The Instrument you can live without

vincent p. norris wrote:

I practice partial panel regularly, but accidents like that worry me;
if that guy couldn't hack it, could I?


The problem here is the same as with the "are twins safer?" debate: we
don't hear about the partial-panel flights that *don't* crash. You will
find single incidents of very experienced pilots making every mistake
in the book.

-cwk.

vincent p. norris wrote:

I began teaching what I call
"Primitive Panel" over 30 years ago with a loss of gyros, then taking
away the Turn/Slip, the VSI, and leaving the student with little to
work with. They can do fine if they use their heads.


A couple of years ago,a high-time pilot who, according to reports,
emphasized partial panel work, took off from TEB and soon killed
himself and family in a Bonanza. Apparently a gyro failure.

Have you any words of explanation to offer, or do you know what the
accident report said?

I practice partial panel regularly, but accidents like that worry me;
if that guy couldn't hack it, could I?

That is the main flaw with partial panel practice. You know the gyro
has failed. In a real failure, you may well not notice the failure
until it is too late. That is one reason why my Skylane had a low
vacuum light and a PF standby system.


Matt

I've lots the airspeed indicator in IMC twice now and didn't find it
effected the flight awhole lot. Both times were during climb out into
low IMC (stuck spring cover). However, if I had to pick, I'd probably
take the VSI. Nowadays with ok GPS altitude you could also lose the
alitimeter and make a reasonable attempt with the GPS altitude after
figuring out the difference from ATC's mode C response.

Chris W wrote:

If you were about to go on an IFR flight, and for some unknown,
hypothetical reason you had to pick one instrument in the standard six
pack that you could not use, which one would it be?


DG.


Matt

Chris W wrote:
If you were about to go on an IFR flight, and for some unknown,
hypothetical reason you had to pick one instrument in the standard six
pack that you could not use, which one would it be?

If I had to leave an instrument behind on takeoff, my choices would be:
1. VSI
2. DG
3. AI
4. TC
5. ASI
6. ALT

If I was going to have a single instrument fail during flight:
1. VSI
2. TC
3. DG
4. AI
5. ASI
6. ALT

-cwk.

Chris W wrote:
If you were about to go on an IFR flight, and for some unknown,
hypothetical reason you had to pick one instrument in the standard six
pack that you could not use, which one would it be?

You do err, for as the CFI-I, I am the one who gets to pick which of
those instruments it will be, and I am liable to pick more than one of
them. BWOOWOOHAHAHAHAHAA!