Sim Flight Training: PPL: Part 1 of 7

[Brett_Henderson]

Hey !

[beaky]

Hey !  Where's YOUR alternate fuel stop ?    :P    Grab a sectional whip one up  :)

Sorry; I've been too busy or distracted to get involved... but offhand, I look at that course and think "this won't do at all on 13 gallons..." still thinking Champ; LOL.
I want to partiipate and probably will catch up with you guys this weekend.

Yeah... I'm just trying to get a feel for this.. The discussion started in the FSX forum, and the idea was well received. If it needs to be moved, I'll let the Mods decide...

I also didn't  mean to suggest that this was not an appropriate place, rules-wise, for this thread... just trying to help attract more participants.
Not that all those button-pushing jet-jockeys will be interested, anyway...  :D

[TSC.]

[quote]Not that all those button-pushing jet-jockeys will be interested, anyway...

[C]

Not that all those button-pushing jet-jockeys will be interested, anyway...  :D

If those button pushing sim-jet jocks are wannabe real jet jocks then they ought to be interested!

(edited to correct the awful spelling of wannabe!)

[Brett_Henderson]

I think the theory behind VFR-only weather planning for the sim is covered well enough. I'm still looking for a few, different fuel-stops to show up here.. maybe even another flight or two. I think this will work best, and flow best, if I just keep forging ahead. All this stuff will be here for anyone who comes along and chooses to join in...


OK.. we're grasping the theories about loading.. how that limits the fuel we can carry.. and how wind has the last say in how far that fuel will get us. Again.. all we're trying to accomplish here, is to get people to approach a sim-session, as though it were a real flight. You're whole frame of mind is different when a solid flight-plan in front of you, and sliding that throttle to takeoff power is a little more fun and exciting, when you're thinking like a pilot... Knowing that you have to get, and stay on course keeps you on your toes... and knowing that monitoring you progress is important (it's fun to pinpoint your location by nav-aid, enroute), keeps you "into it".

Now.. the next most important part of this flight-plan, is to be familiar with all the airports where you might be landing. You already know the prevailing winds.. so if you know the available runways, their traffic patterns and the field elevation... the task of approaching the airport is half-way done. All this imformation can be found at www.airnav.com.

Even though our fuel stop at KMOP is out of range.. we'll use it for reference:

Runways are

[Brett_Henderson]

I also didn't  mean to suggest that this was not an appropriate place, rules-wise, for this thread... just trying to help attract more participants.
Not that all those button-pushing jet-jockeys will be interested, anyway...    

LOL  :D   Actually.. it's the "Instant Airline Captains" who will benefit most...  They'll start pondering an optimum ILS intercept angle, instead of asking what an ILS is, and how to use it it to get that 737 full of virtual souls to stop crashing on final  ::)

I'm not sure myself where these threads should be. I'm just gonna keep going and let the higher-forces decide...

By the way... when we get to teaching proper tail-wheel technique.. you're in charge (starting with teaching me)..

[beaky]

By the way... when we get to teaching proper tail-wheel technique.. you're in charge (starting with teaching me)..

LOL! If I'm the best tailwheel instructor this school has, we're in trouble...

[Brett_Henderson]

I think we can wrap up,

[TSC.]

OK, here goes my plan with an alternate fuel stop:

Mission statement: One 200lb pilot, and two, 200lb passengers carrying 150lbs of baggage and gear between the three of them. Flying from Columbus, Ohio (KOSU), to Mackinac Island, MI (KMCD).

Confirmed VFR with winds out of 325 @ 35knots. Air density is a sim standard 29.92

Fuel stop will be [url=http://www.airnav.com/airport/KFNT]KFNT Bishop International Airport
Flint, Michigan, USA[/url].

KOSU -> KFNT = 176nm @ 355 (direct)
KFNT -> KMCD = 178nm @ 353 (direct)
Total distance = 354nm

Ground Speed works out the same for each leg, as follows (although the direction will be slightly different):


Wind correction leaves a groundspeed of 75, burning 9gph we will need:

First leg:

176nm @ 75 = 2hrs 35min

Fuel required = 21.5 gallons plus 3 gallons for start up etc (147lbs which leaves 3lbs (1/2gall) reserve - not 5 gall).


I'll stop my planning here Brett, because I have a question, looking at the numbers

[Brett_Henderson]

You've hit it right on the head  :)  There is no way to safely make this trip in one fuel stop...

Having another pilot throw the numbers in, for a different fuel stop, shows us not only that it can't be done, it's a good thing to see all the numbers, and see the calculations..

Thanks for the valuable contribution   8-)

As we move into Part 2; we'll keep checking back here in Part 1... Eventually someone will post a good, accurate, 3-stop plan, and we'll have more comparisons, and the whole concept will get clearer and more routine.. and we'll all be more comfortable, "eye-balling" these flights, and coming up with plans and fuel-stops that will be comfortably within safe ranges without going throught exact calculations (that our own inabilities and inaccurate weather forecasts render moot, anyway).

[Brett_Henderson]

A side note on this flight from actual experience. When you do try to squeeze maximum range out of your available fuel... you end up probing around for an altitude with less headwind.. your track becomes less straight and effficient... you burn more fuel in the climbs... you end up  IN your reserve .... you have to slow down and lean the engine on the hot side... and your passengers don't like the look on your face when you keep re-starting the timer, looking at your watch and fiddling with the throttle and mixture  

[TSC.]

[quote] and your passengers don't like the look on your face when you keep re-starting the timer, looking at your watch and fiddling with the throttle and mixture

[Brett_Henderson]

Universal, Morse Code translation for any fuel gauge taps...

[beaky]

Universal, Morse Code translation for any fuel gauge taps...   "find an airport NOW"  :D

By my lights, just looking at the gauges (which can't be trusted!) means you have no clue at all how much fuel remains...

[beaky]

You've hit it right on the head  :)  There is no way to safely make this trip in one fuel stop...

That's because you're trying to do it with the SP, which has fuel injection and leather but doesn't have legs like the older ones.  ;)

Take  the 1969 K model I used to fly: 1000-lb useful load , capable of trimming out at gross for almost 120 kts at typical altitudes...and the O-320 would do this at about 9 gph. You could do this trip at 120 kts TAS with one stop  in an M with 38 gals. usable fuel, even if the average groundspeed was 75 kts...
If you were feeling lucky, you could probably do it nonstop, maybe with an engine-out descent from cruise for a straight-in...

At 5000 and 2500 rpm, it could give you almost 5.5 hours at about 105 knots... so maybe, even with that wind, you could do it nonstop with a healthy reserve.

Sorry; I'm at it again... it's my prejudice against the newfangled Skyhawks, I guess. I promise I'll look at this flight plan later and offer something based on the SP, despite the fact that it has about 50 lbs worth of extra hardware on it just for the extra fuel sample points...