Spark plugs. Why you should check yours, today!

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Glenn Juber - Director of Maintenance

The lowly spark plug is one of those aircraft parts we all take for granted. It’s not exciting like a new glass panel, and it doesn’t have the ramp appeal of  a new four-blade prop. But when a spark plug fails, you’ve got some real trouble that focuses your attention on what matters most – a smooth running engine.

Do you have to lean aggressively to keep your spark plugs from fouling during taxi?   Do you have persistent trouble with your pre-flight magneto check? Do you experience engine roughness or vibration during flight? Maybe the problem isn’t your leaning technique, or the magnetos. Maybe it’s your spark plugs!

Over the last few years, sophisticated engine monitoring has given us a wealth of information on the health of our engines. The data allows us to diagnose problems that used to go unresolved for far too long. Using this data, we are now able to pinpoint problems with spark plugs. These plugs seem to work fine in the shop’s bench tester, but give trouble when installed in the engine. At Platinum, we can analyze your engine data and determine if your engine can benefit from new spark plugs.

Spark plugs contain an internal resistor to absorb excess energy, which protects the electrodes from premature erosion. This resistor is subject to extreme heat from the cylinder head, and the stress of 25,000 volts of electricity passing through. If the resistance increases, the spark energy at the electrodes decreases. Resistors dissipate energy in the form of heat. This results in intermittent roughness, elevated cylinder head temperatures, and completely fouled spark plugs in some cases. So the ideal resistor must remain stable throughout the service life of the spark plug.

Let’s examine the two different styles of resistor.  Champion uses a carbon-pile design. This resistor element is found inside the spark plug body, held under pressure by a spring, which is in turn secured by the screw.

Champion RHB32S fine-wire spark plug, with resistor removed

As you can see in this photo of a two month old Champion RHB32S fine-wire spark plug with only 110 hours in service, there is corrosion on the conductive surfaces.  When it was new two months ago, the resistance was normal, about 1500 ohms. But today, this spark plug’s resistance is over 12,000 ohms!  That means some of the spark energy isn’t passing through to the electrodes. This spark plug was causing elevated CHT’s in the affected cylinder. Installing new spark plugs resolved the CHT problem, and stopped the intermittent vibration problems at low rpm.

left-to-right: resistor, spring, retaining screw, note the corrosion on each part

The second plug is also a Champion RHB32S fine-wire spark plug. It is one year old, with 350 hours in service. It has over 35,000 ohms of resistance.

Champion RHB32S, one year old, 350 hours total, 35,000 ohms resistance

The third plug is a Champion REM38E massive electrode spark plug. It was installed in 2009, and has 450 hours in service. The resistance is a whopping 200,000 ohms! This plug was constantly fouling after landing, and also during taxi. Replacement with a Unison spark plug solved this persistent problem.

Champion REM38E, 3 years old, 450 total hours, 200,000 ohms resistance

This next plug is another Champion REM38E, from the same engine as the previous plug. It was constantly causing trouble with both pre-flight and in-flight magneto checks. Here you’ll see it has an astonishing 1.024 megaohms of resistance- that’s over one million ohms!

Champion REM38E, 3 years, 450 hours total, 1.024 megaohms resistance

The last plug is a Unison REM40E. Notice the corrosion-resistant nickel finish. This is highly beneficial in South Florida, where corrosion is a constant concern. This used plug has 1454 ohms of resistance, right in the middle of the “new” specification. We have several planes running these spark plugs, and even after several years and hundreds of hours, the resistance remains steady, between 1300 and 1500 ohms.

Unison REM40E, 3 years, 450 hours in service, 1454 ohms resistance- the same as a NEW plug!

The Tempest (formerly Unison/Autolite) design spark plugs use a fired-in resistor. It’s completely encapsulated so corrosion is never a factor. This proprietary resistor remains stable during the life of the spark plug. I’ve personally run Unison spark plugs in the right engine of my Piper twin since 2002. That’s ten years and over 900 hours in service, with no change in internal resistance values, no fouling issues, and minimal wear of the electrodes.  They still are within new resistance limits at 1450 ohms. Even more noteworthy, the massive electrodes are still within wear limits as well. I’ve rotated the plugs every 100 hours, and they’ve outlasted competing spark plugs by a two to one margin. (The Champion REM38E spark plugs shown here came from the left engine of my Piper twin.)

