PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - ATR 72 Icing & Loss of Control - Recovered
Old 30th Dec 2017, 14:52
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Loose rivets
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Too late to argue so I kept one hand adjacent to the flap lever and one ready to push the stick into the panel at the first sign of vibration.

So which way is the tail loaded? And which way will it go if it stalls?

I flew the ATR as a 'retirement job' and while it took me some weeks to settle on the aircraft, it was eventually erm, containable. One had to be vigilant from the get-go. I used to insist on opening the tail for my first flight of the day. I once found the control lines covered in a mass of mud and grot, the entire void looked as though it had been exposed to a ploughed field. It was easy to imagine it giving me the same grief as the Shed* (below)

I think most of us would agree pre-flighting an aircraft starts at a hundred yards.


*The Shed. I spent a memorable 25 minutes - seemed like hours - flying that species with not a smidgen of elevator movement . . . along with a solid trim wheel. I briefed on mobilizing the SLF and worked with London to keep me away from populated areas. The elevators came free at 500'. Saved my lassie from running down the back. It was astonishing how much fun it was - nothing worse that a boring flight.

They used to get an emulsion of grease and water around the control runs and didn't take long to freeze them solid.
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