Commercial Maneuvers and Overriding Gear

J

jkca22

Well-Known Member
I'm working on the commercial maneuvers in a Piper PA-28R-200 Arrow. Apparently lot of the maneuvers are supposed to be performed with the gear up, however the airplane has the back-up gear automatic extension thing that will extend the gear automatically if certain manifold pressure/flap setting/speed conditions occur.

So in alot of the maneuvers the gear will extend itself during the maneuver. Should I just start the maneuver with the gear down or should I use the override to keep it up? I don't like the idea of using the override unnecessarily.
 
I always used the override during commercial maneuvers... what does your CFI suggest? And why don't you like the idea of using the override "unnecessarily." When would it be necessary, then?
 
I thought there was an AD that mandated permanently disabling the automatic gear extension on all those early Arrows?

Was I lied to?
 
As far as I know you do not have to disable the gear extension system but it is an option. I have had the displeasure of flying one without it and commercial maneuvers are a flippin pain.
 
We have one with the auto-extend and one that has had it permanently disabled. The one that has a working one is nine times out of ten operated with it in over-ride.
 
I'm flying an Arrow with that system and it's permanently disabled. But yeah, fly the maneuvers in override.
 
Mike H said:
I thought there was an AD that mandated permanently disabling the automatic gear extension on all those early Arrows?

Was I lied to?
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I believe there was an AD or Service Bulletin that did that, which was followed by a reversing AD or SB, which made it allowable to have it reactivated. Or something along those lines.
 
Hey, P.S. anybody heard the rumor that pretty soon the commercial checkride won't have to be flown in a complex aircraft? do you buy it?
 
I think it will eventually come to that. How soon, I don't know, but the fact that very few of the new complex singles being manufactured are also cost effective trainers is going to be a factor.

30 year old & older Cessna RG's aren't going to last forever and Cessna isn't even making any single retracts anymore. Piper is ony making a few Arrows anymore, and how many people are going to sink a half million bucks into a brand new Mooney (let alone a Bonanza) to make it a trainer?

Don't we all wish it were otherwise?
 
I flew an arrow like that too one time. Kind of annoying, but I guess it helps with the possibility of gear up landings. We always did the override.

If you don;t have it set and the examiner pulls your engine, be sure to set it up right away, otherwise that airplane becomes a flying brick!
 
Ok I'll use the override to keep the gear up. My instructor wasn't sure because he'd never flown one with an override like that.
 
jkca22 said:
Ok I'll use the override to keep the gear up. My instructor wasn't sure because he'd never flown one with an override like that.
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Good choice. :beer:

Just remember to put them down. I know one local gear-up that resulted after maneuvers.
I suggest putting the up-lock in your before landing flow.
 
Did my commercial in that airplane, same setup...just had it on override all of the time.

Just don't forget the final check, prop forward, 3 green :)
 
Yeah thats why I was a little hesitant to override the gear down system anyway, if it wasn't really necessary. I can just see the NTSB report now that will note how the airplane appeared to have landed with the gear lever in the up position and the automatic gear extension was locked out.

But I'll just triple check gear down prior to landing. In hindsight, maybe it would have been a good idea to start the habit of checking that the gear was down even when I was flying a 172 fixed gear.
 
It would totally restore my faith in bureaucrats if they'd eliminate the training requirement for complex airplanes, but keep the requirement that the checkride be done in a complex airplane.

That would be... excellent
 
jkca22 said:
Yeah thats why I was a little hesitant to override the gear down system anyway, if it wasn't really necessary. I can just see the NTSB report now that will note how the airplane appeared to have landed with the gear lever in the up position and the automatic gear extension was locked out.

But I'll just triple check gear down prior to landing. In hindsight, maybe it would have been a good idea to start the habit of checking that the gear was down even when I was flying a 172 fixed gear.
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Most planes don't have a system like that, so putting the override on makes it like any other airplane. Just remember to do the 3 checks per pattern or approach and you will be fine. I think they built the arrow like that to help prevent gear up landings for people that fly them like they drive a car. I guess it is ok, but it makes real emergencies more dangerous in that the gear goes down if your engine fails and you forget about the override.
 
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