Checkride Preparation

DPE Selection
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/may/flight-training-magazine/checkride-selecting-examiner

Prepare to:

Know your airplane and all of its systems, including Autopilot if equipped.

Know your airspace rules and procedures (Charlie / Bravo radio acknowledgement, Bravo must be cleared into Bravo etc)

Know your night and day flying limitations. 90 day rule with landings for night flying etc.

Practice maneuvers such as steep turns, slow flight, stalls, approach descent and landing items.

Aviation Parks and Land with Runways

America is unique in that flying from place to place is actually possible on your own. With roads filling with cars and congestion, the dream of taking to the air has never been so appealing than in 2019.

Links to Aviation Property:

California
http://www.aviationacres.com/californiaairports.asp

North And South Carolina
http://www.carolinaairparks.com/w_airstrips.htm

Oklahoma
http://airportproperty.net/airok.htm

Stage 7 Check C172SP

--> Clearing Turns [Always do them]
--> Set Flight Following before Taxi.
--> Use Taxi Diagram
--> Briefing

Engine Failure in Flight
Vg 68. Best GlideSpeed
Fuel Shutoff - In
Fuel Selector - Both
Restart (if time/altitude permits)
--> Aux Fuel Pump - On, Mixture - Enrich, Ignition Switch Both
--> Start (if Prop stopped)
--> Aux Fuel Pump - Off (if restarts)
Check Fuel Flow, if Zero Aux Fuel Pump back on

-> Airspace Categories. C and D require 2-way radio contact to enter. C requires also Mode-C Transponder.
-> Pilot and Equipment Requirements
-> Bravo (B) Airspace requires explicit "Clear into Bravo"

Special Use Airspace.
-> MTR - Military Training Routes
-> WARM-PC. Warning, Alert, Restricted, MOA, Prohibited, Controlled-Firing Area.
Restricted: Unusual often invisible hazards such as aerial gunnery or guided missiles.

Flight Systems:
-> KLN94 GPS
-> Autopilot Usage

 Cessna 172SP Airspeeds:
Vspeeds
40-Stall speed full flaps
48-Stall speed no flaps. "Clean Configuration"
55-Rotation Speed no flaps. "Normal Takeoff"
62-Vx Best Angle of Climb for obstacle clearance
68- Vg Best Glide Speed
74-Vy Best Rate of Climb
105- Va. Maneuvering Speed at Max Gross Weight.
110- Vfe. Flaps 10 Max Speed to deploy Flap 10 Deg.
129- Vno. Max Structural Cruising Speed. Beginning of Yellow Arc.
163- Vne. Never Exceed. Red Line on Airspeed Indicator.

Airspeed Indicator
 40-85   White Arc: Full Flap Operating Range
48-129 Green Arc: Normal Operating Range

Source: https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/topic/153898-cessna-172-airspeed-indicator-grey-arc-at-bottom/

Weather
https://www.cfinotebook.net/notebook/weather-and-atmosphere/weather-fronts

Ice Pellets on surface indicate: Temperature inversion with rain falling through colder air which then freezes during its descent as ice pellets.

Thunderstorms can form on warm & humid days.
Top reaches 40,000 feet or more. --> Cannot climb over.
Supercell - Tornadoes can result.
Multicell - also called Squall Line. Multiple Thunderstorms

https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac%2000-24c.pdf
Mature Phase- both up-drafts and down-drafts. Microbursts are down-drafts.

Source: https://www.weather.gov/iln/skywarn_guide

Anvil Cloud of Thunderstorm
https://www.weather.gov/iln/skywarn_guide

Lenticular Clouds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_cloud

Altimeter Setting
-> If not available, adjust to departure airport.

Approach
-> Pilots of inbound aircraft should monitor and communicate 10 miles out

Airspace
https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/courses/content/25/185/vfr%20weather%20minimums.pdf

VOT
http://www.askacfi.com/3681/vot-vor-test-facility.htm

Preventive Maintenance:
https://www.cfinotebook.net/notebook/rules-and-regulations/preventative-maintenance

Questions
FAA advisory circulars containing subject matter specifically related to Airmen.
60

924S Waterpump Bolts Sheared. Resources

8 Waterpump Bolts and 4 studs, length 45mm.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#93275a014/=2qgbbj
50 mm M6 Studs for waterpump

Extractor also necessary if you can't back the sheared studs or bolts out.
These I purchased from Harbor Freight.

