Grrrr-Flight scrubbed

[flyersfan31]

All set for a quick 1.2hr flight up to Providence today. One problem. The Avidyne system decided to crap out on me. Fire up the battery master, data loads, then the Avidyne Blue Screen of Death appears, announcing that the "Engine Data Sensor is Not Communicating with the MFD" or words to that effect. No RPM, MP, Oil Temp, Pressure, Batt info, Fuel, Fuel flow, nada, nil zip. I reset CBs for the MFD, DAU, PFD, blah blah blah. Shut off battery, reboot. Nada. Nil. Still that big error message.

Engine started fine. Battery put out 24v on the multimeter. Some sort of data acquisition unit glitch. Of course it happened after the mechs went home. I had to join the little people on I95. Ugh. Driving is for the birds.

Plus, I had to scrub an Angel Flight mission set for Monday morning. Grrrrrrr.

Let's see what Avidyne has to say.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Let's see what Avidyne has to say.

"That'll be $44,000 please."

 

[jason]

"That'll be $44,000 please."

Maybe for Piper. There's NO WAY that plane isn't still under warranty.

This sucks. You buy these new planes because you don't want to have to deal with scrubbed flights.

 

[Ghery]

I scrubbed a flight this morning, too. Pre-flight went fine, fired up, got taxi clearance and headed for the run-up area. Noticed that the point at which the brakes gave equal effect was quite different between left and right. Got to the run-up area and needed a 180 to the left to get there. Almost didn't make it. Barely got enough left brake. This isn't right. Called ground, told them of the problem and that I wanted to return to the hangar. 0.2 on the Hobbs and nothing to show for it. Oh well, called the club maintenance officer. They can deal with it. Sure hope tomorrow is as nice as today. I've got a different plane reserved to take my wife up to Roche Harbor for breakfast. I'd hate to scrub due to weather.

 

[Everskyward]

Hopefully it's just a loose card or something. I've learned that it's a somewhat different experience flying a computer with wings. CTRL-ALT-DEL works sometimes but apparently not in this case.

 

[Skip Miller]

I scrubbed a flight this morning, too. Pre-flight went fine, fired up, got taxi clearance and headed for the run-up area.

I scrubbed my flight at the runup pad, too. I did the runup, and the carb heat lever did nothing to the rpm. In fact, the lever was bent considerably to the right. One of the last few pilots must have caught it with a knee or something.

No big deal flying without carb heat in a PA-28, right? For others, maybe, but it is beyond my level of tolerance. This morning had a very close temperature dewpoint spread. If Piper-mounted Lycomings ever make ice, it would have been today.

Don't fly junk. <-- That thought has kept me alive so far.

-Skip

 

[Rob Schaffer]

Any news or ideas on the fault?

 

[Ghery]

Any news or ideas on the fault?

No, but I ran into the maintenance officer for that plane in the FBO when I was signing for the fuel from yesterday's flight (different airplane), and he confirmed that I wasn't imagining things. That's the problem with mechanical issues at our field on a weekend - you have to wait until Monday for someone to look at it.

 

[gprellwitz]

No, but I ran into the maintenance officer for that plane in the FBO when I was signing for the fuel from yesterday's flight (different airplane), and he confirmed that I wasn't imagining things. That's the problem with mechanical issues at our field on a weekend - you have to wait until Monday for someone to look at it.

Your field isn't unique in that regard. And mechanical issues can occur with any plane. That's why it's generally better to start a trip on a Friday morning than a Saturday. At least minor MX issues can be looked at and hopefully repaired prior to departure!

 

[ScottM]

I scrubbed my flight at the runup pad, too. I did the runup, and the carb heat lever did nothing to the rpm. In fact, the lever was bent considerably to the right. One of the last few pilots must have caught it with a knee or something.

No big deal flying without carb heat in a PA-28, right?

Is it required per the AFM? If it is then yes it is a big deal.

 

[gismo]

Is it required per the AFM? If it is then yes it is a big deal.

Whether or not it's listed as required equipment in the AFM probably isn't the only issue here. AFaIK, any "powerplant control" is required if it was part of the original certified design. OTOH, if the AFM specifically states that flight with a bent Carb Heat control lever is approved, then I guess it would be OK. Never seen such a statement in a flight manual though.

