Comments for MzeroA.com

Comment on The Effects of Density Altitude by Nav Sperry

Nav Sperry — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:19:00 +0000

Great Explanation, but please explain some of my queries :-

Aircraft perform well during winters because air is more dense which leads to better performance.My question is when the altitude increases the Pressure,Density and temperature Decreases Right ?

1) Now when temperature Decrease which is like in winters (decrease temperature) aircraft should perform well because due to fact decrease in temperature air get more dense.

2) If at high altitude due to decrease in density the performance of aircraft is low then why do airlines fly at high altitude ?

Sorry if i am asking anything stupid .. i’m just 16

Comment on IFR Lost Comm Procedures by Brian

Brian — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:42:00 +0000

Fair enough, and thank you!

Comment on Class E Airspace – Where The Heck Does It Start!? by Skyranger2

Skyranger2 — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:59:00 +0000

Thanks, You made what was confusing (and I’m by training a physicist) simple.

By the way, as a ex-physics major I find the aviation terminology which is essentially about about air density, totally confusing: For example saying the “density altitude” is increasing in a scenario where the density of the air is clearly going down drove me crazy during my early student pilot studies (I’m still a student pilot but further along and starting to adapt to this insane (to me) terminology). Maybe that only bugs folks with previous science under standing about gas pressure, volume, density, temperature relationships. Curious whether it drives others nuts too?

Comment on IFR Lost Comm Procedures by Dtuuri

Dtuuri — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:14:00 +0000

The odds are slim of losing comm in the first place, and the odds of having to miss an approach are small as well. I doubt both things are going to happen at the same time. Maybe the FAA thought so too, so settled for not providing for that scenario in the rules.

My feeling is that you are only required to carry enough fuel, by regulation, to reach an area where the weather forecast supports a reasonable chance of being able to land. Forecasting is not an exact science and the area where weather is more favorable may be predictable in size, the geographic center of it could be missed by a couple hundred miles. Considering that, if you were authoring a missed approach/lost comm rule, would you declare that the pilot MUST proceed to the filed alternate? I doubt it. You’d let the poor soul use good judgment and 91.3(a) to safely get down, right? That’s just what I think they did.

Dave Tuuri

Comment on Lessons Learned: Carb Ice by Mark C

Mark C — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:40:00 +0000

Wow, the engine quit, close to the ground, in IMC. I bet you never forget carb heat after that. I had an interesting carb ice experience on Dec. 2. I wish I had noted the weather in my log, but I didn’t, I think it was around zero with a dewpoint of -1 or so. I taxied out and did my runup, then had to hold for a minute for landing traffic. I kept the RPM’s up while holding to keep from fouling the plugs on the C152. The traffic landed, I was cleared for takeoff and did a simulated soft field takeoff as I had planned. I hit my airspeed in ground effect, pitched for climb, and retracted the flaps, and the plane started sinking back to the runway. I put the nose down to level flight about 200′ above the runway and realized the engine sounded wrong and wasn’t making good power. I didn’t have enough runway left to even come close to landing, and as I ran the options through my head (ditch into the half-frozen river) I thought about the weather and what was happening and pulled the carb heat on. The engine stumbled for about 2 seconds, then started making good power and I was able to climb into the pattern and continue my touch and goes for the next hour. I didn’t have a problem the rest of the day, but I was pretty careful about putting on carb heat.

Comment on IFR Lost Comm Procedures by Brian

Brian — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:06:00 +0000

Thank you, Dave. Truly. Very comprehensive. I’m very grateful to you. I don’t mean to overstay my welcome here, or trespass on your hospitality, but may I trouble you with one more IFR lost comm question? It is as follows: (Let’s call it question #3) Let us say minimums are too low at our destination airport, and we’re forced fly to our filed Alternate. MY QUESTION: What route do we fly? Altitude I would expect is MEA until established on the published approach procedure at the IAF. But… again: What route to get to the IAF?