Here we test the actual resistors removed from two Champion RHB32S fine wire spark plugs. The first resistor has 15,300 ohms by itself. Once assembled in the spark plug, the assembly has 35,000 ohms total resistance.

Champion resistor with 15,300 ohms

Here is another Champion resistor that came out of a completely dead plug. The resistor has five million ohms of resistance!

Champion resistor with five million ohms of resistance

Unfortunately, Champion doesn’t have any guidance regarding acceptable resistance values for their spark plugs.  We do know that plugs with great enough resistance fail to work in the engine. On the other hand, Tempest has published a guide to evaluating spark plugs that can help solve the persistent CHT and fouling problems that you may be experiencing. (The publication is reproduced here, courtesy of Tempest.)

How Many Ohms of Resistance Are Your Spark Plugs Creating?
Tempest Spark Plug Cutaway 
What?  Spark plugs deliver spark energy, they don’t create resistance to energy…do they?  Well, they don’t exactly create it – or do they?  Read on to find out why more and more A&P’s and IA’s are now checking the resistance as part of their scheduled spark plug maintenance.
For the past two years Tempest has been educating the general aviation industry on the importance of checking the resistance of spark plugs.  Here are some common myths and misconceptions about spark plugs and resistors:

 

1. Resistors are used in spark plugs to reduce radio noise.

 

False - resistors, although they may help with radio noise reduction, are used primarily to reduce the electrode erosion effects caused by capacitance after-fire.  This is a known after-firing of the plug caused by the residual energy built up through the harness leads and magnetos.

 

2. Spark plugs are considered in good condition if they spark in a tester.
False - Bomb or bench testers can not adequately simulate the conditions of the engine cylinder, altitude and condition of the magneto.  It is a fact that plugs with high resistance have tested as “good” in a bench test environment.

 

3. The resistance in the spark plug doesn’t matter, because my magneto has the ability to put out more energy than is required.

 

False - The typical aircraft magneto will put out about 20 - 25kV. Let’s go back to science class for a moment and revisit Ohm’s Law.  It takes 1 Volt to push 1 Amp through 1 Ohm of resistance. Based on Ohm’s Law a magneto can not deliver adequate energy to the spark plug if the system resistance is above 20-25kΩ. Tempest recommends any spark plug over 5kΩ needs to be replaced with a new plug.  Experience suggests that any resistance over

5kΩ ohms causes the voltage to bleed through the path of least resistance rather than ionize the gap.

 

4. All aviation spark plugs are made the same, therefore there is no difference in resistance.

 

False - Tempest uses a 21st century proprietary FISS resistor design which results in consistent resistance values of 1 – 2kΩ. Our competitor uses an old style stack up design which can cause extremely high and inconsistent values, resulting in misfiring and a rough running engine.

 

But don’t take our word for it…please read the attached article “A Tale of Two Sparks” by Norm Howell.  He tells his story of a rough running engine(s) on his Aerostar and the results he found with regard to high resistance of his spark plugs.

 

“A Tale of Two Sparks” by Norm Howell

 

Click here if you would like a tool box reference card for checking the resistance of your spark plugs.

 

  Tempest Spark Plug Resistance Reference Card

 

 

For specific product information on Tempest spark plugs and oil filters, please click the link below.

 

Tempest Oil Filter & Spark Plug Brochure

Tempest Logo Primary

Tempest is the leading brand of pneumatic, filtration, and ignition components, including a complete line of OEM dry air pumps, oil filters, ignition components, spark plugs, specialty tools and PowerFlite® starters.  Manufacturing facilities are located in Gibsonville, NC, and Lakeview, MI with sales and marketing offices located in Greenville, SC and Atlanta, GA. 

For more information regarding Tempest products, please go to www.tempestplus.com

Recently, Tornado Alley Turbos published a service bulletin, SB11-05, calling for removal of Champion fine-wire spark plugs. TAT has experienced many failures of these spark plugs when installed in the turbocharged Cirrus SR22, among others. They are recommending removal of these plugs to head off potential engine failures due to detonation / pre-ignition. Here is the link to the service bulletin: http://www.taturbo.com/TATSR22-SB11-05%20fine%20wire%20spark%20plugs%20initial%20release%20sept%2023%202011.pdf

We don’t fully understand why spark plug insulators crack at this point in time. What we do know is once an insulator cracks, the spark plug may become a glow plug under the right conditions. This leads to destructive pre-ignition that can destroy a piston in a matter of minutes. This danger alone is reason to consider replacing your spark plugs today.

