Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Copyright ©2012 Michelin North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Michelin Man is a registered trademark of Michelin North America, Inc.
*
Based on Sept 2010 ACAS fleet data and Michelin estimates.
The quality and reliability of our tires make Michelin the number one choice for
the majority of General Aviation aircraft manufacturers.
Proudly Featuring
&RQWLQHQWDOQHZDQG]HURWLPHIDFWRU\
UHEXLOWHQJLQHV ǁǁǁ͘ƚdžƐŬLJǁĂLJƐ͘ĐŽŵ
+DUW]HOOSURSHOOHUV ƐĂůĞƐΛƚdžƐŬLJǁĂLJƐ͘ĐŽŵ
0F&DXOH\SURSHOOHUV
ϭͲϴϬϬͲϴϵϵͲϳϱϵϳ
NOVEMBER 2012
On the Front Cover
Safe flying begins on the ground with
CESSNA
good tires, wheels, and brakes. They
are just as important to flight as wings
and avionics.
OWNER
MAGAZINE
6/, s )335%
Features
14 10 Cessna Online Things for November
16 “Re-Tiring” Your Airplane
Doesn’t Mean Giving It Time Off!
By Floyd Allen
30 421
Cessna’s Golden Piston Twin
By Bill Cox
30 38
Departments
7 On Approach
Aviation News, Products & Updates
52 Flight Market
54 Ad Index
Not only that, but they are true plug & play
replacements for existing 530 & 430-Series
navigators, requiring no wiring changes,
keeping installation easy and affordable.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Daniel Weiler
Editor’s Letter
DANIELW CESSNAOWNERORG s %XT
EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER
Ryan Jones
RYANJ CESSNAOWNERORG s %XT Fighting Cabin Fever
EDITOR
W
Keith Mathiowetz ith the arrival of autumn’s shorter days, cooler temperatures, and periods
EDITOR CESSNAOWNERORG s %XT
of scattered snowfalls in many regions of the country, most owners have
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR begun to put away their aircraft for the season. I say “most,” because
TECH CESSNAOWNERORG s %XT some pilots, of course, aren’t worrying about what Mother Nature brings. They are
#ANADA-EXICO
s %XT
strapping on a pair of skis to enjoy their sport; for them, the calendar has no limits.
ART DIRECTOR For the majority of owners residing in the northern climates, though, winter tends
Clay Miller to shut down their passion, but not entirely.
SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
To stay involved in aviation, they engage in
Jim Cavanagh activities that are beneficial to themselves and
their aircraft. By doing these things, they keep
SENIOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS cabin fever at bay. Included among their ef-
*IM #AVANAGH "ILL #OX
forts are airplane maintenance/improvements
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS and trip planning.
!NTHONY .ALLI *ACQUELINE 3HIPE Airplane owners may not be able to take to
DIRECTOR OF AVIATION AD SALES the skies, but they can work on their aircraft
Daniel Weiler to keep up with general maintenance or improve a few things that have been on
ADSALES CESSNAOWNERORG s %XT their wish list for a while. Repairing or replacing cracked interior parts, polishing
OFFICES: the windshield, or performing other routine chores can be accomplished easily
. !ANSTAD 2D 0/ "OX when the airplane is parked for an extended period of time. If you have been
)OLA 7ISCONSIN 53! thinking about a new paint job or interior, or having new avionics installed, now
&AX
-Y
#ESSNA
is a good time to deliver the
www.cessnaowner.org aircraft to a shop to have those
#OPYRIGHT ¼ !IRCRAFT /WNERS 'ROUP
All Rights Reserved procedures done. When spring
7E SUPPORT !/0! AND %!! arrives, you’ll enjoy flying in
your “new” airplane!
