Prop to High RPM on downwind

"Brenor Brophy" wrote in message
news
Jim talked about speed not power. The point is that the power is already
reduced to the point where the Prop control does nothing (the prop is at
its stops) so pushing the prop control to fine pitch does nothing - the
prop is already at its finest pitch because the governor set it there
trying to maintain whatever RPM setting (say 2200) you had set for cruise

I'm talking about power though, which is the point here. In my airplane, if
I push the prop control to full fine pitch while in the pattern, I will
require a significantly high RPM to have enough power to maintain level
flight at my pattern speed (which is, coincidently, the same speed I fly my
approach). Many airplanes have this characteristic.

Similarly, even in an airplane where the required power setting is
relatively quiet, you can still be even quieter if you pull the prop back
further. Who cares if your cruise setting was 2200 RPM? If you're trying
to fly friendly, then fly a power setting that slows the prop down even
more. 2000, 1800 RPM, whatever it takes to get that prop back off the stops
at your current power setting.

Bottom line: from level flight in the pattern, it requires a power reduction
to descend to the runway. If the prop is at fine pitch during that level
flight segment, it doesn't need to be, and you could reduce prop RPM (and
noise) even further. By doing so, you'll fly quieter and more efficiently
(not that efficiency really matters so late in the flight).

I recognize that many people call it "good enough" and don't bother to try
to get their airplane any quieter. But IMHO, it's pretty hypocritical to
claim to be in favor of not pushing the prop control to max RPM until the
power is set low enough, but to not be willing to minimize one's noise
footprint by reducing RPM in the pattern as well.

Pete