So there I was...

I will second the need to have instrument covers. Post-it
notes will work or you can get the vinyl covers that stick
by static. As a CFI, I carried them in my shirt pocket all
the time, but I used them several times on other flights
when instruments failed.


http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/1022


"Todd W. Deckard" wrote in message
ink.net...
|
| "mbremer216" wrote in message
| . ..
| Passing through 7500. Southeast bound past the London
VOR. A whiff of
| oil smell in the cockpit that passed as quickly as it
came. Then, the
| suction needle drops from it's usual 5.0 to nothing at
all.
|
| Interesting that you got a sniff of oil to portend the
failure, I'll have to
| file that one away. The pumps are referred to
| as "dry" and "wet" can I ask which one you had? I
imagine the bearings are
| sealed and oiled even in the dry pump?
|
| Our club airplanes have backup electric suction, however
the 172s don't have
| annunciator lights for the vacuum and I am
| self conscious about the practical time to diagnose a
failure before
| adjusting my scan or activating the backup. I would
| second Mr. Macklin's comment about the electric AI. I
believe that would
| be a more important safety net than
| some of the other expensive accoutrements I have invested
in over the years.
| I have heard 400 hrs cited as the MTBF of
| the pumps and we replace them out of superstition on a
regular calendar
| schedule.
|
| The only failure I've ever experienced was on-top and the
layer was thin
| enough that we could see the city lights below so the
descent on turn and
| bank and airspeed was a non-event. I'm not sure I'd do as
well in bumpy IMC
| if
| it wasn't preceeded by an instructor sticking a sink
stopper over the AI.
|
| As a side note, I've experimented with taking a
photorealistic image of the
| AI and cementing it to the temporary instrument
| cover and for me it was quite distracting to have to scan
past even an
| artificial canted horizon.
|
| Good show Mike and thanks for posting.
|
| Todd
|
|
|

On Wed, 27 Dec 2006 22:20:34 -0600, "mbremer216"
wrote:

On my way to visit relatives for X-mas. Flying from Northwest Indiana to
Savannah, GA in a Cherokee 180. Itching to put my recently earned IFR
ticket to work. Climbed out of my home field on Christmas Eve after the
risk of freezing fog had thawed. Up through a light cloud level at 2500 for
my first fuel stop at KLEX. Solid layer 2000 thick and an ILS down to 900'
and 5 miles - magic! Stop to fill the plane's tanks and empty mine.
Cleared through the layer and over the mountains. The cloud layer slipped
away behind me and nothing but clear sky and the mountains ahead. ATC
cleared to climb to 9000 for terrain and radar coverage.

Passing through 7500. Southeast bound past the London VOR. A whiff of oil
smell in the cockpit that passed as quickly as it came. Then, the suction
needle drops from it's usual 5.0 to nothing at all. What a revolting
development! Being in VFR conditions, a diversion to KTRI for help.

Mechanic confirmed that the vac pump had given up the ghost. Seized tighter
than dicks hat band. By now it was getting toward dark so continuing on
with a replacement didn't seem very attractive. Got it fixed the next day,
but freezing conditions and nasty winds kept us holed up in a motel room in
Kingsport, TN for Christmas. Nothing like Doritos and Snausages for
Christmas dinner while I explained to my wife how it's not the destination
but the trip that counts.

She said that I should enjoy my new vacuum pump for Christmas!!!

Ahhhh... The world of small plane IFR:-))
My Deb is "flight in known icing *conditions* prohibited.



Mike

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

mbremer216 wrote:
On my way to visit relatives for X-mas. Flying from Northwest Indiana to
Savannah, GA in a Cherokee 180. Itching to put my recently earned IFR
ticket to work. Climbed out of my home field on Christmas Eve after the
risk of freezing fog had thawed. Up through a light cloud level at 2500 for
my first fuel stop at KLEX. Solid layer 2000 thick and an ILS down to 900'
and 5 miles - magic! Stop to fill the plane's tanks and empty mine.
Cleared through the layer and over the mountains. The cloud layer slipped
away behind me and nothing but clear sky and the mountains ahead. ATC
cleared to climb to 9000 for terrain and radar coverage.

Passing through 7500. Southeast bound past the London VOR. A whiff of oil
smell in the cockpit that passed as quickly as it came. Then, the suction
needle drops from it's usual 5.0 to nothing at all. What a revolting
development! Being in VFR conditions, a diversion to KTRI for help.

Mechanic confirmed that the vac pump had given up the ghost. Seized tighter
than dicks hat band. By now it was getting toward dark so continuing on
with a replacement didn't seem very attractive. Got it fixed the next day,
but freezing conditions and nasty winds kept us holed up in a motel room in
Kingsport, TN for Christmas. Nothing like Doritos and Snausages for
Christmas dinner while I explained to my wife how it's not the destination
but the trip that counts.

She said that I should enjoy my new vacuum pump for Christmas!!!

Mike

I wonder if there's a Christmas curse on vacuum pumps? Mine failed going
to St. Louis from Raleigh 2 days after Christmas (Although Christmas was
worse, the next day was still pretty icy. The Raleigh recorded weather told
of a Bonanza pilot with heavy rime ice, couldn't hold altitude, diverted
to Nashville.) Mine also failed VMC and when I reported the failure to ATC
they were sympathetic and passed the info on to each controller I encountered.
Mechanic in St. Louis was able to find a new pump and get it replaced in
an hour. What a pleasant outcome. Yes, I used post-it notes.

--
Don Poitras

(Don Poitras) wrote in
:


I wonder if there's a Christmas curse on vacuum pumps?

Or at least a holiday curse. I just lost one flying a Cessna 207 on New
Years Eve. (yesterday). VFR though, so no big deal, but even VFR, it still
drove me bonkers every time I glanced down.

On Tue, 02 Jan 2007 05:09:25 -0000, Jackal24 wrote:

(Don Poitras) wrote in
:


I wonder if there's a Christmas curse on vacuum pumps?

Or at least a holiday curse. I just lost one flying a Cessna 207 on New
Years Eve. (yesterday). VFR though, so no big deal, but even VFR, it still
drove me bonkers every time I glanced down.

Un-nerving isn't it. I had an AI fail on take off no less. Now that
would have been scary had I been taking off into minimums.
Fortunately, like you I was VFR at the time.

Roger (Wet pumps for ever)Halstead
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com