Mixtures, Masters, Mags and CAE Oxford Open Day

[Centaurus]

Congratulations to the staff and students who were in attendance at the CAE Oxford Open Day on Sunday 10 August. I was one of many people who thoroughly enjoyed themselves strolling around the various features of this flying school from the Meet and Greet building to the flight operations area to the simulator training complex. The company even laid on a mini-bus to take people to and from the simulator complex several hundred yards down the road from the main Display area. Loved the free sausage sizzle manned by the students and full marks they still smiled even though the rain was pelting down on occasions.

Whoever organised the Open Day did a fine job and this writer would like to express his sincere appreciation. When I was there I met several fellow aviators I had not seen for years. We all looked older but once names were mentioned, recognition was instant. That alone was worth the visit.

Looking around at the youthful faces of the flying instructors and their students took me back to my learning to fly days in the RAAF. We didn’t have to pay to learn to fly in the RAAF which is probably just as well because in civvy street at age 18 and on junior clerk’s wages, I could barely afford to eat a decent meal a day let alone pay the boarding house weekly rent. That was in 1951. How on earth today’s student pilots can afford to learn to fly, I don’t know.

AT CAE Oxford I looked at the well dressed staff and students neat and tidy with their blue winter warm jackets, and liked what I saw. Back to 1951 again and 100 of we trainee aircrew at the RAAF No.1 Initial Flying Training School Archerfield in Queensland, were marched to the Clothing Store and signed for our flying kit. One leather helmet with two rubber pipes attached to be plugged to an ancient Gosport Tube situated in each cockpit of the venerable Tiger Moth we were to train on. One pair of fur lined leather flying boots (no heating in Tiger Moths and Wirraways). One set of long leather gauntlets. If the reader has never heard of a gauntlet then look it up on Google. One set of flying goggles. One heavy duty tan coloured flying suit. Most impressive of all, one Woolly Bull padded flying suit for winter wear. Being an open-cockpit aeroplane, the Tiger Moth was damnably cold in winter. Armed with all this gear I quickly got a mate to take a photo of me all dressed up with this lot (no selfies in those days) and it was then that I knew that being a pilot was going to be the life for me. All I needed to pull in the girls would be a big watch and a pair of RAAF Pilot Wings. While the former was expensive it would be the latter that would prove to be the hard part.

We marched to lectures on aerodynamics, meteorology, light signals, aerodrome signals, Air Force law, and a subject called Airmanship. Airmanship included engine handling on De Havilland Aircraft Gypsy Major engines, how to start the engine by swinging the propeller, and how gyro instruments worked. We learned how to don a parachute and to count to ten before pulling the rip-chord. Plus the vital importance of tightening the parachute straps around the groin. Loose straps were known to crush the family jewels when the parachute snapped open and the load was taken on the straps.

We attended aviation medicine lectures where we saw unspeakable photos of the private parts of victims of Venereal Disease and, almost as bad, photos of the horribly burned toes of fighter pilots who had not darned their socks leaving their toes sticking out if they baled out of a burning Spitfire and their flying boots had fallen off. We were instructed to always wear flying gloves for a similar reason.

We were so brain washed about the importance of covering our skin during flying - so much so that each night would see us inspecting our smelly socks for holes in the toes before going to bed. Out would come the wool and darning needle if a hole was spotted in a sock. In fact part of our issued kit as young airmen was the “housewife” – a cloth wallet containing darning wool, safety pins, sowing needles and patches. We kept knife edge creases on uniform trousers by the simple practice of laying out the trousers under the bed mattress where our weight flattened the daks.

Airmanship lectures included reading the Tiger Moth Flight Manual. Except in those days it wasn’t called a flight manual. It was called RAAF Publication No. 416 dated February 1944 Pilots Notes for Tiger Moth Aircraft. On the front cover was a picture of a Tiger Moth and below it said: `By Command of the Air Ministry` and signed by the Secretary of the Air Board at Air Force Headquarters Melbourne S.C.1

During flying training in the RAAF, our flying instructors were mostly experienced former wartime fighter or bomber pilots. That was a good thing and it meant when we were ready for first solo there was no requirement for a further pre-solo check flight. The result being students were sent solo after usually 8 to 10 hours; although keeping in mind we were training full time and not weekends as most civil flying schools do in Australia. There was no such thing as written checklists. It was all in the head. Boeing and Airbus pilots call them Recall - or Memory Items.

