Doors opening in flight.
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2010
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From: Noosa
Doors opening in flight.
Hi all. I'm a student pilot with not many hours in a Cessna 152.
Three times now in a week the door has popped open.
I know I'm strapped in and the plane still flies but is this a danger?
Seems a bit like slack work by the mechanics or am I wrong? The plane is a 1968 model.
Not sure I can trust the school if this keeps up.
Three times now in a week the door has popped open.
I know I'm strapped in and the plane still flies but is this a danger?
Seems a bit like slack work by the mechanics or am I wrong? The plane is a 1968 model.
Not sure I can trust the school if this keeps up.
Joined: Oct 2010
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From: North West
graciefields,
It used to happen to me during my PPL training in the C152. Nothing to worry about, it was usually due to me not quite closing the door as firmly as I should. Happenned to my instructor on a few occasions as well
.
GD
It used to happen to me during my PPL training in the C152. Nothing to worry about, it was usually due to me not quite closing the door as firmly as I should. Happenned to my instructor on a few occasions as well
.GD
Joined: Apr 1999
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From: The frozen north....
Happend to me quite a bit in rental aircraft over the years, in fact on my third of fourth lesson the instructors door popped open just as we lifted off, he just told me to carry on flying whilst he took 4 or 5 attempts to slam the door shut.
Another flying club which I wont name had a C152 rental which was flying for a number of weeks with the passenger door held shut with packing tape.....
Another flying club which I wont name had a C152 rental which was flying for a number of weeks with the passenger door held shut with packing tape.....
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Ansião (PT)
The one time it happened to me - and as a result of my own neglicence - my instructor tapped a nice lesson out of it: he first let me struggle the door against the wind, while steering the plane and gently asking who would be doing that if I were solo. When I began to get frustrated, he calmly told me to leave off, then put the plane in a rather pronounced side-slip and presto! the door shut all of its own.
This was in an FK-9, much like a C152 in appearance.
I have since learned that side-slipping can also be tried in case of engine fire - but I hope I need never try it.
This was in an FK-9, much like a C152 in appearance.
I have since learned that side-slipping can also be tried in case of engine fire - but I hope I need never try it.
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2010
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From: Noosa
I was starting to think that I should be looking fot a newer aircraft to train in.
Got to admit that after a few hours I'm getting addicted to banking and turning. I'd better find some sticky tape then!
Thanks mate.
Yes, I've been reading up on getting into a yaw? and letting the air pressure do the rest.
I'm a rookie so I'd better find out for sure. Supposing I'm solo and it's the passenger door... Get longer arms! lol
Got to admit that after a few hours I'm getting addicted to banking and turning. I'd better find some sticky tape then!
Thanks mate.
Yes, I've been reading up on getting into a yaw? and letting the air pressure do the rest.
I'm a rookie so I'd better find out for sure. Supposing I'm solo and it's the passenger door... Get longer arms! lol
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: EuroGA.org
Slack mechanics?
Nooo, never heard of any such thing Cannot happen. All the companies have CAA approvals. Impossible!
This is pretty normal. I had a door problem in a PA28; it was just left. One of the two locks would sometimes jam...
Nooo, never heard of any such thing
Cannot happen. All the companies have CAA approvals. Impossible!This is pretty normal. I had a door problem in a PA28; it was just left. One of the two locks would sometimes jam...
Joined: May 2001
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All the C150/152's that the door has popped open on me have had twisted airframes due to years of abuse in flying schools.
I used to brief students on the tendency of doors to pop open and also what they should do if it happened on the takeoff roll.
Although proberly not suitable in the UK due to the climate, about the only time C150's are none smelly and quite pleasant is when the doors are taken off. FAA land thats a couple of pins and very little paper work in the UK I presume it would be a complete pain in the backside.
I used to brief students on the tendency of doors to pop open and also what they should do if it happened on the takeoff roll.
Although proberly not suitable in the UK due to the climate, about the only time C150's are none smelly and quite pleasant is when the doors are taken off. FAA land thats a couple of pins and very little paper work in the UK I presume it would be a complete pain in the backside.
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2010
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From: Noosa
You're right there!
They do collect the water, in fact I was amazed by the instructor tipping the plane backwards and draining it out. hmm. Reminds me of my first car. That was a rust bucket too.
They do collect the water, in fact I was amazed by the instructor tipping the plane backwards and draining it out. hmm. Reminds me of my first car. That was a rust bucket too.
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From: Ansião (PT)
the passenger door held shut with packing tape.....
Freefall 00874 November 10, 2003
.... but I'm getting better!Joined: Jun 2003
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From: EuroGA.org
When I was learning in Tomahawks, one used to find up to half an inch of water on the floor. So the plane stunk like public phone boxes used to before everybody got mobile phones.
It might have been sweat from students doing circuits
Then one would drain anything up to a pint of water from the tanks before any avgas would start coming out. That was due to perished filler cap seals.
The best bit was a wire under the cowling which came out of a connector. I told them about it and their reply was: it only goes to the landing light; don't switch on the landing light...
But hey the operator had a CAA AOC for public transport so it was all completely safe.
It might have been sweat from students doing circuits
Then one would drain anything up to a pint of water from the tanks before any avgas would start coming out. That was due to perished filler cap seals.
The best bit was a wire under the cowling which came out of a connector. I told them about it and their reply was: it only goes to the landing light; don't switch on the landing light...
But hey the operator had a CAA AOC for public transport so it was all completely safe.
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,804
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Aye the joys.Well sweat is pee in undiluted form.
Our tommys have rather nice covers which are worth there weight in gold and arn't a PITA to get on and off. Ripping the carpets out and replacing with rubber floor matting helps heaps as well. Also if any aircraft is getting run for 5 hours a day it helps.
The wire off was proberly done by the owner to stop the bulbs going quite a common practise in schools its easier than swaping the bulb for a dud one.
To bew honest the schools that have there own maint on site are usually the worst for running snags and horrible barely legal aircraft. With Genghis thread on him getting ramped checked I really hope the CAA is actually going to start going round and not only doing ops inspections but also engineering ramp inspections as well.
Our tommys have rather nice covers which are worth there weight in gold and arn't a PITA to get on and off. Ripping the carpets out and replacing with rubber floor matting helps heaps as well. Also if any aircraft is getting run for 5 hours a day it helps.
The wire off was proberly done by the owner to stop the bulbs going quite a common practise in schools its easier than swaping the bulb for a dud one.
To bew honest the schools that have there own maint on site are usually the worst for running snags and horrible barely legal aircraft. With Genghis thread on him getting ramped checked I really hope the CAA is actually going to start going round and not only doing ops inspections but also engineering ramp inspections as well.
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,804
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Just to make sure your clear.
Usually they pop open when you rotate and the airframe flex's
You actions if this occurs is absolutely nothing.
You continue to fly as you would have done if it hadn't opened.
Then once your away from the ground and comfy in the cruise then think about shutting it.
If it pops on the takeoff roll its up to you but I would suggest if you are inexperence abort the departure get off the runway. Sort it out then have a quick 30secs to yourself and calm down then go off again.
Usually they pop open when you rotate and the airframe flex's
You actions if this occurs is absolutely nothing.
You continue to fly as you would have done if it hadn't opened.
Then once your away from the ground and comfy in the cruise then think about shutting it.
If it pops on the takeoff roll its up to you but I would suggest if you are inexperence abort the departure get off the runway. Sort it out then have a quick 30secs to yourself and calm down then go off again.