THE FINE PRINT:
Memberships, advertising orders, copy and correspondence should be ad-
And speaking of flying, what
dressed to P.O. Box 5000, Iola, WI 54945. Annual Dues: $49.95 per year in
the USA. Canada/Mexico please add $20 per year. Overseas orders, please
better way to take advantage of
add $30 per year. Eighty percent (80%) of annual dues is designated for your updated airplane next year
your magazine subscription. Publications Agreement No. 40049720. Ad-
dress Changes & Subscription Questions: When contacting us with an ad- than to use it for long-distance
dress change, please include your mailing label. The information presented
in CESSNA OWNER magazine is from many sources for which there can
vacations? It’s never too early to plan one or several trips, so doing a bit of dream-
be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to accuracy, originality ing and research during the winter will help make the dark months go by quickly,
or completeness. The magazine is sold with the understanding that the
publisher is not engaged in rendering product endorsements or providing in- as well as get you prepared for the actual journeys coming up. There are so many
struction as a substitute for appropriate training by qualified sources. CESS-
NA OWNER magazine and Jones Publishing will not assume responsibility
places, both domestic and international, to see and experience that the most dif-
for any actions arising from any information published in CESSNA OWNER
magazine. We invite comments and welcome any report of inferior prod-
ficult part of your work will be deciding which locations to visit!
ucts obtained through our advertising, so corrective action may be taken. Don’t let the poor weather ahead keep you from enjoying general aviation.
With some thought, planning, and execution, you and your airplane will make it
CESSNA OWNER magazine (ISSN 0745-3523) is the official publica-
tion of the Cessna Owner Organization. CESSNA OWNER magazine is
through winter just fine and be ready for springtime flying adventures!CO
published monthly by the Aircraft Owners Group, P.O. Box 5000, N7528
Aanstad Rd., Iola, WI 54945. Periodicals postage paid at Iola, WI 54945
and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Yours in flight,
CESSNA OWNER magazine, P.O. Box 5000, Iola, WI 54945.
Voltmeter
STC’d for 12 or
24 volt aircraft
Complete
w/Hardware Kit
$99
Cessna Digital
Flap Indicator
w/Sending Unit
$495
www.visualinstruments.com
(918) 298-7787
10 CESSNA OWNER NOVEMBER 2012
The most trusted name in
aircraft interiors.
Products,
Inc.
www.airtexinteriors.com
Be Prepared with a
Shure Safety Station
Essential to any maintenance facility is
an emergency center. The Safety Sta-
tion, produced by the Shure Manufac-
turing Corporation, allows you to store
your first aid kits, bandages, and sup-
plies safely and efficiently.
The unit has many features, includ-
ing heavy-duty reinforced steel con-
struction, ideal storage for material
safety data sheets, stainless-steel top,
stainless-steel chase panel, and leg
levelers. Standard accessories include
mirror, soap dispenser, towel dispens-
er, and waste receptacle. An emergen-
cy eye wash attachment is standard.
Colors available are Carmine Red or
Safety Yellow (other colors are avail-
able upon request).
For more information, visit www.shure
usa.com or call (800) 227-4873.CO
3. In the News
The general aviation world always has something happening.
We have the latest! www.cessnaowner.org/news
4. Aviation Alerts
The most recent airworthiness di-
rectives, service bulletins, and other 6. Mixed Signals
notices are available within the Read how radio communication, or
Members Only Content area. www. lack thereof, caused a close-call feel-
cessnaowner.org/alerts ing in a student pilot. www.cessna
owner.org/horse
5. Learn Additional Flying Skills
It’s always beneficial to acquire new 7. Fly a Cessna 170 Series Aircraft?
piloting knowledge and abilities. If you own a 170 series airplane,
Here are several ways to obtain you’ll benefit from these specific
training. www.cessnaowner.org/ technical discussions about it. www.
training cessnaowner.org/170
9. Time to Re-Boot
Maintenance expert Jacqueline Shipe describes how
deicing boots work and what it takes to replace them.
www.cessnaowner.org/boots
WIPAIRE, INC.
T
he amount of time that an air-
plane spends on its tires during
a flight is minimal, but it’s vitally
important that those tires are in more
than just “passable” condition.
“No doubt about it,” Steve Johnson,
president of SuperCub.Org, began, with
a grin in his voice, “blowing a tire on
landing is more than a little exciting!”
Obviously, no pilot wants the “ex-
citement” Johnson alluded to, and, as
a result, the pilot needs to make sure
that the tires “pass inspection.”
“I think,” said John Pichitino, of
Pitch Perfect Aviation in Nevada City,
California, “that most pilots do a regu-
lar visual inspection of their tires, and
that’s how they determine when new
tires are needed.”