During my visit to CAE Oxford I wondered if students were taught to fly using written checklists and asked one instructor how he taught the before landing checks in the Cessna 172. He rattled off the standard Australia wide mantra of Brakes, Undercarriage, Mixture, Masters, Mags, Fuel, Temps and Pressures and I marvelled how this BUMPFO (or similar mnemonic) had found its way into flying schools all around this vast continent of Australia. Now that's what I call standardisation!

That said, I could never understand the logic of checking that a fixed landing gear was checked down and locked before landing. I never accepted the usual explanation that it prepared the student for the time he would graduate to retractable undercarriage aircraft. To be consistent why not check undercarriage up and locked for the after take off check in a fixed gear aeroplane? Lengthy superfluous cockpit checks seem to be a characteristic of present day student flying training. Why is this so? It prompted me to drag out my cherished musty Tiger Moth Pilot’s Notes where the before landing checks were short and concise. Paragraph 31 Approach and Landing listed:

Fuel: Sufficient for another circuit.
Mixture: Fully Rich.
Slots: Unlocked.

Then I checked a Cessna 172 POH Before Landing check. It said:
1. Seats, belts, Harness…..Secure.
2. Fuel Selector Valve…….Both.
3. Mixture…………………..Rich.
4. Carburettor Heat………..On
5. Autopilot (if installed)…..Off.
6. Air Conditioner (if installed)….Off

Makes you wonder the corporate history of why flying schools from the top class CAE Oxford to the one man country flying school, burden the student with so many extra and frankly superfluous drills before landing like Undercarriage (fixed) , Magnetos, Master switch and Engine temps and pressures? I haven’t a clue – just asking.

A contributory cause of some jet transport accidents is failure of the pilot to go-around from an unstable approach. There are anecdotal reports that some operators frown on go-arounds since they cost money, can disrupt a schedule and behind the scenes the pilot may even be censured. Plus throw in an ethnic culture of real men don’t go around and it is no wonder flight safety is compromised. Fortunately in Australia that problem is rare.

At busy general aviation airports like Moorabbin I have sympathy for the poor student pilot forced to go-around either because of an ATC instruction or someone staying too long on the runway. At a cost of one hour dual in a Cessna 172 being typically $330 per hour, a go-around followed by another circuit will likely cost the student another $45. On a tight budget (who isn’t nowadays?) is it any wonder that a student might be reluctant to go-around unless forced by ATC?

My enjoyable experience at the CAE Oxford Open day was somewhat tempered when I saw the significant cost burden to present day student pilots. My 13 year old grand-daughter wants to be a pilot like her father and her grandad. When the time arrives we would like to help her financially, but unless the cost of learning to fly returns to affordable levels in the next few years she may have to choose another career. Driving home from the CAE Open day that afternoon I thought how fortunate I was all those years ago to have been given free flying training at the tax payer’s expense. And some exciting endorsements thrown in as well:ok:

[TOUCH-AND-GO]

Centaurus I always enjoy reading your posts on here. Back when I begun my training ( 5 years ago) the mnemonic BUMFISH was widely used to teach us the before landing checklist in the Cessna 172. Compared to the POH which has only 4 items, I find it unnecessary for the other checks to be implemented. It consumes the students time and distracts them whilst flying on the downwind leg. Their mind should be more focused on handling the aircraft, maintaining straight and level, looking out for aircraft and having good airmanship!

As for the costs of flying. It's a very expensive investment, but nonetheless absolutely worth every penny in my book. Your grand daughter always has the option of going to a VET FEE-HELP funded course. I worked and saved for most of my training. I'm sure they're a few flying schools who offer reasonable priced training. Just need to shop around and find a bargain :E!

[Deaf]

logic of checking that a fixed landing gear was checked down and locked before landing.

