Flight Training - July 2022 - 14

PREFLIGHT FLIGHT LESSON
BY CAYLA MCLEOD
STICKER SHOCK
DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ
WHAT HAPPENED
" But I didn't switch the fuel
off, " I replied, frustrated.
" All I did was line the
selector switch up with
where it says
'right tank.' "
" Hey, what's going on back there? "
asked a family member in one of the
accompanying airplanes.
" Cayla is learning a lesson about turning
the fuel off. We will catch back up to
y'all, " said Ryan.
" But I didn't switch the fuel off, " I
IT WAS THE SUMMER OF 2018, AND I WAS A 130-HOUR PRIVATE
pilot of about seven months. I was sitting in the front seat of a
Beechcraft T-34 Mentor on the way to Oshkosh, Wisconsin,
for the annual pilgrimage to EAA AirVenture. You might be
thinking, How does a new private pilot find her way into the front
seat of the two-seat, low-wing, single-engine warbird derived from
the Beechcraft Bonanza? Well, sitting directly behind me was my
boyfriend (now husband) Ryan, and directly off my wing were
two other T-34s, all flown and owned by members of his family.
Before this trip, I had only flown aircraft with On/Off fuel
selectors. The Mentor, however, is equipped with two 25-gallon
fuel tanks and a Left/Right/Off fuel selector. Managing the more
complicated fuel system needed to be at the forefront of my mind.
Luckily, Ryan's grandfather was keeping a close eye on the time
and announced over our formation frequency that it was time to
switch tanks. " It's been an hour. Y'all make sure to switch tanks. "
With that as my cue I turned my attention toward the fuel
selector. I moved the switch from the left to the right tank, lining
up the handle with the placard.
The engine went from purring to a few gurgles and then a
deafening silence.
" My airplane, " Ryan said. As he turned us away from the other
airplanes and lined us up on a long, straight road in between corn
fields, Ryan (as calm as ever) instructed me to undo what I had just
done. I switched back to the other tank, and the airplane roared
back to life in an instant.
14
FLIGHT TRAINING JULY 2022
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Flight Training.
replied, frustrated. " All I did was line the
selector switch up with where it says
'right tank.' "
" Well, you went too far. You can't pay
attention to the placard. You have to feel
the detent. That is all you can do. The
stickers must be wrong. "
Incredibly annoyed that no one had
told me the stickers are wrong, I asked,
" Well, now what? "
" It's all up to you to get us back to the
right tank. I don't have a selector back
here, " said Ryan. " Just feel for the detent.
Don't look at the stickers. "
After a quick second of working up the
courage to switch the selector to the left
tank, I placed my hand on the switch and
turned my eyes toward the horizon. After
feeling a defined click, I held my breath
for a few seconds, prepared for the engine
to quit. It kept running smoothly.
Aside from learning that placards
might not always be quite right, I also
learned another important lesson on this
trip. In some in-flight situations, I may
have the option to undo whatever I have
just done.
Whether it's switching to the previous
fuel tank or unflipping a switch for
an avionics glitch, it's important to slow
down, take a moment and think about
whether you have the option to remedy
the problem by undoing whatever you
have just done. FT
TOP LEFT: SARAH HANSON; ABOVE: STEVE KARP
OFF
Flight Training - July 2022

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