Uneven tire wear, which is caused primarily by
operation on heavily crowned gravel strips.
1-877-4SPRUCE 7 7 7 8 2 3
Email us
Proud Sponsor of info@aircraftspruce.com
www.aircraftspruce.com
“I know that’s the way I do it,” Phil Paul, Minnesota, had a few other different tire than one that is landing
Sanders, who owns Triple S Repair in things people should keep in mind on paved runways.
Kingman, Arizona, agreed. “One of when they’re inspecting their tires. “I have discovered,” Pichitino inter-
the things I do is make sure the tires “While the surface area should be jected, “that a training environment
are wearing evenly and not more on checked out,” Erickson advised, “you requires a very durable tire, because,
one side than the other. The main’s also need to pay attention to the side- as we already mentioned, students can
can get out of alignment, similar to wall and make sure no cracking is taking be more than a little rough on tires.”
what happens with a car.” place there, either. Too, you will want to “I hope I’m not being too practi-
There are a number of other issues check your sidewalls for bulges.” cal,” Sanders offered, “but as with
that readily come to mind when it Erickson went on to say that you will anything else, cost has a bearing on
comes to tire wear. One of the more also want to be attuned to the possibil- the tires I choose.”
prevalent is flat spots, which, as Sand- ity of chemical damage to your tires, Sanders also shared that he tends to
ers pointed out, creates a “thumpity and also of heat damage that can be listen to what other pilots are saying
thump” when taxiing. These flat spots created during braking. about the tires they use and the kind of
are caused by braking, and they are Determining that you need new tires luck they are having with them. It is his
especially a problem when a craft is is one thing, but deciding which tires contention, and probably rightfully so,
used for training purposes, as students to buy is quite another. The decision is that experience is probably as good of
have a propensity to hit the brakes based on a number of factors. an indicator as there is when making
hard. Normal wear and tear is another “I think,” Johnson began, “that a the decision of what rubber to put on
issue, and during your inspection, you major factor in the purchase of tires your airplane.
should be checking on tread depth. is determining what the mission of “You do want to remember,” Erick-
“With the Super Cubs,” Johnson the craft is.” son pointed out, “that some airframe
shared, “you have a somewhat unique He went on to explain that an ex- manufacturers actually have specifica-
situation, as we use tubeless tires with tension of an airplane’s mission is tions regarding the tires that should be
no tread, so we typically run ’em ’til knowing what kind of surface the craft used on their craft.”
the cords show.” will be landing on. In the case of the These specifications include, but are
Jason Erickson, director of main- Super Cubs, they land virtually any- not limited to, size and ply rating. In
tenance at Wipaire, Inc. in South St. where and, as a result, need a much regard to this, Erickson shared that,
WIPAIRE, INC.
An aircraft with retractable gear; an example of very specific tire size requirements.
IT L
S
*
AVIATION SERVICE CENTER
DE-ICER INSTALLATIONS SPECIAL
Free full tank of fuel* when you schedule your complete ship set installation
**
Contact Us
!"#$% & '(&
))*+,
--,*0)1)**2
3
&4
6
&
78
*
%
& & 4**
4
WIPAIRE, INC.
Electronics International
Providing Superior Products and Unparalleled Customer Service Since 1979
PRIMARY REPLACEMENT
* RPM & Manifold Pressure
* Fuel Flow & Pressure
* Oil Temp & Pressure
* Fuel Quantity
* Volts, Amps
* EGT, CHT, TIT & OAT
* Interactive Checklists
* Weight and Balance Envelope
MVP-50 * Much, much more!
MIXTURE MIZER II
For less costly engine protection
Above systems feature shock cooling alarm.
KS AVIONICS, INC.
25216 Cypress Avenue, Hayward, CA 94544
www.ksavionics.com
CESSNAOWNER.ORG CESSNA OWNER 21
SUPERCUB.ORG
Don t forget about the tailwheel.
PILOT-FRIENDLY
STEP-BY-STEP GPS MANUALS
"Friendly and easy to use." Find out how we can help protect
Private Pilot all that is important to you.
"These manuals really work!" Visit aopainsurance.org today.
