Commercial Single Engine Add On Tips?

Pachong

Pachong

Well-Known Member
Not exactly looking for free dual, but if someone wants to put me through a c172 systems gauntlet. Feel free. I'm stuck in jury duty allll day. :)
 
Pachong said:
Not exactly looking for free dual, but if someone wants to put me through a c172 systems gauntlet. Feel free. I'm stuck in jury duty allll day. :)
Click to expand...

Here's some from my recent oral and oral prep.

Draw the fuel system.
Look at a cockpit poster and point at each instrument required for flight.
How would you know if your static system were iced up
How does the vacuum system work.
Draw the electrical system.
How would you know if your alternator failed, what would you do to fix it, what would you do if you couldn't fix it.
How would you know if the alternator was producing excessive voltage.
What type of flaps are on the 172, what are the operating limitations associated with flaps.
What is the inflation pressure of the main gear, nose tire, and nose strut.
What engine is in this 172.
What is the oil capacity and minimum oil quantity
What is the normal and minimum oil pressure range.
What would low oil pressure and normal oil temperature tell you.
What could cause detonation in this airplane.
When and how would you adjust the mixture.

All I can think of right now...
 
You're the best!

Let's see...

Draw the fuel system
I'll do it at home....but, 2 wing tanks which hold 43 gallons total, 40 useable. Two tanks are connected by a common hose. The fuel caps are located on top. The fuel sumps are located on the inboard under side of the wings. the fuel is gravity fed from the tanks to the carb. down to the mixture control and throttle. Beside the carb is the strainer i believe. Down from the throttle is the fuel selector. I should really look this one up....pretty rusty.

Look at a cockpit poster and point at each instrument required for flight.
Tachometer
Oil Pressure Gauge
Manifold Pressure Gauge if equipped
Altimeter
Turn Coordinator
Oil Temperature Gauge

Fuel Gauge
Flotation Device (for commercial flights beyond power off gliding distance over water)
Landing Gear Indicating Lights
Airspeed Indicator
Magnetic Compass
ELT
Seat belts

How would you know if your static system were iced up?
Airspeed Indicator turns into an altimeter. If you climb airspeed shows lower than normal cruise vice versa for a lower alt. cruise speed.

How does the vacuum system work.
Engine driven vacuum pump sucks air from behind the instrument panel and directs the air over vanes on the outer rims of the gyros (looks like a water wheel). This propels the gyros for the heading indicator and the attitude indicator. The system can be monitored by checking that the vacuum gauge is the green.

Draw the electrical system.
I'll do it at home, but basically there are two buses the primary bus is for lights and navigation and the avionics bus is for the radios and transponder/dme.

How would you know if your alternator failed, what would you do to fix it, what would you do if you couldn't fix it.
The ammeter would show a discharge (needle deflection to the left) meaning that the alternator is not charging the battery anymore. To fix it you could recycle the master battery and alternator switches. If still showing a discharge turn off (pull circuits) all nonessential electrical equipment and terminate flight as soon as practical. Battery power is often accessible for 30 mins. after an alternator failure.


How would you know if the alternator was producing excessive voltage.
Needle deflection to the right on the ammeter. Means the battery is getting to much voltage. Could be a faulty voltage regulator.

What type of flaps are on the 172, what are the operating limitations associated with flaps.
Plain flaps. Vso 39 KIAS. Vfe 85 KIAS. Slips not to be performed with flaps extended. Flaps are 10,20,30 & 40 degrees.

What is the inflation pressure of the main gear, nose tire, and nose strut.
You got me!

What engine is in this 172.
Avco Lycoming O-320
horizontally opposed, air-cooled, carbureated, normally aspirated, direct drive 160 brake horsepower at 2700 RPM

What is the oil capacity and minimum oil quantity
7 quarts max. 4 min.

What is the normal and minimum oil pressure range.
I'd have to look that up. Good one. In the green??? haha

What would low oil pressure and normal oil temperature tell you.
Possible leak in the hydraulic line to the instrument. Probably still make a precautionary landing.

What could cause detonation in this airplane.
Lower grade fuel, excessive engine temp. from an extended climb at high OATs.

When and how would you adjust the mixture.
During run up on old pieces of crap to prevent spark plug fouling. On more capable planes at 300 feet by pulling out the mixture knob until a drop in rpm is achieved, then three screws inward.