While TAT is only calling for removal of fine-wire Champion plugs due to cracking, we are also experiencing cracking of Champion massive electrode plugs. I’ve seen a recent failure that nearly caused a piston to fail. The aircraft was flying overwater, but fortunate to be close enough to land, so being able to reduce the power stopped the damage before the piston failed completely. It did melt the edges, and resulted in a cylinder replacement. The pilot saw an elevated CHT reading, just like the one depicted in the TAT service bulletin. The temperature rise is rapid, and left unchecked, may cause failure of the affected cylinder, resulting in engine failure in less than 10 minutes. Since many planes in South Florida operate over open water, this can be a serious safety of flight concern. Here is the spark plug, and the piston with melted edges:

Champion RHM38E massive electrode spark plug, with cracked insulator

Cirrus SR20 piston, cracked spark plug caused pre-ignition, resulting in melted edges.

So if you’d like a smoother-running, more reliable engine, I would recommend installing all new spark plugs during your next maintenance visit. Tempest has taken the time-proven Autolite / Unison design and brought it back into production. Tempest spark plugs are available for all aircraft, in both fine-wire and massive electrode types. (Fine-wire types are considered to be 1-2% more fuel-efficient, and they last 2-3 times longer than massive electrode plugs.  Plus they are highly resistant to fouling, offering lower total costs over their life span.)

Platinum has Tempest spark plugs in stock, and we can fine-tune your complete ignition system for maximum performance and fuel economy. They are in limited supply, so contact us to reserve a set for your airplane today.

 

 

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Making Recurrent Flight Training Enjoyable

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Andy Martens - Assistant Director of Training

As Assistant Director of Training at Platinum Aviation, I understand the hectic nature of my clients’ lives. Between managing their business and family responsibilities, recurrent flight training often takes a back seat. Although pilots should be responsible for maintaining their own proficiency, as flight instructors, we often fall short on being a good cheerleader for the cause. Too often recurrent training is a canned checklist of stalls, slow flight, steep turns, and landings. While these maneuvers have their place, many pilots would be more apt to participate in recurrent training programs if there was a level of excitement and the promise of new knowledge.

As a leader in aircraft manufacturing and training, Cirrus Aircraft has done a great job of designing the Cirrus Pilot Learning Plan. In a nutshell the Cirrus Pilot Learning Plan takes pilots who have recently completed their Cirrus Aircraft transition training and sets up a pre-scheduled timeline for recurrent proficiency training. Once the pilot receives his/her initial transition certificate they are asked to return in 60 days for a half-day evaluation. More aptly this 60-day refresher is designed to help mitigate the onset of bad habits and sharpen/promote correct decision-making. After the initial 60-day consultation, pilots are requested to receive recurrent training every 6 months. In addition, Instrument rated pilots are also requested to complete an IPC (Instrument Proficiency Check) during this 6-month evaluation. The best part of the CPLP is that it allows instructors some latitude on what to focus.

It is no surprise that people will always take the path of least resistance, so the question became how do we as experienced instructors entice them to WANT to participate in recurrent training. The answer lies in providing a challenging and interactive training environment and moving away from the boring flight review concept to a dynamic learning experience. As always Platinum Aviation will adhere to all FAR’s while providing recurrent training.

Kerry Hackney (Director of Training at Platinum Aviation) and I are currently designing an advanced IFR pilot training program to help better prepare pilots who have a need to fly into high-density airports around the United States. While the basics learned during your instrument rating are the solid foundation from which to build experience, this is NOT a beginner’s instrument rating course. Platinum Aviation has designed our own departure and arrival procedures for local airports where we will subject you to a simulation of the high-paced unforgiving atmosphere of a place like Teterboro, NJ. With our combined experience flying into high-density airports, we have developed a training program to help current instrument rated pilots hone their skills in resource management and fast pace high workload operations. Platinum Aviation believes that recurrent training should be fun and productive. Although, our advanced IFR course is an incredible challenge the benefit of thinking outside the box with your flight training could pay off tenfold.

Platinum Aviation prides itself on being the largest Cirrus only flight school in the United States and designing new and innovative ways to further the flight training experience.

Check back with us soon for an update on the advanced IFR course.

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Shimmy or shake? What’s rattling your plane?

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Glenn Juber - Director of Maintenance

Nose wheel vibration is a common complaint on any airplane. Here’s how to tell what’s ailing your plane, and what kinds of repairs are needed.

