Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 18

PREFLIGHT FLIGHT LESSON
BY CHRISTOPHER FREEZE
FUEL BURN AND BUFFALO BURGERS
COMPLACENT, OVER WATER, AND FEELING FUELISH
WHAT HAPPENED
Cruising at several thousand
feet to clear the coastal
mountains, we were just
north of New Cuyama Airport
(L88) when the airplane's
engine began to cough,
sputter, and lose power.
restart, although I was borderline-convinced
the new cylinder must have failed.
I worked across the instrument panel
from right to left. I activated the electric
fuel pump, checked the primer, cycled the
mixture and throttles, and then directed
my passenger to turn the key to the magnetos
off and back on. Nothing was working.
But as my eyes darted across the dash's
dials, I caught a glimpse of a pair of gauge
needles and sighed. " Hey, Mom, reach
down to your left and turn the fuel tank
switch, " I said, disappointed in myself.
" Sure, Chris... " she replied, as she
reached down to grab the plastic selector.
" Don't turn it to the rear! " I suddenly
BREAKING IN A NEW ENGINE OR CYLINDER IS ALWAYS AN
exciting time, especially as part of a school or club. Generally,
whoever owns the airplane wants to see the process over and
done sooner rather than later, and pilots willing to manage some
restrictions on operation can fly for just the price of fuel.
When I lived in Northern California, I instructed at a flying
club that had just such a deal with one of its Piper Archers. Recognizing
the need for long cross-country flights to break in the
new engine, I reviewed my airport bucket list and selected the
" Airport in the Sky " on Catalina Island, more than 300 nautical
miles south from my home field of Oakland.
While I had learned to fly in Pipers, most of my recent hours
had been in Cessna 172s, and, in my mind, the two models are virtually
interchangeable. So, with my mom as a passenger in the left
seat (I prefer the right), we departed amid a low, thin cloud layer.
Stopping in Oxnard for fuel before crossing Santa Monica
Bay, we landed at Catalina Airport (AVX), drove into Avalon, and
enjoyed the fabled buffalo burgers prior to heading back north.
Cruising at several thousand feet to clear the coastal mountains,
we were just north of New Cuyama Airport (L88) when
the airplane's engine began to cough, sputter, and lose power.
Instantly, I started to run the engine-out checklist. I pitched
the airplane's nose for best glide speed, trimmed away the yoke
pressure, and turned back toward New Cuyama. I had plenty of
altitude, so I ran the troubleshooting flow to attempt an engine
18
FLIGHT TRAINING SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
ONLINE RESOURCE
HIGH WING
OR LOW?
We're not going
to answer that
age-old debate,
but if you want to
know more about
a make and model
of aircraft, check
out AOPA's Aircraft
Guide. You'll find
specs, performance
parameters,
limitations, prices,
and links to additional
online resources
for more than 88
aircraft currently in
production.
aopa.org/
aircraftguide
remembered. " That turns it all off! "
She smiled. " I don't know, that could
be fun, " she said with a splash of sarcasm,
but she turned the selector to the other
tank. The engine fired back into a steady
cadence, and I swung the airplane back
north and stopped for fuel at the next airfield
along our route. It wasn't the first time
I had accidentally lost power in flight, but
it was undoubtedly the most preventable.
Fuel mismanagement is cited as the
cause of numerous aircraft accidents. It's
not just running out of gas but connecting
the fuel sources with the engine. Having
flown Cessnas with their Both setting for
the fuel tanks, I had grown somewhat
complacence that I could simply " set it and
forget it " as long as I was within my range.
In addition, given the delicate nature
of a cylinder break-in, I also pondered
how smart it was to traverse a 60-milewide
stretch of open water. In retrospect,
there were many more intelligent destinations
I could have selected.
Although it is doubtful any of those
places would have buffalo burgers!
TOP LEFT: SARAH HANSON; ABOVE: STEVE KARP
http://www.aopa.org/aircraftguide http://www.aopa.org/aircraftguide

Flight Training - September/October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - September/October 2021

Contents
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - Intro
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - Cover1
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - Cover2
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 1
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 2
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - Contents
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 4
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 5
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 6
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 7
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 8
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 9
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 10
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 11
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 12
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 13
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 14
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 15
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 16
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 17
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 18
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 19
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 20
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 21
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 22
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 23
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 24
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 25
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 26
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 27
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 28
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 29
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 30
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 31
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 32
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 33
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 34
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 35
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 36
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 37
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 38
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 39
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 40
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 41
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 42
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 43
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 44
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 45
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 46
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 47
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 48
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 49
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 50
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 51
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 52
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 53
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 54
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 55
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 56
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 57
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 58
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 59
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 60
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 61
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 62
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 63
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 64
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 65
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 66
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 67
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - 68
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - Cover3
Flight Training - September/October 2021 - Cover4
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