Doors popping open in flight

gatt wrote:



A high-wing door -should- close itself enough that it won't disrupt airflow.
A low-wing door, which is what I was flying, is a little trickier, I THINK
because the low pressure over the wing draws the door out slightly, but the
airflow keeps it closed enough that I determined that trying to close it in
solo flight was more of a distraction that landing the airplane at a nearby
strip and resecuring the door.


Having had both, a 182 and now a Bonanza, I can comment. The doors on
both open about the same amount, 2-3 inches. That's where the
similarity ends. In the low wing the noise will be tremendous and the
airflow thru the cabin will really move stuff around. It is so quiet in
the Cessna that I have flown for quite a while and not known the
passenger side door was open. The Cessna door can be shut just like you
were sitting on the ground, the airflow is irrelavant. In my Bo the
door is about welded open those few inches. I have been at 80 mph and
there's no way to close the door. Perhaps with some unusual attitudes,
I haven't tried that.