Marty Shapiro wrote:

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

new_CFI writes:

the more complex adjusting of the fuel comes from the mixture control.

I don't understand the mixture control, either. Fortunately I can
have MSFS worry about that.

I'm surprised at all the fiddling that pilots are expected to do with
their propulsion units, as compared to other types of vehicles. Bad
enough that one must know how to fly, but apparently one must be a
qualified engine mechanic as well.


Have you ever driven a non-turbocharged car from a low lying city up into
the mountains, like above 5,000' MSL? If you did, you would understand why
the pilot has to manipulate the mixture.

Also, the design of the aircraft engine is such that once it is started,
the engine driven magnetos provide the spark to keep it running.

Yes, doens't that remind you of a basic lawn mower engine?

You can
have total electrical failure and the engine will keep on running.

They may not be connected to the battery or alternator, but those magnetos are
an "electrical system" all of their own, and the engine will not keep running
if they have an electrical failure.

How do you stop the engine after you land?

Disconnecting the magnetos (or actually just grounding their output) stops the
engine pretty well. No need for a mixture control. (Of course if you want to
restart that engine without blowing away the exhaust......)