Early in my flight training, while pre flight checking the plane I noticed one of the tires was very low on air. I informed my now ex instructor, who added some air to it and shrugged it off. We flew that day with no issues. As a new student at the time I just put faith in his judgment. I look back on that now and realize that I should have insisted that we cancel the lesson and the plane be checked out properly by maintenance. The tire was low on air and we never determined what caused it to loose air or how fast it was loosing it. Had it lost too much before we landed it would have not been good to say the least. I did learn a lesson though, if I don't feel good about the airworthiness of the plane I am not going.
Low Air pressure in tire
- Thread starter Cptwing
- Start date
Had it lost all of its air you might have learned that you can land and maintain control even with a flat tire.
Tubed tires tend to lose air pressure more so than tubeless tires such as the tires on your car. This is due to the tube being more permeable than the thicker tubeless tire. very common to require adding additional air in tubed aircraft tires. I would have done what your instructor did.
Tubed tires tend to lose air pressure more so than tubeless tires such as the tires on your car. This is due to the tube being more permeable than the thicker tubeless tire. very common to require adding additional air in tubed aircraft tires. I would have done what your instructor did.
Mike Smith
En-Route
- Joined
- May 15, 2011
- Messages
- 2,626
- Location
- Prattville, Alabama
- Display Name
Display name:
Fresh Prince of PrattVegas
If I had cancelled every lesson because we had to put air in a tire I would have missed a lot. Good on you for catching it, but you’re over reacting saying you should have cancelled. Relax.
Salty
Touchdown! Greaser!
Good thing you cut that instructor lose [Sic].
Only a team of highly trained mechanics can properly diagnose a problem with a highly sophisticated mechanism like a tubed tire. And it’s not as though you are the type to complain about not making progress in your training because there was a catastrophic problem with the plane every time you walked onto the ramp.
Only a team of highly trained mechanics can properly diagnose a problem with a highly sophisticated mechanism like a tubed tire. And it’s not as though you are the type to complain about not making progress in your training because there was a catastrophic problem with the plane every time you walked onto the ramp.
Well I guess you are the type that would fly a plane with issues and not care about your safety or the safety of others. The air did not vacate the tire just because. But I guess you can't fix stupid! Is there anything in ADM about flying a defective plane? Im sure opinions will vary but I still think it was unwise to fly with it. And my next lesson 3 days later it had new tires? I wonder why?
AKBill
En-Route
FYI the stem should always have a cap on it..
Kenny Phillips
Final Approach
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2018
- Messages
- 5,499
- Display Name
Display name:
Kenny Phillips
I've found that virtually all airplane tires lose air, and that includes all that I've rented and all that I've owned. Our Skyhawk did, even with new tires and tubes. Not quickly, but with wheel pants, it was a PITA to add air, so sometimes they got a little low before we filled them. Low is not good, as you've found; it can give a Cessna a case of the "wobbles" in gusty ground conditions. But add air and go fly; rental and training planes get 100 hour checks, in between that, you, as the pilot, check things such as tires and oil levels, etc. (We bought the Skyhawk due to the rental planes being unavailable due to servicing issues, but the flight school I went to was "low rent" all the way.)
Salty
Touchdown! Greaser!
Lol
I could see both sides, but this is plane that flies everyday and had flown earlier that day. The tire was not slightly low it was nearly flat it had less than 5 psi. So it lost a whole lot of air in a very short time. And differences aside the cause of the leak should have be determined and fixed before anyone else flew it. Yes that is my opinion and I stand by it. too each his own enough said.
MauleSkinner
Touchdown! Greaser!
How do you know it was properly preflighted earlier in the day?
