In rec.aviation.owning Roy Smith wrote:
: David Megginson wrote:
: But once you're established, do you find it easier to hold pitch using
: the ASI?

: Not really. When I'm doing partial panel work, I find I miss the DG
: much more than I miss the AI.

I totally agree with Roy here. I also don't use the AI as much as some. I too
fly pitch using the ASI, although I use the AI as a reference to set pitch
during level-offs. I too miss the DG more than the AI in partial panel
work. I do fly a fixed-gear Cherokee, though.

As an aside, I had an AI failure in IMC, on the 3rd or 4th flight after
I bought my plane. I didn't realize the AI was a little slow to align at
startup- I had only owned the plane a couple hours!
In flight, I noticed the AI leaning a couple of degrees and thought "Oh,
the AI isn't installed in the panel straight- the DG isn't turning."
About 30 seconds later, the AI started spinning in the roll axis. At
perhaps 600 degrees a second! This was pretty easy to diagnose.
The next day (VFR) the AI worked fine. It was very sensitive to temperature,
and having cold-soaked overnight at Will Rogers World, it just wasn't
happy.

PS, modern AI's won't tumble in roll, and should not tumble until
more than +/- 85 degrees of pitch. (REF the R.C. Allen install guide.)
--
Aaron Coolidge (N9376J)