Still have a compass?

On Wednesday, November 20, 2013 6:37:28 PM UTC-6, wrote:
Thanks Burt for your input.
So a "courtesy" inspection finds no compass and you get written up.
What would a "ticket" involve?
Is it feasible to get a waiver from the FAA on the no compass issue?

First, it ain't no "courtesy" inspection. This is a surprise FAA "surveillance" of your documents and your aircraft. It is part of the FAA Inspector's duties and I hear that they are never "off duty."

If all looks good to the FAA Inspector except for a minor item, then hopefully they might make a suggestion for you to fix the item.

Next, I've never received a "ticket". I simply educate myself as to what's required by the FAA rules and keep my towplanes, sailplanes and my airman paperwork in order. While this r.a.s newsgroup can be informative (with some well-meaning advice and occasional loophole probing), it's the FAA rules and your FSDO's policies that are the bottom line. And ask your A&P mechanic with Inspection Authorization (IA.) They sign your aircraft logbook at the annual and want to keep their IA designation.

You want a "waiver"? Go ask your FSDO Airworthiness Inspector, if you dare to open that Pandora's box!
Then again, usually they are helpful. Usually . . . (and let us know if you are granted a waiver for no compass.)

"Compliance" is typically all the FAA will ask for . . . and maybe ground your aircraft in an extreme situation, like if they see dozens of little tiny cracks in your gelcoat (!) I suppose that a ramp check is like a box of chocolates . . . you never know what you are going to get.

Thanks Burt for your input.So a "courtesy" inspection finds no compass and you get written up. What would a "ticket" involve?

Is it feasible to get a waiver from the FAA on the no compass issue?

Thanks Burt for your input.So a "courtesy" inspection finds no compass and you get written up. What would a "ticket" involve?

Is it feasible to get a waiver from the FAA on the no compass issue?

I'm Canadian so yes, I have a compass in my glider. I wish I wasn't required to have one because I would like to use the panel space for something more useful but the operating and flight rules as well as my type certificate mandate one. I put a PAI vertical card unit in so I would at least have a compass rose to refer to. I took a look at the FAR's out of curiosity and was surprised by how little there was in there relating to gliders. As pointed out 91.205 doesn't apply to gliders, is there any section of the FAR's that does spell out anything about required equipment etc.?

On Wednesday, November 20, 2013 9:00:25 AM UTC-8, wrote:
So your owner's manual states a mechanical compass is required as minimum equipment. Fact is the sailplane has three GPS sources all with separate batteries. Has anyone been extended a "pass" by a FAA inspector on this?



If you license your sailplane experimental...would the FAA still insist the sailplane have a mechanical compass?



A liquid-filled ball compass with a suction cup meets the requirement as written but certainly not as intended.

Jeez, you are all Americans? trained in 2-33's? Look at item 6, page 1-2 in the Schweizer Manual: Instruments - Front only, ASI is required. Additional instruments may be added...
A naturalized citizen and recent CFI-G - which is why I research all this stuff.

Like the Discus, my Lak 17 POH specifies a compass when cloud flying. Moreover, it stipulates that it must be compensated.

The standard “E2” type compass would meet this requirement, but is almost useless at normal gliding angles of bank. Slow though North, won’t go to South but flicks back. Only roughly right at E and W, if it catches up without lag.

In the UK we used to have a non-compensated compass, by Cook, that could be set to the bank angle and read true except for uncompensated errors. Far more useful, but does not meet the POH requirement,

Bohli can do it like the Cook compass – but I don’t know if Bohli can be compensated.

It is an impractical and almost useless legal requirement, imho.

I don’t know of any ramp check while in cloud, fortunately.

Chris N

According to the LAK-17a flight manual, only for cloud flying.


wrote in message
...
The Discus 2 only needs a compas for cloud flying per the manual.
Glen

Yes, the COOK compass was/is very useful for coming out of cloud
on the right heading; I still have one on the shelf.
It could be compensated with tiny bar magnets inserted in one
of two orthogonal holes in the bottom. Why bother so long
as it shows the right quadrant?

John F

At 11:57 21 November 2013, Chris Nicholas wrote:
Like the Discus, my Lak 17 POH specifies a compass when cloud flying.
More=
over, it stipulates that it must be compensated.

The standard =93E2=94 type compass would meet this requirement, but is
alm=
ost useless at normal gliding angles of bank. Slow though North, won=92t
go=
to South but flicks back. Only roughly right at E and W, if it catches
up
=
without lag.

In the UK we used to have a non-compensated compass, by Cook, that could
be=
set to the bank angle and read true except for uncompensated errors. Far
m=
ore useful, but does not meet the POH requirement,=20

Bohli can do it like the Cook compass =96 but I don=92t know if Bohli can
b=
e compensated.

It is an impractical and almost useless legal requirement, imho.

I don=92t know of any ramp check while in cloud, fortunately.

Chris N

If your glider has a standard cert but a compass is not required in your manual, but you want one anyway, could you use a non TSO'd one or even an auto compass?

My SZD 51-1 POH states "factory equipment necessary for flight" includes
Slip and Turn Indicator EZS-4

Classified Experimental

The only installed slip indicator is the yaw string (and I just passed my annual).

I guess I'm just "sticking it to the man".