Saturday, December 8, 2007
Troller
Racing Legend - Bentley Speed 8
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
MAZDASPEED 6 - Test Drive
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Winding Down
We are now in our last week of school here at Purdue University until finals start on Monday. The semester is almost at an end and students are anxiously awaiting a well deserved break. My first semester of flying at the university went extremely well and it has been a great learning experience so far. I have also enjoyed discussing flying with other pilots by posting regularly on this blog.
Last Saturday I went through the final portion of my flying course, also known as a phase-check, and successfully earned an A in Commercial Flight I at Purdue. Completing the course was the most difficult part of the subject because it required that I had 49 hours of flight time logged before I completed the 1 hour phase-check. I was determined to get through the course before the last week of school so that I could mainly use that time to study for my other finals.
The weather on Saturday was becoming unfavorable towards the afternoon with a cell of freezing rain approaching from the west. I examined the weather and determined that it would be safe to proceed if we went west and flew until the weather started to hit. I was extremely grateful that everything went successfully and the examiner got the test done within the hour. It was only about 30 minutes after we landed that the freezing rain began to come down. Now I am ready to begin my second semester of Commercial Flight and am anxiously awaiting the day when I receive my Instrument and Commercial Certificates.
R.I.P. Meigs Field
Every pilot eventually discovers their favorite airport throughout their career for a variety of reasons. Some pilots favor small airports with little traffic, while others enjoy flying into busy airports close to large cities. Sadly, the airport I always dreamed of flying into was closed only months before I began flight lessons. Meigs Field in Chicago became known to me when I played Microsoft Flight Simulator as an early teenager because the airport was the default starting point of the game. I then realized the airport had such an ideal location right on the lakefront of the city. However, I definitely wasn’t the only one favoring this location, because the controversy supporting Meigs eventually made national headlines.
Meigs Field was located on Northerly Island and pilots flying into the airport would get closer to downtown than anyone nearby ever could. It was a spectacular sight for pilots and passengers to see and by 1955 it was the busiest single strip airport in the world. Airline service eventually came to Meigs and the close up view of the city made it a very popular location for the wealthy to travel in and out of Chicago. However, after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States government became very concerned on the proximity of Meigs Field to the heavily populated city. The airport took over a month to reopen after the terrorist attacks and that is when Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daily began to push for the airport being permanently shut down.
Tens of thousands of supporters for Meigs Field, prominently lead by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), petitioned the government to save the airport. In 2001, a deal was made between state and local governments to keep Meigs Field running for 25 more years, but unfortunately it did not pass the United States Senate. Meigs made headlines on March 30, 2003, when Mayor Daily secretly demolished the runway during the middle of the night. The FAA immediately sought legal action against the city, for not notifying the agency of the closing and leaving airplanes stranded at the field.
There were no NOTAMs issued for Meigs being closed until hours after Daily carved X’s along the entire runway and chained the remaining portions of pavement. One airplane had to immediately go around after seeing that there was no runway to land and the stranded airplanes had to takeoff from the 3000 ft taxiway. This act caused an outrage among the general aviation community and compromised homeland security because no controlling agency knew the airport was inoperable. Ever since this day, AOPA and other supports of aviation continue to do everything in their power to protect general aviation airports and prevent another incident like Meigs from ever occurring again.
Tips and Tricks on Winter Flying
Now that temperatures around northern Indiana are beginning to sink into the 30’s and even 20’s it is evident that winter is fast approaching. The changes in seasons also bring about different flying conditions for pilots both good and bad. Everyone is mainly happy that they no longer have to clean bugs off the windshield but that is beside the point. Some pilots consider winter to be the best flying time of the year, while others dread the notion of flying in the frigid and sometimes dangerous terrain.
While it can be unpleasant pre-flighting the aircraft with arctic winds blowing snow into your face, once the engine is warmed up and the cabin heat is pumping in warm air, flying the aircraft can be a very pleasant experience. Cooler temperatures make the air less dense and therefore generate better performance from the engine. This produces greater horsepower and faster cooling of the engine. The wings also develop more lift and combined with the good engine performance will give you an exceptional climb rate. Cruising in flight is also more enjoyable due to the fact that there is generally less turbulence than the summer, even with higher winds. Clear air turbulence is the main exception to this, but without the strong thermals and temperature inversions it makes for a much smoother flight.
Every pilot has one main concern during the winter and that is starting the airplane with a cold engine. Storing the plane in a heated hangar usually prevents too many issues unless it is left outside too long after pre-flight. A space heater can also come in handy to warm up a cold engine before attempting to start it and also melts any moisture that may be present in the engine. The wings and tail of the airplane also need to be checked thoroughly for ice and frost because it can disrupt airflow and cause the airplane to stall almost immediately after takeoff. Once airborne, pilots need to be watchful centrally around the engine temperature. The mixture should be leaned enough to peak exhaust gas temperature, and in a normally aspirated engine, carburetor heat should be applied in any sign of engine roughness.
After a successful flight it is always a good idea to fill the fuel tanks up to full to prevent any moisture from getting into the tanks and freezing. If certain steps are taken during the winter, flying will be worth the extra work and in certain areas the scenery can be breathtaking.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Winter Is Here.
The first and most important thing to remember now that the temperatures have dropped is putting on that winterization plate. This plate sits on the back of your oil cooler and reduces the airflow over the cooler keeping the oil a little warmer as it runs through the engine allowing it to remain a little more viscous.
And while we're on the subject, now is a good time for an oil change, not only because it's routine, but because most people change the grade of oil to a more viscous oil in the winter.
Another thing to remember is that many hangars are equipped with engine heaters which you actually plug in to your engine to keep it warm for easier and faster turnover during startup. Just remember to unplug it before your flight.
The final thing I have as a suggestion is a reminder that when you prime the engine hold the button in for two seconds to be sure not to flood the engine and risk an engine fire. It is also a good idea to refresh your memory on the engine fire during startup emergency check list.
I hope this was helpful to you.