Nose wheel shimmy occurs when the wheel assembly oscillates from side-to-side, due to loose or worn steering components. Or from a badly scalloped tire. Think of the crazy shopping cart front wheel, that is shimmy!

Cirrus uses a castering nose wheel that requires tension to be within a certain range. Too little tension, and it moves too easily, but too much tension will make it hard to steer. There is a careful balance to maintain.
The first step is to disassemble the nose wheel fork from the strut. The strut spindle is cleaned, along with the fork pivot bushings. Common contaminants are engine oil dripping down the strut, and caustic soap residue from washing the plane. Any worn parts are replaced, and then the fork is reassembled to the spindle. (The fork’s pivot parts are teflon coated and no lubricants are used. It’s recommended to have the nose fork removed and cleaned at every annual, to remove the contaminants that damage the spindle bushings. ) The only lubrication, on later models, is some grease on the spindle’s lower castle nut & washers, to provide corrosion protection.

With the fork back on the strut, the tension is set by tightening the castellated spindle nut. With the proper tension, you’ll be able to steer easily, and the shimmy will be gone.

Now let’s talk about shake. Nose wheel shake is a vertical vibration caused by out of round or out of balance tires, and by loose nose strut components. The number one cause is the tire itself. Once the tire is balanced, or replaced if it’s scalloped, the nose strut rebound bumper and strut pucks are examined for cracks, compression, or wear. Cirrus recommends a five year life limit on the rubber parts. It’s a very good recommendation that will extend the life of not only the landing gear, but instruments and interior plastics as well. Old pucks will be stiff, giving a harsh ride, and they also compress, compromising propeller ground clearance. A loose rebound bumper can allow metal-to-metal contact when the strut extends during take-off. That can damage the landing gear, and also allow the strut to hang on the lower cowl, cracking the fiberglass.

If your plane is more than five years old, replace the pucks and rebound bumper to restore the propeller clearance and the ability of the nose gear to absorb landing stresses.

Shimmy and shake can be easily corrected, with a little quality time in the shop!

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Looking for an Exciting Cross-Country Destination?

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Andy Martens - Assistant Director of Training

Check Out Where it All Began – KFFA – First Flight Airport

Thursday morning December 17, 1903, on the strong winds of Kill Devil Hills, NC Wilbur and Orville Wright became the first men to achieve powered flight. Their success ignited an industry that has transformed our world in just over 100 years. From the wright flyer to the Cirrus SR-22 it is amazing to see what human ingenuity can achieve. As a professional pilot my passion has been aviation since I was little. I have been incredibly fortunate in my aviation career from my time flying commercial airliners to teaching in the world’s most sophisticated single engine piston airplane. However, all of this would not have been possible without the ardent drive of two brothers from Ohio.

Bronze Wright Flyer Memorial

Wright Flyer

As a flight instructor with Platinum Aviation, I often travel to exclusive destinations with my clients. My latest cross-country was truly the icing on the cake. I have recently returned from a trip to Kill Devil Hills, NC while on a pilgrimage every pilot should take at least once in their life. I must admit I occasionally caught myself chuckling at the juxtaposition of flying a technically advanced airplane to the place where the Wright brothers made the first powered flight. As if the technically advanced airplane wasn’t enough, I also had my iPad with a BadElf WAAS – GPS receiver plugged in running ForeFlight. All the while cruising along at a 230kt ground speed in air-conditioned comfort listening to XM satellite radio. The Wright brothers certainly could not have imagined this.

Wright Brothers monument in Kill Devil Hills, NC

Wright Monument

My client and I took off from Ft. Lauderdale at 0900 with a planned stop in Hilton Head, SC. Flight planning had us expecting VMC on arrival, however, enroute we were not so surprised to see that Hilton Head remained IMC. Not a big deal, as good pilots we planned our escape before departure! We landed in Savannah, GA about two hours after leaving Ft. Lauderdale. Signature Flight Support was prepared for our arrival and loaned us what was the nicest crew car I’ve had the pleasure of driving. Jonathan and I grabbed lunch at a nearby local restaurant and watched how the weather was progressing. This cross-country would prove to be a great exercise in weather planning, as we would be crossing a cold front boundary enroute. After lunch we finished our flight planning, fueled the airplane up to our weight and balance limitation and departed for KFFA – First Flight Airport. Weather enroute was outstanding with a 50 knot tail wind most of the way. The air traffic controllers in the Carolina’s were busy with MOA’s and Restricted airspace and certainly earned their keep for the day. Our arrival to KFFA had us approaching from the due west over Albemarle Sound and above Coast Guard C-130 doing low-level grid patterns. At First Flight Airport the 3,000ft x 60ft runway is greeted by power lines and a high tree line that can bring about some “interesting” turbulence. Jonathan set up for runway 20 and made a solid short-field landing. After tying down for the night, Jonathan and I hiked up to the massive Wright Brothers monument. Knowing that we were standing on the hallowed ground where it all began was an unbelievable feeling.