 

[flyersfan31]

Apparently the Entegra can get overwhelmed by WX data from the XM feed on very heavy wx days. There were storms in the NE, and the rest of the country on Fri afternoon. Went by the aerodrome on Sunday and everything was hunky-dory. Allegedly, Rel. 8 software should fix the problem, but I've heard from some Malibu pilots that it hasn't. Interim fix is to downgrade WX service from Performance package to Essentials package, to reduce the amount of data.

To me, this seems like a crazy problem. When you want the WX data the most, it craps out the system??? Some folks have had it happen in flight. I did briefly a few months ago on take off, but leveled off and reset the DAU CB and all was well. It was another day with bad WX across much of the nation. I wrote it off to a brief system burp, since all was well until last Fri.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

To me, this seems like a crazy problem. When you want the WX data the most, it craps out the system???

I guess this is one reason why a friend of mine who was involved in validation testing on both the Avidyne and the Garmin doesn't fly on Avidyne-equipped airplanes. They apparently ignored a large list of potential issues that were brought up...

 

[Everskyward]

Apparently the Entegra can get overwhelmed by WX data from the XM feed on very heavy wx days. There were storms in the NE, and the rest of the country on Fri afternoon. Went by the aerodrome on Sunday and everything was hunky-dory. Allegedly, Rel. 8 software should fix the problem, but I've heard from some Malibu pilots that it hasn't. Interim fix is to downgrade WX service from Performance package to Essentials package, to reduce the amount of data.

To me, this seems like a crazy problem. When you want the WX data the most, it craps out the system??? Some folks have had it happen in flight. I did briefly a few months ago on take off, but leveled off and reset the DAU CB and all was well. It was another day with bad WX across much of the nation. I wrote it off to a brief system burp, since all was well until last Fri.

I can understand the part about the weather data but what does that have to do with the engine data you wrote about in the original post. Or did I miss something? You don't necessarily need the weather data but you can't go without the engine data.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I can understand the part about the weather data but what does that have to do with the engine data you wrote about in the original post. Or did I miss something? You don't necessarily need the weather data but you can't go without the engine data.

I guess "overwhelmed" means that it affects the whole thing.

Andrew, would it work if you turned off the weather, or is that not possible? That'd be an interesting thing to test - next time there's crappy weather everywhere, see if you can get it to fail, turn off wx, and try again. At least that way you could still go, and use a 496 for weather.

 

[gprellwitz]

I guess "overwhelmed" means that it affects the whole thing.

Andrew, would it work if you turned off the weather, or is that not possible? That'd be an interesting thing to test - next time there's crappy weather everywhere, see if you can get it to fail, turn off wx, and try again. At least that way you could still go, and use a 496 for weather.

And demand a refund on your Avidyne!

 

[Ted]

I'd take my refund now. That's a ridiculous problem that should never occur. The "solution" being downgrading?! That's ridiculous.

 

[flyersfan31]

I guess "overwhelmed" means that it affects the whole thing.

Andrew, would it work if you turned off the weather, or is that not possible? That'd be an interesting thing to test - next time there's crappy weather everywhere, see if you can get it to fail, turn off wx, and try again. At least that way you could still go, and use a 496 for weather.

Yes and yes. I suppose the WX data fills the tubes with so much data that the engine data can't get through. That's a non-technical description from a non-technical guy.

Had I known, I would have pulled the XM CB. That has worked for others. Silly me, I never thought of it.

 

[Ghery]

Your field isn't unique in that regard. And mechanical issues can occur with any plane. That's why it's generally better to start a trip on a Friday morning than a Saturday. At least minor MX issues can be looked at and hopefully repaired prior to departure!

True enough. But I was just going to pot around, have some fun and shoot some touch and goes. In this case it was an annoyance, not a trip cancelling event.

 

[Trapper John]

Yes and yes. I suppose the WX data fills the tubes with so much data that the engine data can't get through. That's a non-technical description from a non-technical guy.

Making sure the hardware and software can handle all the data just seems like a really elementary part of engineering and testing, if not certification, before the system gets sold to customers (for a lot of $$$).


Trapper John

 

[ScottM]

Making sure the hardware and software can handle all the data just seems like a really elementary part of engineering and testing, if not certification, before the system gets sold to customers (for a lot of $$$).


