Flight Training - July 2011 - 13

SUCCESS STORY

Solo at 16!
He couldn't have done it without mom and dad
“FLYING SOLO WAS an amazing experience that I had waited for since the moment I knew I could solo when I turned 16. I have been flying with my father since before I could reach the rudder pedals. I’ve flown a Mooney M20J with one wing low so I could look out the window, and I landed our Cessna Corvalis for the first time at age 12. Now, I have progressed into a true trainer, a 1963

Cessna Skyhawk, and that ended up being the airplane I soloed. It was a truly exciting moment of my life, and when I looked over into the right seat, I thought He is not there anymore, do I know what to do? I would like to thank my father and mother, Walter and Hellen Driggers, for supporting my aviation passion.” Share your experience on Flight Training’s Facebook page.

Name: Rocky Driggers Age: 16 Event: First solo Airplane: Cessna 172 Place: Ocala, Florida (OCF)

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

Static port
YOUR AIRCRAFT’S AIRSPEED

BY MIKE COLLINS

Get a professional to clear those openings
indicator, altimeter, and vertical speed indicator get their reference static pressure from a small hole, or port, in the skin of the aircraft at a location where the airflow is not disturbed. Combined with impact air pressure— from air striking the airplane because of its forward motion—transmitted from the pitot tube, static pressure allows proper operation of the pitot-static system. Errors in the ASI, altimeter, or VSI normally indicate blockage of the pitot tube, static port(s), or both. The culprit usually is moisture, dirt, or insects. There may be a static port on only one side of the fuselage, or on both; sometimes the static port is part of a combined pitot-static

for it to be covered with a piece of tape while the airplane is being washed. tube. Be sure to check the Blocked or partially blocked static port during preflight, static or pitot openings especially if you’re the first should be cleared by a to fly an airplane after mainmechanic; blowing into the tenance—it’s not uncommon openings could damage the instruments. How do you know if the static port is blocked? If the altimeter and vertical speed indicator needles don’t move while you climb or descend, the port’s probably blocked. Your airspeed indicator also may not read correctly. To fix this problem, activate the alternate static air source, if the airplane is equipped with one. If not, in an emergency—say you’ve entered instrument meteorological conditions—break the glass on the VSI. That will restore basic functionality, although the instruments’ STATIC PORTS can be in a variety of locations, such as the combo pitot and static port (above center), which is located on the underside of the wing (above). readings won’t be exactly Avoid static port errors such as tape covering the hole (top). correct.

JULY 2011 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - July 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - July 2011