Runway from which the Wright Brothers flew the first powered airplane in 1903.

Wright Brothers Memorial

The next morning Jonathan and I completed our flight planning and decided a landing at Wilmington, NC for fuel would be our next stop. The cold front had moved through the night before and the temperature was a chilly 50 degrees! Our arrival to Wilmington was welcomed by an Air Force C-130 Hercules doing touch and go’s. After a fresh cup of coffee and fuel uplift we set off for Hilton Head, SC. The original plan was for us to stop in Daytona Beach, FL on the way home, but our stomachs decided otherwise and why miss an opportunity to stop in one of the most beautiful destinations in South Carolina. The line staff at Signature Flight Support in Hilton Head was outstanding and offered us a crew car to take into town. After a quick bite we refueled and began the journey back to Ft. Lauderdale. There is nothing quite like watching the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico from 8,000 feet.

Other than a few evening showers around the Vero Beach Area the weather was outstanding heading home. Not only was this cross-country valuable time spent teaching Jonathan how to navigate through different topography and weather systems, but it is exciting to say that we have been to the place where the Wright Brothers ignited an industry.

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Understanding the Mixture Control – Rich of Peak and Lean of Peak

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Kerry Hackney - Director of Training

Many pilots, and unfortunately, many instructors, don’t understand what they are doing when adjusting the mixture control. Pilots typically learn to fly in simple aircraft learning to set the mixture by rote, but are usually never taught to understand what is going on.

Why Do We Adjust the Mixture Anyway?

Unlike cars and other ground based, motorized equipment, aircraft operate at a variety of density altitudes. Therefore, the fuel / air mixture cannot be set by the manufacturer of the engine, but must be set and adjusted by the pilot. As we go high and have less dense air, we need less fuel to keep the fuel / air mixture at its optimum setting. In more powerful engines, we also use the mixture to control engine temperatures.

Almost all pilots learn to fly in aircraft that are operated using a  “best power” mixture setting. In simple aircraft, we were taught to lean the mixture until the engine runs just a little rough, then “richen it up a little.” This simple procedure works on low power engines, but when this somewhat random approach is used on high power engines, damage can result. A more precise method is needed.

Exactly What is Happening As We Pull the Mixture Control Back?

mixture control on a cirrus aircraftOnce we level off at altitude and set cruise power, we are operating with an overly rich mixture, meaning we have more fuel in the cylinder than can be burned with the volume of air that is there. The excess, unburned fuel will cool the engine, as it is a liquid / gas. As we pull the mixture back we have less of this excess “coolant”, and the Exhaust Gas Temperatures (EGT’s) go up. At some point, the EGT’s reach their peak … as high as they will go. Here, at this setting, we have the ideal fuel / air mixture, a perfect blend, with the exact amount of fuel and air to provide combustion with all of the fuel and air being converted to power.  Unfortunately, at this setting, the engine is operating optimally, but at its hottest, referred to as “peak”.

What to do now? We need to do something to cool the engine. We have two choices, a “Best Power” setting or a “Lean of Peak” setting. Let’s learn what each of these really mean and how to properly control engine temps.

Best Power Setting

The “Best Power” method, adds excess, unburned fuel, as a coolant, to the engine to provide a method to control engine temperatures. As we move the mixture forward, the engine continues to cool until we reach the ideal position, with the engine 75 degrees cooler than it was at its peak, often described as 75 degrees, rich of peak. This is how most engines are operated and how most lower time pilots are use to operating. When the engine gets too hot, gauged by the Cylinder head temperatures (CHT’s), while operating at best power, you should enrichen the mixture adding even more cooling, excess fuel.

Lean of Peak Setting

This setting is the only approved operational method used on Cirrus turbo aircraft. Again, we are using the mixture to control engine temps, but in a far different way. After leaning the engine to its “peak” setting described earlier, we now continue to lean. How can this cool the engine?  “I always thought running too lean would make the engine run too hot”, you might say. Not on the lean of peak side!

