Fuel Gauge Inop VFR Day

"Ice blonde" wrote:
No arguement from me. It just seems that a fuel gauge is not as
important as the attitude indicator yet the attitude indicator is not
required. Though fuel is a major part of keeping you in the air as
opposed to in the ground.

Interesting, but I suppose logically the fuel itself is more important
than the gauge, just as the pilot is more important than altitude
indicator?

I mean, if you know how much fuel you have, and how long it will keep
you in the air, could you gauge it by time? Also if flying in good
visiblity could you fly without an altitude indicator?

Thanks


Fuel is no doubt more important than the fuel gauge. Altitude indicator is
a required instrument for VFR Day but the Attitude indicator is not.

--
Mike Flyin'8
PP-ASEL
Temecula, CA
http://flying.4alexanders.com

Fuel is no doubt more important than the fuel gauge. Altitude indicator is
a required instrument for VFR Day but the Attitude indicator is not.

LOL and there was me thinking you just can't spell :-)

OK, do enlighten me about the ATTITUDE indicator??

Regards

"Ice blonde" wrote in message
ups.com...
I mean, if you know how much fuel you have, and how long it will keep
you in the air, could you gauge it by time?

Not if there's a leak you don't know about.

--Gary

"rps" wrote in message
oups.com...
As far as I can tell, the regs say that a fuel gage is required and
operable. It doesn't say that it has to be accurate.

My entire primary training (some years ago) was done in ancient 150's,
152's, and 172's whose fuel gages were notoriously unreliable. Unless
the regs (or their interpretation) have changed since then, it's
probably okay to fly with an inaccurate gage.

You may want to check with the FBO/mechanic/owner to find out what they
really mean by "inop." If it's not reading the correct value, you're
probably ok. If something is broken, then the plane's probably
unairworthy.

Could you not empty the fuel tank, and then, the fuel gauge pointing to
empty is correct?

Just a thought.
--
Jim in NC

Ice blonde wrote:
OK, do enlighten me about the ATTITUDE indicator??

it used to be called 'artificial horizon'...

as for fuel gages: I have always been told never to
trust the thing; if you know how much fuel you have
when you depart (which you should), and do simple
arithmetics (say, it will burn so much an hour during
the climb, so much during cruise and descent -- numbers
which you get from the performance data of the aircraft
documentation which you should of course study) -- and
keep good track of your progress during the flight -- you
can guestimate how much fuel you'll have when you arrive
quite accurately (and with a bit of experience with one
specific aircraft you'll get more accurate). It's a fun
little game to play when flying cross country, see how
close one can predict fuel usage (which can be verified
when refueling at the end) -- i.e., with of course a
comfortable reserve (I don't like surprises);

--Sylvain

wrote in message
...
It just seems that a fuel gauge is not as important
as the attitude indicator yet the attitude indicator is not required.

Why is an attitude indicator important if you can look out the window? In
instrument conditions, a working attitude indicator is indeed required.
(It's true, though, that there are some nominally VFR conditions--such as
flying at night over water--that can require flying by instruments; and
there is arguably a gap in the FARs with regard to requiring an attitude
indicator in those conditions.)

--Gary

Gary Drescher wrote:
Not if there's a leak you don't know about.

fair enough. I wouldn't trust the gage for fuel
management, but if the things show zero or
low when it shouldn't, it is a good idea to
land and investigate...

--Sylvain

It just seems that a fuel gauge is not as important
as the attitude indicator yet the attitude indicator is not required.

The attitude indicator is not at all important for day VFR flying, which
is what the context of the OP was. In IFR conditions, the fuel gauge is
very important.

Jose
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Sylvain" wrote in message
...
Gary Drescher wrote:
Not if there's a leak you don't know about.

fair enough. I wouldn't trust the gage for fuel
management, but if the things show zero or
low when it shouldn't, it is a good idea to
land and investigate...

Exactly. It's a matter of redundancy. You should always trust the *lower* of
your calculated remaining fuel, and what your fuel gauges tell you.

--Gary

I do believe Mike Flyin'8 was making a play on words....

Fuel is no doubt more important than the fuel gauge. Altitude indicator is
a required instrument for VFR Day but the Attitude indicator is not.

The attitude indicator is not at all important for day VFR flying, which
is what the context of the OP was. In IFR conditions, the fuel gauge is
very important.

Regards