Touring Machine Company

A Cessna 421 pilot describes his experiences flying for a small company in the 27’s and 80’s. Link

The last flight of a Cessna 421 Link

Most of my trips to the LA area are flights under the Class B airspace to Santa Monica or Riverside. I always use flight following, and I’m especially glad for it in the LA basin. They’ll help you navigate around the Class C and D airspace. A few times they’ve cleared me to climb into Class B on the way out of KSMO—rather than remaining below 5,000′. Until recently I never planned to fly through Class B airspace. Instead, I have used the Special Flight Rules Area to cross over KLAX and land at Hawthorne or I’ve flown above 10,000′ and above the CLass B. (Now that they have an expensive FBO, I no longer use Hawthorne for dropping off and picking up relatives. Santa Monica is easier and cheaper.)

The Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) is the only transition route that does not require a clearance from ATC. When flying south, ATC will drop you a few miles from SMO and you are on your own to fly the transition. The terminal area chart is fairly straightforward, but be sure to read the fine print. (Set your transponder to 1201, talk on 128.55, turn on all your lights, and limit your speed to 140 kts.) I like to descend to 3,500′, fly direct to the Santa Monica VOR, then get aligned on the 132° radial. I announce my intentions after being dropped by ATC, crossing the VOR, crossing LAX, and when leaving the SFRA. If you are continuing south, ask ATC for the frequency to use for flight following on the other side of the SFRA. It’s not on the chart and is not always the same. If you are going to Hawthorne, you are above their Class D airspace when you exit the SFRA. Just give them a call and they’ll usually clear you directly into a left downwind to Rwy 25. Towers in LA will assume that you are familiar with the VFR waypoints depicted on the chart and with the freeways. It would not be unusual for KHHR tower to tell you to start your base turn before reaching the 110 Freeway. Class B airspace starts just north of the centerline, so don’t overshoot. When leaving Hawthorne for the return trip, you’ll need to get up to 4,500′ before entering the SFRA. The easiest way is to request a box climb. Take off just like you’d do for a left downwind departure. Turn left base and final and fly over the runway. Continue the circuit until you are sure you can reach 4,500′ at the SFRA. It usually takes me just one circuit. Then just reverse the procedure and fly the 128° radial to SMO.

A few weeks ago when flying south from KSBP to KSNA I used the Special Flight Rules Area to transition the LA Class Bravo airpace. Before I started, I checked the weather and knew that the clouds would be broken and scattered at 3-4000′ at the destination. That is frequently the case for airports near the coast in the LA basin so I decided that after crossing the Class B I would descend below the clouds for the approach into KSNA. The clouds were fairly solid in the SFRA but I saw LAX below me. After leaving the Class B airspace I desended though an opening in the clouds and proceeded towards the coast. I had to dodge the clouds quite a bit and several times had to tell ATC that an assigned heading wouldn’t work because of clouds. In retrospect, I should have remained above the clouds until near KSNA and then flown inland before descending through the cloud breaks. After picking up a passenger at KSNA, I began to climb to 4,500′ to use the SFRA for our return. I had climbed to 6,000′ and ATC asked whether I’d prefer to use the Shoreline Route. They cleared me through the Class B on the Shoreline Route at 6,500′ and we flew it to LAX. When we reached LAX we were directed to fly a heading, rather than the 323° radial of LAX. There are no speed restrictions on this route—other than the normal Class B and under 10,000′ limits, which aren’t an issue for me.

