Shallow Water Near Exuma, Bahamas

About the only time you are over open water is between Providenciales, Turks and Caicos to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.  Pilots flying into the Santo Domingo FIR (Flight Information Region) must contact Santo Domingo Control 10 minutes prior to penetrating the international boundary.  For Floridian pilots reading this, be alert flying in the northwest of the DR.  The mountains in the west of the country rise in certain areas to over 10,000 feet.

Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo Control and Las Americas approach are both more than accommodating for unfamiliar pilots, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification or assistance, they are glad to help.  Pilots arriving VFR may find a challenge as weather over the island is low scattered clouds most of the year and air-mass thunderstorms are prevalent most days.  Upon landing and taxiing to the FBO a cadre of linemen will be waiting to greet you and assist with unloading and paperwork. US pilots with little international experience would be wise to spend time with an instructor who has flown to many of the Caribbean and Latin American countries.  I was surprised that by our second trip to the DR in the Cirrus, everyone at MDJB remembered our names!  It is important to note that when settling the bill for line service/fuel at most airports in the DR, cash is usually the only form of payment.  The invoice you receive from the FBO will also list the amount in US dollars and US dollars are accepted pretty much everywhere.

Island Flying!

During the first trip to the DR, we stayed two nights in Santo Domingo then departed towards the northeast of the island.  Filing a domestic IFR flight plan is no more difficult than in the US.  We received our clearance and departed to El Catey International.  After securing the airplane and meeting our group we drove along one of the most beautiful highways in the country.

Road through Samaná

Our hotel was located in Samaná and offered some amazing views.  The trip to Samaná allowed us to see a developing part of the country, where many new resorts are in the process of being built.

Trying the Local Favorite!

Flight planning out of the country is a breeze if you are working with a handler at the FBO.  (A handler is someone who will assist in putting together all of the necessary paperwork and filing your flight plan.)  About six hours prior to departure I either call or e-mail the FBO and send them our requested flight plan and our ETD.  The only other item that is unique to the ICAO flight plan form is the estimated time of crossing the DR international boundary, both when arriving and departing.  After receiving fuel and paying the final bill, it is best to contact ground control for engine start clearance.  US pilots are accustomed to pre-taxi clearance, however, expect to receive your IFR departure clearance while taxiing for departure.  Once airborne, there is really no difference between how a pilot would operate in the US v. DR.  If you don’t understand a controller just ask them to say again!  When approaching the international boundary, Miami Center expects you to contact them 10 minutes prior to penetration.

Shops in Samaná

This is around the time when Santo Domingo will hand you off to Miami and you will be under Miami’s control all the way back to Florida.  I do want to stress that there will be an area along A555 between GUANA and INDEE  intersections where pilots of aircraft below 10,000 feet will lose radio reception.  Miami knows about this and will often advise you prior to reception loss that this will occur.  Another item unfamiliar to most domestic pilots is over Miami Oceanic airspace; you will not receive an updated altimeter setting.  Expect to use 29.92”Hg. during most of the route.  Pilots operating VFR will have slightly different procedures when approaching the US ADIZ than pilots on IFR flight plans.  Again, if you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable spend time with a seasoned flight instructor who can help advise you on what to do.  After landing at the nearest AOE (Airport of Entry) be sure to taxi directly to US customs.

For pilots looking for adventure and beautiful scenery, I definitely recommend taking a trip to the Dominican Republic.  Even if you cannot make the trip non-stop, there are some amazing places to stop for fuel in the Bahamas such as Stella Maris.  It is best to plan for a morning departure this time of year as unfamiliar pilots would do best not to fly into the DR at night and just as in the Bahamas there is no VFR at night.  Platinum Aviation would also like to remind pilots that as of November 15, if you are planning to fly internationally, you are expected to know how to file an ICAO flight plan.

ICAO Flight Plan Form

Although filing with US FSS can help make the process easier, it is important to know what all the new codes and equipment suffixes  attached to your flight plan.   Often times general aviation pilots will forgo an exciting trip to the Bahamas or Caribbean due to the unnerving process of filing international flight plans and dealing with eApis (customs procedures).  After just a couple hours of ground school, most pilots will attain a confident level of knowledge on how to safely operate their Cirrus internationally.

Platinum Aviation, the leader in Cirrus Aircraft training and rentals, is proud to announce we have transitioned to exclusively  Garmin Perspective equipped Cirrus Aircraft.  This transition signals Platinum Aviation’s desire to provide the latest and best-equipped aircraft for our clients.

While each of Platinum Aviation’s facilities has seen new aircraft arrivals, our Miami fleet has seen a complete upgrade.  All Miami based airplanes are BRAND NEW 2012 Cirrus Aircraft!  Platinum Aviation is also welcoming a Cirrus SR-22 GTS to our Palm Beach fleet.  For more information about our fleet breakdown, see below.

• Miami
  • Two 2012 Cirrus SR-22 Aircraft
  • 2012  SR-20 Aircraft equipped with air-conditioning
• Fort Lauderdale
  • Two Cirrus SR-22 Turbo Aircraft
  • Three Cirrus SR-22 Normally Aspirated Aircraft
  • Two Cirrus SR-20 Aircraft
• Palm Beach
  • Two Cirrus SR-22 Aircraft

Platinum Aviation provides clients with the latest, best-maintained Cirrus Aircraft fleet available for rental or training.  Please call, e-mail, or stop by for more information regarding our aircraft or services.

