but it is their train set you are playing with and they set the rules.
PLovett, this might be the case but what if the rules they set are putting you at risk? why would you run at 75o RoP or some other ridiculous old wives tale power setting, knowing that it is potentially detrimental to the engine when you are the one who has to blast off in a 40 year old twin into the dark at max weight?
You owe it to your passengers to tell your CP to shove his SOP's (perhaps offer some free education first) and operate the engine in the safest manner available.
As has been said, GA is stuck in the dinosaur age and no one cares because the train of though is "if X amount of GA pilots before me got away with it til they had their 1500/500 twin and moved onto bigger and better things, then why shouldnt the rest of us.." its a shame they never realise that X amount of pilots also speared in or came close to doing so because of aircraft that are stuffed from a lack of basic knowledge that starts from the top down within most organisations. I didnt have one Airframe/Engine/Aerody related question during my CP or HAAMC interview.
IBG
There are two ways to cool your engine. One is with excess air/oxygen and the other is with excess avgas. Excess air works quicker,is cheaper plus your plugs and combustion chambers look like new at every 100hrly. 4,000 + hours on a IO520M C210 operating this way have convinced me. Cruise 2,400 rpm up to 8,000 ft then 2,500 rpm above that.(You don't fly a 210 to go slow) Manifold pressure not above 24 inches down low then whatever you can get up high.
GG
Re turbines. When the initial cost,the specific fuel consumption and the overhaul/maintenance costs come within a bulls roar of our nasty reciprocating engines let me know.
Cheers RA
RA, why the exact MAP / RPM settings? I operate my aircraft at a desired EGT and Fuel Flow setting, if i have planned to burn 65L p/h then i will run the engine at whatever MAP/RPM combination gives me 65L p/h at either 100o RoP or 50o LoP (non turbo so obviously the blue knob is the main way of determining Fuel Flow at a normal cruise altitude). Once settled in the cruise I might be able to continue winding the RPM back a bit until TAS starts to drop off, and save a few litres but we operate an aeroplane to save time so RoP and going fast is the priority.
Please Jaba or someone else tell me if I am doing something wrong but here is the sequence for a normal flight;
Take-off: everything firewalled,
Climb: everything still firewalled, note EGT passing 1000ft and slowly lean as required to maintain that EGT
Cruise: level off, throttle and RPM still firewalled, cowls closed and let airspeed top out. Lean to desired EGT setting (100o RoP in my case), and wind back prop to desired Fuel Flow. Re lean and a little bit of a fine tune of the RPM and Mixture to acheive 65L p/h and 100o RoP (who gives a **** what the MAP and RPM setting is).
Descent: point nose downward to attain desired RoD, when desired descent IAS is reached, gradually wind back prop maintain it until reaching the bottom of the green arc on the RPM guage, after this use the throttle to maintain IAS - this normally is to maintain a certain MAP as it obviously increases with decreasing altitude, generally around 21-22 inches the whole way down to FAF or downwind using flap to slow down. Still havent touched the mixture or prop, close the throttle and land.
Need to go-around or climb? red-blue-black. Easy. Calculated block fuel flow on the sheets at the end of the month - 65L p/h, Calculated block TAS - exactly as planned.
Another pet hate is pulling the power back after take off - especially in a twin. Lycomings, with the exception of the GSO models do not have take off power timits, and the contys that do still give you 5 minutes. Why not keep the bloody thing firewalled and gain valuable height and airspeed quicker, 5 minutes will see you above the LSALT and estalished on track in the majority of scenarios. Why would you f*ck around with 6 different levers trying to set specific parameters on engine gauges that will distract you from your primary scan while making turns and radio calls at a few hundred feet in the process of flying an IMC departure? I get the feeling that pilots like to be seen to be moving levers and it is gung-ho to be able to make the most dangerous sequence of the flight as difficult as possible.
In the event of an engine failure, the mixture up-pitch up-power up part of the drill is moot, as you already have everything firewalled.