I’ve never used the Mini-Route because the fine print indicates that it is only available from midnight to 6:30. However, that isn’t normally true. I flew it with an instructor who is based at KSMO and he talked me through the fine points. (Disclaimer: What follows is my recollection of the procedures we followed. Use at your own risk.) First, LAX must be reporting a ceiling of 3,000′ and visibility of 3 miles and KSMO and KHHR must be VFR. Second, make sure you are familiar with the VFR reporting points. (White LMU letters on the ground south of KSMO and the Hawthorne/405 Freeway intersection and Alondra Park south of Hawthorne.) Third, you need a clearance from LAX before entering their airspace. You’ll be instructed to proceed to these points and hold until you receive your clearance. That’s why you need to be able to identify them from the air. Fourth, they are extremely picky about the altitude. They sometimes clear more than one aircraft through and expect you to be at the assigned altitude. When I flew through it going south I was initially cleared through at 2,500′ (as published) but then told to descend to 2,000′ and another aircraft was cleared through above me. Clearances are similar to IFR clearances and unless you fly here often, you’ll want to write them down. My clearance from KSMO southbound was to fly the Mini Route at 2,500′, remain clear of the Class B, contact LAX tower on 119.8, and squawk 0201. My clearance from KHHR northbound was to proceed to the Hawthorne/405 Intersection, then Alondra Park, fly the Mini Route at 2,500′, remain clear of the Class B, contact LAX tower on 119.8, and squawk 0232. According to the instructor, he never has a problem getting a clearance but often has to hold while other aircraft are transitioned though.

There isn’t anything particularly difficult about these three routes. You do need to be really familiar with them before getting in the airplane and have the chart open on your lap. An autopilot is helpful, but not required. They are all VOR based so a GPS isn’t required. Be prepared to deviate from any published procedure at ATCs direction.

I’ve used checklists that you can purchase for planes but haven’t liked them too much. Since I only fly planes I own, I’ve gotten into the habit of making detailed checklists that contain a lot of information from the Operating Handbook that I need to know but may forget. I used to print checklists on half sheets of paper but recently I’ve been using 4×6 index cards. I keep them in cheap photo albums that I got at the dollar store. I break the checklists into specific phases of flight—more granular than most. The 4×6 cards are just the right size for two phases of flight.

A couple things to note. As you may know, I dislike GUMPS intensely so my checklist uses C-FARTS and B-RAAGS. I use the checklist for most phases of flight but for some—like takeoff and landing, I just review the list before that phase of flight.

I also keep things like VFR minimums and airspeed limits with my checklists. I haven’t typed up all of the emergency procedures yet—they’re handwritten still. When I have them I’ll add them to the list.

There are two versions at the moment, PDF and Rich Text. I wrote the documents in Bean, so if you are using a different word processor you may need to adjust the margins. You may also need to do some substitutions for things like & and ½.

Checklists

Airspace (pdf)
Airspace (rtf)

Cessna T210L (pdf)
Cessna T210L (rtf)

Cherokee 140 (pdf)
Cherokee 140 (rtf)

Carbon monoxide isn’t usually a problem with well-maintained aircraft, however, it’s enough of a risk that many people use CO monitors to detect concentrations while flying. Most sound an alarm at a preset level and many read the concentration in parts per million (PPM). One of the students brought his monitor and we used it on a flight. The monitor read 13-15 ppm when the door of the Cherokee was open while taxiing and 3-4 ppm in flight. The question though was is that good or bad?

Wikipedia has an article on carbon monoxide that reports various concentrations.

Carbon monoxide commonly occurs in various natural and artificial environments. Here are some typical concentrations:

      0.1 ppm - natural background atmosphere level
 0.5 to 5 ppm - average background level in homes
  5 to 15 ppm - levels near properly adjusted gas stoves in homes
  100-200 ppm - Mexico City central area from autos etc.
    5,000 ppm - chimney of a home wood fire
    7,000 ppm - undiluted warm car exhaust - without catalytic converter

A different article has the effects on the body of various concentrations.

In the United States, OSHA limits long-term workplace exposure levels to 50 ppm.

From this information it looks like even the levels found when starting up aren’t particularly worrisome.
The levels while flying are good—about the same as in most homes. Both levels are below the threshold where effects are noted.

Several sources state that the effects are amplified at high altitude, but I can’t find any specific numbers. It makes sense though. CO isn’t released by the hemoglobin and as you get higher there is less oxygen in the air so the effects of hypoxia—not necessarily CO poisoning—are definitely amplified.