Again… thank you for your patience and guidance.

Comment on The Icon A5 by Juuventude

Juuventude — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:16:00 +0000

well, is right about the price of a brand-new BMW here in brazil

Comment on Lessons Learned: Carb Ice by Andy

Andy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Great story and glad it turned out OK. Thanks for sharing.

Comment on 512R’s Annual Inspection by Joshua Moore98

Joshua Moore98 — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:36:00 +0000

suck a dick the question is why do airplanes have inspections cross dressing mother fuckers

Comment on Flying Solo, what to expect on your first solo flight by Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:52:00 +0000

Hello Alonso, thanks for the advice, I’ll keep that in mind. So do you have to learn or go through all the classes again even though you’re technically a qualified private pilot?

Comment on Flying Solo, what to expect on your first solo flight by Alonso

Alonso — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:49:00 +0000

Confidence is key on the solo flight, specially the first one.

I am doing my second flight training after 11 years of no flying. Back in August 2000 I finished my first training and got mi PPL but right then I had to move to metropolitan area. Work, family, distance… it was impossible for me to excercise my PPL. I recall the morning I first soloed, I was expecting to happen on that day, I felt confident of my ability to do it and it was no surprise when my instructor leave me inside the C172XP to perform the required circuits. It went smooth and joyful!

My second solo is not too far in the horizon…

Comment on VFR Flight Following Handoffs by Marc

Marc — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:54:00 +0000

Most FBOs (read insurance companies) will REQUIRE a FP. However, a VFR FP is like kissing your sister. It never gets to a controller. (Most CFIs don’t know this). The FSS keeps it in a drawer in case you come up missing. That’s why, if your really go down, you ARE going to spend the night on the ground (unless you crash very close to civilization). It’s much more practical, and useful to ask for flight following. An IFR FP is handled differently, and in fact goes to the controllers. However, they NEVER see your filed alternate. Again, that’s like kissing your sister. It’s just there to make you go through the fuel planning exercise and to give you an initial choose when things start to go sour.

Comment on VFR Flight Following Handoffs by Randy

Randy — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:40:00 +0000

Jason, Do you recommend Flight Following and a Flight Plan on x country ? If only one, which do you prefer?

Comment on Crosswind Landing by DOVE OPS

DOVE OPS — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:20:00 +0000

I LOVE YOU JASON

DISP/AHMED

Comment on A Solo to Remember by Sarpergungor89

Sarpergungor89 — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:12:00 +0000

In my first solo, I took a evaluation ” Dangerous” by landing the middle of the runway )

Comment on Class D Airspace Radio Communications by Michaeljob

Michaeljob — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:23:00 +0000

outstanding learning tool

Comment on Crosswind Landings by Alex

Alex — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:35:00 +0000

Thank you, Jason!
But for me, as a student with no excellent English very important, that you speak fair and clear. And another option – text. In other side – difficult to understanding during the flight.
For animation – better to add view from the front – to see evolution with right and left weels.

Comment on What Would You Do? – Blown Tire on Landing by Supercar55

Supercar55 — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:54:00 +0000

First, on approach, I would fly around to use up some fuel so there is less chance of a deadly explosion when the plane touches down. Then obviously I would lower the landing gear and prepare to land and then lower the plane gently down onto the runway. That’s if the tyre(s) had blown out before the landing. Anyway I would use the rudder to keep control and let the aircraft coast to a halt. I do this on X-Plane 9 and it works.

Comment on Private Pilot Quiz by Isaiah

Isaiah — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:58:00 +0000

Got a 9/10 not too hard but nice to see a quiz like this

Comment on IFR Lost Comm Procedures by Dtuuri

Dtuuri — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:39:00 +0000

In question #1, if 6000′ is the assigned altitude, then you are correct. The altitude rule pertains to the route segment currently flown and ‘route segments’, i.e., 91.185(c)(2), end at the IAF where the ‘approach procedure’ takes over.