Platinum Aviation is THE south Florida Cirrus destination.

Tornado Alley Turbo Normalizing System for Cirrus Aircraft.

TATI has several service bulletins and instructions that are important to perform on a regular basis but it has been my experience that on some aircraft these service documents are being neglected which could lead to expensive and potentially dangerous component failures.  With this article, I am going to detail some of the most common service difficulties I have seen with the system, discuss two of the most important service instructions that TATI has published and present examples of why you should be making sure that your system is being inspected and maintained regularly.

Heat Shields

The most common difficulty with the turbo normalizing system seems to be the heat shields.  While they may seem a relatively harmless component, they could cause damage to some expensive parts of the system if they are ignored.  During routine maintenance, the heat shields should be checked for condition and security of the clamps and to ensure that the edges of the heat shields do not come into contact with the exhaust pipes.  There are two failures that I often see.  The first is cracking of the heat shields either in the heat shield itself or the mounting foot that secures it to the exhaust tube.  Unless you have a welding shop that can provide top notch repairs, replace any cracked or damaged heat shields for they are really not all that expensive and the replacement could be an upgraded design which would improve it’s durability.

Example of exhaust manifold damage resulting from loose heat shields.

 Second, it is common for the band clamps that secure the heat shields to be found loose when an aircraft arrives for maintenance.  Loose band clamps allows the heat shields to move out of position and cause problems.  Just tightening them again is not usually sufficient to secure them until the next maintenance event as the clamps are likely damaged in some manner.  Either the slots in the band are distorted or the tensioning screw is loose/misaligned in it’s housing.  If the clamps are damaged in any way or difficult to turn I would recommend replacing them.

Example of exhaust manifold damage resulting from loose heat shields.

Loose heat shields can cause damage in a couple of ways.  The edges of the shields can chafe against the exhaust manifolds, wearing into the material to the point where the manifold tube is rendered unserviceable.  A loose heat shield can also contact and wear into the cylinder drain lines potentially allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment and possibly onto hot exhaust components.

Slave Waste Gate

The second most common difficulty is with the slave (right) waste gate.  The original design of the system incorporated a rod traveling across the back of the engine that connected the master and slave waste gates together.  This design vibrated excessively and caused a high rate of wear on the components, especially the clevis pin that connected the rod to the slave waste gate.  An improved design was soon introduced that replaced the rod with a cable control system that incorporated a spring to keep tension on the cable.  Most aircraft with the older rod design have since been retrofitted with the newer design.

Two examples of slave waste gate clevis pins showing excessive wear patterns.

The cable control system resulted in a reduced wear rate, however it did not eliminate it completely.  There is still wear occurring at the slave waste gate which could compromise the integrity of the components.  Most of the wear occurs to the clevis pin and if it fails it will shear in half and you will lose control of the slave waste gate completely.  The clevis on the control cable and the arm that controls the waste gate could also have excessive wear which might inhibit proper movement of the waste gate as the controller commands changes in the amount of boost required.  Additionally, I have noticed that some waste gates are showing excessive exhaust leakage past the top bearing, possibly because the spring and cable system does not hold the control arm rigidly in position and it might be oscillating rapidly as the engine is running causing increased wear.

Exhaust slave wastage. Hot gas leakage and lever deterioration.

My recommendation is to have the slave waste gate inspected every time your aircraft is in for an oil change.  Regardless of condition, replace the clevis pin at each maintenance event so that any movement between components is minimized.  While not a perfect solution, doing so could help reduce the amount of wear that is occurring to the more expensive components.  Since we have just started that practice at our facility, not enough time has been put on the turbo normalized aircraft that we service to see if it will make a difference but I am hopeful it will.

Exhaust Manifold Slip Joints

The third area of concern covers the exhaust manifolds, especially the slip joints.  TATI has a service instruction, SI11-01, that covers the inspection of the slip joints to ensure that they exhibit movement between the components.  It also details a tear down, inspection and cleaning of the exhaust manifolds and lubrication of the slip joints with a special anti-seize during reassembly.  After finding several examples of damage caused by frozen slip joints I consider it critical that all owners of turbo normalized aircraft follow the instructions contained in SI11-01.  In addition, at every oil change I strongly suggest that the heat shields be removed and the slip joints inspected to ensure they are moving correctly and to detect any swelling or cracking of the exhaust manifold tubes on either side of the slip joints.  Have your technician pay particular attention to the slip joint between cylinders 2 & 4.  I have seen four examples of blistering & cracking and one complete failure resulting in a crack all the way around the tube with a 1/8 inch gap between the pieces at this slip joint.  In all cases, the damage started underneath the heat shields which is why I recommend removing them for the inspection.  If the heat shields are left in place, any damage that could potentially exist would remain hidden until it had advanced around the tube possibly resulting in a breach and hot exhaust gasses flooding into the cowling.

Frozen slip joint and resulting blistering seen on the right side of the pipe. This was hidden by the heat shield and was not visible until it was removed.

If it is suspected that a slip joint may not be moving correctly perform the inspection and cleaning part of the service instruction.  I also recommend  performing the tear down cleaning at the recommended V-band replacement interval as suggested in SI11-01 but no longer than 500 hours.  We have found the slip joints beginning to freeze up at 500 hours and they can be difficult to disassemble without damaging the exhaust components.  It is an estimated 8-10 hours of labor to accomplish the cleaning plus miscellaneous parts but making sure the maintenance is performed on a routine basis could prevent you from having a very bad day in the air.