Trapper John

Probably due to pricing concerns someone made a decision to use a cheaper (read less overhead and price) processor. The cheaper processor is now running at full ability to handle the data loads and is getting bogged down.

 

[flyersfan31]

Probably due to pricing concerns someone made a decision to use a cheaper (read less overhead and price) processor. The cheaper processor is now running at full ability to handle the data loads and is getting bogged down.

Well, along those lines, here's another stupid thing. You update the MFD using USB thumb drives. Great, huh? Much more convenient than some cable-based solution, or SD cards.

I went right out and bought thumb drives for the charts and database updates. I got 4gb drives -- they weren't expensive, and that would surely have enough capacity. Tried to update the databases the first time and guess what??? Wouldn't work. The process never completed.

Go back to the Avidyne book, where, lo, it mentions that the MAXIMUM sized USB drive one can use is 512MB. Yes. Did you know how hard it is to find 512MB usb drives any more?? They're relics already. How on earth would you design a system with a limit like that???? AFAIK they haven't fixed this in any software upgrades, either.

 

[ScottM]

Well, along those lines, here's another stupid thing. You update the MFD using USB thumb drives. Great, huh? Much more convenient than some cable-based solution, or SD cards.

I went right out and bought thumb drives for the charts and database updates. I got 4gb drives -- they weren't expensive, and that would surely have enough capacity. Tried to update the databases the first time and guess what??? Wouldn't work. The process never completed.

Go back to the Avidyne book, where, lo, it mentions that the MAXIMUM sized USB drive one can use is 512MB. Yes. Did you know how hard it is to find 512MB usb drives any more?? They're relics already. How on earth would you design a system with a limit like that???? AFAIK they haven't fixed this in any software upgrades, either.

Sounds again like a striped down type of architecture. That gets into an addressing issue and not having enough bits available.

 

[Anthony]

Time to get a Garmin 396/496/696, etc hardwired into your plane. Then you could actually use it.

Feel bad for you buddy.

 

[Rob Schaffer]

You Fixed back up yet? I saw you now have your plane covers,... wow, are they hard to put on?

 

[flyersfan31]

You Fixed back up yet? I saw you now have your plane covers,... wow, are they hard to put on?

Yes, plane is fixed and, yes, those covers are a pain in the arse. I musta looked like an idiot trying to figure out how to put them on last Thursday. I think it took almost an hour. I'm hoping practice makes perfect.

I'll post a picture for the enjoyment of others. Suffice it to say the Matrix looks like it was cocooned by a giant Bruce's Custom Covers spider. All to keep those F*&#$@%)#&$%)@&%_@#(%&@_)#%&@_#)%*&@ birds from ruining the paint job.

 

[Rob Schaffer]

took me two or three times to get a good system for the cessna cover that wraps below the wings and over the front,.. Now I can get it unfolded, on, and secure in <2 min. I can't imagine the work you have now,.. especially the tail. Where you storing the 8 ft step ladder?

 

[AdamZ]

Yes, plane is fixed and, yes, those covers are a pain in the arse. I musta looked like an idiot trying to figure out how to put them on last Thursday. I think it took almost an hour. I'm hoping practice makes perfect.

I'll post a picture for the enjoyment of others. Suffice it to say the Matrix looks like it was cocooned by a giant Bruce's Custom Covers spider. All to keep those F*&#$@%)#&$%)@&%_@#(%&@_)#%&@_#)%*&@ birds from ruining the paint job.

ROLMAO !!! Yup the line guys told me it took you an hour and they had a pretty good laugh! I call it the Matrix condom.

 

[Anthony]

ROLMAO !!! Yup the line guys told me it took you an hour and they had a pretty good laugh! I call it the Matrix condom.

Hard to take them off too. But easier than putting them on as evidenced by me yesterday at Wings. After spray painting "Cornbread was here" on it, I succeeded in getting the covers back on. Well kinda.


Maybe get a hangar?

 

[Ted]

All to keep those F*&#$@%)#&$%)@&%_@#(%&@_)#%&@_#)%*&@ birds from ruining the paint job.

The Aztec is kept IN a hangar, and birds still crap on it. You'll probably lose. Even if you try putting up a sign, the birds won't pay much attention. See here: