GARMIN GFC 500 P.32

TIPS & TRICKS FLYING THE GARMIN GFC 500 p.32

March 2020 • cessnaflyer.org Preventive Maintenance Update p.54

CESSNA 150& 152 No Fuss and No Frills p.44

Renovating an Interior: Seat Slings and Seat Foam p.22 2 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Rotate Colors: Green Blue Red

Aircraft Spruce is the leading worldwide distributor of general aviation parts and supplies. Our orders ship same day, at the lowest prices, and with the support of the most helpful staff in the industry. We look forward to our next opportunity to serve you! www.aircraftspruce.com ORDER YOUR FREE 2019-2020 CATALOG! 1000 PAGES OF PRODUCTS! Call Toll Free 1-877-4-SPRUCE March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 3 Shopping around to save Vol. 17 • Issue 3 • March 2020 on aircraft insurance… The Official Magazine of SMART. The Cessna Flyer Association PRESIDENT Jennifer Dellenbusch Us doing it for you… [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR OF SALES EVEN SMARTER. Kent Dellenbusch [email protected]

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mike Kline

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Scott Kinney

EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Diana Hart

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Mike Berry Steve Ells Kevin Garrison Michael Leighton John Ruley Jacqueline Shipe Dale Smith Kristin Winter Dennis Wolter

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Paul Bowen James Lawrence Keith Wilson

1042 Mountain Ave., Ste. B #337 Upland, CA 91786 Call or Text: 626.844.0125 www.cessnaflyer.org

Cessna Flyer is the official publication of the Cessna Flyer Association. Cessna Flyer is published monthly by Aviation Group Limited, 1042 Mountain Ave., Ste. B #337, Upland, CA 91786. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cessna Flyer, 1042 Mountain Ave., Ste. B #337, Upland, CA 91786. Subscriptions, advertising orders, and correspondence should be addressed to 1042 Mountain Ave., Ste. B #337, Upland, CA 91786. Annual dues: $44.00 in the U.S.; Canada and Mexico add $15.00 per year; all others add $25.00 per year (U.S. Dollars only). Eighty percent (80%) of annual dues is designated for your magazine subscriptions. The information presented in Cessna Flyer is from many sources for this reason there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to accuracy, originality, or completeness. The magazine is sold Aircraft insurance rates are on the rise. We can help. with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering product endorsements or providing instruction as a substitute for Call us today at 877.413.2922 or visit ap-aerospace.com appropriate training by qualified sources. Cessna Flyer and Aviation Group Limited will not assume responsibility for any actions arising from any information published in Cessna Flyer. We invite comments and welcome any report of inferior products obtained through our advertising, so corrective action may be taken.

4 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 5 March 2020 • Volume 17 • Issue 3

Prop & Cowling "One of our 8 THE VIEW from HERE • members is Jennifer Dellenbusch wondering if he has 40- or 8 LETTERS to the EDITOR 50-gallon tanks" 10 CESSNA FLYER EVENTS 14 THE HIGH and the WRITEY • Kevin Garrison

18 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS • Steve Ells Cockpit & Fuselage

22 RENOVATING AN INTERIOR, PART NINE: SEAT SLINGS AND SEAT FOAM • Dennis Wolter

32 TIPS & TRICKS FOR FLYING WITH THE GARMIN GFC 500 AFCS AUTOPILOT • Troy Whistman

40 PILOT'S GUIDE TO AUTOPILOT OPERATIONS AND TROUBLESHOOTING • Dale Smith

44 NO FUSS AND NO FRILLS: THE CESSNA 150 AND 152 • Kristin Winter

54 PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE UPDATE • Kristin Winter 58 DESTINATION: SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS —FLY INTO THE PAST AND SEE THE FUTURE • Kevin Garrison Tail & Rudder 68 NEWS 80 SAFETY ALERTS 84 ADVERTISER INDEX 86 BACK WHEN: VINTAGE CESSNA ADVERTISING AND MARKETING

COVER: Cessna 150G, photo Keith Wilson

6 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 FLY LIKE A BOSS

340 hp

Our Boss 182 Lycoming IO-580 engine conversion is the most powerful factory-new option available, with 315 hp stock and up to 340 hp after tuning. With the included gross weight increase to 3,158 lbs, it’s got everything required to put that silly grin on your face.

