On 06/13/06 12:34, Michael wrote:
Robert M. Gary wrote:
1) He showed me disassembled instruments when describing how each works
(how well can most of us explain how an altimeter really works inside,
I thought a mag compass was ball shaped )

I always thought it was worthwhile to show an instrument student a
disassembled compass. Once he sees how the counterweight works to
compensate for the vertical component of the magnetic field, turning
errors are obvious - as well as why there are no turning errors while
taxiing. Accelerationa and deceleration errors are equally obvious.

2) He also explained how VORs really work (I thought they broadcast
actual radials but they actually time the difference between a
reference signal and a rotating sweeping signal).

You know, I once interviewed an electrical engineer who worked for a
major GA autopilot manufacturer who told me he worked on VOR. He
couldn't explain it to me. Of course I didn't hire him.

3) He expects me to memorize the freq of markers and be able to
distinguish a loc freq from vor freq by looking at the freq number.

Well, it can be done - but WHY? There is some value in knowing that
the radio determines whether to use the VOR or LOC circuitry based on
the frequency selected. There is much value to understanding the
difference, especially as it applies to the validity of a VOR check for
LOC/ILS ops. Memorizing what the actual frequencies are seems rather
pointless.

4) Even the stuff I thought I knew was wrong. I thought lots of air was
always running through the pitot tube and out the drain hole.
Apparently only a very, very small amount of air comes out the back of
the drain hole and the actual volume of air running through the pitot
is very small. Looking at all the books, I got the impression air was
just rushing through.

Then you really didn't understand the physics of how a pitot tube
works.

Think of a pitot tube as an energy conversion device. There is energy
in moving air. There is energy in pressurized air. A pitot tube is a
device for converting the former into the latter. An ASI is actually a
pressure gauge (usually a brass bellows that drives the needle) that
measures the difference between the ram pressure and the static
pressure. The ram pressure is always going to be higher, because the
speed of the airplane is forcing air in, and pressurizing it.

All the drain hole does is cause error (non-heated pitot tubes often
don't even have drain holes - the primary function of the drain hole is
to allow the water formed when the pitot heat melts the ice to drain)
by allowing some of the ram pressure to bleed off. If the pitot tube
is to give a reasonably accurate indication, the rate of leakage MUST
be small.

I thought this allowed rain water to drain as well. Otherwise, couldn't
the water build up and eventually get into the pressure line to the
ASI?

Or does the air pressure keep/force the water out the front of the
tube somehow?


Amazing how much you can learn while working on a rating that
supposedly only allows you to teach what you already know.

Michael




--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA