Interesting facts for PPL holders

[pilot in command]

Hi,

Though I would start a thread where we could all post a useful fact for Students/PPL holders:

I'll begin with....


If for some strange reason you forget the landing speed of your aircraft, you can work it by the following method. Do a stall in the landing configuration and take note of the speed at which your aircraft stalls, then multiply this speed by 1.3 and it will give you an approximate landing speed. For example, an aircraft stalls at 54KT, therefore multiple this by 1.3 and you get 70KT as your VAT (speed at threshold)

Your turn...

[TractorBoy]

Couldn't you just multiply the minimum white arc speed by 1.3?

[Crash one]

Was it Alex Henshaw who used to stall the currently being tested Spitfire in the downwind at <1000ft & then land accordingly?

[foxmoth]

It is unlikely that you would "forget" the landing speed of an aircraft you have been flying, but there are occasions you might not KNOW the landing speed - I flew an Isaacs Fury, the person who had flown it before had crashed it twice, the first thing I did once airborne was climb to height and stall it, only to find the speed he had written down for approach speed was 2 kts above the indicated stall speed, there have been a couple of other times I have had to do this as well, but never because I have forgotten a known speed.

[thing]

1. Whenever you really want to track a VOR it mysteriously stops tramsmitting at it's published range, in fact any range at all >15nm.

2. Hares will sit on the runway right where you want to touch down. They have a book of plates in their brains and travel the country to do this.

3. When you turn around to grab the map that you should have had in the front from out of your flight bag a flying machine of some description will be 'Where did he come from' close when you turn around again.

4. You can spot other a/c all day long with your eagle eyes but as soon as Air Tragic telll you you have traffic crossing left to right at two miles your level can you hellers like spot it. It's invariably your non pilot passenger with specs like milk bottom bottoms that sees it first. Always fly with poorly sighted passengers for that reason.

5. No one sees the ninety nine out of a hundred greaser landings you do. The one in a hundred that is an affront to mankind is performed always at a fly in.

6. When the metman says it's going to be 2k vis with 500' cloudbase it's really going to be a CAVOK day. When he says it's going to be CAVOK day it's 2k vis with 500' cloudbase. It's a game they play.

7 When flying over water, engines start playing mind games. It's the only chance they get.

[pudoc]

6. When the metman says it's going to be 2k vis with 500' cloudbase it's really going to be a CAVOK day. When he says it's going to be CAVOK day it's 2k vis with 500' cloudbase. It's a game they play.

This one is especially true.

[dont overfil]

Most four seat aircraft aren't.

D.O.

[Pilot.Lyons]

Hahaha

I agree with thing on all counts!

[sevenstrokeroll]

your DG has little marks on it for a reason...little hacks at 45 degrees all around...they are there to help you orient yourself while entering the patter (US style).

[Big Pistons Forever]

For a fast back of the envelope calculation of fuel flow when the POH is not handy, Knock the last zero off the horsepower and that will be your fuel flow at takeoff power in US Gal/hr. Half of that will be your fuel flow at 65 % power.

eg 150 hp engine = 15 Gal/hr at full throttle and 7.5 Gal/hr at 65 % power.

[tmmorris]

sevenstrokeroll,

They are handy for flying holds, too, in conjunction with the similar ones on the ADF. For those prehistoric countries still using NDB, of course...

Tim