Are you ready to fly like a boss?

651.451.1205 wipaire.com/Boss-182 March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 7 The View from Here Letters to the Editor By JENNIFER DELLENBUSCH Send your letters to [email protected] Questions & Answers Column By Steve Ells How is aviation like February 2020 Dear Editor, a leisure suit In the Q&A section of the February 2020 magazine, there was a question ONE OF MY JOBS during high school was working at a men’s from Hot Harold about a carburetor clothing store at the height of the leisure suit craze. A leisure airbox gasket for a 1976 Cessna 182P Sky- suit, in case you missed that fashion phase, is a polyester pant- lane (re: Single Engine Service Letter suit. They came in a variety of 1970s colors and were accom- SE 76-18). I had the same situation and panied by silky patterned shirts, and white shoes and belts. found this part is available from Dynam- It was not, for the most part, the apex of men’s fashion. ic Propeller, LLC., (dynamicpropeller. So, it was with a smile that I read Kevin Garrison’s column com) in Pasco, Washington. The Precut (Page 14) about pilot fashion through the ages. I think you’ll Airbox Neoprene Gasket and Glue sells enjoy it, too. for $40.66. Not to veer too far off course, but I often wish I had an They also have other Cessna prod- autopilot to help produce the magazine. Not a completely ucts available. We took advantage of the hands-off “approach” to publishing, but a little extra help while Cowl Flap Support Kit and new Cowl I deal with all the other tasks, the surprises, and the course Flap Hinges available from them. We changes that arise daily. were very satisfied with the company If you’d like to help chart our course, send me an email and the products. with your ideas for articles or photos. —Steven Beekman I don’t have a magazine-publishing autopilot, but autopilots for Cessnas are becoming more affordable and available. Two stories; Tips and Tricks for Flying with the Garmin GFC500 AFCS Autopilot on Page 33, and Pilot’s Guide to Autopilots on Page 40, will be of interest to you if you have or are looking to install an autopilot in your Cessna. I asked at the beginning of this column how aviation is like a leisure suit. That was a trick question, they are not alike. While the form of the leisure suit—the polyester fabric— may last forever, the idea of it was short-lived and, some would say, ill-conceived. Aviation is different. The form of it may change over time. It may evolve from fabric-covered wings and hand-propping, to self-landing aircraft, but the idea of it is eternal.

Blue skies,

P.S. If you have a photo of yourself in a leisure suit, I’d love to see it. Bonus points if you are standing by an airplane in a leisure suit.

Letters continued on Page 79 

8 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Quality, Innovation and Performance from the Brands you Trust.

• Spark Plugs • Temperature Probes • Oil Filters • Instruments • Dry Air Pumps • Test Equipment • Regulators and Manifold Valves • Pneumatic Filters and Fittings

® ®

• RSA Fuel Injection Systems • Replacement Components • Carburetors • Replacement Components