Here is what’s happening. As you continue to lean, the engine does not have enough fuel to run efficiently and therefore begins to cool. Think of the extreme. Should you continue to lean, eventually you would operate the engine even less efficiently until there is not enough fuel to sustain combustion and the engine will stop… and COOL, eventually to ambient temperature. Makes sense, thought of this way?

So, setting the correct “Lean of Peak” setting is done by pulling the mixture back until we reach 50 degrees cooler than “peak”. In a Cirrus turbo Perspective aircraft, this setting is as simple as lining up the fuel flow with the blue caret on the fuel flow meter.

Cooling an Engine While Operating Lean of Peak

Now, how do we cool the engine if it runs hot referencing the CHT’s, after setting lean of peak? Well… we lean further, causing the engine to run in an even less efficient condition. Richening the mixture would put us in the worst possible place, causing the temps to rise. When operating “lean of peak”, always lean further to cool the engine. This is somewhat counter intuitive to many pilot’s primary training.

We will post further discussions of specific leaning procedures for each Cirrus Aircraft soon. Check back often, or register for our blog to get notifications of future posts.

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Fuel Injection – Simpler Than You May Think

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Kerry Hackney - Director of Training

I think many pilots don’t really understand the fuel system in their aircraft and exactly how it works. In the Cirrus Aircraft, all of the engines use a fuel injected system instead of the traditional carbureted system. Most of us may be familiar with the term “fuel injected” as most of the cars we drive these days are fuel injected. However, the system used on cars and the system used on aircraft are not very similar.

The system used on aircraft engines is very simple. This is one reason it is so reliable. In cars, there are solenoids controlled by a computer that meter the proper amount of fuel into the cylinder at the correct time. Believe it or not, in the aircraft, the fuel flows into the cylinder all of the time. Even during the exhaust stroke!

continental fuel manifold divider

Fuel system - Continental IO-550K

As you can see in this photo of a Continental IO-550K, during the annual inspection, you can see the high pressure fuel line coming from the fuel pump entering the fuel manifold divider. There is not much in the divider. The fuel basically just goes in there and comes out the six lines that go to each cylinder.  You can see where the individual fuel lines connect to the injectors (shown here, removed for cleaning).

fuel injector

Fuel injector fron a Continental IO-550K

The injectors themselves are also quite simple, nothing more than a calibrated leak. They do not spray or atomize the fuel as you may think. The fuel just simply slowly and constantly flows into the cylinder, mixed with a bit of air that is forced in through the small holes on the side of the injector.

We often hear people say that they think they may have a clogged injector. As you can see, the hole in the injector is larger than you probably thought. Truthfully, you are most likely to have a clogged injector after maintenance from a technician not completely blowing them out after cleaning them. The fuel that flows through the injector every day is actually a more powerful solvent than the cleaner used to clean them.

So as you see, it is a very simple system. Like most systems on aircraft they are designed to be simple so as to have as few failure modes as possible.

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Airspace in a Simpler Time

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Kerry Hackney - Director of Training

Our high tech Multi-Function Displays and iPads loaded with ForeFlight HD and GPS navigation have made navigating complex airspace simple. Pilots that just learned to fly in recent years may not give it much thought, but there was a time when it was all much simpler or more complex depending on how you look at it.

1948 Miami sectional chart

1948 Miami sectional chart

This Miami sectional chart is from 1948. Certainly simpler from an airspace avoidance point of view, there simply is not much there other than a couple of special use areas and the airspace right around Miami.  However, things could be a little more complicated for the navigator. This was prior to VOR’s being installed and there certainly was no GPS back then.

Four Course Range

If you are wondering what the lines are that look like airways, those are “four course radio ranges”, also called low frequency radio ranges or LFR. They were based on a network of radio towers which transmitted directional radio signals, the LFR defined specific airways in the sky. Pilots navigated the LFR by listening to a stream of automated “A” and “N” Morse codes. For example, they would turn the aircraft to the right when hearing an “N” stream (“dah-dit, dah-dit, …”), to the left when hearing an “A” stream (“di-dah, di-dah, …”), and fly straight ahead while hearing a steady tone.

Airspace will undoubtedly get more complex as we go forward, but navigation certainly continues to get simpler.

