Control Checks

[megan]

No doubt everyone is aware of the dreadful accident where a G-IV was destroyed, and seven people losing their lives after a rejected takeoff and runway excursion at Laurence G. Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA.

Seems like a lot of folks are not doing control checks.

https://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/flight-control-checks/nbaa-report-business-aviation-compliance-with-manufacturer-required-flight-control-checks-before-takeoff.pdf

[PLovett]

Not only no control checks, no check lists run at all and a long history of not doing them except in recurrency training and audit checks.

[onetrack]

I find it utterly mind-boggling, that so-called professional pilots would fail to carry out what is the most basic and the most crucial part of any flight checks, even once - let alone, continue to do so repeatedly.

[Dan_Brown]

Totally agree

I see people who pass all the HR psycho tests etc., all the degrees and licences and at times, you get every personality defeat known to man exhibited. Now this it seems.

Goodness me, none of us are perfect but at least try and maintain standards. We owe it to our passengers for starters.

I have also flown with highly qualified "professionals" who insisted on "stowing" the standby compass. This to me is one of the most reliable instruments in the aircraft.

[Albus_Dumbledore]

Good gracious, what A/C can you "stow" a standby compass on? Didn't know that was possible!

It is scary that "professionals" (A term I use with great hesitation ;-)) behave in such a manner!

[Dan_Brown]

On a first generation heavy jet, the standby compass could be stowed by pushing it back then swung up. Yes I'm showing my age.

[CL300]

The Stand By Compasses at that time were not "all wet" but more on gimbals. therefore, even though it was a sturdy instrument, it was stowed on the initial acceleration. ON the VERY EARLY planes the reading was even on a voltmeter...

The portion being stowed and released was ( as far i remember) only the indicator..

[Dan_Brown]

Well the compass I was referring to was the "E type?" compass. Liquid fulled and fully enclosed. Of course we had the standard RMI's with flux valve in the wing root' with comparater warnings when not boot strapped. Like all liquid fulled compasses it was subject to acceleration and deceleration errors, turning errors and compass dip.

To my mind it should be displayed at all times for comparisons sake alone, as it was and still is, a very reliable compass.

[galaxy flyer]

Dan,

Exactly how often do you refer to the wet compass? Yes, it's stowed on the Globals and rad by mirror in Douglas -9s. I check it after IRS alignment and stow it as per the AFM. If several million dollars of Collins finest avionics were to simitaneously fail, I'd reach up and unstow it. The chance of this happening are vanishingly small. What next, gyro-out PAR practice?

GF

[Spooky 2]

in the distant past the Nav Accuracy check required recording the wet compass headin along with the heading on the ND prior to entering oceanic airspace. This was done in level flight to preclude acceleration errors. As far back at the 707/DC8, and forward to the 777 this was an SOP. I guess the magenta line crowd does not belive in this practice anymore?

[Dan_Brown]

Some whipper snappers on here. No respect for the old guard. :}

[FlyMD]

Next they're going to ask for a sliding window on the A380 cockpit, so they can lean out and shout "prop clear" before starting engines... :8

[His dudeness]

n the distant past the Nav Accuracy check required recording the wet compass headin along with the heading on the ND prior to entering oceanic airspace. This was done in level flight to preclude acceleration errors. As far back at the 707/DC8, and forward to the 777 this was an SOP. I guess the magenta line crowd does not belive in this practice anymore?

Wots a wet compass ?

[galaxy flyer]

Dan,

Proud member of the Old Guard. Solo'd in a C150, first fighter was an F-100. If I taxi out to 23 on the parallel, I look down and expect to see something like 050 on my compasses. Line up on 23, they better match runway heading.

GF

[stilton]

B727 Standby Compass was stowable, never understood why people did that, it was hardly 'in the way'