www.tempestaero.com 800.822.3200

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 9 Events

CFA EVENTS FEATURED EVENTS Dedicated to the promotion of aviation education, the Sun ’n Fun JULY 18–19 MARCH 26 Aerospace Expo is best known for the WAUPACA, WISCONSIN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS annual weeklong fly-in and airshow at 16TH ANNUAL GATHERING AT WAUPACA SAN ANTONIO AVIATION AND Lakeland Linder International Airport CFA’s annual pre-OSH event with AEROSPACE HALL OF FAME 2020 (KLAL). The event will showcase fun, food, and friendship takes place AWARDS DINNER a trade show and career fair with at the Waupaca Municipal Airport This event honors San Antonio’s workshops, airshows, aircraft judging, (KPCZ) and Par 4 Resort. Early Aviation and Aerospace History with and more. For details, visit flysnf.org/ registration is available at only $129 the Induction of the 2020 Hall of sun-n-fun-intl-fly-expo. if registered by May 1 and $150 Fame Honorees, the presentation of thereafter. Event registration includes the DHF STEM Education Excellence APRIL 1–4 all meals, seminars, fabulous door Award, education exhibits, and plenty FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY prizes, and bus transportation (except of aircraft displays. Located at the AERO FRIEDRICHSHAFEN night bus). Hotel and AirVenture GDC Technics Hangar on 607 Frank Discover new and exciting admission fees are not included. Luke Drive, the evening starts with developments in the General Aviation (Mention “Aviation Group/Cessna” live music from 6 to 7 p.m., followed industry at AERO Friedrichshafen. for special rates at the event hotel, by dinner, speeches, and the award With more than 600 exhibitors Par 4 Resort Waupaca, 715-942- presentation from 7 to 9:30 p.m. For from 35 countries, 33,000 visitors, 0500, or book at choicehotels.com/ more information, visit deehoward. 600 journalists from all over the reservations/groups/IY73I3.) Free org/saaahof-2020-dinner. world, and more than 100 talks and admission for kids ages 8 and under; workshops, AERO Friedrichshafen is half price for ages 9 to 16. Register MARCH 31–APRIL 5 the international community’s annual at: thegatheringatwaupaca.SimpleTix. LAKELAND, FLORIDA meeting place. For more information, com or by calling 626-844-0125. SUN ‘N FUN AEROSPACE EXPO visit aero-expo.com.

10 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 WHAT’S RIDING ON YOUR CYLINERS? “When you’ve got over 17 hours of open Pacific Ocean in front of you, you’ve got to have great cylinders. I wouldn’t attempt a flight like that with anything but Superior’s Millennium Cylinders.” —Adrian Eichhorn

Adian Eichhorn, Globe trotting Bonanza pilot, FAA A&P/IA

As an A&P/IA and FAA National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year, when it came time for Adrian Eichhorn to rebuild the engine that would take him around the world, he chose Superior Millennium Cylinders. They were the only cylinder brand with the superior quality, superior engineering, and superior reliability he demanded. So, whether you’re flying around the patch or around the world, put your trust in the number one replacement cylinders for Continental and Lycoming engines: Superior Air Parts’ Millennium Cylinders.

For more information, contact your nearest Superior Air Parts distributor, or visit: www.SuperiorAirParts.com Events

MAY 2–3 the Flyover begins at 12:10 p.m. For more will have something for everyone. ANCHORAGE, ALASKA information, visit ww2flyover.org/about- The amazing two-day event will give 2020 GREAT ALASKA AVIATION the-flyover. attendees the chance to experience GATHERING AOPA events, including a Friday night Alaska’s premier, must-see aviation MAY 29–30 Flightline Cookout, STOL invitational, event with hundreds of exhibitors and SAN MARCOS, TEXAS drone show, seminars, exhibits, and thousands of attendees at the FedEx AOPA 2020 FLY-IN/GO WHEELS UP! TEXAS more. For information, visit aopa.org hangar at the Ted Stevens International Go Wheels Up! Texas is a high-energy, Airport (PANC). The Alaska Airmen family-friendly celebration of aviation, JUNE 20 Association has been “Protecting, music, automobiles, and Texas. The GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO Preserving and Promoting General event features Aircraft Owners and UNIQUE AIRCRAFT FLY-IN Aviation since 1951.” Free admission Pilots Association (AOPA) fly-in at the The Rocky Mountain Wing of the and parking. For more information, visit San Marcos Regional Airport (KHYI). Commemorative Air Force is sponsoring greatalaskaaviationgathering.org. Attendees will enjoy regular AOPA fly-in the Unique Aircraft Fly-in at the Grand programming, along with an airshow, Junction Regional Airport (KGJT). MAY 8 concert series, and car show. The 2020 Showcasing all unique aircraft, from WASHINGTON D.C. event will bring in up to 700 aircraft and warbirds to homebuilts, the event 75TH ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY FLYOVER thousands of additional spectators. For includes demonstrations of science, As part of the 75th World War II Victory information, visit aopa.org. technology, engineering, and math Commemoration Flyover, approximately principles used in aviation science. 100 World War II aircraft will take to the JUNE 19–20 Free admission for children. For more sky in 20 historically sequenced warbird CASPER, WYOMING information, contact dbeede@cbcwest. formations. The aircraft begin their flights AOPA 2020 FLY-IN com or call 970-250-9500. from the Culpeper Regional Airport Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (KCJR) and Manassas Regional Airport (AOPA) fly-in at the Casper/Natrona Send your event listings to (KHEF) approximately 40 minutes before County International Airport (KCPR) [email protected]