Gear down after "clean up" = low ROC/IAS

Gear up at flare = loud expensive noise and in the military means that those higher in the food chain get a kick in the ****

[Oktas8]

Long checklists.

It is often the case that each "unnecessary" item in a light a/c checklist was inserted after the manufacturer lost a lawsuit brought by the widow of a doofus, late, pilot.

As there is no shortage of doofus pilots, and no shortage of lawyered-up widows, checklists get loooonger and looooooooooonger each year. Or so it seems to me!

Ask me why Piper don't have control locks, but Cessna do...

[mcgrath50]

Ask me why Piper don't have control locks, but Cessna do...

Actually interested as to why? One of those facts I'd always 'known' but never realised.

[Centaurus]

It is often the case that each "unnecessary" item in a light a/c checklist was inserted after the manufacturer lost a lawsuit brought by the widow of a doofus, late, pilot.

I can understand your point but from my experience it is the flying schools that add the extra (superfluous) checks depending on the whim of the current CFI. For example I asked one instructor years ago why the Master and Mags is part of the before landing drills. He looked at me astonished that I should dare ask the question. In return his reply that they all started with "M" astonished me. In other words M for mixture M for master and M for mags. Words fail me. Kindergarten stuff has no place in training student pilots. I have even seen added for the before landing checks the item "Cowl Flaps" where the response is Not Required for aircraft not fitted with cowl flaps. That leads to the question what the hell have cowl flaps got to do with a pre-landing check? So I asked another instructor and he said that is because his flying school teaches cowl flaps open in case the aircraft has to go-around. Shock cooling comes to mind but let's not go into that here.

If an aircraft fitted with cowl flaps has to go around and rejoin a circuit there is no need to open the cowl flaps for what is a one minute climb to circuit altitude where you close them again. There is usually plenty of time to adjust cowl flaps to open if needed during initial climb.

There is so much superfluous and often plainly dodgy "advice" shoved down the throats of impressionable students and this nonsense stays with them for years. In turn they may become flying instructors and pass on this "good gen" to their own students who may eventually become flying instructors and the circle commences. I had one private pilot tell me that during stalling practice at altitude the direction of the upper air wind influences which wing will drop at the point of stall. Facing south with a westerly wind it will be the right wing that drops.:ugh: His instructor told him that. Yet another well known flying school in the Melbourne area teaches pilots flying its Baron to pull back the propeller pitch controls by 50 RPM at 200 feet after take off for "noise abatement." Get your head around that one!

Thread drift threatens so I'll stop there:ok:

[waren9]

er piper cubs i have flown had control locks?

[training wheels]

Guess who didn't do their BUMMFOH and PUFF pre-landing checklist?

YffmapFxt0M

Sometimes a generic mnemonic checklist works better than no checklist at all. :ouch:

[BlatantLiar]

Nothing wrong with a bit of thread drift if it keeps the thread worth reading.

Centaurus, your last post pretty much hits the nail on the head. My rule is cowl flaps must always be open on the ground and in the climb. Its more about preventing overheating than 'shock' cooling. I open them on final.

I've been flying long enough to to eliminate a lot flying school cancer from my routine and all in all I think I operate while a great deal of 'common' sense and intuition. There has been a bit of desire for me to teach but already know that I'd be too tempted to teach my way of doing things rather than the schools way of doing things. I'd pretty much be shot on site when student x says "But blatantliar told me to do it this way"

[Big Pistons Forever]

. I open them on final.


I teach that cowl flaps are never opened on final. This is contrary to every POH I have and serves no purpose while increasing the risk of shock cooling especially on very cold days.

However I also insist that, as you also noted, that cowl flaps are always opened when the aircraft is on the ground. Unfortunately there is a flight school generated urban myth that leaving the cowl flaps closed will aid engine warm up.
All it will do is heat stress the back cylinders due to the lack of air flow through through the baffles. :ugh:

[mcgrath50]

I open cowl flaps when I change the flap position, either leaving the runway if we land or on climb out when everything is stable if we go around. Final approach is no time to be reaching (usually down) for no real purpose.

