Does being a Cirrus pilot make you a jerk in the Grumman too?
When you get rid of the cirrus, does your flying improve?
When they repack the chute, do they let you keep the old rocket?
Question about Cirrus Pilots
- Thread starter TRC1969
- Start date
When you get rid of the cirrus, does your flying improve?
When they repack the chute, do they let you keep the old rocket?
GaryM
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I like that. I may just borrow it from time to time.
Plano Pilot
Cleared for Takeoff
FYI, I was sitting in an airport restaurant yesterday. Watched 2 Cirrus and one old Bonanza taxi out. Both Cirrus had quite a bit of power on and had to be riding the brakes. The Bonanza had the engine back at idle.
I understand the Cirrus does not have a steerable nose wheel but why ride the brakes soo hard going straight?
I understand the Cirrus does not have a steerable nose wheel but why ride the brakes soo hard going straight?
All the better to catch fire.
https://generalaviationnews.com/2015/07/07/improper-taxiing-results-in-cirrus-sr22-fire/
PaulS
Touchdown! Greaser!
How can you possibly know that? Cirrus recommends taxiing at 1,000 rpm for a variety of reasons. Cirrus brakes burn up easily, so I doubt they were taxing at high power with brakes on.
EdFred
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Maybe I've been flying long enough but I generally tend to know when an airplane is quite a bit over idle power. If they are quite a bit over idle power they are probably using quite a bit tmore than necessary to taxi. It's not really that hard to determine. especially with your standard Continental or Lycoming power plant.
Der Fliegermeister
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I agree. Us nerds listen to engines for fun and can definitely tell when someone has a bit much poured into the ol' dinosaur incinerator.
Here's a peeve about those Cirruseseszz: They're REALLY heavy. Anything will go fast if you strap a big engine on it.
Another peeve: from a maintenance perspective, they're engineered like dog ****. Even worse when they're equipped with the Entegra displays.
I like to proactively **** off Cirrus pilots. Since they love bragging about performance, just look at them and say, "I can beat you to your destination with more people and bags, through the ice, in a ship that costs half as much and isn't useless after 12,000 hours, AND look cooler doing it..."
They might get ****y and be like, "yeah right! In what?"
That's when you say, "a real airplane."
Does the job right up nice ****ing them off lol
In fairness, I've had a good number of them handle the ribbing well and even lob a couple good'ns back my way. That's the response I hope for and enjoy.
If they can't laugh about any of it or return fire in a comical way then they get chalked up as an actual Cirrus Snob.
PS: If a Cirrus owner has a motorcycle, it's probably a BMW...
PaulS
Touchdown! Greaser!
I still call bs, sitting in an airplane there is no way someone can hear another plane's engine unless it's an f-15. Outside it's still hard to tell. Cirrus recommends 1,000 rpm for idle and taxi, with short small increases power to get started if needed. Even 1,000 rpm can get you cooking rolling downwind, around 20 to 25 knots, so jabs on the brakes or pulling back to 700 rpm is sometimes needed. "Quite a bit" over idle will require constant braking which will smoke the Cirrus brakes pretty quickly. Perception and reality are usually very different.
EdFred
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I'm not saying I can hear a plane and say, "that engine is turning at 1271.4 RPM, but I can tell the difference between an engine at 1000RPM and 1200RPM if heard over a very short span. I think most of us can listen to 1000 and then a couple minutes later hear 1200 and say the second one was turning faster.
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PaulS
Touchdown! Greaser!
I'm not saying I can hear a plane and say, "that engine is turning at 1271.4 RPM, but I can tell the difference between an engine at 1000RPM and 1200RPM if heard over a very short span. I think most of us can listen to 1000 and then a couple minutes later hear 1200 and say the second one was turning faster.
In a restaurant is even worse, lol. Look, if the guy was taxiing at 1200 rpm and on the brakes, it doesn't take long for the smoke show to start. That said sometimes it does take 11 to 1200 rpm sometimes to get the thing moving, but usually once it starts rolling you pull back, unless you are on the brakes, in which case the brakes overheat and bad things happen. The wheels are small, so the brakes are small too.
Plano Pilot
Cleared for Takeoff
I am almost 60 and have been around airplanes all my life. I can tell when an engine is running over 1200 RPM and when one is idling. I can’t tell you what key a note of music is played in but I can tell engine RPM.
Unless the NTSB got it wrong in the accident report mentioned above 1000 RPM is a limit not a recommended speed.
“The pilot operating handbook "Taxiing" section reads, "When taxiing, directional control is accomplished with rudder deflection and intermittent braking (toe taps) as necessary. Use only as much power as is necessary to achieve forward movement." The section contained a warning: Maximum continuous engine speed for taxiing is 1,000 rpm on flat, smooth, hard surfaces. Power settings slightly above 1,000 rpm are permissible to start motion, for turf, soft surfaces, and on inclines. Use minimum power to maintain taxi speed. If the 1,000 rpm taxi power limit and proper braking procedures are not observed, the brake system may overheat and result in brake damage or brake fire.”
FastEddieB
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My prior two planes - Grumman Tiger and SR22 - and now my Sky Arrow, all have free-castering nosewheels. In none did I, nor do I now spend much attention on taxi rpm - just whatever it takes. In none did I ever have excessive brake wear or brake fires. A few random thoughts…
1) It’s important to use brakes for steering only after full rudder deflection is shown to be insufficient. It’s common to see pilots use brakes to steer long before they have applied full rudder in the desired direction.
2) Taxiing too fast isn’t good. But taxiing fast enough to get good rudder steering can preclude all or almost all of the need for brakes to steer. Paradoxically, taxiing too slowly can require more brakes to steer.
3) Runways and taxiways are crowned. If they’re wide enough, taxiing to the right or left of the centerline can help the plane “pull” in that direction, decreasing or eliminating the need for brakes at all in a crosswind.
None of this is rocket science, but apparently a lot of pilots don’t use all the techniques that make taxiing easier.
1) It’s important to use brakes for steering only after full rudder deflection is shown to be insufficient. It’s common to see pilots use brakes to steer long before they have applied full rudder in the desired direction.
2) Taxiing too fast isn’t good. But taxiing fast enough to get good rudder steering can preclude all or almost all of the need for brakes to steer. Paradoxically, taxiing too slowly can require more brakes to steer.
3) Runways and taxiways are crowned. If they’re wide enough, taxiing to the right or left of the centerline can help the plane “pull” in that direction, decreasing or eliminating the need for brakes at all in a crosswind.
None of this is rocket science, but apparently a lot of pilots don’t use all the techniques that make taxiing easier.
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PaulS
Touchdown! Greaser!
Yup, if the wind is right you might have to taxi with the rudder fully depressed to travel straight, that can be fun. I've had it drilled into me not to ride the brakes. Usually it's a sharp turn to get the airplane out of where ever it's parked, so it's differential braking to get pointed the way you want to go, then I purposely plant my heels on the floor. I can generally tell when the rudder isn't going to cut it in a turn now, so a quick jab speeds the process along. That's pretty rare though, once you get the hang of it, steering the thing is natural.