When pre-flighting, look for gray-white powdery residue around the gaskets for the exhaust pipes, at the seams of the muffler, and where the tailpipe connects to the muffler. Also look for any cracks in the system. The gases are under pressure so you may find residue a few inches away from the leak on the firewall, cylinders, or cowl.

Mike Busch has an interesting article on the prevalence of CO poisoning in aircraft accidents and he tests some units that were on the market in 2003.

Positive ground depends on proper circuit functioning, which is the transmission of negative ions by retention of the visible spectral manifestation known as “smoke”..

Smoke is the thing that makes electrical circuits work. We know this to be true because every time one lets the smoke out of an electrical circuit, it stops working. This can be verified repeatedly through empirical testing. For example, if one places a copper bar across the terminals of a battery, prodigious quantities of smoke are liberated and the battery shortly ceases to function. In addition, if one observes smoke escaping from an electrical component such as a Lucas voltage regulator, it will also be observed that the component no longer functions. The logic is elementary and inescapable! The function of the wiring harness is to conduct the smoke from one device to another. When the wiring springs a leak and lets all the smoke out of the system, nothing works afterward.

In conclusion, the basic concept of transmission of electrical energy in the form of smoke provides a logical explanation of the mysteries of electrical components – especially British units manufactured by Joseph Lucas, Ltd.

If your airplane has a split master switch, one half provides current to the alternator field windings and that side can be turned off during engine start to reduce the load on the battery. Once the engine is running, the alternator field side of the master switch can be turned back on to provide electricity to the rest of the electrical system. This procedure will not be found in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook.—Bob Gardner

It’s common sense, when you think about it. With both halves of the switch ON, the alternator field windings are connected across the battery, creating a drain in addition to that drawn by the starter…and the alternator can’t make electricity until the engine is rotating anyway. So why keep that load across the battery? Turn off the alternator side, directing all battery voltage to the starter, and only then put the alternator field windings into play.—Bob Gardner

By watching the ammeter as you do this, you can verify the charging system function and confirm that the starter relay has not hung up which can turn the starter into a generator at higher RPM’s and fry parts of the electrical system and avionics. It also makes for easier starts in cold weather for the reasons the other posters mention.

When you start you should see negative ammeter deflection and any alternator warning lights should come on. After the engine is running. bring the alternator on line and the ammeter should switch over to positive deflection and taper back to zero within about a minute. The alternator warning lights should go out. After you have done this a few times in a plane, you’ll be able to spot any change in charging system function quiet easily.

You can even get an insight into battery condition. If you’ve drained it by having lights on for your preflight, running flaps ups and down, etc. You’ll see a larger ammeter deflection. If you see that deflection without a reason, it may mean something is going south in the charging system.

The only reason I have heard not to do this all the time is that the alternator has a sudden load thrown on it. This may be an issue for alternators directly driven by expensive gear trains but I think the belt driven ones have a pretty good shock absorber in the belt. — Roger Long

An owner may update the database of a panel-mounted GPS because it falls under preventive maintenance.
Appendix A to Part 43 —Major Alterations, Major Repairs, and Preventive Maintenance

(c) Preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance is limited to the following work, provided it does not involve complex assembly operations: …
(32) Updating self-contained, front instrument panel-mounted Air Traffic Control (ATC) navigational software data bases…

§ 43.9 requires maintenance record entries for preventive maintenance.

(a) Maintenance record entries. Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, each person who maintains, performs preventive maintenance, rebuilds, or alters an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or component part shall make an entry in the maintenance record of that equipment containing the following information:

(1) A description (or reference to data acceptable to the Administrator) of work performed.

(2) The date of completion of the work performed.

(3) The name of the person performing the work if other than the person specified in paragraph (a)(4) of this section.

(4) If the work performed on the aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or component part has been performed satisfactorily, the signature, certificate number, and kind of certificate held by the person approving the work. The signature constitutes the approval for return to service only for the work performed.

