Final Cirrus Checkout Flight Cancelled Due to

spiderweb

spiderweb

Final Approach
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Feb 22, 2005
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Ben
weather? . . . almost

illness? . . . almost

winds? . . . almost

stupidity (which might have been a blessing) . . . Check.

It is the middle of summer an I have some sort of bronchial crud thing going on, but it isn't all -that- bad. A front is moving through with scattered TS and winds 10G20, but with my experience, the situation isn't all -that- bad because we're staying in the pattern and can visually avoid..

So, thinking to myself, all I have to do to complete this checkout is the last 15%. I need to do a few power-on landings, simulated engine-outs, and no-flap landings (a big deal in the Cirrus).

*Sigh* so, I head out to the airport and finish the preflight before my CFII arrives. We do a quick preflight briefing and I hop in. Then, I can't find my keys.

Laughter alll around.

I still can't find my keys.

OK, I say, hold tight--I'll unstrap, get up and look around.

STILL can't find my keys. ( I had just used them about 3 minutes earlier to open the door, so they're HERE in the freakin' airplane somewhere!)

. . . . . . . . . .

After about 45 minutes of searching--with the help of two additional persons--WE CAN'T FIND THE KEYS. Rescheduled for Thursday.

So, I'm praying there's a spare, because the flight school usually has one. But so far, no luck. (Hoping the Chief has one, or the owner.)

. . . . . . . . . .


But then on the way home, as I was sweating and slightly chilled at the same time, and watched the sudden thundershower emerge to the South, I thought to myself. Ya know, Ben? Maybe it's OK you didn't fly today!



So there's a story for you! I'm hoping the moral is this: Sometimes, in very rare cases, stupid is good!
 
I thought that you were going to say that it caught fire, before you got in it....
 
I never completed my DA-40 checkout (last flight to make matters worse). Lost keys were a contributing factor, except the CFI lost the keys to their DA-20:confused:. While we're looking for keys I'm thinking, 'what does this have to do with me?' But I played nice and eventually found them for him.

Glad we didn't fly. IIRC W&B with just the 2 of us (and no ballast) put us fwd of the CG limit. He wasn't listening and I wasn't speaking loud enough.

Valuable lessons learned that day.

Sorry for being Off-Topic (?)
 
Jaybird180 said:
I never completed my DA-40 checkout (last flight to make matters worse). Lost keys were a contributing factor, except the CFI lost the keys to their DA-20:confused:. While we're looking for keys I'm thinking, 'what does this have to do with me?' But I played nice and eventually found them for him.

Glad we didn't fly. IIRC W&B with just the 2 of us (and no ballast) put us fwd of the CG limit. He wasn't listening and I wasn't speaking loud enough.

Valuable lessons learned that day.

Sorry for being Off-Topic (?)
Click to expand...
Its related! That's weird that you were forward of CG limit. Does that DA-40 always require ballast in that situation?
 
Full tanks and 2 guys ~450#. IIRC weight shifts forward as fuel is burned (???).
 
Jaybird180 said:
Full tanks and 2 guys ~450#. IIRC weight shifts forward as fuel is burned (???).
Click to expand...

I see! Sorta the opposite of A36 Bonanzas where you want to make sure you put -something- in the front before you put two passengers in the back!
 
I was expecting the keys to have been in the ignition the whole time.
 
spiderweb said:
weather? . . . almost

illness? . . . almost

winds? . . . almost

stupidity (which might have been a blessing) . . . Check.

It is the middle of summer an I have some sort of bronchial crud thing going on, but it isn't all -that- bad. A front is moving through with scattered TS and winds 10G20, but with my experience, the situation isn't all -that- bad because we're staying in the pattern and can visually avoid..

So, thinking to myself, all I have to do to complete this checkout is the last 15%. I need to do a few power-on landings, simulated engine-outs, and no-flap landings (a big deal in the Cirrus).

*Sigh* so, I head out to the airport and finish the preflight before my CFII arrives. We do a quick preflight briefing and I hop in. Then, I can't find my keys.

Laughter alll around.

I still can't find my keys.

OK, I say, hold tight--I'll unstrap, get up and look around.

STILL can't find my keys. ( I had just used them about 3 minutes earlier to open the door, so they're HERE in the freakin' airplane somewhere!)

. . . . . . . . . .

After about 45 minutes of searching--with the help of two additional persons--WE CAN'T FIND THE KEYS. Rescheduled for Thursday.


So there's a story for you! I'm hoping the moral is this: Sometimes, in very rare cases, stupid is good!
Click to expand...

So now there is possible FOD in the cockpit. The plane should be grounded until the keys are found or a mechanic has signed off that there is no FOD that could interfere with the flight controls.

I know, it's a hold over from my military days, but I've seen a quarter get into a boot around a control stick and jammed the aft nose up movement. The CFI reported a control problem that he had to physically overcome. An inspection of controls found a bent quarter tucked in the boot.
 
BillTIZ said:
Or in the door lock, or baggage door lock.
Click to expand...

We've covered that. It is a good idea. All controls have been checked by now by the mechanics. (I know, I had nightmares about that one!)
 
spiderweb said:
We've covered that. It is a good idea. All controls have been checked by now by the mechanics. (I know, I had nightmares about that one!)
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with the Cirrus. When I unlock a Cessna door, the keys go in one of two places. On the fuel selector, or on top of the glare shield.

When i shut down, they always go on the glare shield. People approaching the aircraft can see the keys are out of the ignition from the outside.
 
BillTIZ said:
I'm not familiar with the Cirrus. When I unlock a Cessna door, the keys go in one of two places. On the fuel selector, or on top of the glare shield.

When i shut down, they always go on the glare shield. People approaching the aircraft can see the keys are out of the ignition from the outside.
Click to expand...
Cirrus has a nice shelf above the avionics stack
 
BillTIZ said:
I'm not familiar with the Cirrus. When I unlock a Cessna door, the keys go in one of two places. On the fuel selector, or on top of the glare shield.

When i shut down, they always go on the glare shield. People approaching the aircraft can see the keys are out of the ignition from the outside.
Click to expand...

I do the same in Cessnas, and I should in the Cirrus. I just didn't this time.
 
When I fly, the keys are either in my pocket (usually found after strapping in and about to yell "CLEAR"), on the glareshield (I dislike putting them there) or in the ignition.

When the DA-20 keys were lost, they were found in the grass near the airplane.
 
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