed book and instrument written exams. Whew. Considering the 182 and 206 are airframes I have hundreds of hours in - it was quite a bit of shuffling to do it all the AF way.

The aircraft here at Maxwell are indeed factory new - flew a very nice Turbo 206 yesterday. A number of local 1 star and 3 star's use these aircraft as well - and they are maintained as such.

Here is a quick video of my IP flying the final landing of the day today after my checkride - (LOC 15 circle to land 33 at KMXF). We do a lot of power off stuff - "SFL" = Simulated Forced Landing = Navy HAPL/LAPL.

New video by Chuck Mahon

photos.app.goo.gl

Did not get a chance to go to the assault strip at KMXF - next time!

Gouge - The C-130's that are based here are being moved - and this will be the "RAG" for the MH-139 helo - and I heard number of CIV GS 12 and 13 IP roles will be hired in. Something to keep your eye on if you are interested. (@Gatordev )

Here's the 206 I flew yesterday - again brand new, Turbo and G1000 - note oversize tires.

View attachment 29711

Hey now, that didn't look like a stabilized approach to me. Or was that just a convenient power off SFL? Chuck: "A bit high here sir, unstable."
IP: "Ah, I see. Oh, yeah. Did I forgot to brief the SFL?"

 

[Griz882]

Hey now, that didn't look like a stabilized approach to me. Or was that just a convenient power off SFL? Chuck: "A bit high here sir, unstable."
IP: "Ah, I see. Oh, yeah. Did I forgot to brief the SFL?"

Yeah, I was thinking it was a “too many burritos at lunch landing.”

 

[Gatordev]

Here is a quick video of my IP flying the final landing of the day today after my checkride - (LOC 15 circle to land 33 at KMXF). We do a lot of power off stuff - "SFL" = Simulated Forced Landing = Navy HAPL/LAPL.

I noticed the slip at the end. Do you guys practice a specific touchdown point (for MXF that day, it looked like the concrete transition)? I'd argue that makes sense for a power loss, but it doesn't always seem to be practiced that way elsewhere.

Gouge - The C-130's that are based here are being moved - and this will be the "RAG" for the MH-139 helo - and I heard number of CIV GS 12 and 13 IP roles will be hired in. Something to keep your eye on if you are interested. (@Gatordev )

Sadly, that sounds like it would require me to live in Montgomery, and I've already spent more time there than I'd care to...although there are certainly worse places to be. Still, could be an interesting gig. I'm sure the hordes would be descending on that job listing.

 

[ChuckMK23]

I noticed the slip at the end. Do you guys practice a specific touchdown point (for MXF that day, it looked like the concrete transition)? I'd argue that makes sense for a power loss, but it doesn't always seem to be practiced that way elsewhere

We do 4 SFL profiles - and none are to a specific spot - the IP takes the throttle and reduces to idle - spit out the boldface and land. Profile one is at 800' AGL on departure - execute the "impossible turn" at best glide 45 deg AOB, with intermittent stall horn - land on opposite runway with tailwind up to 10 knots.

Additional SFL from crosswind at 1000' AGL, same for downwind.The idea is to get to a low key mid field. Slipping at full flaps works but also there is an "elevator" technique of letting the airspeed bleed off below best glide - getting the rate of descent going, then push the nose over back to best glide, flare, touchdown.

Lastly we do a traditional "High SFL" from 3000' AGL - similar to Navy HAPL/LAPL with high and low key . Spiral down to a touchdown and managing energy along the way.

There were PC-12's from Hurlburt doing the same SFL profiles at KSEM the day we were practicing these - and they were doing the same - so it's clearly an AF thing. 8000' runway

 

[Jim123]

Additional SFL from crosswind at 1000' AGL, same for downwind.The idea is to get to a low key mid field. Slipping at full flaps works but also there is an "elevator" technique of letting the airspeed bleed off below best glide - getting the rate of descent going, then push the nose over back to best glide, flare, touchdown.

I understand the earlier 172s have a weird interaction with the airflow around the tail feathers when slipping with full flaps, but during the production run they changed the flaps by simply deleting that last notch of flaps and keeping the other choices as they always were- so full flaps is no longer 40° but 30 instead (which is still generous). Climb performance on full flaps was the main reason for the change (i.e. there was no climb with flaps 40 unless it was a cold day, down low, and light). I don't know if the flaps in the 206 line are similar, or how much the wing and tail aerodynamics have in common with the 172. That looks like a lot of flap in the picture in the hangar and that airplane being a turbo addresses the climb issue.

Just some random musings, as the thread title suggests.

 

[Griz882]

Just some random musings, as the thread title suggests.

It is what we do best.