Sportys
• Goes beyond manufacturer manual
• All GPS operations covered
• Task-oriented format
• Manuals for: AERA 560, G1000W,
GPS on the G1000, G900X, GNS 430,
206 CARGO PODS
430W, 480, 530, 530W. GPSMAP 696, - STC’D for 206’s
496, 396, 296, 196 and 295. Lowrance - All Composite
600C and 2000C, KLN 90B, 900 and - 300 Lb. Capacity
89B/94. - Complete Installation
Hardware Included
- Weighs Just 35 Lbs.
www.zdpublishing.com - Rugged, Tested, Proven
888-310-3134
PO BOX 3487
Wichita, KS 67201 P.O. Box 2119 • Priest River, Idaho 83856
(208) 448-0400 • Fax (208) 448-1644
CESSNAOWNER.ORG CESSNA OWNER 23
Under the Cowling
X By Jacqueline Shipe
A
rguably, airplane operating rosion is also a concern for the engine, oil every 50 hours. Changing oil at
costs can be considered to be at minimizing wear is of top priority in 25-hour intervals is better, not only
an all-time high with the ever- maintaining the engine. The constant because of the cleaner oil, but also be-
increasing prices of fuel, insurance, movement, friction between moving cause the screen or filter element can
and storage. Although it is impossible parts, and high temperatures combine be inspected more often for metal.
to control some costs, properly taking to constantly produce engine wear.
care of equipment through preventive Metal Mindset
maintenance and correct operation Oil System Care Metal will almost always be present in
can have a significant impact on the The oil system is responsible for keep- minute amounts, because some wear
price per hour of flying. ing wear to a minimum and reducing takes place every time the engine is
Preventing and treating corrosion is temperatures. High-quality oil should started. Larger-than-normal metal
usually the most important action in be used, and the oil needs to be amounts should be investigated to de-
caring for the airframe. Although cor- changed often. Most operators change termine the cause. The type of metal
particles present gives the best clue as
to where it is coming from. Aluminum
particles are generally produced from
wear on the piston pin end caps or
from the piston itself. Brass is usually
produced from the rocker arm bush-
ings. Steel can come from a number of
places. Common areas for wear, espe-
cially on certain models like the Conti-
nental O-470 and the Lycoming O-320
H2AD engines, are the camshaft lobes
CONCORDE PROVEN
every oil change to this model to help
prevent camshaft wear. The Continen-
RELIABLE AT STARTING
tal O-470 gives almost no trouble if it is
run often enough. However, if it sits for
long periods, its lifter bodies get spots
EXPO
JANUARY 17-20, 2013 Where tion Don’t
Miss the
Innova Aviation 3rd Annual LSA
MeetIsn Florida at
Fly Out to
Bahamas!
s
F our Day gional A ir por t
Re
Sebr ing Spor t A ir c r a f t
g:
F e a t ur in
www.sport-aviation-expo.com
RepairAPlane.com
t "OOVBM1SF1VSDIBTF*OTQFDUJPOT
t &OHJOF1SPQ0WFSIBVMT
t 3PVUJOF.BJOUFOBODFPS3FQBJST
t "WJPOJD6QHSBEFT
t 1BJOU*OUFSJPS8PSL
In Partnership With
www.RepairAPlane.com
CESSNAOWNER.ORG CESSNA OWNER 27
Consistently low oil temps can be
raised by covering part or all of the oil
cooler. This is a trial-and-error process,
because the temperatures vary a lot
with the outside air temperature.
Increases in oil consumption should
be investigated also. Slight increases
will occur as the engine gets time on
it because of wear and blow-by past
the rings. A sudden increase can be an
indication of a broken ring or a leak.
World’s
most powerful
Stationair Soloy Turbine
206
A
pproaching Lake County Airport in Leadville,
Colorado, you’d never guess it’s the highest
municipal airport in America unless you kept
a close eye on the altimeter. Perched on a plain in the
Colorado Rockies, the surrounding terrain looks de-
ceptively benign. If you didn’t know better, you might
think you were about to land at some gentle destina-
tion in the Alleghenies. Only the snow-capped peaks
in late May provide a hint of high altitude.