Thanks for the questions. Made this last hour go by really quick!
 
Pachong said:
Draw the fuel system
I'll do it at home....but, 2 wing tanks which hold 43 gallons total, 40 useable. Two tanks are connected by a common hose. The fuel caps are located on top. The fuel sumps are located on the inboard under side of the wings. the fuel is gravity fed from the tanks to the carb. down to the mixture control and throttle. Beside the carb is the strainer i believe. Down from the throttle is the fuel selector. I should really look this one up....pretty rusty.
Click to expand...

Know where and how the venting works, what would happen if the main vent were plugged. Know how the fuel selector plumbing works from each tank to the rest of the system. Why would you switch to a specific tank, and when and why is it not a good idea.

Pachong said:
Look at a cockpit poster and point at each instrument required for flight.
Tachometer
Oil Pressure Gauge
Manifold Pressure Gauge if equipped
Altimeter
Turn Coordinator
Oil Temperature Gauge
Fuel Gauge
Flotation Device (for commercial flights beyond power off gliding distance over water)
Landing Gear Indicating Lights
Airspeed Indicator
Magnetic Compass
ELT
Seat belts
Click to expand...

Sure about that list?

Pachong said:
How would you know if your static system were iced up?
Airspeed Indicator turns into an altimeter. If you climb airspeed shows lower than normal cruise vice versa for a lower alt. cruise speed.
Click to expand...

There's more, what else?

Pachong said:

What type of flaps are on the 172, what are the operating limitations associated with flaps.
Plain flaps. Vso 39 KIAS. Vfe 85 KIAS. Slips not to be performed with flaps extended. Flaps are 10,20,30 & 40 degrees.
Click to expand...

POH says they are slotted flaps... many would argue they are semi-fowler, but go with what the POH says.
 
Know where and how the venting works, what would happen if the main vent were plugged. Know how the fuel selector plumbing works from each tank to the rest of the system. Why would you switch to a specific tank, and when and why is it not a good idea.
The venting is on the underside of the left wing, close to the pitot tube which allows air to enter in order to avoid the vacuum effect that would occur once fuel is sucked out of the tank. The vent allows air to fill in that space. If the vent were plugged fuel starvation could occur. I know for landing, the checklists always say fuel selector both. I think that's to ensure that you don't run a tank dry in a critical phase of flight.

For a C172 I always keep the fuel selector on both. The POH says to refuel with it switched to one side for proper filling. I think the idea of cruising with it selected on one side is so you can gauge what kind of gph you're burning. Never done it though.

Sure about that list?
Well, 2 way radio communications for the specific flight and a transponder. Is that what you're getting at?

There's more, what else?
I'd honestly have to look this one up,which I will do. I do know that that VSI and altimeter would obviously be affected as well. I just don't remember in what way.

POH says they are slotted flaps... many would argue they are semi-fowler, but go with what the POH says.
Yep, you're right.
 
Pachong said:
The venting is on the underside of the left wing, close to the pitot tube which allows air to enter in order to avoid the vacuum effect that would occur once fuel is sucked out of the tank. The vent allows air to fill in that space. If the vent were plugged fuel starvation could occur.
Click to expand...

In addition to the main vent under the left wing, the fuel cap on the right wing is also vented and should open if pressure in the tank drops due to a blocked main vent. There is a vent line running between both tanks so that either vent should affect both tanks, but fuel can slosh in there and mess with venting some. High wing Cessna fuel systems are notoriously sucky and will often not feed reliably from both tanks. This can result in an unbalanced system. I've got a really good PDF that covers the different variations of systems from the 150's through the 210's and talks about their various problems if it's of interest, just PM me. Anyway, you can select a fuller tank in cruise flight to burn down that tank to restore some balance. Because the tanks are gravity fed, it's possible in maneuvering (especially in a slip) for fuel to be pulled away from one of the drains... if you had a single tank selected you could see fuel starvation even though both tanks have fuel in them... that's why takeoff and landing checklists have the selector in the both position.

You switch to a single tank during ramp storage and refueling to prevent a situation where you'd fill one tank and by the time you get over to fuel the other tank gravity has moved some of the fuel from the first tank already over to the second tank, leaving that first tank partially empty. Same thing can happen if the airplane is sitting on a ramp with a slight angle.

