AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 102

NEWS & NOTES

AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE

All part of the system

How well do you really know your airplane?
BY ALICIA HERRON

ASI NEWS

|

'THERE I WAS...' POWER
PROBLEMS

In this episode of the AOPA Air Safety
institute's podcast There I Was... we
chat with Devin Miller, creator behind
the YouTube channel Family Pilot. On
a recent flight with his wife and children, the throttle cable of Devin's Piper
Arrow broke, leaving the engine stuck
at full throttle. Tune in to hear how
he dealt with the issue and listen to
lessons learned from the experience to
make your own flying safer.
airsafetyinstitute.org/thereiwas

WHY TALK TO ATC WHEN
I DON'T HAVE TO?

Not all airspace requires communication with air traffic control-but there
are benefits to giving them a call anyway. Familiarity with ATC can make
airspace transitions, flights to towered
fields, flight following, and IFR practice approaches a breeze. And in the
unlikely event of an emergency, ATC
will be one click of the push-to-talk
away. In this new episode of Ask ATC,
listen to air traffic controllers' takes on
why we as pilots should talk to ATC
even when we don't have to.
airsafetyinstitute.org/askatc/
whytalktoatc

AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS are extremely reliable
and can deliver years of safe flight when
properly maintained. That being said, not
all pilots know as much as they should about
the proper care of the systems in their airplane. If your systems knowledge isn't up to
snuff, it's time to sharpen up.
First, know your engine. Familiarity
with engine basics will help you complete a more thorough preflight and
runup on the ground and assess mechanical problems you may encounter in the
air. Study the pilot's operating handbook
for your aircraft and keep up with all recommended maintenance. Maintenance
is not optional-if you don't take care of
your airplane, how can you expect it to
take care of you?
No carbureted engine is immune to
carb ice. The window for carb ice is bigger
than you might imagine-even hot days of
a certain humidity can lead to perfect icing

102 | AOPA PILOT February 2020

conditions in the carburetor. Don't forget to
check that the carb heat is functioning properly before you need it.
If you fly a fuel-injected engine, get
familiar with the procedures for hot starting the engine. It likely will take practice
and patience to become comfortable with
a hot start, and that should begin with an
understanding of what's going on inside
a fuel-injected engine. If you don't know
what vapor lock is, you won't understand
the steps behind a hot start and you might
make potentially hazardous mistakes.
Next, know your propeller. Propellers,
like engines, need regular maintenance and
overhauls. Consider adding a check of the
propeller during oil changes.
Brief your passengers on the importance of avoiding the propeller-ideally
before arriving at the airplane. Also, regularly verify that the magnetos are grounding
properly and that you don't have a hot mag.

If a grounding check isn't already in your
shutdown checklist, consider adding it.
Avoid dragging the airplane around by the
propeller-just in case you do have a hot
mag. Too much stress from pulling can also
damage the prop, and repairs in aviation are
rarely to never cheap.
Finally, know your pneumatic system.
Pneumatic systems fail. Expect it and be
prepared. Consider installing a backup and
a prominently placed annunciator, especially if you fly in instrument conditions or
VFR at night.
Every system on board your aircraft is
critical-engines, propellers, and pneumatic
systems are just the beginning. Understand
and keep them all well maintained to make
your flying safer.
airsafetyinstitute.org/safetyadvisor/
aircraftsystems
EMAIL alicia.herron@aopa.org
http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/thereiwas http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/askatc/whytalktoatc http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/askatc/whytalktoatc http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/safetyadvisor/
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020