With apologies to Alaska, this is America’s truly “big
country.” Alaska has higher mountains, but they’re
less accessible. Fly high Colorado, and you learn to
accept three-mile-or-higher cruise heights. The state
has nearly a dozen fly-in destinations a mile-and-
a-half above the sea: Buena Vista, Creede, Gunni-
son, Monte Vista, Pagosa Springs, Salida, Telluride,
Walden, Westcliffe, and, king of them all, Leadville,
built far up in the tall sky at 9,927 feet MSL.
Today, I’m happy to be flying solo in a Cessna
421, with two big turbocharged Continentals out on
the wings to protect me from evil. This is the begin-
ning of another ferry trip, this one from St. Louis
to the Philippines, and since I’m flying an airplane
to match the mountains, I’ve decided to stop in at
Leadville and breathe the clean, fresh air stacked two
miles deep.
30 CESSNA OWNER NOVEMBER 2012
A great aviation headset should come with
great customer service. That’s our commitment.
While selling over one-million aviation headsets, we’ve built a reputation
for unparalleled customer service. That’s one reason why more pilots select
David Clark in the first place. Our customer service specialists will make you
feeel as comfortable owning one of our headsets, as you will
wearing one.
ENJOY
Y YOUR FLIGHT
0DGH,Q86$
+H]PK*SHYR*VTWHU`0UJVYWVYH[LK
.YLLUOLHKZL[KVTLZHYLH+H]PK*SHYRYLNPZ[LYLK[YHKLTHYR W W W. D AV I D C L A R K . C O M
Clean and fresh, but thin. Climb the Cessna sold seven that year. A Cut above the Competition
steps from the ramp to the log cabin ter- For better or worse, 1985 was the The late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s
minal building, and you’ll wish that you year Cessna president Russ Meyer were the heyday of piston twins. From
had a turbocharger. As I sit enjoying a discontinued all piston products, an the Seminole, Cougar, and Duchess at
cup of coffee, letting my heart rate and alleged reaction to the litigious senti- the bottom to the 421 at the top, there
respiration recover and looking out at ment in America, but probably also was a twin for every reason.
what will be “my” twin Cessna for the related to a piston market gone south Accordingly, there were several other
next two weeks, I reflect that this should in a half-dozen years and the fact that contenders to the 421’s imperial throne.
be an easy and fairly quick trip. It will there was far more money to be made The Piper Aerostar 700 was the ultimate
certainly be a comfortable one. building turbine-powered airplanes. speedster, a five/six-seater with a cruise
Whatever the motivation, the 421 near the vaunted 261 knots (300 mph)
High-Level Luxury was certainly one of the most comfort- at FL250, faster than some turboprops.
In some respects, the Cessna 421 is ide- able and quiet corporate conveyances Beechcraft’s model 60 Duke could only
ally suited for flying above the tall rocks. in the sky. Fitted with eight seats, the haul a six-pack, but it offered charac-
It’s turbocharged and pressurized to Golden Eagle was almost ideally suit- teristic Beech handling and dead-sexy
keep both its engines and its passengers ed for charter operators. styling. The Commander 680, often
breathing normally at five-mile heights. It also offered strong competition regarded as the most prestigious of cor-
Indeed, there aren’t many jobs the for corporate turboprops but at half porate twins, could carry a big load and
421 can’t do, provided you launch the price. featured luxurious accommodations.
and recover it from smooth, 3,000- Even if it was nowhere near the fast- The Piper Pressurized Navajo, with its
foot strips. The 421 was built from the est of the upscale piston twins, the 421 huge 425-hp Lycoming TIGO-541 en-
late 1960s to the mid 1980s, and it was almost universally regarded as the gines, and the short-lived Piper Mojave,
represents perhaps the apogee of twin- ultimate cabin-class piston twin. The the latter a piston-powered Cheyenne
engine development and the top of the cockpit offered what many regarded as 1, were Piper’s attempts to capture the
Wichita company’s multi-engine line. the ideal enclosure for a pilot and up luxury market.
