Air cooled engine. But yeah, follow POH.
Will depend a lot on the climate methinks. Prob. not an issue in the UK/Northern Europe most of the times, but in other locations you might run into issues. Vapor lock comes to mind.
Another one the other day
He then had to do a 180 in that tight space, to depart…
The wind was given as “less than 5kt”…
I wonder if the schools have simply given up on training basic ground procedures, because getting people to learn to fly in the number of hours they can manage (for various reasons) is a hard enough job.
It’s like teaching people to not sit at the pump with the engine running for ages – this happens because they are billed brakes-off to brakes-on so this behaviour is driven by the schools’ billing system.
My POH says “into the wind”—I kinda do it, especially on a hot day if the wind is brisk, but I’m too lazy to make a fetish of it. The run up doesn’t cause me temperature problems. What does is climbs. I would never contort myself over this issue; perhaps I’m wrong.
Turning 180° to get into the wind for run-up is just nonsense. I have never experienced any cooling problems due to run-up, neither in Europe nor in the US (CA, AZ, NE, UT, OR, WA). Seriously, in 25 years of flying I cannot remember having seen anyone make great efforts to turn into the wind to the point of making a 180° turn on a taxiway. Nor have I been asked to by any instructor I have ever flown with. I turn 45 degrees into the wind, mostly to avoid the propeller blast hitting the aircraft behind me. I am not going to grind down my brake pads or tyres because of some theoretical possibility that under certain climatic conditions under which I do not operate, the engine may get hot.
I was taught ‘into wind’
At the time I didn’t question it and always followed the rule, however it was always understood that close enough was close enough.
This was a 152 at a large airfield with dozens of opportunities to easily position into wind and taxi away after.
When later flying the Robin I quickly noticed that in any reasonable strength of wind the airframe would sit much more smoothly during the run up into wind. Additionally the tail (all flying stabilator) would pull around quite firmly against the stick with a tailwind during the other checks.
Now flying the Cessna, she’s a little heavier and bulky to manoeuvre ( on the controls too) so I’ll generally only look for into wind if it’s a) very convenient, and b) over 15kts.
Standard Airmanship will always mean I’ll try to remember not to blast someone behind me.
Peter wrote:
this happens because they are billed brakes-off to brakes-on so this behaviour is driven by the schools’ billing system.
Lol – that old chestnut. But the official brakes off time is from when the brakes are released to move the aircraft under its own power with the intention of taking off. Moving 10 feet clear of the pump and stopping again, isn’t moving with the intention of taking off, therefore can’t be logged as brakes off.
I admit, I used to turn into the wind and get clear of the taxiway, because that is what I was taught. I now stay on the taxiway, turn so the prop blast doesn’t affect anyone and do the run up. I wonder if it is for training reasons. Obviously when you’re teaching you’re explaining a lot and so could be sat at the run-up for quite a while to have the time to go through each point carefully. Once you’re practised the run up doesn’t take long. But during a teaching sortie the length of time could hinder the progress of other aircraft and generate a lot of heat in your engine; so it kind of makes sense from that point of view. To me anyway.
In strong winds I don’t like the vibrations from the propeller during run-up if the wind is coming straight from the side. Then I prefer having the wind from behind, if parking into-wind is not practical. But generally, the stronger the wind, the more effort to position into-wind. Unless you are flying a Spitfire or some other special type with marginal ground cooling of the engine, or unless it is hot and you are held at the pad for a long time, I don’t think it is a cooling issue.
Flying PIC, I don’t think much about it. Instructing, I sometimes find myself balancing being loyal to school procedures and POH – and teaching the students not to be complete robots.
I also don’t like how a tailwind bangs the flight controls against the stops unless you hold the yoke/stick very tight. Not an issue in 5 kt, but in 10-15 it is.
Every checkride or test I did it was advised to do that.
Turning 180 in a PA28 in a tight space is not a problem and as others have said it is in the POH.
I dont think there has ever been a problem citied by pilots following the POH..
liftvectorup wrote:
Turning 180 in a PA28 in a tight space is not a problem
Except for brake linings (pads) and tyres, and the inconvenience to the guy behind you. See Peter’s picture.
liftvectorup wrote:
I dont think there has ever been a problem citied by pilots following the POH.
There are loads of problems associated with following some things in the POH, including leaning for best power at maximum recommended cruise power. And even following Continental’s recommendations has it’s share of problems. Judge for yourself.
If you look in the POH, there is a maximum RPM and MP setting, and at that MP and RPM, if you are at that point or below you can do anything you want with the red knob, and even on the hottest of days, at maximum engine limitations, you would not detonate the engine. And the engine is tested for durability. … It is put in the POH… for the older aircraft you may see a power chart where there is nothing above it in the chart. That cruise setting is the maximum recommended cruise. What I am talking about is a power setting that I have full leaning authority of the engine, that I can in no way damage that, detonation is avoided, and it is tested for durability.
Note that one of those “maximum engine limitations” is CHT 460°F.
Not turning into the wind for run-up may be more of a problem in tailwheels and strong winds.