In question #2, you only wait for an ETA in the event you have been given a hold, but ATC has not yet given you an EFC. Routinely waiting until an ETA went away back in the 1980s, but some instructors, well most, didn’t notice the change. The old rule was based on a concept called EAC–”Expect Approach Clearance”. They did away with it by amendment to Part 91 (used to be 91.127, now 91.185). Confusion set in because they simultaneouly changed the title of paragraph (c)(3) from “Leave holding fix” to “Leave clearance limit”, so now everybody thinks you’re supposed to fly over the airport and leave there, since ATC loosely refers to the destination airport as a clearance limit.

But last year I got the chief counsel, after a struggle, to admit they intended no such thing as adding a holding pattern over the airport, therefore there’s no holding unless, like in the original rule, you are told to hold. Remember, your initial clearance is almost always to the destination airport, not a holding pattern. Here’s a link that goes back to the original rule, which was not proposed to be changed by AOPA’s petition to simplify the rest of Part 91. In the course of simplification, though, the FAA dropped EAC and changed ‘holding fix’ to ‘clearance limit’ . They didn’t want aircraft milling around, clogging up traffic and running low on gas in a modern radar environment.
http://www.avclicks.com/lost_comm/Lost_comm2/index.html

Dave Tuuri

Comment on IFR Lost Comm Procedures by Brian

Brian — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:47:00 +0000

Question 1) We maintain our last (highest) of the MEA/Expect/Assigned altitudes (in this case 6,000) and keep returning to it even if we had to climb to a higher MEA, we would return to that 6,000 feet even when a published MEA is lower BECASE it was the last assigned altitude. right? Question 2) Do we hold at the same 6000 at the IAF waiting for our filed ETA, but when do we start our decent? While still IN the hold, or as soon as we leave it? Thank you for your help. These are the things that drive me nuts when I don’t have answers to them.

Comment on 31 Day Safer Pilot Challenge by Aussiedanny

Aussiedanny — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:22:00 +0000

Here in Australia some places have large temperature changes. Alice Springs can be below freezing at night and 55 degrees C in the shade at the hottest part of the day. So imagine what that does to the air inside fuel tanks with dewpoint and moiture contents changing so much it is very usual to find water in the fuel even when the air is dry and it hasnt rained for weeks. From a student pilot in Australia. Love your clips and the safer pilot challenge. fantastic idea

Comment on Gusty Landings by IanT

IanT — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:59:00 +0000

Hi Jason, if you experience a airspeed loss on finals in gusty conditions, is it better to lower the nose to get that speed back or add power?

Comment on Crosswind Landing by Sjlaskey

Sjlaskey — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:38:00 +0000

Im not really with you on the partial flaps on landing. My point of view is using full flaps on x-wind landings and, if strong, retracting them after touch down while holding the control into the wind. The full flaps will allow you to plant the airplane on the runway sooner and you will be less prone to be tossed around in a gust of wind while close to the runway at a slow airspeed and reduced control effectiveness. That is my 2 cent. Dont get me wrong im not saying that you are incorrect, just another view. Happy flying!

Comment on One Aviation Regulation You MUST Know! by Reya Kempley

Reya Kempley — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:20:00 +0000

Great explanation of a very vague rule! It’s nice to see an actual list of things to check. Being prepared is so important, I’ve always felt like being obsessive here isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A few years back I was flying into South Lake Tahoe where they were repaving the runway and it was closed. The NOTAM said to land on the adjacent taxiway. From a pretty good distance away you could see trucks and things on the runway forming X’s. There was another pilot landing #1 in front of me, in a nice plane (so I assumed he was fairly experienced). He came on the radio on short final and said, “what’s all that stuff on the runway?” In return, the airport guy came on the radio and shouted “Runway closed! Runway closed!” I just couldn’t believe this guy didn’t do even the most basic of preparation for his flight! Short final is not the time to be discovering these things.