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Handling an Abnormal Situation, Overwater in International Airspace

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Andy Martens - Assistant Director of Training

At Platinum Aviation, instructors are often asked to assist clients in flight planning to the Bahamas.  Although the Islands of the Bahamas are just a short hop to the southeast, US Customs procedures and international flight planning may appear overwhelming the first time.  Platinum Aviation instructors are well versed on assisting clients with Bahamas and international procedures.  Often times a couple hours of ground school and a flight to the islands is all a pilot needs to be confident and proficient in Bahamas / international operations.  As a courtesy Platinum Aviation provides clients with all of the required overwater safety equipment (if available).

As an experienced flight instructor, I relish the opportunity to work with a client when an unexpected scenario presents itself.  As such, I would like to share an interesting experience recently encountered on an international training flight.

Preparing for an international flight consists of slightly more paperwork than domestic VFR or IFR flight planning and is often foreign information to many US pilots.  As these exercises usually entail short flights out and back, my client completed both an outbound and inbound international VFR flight plan and received a standard briefing from the Miami Flight Service Station (FSS).   In addition to filing flight plans, international operations require that we submit a notice of departure / arrival via eApis, to United States Customs and Border Protection.  The purpose of the electronic Customs submission is to monitor who is flying into and out of the United States.  Our trip was supposed to take us from KFXE to MYBG (Great Harbor Cay, Bahamas).

Departing the US is in many ways no different than any VFR cross-country flight.  After departure pilots must contact FSS and open their international VFR flight plan prior to penetrating the ADIZ.  Another factor to consider when flying internationally is operating through the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).  Pilots operating in the ADIZ must be equipped with a two-way radio, mode-c transponder, established on a VFR or IFR flight plan, and provide position reports if required.  General aviation pilots departing the US on international VFR flight plans are not required to use flight following and subsequently may be squawking 1200 during their departure to the islands.  However, inbound aircraft both VFR and IFR must have a discrete code assigned by FSS or ATC.

Screen Capture of ADIZ just east of KFXE


The Situation

Eight minutes after opening our VFR flight plan we found ourselves over-water in the middle of the ADIZ direct to MYBG with a master caution indicated on the CAS (crew alerting system).

Fuel Filter Master Caution

The master caution indicated “Fuel Filter” on the primary flight display (PFD).  I instructed my client to continue flying the airplane and assisted him with opening the checklist for possible corrective actions.  The Cirrus Aircraft checklist states, “If ‘Fuel Filter’ is displayed, the fuel filter is operating in bypass mode; Land as soon as practical” Well, being overwater with a possible fuel system issue isn’t exactly where most single-engine pilots enjoy finding themselves.  I conferred with my Client and we both agreed the best course of action was a return to KFXE.  It is important to note that during this decision making process the health of the engine was in no way showing signs of abnormal operation.

Here’s How We Handled The Situation

Now comes the hard part, we are operating inside the ADIZ squawking 1200.  In this post 9/11 atmosphere, an immediate turn towards KFXE for a simple abnormal might raise the suspicion of the authorities.  “Everything we do is going to be deliberate and methodical,” I said to my client.  I instructed my client to continue flying the airplane on a southeast heading while I helped him contact the FSS.  As prepared pilots, we had already filed our inbound international VFR flight plan and received our US Customs squawk code for inbound ADIZ penetration.  We informed the FSS briefer of the situation and asked if we should squawk our inbound code while we executed the 180° turn to KFXE.  The briefer replied that we should and informed us he would handle our flight plans accordingly.  In an effort to make us as visible as possible to all those who watch our border (via RADAR), I instructed my client to contact Miami Approach control, inform them of our situation and request flight following.  This request put us in positive RADAR contact with a local TRACON and gave us a new discrete transponder code.  When abnormal situations arise it is best to take things slow and take advantage of all available resources to safely complete the flight.

Our Arrival At KFXE

Upon landing we taxied over to US Customs to check in and inform them of our situation.  Predictably US Customs already knew we had to execute an air-return and they were waiting for us when we arrived.  The senior customs officer informed us that their air and marine division was “watching” us make our return to KFXE.  Although we did not land at a foreign port of arrival, it was still a prudent decision to visit customs and make introductions.  As general aviation pilots it is important to remember that even the most well maintained machines break down occasionally.  After Platinum Aviation maintenance technicians examined the fuel system, the cause was found to be simply a faulty connector.  Thankfully the situation was relatively benign, and provided an outstanding opportunity to focus on handling real life abnormal situations.

