tips and tricks for pilots... beginners or otherwise

[alphaalpha]

Has anybody got a tip for the best agent to use to wash the paintwork down? I haven't seen any aviation approved detergents in any of the catalogues. Plain water doesn't work well, especially on the 'greasy belly.'

[Tinstaafl]

'Elbow Grease' (tm)

Available from good quality work experience students everywhere.

[LowNSlow]

M.Mouse, just passing on a tip that was handed down (in stone tablet form) from a wizened old engineer friend. If you try it you'll see that the avgas evaporates very quickly and it's only touching the surface, apart from the bit that goes into the treads, which will be worn off so there is very little risk of cumulative damage. That's the theory anyway

Alphaalpha, I use a rag dipped in, yup, avgas. Wipe the oily belly with the wet (avgas) rag and quickly follow it with a dry rag to remove the softened goop produced by contact with the avgas. Don't use thinners cos it matts the paint....... Alternatively use a pressure washer with the fluid for car cleaning. DON'T TURN IT TO HIGH PRESSURE, just use the low pressure setting used for distributing the fluid/water mix. If you use the HP setting it'll get in all sorts of places that you really don't want it to go. GUNK is also effective but it stinks the place down.

Even though I'm lazy I prefer to clean my own aeroplane. That way you find all the fun things going wrong like cracking paint, lose screws etc and you can do something about it before it gets bad (expensive) or drops off

Edited for the usual.......

[Final 3 Greens]

M.Mouse

Retracting flaps to shorten the ground run is recommended in the PA32 POH for short fields.

It's the equivalent of using the spoiler lift dump position in a more spohisticated a/c, as the flaps generate a surprising amount of lift event at low airspeeds.

My tip is always check the alignment of the magentic compass and DI against the runway heading before starting the takeoff roll.

[paulo]

FFF "You mean it's actually possible to go as high as FL60 without being in the London TMA?"

I've heard that here are parts of eastern China where the London TMA base is high as FL80.

[stiknruda]

I guess that because over the years I have lost quite a few friends/acquaintances through aviation, I'd offer the following:

1. NEVER SHOW OFF

"Oh look, there's Sara's house, let's beat it up, better than that I'll just roll this Łukker at chimney height...

He who only rolled the aeroplane at FLnosebleed once and got away with it will probably dish it overhead Sara's folks and Sara loses a hot date and ACE probably kills one of his mates, too.

2. IF IT FEELS WRONG - IT PROBABLY IS WRONG

so if you can't sort it out get on the ground - could just be you have inadvertently added flap OR it could be worse

3. THIS WHOLE THING (PRIVATE FLYING) SHOULD BE FUN

If it isn't - then either get more instruction or revisit your goals. Scud-running late afternoon with a setting sun......

If you really must, gotta be in the office on Monday morning - then either don't go on Sunday in the aircraft. If she is that lovely, drive instead!

Time to spare = go by air!

Stik

[ShyTorque]

If you think you have forgotten something - beware, you probably have.

Check everything again.

[M.Mouse]

LowNSlow

I appreciate that Avgas evaporates quickly but I still think I will give that tip a miss.

Final 3 Greens

Thanks for the reply. You live and learn! It just didn't sound like a sensible manoeuvre.

[Who has control?]

You know those big round heavy lumps of concrete you often see laying around? Well, never try to go flying with one of those attached to your aeroplane - it doesn't taxi too well & the rate of climb is appalling.

My tip is to remove all tie-downs and pitot-type covers before anything else and make sure that they are stowed away.

[Final 3 Greens]

M.Mouse

I can understand your point of view. Interestingly enough in the US a few years ago I had to sign a declaration that I wouldn't do touch an gos in a PA28R as the school had suffered a few incidents of people pulling the wrong lever when things were happening quickly!

[Flyboy-F33]

I have to disagree with throwing avgas on your tyre. IT WILL definately cause damage to the tyre, dont beleive me...ask your friendly A&P. Anyway, you should be looking for water in the sampler, not when its on the ground....
There are two schools of thought on retracting flaps immediately on touchdown. It does help braking etc, and I used to practice this method. However there is a risk of retracting gear instead of flaps...obviously requires 100% concentration.

[foxmoth]

1) If you get more than one tech problem with the aircraft in a relatively short time there is probably a common cause.
2)Listen to the other guys radio calls, they will often tell you useful info such as;- next frequency, wx, runway in use, conflicting traffic
3) Think ahead, set up nav aids and comms frequencies BEFORE you need them.

[Aussie Andy]

Great thread guys...

• Only answer your own callsign on the radio! OK, maybe this only happens to loud mouthed Australians like me... but on recent trip to France (my first) we had three aircraft from the same club. All of our callsigns familiar to me. Everything else on the FIS frequency in French. Whenever I heard something in English, and with a callsign I recognised - not necessarily that of the aircraft I was at that moment flying - I answered (like a prat!)
• Don't fly too close to hills! I have had couple of awsome experiences of mother natures might - most recently over the Catskills in NY with a buddy of mine in a Cessna 170B on a very windy day.... Go with someone who is used to this sort of thing the first time at least - its not something we come across much in and around south-east England!

Happy flying!