With regards to "M" always checking mixture, mags, masters. I have surmised it's a one size fits all, so every pneumonic, M always is the same. Sometimes you need to check all three, other times once, but so it's easier to teach a student M is always those three.

I personally disagree with this theory but I'd say that's where it comes from.

[BlatantLiar]

This is contrary to every POH

If its not in the limitations section then I don't particularly care.

serves no purpose

Yes it does, the aircraft is being configured for one of two highly likely outcomes. A) ground operation or B) a go-around.


while increasing the risk of shock cooling especially on very cold days.

That's very very interesting. When I open the cowl flaps on final my EDM shows a very negligible rate of cooling.

[Arnold E]

I am a bit mystified as to why you would check master and mags on landing? Presumably you have been in cruise configuration beforehand and I cant for the life of me see any reason why the master would be off (and not be noticed) or indeed, the mags would not be on both. :confused:

[Mach E Avelli]

Shock cooling at approach speeds is one of those furphies that some still believe in. So, the position of cowl flaps on final probably does not matter either way. Or for the short duration of a missed approach. Whatever the POH says is OK by me.
As for checklists on bugsmashers, these days schools and clubs need to cover the lowest common denominator, whereas in times gone by it was left to Charles Darwin to sort out those unfit for the task of flying. But the idea of writing a checklist with non pertinent stuff like gear and prop pitch when the aircraft is not fitted with these items seems counterproductive in that we will then have certain pilots who will regard the checklist as a bit of overkill.
I was looking at a very nice early Piper Cherokee recently. It is on the N register, so has FAA mandated placards in the cockpit. The placard for takeoff has 8 items and that for landing 4 only. Sensible stuff like fuel on most appropriate tank, mixture rich and boost pumps on. Incredibly, in over 40 years of flying under several owners, this aeroplane has never crashed.
Good enough in its day and still good enough.

[Big Pistons Forever]

If its not in the limitations section then I don't particularly care.
.


Oh so you just ignore all that stuff that is in the amplified procedure of the normal operating section of the POH :hmm:

I mean sure what could the manufacturer have to say about operating the airplane that could be of any interest to you :rolleyes:

[BlatantLiar]

Oh so you just ignore all that stuff that is in the amplified procedure of the normal operating section of the POH

I mean sure what could the manufacturer have to say about operating the airplane that could be of any interest to you

I don't ignore whats in the POH. I take it all into account but you are allowed to do things differently to whats written in there at your discretion. The only section you must abide by to a T is the limitations section.

Dammit, of the three items I quoted you on and responded to you only replied to the most trivial of the 3. :{
I wanted you to rationalize shock cooling on final in front of the interwebs. Ah well, I guess things dont turn out to be as entertaining as you sometimes plan.

[mcgrath50]

the aircraft is being configured for one of two highly likely outcomes. A) ground operation or B) a go-around.

Blatant, do you have an opinion on configuring on approach like you do, or once established in the go-around or ground operation like I do?

Personally I don't really see a problem other than minor philosophical differences.

[BlatantLiar]

Personally I don't really see a problem other than minor philosophical differences.
^Thats pretty much it. Whether you're reaching for the cowl flap on early final or on upwind it doesn't matter in the slightest.

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Undercart
Brakes
Mixture
Pitch
Fuel
Fuel Pump
Hatches & Harnesses
Lookout

Has served me well for 40 yrs - from C150 to C402!

Haven't bent one yet! :E

Dr :8

[Oktas8]

Control locks - lack thereof on Piper aircraft (of more recent vintage).

Ok, so an old Piper with lockable controls, takes off without doing a full & free check. The surviving relatives lawyer up and manage to win the case, because the judge holds Piper responsible for making an aircraft that could physically depart in the state.

(Presumably this is before the USA weakened their product liability laws in the 80's. Situation with respect to lawyers is better now.)

Mr Piper says "Fine, be that way. Our aircraft will no longer have control locks."

And they don't.

[kingRB]

Dammit, of the three items I quoted you on and responded to you only replied to the most trivial of the 3. :{
I wanted you to rationalize shock cooling on final in front of the interwebs. Ah well, I guess things dont turn out to be as entertaining as you sometimes plan.