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Keep Your Tires Round

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Kerry Hackney - Director of Training

Our maintenance shop sees a lot of flat spotted tires from people being overly aggressive on the brakes. Most flat spotted tires are not near as severe as the ones shown here. From what I’ve seen, having flown with hundreds of pilots over the years, is that almost all pilots of light, general aviation aircraft, over use and get too aggressive on the brakes. In most cases there seems to be a sense of urgency to get on the brakes as soon as the plane touches down. A Cirrus will roll to a stop in about 3500 feet if you use no brakes at all. Go easy on the brakes and you will save money both on brakes and tires.

Flat spotted aircraft tire

Result of landing with feet on the brakes

Keep Your Heels on the Floor

When landing, make sure your heels are on the floor and the balls of your feet on the lower portion of the rudder pedals to insure that you don’t inadvertently depress the brakes. Many flat spots occur for just this reason, landing with the brakes applied. In extreme cases you could pop a tire causing you to run off the runway.

The two photos here are of the same tire. The pilot reported that he made a very soft touchdown and didn’t notice a problem until he taxied off of the runway. Had he touched down hard, he may have had a runway excursion. Touching down softly allowed the tire to abrade away slowly like an eraser. In this case through all six layers, just millimeters from a failure of the tire. This is the most severely flat spotted tire any of us has seen.

Flat spotted aircraft tire

All six plys of this tire have been worn through

Aircraft tires are much more expensive than car tires. At our current shop rates, changing two main tires costs about $785. Cheap compared to a runway excursion through runway lights and signage.

This is a simple problem to solve. Use less aggressive braking and keep your heals on the floor when landing.

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Approach Lighting Systems

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Andy Martens - Assistant Director of Training

An often-overlooked segment of instrument flight training is understanding the purpose of approach lighting systems (ALS).  Many instrument texts spend little time discussing the practical use of ALS.  Instrument approach lighting systems are utilized to assist pilots in transitioning from instrument to visual conditions; combining distance, directional, and glide path information.  There are various ALS in use around the United States and a fundamental understanding of their practical application is important to instrument rated pilots.

In general, approach lighting systems vary in length from 1,400 feet to 3,000 feet depending on the type of approach that runway is serving.  The most complex light structure, the ALSF-II extends from 2,400 feet – 3,000 feet and is found at airports with approaches that allow lower than category I ILS landing minimums.  A unique feature of the ALSF-I and II is the red side row or red terminating bars.  Pilot’s who can maintain visual contact with the red light bars are permitted to descend below 100 feet above TDZE.

ALSF-II runway approach lighting system

ALSF-II runway approach lighting system

An important aspect of every approach lighting system is the decision bar.  The decision bar is located 1,000 feet from the runway threshold and is a horizontal row of lights perpendicular to the ALS.  On a category I ILS, when the pilot reaches DA over the MM (Middle Marker) the decision bar should be just off the nose.  Although the decision bar appears off the nose of the airplane at DA the pilot is still 1,400 – 3,200 feet from passing over the top, this is due to the pitch attitude of the aircraft and its relative position.  The decision bar has several purposes, one of which is to assist pilots in maintaining a “horizon” reference when transitioning from IMC to VMC at the DA.  The decision bar is also a means of determining inflight visibility while executing a low visibility approach.

Orlando International Runway 36R approach plate

For example, if you break out at minimums over the middle marker on ILS 36R at KMCO and only see the decision bar, how can legal visibility minimums be determined?  A pilot can quickly determine inflight visibility by knowing the distance in miles between the MM and the decision bar.  If you take 2,400 feet (distance in feet the MM is from runway threshold) and subtract the decision bar distance of 1,000 feet, you will have an inflight visibility of approximately 1,400 feet.  At this point the pilot can make the decision to execute the missed approach procedure, or continue to 100 feet above the TDZE referencing the ALS with hopes of acquiring the runway environment or red side row bars.

Not only do approach lighting systems help pilot’s transition to the visual segment of the instrument approach, but also allow pilots a means of determining inflight visibility.  Approach lighting systems are most common on precision runways.  A good way to remember this, is the more complex the approach, the more sophisticated approach light system will be there to guide you in visually.  Although many general aviation pilots do not fly hard instrument conditions on a regular basis, knowing how to interpret more than just the instruments in the cockpit may prove beneficial.  The correct use of an ALS could mean the difference between safely arriving at your intended destination or a missed approach resulting from incorrectly gauging flight visibility.

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