This exhaust manifold had just over 900 hours on it since it was installed at Cirrus. No log entries were found to say it had been removed to be cleaned.

There are other important service instructions that could be performed concurrently with SI11-01 because the same components will have to be removed and disassembled to accomplish them.  Doing all the service bulletins at once will ensure that other components are in good operating condition while cutting down on labor costs.

Engine Driven Fuel Pump

The fourth area of concern is the engine driven fuel pump and SB11-02.  It has been found that some fuel pumps can leak fuel past the seals on the mixture control shaft.  Inspection of the fuel pump using the instructions contained in SB11-02 should be performed every time the cowling is removed.  Especially during an oil change because the removal of the oil filter gives good access to the pump and great visibility.  Inspection only takes a couple of technicians a few seconds to perform.  If the fuel pump is found to be leaking and your engine is within the terms of the Platinum warranty, Cirrus will cover replacement of the pump, parts only.  Labor costs are the responsibility of the owner.  If out of warranty, TATI will repair your pump for a relatively inexpensive cost compared to the price of an overhaul.

Engine fuel pump leak. Note the fuel leaking in a steady stream in the lower center of the picture.
Click here to see the full video

Do not neglect this service bulletin.  I have seen five engine driven fuel pumps leaking so far with two examples where fuel was flowing steadily out of the mixture control shaft seals and running down the back of the engine when the electric pump was operated.

With the fuel pump shown above, I am sure that fuel was also leaking with just the engine driven pump in operation while the aircraft was in flight.  Fuel stains were evident on the cowl and belly.  Between inspections by your maintenance facility, I suggest that during your pre-flight you make it a habit to look for any signs of fuel stains in the lower cowl vents or unusual streaks trailing down the belly of the aircraft.  If you see any suspect stains at all have the fuel pump inspected before starting the engine.  This could well be another “very bad day” item if it is not detected and corrected.

Previous Generation Tail Pipes

A fifth concern primarily applies to aircraft equipped with older tail pipe designs.  Either the original “S” shaped pipes or the straight pipes with flat side cabin heat exchanges welded onto them.  These pipes are prone to cracking around the heat exchangers.  An example of one that cracked all the way around and separated into two pieces was recently discovered at our facility when the cowling was removed for an unrelated issue.  Inspect these exhaust pipes carefully for cracks and perform a pressure check of the heat exchangers regularly.

Previous generation of the right exhaust tail pipe cabin heat exchanger. This tail pipe was found on the same aircraft that had the engine driven fuel pump pictured above.

I have seen several of these pipes that have cracked and were repaired by welding.  I would strongly recommend that these tail pipes not be repaired if they are found cracked.  If you have a cracked tail pipe welded, the next time it cracks it might travel into the heat exchanger and you could end up breathing exhaust gasses.  Your safest route would be to scrap it and upgrade to a new tail pipe.  The most current design with rounded heat exchangers is more robust and I have yet to see one of those fail.  Note:  If your aircraft is equipped with an early turbo normalizing system, a few changes might need to be performed if upgrading to the new tail pipes.  The cabin heat hose diameters were enlarged in later designs and the engine breather hose was relocated to an outlet on the left tail pipe.  Keep that in mind and have your technician speak with a TATI representative to ensure you get the adapters you need for your aircraft when ordering parts.

Conclusion

The five items I discussed in this blog are just a part of inspecting and maintaining your Tornado Alley Turbo Normalizing System.  Routine maintenance and replacement of time limited components as recommended by TATI in the Continued Airworthiness Manual and supporting service bulletins is good operating practice and can catch potential problems before they become serious.

The service bulletins mentioned and other important service information such as the Continued Airworthiness Manual are located on the TATI website at http://www.taturbo.com/drawings/.   Make sure that your technician is aware of this resource and use the information contained therein to ensure that the integrity of your turbo normalizing system is maintained at the highest level.  Doing so will mean that your aircraft will continue to be reliable and, most importantly, safe every time you need to fly.

James Chrisman
Director of Maintenance
Platinum Aviation Service

Cirrus Aircraft SR-20 Perspective with Air-Conditioning

Platinum Aviation is pleased to announce the arrival of two brand-new five seat SR-22′s. One aircraft will arrive in October the next in November.  Both SR-22 Aircraft will be available on the Platinum Aviation rental line.  Be on the look out for announcements when these aircraft arrive!

Jack and Alfredo at Platinum Aviation ready to start training.

Jack told me the cost would be substantial (around $25,000), but I have always believed that training is never a waste of money. A couple of weeks before, Jack gave me the manual describing all the systems of the airplane. The manual came in pdf format, which I later realized was a gargantuan publication of more than 700 pages! To my dismay, I was really busy in the days preceding the type rating course and did not dedicate much time to read the manual. That was a huge mistake! So, for everybody who wants to do the same kind of training I strongly recommend to start studying the systems manuals at least two weeks before. It will make everything much easier.

Day 1: Ground… Mode. Finally, the magic day had arrived and I began my training. The weather happened to be really ugly that day and we did 8 hours of ground training to start covering all the systems of the airplane. It didn’t take long to realize the difference between a single engine aircraft and a jet is similar to difference between a toy car and a real one…

Citation Mustang Cockpit diagram.