I think they call that cherry picking....

Would have to agree. Spend some time flying with an EDM700 and watch individual cylinder temps and cooling rate changes.

In typical climb / cruise / descent profiles (and i'll put a caveat in here, non turbo..) you'd be hard pressed to get any form of cooling rate warning or greater cooling rate than than 1 degree C / 3 seconds with sensible engine handling.

Opening the cowl flaps late on base or final does bugger all difference.

I've flown for companies that SOP was not to touch the cowl flaps however until you were on the ground or in a go around... Everyone's got their own opinion on whats best.

[Ascend Charlie]

In the Huey the pre-landing checks went:
Hatches - closed
harness - locked and tight
heaters - off
electrics - as required
fuel - quantity, pressure, and selection
instruments - in limits, lights out
audio - on
auto - (fuel control in auto not manual)
full throttle
6600 RRPM

Of these checks, burned into my feeble brain, only 3 were relevant.

Hatches - they were either pinned open, or shut, so it was superfluous.

Harness - never ever undid it in flight - superfluous

Heaters - never turned the rotten things on as the smell was awful, they blew grit and stuff in your eyes from the overhead eyeball vents, and sucked power - superfluous

Electrics - never turned the generator off in flight, but there is a vague possibility you forgot to turn it on at the start, so maybe leave this one in.

Fuel - quantity - enough for the next circuit - YES. Pressure - there is a warning light if pressure is wrong, so - superfluous, and "selection" - rarely did we have a quad tank fitted which needed to be switched back to mains, and even if we forgot, it didn't matter a rat's patootie, so - superfluous

Instruments - in limits, lights out - YES

Audio - you couldn't turn the audio warning for low RRPM off unless it was already low, so if you had normal RRPM, it couldn't be in any position other than ON - so, superfluous

Auto - it was an emergency situation (or training) to have the FCU in Manual mode. If it was a real emergency and you had to go Manual to get home, you sure as heck wouldn't go back to Auto on downwind. And if it was a training circuit, you were required to land in Manual mode anyway. So, superfluous.

Full throttle / 6600 N2 RPM - YES, it was possible to have the throttle in a position other than full open. :suspect:

[dodo whirlygig]

"Or for the short duration of a missed approach. Whatever the POH says is OK by me."




Sounds good. Might stop over-temping engines during a go-round - if nou know what I mean ...........................

[jas24zzk]

You can have any checklist you like, but it will only be as good as YOUR application of it.

Yes I still use the BUMFOH check I was taught waaaaaaaaaaaaay back by Sharpie in the C150.

U (undercarriage) the most lambasted item in the above list....I was taught to identify and confirm my leg status...fixed, retractable and its position, not simply recite it by rote. A little bit easier in a highwing when you can look out the side and see a wheel...actually check for it.
As someone who floats between types, I still use it to this day, its served me well so far, but then I still use it the way i was taught to me.



Mixture, Master,Mags?? in a training environment?? Chance of a students 'touch check' going one step too far during a sequence?
I'll leave that one alone thanx

[Tee Emm]

Opening the cowl flaps late on base or final does bugger all difference.

I've flown for companies that SOP was not to touch the cowl flaps however until you were on the ground or in a go around... Everyone's got their own opinion on whats best.

Cowl flaps are there to keep engine temperatures within limits. Lack of effective cooling airflow on the ground is why cowl flaps should normally be open. That is also why it is good airmanship to normally conduct high power engine run up's into the prevailing wind. For liquid cooled in-line engines such as the Rolls Royce Merlin series installed on Spitfires, Mustangs, Lancasters and their ilk, it was absolutely vital to run up into wind since severe engine damage could occur due to overheating of the coolant due low airflow into cooling radiators.


In a prolonged climb cowl flaps are normally open but that varies with their design. For example in the DC3 the take off position was Trail (if cowl flaps installed because some DC3 engine cowls were slightly flared and cowl flaps removed). The R2800 engines in the Convair 440 had four seriously big cowl flaps which created significant drag if left fully open for take off. So they too had a take off position that were only about 10% open - sufficient to regulate the CHT in the climb.


