I don't mean to be defensive here, but I don't think some of you get the point. And, for the record, before buying the plane (a bank repossession) I did, in fact, download and read every manual ever produced by the manufacturer and they never explained the function of these particular switches (other than to say that they should be turned ON after engine start). One of the many problems in buying a plane this way is there is nobody available to go over the airplane systems with you. After having a mechanic annual the plane, I drove 8 hours in a one-way rental car, and flew the plane the 400 miles home without any familiarization from someone knowledgeable. It was on my fourth local flight that I rushed through the checklist while stopping at a self-serve fuel stop and skipped the item as explained. While on this short flight to relocate the plane to a paint shop I failed to notice the gradual decline in volt meter indication on my analog gauge. When flying by myself I spend most of my time looking for traffic, the airport and focusing (probably too much) on not sounding stupid on the radio. Obviously, I have to improve my instrument scan technique, but a warning light could have reduced my workload. I have seen some digital volt meter gauges (on the Internet) that include the ability to set alarm points right within the gauge and I was hoping a member of this group could offer a suggestion (other than the obvious "be smarter"). (Mine is a Part 23 airplane so replacing the gauge is probably not an option.) I can't really see the harm in having a warning indication appear in the cockpit for any critical systems failure (alternator, vacuum pump, oil pressure, oil temperature, etc, etc.). Cars have them (and even low fuel indicators) and they are far less dependant on their critical systems than airplanes. If I had gotten a low voltage warning indication I could have killed all the lights (it was daytime), the 430 and the transponder and probably had radios all the way to the end of the flight. It may have even caused me to examine the alternator and field switch positions. I was just coming up to the pattern when everything died and it became a tense time.
----- Original Message -----From: Jim BairCc: 1Matt Bair ; 1Mike BairSent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 12:32 AMSubject: Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Alternator Warning Light
I really don't mean to be critical or mean in any way here, but that response really demonstrates the importance of systems knowledge. It's very common to jump in a plane that doesn't have idiot lights, and it's the responsibility of the PIC to understand the system he is flying. That may mean reading the POH. If a pilot sees a gradually declining voltmeter and doesn't understand what that is telling him, that should be a heads up to that pilot that he needs to get into the books. It's OK to not know everything. I don't know everything. No one knows everything. None of us do. And asking questions is OK. In fact, it's an opportunity for all of us to learn something. I think it would be more constructive to focus on learning the system rather than blame the lack of understanding on a lack of an idiot light. The purpose of the idiot light is to draw your eye to the gauge. If you don't understand the gauge, what good will the idiot light do other than come on and glow red?Jim!--~-|**|PrettyHtmlFrom: Peter WalkerSent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 11:04 PMSubject: RE: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Alternator Warning Light
Hello Gary
he did look
Obviously, a gradually declining voltmeter didn't help me a bit and I started wondering why there wasn't something more obvious available
Peter
Besides, what's the point of having a gauge if you don't look at it once in awhile?Start|**| -~-->
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