So to summarize, updating the database on a panel mounted GPS is considered preventive maintenance and the regulations require an entry in the maintenance record of that equipment and “The signature constitutes the approval for return to service only for the work performed.”

Based on these requirements I wondered if anyone actually completes a logbook entry each month when updating the nav database on their GPS. I posted the question to the CPA forum and got some interesting answers. Some people do update the aircraft logs and others keep a piece of paper in the aircraft with the most recent date of update. While it’s fairly clear when the GPS is turned on if the database is current, that’s not good enough for compliance with the regs since there is no signature and date for when the maintenance was performed. (Likewise the date of the last VOR check that is recorded by the Garmin SL30 is useful information, but does not satisfy the requirement since there is no signature.)

David Bunin clarified that:
“Okay, first of all, the regulations NEVER say LOGBOOK. They say ‘maintenance records’. That could be anything.”

My take-away is that a separate logbook for that piece of equipment can be kept in the plane for recording the database updates. The logbook becomes part of the maintenance records for the aircraft.

I already have a logbook for recording VOR checks that I keep in the plane and I have started logging the updates to the database in it as well.

Get out a sectional and look at the radials that define Victor airways between two VORs. (Note the radial is usually printed just outside the compass rose although sometimes other objects on the chart are in the way and it is inside the compass rose.) Frequently, the two radials are reciprocals, but often they differ—sometimes by a two or three degrees. The difference is due differences in magnetic variation over time and distance.

Once a VOR is in place it is not re-calibrated as the magnetic variation changes, so we see differences between two VORs built at different times. The closer the VORs are to the magnetic north pole the closer the isogonic lines are to each other and the more likely that differences are due to differences in magnetic variation between the two locations.

At my home airport, Victor 113 between Morro Bay (MQO) and Paso Robles (PRB) is a segment that is 26 nm long but is defined by the 358° radial from MQO and the 179° radial from PRB. Use Runwayfinder.com with MQO/V;PRB/V as the route of flight to see the airway.

We know that magnetic variation changes from place to place, but that isn’t the reason that these two are aligned to a different Magnetic North. The reason is that they were constructed at different times. AirNav has details on when various navaids were constructed and the magnetic variation at that time. We see that for PRB Variation: 16E (1975) and for MQO Variation: 16E (1965). Currently the variation in that area is 15°E. The most likely explanation is that magnetic variation of MQO is slightly greater than 16° and PRB is slightly less than 16° and the rounding error adds up to about a 1° difference over time.

A better example of change over time is V583 between Leona (LOA Variation: 08E 1965) and Frankston (FZT Variation: 06E 1990). Victor 583 out of LOA is on the 013 Radial and out of Frankston it is on the 196° radial. Use Runwayfinder.com with LOA/V;FZT/V as the route of flight to see the airway.

Park Rapids (PKD Variation: 04E 1995) and Brainerd (BRD Variation: 03E 1995) were built in the same year and are 54 miles apart, but the magnetic variation is 1° between them. Victor 55 out of PKD is on the 123° radial and out of Brainerd it is on the 305° radial. Apparently, rounding error adds another degree to the difference. Use Runwayfinder.com with PKD/V; BRD/V as the route of flight to see the airway. You can see from the sectional that the lines of magnetic variation are close together.

Automotive engines have been tried in several airplanes but with the possible exception of the Mercedes-Benz diesel engines manufactured by Thielert they haven’t been successful in production aircraft. The experimental market is a different story, This article in Ridelust talks about engines by Porsche (unsuccessful), Subaru (successful), Mazda (successful) and others.

Designers have experimented with flying wings, flying saucers, and circular wings among other ideas. This site has collected some interesting examples.

Even in the early days of aviation, designers were dreaming of building bigger and bigger airplanes. Most never got off the ground, but the Russians built some monsters in the 30’s like the Tupolev ANT-20 and the KA-7. These and more are featured at Dark Roasted Blend.