Day 2: What have I done? The weather finally started to improve so we flew to Orlando to pick up the plane and fly it back to Fort Lauderdale. Upon arriving in Orlando I had my frist contact with the aircraft. I was literally overwhelmed by the overall size and complexity of the aircraft. Jack began to explain the preflight, which I missed about 90% of, and before I knew it the aircraft was ready to depart for FXE. We climbed up, got strapped in, and of course…the weather was rapidly deteriorating. I have only fragmented memories of the startup of the engine (Jack did most of the operations), but finally we started to taxi out. Being used to the Cirrus, it was difficult to stay on the center line in the Mustang. It was very sensitive and massive at the same time, though I managed to arrive to the holding point and prep myself for the take off. Just then, the rain started coming down in sheets, so I turned to Jack and asked, “Are you sure you want me to do the take off?” He replied, “Sure, no problem. I am on your controls.” I set the throttle to take off power and nothing happened… 5 seconds later I got the “kick”, the aircraft was pretty empty so the acceleration was impressive the hard part was to keep it on the centerline. As soon as we reached Vr we took off from Orlando immediately entering IMC, a Mustang is definitely not a Cirrus, it was way faster and it hardly shook. As for me, I was still completely overwhelmed and way behind the airplane on this flight. Even if I was familiar with the avionics, everything was slightly different and every action was in slow motion… I began to think that this undertaking was too difficult and this “idea” was one of the best ways to throw away a lot of money. I was really close to telling Jack to take the airplane back and that the type rating will never happen. Fortunately the airplane was faster than my train of thoughts and we quickly arrived over FXE. Jack said, “Now, you try to make the landing.” It was windy and gusting and I shouted, “Are you crazy, I have no idea how to land this thing!” He calmly replied, “Don’t worry. Try it and if you make a mistake I will correct you.” I have to admit I was scared to death, but in reality the airplane was very stable and I made quite a decent landing while compensating for the cross wind. After this experience I was exhausted and had a gigantic headache, so we called the rest of the day off. Jack went home, but as for me, I drove home and started studying the systems again…

Setting the Mustang flight deck

Day 3: The light at the end of the tunnel… The weather was improving with scattered thunderstorms in the area and gusting winds. With my head full of numbers and devices we finally began with a real, first flight lessons for the type rating. The schedule called to perform some maneuvers, pre-stall configurations, rapid descents, and take off and landings with one engine. After a thorough preflight, this time I got all of the explanations, we started the engine and took off for our lesson. Jack filed an IFR flight plan in order to get some space for the maneuvers. Unfortunately, the majority of the training was very bumpy, in and out of the clouds, and with a significant thunderstorms limiting our range. The airspace was very congested, so Miami Control was very helpful in providing us with the space we needed. In the afternoon, after a quick break, we did another flight with the same program. Overall it was a very productive day. I was starting to become familiar with the aircraft and was getting used to the different positions of the avionics equipment. However, I was completely beaten up, the training drained all my energy, so we called it a day for Jack… and again, as usual, I drove home and started studying the systems… In reality, I didn’t study anything…  At home, I checked my email and got a notification from the immigration department stating that they accepted my petition for the Green Card. I opened a mignon bottle of champagne and celebrated with my wife… no studying.

Learning the basic maneuvers in the Mustang.

Day 4: Some spare time… The weather finally turned decent, the wind had dissipated, the sky was now clear, and there was a good chance it would hold till Sunday (the day of my check ride). The day’s itinerary was the same. We took off to do maneuvers and approaches: one precision with autopilot, another hand flown, and a third non- precision,  all with one engine. I have to say, the Mustang is easy to fly with one engine. You have to remember when taking off to apply a LOT of rudder… I was starting to feel the airplane and I was really enjoying it. Its amazing how it responds and how fast and smooth it is. During one of the approaches, my overwhelmed sense started to become manageable, and at one point of the lesson I said to Jack, “It is amazing! I have three seconds of spare time… I am finally able to read the CAS message section!” (the CAS is the Crew Alerting System, an area in the MFD were the various alarms and notification are displayed). After two flights and some ground school, Jack scolded me saying, “Your memory items are horrible, you have to study more!” I promised I would focus more that night.

Managing the power on the Mustang.

Day 5: I love this aircraft… Everything was perfect. Clear sky and no wind, so we started with the two usual flights, and I fell in love with this aircraft. Finally all the maneuvers were smooth, all the approaches were at the right speed, and I had a lot of time to look around! I was really amazed how quickly our minds adapt to new situations. I clearly remember my first flight in the Cirrus. Even with more than 800 hours I was completely overwhelmed by the experience, but after a few flights I was able to manage the aircraft easily. Now, it was the same thing in the Mustang. Its a lovely aircraft, massive, but sensible, fast and smooth. The engine management is easy, the FADEC makes everything simple, like any jet its better to not cut the engine too soon during the approach, and the power adjustments are small and progressive. At the end of two lessons all the maneuvers required for the check ride were covered and well understood and I was ready for Sunday’s test. My memory items were still a little foggy, so Jack suggested that I continue to study Saturday. The aircraft needed to be flown to Opa Locka so I was to make the short flight without any emergencies. I finally got a glimpse of how addicting it is to fly jet aircraft!

Alfredo and Jack at the end of the training ready for my check ride!

