Forgetting to use pitot tube cover

RussR said:
I'm a little late to the party here, and all the talk about reminders and checklists is good, but isn't this the real origin of the problem? Post-flight actions are important, don't be in such a hurry to leave the airport. Especially a whole 25% of the time.
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There is a Russian tradition of sitting on your luggage for a quiet moment before you set out on travel. I tell my graduate students that folklore (though I am not Russian) to stand at the door for a couple of minutes before exiting the lab (which is a semiconductor cleanroom, so its pretty onerous to enter and exit). It's a quiet moment to make sure you turned off everything, put everything away, and collected your belongings.
 
RussR said:
I'm a little late to the party here, and all the talk about reminders and checklists is good, but isn't this the real origin of the problem? Post-flight actions are important, don't be in such a hurry to leave the airport. Especially a whole 25% of the time.
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The rush isn't to leave the airport. The rush is to get to the restroom in time!
 
midlifeflyer said:
Yep. That's the one. Agreed - excellent.
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His other book, "Being Mortal," is also excellent.

On the thread topic, kinda: I cut a checklist with my vinyl plotter and stuck it to the inside of my hangar door. They're more building-specific actions than aircraft-specific, but effective nonetheless.
 

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Ed Haywood said:
Ok, I think I need a trick for this.

About 25% of the time, mostly after an aggressive acro flight, I hangar my aircraft and leave in a hurry without remembering to put the pitot tube cover on.

I am in central Florida, which is a highly "bio-active" environment in the summer. Lots of bugs, frogs, lizards, birds, snakes, mice, and various other critters everywhere, especially at a grass strip in a rural area.

About 3 times a year, some unknown creature decides my pitot tube is a really good place to stash some leaf cuttings for a later snack.

The material is not enough to affect ASI on takeoff. But when I get up to cruise speed, it gets jammed back in the bend and plugs the tube. Several times I have been on final and noticed I had zero airspeed indicated. I know how my plane feels so this is not a major stressor, but it clearly is something to be avoided.

If I have an acro flight and I notice during pre-flight that I forgot the tube cover, I blow the pitot tube out from the cockpit with compressed air.

So what do the rest of you do to remember to replace the cover after flight? Hang it from the panel or something?
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“In a hurry” is the bane of mishaps. Make a checklist for walking away at the end, follow it every time.
 
Hang a checklist on the door to your hangar. Read through it before you leave. Put that thing you keep forgetting on the checklist.
 
schmookeeg said:
So many rituals when you can adios this nuisance for the price of a happy meal. :)

www.aircraftspruce.com

Pitot Tube Protector - 1/2 Inch | Aircraft Spruce ®

Pitot Tube Protector - 1/2 Inch These hinged pitot tube protectors open automatically in take off at speed of about 40 MPH and close automatically at end of landing roll.
www.aircraftspruce.com www.aircraftspruce.com
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So with that Bernoulli Brank, does the ASI instantly go from 0-40mph?
"Power up, engine gauges green, airspeed alive. Alive? Alive??? Oh ****!"
 
asicer said:
So with that Bernoulli Brank, does the ASI instantly go from 0-40mph?
"Power up, engine gauges green, airspeed alive. Alive? Alive??? Oh ****!"
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No idea. I imagine one could, ahem, recalibrate the little air-catch flappy doodle if they wanted a lower activation speed :)
 
schmookeeg said:
So many rituals when you can adios this nuisance for the price of a happy meal. :)

www.aircraftspruce.com

Pitot Tube Protector - 1/2 Inch | Aircraft Spruce ®

Pitot Tube Protector - 1/2 Inch These hinged pitot tube protectors open automatically in take off at speed of about 40 MPH and close automatically at end of landing roll.
www.aircraftspruce.com www.aircraftspruce.com
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I've never seen one of those on an aerobatic aircraft and not sure I would trust it in that environment.
 
Ed Haywood said:
I've never seen one of those on an aerobatic aircraft and not sure I would trust it in that environment.
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Being ignorant of acro generally, and not knowing your plane specifically, are there maneuvers where the wing sees < 40mph forward speed?
 
I should probably buy a pitot cover one of these days...
 
schmookeeg said:
Being ignorant of acro generally, and not knowing your plane specifically, are there maneuvers where the wing sees < 40mph forward speed?
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Yes: hammerheads. And also maneuvers where the wing sees angles of attack that might frustrate the flap. I’d have to be smarter and also have a model airplane to try to figure out the forces on the flap during, say, a spin or a snap roll.
 