12 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Visit Us At Sun ‘n Fun Booth # C8 &C9

It flies in private props, commercial jets, and in the face of convention.

Introducing the next generation DC PRO-X2.

Conventional wisdom says rest-on-ear headsets are just for the quiet flight decks of commercial airliners. But that wisdom THE NEXT GEN has been proven wrong by the thousands of private pilots that have purchased the original DC PRO-X Series. The next generation DC PRO-X2 offers enhanced audio performance and ANR technology along with the unmatched, lightweight comfort of a rest-on-ear headset design – for both private and commercial pilots. And that conventional wisdom? Well, that flies out the window. Purchase online at www.davidclark.com or call 800-298-6235

for more information. HYBRID

The Pilot Wears Prada

ou never see pilots in clothing advertisements, flashy on it, and wear socks with your shoes. Might I recommend magazine layouts, or on the fashion runway at snooty that you wear a tie? I have a “lucky checkride tie” that I have Yshows, but we have a fashion sense of our own and we worn for every checkride I have ever taken. have had it since the very beginning of manned flight. A short From my Private Pilot checkride to my 777-rating ride, search of early aviation photography will prove this to you. In that embarrassingly wide, polyester tie with a biplane on the the 1920s, pilots often wore riding pants and carried crops like front, has graced my chest. I am not superstitious, but I have they were flying fashionable horses instead of fabric-winged never flunked a checkride, and based on my skill level, I have aircraft. to give my tie all the credit. That fashion statement begins to make sense when you realize four things: Dressed for ramp success During the early days of my flying life, when I was a 1. Casual pants—like the khakis and elastic waist jeans teenage line crew guy, I dressed for success by copying those that we now wear—did not exist back then. around me. Blue jeans had to have a belt with a Ray-Ban 2. Pilots, especially fighter pilots, were often compared sunglasses case on it. I usually sported this sunglass belt to the “Knights of Old,” so wearing Jodhpurs (riding holster on my right hip, so that I could quickly draw and don pants) was not out of line. my aviators in case of a sudden solar ray attack. There was no 3. Back then, most pilots probably had a horse—or way that I could afford real Ray-Bans, so I just put my cheap two—in their backyards, and they rode those horses shades in a Ray-Ban case, which I got from the FBO’s lost and a lot. found. 4. Women, in the 1920s, were known to “dig a guy in I topped off my airport ramp “look” by adorning my right baggy-kneed pants and boots.” shirt pocket with a pocket protector containing multiple pens and a tire pressure gauge. My left front pocket sported a pack Pilots wore riding pants and boots because they were of cigarettes that I was afraid to smoke. On my head, atop practical. Airports were mostly fields of grass and mud, plus about 50 pounds of uncontrolled hair, was a green Aeroshell there was a very good chance that pilots would experience an ball cap. off-airport landing or two during their careers. This eventuali- There was a short period in my ramp-working career when ty made boots and utility pants an excellent idea. the boss dressed us in light blue jumpsuits and tiny hats. All In addition to rugged pants and records and photos of this embarrass- footwear, pilots in our early flying ing and tragic period in my life got history routinely wore layered cloth- destroyed. We will never speak of this ing topped off with a warm jacket. again! Helmets of leather with a chin strap were fashionable, but rather expen- Pants make the pilot sive, so most pilots wore cloth caps or Moving on to my college days when nothing at all on their melons. I worked as a charter pilot, CFI, and Comfort and necessity still drive all-around aviator, fashion was never today’s pilot couture. Flying to your on my mind. Ask anybody who knew local pancake breakfast mandates a me back then. I flew paying charter Cessna-Flyer T-shirt, roomy pants passengers while I was wearing red with an elastic waist, and comfy plaid pants. Let me say that again, so shoes. If you are a male, it is nec- it sinks in—Red. Plaid. Pants. essary to wear a ball cap with your My red plaid pants strangely disap- airplane’s “N” number embroidered peared when my then-girlfriend (and on the front. now my wife), carried out what I can Are you going out for a checkride only call: “Operation Closet Purge.” today with your local DPE? Be sure to I never wore those wonderful flying wear normal pants, a clean shirt that pants again, but my wife has many does not have a logo or witty saying pictures of me in them, which she uses