Day 6: Emergency Bus Items… On Saturday I rested in the morning and spent the entire afternoon with Marc Fontaine, who very kindly interrogated me again and again with all the memory items that I had to learn. The most difficult part was the 17 emergency bus items: “PFD1, COM1, NAV1, GPS1, ADC1, AHRS1, etc…” after four hours of banging my head against the wall I was able to perfectly memorize everything. With all the manuals having now been studied, all the systems mentally disassembled, all the maneuvers committed to muscle memory, I was finally ready for my check ride.

Sample of Memory items and Limitation's for the Mustang Jet

Day 7: The check ride… Needless to say, I did not sleep very much. I was too exited, and moreover Jack would not be present. It was just me, the FAA examiner,  and the Mustang. The appointment was at Miami Executive at 10:00, and I was at the FBO one hour prior in order to prepare the airplane and get it hooked up with a ground power unit to cool it down. Finally, the examiner and I met and grabbed a study room, my theoretical exam had begun. We covered almost all of the systems and discussed the emergency procedures. Several questions were on the memory items, but after all the studying I was able to answer quite easily. After the preflight we got inside the aircraft and the practical exam began. I managed the aircraft pretty easily as we did our take off with a simulated engine failure. I performed all the required maneuvers pretty well and then came the emergency desent demonstration. During the recovery I did not push correctly the speed brake switch (its a slide switch) so they did not retract as they were supposed to. When I prepared the aircraft for the first approach, it was obviously sluggish and slow. The examiner at this point said “Did you notice the aircraft isn’t flying normally?” I replied, “Yes I do!” Furiously I started to scan the entire cockpit for what I was missing, everything was in order, but I didn’t notice a white message on the CAS, after the second scan I was getting pretty nervous. Eventually, I turned to my left and I saw the speed brakes engaged, I promptly pushed the switch, and everything returned back to normal. The examiner told me, “Next time pay more attention to the white messages, even if they are white they are on the CAS for a reason.” Lesson learned… I managed to do the three approaches with the final one terminating as a circle to land for runway 12. Aside from the incident with the speed brakes everything went well, and once I landed the examiner wrote my temporary certificate. Finally, I can take off and land with both engines! I was now authorized to enter into an exciting new world… amazingly complex, challenging and… expensive!

Alfredo and the Mustang after completition of the type rating.

Conclusion: It was worth every single penny! It wasn’t as difficult as I expected. Already having a high level of proficiency on the Garmin avionics helped me to focus on the jet systems and limitations. This is a huge advantage for Cirrus Perspective pilots because you can save a lot of money on the type rating process.

After receiving my type rating I started to calculate the damages… but actually the amount was quite reasonable. These are the figures:

Mustang Jet – 8.5 hours @ $1,150 = $9,775
Fuel – 850 gal @ $6.30 = $5,355
Instruction – 25 Hours @ $150 = $3,750
Examiner = $4,000
Bottom Line Total = $22,880

Having the aircraft at your complete disposal for the entire week is very convenient, because the aircraft is based in Orlando we flew it down to FXE. The two relocation flights help you to get more acquainted with the aircraft. The first flight exposes you to its capabilities, and helps you to fully appreciate the aircraft on the first actual training flight. The cost for the relocation flights to and from Orlando were 2.5 Hours for a total of $5,500 including 5 hours instructor time.

For the past few years, everyone has been talking about about the personal Jet. It is my belief that if someone is considering to purchase one of these aircraft, the type rating is a necessary step to understand how different the personal jet is. Additionally, it is a healthy way to show the insurance companies you are getting proper Jet experience.

Finally, Platinum Aviation is able to offer our valued customers this special type rating.

**This article does not discuss RNAV departure procedures which can be retrieved from the onboard GPS database. Those departure procedures may only be loaded from the procedure menu of the GARMIN GPS. Pilots are not permitted to build their own RNAV departure if it is not retrievable. More information can be found in AC 90-100**

I would like to use the example of the Miami One departure procedure, as Platinum Aviation’s Miami facility is located at the Opa-Locka Executive Airport.

Miami One Departure Procedure "NOT FOR NAVIGATION"

Pilots departing KOPF IFR to the north are usually assigned the Miami One Departure and either the WINCO or HEDLY transition. The technique discussed below focuses on using the GPS as the primary means of loading and flying the Miami One Departure. Before discussing how to to properly load the procedure it is important to first understand the difference between Direct-To and intercepting a course / transition. When a pilot presses the Direct-To button on the GPS, this directs the aircraft from its present position (PPOS) to the next TO waypoint, navaid, or airport. While the Direct-To function can be useful, it does not provide for a means of intercepting a predetermined course. When ATC says, “Cirrus N123AB, you are cleared to join the WINCO transition.” This does not mean from your present position press the Direct-To button. Pilots who fly this way are often times several miles from the course ATC requires them to be on! So, how can you properly load the departure procedure?

When discussing departure procedures, I like to remind pilots the GPS is a TO-TO navigator, meaning it does not navigate FROM a waypoint or navaid but TO the next waypoint, navaid, or airport. To take advantage of this fact we must put in an originating point or as I like to call it, an anchor point. The idea is not to fly to this anchor point, but to create a course line between the anchor point and the waypoint we are trying to fly to. In the example of the Miami One Departure WINCO transition, the GPS anchor point would be the DHP VOR and your TO waypoint would be WINCO.

