longest c152 flight?
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: UK
5hr 25mins Stapleford to Bagby on standard fuel with no leaning and at normal cruise power for 3hrs while hours building until finding strong wave conditions in the Vale of York. Best roc at idle 600fpm. Leeming radar were very puzzled.
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Amsterdam
Oh, one tip. If you do lean for best economy using the above method, warn your passengers before you do so. Nothing is more unnerving for a passenger than an engine that suddenly runs rough and a pilot who pretends that that's normal.
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,490
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From: Hotel this week, hotel next week, home whenever...
I would suggest that some limit on student PPL flights is sensible. Not necessarily from a fuel planning point of view but from a student fatigue point of view. It is often noticeable that the performance level drops the longer the flight.
Personally, I've lasted about 3 hours in a 152 before becoming very uncomfortable.
On the leaning side of things, I agree that it's a skill not taught well in the UK. But an important note made earlier is that you should consult your POH for your airframe/engine combination as to how to do it properly. There are instances where incorrect leaning have meant fuel burn is vastly different to what was thought.
Personally, I've lasted about 3 hours in a 152 before becoming very uncomfortable.
On the leaning side of things, I agree that it's a skill not taught well in the UK. But an important note made earlier is that you should consult your POH for your airframe/engine combination as to how to do it properly. There are instances where incorrect leaning have meant fuel burn is vastly different to what was thought.
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: UK
Without instrumentation, the method for correct-ish leaning is to set it all up in cruise, 75% of max rated power or less, and then slowly lean until there is a fairly sudden drop in power (or airspeed if you like). Then advance (enrich) the mixture back just a little, to the point before the sudden power drop.
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: EuroGA.org
Aircraft handbooks tend to be vague on this, with settings for things variously called "best economy" (which ones assumes might be peak EGT, but nobody knows) and "best power" (which one assumes might be about 100-150F ROP, but nobody knows).
On top of that, if you have a VP prop, you can squeeze a few % more MPG by using a lower RPM setting.
On top of that, if you have a VP prop, you can squeeze a few % more MPG by using a lower RPM setting.
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: Up't Norf
met the guy
I met the guy a few years back in Florida. Lovely chap! He did the flight a few times (in larger aircraft). Apparently the nerve racking bit was not the Atlantic crossing but the crossing of Africa. It cost more in bribes than in fuel!