14 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 15 The High & The Writey to belittle me in front of our children and  KEVIN GARRISON’S aviation checkride tie at the interview. Once hired, grandchildren. career began at age 15 as a the airline introduced me to my airline When I wasn’t wearing my red pants, I lineboy in Lakeland, Florida. pilot’s uniform. flew most of my charters wearing a leisure He came up through General The airline took the Navy officer’s suit. That is right; I said, “leisure suit.” Aviation, retired as a 767 uniform coat and used it. Navy pilots in my Those of you who never experienced the dis- captain in 2006 and retired pilot class already had their uniform—we co age might not know about these things. from instructing airline pilots lowly civilian pilots had to go to the uniform You see, they combined “leisure” with in 2017. Garrison’s professional shop and buy ours. “suit;” all business, yet relaxed and hip in a writing career has spanned We bought our first uniform on cred- “Smokey and the Bandit” kind of way. three decades. Send questions it. The company knew we were bereft of I had two professional flying leisure or comments to editor@ money, and they didn’t intend to pay us a suits. A warm corduroy one for winter flying cessnaflyer.org. livable wage until we completed our one- and a cooler, powder blue one with bell-bot- year probation. The airline let us pay it off toms, for summer flights. Being the consum- via payroll deduction over two years. Here mate professional pilot, when I flew, I left all of my gold chains is what we had to buy: and my mood ring at home. • A black uniform “Navy” coat with three gold stripes One of my two leisure suits escaped the aforementioned on each sleeve denoting our second officer status. “Operation Closet Purge,” and it rests in a Tupperware case • Three pairs of dry clean only black pants (50% poly- awaiting the day when I will wear it again and fly like an eagle. ester). It will be ready to go because it is 100% polyester, and polyes- • Six white pilot shirts. ter never dies. Archaeologists millions of years from now will • One London Fog trenchcoat. dig up this suit, and wear it, unwrinkled and unfaded. • One goofy looking, steamship-captain-looking hat. • Two sets of three-gold-stripe epaulets. Airline pilots looking like 1903 steamship captains • One black, polyester, not-my-lucky checkride, tie. I joined the airline world via another polyester suit. This • A leather flight bag with our name on it. one was a JCPenney three-piece beauty, and I wore my lucky Continued on Page 76 

AIRMARK OVERHAUL, INC. “When Quality Counts”

Approved Overhaul, Repair and Exchange Facility for:

• ENGINES – Continental and Lycoming Engines • ACCESSORIES – Magnetos, Starters, Alternators, Turbos, Controllers, Wastegates, Relief Valves and Fuel Components 500 Hour Magneto InspectIon & certIfIcatIon • CYLINDERS – Continental and Lycoming Cylinders servIce wItH easa approval Starting at $390 • HYDRAULICS – Britten Norman Islander Landing Gears 6001 N.W. 29th Avenue • PARTS – Thousands of New and Serviceable Parts in Stock Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 Tel: 954-970-3200 Fax: 954-970-3400 Toll Free: 1-800-282-3202 www.airmarkoverhaul.com FAA Approved Repair Station JL4R288M • EASA 145.4115 Email: [email protected]

16 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 BEST CESSNAS! BEST PRICES!! BEST FINANCING!!!