When the pilot begins to enter the flight plan, the airplane automatically loads the current airport. When assigned the Miami One WINCO transition a pilot would normally load the GPS to look something like this:

Initially the aircraft is going to show KOPF Direct-To DHP. However, the pilot should depress the cursor/FMS knob and select the WINCO intersection using the cursor. At this point pressing the menu button and selecting activate leg will prompt the pilot, “Fly leg DHP – WINCO?” The answer to this is YES!

You will then see the magenta line on your MFD activate between DHP and WINCO and the HSI will also show a fly left indication showing that you need to go westbound to join the transition.

At this point I see too many pilots that then select KOPF and delete it from the flight plan. STOP! Removing KOPF from the flight plan could change the CDI sensitivity to the ENROUTE mode, which will be either 2NM or 5NM depending on if your aircraft is WAAS equipped. In order to fly a departure procedure with the GPS you must ensure you are in the TERMINAL mode, which will provide +/-1NM CDI sensitivity.

Although this may seem like a lot of information, it is important to know how to properly load a non-RNAV departure procedure into your GPS flight plan. A solid understanding of how to intercept a transition versus utilizing the direct-to function is incredibly important in the IFR environment. Although published courses provide the pilot with some level of obstacle clearance both laterally and vertically, going direct-to may not. If in doubt about how to safely load the GPS, go spend an hour with your flight instructor and brush up on advanced GPS procedures.

Remember, recurrent training is what you make it!

Let’s examine the facts. We’ll use a normally aspirated Cirrus SR22 as an example.

The Continental IO-550 engine has twelve spark plugs. 12 new massive electrode Champion spark plugs would cost $450 (average $30 each, plus $90 installation labor) and last 600 hours, with proper care.  That’s 75 cents an hour initial cost. For only 600 hours of service life.

Massive electrode plugs require more cleaning and tend to foul from lead accumulation. Servicing 12 plugs takes 3-4 minutes each, adding 45 minutes to each 100 hour service. There will be five services at $68 each for a total of $340. Added to the $450 initial cost, we have $790 total, for a cost of $1.31 per hour.

Compare that to Champion’s fine wire plugs, at $1100 a set, $1190 total installed. We normally expect 1600-2000 hours from these plugs, but let’s use 1600 for comparison. You’ll spend 74 cents per hour, initial cost.  Fine wire plugs don’t foul easily, and rarely collect lead deposits due to the open electrode design. The gap stays stable due to the iridium wire’s resistance to wear. That cuts servicing costs by forty percent, to about $40 per service, times 15 events, for $600 in service costs over the life of the plugs. Now our total costs are $1790, for a cost per hour of $1.12.

Not a big savings, yet, just 19 cents per hour…. But wait, we have to account for the shorter life of the massive electrode plugs. Even though the difference is 2.6 times shorter life, let’s be generous and say we can stretch the massive electrode’s service life to 800 hours, cutting the difference to 2-1. Now we have to buy another set of massive electrode plugs at $450, and service the two sets a total of 14 times (the original 5 times we calculated on a 600 hour life, plus two more services assuming a greater 800 hour life per set, and 7 more times for the second set of plugs) for a total of $952 in labor. So we’ve spent $450 on a second set of massive plugs, just to equal the service life of one set of fine wire spark plugs. Now the total cost of the massive plugs is $1852 over 1600 hours, compared to $1790 for the one set of fine wire plugs. And remember, we’ve stretched the life of the massive plugs to 800 hours, which is possible, but rarely attainable. Using the more realistic 600 hour life span of massives, you’ll use 2/3 the value of an of another set, or $297, to equal the service life of the fine wire plugs. So we are looking at savings of $62 to $359 on spark plugs and labor over an equal time span. Still not a big savings, yet.

So let’s consider fuel efficiency…

RAM Aircraft of Texas has studied the differences, and concluded that turbocharged Continentals are 2.2 percent more efficient with fine wire plugs installed. They also say that 1 percent is a reasonable expectation in other engines. So let’s use the lesser number, 1 percent, on our Cirrus SR22.

On a typical fuel burn of 17 gallons per hour over 1600 hours, at $5 per gallon, we will use  $136,000 worth of fuel. Yes, I remember when avgas was $2 a gallon, not so long ago…

Saving just one percent on that gives us $1360 in savings, and if we could attain RAM’s 2.2 percent efficiency gain, we’re saving $3000 in fuel over the life of the plugs. More efficient combustion has other benefits such as lower oil consumption, reduced exhaust system wear, etc, but those are beyond the scope of this discussion.

This comparison has been among Champion’s two competing offerings. Their fine wires offer savings of $1422 to $1719 over 1600 hours. And it is safe to say that a good fine wire plug will last much more than 1600 hours. Many will go to 2000 hours with proper care.

Now, let’s compare the Tempest fine wire plugs as well.

Since the Tempest fine wire plugs are over 30 percent less expensive than Champion’s, you’ll keep at least another $400 in your pocket during this 1600 hour span. That’s $1800-2100 in savings over massive electrode plugs, based on one percent gain in fuel efficiency. Turbo models will save much more, based on RAM Aircraft’s studies.

Retail prices will vary of course, changing the total costs but the ratios will remain fairly constant. When you “plug” in your local costs, you’ll find the long-term savings of fine wire plugs tip the scales in their favor. You’ll find the differential is actually greater in practice, in favor of fine wire plugs.

Along with the cost savings comes increased reliability, and that’s what we’re really after here, isn’t it?

