Aero-Tips!

A good pilot is always learning -- how many times have you heard this old standard throughout your flying career? There is no truer statement in all of flying (well, with the possible exception of "there are no old, bold pilots.") It's part of what makes aviation so exciting for all of us... just when you think you've seen it all, along comes a scenario you've never imagined.

Aero-News has called upon the expertise of Thomas P. Turner, master CFI and all-around-good-guy, to bring our readers -- and us -- daily tips to improve our skills as aviators, and as representatives of the flying community. Some of them, you may have heard before... but for each of us, there will also be something we might never have considered before, or something that didn't "stick" the way it should have the first time we memorized it for the practical test.

It is our unabashed goal that "Aero-Tips" will help our readers become better, safer pilots -- as well as introducing our ground-bound readers to the concepts and principles that keep those strange aluminum-and-composite contraptions in the air... and allow them to soar magnificently through it.

Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you through the Aero-News Network. Suggestions for future Aero-Tips are always welcome, as are additions or discussion of each day's tips. Remember... when it comes to being good pilots, we're all in this together.

Aero-Tips 02.13.06

Electricity has a language of its own. To understand more about what's going on with your airplane's electrical system, let's simplify the operation of an airplane's electrical system by comparing it to something we might better visualize -- the motion of water.

Please note: This visualization is not technically correct—but it does a superb job of helping pilots comprehend what's going on with the electrical system to accurately monitor it and troubleshoot problems. Engineers, mechanics and purists, please forgive this teaching tool.

• Direct Current A "DC" system is one where the electricity flows in the same direction all the time. Think of DC power as water flowing through a pipe.
• Battery The battery is like a water tank. If the tank is full there is potential to operating the DC system. If the "water tank" is empty the electrical system can't be started; if the "tank" is less than full turning on the electrical system could completely drain the battery.
• Master Switch Think of the battery Master Switch as a spigot on the battery "water tank." Use the master switch to turn on and off the DC electrical system.
• Electrical Buss A buss is like a water pipe containing several individual spigots. Turn on the master switch and power is available to the buss. An airplane may have more than one distribution buss. Turn on individual "spigots," or switches on a buss, and equipment gets power to run.
• Ground Electricity will flow from its source through any direct connection to the ground. In our illustration, battery "water" flows through busses through any open equipment "spigot" to puddle on the ground. In the case of an airplane, "ground" is the airframe itself (or a wire mesh in composite aircraft).

Aero-tip of the day: It may be helpful to visualize electricity as the flow of water to better understand its function. We'll continue this discussion in tomorrow's Aero-Tips.

FMI: Aero-Tips