Is Zero Indicated Airspeed Possible?

There is the question. I'm in a mood today. Have you flown your
favorite aircraft with zero or near zero indicated airspeed? I'm
talking about controlled flight and predictable outcomes.
Let the games begin. I'm so freaking tired of beach volleyball and the
bull**** olympics that is full of professionals. Whoooooppppss I
digress
Zero IAS. Why is it important to pilots? And I'm talking about in
flight, not sitting on the ramp with the engine off.

I have done zero indicated airspeed routinely while flying acro- the top of
a hammerhead, tail slides, and lomcevaks come to mind.

"Ol Shy & Bashful" wrote in message
...
There is the question. I'm in a mood today. Have you flown your
favorite aircraft with zero or near zero indicated airspeed?

Yup. This past Tuesday. Water in the pitot line. It wasn't much fun, because
I was pretty rusty. The ASI went to 60MPH and just stayed there after I
rotated.

When I pitched up, it dropped to zero, but I kept climbing. When I was
flying straignt and level, it seemed to clear up, but when I was landing, it
stayed at 80. I ended up dropping it a few feet when it stalled, but the ASI
still said 80.

Ol Shy & Bashful wrote:

There is the question. I'm in a mood today. Have you flown your
favorite aircraft with zero or near zero indicated airspeed?

I have flown an older (I mean, really old) glider that had a venturi
instead of a pitot, and the thing would happily drop to zero (not that it
was normally flying much faster :-) whenever you set it into a mildly
aggressive slip...

--Sylvain

Ol Shy & Bashful wrote:
There is the question. I'm in a mood today. Have you flown your
favorite aircraft with zero or near zero indicated airspeed? I'm
talking about controlled flight and predictable outcomes.
Let the games begin. I'm so freaking tired of beach volleyball and the
bull**** olympics that is full of professionals. Whoooooppppss I
digress
Zero IAS. Why is it important to pilots? And I'm talking about in
flight, not sitting on the ramp with the engine off.
1959 C-150 with 40' flaps and drooped wingtips. about 1/2 throttle, FULL
flaps and climbing 100 FPM at ZERO indicated air speed. I would guess is
was near 50+ but with the pitot tube at slow air speeds and high AOA it
read 0.

On Aug 15, 3:00 pm, "Ol Shy & Bashful" wrote:
There is the question. I'm in a mood today. Have you flown your
favorite aircraft with zero or near zero indicated airspeed? I'm
talking about controlled flight and predictable outcomes.
Let the games begin. I'm so freaking tired of beach volleyball and the
bull**** olympics that is full of professionals. Whoooooppppss I
digress
Zero IAS. Why is it important to pilots? And I'm talking about in
flight, not sitting on the ramp with the engine off.

Ancient history, but the truth, On my IFR flight test, I cut the
throttle of the C172 I was flying on the takeoff run -- the airspeed
needle wouldn't come off zero. I announced the problem, probably with
a curse -- I wanted that rating, was at 199.2 hours total time, and so
ready!

The examiner said "Go anyway." Even now I am not sure I was flying a
legal airplane, but I do think my decision to chop the throttle told
him I'd probably make decent decisions as a pilot. I will admit
partial panel (needle, ball, and wind noise) was interesting, but it
was a tired 172 and spoke pretty loudly about its airspeed.

Turns out there was a bug that managed to hit the pitot dead center on
the airplane's last flight. I wonder now if testing the pitot heater
cooked it in place.

Two questions: during a flight test with an examiner, who is PIC?
I'm thinking here about taking responsibility for taking off. I assume
I was responsible, and probably showed poor judgment in taking off,
even with the go ahead from the examiner. Second question, was the
airplane legal without an airspeed indicator?

Even if the flight was NOT legal, I am not tearing up the card that
says "Instruments"

wrote:
Second question, was the
airplane legal without an airspeed indicator?

I believe FAR 91.205(d) or (b) would apply. It appears an operating
airspeed indicator was required.

"Ol Shy & Bashful" wrote in news:68fc8555-c715-436a-
:

There is the question. I'm in a mood today. Have you flown your
favorite aircraft with zero or near zero indicated airspeed?

Yep

Bertie

wrote:
Turns out there was a bug that managed to hit the pitot dead center on
the airplane's last flight. I wonder now if testing the pitot heater
cooked it in place.

Mmm, fried bug. Was the bug too far into the tube to see from the
preflight, or are(were?) you not in the practice of checking the tube in
your walk-around?

Two questions: during a flight test with an examiner, who is PIC?

The one making the go/no-go decision is the PIC. The one with his hands
on the controls is PIC (hint: the examinee is PIC. The examiner can tell
you to do anything, just like ATC can tell you to do anything. But you,
as PIC still make the decision whether to follow the instructions or
reject them).

Second question, was the
airplane legal without an airspeed indicator?

Instruments and equipment requirements

91.205 (d)(1)

IFR: Instruments and equipment specified in paragraph (b) of this section...

91.205 (b) (1): Airspeed indicator.

(hint: no.)

Even if the flight was NOT legal, I am not tearing up the card that
says "Instruments"

61.45 (b) (1) (i)

....An aircraft used for a practical test must have:

The equipment for each area of operation required for the practical test.

An airspeed indicator is required for most of the PTS tasks. I think you
made the right decision in aborting the takeoff, but you made the wrong
one in continuing the flight without essential equipment, and the
examiner is just as culpable for ignoring the PTS and the FARs to get a
student passed.

Another day, or another plane, perhaps, but not that day with that plane.

TheSmokingGnu

On Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:45:15 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Two questions: during a flight test with an examiner, who is PIC?

I recall my examiner stressing the point that she was legally my first
passenger, from that I'll deduce that the candidate for the certificate or
rating is the PIC.


--
Dallas