See Part One of this blog article

Now we are seeing this same problem occurring in the lower compression TSIO-550-K engine in the 2011-2012 SR22T. Here is a set of Champion RHB32S plugs with 400 hours since new. You’ll note they have higher than normal resistance readings, and three of them have cracked insulators. Two of them are missing large pieces of insulator, which had to exit the cylinder via the exhaust valve.

Champion RHB32S spark plugs, one year old, 400 hours in service, SR22T

Note the un-even resistance readings, on spark plugs that are only 18 months old.  This engine was misfiring during climb, and occasionally during cruise. The number two top spark plug insulator is cracked, but hasn’t lost the loose piece yet.

Champion RHB32S fine wire spark plugs, 18 months old, 400 hours, Cirrus SR22T

The plugs with 484,000 and 668,000 ohm readings test fine on a bench tester, but cause random misfiring in the engine. It’s difficult to conduct lean of peak operations when the spark plugs mis-fire. That wastes a lot of fuel when you can’t run the engine properly. The two cracked plugs are missing large pieces of nose insulator. The hard ceramic has to depart the cylinder through the exhaust valve. Hopefully without causing any damage on the way…

Champion RHB32S spark plug, broken insulator, 18 months old, 400 hours, Cirrus SR22T

Here we have the number two cylinder, bottom spark plug. Note the large chunk of insulator that is gone!

So here we have the worst of both problems: broken insulators, and high resistance. The former can cause pre-ignition and engine damage, the latter can cause rough running and that sudden shake that really gets your attention in IMC, over water, or at night.

The next photo is of a 3 year old Champion RHB32S fine wire spark plug removed from a normally aspirated Cirrus SR22 with 675 total hours. Notice that the insulator is not just cracked, but shifted upwards. This is about to lose the entire half of insulator all the way into the spark plug core.

Champion RHB32S, 3 years old, 675 total hours, SR22 non-turbo

Moving along, let’s look at some nine year old, 1000 hour Champion fine wires removed from a normally aspirated Cirrus SR22. The electrodes are still quite serviceable, and should be, as these plugs should last 2000 hours. This customer had random CHT and EGT problems, particularly on his #2 cylinder. That cylinder’s EGT was running 200 degrees below normal, because both plugs were barely working.

Champion RHB32S spark plugs, 9 years old, 1000 hours, Cirrus SR22

Here you see that four plugs read “open” with a multi-meter. The others are 241,000 and 222,000 ohms, so the magneto has to work very hard to push any spark through these plugs. This engine was very hard to start.

Champion RHB32S spark plugs, nine years old, 1000 hours, Cirrus SR22

Five out of six of the bottom spark plugs read open. And the remaining one is 438,000 ohms. That’s a lot of spark energy lost to the resistor inside the plug. I’d prefer that the spark pass through to the electrodes, where it will do some good. Fortunately, none of these have cracked electrodes. But look at the deposits and oil in the next photo:

Champion RHB32S spark plugs, nine years old, 1000 hours in service, SR22

Here you can see the lead and oil deposits in the spark plugs. Fouled spark plugs cause cylinders to pump oil through the rings. Replacing these plugs restored the engine’s performance and cut the oil consumption back to normal.  Unfortunately, the standard response to plugs like this, would be to clean the plugs, bench test them, and put them back in the engine. When they foul again, you’d be blaming the cylinders and planning a top overhaul. After all, the bench “bomb tester” says they are good to go. But the center electrode resistance check reveals just how bad these plugs are. Throw them out, and install a new set of spark plugs! You’ll be glad you did.

Here is only a partial collection of defective spark plugs accumulated, since we started analyzing spark plugs just a few months ago. Several dozen were already disposed of before this photo was taken. Most of these plugs are less than 3 years old, but were removed due to cracking and mis-firing problems. Champion fine wire plugs were always promoted for their long life, but that is not the case with these plugs. At $85 each, you’re looking at $15,000 worth of spark plugs that didn’t make it past 700 hours (on average) in service.

It took only two months to accumulate a mountain of defective spark plugs

Stay tuned for more analysis as we report back on the engines running Tempest fine wire spark plugs. We’ll look at how the plugs are aging, and how the engine data compares since changing over. Based on initial reports, we’re expecting lower fuel and oil consumption, and more stable EGT and CHT readings.

There are two things we can learn from this problem:

1- A cracked insulator can develop at any time, and it can become a glow plug with out warning. If your CHT rapidly rises above 500 degrees, go full rich, retard power as much as possible, and land.

2- High resistance is not directly related to insulator cracking. It simply makes your engine run poorly, consume more fuel, and damages magnetos & ignition harnesses.

Here’s a great video on how Tempest makes their spark plugs, in the USA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_8pkttf-2g&context=C450b610ADvjVQa1PpcFOrG17ySHepaOhKQi6S1gouF31zKfkPiRA=

Part three to follow soon!

Part one is here: http://www.flyplatinum.com/blog/?p=690

UPDATED 4-11-2012 WITH 2008 SR22 NON-TURBO CRACKED PLUGS:

This next set of plugs was removed yesterday from a 2008 Cirrus SR22, normally aspirated airplane with 777 hours since new. We see this plane for 50 and 100 hour inspections so we are very familiar with it. At the last 100 hour inspection at the end of January, the plugs were tested and three were replaced due to cracking. Now, 100 hours later, we have three more cracked. Even more noteworthy, one of the three new plugs already has 42,000 ohms of resistance.

All of these plugs tested below 5,000 ohms only 100 hours ago.