The Golden Eagle was the top model to seven passengers, and the engines The 421, nevertheless, always
in Cessna’s 400 series of piston twins, were geared down to cruise at 1,900 seemed a cut above. The airplane had
with twin Continental GTSIO-520Ns rpm, providing a quiet environment a certain je ne sais quoi that consis-
rated for 375 hp apiece and a 5.0 psi for en-route work or relaxation. When tently outdistanced the competition. In
pressurization system that maintains a throttled back to long-range power, the its prime, it was a reasonable seller for
10,000-foot cabin at 26,000 feet. By airplane (with the big 262-gallon op- Cessna, despite a base price that ex-
1985, average-equipped price had tion) could range out 1,200 nm, mak- actly quadrupled in 18 years.
risen above $800,000, and that was ing one-stop, coast-to-coast trips an Still, the 421 had unquestionable
the airplane’s final year of production. easy one-day process. talent. If you were willing to fly high,
by Wipaire
Wipaire
W
Wipa
ip is now offering a range of new
overstock parts for sale online. These
and over
iinclude
nclude a varietyy of avionics, Cessna parts, Wipaire
parts and other miscellaneous items.
parts, de Havilland par
Call or Click Today
1.888.947.2473 www.wipaireaircraftparts.com
Maintenance ∙ Interiors ∙ Avionics ∙ Paint ∙ Aircraft Sales
ELL
NDS
YA
BU
Big Machine
The 421 was a big machine in virtually
all respects. It boasted a huge 55-inch-
wide cabin, 51 inches tall at the mid
position. It was hardly stand-up head-
room, except for kids and little people,
but everyone was accommodated in
wide, sumptuously upholstered, plush,
leather seats, usually with armrests.
Each aft seating position typically in-
cluded writing tables, Wemac vents,
and personal reading lights.
Outside the airplane, Cessna chose
a variety of three NACA 23000 series
airfoils for the 402, 414, and 421. All
employed five degrees of dihedral
outboard of the engines and inci-
dence that varied from 2.5 degrees at
the roots to .5 degree at the tips. The
wings provided a gentle stall with little
tendency to roll under the bottom.
Cessna’s docile wing choice pro-
vided a service ceiling of 30,200 feet,
but the effective limit was more like
26,000 feet where the 5.0 psi cabin
was flying at 10,000 feet. Operat-
ing at the airplane’s maximum non-
RVSM height of 29,000 feet would
have resulted in cabin air pressurized
to about 12,500 feet, well above most
passengers’ tolerance for hypoxia.
With 750 hp under your right palm,
power loading worked out to almost ex-
actly 10:1, a magic ratio for high-perfor-
MAIN TURBO
Systems, Incorporated
“A father / son team with 86 combined years
of aviation maintenance experience
mance aircraft. Accordingly, a properly
PROPELLERS
e-mail: rockyprop@rockyprop.com
http://www.rockyprop.com
✦ FACTORY TRAINED
✦ RAPCO DISTRIBUTOR
✦ WOODWARD
TECHNICIANS
✦ PISTON ✦ PT6A
800-462-7605
2865 AIRPORT DRIVE
FAA/EASA CRS FR6R545N ERIE, CO 80516
FAX: 303-665-7164
GOVERNORS
CESSNAOWNER.ORG CESSNA OWNER 37
Wheels, Tires, and Brakes
The Unloved Components
By Max Lundin
U
nlike an automobile’s, an aircraft’s wheels,
tires, and brakes are rarely the object of
obsession. They fall well behind many
gee-whiz, budget-draining cockpit upgrades.
However, these three components are as critical
as ailerons and rudders during two of the most
important flight moments: takeoff and land-
ing. These components are typically taken for
granted as long as they pass an annual inspec-
tion, but (relatively) modest upgrade investments
can make dramatic improvements in an aircraft’s
safety and ground-maneuvering capability.
Wheel, tire, and brake manufacturers have
been diligently innovating an interesting variety
of products to increase the efficiency and robust-
ness of these critical elements. Brakes infused
with nitrates, tubeless tires, and specific “brake
modernizations” for classic aircraft models are
just a few of the products that have been on
display at this year’s air shows. Although you
won’t find Escalade-eqsue spinners available for
an antique airplane, you can find products that
might make you think twice about waiting until
your aircraft’s OEM landing system starts losing
air before finding a set of wheels.
