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.")
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. 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.
Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you
through the Aero-News Network.
Aero-Tips 12.22.06
What's the total capacity of each tank in my airplane's fuel
system? Is the fuel flow gauge electrical, or does it sense
pressure through a fuel line that comes into the panel? What
conditions cause the landing gear warning horn to sound? How can I
maximize cabin heater output?
These are all questions that can be answered by looking at the
Systems Description section of the Pilots Operating Handbook.
GAMA format
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association
(GAMA) prescribes a standardized format for Pilots
Operating Handbooks (POHs), and almost all aircraft manufacturers
adhere to this standard. In the GAMA format Section 7 of the POH is
the Systems Description. Look through this section's table of
contents and you'll find virtually all the airplane's systems
listed; turn to any one portion of the Systems Description and
you'll discover a textural description of the associated system or
component.
EXAMPLE: LANDING GEAR CONTROL SWITCH (Beech
Bonanza F33A/F33C POH for serial number CE-674 and after and CJ-129
and after):
The landing gear is controlled by a two-position switch on
the right side of the subpanel. The switch handle must be pulled
out of the safety detent before it can be moved to the opposite
position. On serial number CE-1301, CE-1307 and after, and CJ-180
and after, the landing gear will not retract unless the throttle is
in a position corresponding to approximately 17 inches of manifold
pressure or above.
Want to know the little details that make your airplane unique?
Need to know how things work as part of your transition to a new
airplane? Want to teach the type-specific intricacies of an
aircraft that might make the difference for a pilot in an
emergency? Study Section 7, Systems Description, of the POH.
Aero-tip of the day: Regularly review the POH
for each airplane you fly.