Champion RHB32S, 777 hours since new (2008)

Three of the top plugs are cracked. Two are missing large chunks, and one is broken but the piece hasn’t worked it’s way out yet. Only the wire is keeping it from being eaten by the cylinder.

Champion RHB32S, 777 hours since new (2008). Broken insulator ready to fall out.

It’s not the best situation when you can’t trust your spark plugs.

VoiceFlight VFS101

Today, Platinum inked a deal to be an installing dealer for the product. We are working with VoiceFlight to create some special hardware and installation procedures to reduce installation costs and aircraft downtime. We have a plan to make the VoiceFlight installation in all Cirrus Aircraft quick, inexpensive and simple.

We tried this unit out at Sun N Fun. As some of you may know, our company President, Alfredo Cortellini is Italian. Alfredo speaks very fluent English, but does have a heavy accent. The VoiceFlight system performed flawlessly with Alfredo’s voice, never once making an error.

Cirrus Aircraft owners like flying with the latest technology. VoiceFlight is pushing the edge of the envelope creating this new voice recognition technology. We are excited to be a part of this.

See and Avoid!

As a student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the early 2000s, I was lucky enough to receive my flight training at an institution that was a test bed for ADS-B. This advanced technology has helped prevent more near mid-air incidents than I would care to count. As professionals we do our best to keep our eyes peeled for any other air traffic that could be perceived as a threat, but think about just how many times you have been flying along and didn’t notice that other aircraft within 2NM until you heard the traffic alert. Embry-Riddle’s safety culture went so far as to order special Cessna 172SP models with skylights installed. Standard operating procedure required pilots to use the skylights to scan for traffic above the aircraft as well. In addition to visually attempting to acquire traffic, pilots were expected to utilize the ADS-B equipment to see and avoid other air-traffic with active transponders.

As my flying career progressed and I found myself in the right seat of an A-320, the same level of importance for the “see and avoid” concept was drilled in to us. At altitude in RVSM airspace aircraft are separated by only 1,000 feet in opposite directions. So, here we are hurtling through space at 500mph and another pilot opposite direction from us doing 500mph only 1,000 feet above. With a closure rate of 1,000mph it can be difficult to determine if that pilot is on a collision course with you or not. Thankfully, all jetliners are equipped with modern traffic and collision avoidance systems (TCAS), which essentially is the same type of traffic alerting system in place on the Cirrus.

I would also like to elaborate on the fact that just because you are IFR does not alleviate you from your requirement to SEE AND AVOID. I dare someone to go pick up the FAR/AIM and from cover to cover tell me how many hundreds of times you see the words, “When pilots are in VMC conditions whether on IFR or VFR flight plans it is their responsibility to see and avoid”. Often times when descending to land at FLL, the captain and I would really put our game faces on below 6,000 feet. The joke was always, “Hey, let’s be heads up, we’re entering Indian country.” For those pilots who think that it is okay to fly in IMC conditions while not on an IFR flight plan, you are playing a dangerous game not only with your life but possibly the lives of hundreds of others. I cannot tell you how many times we would be descending for an approach and TRACON would issue a traffic alert regarding someone squawking 1200 in our vicinity. Well, how scary do you think this is while we are doing 230kts in the clouds at 4,000 feet and some guy in his Cherokee thinks no one else is up there.

As a flight instructor working with Platinum Aviation, I have really noticed some negative trends in the past few years. While the safety design of the aircraft has continued to improve, the aeronautical decision making of the pilots has certainly not improved. Several times a week I find myself flying with an individual who thinks they are the only one in the sky. Whether we are flying cross-country or staying in the local area to practice private pilot maneuvers, there is a lack of general concern for the fact that the “Big Sky Theory” is hogwash. The practical test standard for the Private Pilot check ride indicates that collision avoidance is a special emphasis area. What this means to the private pilot applicant is even if you perform every maneuver flawlessly, the examiner can still fail you for not adequately clearing the airspace prior to executing a maneuver.

While the traffic avoidance system is great, it does have its limitations. The antenna is mounted on the top of the plane, and if you find yourself in a prolonged turn you may just be preventing the antenna from receiving a reply signal. Tina Oborny, founder of Platinum Aviation, was telling me a story a few days ago about teaching ground reference maneuvers in the local practice area. Tina said, “We were starting our second turn around a point and the client was not correcting for wind drift properly. I instructed my client to roll out and to re-enter the maneuver. As we were rolling out, I looked out my right window just in time to push the aircraft in to a nose down attitude. An aircraft came within 200 feet of our position and there was no traffic alert or any other indication they were there.” A pilot who makes great decisions in flight will understand how to fully utilize all the equipment installed in the airplane, while respecting the fact that everything has its limitations. It is of the upmost importance for pilots of small general aviation aircraft to NEVER maneuver around traffic utilizing the onboard collision avoidance system. All aircraft must be visually acquired prior to maneuvering for safe separation. For those of us who have been instructing for a number of years, we can easily tell when our client’s eyes are in the cockpit. Whether or not you are flying in a high-density environment is irrelevant. Keeping a positive scan for potential threats to your aircraft should be just as important as remembering to maintain fuel balance by switching your tanks. The benefit Cirrus pilots have is the ability to get somewhere fast. We don’t just have to fly out to the practice area to do our maneuvers; we can fly 50 miles past the practice area and find some clear airspace to do what we need. Fly safe, fly smart.