@Ed Haywood what jumps out to me is the "mostly after an aggressive..."
That reads like an athlete who went a little deeper than they intended. TBH I'd reconsider if there are any other elements that are suffering when you go that hard. If you're tired, you're tired. It's probably not just the pitot cover.
 
DaleB said:
My wife posted a big sign, complete with hand drawn graphics, right next to the light switch by the hangar door:

KEYS?
PHONE?

I see that right before I leave. I will leave it to you to figure out why she felt it necessary to put that sign there...
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I'd add "Master Switch Off?" for ... reasons.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
I'd add "Master Switch Off?" for ... reasons.
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That's what the always-on beacon switch is for. If the big red idiot light is flashing on my tail when I'm trying to close the doors, it's a reminder that I probably need to run through my post-flight checklist again.
 
I never forget the master switch... there's a mechanical fuel pump that makes a heck of a racket any time it's on. But yes, I have locked my keys in the hangar before - including the hangar key. Had to walk all the way to the FBO to get someone to come open up the hangar for me.
 
iamtheari said:
Yes: hammerheads. And also maneuvers where the wing sees angles of attack that might frustrate the flap. I’d have to be smarter and also have a model airplane to try to figure out the forces on the flap during, say, a spin or a snap roll.
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Then my solution is bad and I should feel bad. :D
 
schmookeeg said:
Being ignorant of acro generally, and not knowing your plane specifically, are there maneuvers where the wing sees < 40mph forward speed?
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Yes, but that's not my concern. My ASI doesn't indicate below 40, and I do not look at airspeed during maneuvers at MCA. I fly by feel, with my eyes outside looking at visual cues.

It's more a matter of there being a lot of strong aerodynamic forces and unusual relative winds. In that regime, simple is better. For instance, almost all purpose-built aerobatic aircraft are fixed gear taildraggers with no flaps. Stronger and less stuff to jam up.

It could be this gizmo would hold up fine. But I don't want to be the guy that finds out it jams closed in knife edge flight at Vne.

But still not a bad suggestion, except for us acro weirdos.
 
Hengelo said:
@Ed Haywood what jumps out to me is the "mostly after an aggressive..."
That reads like an athlete who went a little deeper than they intended. TBH I'd reconsider if there are any other elements that are suffering when you go that hard. If you're tired, you're tired. It's probably not just the pitot cover.
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I am definitely pushing myself, but it is an intentional strategy to prepare for competition.
 
Pinecone said:
I leave the beacon switch on at all times. So a quick look back seeing the flash tells you.
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I have always turned off the beacon and have never forgotten the master. I suppose the moment I do is probably a good sign for me to hang up my headset for good.
 
I put my pitot cover with the control lock. If I forget one, I forget both.
 
When removing your pitot tube covers during preflight, send yourself a text reminding you to put them back on. We all know the first thing you do when you land is check your phone. Eventually it should become a habit? Maybe? Unless you're an old coot and texting isn't your thing!!!! :p
 
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Low Level Flyer said:
When removing your pitot tube covers during preflight, send yourself a text reminding you to put them back on. We all know, the first thing you do when you land is check your phone. Eventually it should become a habit? Maybe? Unless you're an old coot and texting isn't your thing!!!! :p
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this implies we aren't checking texts in flight? :D
 
Ed Haywood said:
Typically 20-30 minute flights with 10-15 minutes of acro. Usually two 5 minute sequences of 12 maneuvers each, with a few extra interations of things I'm making mistakes on.
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Do you have a box over or near your home airport?

I have to fly about 10 miles to one of two spots that are the required distance from airways.
 
Dana said:
Do you have a box over or near your home airport?

I have to fly about 10 miles to one of two spots that are the required distance from airways.
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5 miles away. Climbing at Vy puts me at entry altitude upon arrival. Lazy descent back gives me a few minutes to cool the engine and clear the adrenaline before the pattern.

Unfortunately my new basing arrangement adds another 8 miles or so, each way.
 
asicer said:
I have always turned off the beacon and have never forgotten the master. I suppose the moment I do is probably a good sign for me to hang up my headset for good.
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One day I was talking to someone about this. Plane landed and parked. Pilot walked up and I pointed out his master was on. He said he left his beacon on for this reason. :D
 
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