Left Hand Twist Drills can also work with drills that can run in reverse to remove bolts.

If your radiator is in place, you will need to use a short drill or angle drill. I found one at Harbor Freight for $30 which was excellent. Link to Drill.

In one case, my extractor itself broke. This required a carbide "burr" (search on Amazon) to be used with the drill to remove the hardened steel insert. The process was time consuming and led to the problem of "enlarged bolt hole"

For bolt holes which are too enlarged, I use Stanley Helicoil, a tap kit to allow stainless inserts to thread into oversized holes. My Helicoil (only 1 needed) was for M8!
Clean and re-clean the gasket surface, and use a new gasket with your new waterpump. My replacement came from URO on Amazon.

Flight School Acronymns

Learning to fly has never been more full of more useless acronyms than today.

Five P's (SRM)
Plan
Plane
Pilot
Passengers (not that this one is second to the last!)
Programming

Three (More) P's (ADM)
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/media/faa-h-8083-2.pdf

Perceive
Process
Perform

WARMPC? Who comes up with this stuff?
W – Warning Area
A – Alert Area
R – Restricted Area
M – Military Operations Area (MOA)
P – Prohibited Area
C – Controlled Firing Area

N – National Security TFR

ALERTS? [Ok this one is somewhat useful]
A - Airspeed - Maintain best glide speed. 68 Knots in the 172SP
L - Landing site - Locate.
E - Engine. Restart if time permits.
R - Radio - 121.5 Mayday Mayday Mayday Tail Number
T - Transponder - Set to 7700 = emergency
S - Seatbelts - Ensure they are secure

IMSAFE?
I- Illness
M- Medication

S- Stress
A- Alcohol. None within 8 hours of flight. [Airports are conveniently full of bars as are hotels that all Pilots stay...]
F- Fatigue [Crew scheduling makes sure that pilots are fully utilized. This is a controversial one.]
E- Emotional Issues and/or Eating enough!


A TOMATO FLAMES? [VFR Daytime Required Equipment]
Anti Collision Light System (part of preflight check)
 Tachometer
Oil Pressure
Manifold pressure
Airspeed Indicator
Temp Gauge
Oil Temp Gauge
 Fuel Level Indicator
Landing Gear Extend/Retract indicator (if applicable)
Altimeter
Magnetic Compass
ELT
Saftey Belt


NWKRAFT? [14 CFR 91.103]
Notams
Weather
Known ATC Delays (uncommon)
Runway Length
Alternates
Fuel
Takeoff and Landing Distances

Decide Model
Detect
Estimate
Checklist/Choose
i
Do
Evaluate

PAVE Checklist
Pilot
Airplane
Environment
External

924S Cooling System. Testing Why Radiator Fan Doesn't Come On

I lost the water pump at the end of a nice country-drive and had a long 100 mile tow to get home. (about $500!) With the water pump now replaced, I am not seeing the radiator fan come on unless I flip the air conditioning on.

Once the car is powered off, Coolant seems to be leaking from under the engine close to the water pump, but at a slow trickle.  There is no sign of white smoke from the tail pipe or of frothy oil.

Facts:
-> During period that water pump failed, I continued to drive the engine "hot" to get to a safe place. I refilled the coolant once and then stopped a second time. After the tow, I didn't restart the engine until I had replaced the water pump. However, the engine tends to overheat and it seems that the coolant is not circulating. Fan Resistance: Drivers Side: 400 Ohm, Passenger's: 1300 Ohms.

-> When I replaced the Water pump and removed the M6-1.0 studs, most broke in their holes. I therefore replaced the studs with 1/4" 20 tpi stainless bolts. The torque spec used was lower, and the waterpump gasket seal may not have been torqued down sufficiently as a result. That would explain the coolant loss from around the waterpump gasket.

-> Following this Clark's Garage procedure, the fans can power on in both low and high modes.
http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/cool-01.htm

-> The thermostat was reused and not tested before assembly.

Next Steps:
-> Remove the water pump a second time, test the thermostat and check the gasket for signs of leakage. Use some sealant and correct torque spec for bolts and reinstall.

-> Bleed and Retest the Cooling System

Tokyo National Museum

Stirrup embellished in a rather amazing 1800's Art Deco-esque style including a boat

Can't read this, but it's beautiful.

Shrine outside of the Ueno Park area surrounding the Museum.