Mike Smith
En-Route
- Joined
- May 15, 2011
- Messages
- 2,626
- Location
- Prattville, Alabama
- Display Name
Display name:
Fresh Prince of PrattVegas
Cap, I want to be positive here, but dude, you make it hard. There was nothing wrong with what he did, we all do the same thing. I get it though, you dont know what you dont know and you dont know much yet. I remember when I was at about the same spot in my training and I would preflight, I would point out a screw missing from an inspection cover like it was a big deal. It wasnt and neither is this. No one here wants you, or anyone else to get hurt so they arent going to BS you on something that is really a safety issue, this isnt.
chemgeek
En-Route
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2009
- Messages
- 2,948
- Display Name
Display name:
chemgeek
Is this for real? Tires leak. And tire pressures get lower when it is cold. Eventually, tires get low enough it is plainly visible. They were probably getting low for many weeks before it was visible by appearance. If there is a significant leak, it will manifest itself quickly enough, after refilling. Monitor. If it goes down again in a short period of time, it might require further attention. Otherwise carry on.
No one removes a tire from an aircraft just because it is found low one time.
No one removes a tire from an aircraft just because it is found low one time.
LongRoadBob
Cleared for Takeoff
FYI the stem should always have a cap on it..
I think it as my second or third flight, being conscientious I saw the nose wheel tire had no cap.
I mention it, and my instructor then (not my current) just shrugged.
Also, about two months ago, different airplane, after landing (and it was a greaser, smooth, and happened on roll out) suddenly the plane starts shaking...my first (wrong) thought was it seemed like the prop was out of balance. I looked at my CFI and he was concentrating, and finally as we slowed a little said "I think maybe we have a flat"...sure enough.
Had to push it from taxiway all the way back to the hangar.
Attachments
tawood
En-Route
Is this ex-instructor the instructor that used his phone during your lesson?
Stewartb
Final Approach
Wow. I carry a full size bicycle pump in my plane. I’ve never needed it for a repair but I use it to add air to low tires occasionally. Often enough to warrant carrying it. But I use Bushwheels. They have a reputation for slow leaks so like most guys I add tire sealer before I added the first air. Not all guys do so they add air regularly. And sealers aren’t a lifetime deal so eventually guys who use sealers still have low tires. Not a big deal.
Salty
Touchdown! Greaser!
The first step to troubleshooting a low tube tire is to add air and see if its flat 5 minutes later. If not, it’s good. But feel free to feel like your life is in danger and your instructor is a moron. The life you save might be your own, and the longer it takes you to get your license the better for all of us.
Last edited:
bluesideup
Line Up and Wait
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2014
- Messages
- 622
- Display Name
Display name:
bluesideup
Hi everyone.
The most common reason for the airworthiness of an acft. is low tire pressure. The good thing about it is, that problem can be resolved by the pilot / owner, in most circumstances.
As others have mentioned, some common sense troubleshooting should be implemented before you decide to ground it.
The fact that you see a very low pressure does not necessarily point to an immediate problem, most pilots Never check the tire pressure, they are too excited, they may only be flying every 6 months, which is more of a reason for self grounding, in my opinion, and the last thing on their mind are the tires. There may have been 10 people flying it and never noticed the problem.
This problem, external condition, is very easy to detect, just add "Look at the overall stance of the acft as you walk up to it" to your Preflight checklist.
The most common reason for the airworthiness of an acft. is low tire pressure. The good thing about it is, that problem can be resolved by the pilot / owner, in most circumstances.
As others have mentioned, some common sense troubleshooting should be implemented before you decide to ground it.
The fact that you see a very low pressure does not necessarily point to an immediate problem, most pilots Never check the tire pressure, they are too excited, they may only be flying every 6 months, which is more of a reason for self grounding, in my opinion, and the last thing on their mind are the tires. There may have been 10 people flying it and never noticed the problem.
This problem, external condition, is very easy to detect, just add "Look at the overall stance of the acft as you walk up to it" to your Preflight checklist.
Silvaire
En-Route
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2012
- Messages
- 4,611
- Display Name
Display name:
Silvaire
You're the pilot and it's your call, nobody else has anything to say about it. But in this case you are basically asking what someone else would do if they were the pilot. They are making their call and you have nothing to say about that. Simple.
cgrab
Pattern Altitude
Yes it did, that's called physics and it's going on all around you.
