On Aug 15, 3:00 pm, "Ol Shy & Bashful" wrote:
There is the question. I'm in a mood today. Have you flown your
favorite aircraft with zero or near zero indicated airspeed? I'm
talking about controlled flight and predictable outcomes.
Let the games begin. I'm so freaking tired of beach volleyball and the
bull**** olympics that is full of professionals. Whoooooppppss I
digress
Zero IAS. Why is it important to pilots? And I'm talking about in
flight, not sitting on the ramp with the engine off.

Ancient history, but the truth, On my IFR flight test, I cut the
throttle of the C172 I was flying on the takeoff run -- the airspeed
needle wouldn't come off zero. I announced the problem, probably with
a curse -- I wanted that rating, was at 199.2 hours total time, and so
ready!

The examiner said "Go anyway." Even now I am not sure I was flying a
legal airplane, but I do think my decision to chop the throttle told
him I'd probably make decent decisions as a pilot. I will admit
partial panel (needle, ball, and wind noise) was interesting, but it
was a tired 172 and spoke pretty loudly about its airspeed.

Turns out there was a bug that managed to hit the pitot dead center on
the airplane's last flight. I wonder now if testing the pitot heater
cooked it in place.

Two questions: during a flight test with an examiner, who is PIC?
I'm thinking here about taking responsibility for taking off. I assume
I was responsible, and probably showed poor judgment in taking off,
even with the go ahead from the examiner. Second question, was the
airplane legal without an airspeed indicator?

Even if the flight was NOT legal, I am not tearing up the card that
says "Instruments"