Are you TYRED?
 

A recent (July) article in Flyer by Miles McCallum on tyres raised the profile of something that I regret I have taken for granted for most of my flying career, and that is tyre pressure.

It made me realise that I do not know what the pressure should be on ANY of the 6 types I regularly fly (from Katana to Navajo).

The article also made the point that some POH's reccommend daily checks, and that the pressure should be within 5% of the correct value. Needless to say this also has insurance implications in the event of a prang.

I can remember being taught that a visual inspection should be made, and have it checked 'if it doesn't look right'. But how do you do that on grass?

Am I alone in my ignorance?

No! To check mine you have to unscrew a plate - which I am informed has to be done by a licensed engineer. I find that on grass you can only really tell if a tyre is fairly obviously flat. Slightly low? No idea!

Checking tyre pressures by looking is a useful as not bothering at all.

When you can see the cheek of the tyre bulging the pressure will be well down.

Nothing you can do about it other than checking with a pressure gauge, a pain in the backside if you have to take plates/spats off but that is the way it is.

Ignore it at your peril.

It is amazing that those tyres last as long as they do if you consider the stresses and strains put on them.

HTH

FD