Dan Thomas
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2008
- Messages
- 10,748
- Display Name
Display name:
Dan Thomas
If that tire needs reinflating every morning, it will someday fail on the runway. There's something wrong with it, and it's often an old tube that's cracking or the valve nipple is cracking between the nipple and tube. It can decide to let go all at once, and that can get embarrassing and costly if the thing goes flat on the runway at a busy airport. Controllers, airport managers and airline pilots are not impressed when an airliner has to go around because some puddlejumper is stuck. It could get worse if they found out that you were flying on a really leaky tire.
I had to replace several tubes in the last year or so because a small label the manufacturer put inside the tires was chafing the tube and causing a leak. I submitted SDRs on it.
Been there, have seen it more than once and have had to handle it. It's false economy to put up with worn-out stuff like that.
And a taildragger with a flat main? That can get REALLY expensive.
I had to replace several tubes in the last year or so because a small label the manufacturer put inside the tires was chafing the tube and causing a leak. I submitted SDRs on it.
Been there, have seen it more than once and have had to handle it. It's false economy to put up with worn-out stuff like that.
And a taildragger with a flat main? That can get REALLY expensive.
Last edited:
swingwing
Pre-takeoff checklist
Let’s frame this a little different. You own the plane, your 500 miles from home, it’s the weekend and no A&P is available. Would you put air in a low tire and go on your way or would you get a hotel and wait for an expert to troubleshoot the tire? It’s your time and dime.
“I don’t believe in taking unnecessary risk, but a life without risk isn’t worth living” - Charles Lindbergh
“I don’t believe in taking unnecessary risk, but a life without risk isn’t worth living” - Charles Lindbergh
Paulie
Line Up and Wait
Actually the correct thing to do is fill the tire the leave a note (at the airlines we wrote it on the tire if the loss was within acceptable tolerance) of the pressure after filling, date and time.
James331
Ejection Handle Pulled
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2014
- Messages
- 20,309
- Display Name
Display name:
James331
I think you’re over reacting. Even in the 135/121 world we’ll add some air, or rather nitrogen often, and carry on for a somewhat low tire
ktup-flyer
En-Route
Is this like some form of hypochondriasis?
Unfortunately for the safety of the GA community and the general public, they "gave" you one. Are you really in FL? Darn was going to retire their, wont feel safe flying down there now.
tawood
En-Route
Quite an accusation from someone yet to get a license.
It wasn't meant as an accusation. Not sure why you Salty insist on posting, you never have anything worth while positive or constructive to contribute. Just useless dribble, do you have a deep seeded need to validate yourself?
tawood
En-Route
So you have information he bribed a dpe?
Ken Ibold
Final Approach
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2005
- Messages
- 5,888
- Location
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Display Name
Display name:
Ken Ibold
Dude, you are way overreacting. Even if the tire goes flat, that doesn't mean the airplane rolls into a ball on landing.
Ever had a blowout on the highway in a car? Same thing. It makes some noise, things wobble, and it tends to pull to one side.
Salty
Touchdown! Greaser!
You’re right. With the exception of my first response to you, I have not told you what you want to hear, which is the only type of response that you have accepted to date. You’re mirroring. I could care less for your validation, but you get ****ed if someone else doesn’t validate you, then you call them dangerous, and accuse them of ridiculous things, etc.
I have just as much information about his abilities as he has about mine. And since nothing but smart mouth sarcasm comes out I feel the need to return it in kind. That's all, he could be a very competent pilot or he could be a complete idiot. But if he flies with the same "ignorance" and "arrogance" that he shows here?
Salty
Touchdown! Greaser!
Mirroring yet again.
tawood
En-Route
Hmmm...ignorance and arrogance...ok. You got me there. You seem to be an expert on the subject. Peace out.