Idiot Pilot Runs Out of Gas - Lands Cessna on I-81 - CAN'T BECHARGED!!

In article ,
B A R R Y wrote:

I got to the airport to do the post-annual flight. My first takeoff was
interesting, as the trim indicator must have gotten whacked when the
seats went back in. It appeared to function normally, but was WAY OFF
the actual position, reading way aft of actual setting. Talk about an
"Armstrong" takeoff!

I always visually check the trim mechanism. Set the trim wheel in the
cockpit to the neutral position. Then, during the walk-around, hold the
elevator parallel with the longitudinal axis of the airplane and observe
that the anti-servo tab is fair with the main elevator surface. If the
trim indicator is "whacked", it will be immediately obvious that the trim
tab isn't in the right place.

You didn't say what kind of plane you've got, so you may or may not be able
to do this. For example, on a V-tail, there's no obvious reference plane
to hold the rudervators parallel to (and pushing them around by hand may
not be good for them). But on many types, it's a trivial check.

Roy Smith wrote:

I always visually check the trim mechanism. Set the trim wheel in the
cockpit to the neutral position. Then, during the walk-around, hold the
elevator parallel with the longitudinal axis of the airplane and observe
that the anti-servo tab is fair with the main elevator surface. If the
trim indicator is "whacked", it will be immediately obvious that the trim
tab isn't in the right place.

Good idea. During the preflight, I check the movement, the linkage, and
the piano hinge. It was in a near neutral position, as it normally
always is from the last landing. This airplane normally uses a
relatively narrow trim range.

I am familiar with the effort required at extreme ends of the range,
thanks to an instructor who liked to add extreme trim to unusual
attitudes. G


You didn't say what kind of plane you've got, so you may or may not be able
to do this.

A Beech 23 Sundowner. It's got a stabilator so your advice is helpful
and applicable!

I simply need to add "set trim indicator to neutral" to the end of my
list, before I leave the cockpit for the second trip around.

Thanks!

On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:54:33 GMT, B A R R Y
wrote:

Roy Smith wrote:

I always visually check the trim mechanism. Set the trim wheel in the
cockpit to the neutral position. Then, during the walk-around, hold the
elevator parallel with the longitudinal axis of the airplane and observe
that the anti-servo tab is fair with the main elevator surface. If the
trim indicator is "whacked", it will be immediately obvious that the trim
tab isn't in the right place.

Good idea. During the preflight, I check the movement, the linkage, and
the piano hinge. It was in a near neutral position, as it normally
always is from the last landing. This airplane normally uses a
relatively narrow trim range.

Last Landing? In the Cherokee 180 and my Deb I know if the last
landing was done right as the trim will be at the up limit. Not just
at but right against the stops!


However... My shut down list includes setting trim to neutral. my
preflight is a mechanical "look see" if it is neutral and my run-up is
check to make sure the indicator is neutral. I then set it depending
on load/CG calcs.



I am familiar with the effort required at extreme ends of the range,
thanks to an instructor who liked to add extreme trim to unusual
attitudes. G


You didn't say what kind of plane you've got, so you may or may not be able
to do this.

A Beech 23 Sundowner. It's got a stabilator so your advice is helpful
and applicable!

I simply need to add "set trim indicator to neutral" to the end of my
list, before I leave the cockpit for the second trip around.

Thanks!
Roger (K8RI) ARRL Life Member
N833R (World's oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:18:52 -0400, wrote:

Last Landing? In the Cherokee 180 and my Deb I know if the last
landing was done right as the trim will be at the up limit. Not just
at but right against the stops!

If I were to move the trim significantly aft in the pattern, I'd be
seriously pushing the yoke forward. With the stall horn blaring in
slow flight, I'm nowhere near full aft.

However... My shut down list includes setting trim to neutral. my
preflight is a mechanical "look see" if it is neutral and my run-up is
check to make sure the indicator is neutral. I then set it depending
on load/CG calcs.

Same here at run-up. Neutral trim on my Sundowner will normally put
me within a 1/2 to 3/4 turn down of Vy after rotation. I'll normally
take off with a slightly forward trim setting and need less than 1/4
turn change.

At shutdown after a nice landing, the trim is normally right around
neutral, regardless if I or my partner flew it last.

If I'm trimmed for a 90 knot instrument approach with one notch of
flap or VFR pattern, the additional two notches will require very
minor (1/8 - 1/4 turns) trim changes as I bleed speed to the runway.
I trimmed the PA-28 variants I've flown much more during an approach
than the Sundowner, especially when adding flaps.

I'm going to take some informal polls at my next type club meet and
see where the other guys' trim ends up after landing. My plane flies
well through the entire speed envelope, but I'm starting to wonder if
the rigging might be a tad off.