For light GA aircraft fitted with cowl flaps the POH normally recommends full open for all ground operations and climb. There is nothing to be gained by opening the cowl flaps before landing "just in case a go-around might occur" It is not only an unnecessary distraction but a completely unnecessary action. And isn't that the point made by some contributors to this thread? And that is there is an inordinate number of quite unnecessary or superfluous cockpit checks foisted upon student pilots by their flying instructors over and above the vital actions necessary for safe operation of the aircraft they fly.

[Tee Emm]

As someone who floats between types,
There you are flying your first amphibian as pilot in command. You are landing on the water somewhere. You do the BUMPF checks or whatever and duly lower the landing gear because after all you have always said undercarriage down and locked from the first time you flew the Cessna 150 with its fixed gear. Something about the law of primacy? Oops....big splash as the amphibian goes arse over nose on touch down. :E

[Username here]

Harness - never ever undid it in flight - superfluous

What about your loadies?

[Jabawocky]

Shock cooling when opening cowl flaps? :rolleyes: At this point the engine is nicely cooled already, so any extra cooling is not going to hurt anything.

Frankly forgetting cowl flaps even in a GA is not going to hurt anything. And if you forget your EMS should alert you if the CHT's get to 400dF if it is set up properly.

[Jack Ranga]

There you are flying your first amphibian as pilot in command. You are landing on the water somewhere. You do the BUMPF checks or whatever and duly lower the landing gear because after all you have always said undercarriage down and locked from the first time you flew the Cessna 150 with its fixed gear. Something about the law of primacy? Oops....big splash as the amphibian goes arse over nose on touch down.

Gear - Up, amphibian, landing on water :ok:

[ACMS]

Wow I give you guys 10/10 for thread drift.:ok:

[BlatantLiar]

Great success on the thread drift me thinks. I'd much rather talk about cockpit ergonomics and practicalities than give Oxfraud a pat on the back for being a phenomenal flying school.

[mcgrath50]

Great success on the thread drift me thinks. I'd much rather talk about cockpit ergonomics and practicalities than give Oxfraud a pat on the back for being a phenomenal flying school.

:D

To continue the drift, I'm not a fan of the whole of the PUF check on final.

Pitch: There are three ways to go about it either push it straight it mid to short final and get a huge rpm jump or slowly wind it in for most of final distracting you from actually landing. I'd rather leave it, if you need to go around, it's just a climb: mixture, pitch, power and away we go

Undercarriage: Worth a fifth look for the green light, it's an expensive mistake to make. You should have confirmed the green light was on when you put the gear down, and if you are paranoid like me, plenty of other times in between. This might be only the case for the 3 retractable types I've flown but all of them would be near impossible to hit your base and final speeds without the gear out if you are using your normal power configs. So if you are throttling way back to hit your speeds, maybe something is wrong?

Flaps: Cowl flaps? As discussed not needed. I've had instructors teach also to check the wing flaps. But like the gear, it's pretty hard to hit your speeds and normal attitude on final if you don't have your flaps out with normal power settings. But let's say you have forgotten to put the flaps out (or even just the final stage) are you going to pop the flaps that late in the approach? Or are you going to just complete a flapless or reduced flap landing which again in every type I have flown is a 'normal' operation.

On final on a gusty day I want my attention to be mostly outside and a little on my ASI, not faffing around configuring things in the cockpit.

Discuss :ok:

[Mach E Avelli]

Mcgrath, I agree, though plenty of anal retentives won't. You do not really need a checklist to fly the average light aircraft. But you do need a consistent and repeatable system. Memonics work - as do left to right scans.

Quite a few years ago I did a MU2 type rating with a Swiss operator. Because it was such a hotrod and flown single pilot in busy airspace, they did not allow use of any checklists from commencement of taxi to shut down, considering it too much of a distraction. The emphasis was very much on head-up; watching the instruments and looking where you were going. Instead of a checklist for any of the stages when the aircraft was moving they relied on a methodical left to right scan and switch selection. Use of gear, flaps and condition levers was considered common sense stuff to be applied as necessary to slow the little bugger down.
Use of deicing was considered a basic survival instinct. Afaik, none of their pilots ever landed gear up or otherwise frightened themselves in an aeroplane type that could be quite a handful even on a nice day.