+ handcrafted models
+ attention to detail
+ hand-carved from fine
mahogany wood
+ Many “MOVING” parts
+ 3 coats of polyurethane
for a superior high- + 10% discount to
gloss finish COO members Goodyear Flight Custom III tires include
Kevlar belts inside for greater stability and
longer life.
(
(9
purchasing and maintaining tires. !
Ken Fare, vice president of Desser :1(
+
Tire and Rubber Co., Inc., explained ,'
5
%6 )
%
some different landing situations. “Pi- 7
)
lots landing on grass strips suffer virtu- ;,
<
)=:111(
=/111
>
Buy or Rent
MICHELIN
Brakes
Brakes have seen more innovations
than any other component in the land-
ing process. From throwback brakes
for antique planes to the chemically
engineered brakes of Aviation Prod-
ucts Systems, Inc. (APS), these taken-
for-granted components are receiving
some much-deserved attention.
Grove Aircraft Landing Gear Sys-
tems, Inc. has a solution to bring the
braking system of some antique air-
craft out of the Stone Age and into the
BERINGER
The Future
Selection of new products for the “un-
OPENS AND H
HOLDS YOUR DOOR! loved components” may seem costly
Frightening Flight
Supposedly, we all learn from our
mistakes. Apparently, not everyone.
Tel: 1-800-942-PROP (7767) My second brush with CFIT was
or (937) 778-4201 when I was westbound over Green-
Email: TopProp@HartzellProp.com land during an early summer return
from France. The flight from Reykja-
www.HartzellProp.com
vik to Narsarsuaq had gone well until
I passed the eastern Greenland coast
at 12,000 feet and started across the
icecap. I almost immediately ran into
light rime icing that quickly stopped
being light. I knew the top of the cap
was about 8,000 feet, so I first tried up.
No luck; ice accretion only increased,
and my deice equipment consisted of
pitot heat. The only choices left were
to turn around or descend.
Trouble was, I knew the white ice-
cap would be indistinguishable from
the clouds if I descended too far. I was
only 39 miles from my destination,
and that fact almost seduced me into
giving descent a try.
Fortunately, reason prevailed, and
I advised Sondrestrom I was turning
Avoiding a Situation
I’m not sure there’s any message here
other than perhaps the obvious one.
Too often, we try to ad lib in situations
that don’t lend themselves to breaking
the rules. With the help of a large-scale
GPS and dense fog that fortunately re-
lented at the critical moment, I’d man-
aged to beat the odds, not because
I was smart or talented, but because
there just wasn’t my time.
Don’t get caught in a situation that
allows you no option but to try to
sandwich yourself between clouds and
ground. In this day of GPS that can
pinpoint your position to a few feet,
you just might manage to make it to
an airport. Then again, you might not.
Oh, yes, the aftermath. I was posi-
tive I’d have some explaining to do to
the Danish authorities for what was, at
best, a very unusual approach. When
I climbed down from the airplane on
wobbly legs after searching for the
ramp in the fog and finally parking in
the wrong spot, I walked into the tower
office, and the operator’s only ques-
tion was, “Are you planning to go on
to Goose Bay this afternoon?”CO
New Engine
Baffles
Now You Can Stop
Patching the Patches
Cessna: 150, 152, 170A,
170B, 172 Early, 172I,
172K, 172L, 172M, 172N,
172P, 177 Fixed Gear, 180, 182, 185, 206,
207 & 210
Piper: PA18-150, Navajo/Chieftain PA31
Pending FA A-PMA Approval:
Piper: Cherokee 140 & PA-28-235
Cessna: R172XP, Turbo 206, 207 & 210, 337
Note: 180HP baff le kits are available for
the PA18 and the Cessna 172's
Airforms, Inc. (formerly Airframes, Inc.)
Ph# 907-892-8244
w w w.enginebaff les.com
Please call for any aircraft not listed.
AVIATOR NS
E PLA
SE VIC LE AS
R
AS LITT
$ 1/HR*
TWO-WAY SOS
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
inReach™ pairs with iPhone,® iPad,® iPod touch® and Android™ devices for
CONNECTED two-way satellite messaging via the Iridium® network for truly global coverage.
iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. *Based on average flight hours. Contact DeLorme for plan details.