tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post1037208327239547316..comments2024-03-13T09:47:40.487+00:00Comments on Cockpit Conversation: Time in the TanksAviatrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-13307550915671813992013-03-01T20:26:05.571+00:002013-03-01T20:26:05.571+00:00Isn't there an old ad from the 1940s showing a...Isn't there an old ad from the 1940s showing a J3 at a gas station? Since the J3 burns mogas and has a back-yard-sized takeoff roll, it must be tempting just to land beside the TransCan near a gas station and walk over with a jerry can.davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15194758376900990105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-33843517971665861442013-03-01T19:58:50.860+00:002013-03-01T19:58:50.860+00:00Thunder Bay to Kenora is another long slow stretch...Thunder Bay to Kenora is another long slow stretch in a tiny airplane, especially as you very often have to divert for lines of thunderstorms.<br /><br />Canada = bigAviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-9326251503712729702013-03-01T15:18:16.990+00:002013-03-01T15:18:16.990+00:00I never thought of Parry Sound to Sudbury as a fli...I never thought of Parry Sound to Sudbury as a flight where you'd worry about fuel. <br /><br />It's interesting looking at flying from the perspective of different aircraft. I always think of my Warrior as a bottom-end, underpowered plane (the Volkswagen Beetle of the sky), but Sault-Ste-Marie to Toronto still leaves 2-3 hours in my tanks, and I can do Ottawa-Charlottetown non-stop VFR with an OK tailwind. I imagine the J3 is a lot more fun, though.davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15194758376900990105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-23608472135769199152013-03-01T15:04:34.030+00:002013-03-01T15:04:34.030+00:00I had an anxious 2 hour flight from Parry Sound to...I had an anxious 2 hour flight from Parry Sound to Sudbury in a J3-C65. The fuel gauge is a little metal rod on a floating cork which sticks out of the 12gal fuel tank in front of the plane before the engine. <br /><br />The plane is supposed to burn 4GPH, but, you don't really know until you land. I kept my leg to 2 hours, but this was pushing that and I spent the whole time white knuckling it staring the fuel gauge at the GPS ground speed and ETA. Luckily there was no headwind, just a little turbulence.<br /><br />When you said "Never let the fuel gauge become the primary instrument in your scan. That is don't put yourself in a position where fuel is such a concern that you look at the gauge every five seconds." I thought of this adventure. Problem was there was no closer airport en route in the CFS or on my chart.<br /><br />I made it safe and sound, and swore I'd never do it again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-60389353284811538392013-02-26T08:06:59.292+00:002013-02-26T08:06:59.292+00:00As a commercial pilot my job is to optimize use of...As a commercial pilot my job is to optimize use of the airplane, so every excess kilogram of fuel I land with is a kilogram of cargo that could have been carried, or a unit of time we could have been in the air working. If I did my job perfectly we'd land day VFR with exactly 30 minutes in the tank every time. I land with a few minutes more 99% of the time. This was a one percent flight.Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-44859327117720795532013-02-26T06:24:50.087+00:002013-02-26T06:24:50.087+00:00So glad you're blogging again, Aviatrix!
Land...So glad you're blogging again, Aviatrix!<br /><br />Landing with 20-30 minutes of fuel left seems like cutting it a bit close ...<br /><br />Ben Read<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-83958627781493314932013-02-25T14:59:28.665+00:002013-02-25T14:59:28.665+00:00A bit over 8 years ago, I put up a blog post about...A bit over 8 years ago, I put up a blog post about power settings into a headwind. It turns out that in a Cessna 172 at 8,000 ft DA, 55% power will continue give you the best range until the headwind hits 40kt:<br /><br /><a href="http://lahso.megginson.com/2004/12/20/wind/#range" rel="nofollow">http://lahso.megginson.com/2004/12/20/wind/#range</a><br /><br />The cutoff headwind is probably much higher for what you're flying (I'd be interested to see the same table made up from your POH).davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15194758376900990105noreply@blogger.com