[dodo whirlygig]

Sounds cow-boyish Mack, if nou get my gist.

[Jabawocky]

I am with MACH E, sensible system.

I will have to come see your new gadget too. I saw you taxi out a month or two back. :ok:

I will give you a call next time I am likely to be there.

[HarleyD]

I have found that configuring for a go around on final is just common sense really, afer all you just shouldnt try to land with cowl flaps shut, less than full rich mixture, the carb heat on or even less than full fine prop, just in case. Clearly some people are incapable of adjusting all these levers at a moment of operational intensity such as a missed approach or go around so aim for LCD

My recommended pre landing check on final for a cessna 150 is as follows:

Prop full fine/ high RPM
Undecarriage, down and locked
Flaps raised to take off
Cowl flaps fully open
Carb heat cold
Fuel pump on
Fuel sufficient - but for what
Throttle fully open
Trim for climb at Vx
Harness secure
Hatches unlatched for emergency exit in event of crash
Master off after flap selection
Mixture ICO to prevent fire after impact
Radios, turn master back on momentarily, mayday call
Master back off again
Passenger brief, remove spectacles and false teeth
Assume brace position
Insert control lock in case you forget after landing
Lock aircraft with hardened steel lock or wheel clamp ( best done prior to take off)
Make final call and make sure to state "Number One" ( number twos comes soon)
Turn master back on and make short final number one call again.
Turn master off again
Land, fully pre prepared for any potential outcome
Climb from smoking wreckage and hitch ride back to flying scool on fire truck
If no RFFS available, pre book volunteer Rural fire vehicle before flight
Cancel SAR before take off in case you forget after landing
:ugh:



HD

[HarleyD]

Oops forgot to check mags, after all, what if i have been flying around with them off! Better safe than sorry, its just common sense really, what if i was flying a bigger plane like a caravan or a gulfstream v and forgot the mags, i'd look like a bit of a dick then, wooden eye?

HD

[Centaurus]

Make final call and make sure to state "Number One" ( number twos comes soon)
Turn master back on and make short final number one call again.
Turn master off again

While the above switching off and on of the Cessna 150 Master Switch was in jest, I had to do that for real a long time ago. It was in an RAAF Convair 440 Metropolitan at Canberra. During continuation training in the RAAF training area to the south of the airport one of the props auto-feathered without pilot input. Normally the feathering pump red warning light would extinguish as soon as the prop had stopped. But in this case the feather pump continued to operate and the light stayed on.

There had been a couple of fatal accidents to Convairs in USA where the crew had a similar defect and were unable to stop the feather pump from operating after the prop was feathered. In both cases the feathering pump over-heated and caught fire and the aircraft crashed. The accident investigation revealed you had about five minutes of feathering pump operation before the danger of fire became acute.
In our case we tried pulling the feathering pump circuit breaker which had no effect and with the USA experience in mind it was clear we needed to get on the ground in a hurry. We then noticed the engine oil contents was rapidly being depleted as it appears oil was being pumped into the engine sump by the feathering pump. That may be technically incorrect because it was over 50 years ago and memories can get a bit hazy on engineering issues.

We told Canberra ATC we needed a straight in on 35 and fast as we were about ten miles out. We then turned off the generator on the live engine and the battery switch. That got rid of the feathering pump light but we still didn't know if the pump was also stopped which was the aim of the exercise. Naturally we had no radios. We needed flaps and gear by then so we turned the battery switch back on. The feathering pump warning light came on and the oil contents again started to reduce. In the meantime ATC wondered what we were up to because they couldn't contact us when we had no electrics.

We were now about five miles on final, got the gear down but no flaps (I think) and told ATC that like it or lump it, we would have to switch the battery switch off to stop the cursed feathering pump. That meant no VHF comms with ATC once the battery switch was off. The single engine landing was OK. Prior to that episode we had several un-commanded auto-feathers in the Convair over a two week period but in each case the feathering pump had automatically turned itself off. Not this time, though.