Fuel selector question

Sorry if this is dumb (I am only at 8.3 hours toward my PPL)...

In the email I got from AOPA ePilot training tips today there is a
discussion of fuel starvation that makes regular mention of the fuel
selector switch. All my flying is done in a CE172 and the first and
last time I worry about the switch is during pre-flight when I confirm
that it is on both. I fly on both and never fly any other way and to
be honest, outside of gravity flow issues when parked on an incline I
cannot think of why one would want to select one tank at a time vs
both.

On Oct 5, 2:47 pm, es330td wrote:
Sorry if this is dumb (I am only at 8.3 hours toward my PPL)...

In the email I got from AOPA ePilot training tips today there is a
discussion of fuel starvation that makes regular mention of the fuel
selector switch. All my flying is done in a CE172 and the first and
last time I worry about the switch is during pre-flight when I confirm
that it is on both. I fly on both and never fly any other way and to
be honest, outside of gravity flow issues when parked on an incline I
cannot think of why one would want to select one tank at a time vs
both.

The POH will answer that.

-Kees

On Oct 5, 9:03 am, wrote:
On Oct 5, 2:47 pm, es330td wrote:

Sorry if this is dumb (I am only at 8.3 hours toward my PPL)...

In the email I got from AOPA ePilot training tips today there is a
discussion of fuel starvation that makes regular mention of the fuel
selector switch. All my flying is done in a CE172 and the first and
last time I worry about the switch is during pre-flight when I confirm
that it is on both. I fly on both and never fly any other way and to
be honest, outside of gravity flow issues when parked on an incline I
cannot think of why one would want to select one tank at a time vs
both.

The POH will answer that.

-Kees

I bought one two days ago. I should finish reading it this weekend.
Thanks.

Some times after some maneuvers.. or continuous pattern work with not that
great coordination.. you may find one tank (wing) heavier than the other
because the fuel is unbalanced. select the heavier (fuller) tank for a few
minutes and monitor to rebalance, then back to "both".

Of course.. training to select one tank or the other for single tank
operations, prepares one for flying other aircraft.

BT


"es330td" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 5, 9:03 am, wrote:
On Oct 5, 2:47 pm, es330td wrote:

Sorry if this is dumb (I am only at 8.3 hours toward my PPL)...

In the email I got from AOPA ePilot training tips today there is a
discussion of fuel starvation that makes regular mention of the fuel
selector switch. All my flying is done in a CE172 and the first and
last time I worry about the switch is during pre-flight when I confirm
that it is on both. I fly on both and never fly any other way and to
be honest, outside of gravity flow issues when parked on an incline I
cannot think of why one would want to select one tank at a time vs
both.

The POH will answer that.

-Kees

I bought one two days ago. I should finish reading it this weekend.
Thanks.

wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 5, 2:47 pm, es330td wrote:
Sorry if this is dumb (I am only at 8.3 hours toward my PPL)...

In the email I got from AOPA ePilot training tips today there is a
discussion of fuel starvation that makes regular mention of the fuel
selector switch. All my flying is done in a CE172 and the first and
last time I worry about the switch is during pre-flight when I confirm
that it is on both. I fly on both and never fly any other way and to
be honest, outside of gravity flow issues when parked on an incline I
cannot think of why one would want to select one tank at a time vs
both.

The POH will answer that.


Wise ass.

On Oct 5, 3:21 pm, "Maxwell" wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...

On Oct 5, 2:47 pm, es330td wrote:
Sorry if this is dumb (I am only at 8.3 hours toward my PPL)...

In the email I got from AOPA ePilot training tips today there is a
discussion of fuel starvation that makes regular mention of the fuel
selector switch. All my flying is done in a CE172 and the first and
last time I worry about the switch is during pre-flight when I confirm
that it is on both. I fly on both and never fly any other way and to
be honest, outside of gravity flow issues when parked on an incline I
cannot think of why one would want to select one tank at a time vs
both.

The POH will answer that.

Wise ass.

Thank you.

On Fri, 5 Oct 2007 08:21:50 -0500, "Maxwell"
wrote:


The POH will answer that.


Wise ass.


What's up with that?

Getting a new pilot into the habit of going to the POH _first_, is a
bad thing? G

On Oct 5, 11:53 am, B A R R Y wrote:
On Fri, 5 Oct 2007 08:21:50 -0500, "Maxwell"
wrote:



The POH will answer that.

Wise ass.

What's up with that?

Getting a new pilot into the habit of going to the POH _first_, is a
bad thing? G

The POH for the 1958 Luscombe I used to fly had a 10-page POH. I
imagine the older cessna models were the same.

Besides, how many times have you really switched tanks in a 172? The
last time I tried to turn the fuel switch in a 172 to demonstrate to a
student, it felt like I might break something. It probably has never
been touched in years.

The OP has a damn good question, so telling him to "go read the POH'
is very patronizing and reflects poorly on all pilots' attitudes
towards new students. And you wonder why the student population is
declining in aviation. I once flew with a smart-ass CFI like this. I
flew with him only once, and unfortunately that experience kept me
from coming back for a long time. Be careful about how you treat new
comers to aviation.

On Fri, 05 Oct 2007 20:23:10 -0700, Andrew Sarangan
wrote:

The OP has a damn good question, so telling him to "go read the POH'
is very patronizing and reflects poorly on all pilots' attitudes
towards new students.

OK, so HIS "read the POH" response was a tad harsh, but the overall
message remains a good one.

Be careful about how you treat new
comers to aviation.

You can point someone toward a basic reference in a manner that's
neither condescending or demeaning. G

So perhaps a more pleasant tone would be better?

es330td wrote:
Sorry if this is dumb (I am only at 8.3 hours toward my PPL)...

In the email I got from AOPA ePilot training tips today there is a
discussion of fuel starvation that makes regular mention of the fuel
selector switch. All my flying is done in a CE172 and the first and
last time I worry about the switch is during pre-flight when I confirm
that it is on both. I fly on both and never fly any other way and to
be honest, outside of gravity flow issues when parked on an incline I
cannot think of why one would want to select one tank at a time vs
both.

All aircraft fuel systems aren't as simple as they are in the 172. All
Aircraft can't use gravity feed either.

Let's take for example the little 601XL I'm building. It is low wing and the
fuel pumps move the fuel from the wing tanks to the engine. No as an
experiment to see what would happen if there were a both setting on the fuel
selector take a glass of water and two drinking straws. Put on of the straws
in the glass and hold the other out side the glass. Put both straws in your
mouth and suck.