AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 18

LETTERS
odd feeling of pushing the stick forward to
recover, although we were already still pointed
steeply toward the ground. It was a good lesson.
Cary R. Alburn III / AOPA 511018
Loveland, Colorado
See and be Seen
I compliment Col. Thomas Gross in the June
edition of " Never Again " for highlighting the
need to make your aircraft visible. I would add
the importance of carrying GPS location devices
such as the inReach transmitter or a satellite
phone. Because I regularly fly in mountainous
and heavily forested terrain, I have a dashmounted
GPS locator also. The old emergency
locator transmitter's are essentially useless.
The reality is that-particularly in heavily
wooded areas-location is quite difficult. If
you add injury, fire, and aircraft damage, using
a survival vest supplied with basic supplies and
a GPS locator allows a pilot to exit the aircraft
quickly, improve identification and location, and
thus increase odds of survival. It is no surprise
that military pilots wear such devices.
Eric A. Voth, M.D. / AOPA 1497267
Topeka, Kansas
Flight Control Failure
Captain Barry Schiff's article " Flight Control
Failure " (July 2022 AOPA Pilot) brings up a
salient issue for us as pilots. We should also
consider that flight control failure can occur
not only due to hydraulic or control cable
issues, but also for other reasons. I can attest
to this, as it has happened to me while airborne
on two different occasions. The first time followed
a service visit due to an avionics squawk
with an aberrant ILS. Full aircraft controls
functioned properly prior to takeoff; however,
because of a crosswind and full deflection of
controls on takeoff, the scissors control of the
Bonanza hung up on an improperly replaced
ILS encoder. This in turn would not allow right
aileron down deflection.
The second time involved loss of up elevator
on takeoff while about 50 feet over the
runway. In that case, the transponder encoder
apparently was improperly secured, causing
it to jam the up elevator controls. Fortunately,
there was adequate runway left to cut power
and land. Lesson learned: Check carefully after
work performed on the aircraft. Although rare,
mistakes can and do happen.
Mike Pardis / AOPA 868051
Helena, Montana
18
AOPA PILOT / September 2022
Hangar Talk /
AOPA Associate Producer Josh Cochran took the best seat in the house
to interview Daher's Mark Brown in the rear seats of the spacious Kodiak
900 for Thomas B. Haines' story " Fast-back Kodiak " on page 50. The June
day in the Palouse Region along the Washington and Idaho border was
windy and cold, and the only place to get out of the weather was inside the
big airplane, which is more than three feet longer than its predecessor, the
Kodiak 100. Mark Brown is the chief demo pilot and sales and marketing
director for Kodiak at Daher and an experienced backcountry pilot. You can
see Cochran's interview with Brown on our YouTube channel.
Fueling safety
I had a Cessna 172L for more than 30 years and
bought the supplemental type certificate for
auto fuel. The modifications consisted of decals
near the fuel caps for the airframe and a bolt-on
wire tie with the STC number on it attached to
the pushrod tube for the engine modification on
my O-320 E2D engine. I was then authorized to
use auto fuel.
I always tested for alcohol in fuel by using
a small, clear glass bottle, and marking the bottle
in 10-percent increments up to 100-percent
full. Since water absorbs alcohol, the test was
simple. Add water to the bottle to the 10-percent
line, then, fill the bottle to 100 percent
with the gasoline. Cap the bottle and shake vigorously
for about a minute and then let it settle
on a level surface. After about five minutes the
water would resettle to the bottom. If the reading
was still 10 percent, the gasoline was alcohol
free. But if the water reading was 20 percent, the
gasoline had alcohol.
I talked to my local station owner and told
him I needed alcohol-free, high-test fuel and
asked if he could order that
instead of 10-percent gasohol.
It made no difference to him,
so I had a 91-octane auto fuel
supplier. I did check for alcohol
before filling my drums as
a safety precaution.
I never had any problems
from using auto fuel. I
flew that airplane for 1,800
hours over 25 years without
any engine problems and no
spark plug fouling.
Rolf Kraft / AOPA 584729
Martin, South Dakota
We welcome your comments!
Send letters to
Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421
Aviation Way, Frederick,
Maryland 21701 or pilot@
aopa.org. Letters may be
edited for length and style.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022

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