Joined the club today........

tom wrote:
The one time I took off with a non-functional ASI, it was because the
pito tube was blocked by this big red thing that stated: "REMOVE BEFORE
FLIGHT". Fortunately, I had enough time in that plane to fly
confidently without the ASI.
tom

Yeah, only time that happened to me was in a twin. Still not sure what
caused it, probably ice. The really bad thing was that the ceiling was
about 700 feet and there was no way I was going up in that with no
airspeed indicator in a twin.

As to why we continued the takeoff after realizing the airspeed was not
functioning? We didn't look at it right after adding power, and by the
time we realized it wasn't working, it seemed too fast to pull power and
stop on the (short) runway. Live and learn.

On 21 Aug 2006 17:45:28 -0700, "tom" wrote:
The one time I took off with a non-functional ASI, it was because the
pito tube was blocked by this big red thing that stated: "REMOVE BEFORE
FLIGHT". Fortunately, I had enough time in that plane to fly
confidently without the ASI.

Never had a blocked pitot tube and thus an inop ASI, but I have had a
blocked static port and thus an altimeter that wasn't quite right... I
had washed the plane and apparently there was still some water
blocking the static port... It disipated soon enough... No big deal...

In article . com,
wrote:

The journey wasn't entirely without excitement. On my second-ever solo
I was rolling down the runway in a Cessna 150 waiting for rotation
speed - and it never came. By the time I realised the airspeed
indicator was not going to work, I was doing well over rotation speed
and ran out of rudder.
....
Examination off the written-off aircraft confirmed an orchard bee had
climbed into and blocked the pitot, and I was cleared of all blame,
though I'm sure if I'd had more experience, I would have avoided the
crash and simply been able to abort takeoff safely.

Personally I think your instructor was to blame if he didn't tell you to
check the airspeed indicator shortly after commencing the takeoff roll
to make sure it's working. "Airspeed is alive" should always be part of
your takeoff checklist. If you haven't realized that the ASI is dead
until well after reaching rotation speed you're doing something very
wrong.

Also, you should be able to fly a 150 without an ASI simply by feel and
sound (though not necessarily on a second solo).

rg

Ron Garret wrote:

Personally I think your instructor was to blame if he didn't tell you to
check the airspeed indicator shortly after commencing the takeoff roll
to make sure it's working. "Airspeed is alive" should always be part of
your takeoff checklist. If you haven't realized that the ASI is dead
until well after reaching rotation speed you're doing something very
wrong.


Interestingly, Ron, "AIrspeed is alive" was not on the checklist with
my flyingschool in 1990, nor currently, though it's on my checklist
now!

Also, you should be able to fly a 150 without an ASI simply by feel and
sound (though not necessarily on a second solo).

rg

I'm sure you are correct, and I seriously thought about taking off, but
on a second solo, with all the flying in the circuits so closely pinned
to airspeeds, I'm glad I didn't. I certainly wouldn't have felt
confident about knowing how far I was from stall speed on final......

Congratulations on getting your ticket.

How do you feel about airspeed indication now? A useful exercise is to
get an instructor, put paper over the ASI, and fly the pattern a few
times so that you can takeoff and land without reference to airspeed,
just attitude by looking out the window and feeling the yoke.

Enjoy your new privileges,

Bruce

wrote:
Ron Garret wrote:

Personally I think your instructor was to blame if he didn't tell you to
check the airspeed indicator shortly after commencing the takeoff roll
to make sure it's working. "Airspeed is alive" should always be part of
your takeoff checklist. If you haven't realized that the ASI is dead
until well after reaching rotation speed you're doing something very
wrong.


Interestingly, Ron, "AIrspeed is alive" was not on the checklist with
my flyingschool in 1990, nor currently, though it's on my checklist
now!

Also, you should be able to fly a 150 without an ASI simply by feel and
sound (though not necessarily on a second solo).

rg

I'm sure you are correct, and I seriously thought about taking off, but
on a second solo, with all the flying in the circuits so closely pinned
to airspeeds, I'm glad I didn't. I certainly wouldn't have felt
confident about knowing how far I was from stall speed on final......

bk wrote:
Congratulations on getting your ticket.

How do you feel about airspeed indication now? A useful exercise is to
get an instructor, put paper over the ASI, and fly the pattern a few
times so that you can takeoff and land without reference to airspeed,
just attitude by looking out the window and feeling the yoke.

Enjoy your new privileges,

Bruce



I'll try that Bruce.
Clearly at the end of initial PPL training, one's feel for the aircraft
is somewhat better than at the start.

"bk" wrote in message
ups.com...
Congratulations on getting your ticket.

How do you feel about airspeed indication now? A useful exercise is to
get an instructor, put paper over the ASI, and fly the pattern a few
times so that you can takeoff and land without reference to airspeed,
just attitude by looking out the window and feeling the yoke.


Don't CFIs already do that during PP training? Mine sure did. As a matter of
fact I had to land 2 or three times prior to my check ride with the entire
6-pack covered. I know it was not part of the standards but every pilot that
trained where I was training did it or didn't get signed off for the check
ride.

I'm sure you are correct, and I seriously thought about taking off, but
on a second solo, with all the flying in the circuits so closely pinned
to airspeeds, I'm glad I didn't. I certainly wouldn't have felt
confident about knowing how far I was from stall speed on final......

As a 35 year flight instructor, I feel that you received inadequate
pre-solo training. The pattern can (and perhaps should) be flown by
the use of pitch and power only. Set the power and pitch correctly
and the airspeed will be there. No student of mine has ever soloed
without flying an entire lesson (in and out of the pattern) with the
entire instrument panel completely covered except for the tachometer.
RPM settings....Takeoff and climb to pattern altitude...Full Power,
Downwind in a C-172, about 2100 RPM...who cares what the airspeed is?
Abeam the touchdown spot, set 1500 RPM, lower the nose and keep the
nose down, lower first noch flaps, who cares what the airspeed is?
I'll bet that it settles out at 85kts. On base leg, second notch of
flaps keeping the nose down and the airspeed WILL back right down to
75kts. Turn final, keep the nose down (still with 1500 RPM) and drop
final flap and the airspeed WILL drop to 65kts. Who needs an airspeed
indicator? Only an inexperienced flight instructor! They scare easily. :-)
I still don't understand your "I ran out of rudder" comment, the faster
you go, the more rudder control you have.

BTW, here in the USofA, ultralights aren't even required to have such
things as altimeters and airspeed indicators.....and mine didn't.

Bob Moore
CFI ATP
B-707 B-727
PanAm (retired)

Bob Moore wrote:
I still don't understand your "I ran out of rudder" comment, the faster
you go, the more rudder control you have.


Just trying to explain what it felt like. I'm not sure that cessna 150s
behave too well at 70knots and full power being held down on the tarmac
by a novice pilot who is still waiting for the ASI to show something. I
suspect I'd do better next time.

Steph wrote
Just trying to explain what it felt like. I'm not sure that cessna 150s
behave too well at 70knots and full power being held down on the tarmac
by a novice pilot who is still waiting for the ASI to show something. I
suspect I'd do better next time.

Ah-Ha...wheelbarrowing...it does become difficult to control.

Bob Moore