When the ASI Reads Below Zero

In gliders, we train no ASI and no altimeter landings.. fly by "attitude and
feel".. what looks right and feels right . Our students experience a no
ASI/ALT approach and landing at least once before solo. They are taught, in
the traffic pattern to be looking outside, only inside for ASI checks,
attitude controls Airspeed, if you know the attitude, and the controls are
not mushy, the airspeed is ok.

Also, in B-52s we trained attitude and power settings, a table with known
power setting and known attitude would yield an appx airspeed in the landing
configuration, a needed item if the radar dome was damaged rendering airflow
around the pitot and AOA unusable for accurate information

I agree that flying well in powered aircraft is "fly by the numbers", but
many cannot. Do you know what power setting and pitch attitude will yield
what airspeed on approach? During instrument approaches, a set MP setting in
level flight will yield the desired airspeed, a reduction to a set MP
pressure at the FAF will yield the desired fpm rate of descent. Pitch
controls airspeed, power (or lack there of) controls rate of descent.

Set the power, set the pitch, the airspeed will be where you want it.

You were very conservative and had a good plan, nice that you had 11000ft of
runway to execute it. But can you do it on a 3500ft runway? Why not.

BT

"An Metet" wrote in message
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I was flying from Green Bay, Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan. Very shortly after takeoff I noticed that my air speed
indicator said over 200 mph. That's just not bad in a Cessna 150!

Further investigation showed that my air speed indicator was actually
reading NEGATIVE!! It had wrapped around below zero.

My plane has a small cover over the pitot tube that should lift off the
pitot tube hole at flying speed. Normally as I begin my takeoff role the
cover 'pop's off at about 40 mph. On this takeoff roll the thing stayed
stuck, and I had an inoperative ASI.

I continued my climb, making sure to keep my climb shallow.

Once I had some altitude I tried doing shallow dives to increase the
airspeed and maybe 'pop' off the cover. No joy. I considered more
agressive dives, but decided that was a dumb idea.

I decided to continue to my destination. My destination is a quiet
airport with 11,000 foot runways, and that seemed a better place for my
first no-ASI landing than the rather busy Green Bay airport.

Many people would probably just land by feel, but I'm a numbers guy and
now I didn't have any numbers.

My plan was to come in with just below cruise power, keeping more than
90 mph on the GPS. Once over the runway I would cut the throttle and
wait for speed to fall. When the plane felt like landing I'd let it
touch down, being careful not to let the wheels hit the pavement at
90mph. With 11,0000 feet to use this should all be possible. I would
avoid the use of flaps since I was not sure when the plane would be in
the white arc, and no-flaps landings are easy in a Cessna 150.

To finish the story, the dang cover popped off after two hours of flying
and five minutes before landing. I never got to try my plan.


So, how would you deal with your first no-ASI landing?