Pachong said:
Sure about that list?
Well, 2 way radio communications for the specific flight and a transponder. Is that what you're getting at?
Click to expand...
Nope, it wasn't a trick question. While the examiner could put up a scenario about minimum equipment in specific airspace, my question is assuming basic day vfr in uncontrolled airspace. One of your TOMATOFLAMES acronym items is wrong. Not trying to be a punk, but review 91.205.
 
This is really great, you got me thinking outside of the POH. I appreciate the help. You know a hell of a lot about cessnas. Congrats again on your CFI, I hope to be as knowledgeable as you are when I get to that point! Turn coordinator should've been temperature gauge for liquid cooled engines. It's been too long! haha You're not being a punk at all. I'd rather get it wrong now, than later.
 
Pachong said:
Congrats again on your CFI
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Thanks but I'm not there yet, I'm still waiting to do my Com flight. It was going to be tonight, but DPE needed to move it to tomorrow night. Nothing like drawing pre-checkride anxiety out over 6 days :concern:
 
Oh you're right. I just remember your earlier post saying that the DPE liked how you were explaining things and that you'd make a great CFI. I jumped to conclusions. So what are you using for your complex?
 
Pachong said:
Oh you're right. I just remember your earlier post saying that the DPE liked how you were explaining things and that you'd make a great CFI. I jumped to conclusions. So what are you using for your complex?
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I'm doing my ride in the 172RG "Gutless". I did my original high performance and complex training in the Arrow but quit flying for about 14 years shortly after that.
 
Oh okay. Well that makes things simple then. Those are hard to find around here, the 172RGs that is. How are your power off 180s?
 
Power off 180's usually work out OK but I naturally want to keep things tight and then dump and drop, so I have to consciously extend my pattern. More than once my instructor has pointed at the "Avoid Slips with Flaps" placard as a not-so-subtle critique of my approach.

That usually makes me want to get into a semantic argument about the meaning of "avoid"... but I dont think that'd go over so well :laff:
 
Pachong said:
I think the idea of cruising with it selected on one side is so you can gauge what kind of gph you're burning. Never done it though.
POH says they are slotted flaps... many would argue they are semi-fowler, but go with what the POH says.
Yep, you're right.
Click to expand...

I have only ever flown in flight it it out of both when I was getting a much faster fuel burn out of one tank then the other causing me to hold a tad of aileron to keep it flying straight, due to the weight difference.

C-172 has Slotted flaps. I use to be in the group of the simi-fowler, but I had my commercial CFI say next time you pre-filght look at where the flaps are before you put them down and then after you put them down. On the 172 they dont add anymore to the planform of the wing which is what a fowler flap does.

ditto to what Nick said about the flaps

I addition to what rframe has already given you, I would suggest to go over.
Oil System
How the Engine works (ie the 4 cycles)
How the alternator control unit works
How the Main gear works
Pitot static system
All the performance data
and just to be safe the privileges and limitation of a commercial pilot
 
Der_Meister said:
I have only ever flown in flight it it out of both when I was getting a much faster fuel burn out of one tank then the other causing me to hold a tad of aileron to keep it flying straight, due to the weight difference.

C-172 has Slotted flaps. I use to be in the group of the simi-fowler, but I had my commercial CFI say next time you pre-filght look at where the flaps are before you put them down and then after you put them down. On the 172 they dont add anymore to the planform of the wing which is what a fowler flap does.

ditto to what Nick said about the flaps

I addition to what rframe has already given you, I would suggest to go over.
Oil System
How the Engine works (ie the 4 cycles)
How the alternator control unit works
How the Main gear works
Pitot static system
All the performance data
and just to be safe the privileges and limitation of a commercial pilot
Click to expand...

Will do! Thanks buddy.
 
rframe said:
Power off 180's usually work out OK but I naturally want to keep things tight and then dump and drop, so I have to consciously extend my pattern. More than once my instructor has pointed at the "Avoid Slips with Flaps" placard as a not-so-subtle critique of my approach.

That usually makes me want to get into a semantic argument about the meaning of "avoid"... but I dont think that'd go over so well :laff:
Click to expand...
If you're working on your CFI, this is exactly the kind of "argument" you will have to explain and deal with in your job. Have your instructor "explain and deal with it" with you. There is much to be learned about "applied" aerodynamics, and also the differences in same make/model, and the damage that 'rote' habits and verbal information can do.
 
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