TRADE-INS ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED!!

follow us 4912 SOUTH COLLINS • ARLINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT • ARLINGTON, TX 76018 800-759-4295 • FAX 817-468-7886 • e-mail: [email protected] • www.vanbortel.com

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 17 Questions & Answers By STEVE ELLS

“If cracked, then replace” seat rails clarification, NAS bolts for a gear fairing cover plate, determining fuel capacity of a Cessna 172P

Hi Steve, over Thanksgiving week. Knowing this is a confusing topic, I I’m running out of runway on making a decision to asked, and their IA says, “If cracked, then replace.” I don’t want Qtake my 1977 Cessna 182Q Skylane to a new shop for the to ignore addressing a required maintenance issue, but I’d pre- annual. I read another post (on the Cessna Flyer forum) with a fer to put the $1,600 toward avionics on my wish list if possible. similar issue in a Cessna 172, and it sounded like a comparable So, my expanded question—can I bring my plane to the situation to mine. They said, “We did find slight witness line new A&P for the annual and if the IA does not agree and flags cracks in the rail, but they were in spec.” my seat rail, can I get a conditional sign off and bring the My situation: during the last annual, the inspection was plane home, have my A&P on the field supervise the seat rail performed for AD 2011-10-09 Amendment 39-16690, and a very replacement (we will use the McFarlane replacement), and small crack was discovered in one of the pilot seat rails. (This then can my A&P sign off that the condition was addressed? amendment adds steps to the procedures, outlined in the original I do want this new A&P to go over the entire plane careful- AD, for inspection and possible replacement of seat rails and com- ly, so I’m not looking for a “pencil-whipped” annual but would ponents. See Resources for more information. —Ed.) It likely had rather spend the money on other preventive maintenance that been there for years, as the prior owner had very little flight may be needed. The alternative is I find another local IA that time between annuals. agrees the seat rail does not meet the criteria outlined in the That said, the stock answer seems to be “if cracked, then AD Figure 5, but my time is running out. replace,” and we can all agree it’s a costly pain to comply. After I appreciate any insight you can offer. reviewing all 14 pages of the AD, Figure 5, and the accompany- Thanks, ing text, it appears my seat rail does not meet the criteria for —John replacement similar to the Cessna 172 post I quoted above. I was planning on dropping my plane at a new (to me) shop Hi John, Yes, you can get the inspection signed off as “unairworthy.” Here’s what FAR 43.11, Paragraph 5 says: Counts as one crack. A “(5) Except for progressive inspections, if the aircraft is Usable if not closer than not approved for return to service because of needed main- one inch to a similar tenance, noncompliance with applicable specifications, air- crack. worthiness directives, or other approved data, the following or a similarly worded statement—“I certify that this aircraft has been inspected in accordance with (insert type) inspection and a list of discrepancies and unairworthy items dated (date) has been provided for the aircraft owner or operator.” The next step in getting your airplane back home would be to contact the local Flight Standards District Office and apply for what’s called a “ferry permit.” Note 3 from the FAA Special Flight Permits document reads: “If an AD requires compliance before further flight and does not have a provision for issuance of a Special Flight Unusable Permits, the operation of the aircraft to which it applies

18 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 19 Questions & Answers would not be appropriate, and a Special Flight Permit will not Both the NAS6605-30 and -33 and the NAS6205-30 and -33 be issued.” are available for a little over $2 from a few of our CFA support- The “if it’s cracked, replace it” statement from the IA may ers. present a problem. Happy flying, As you and I interpret the AD, the track is still airworthy if —Steve there are small cracks in certain locations. The AD says, “(8) Visually inspect the seat rails for cracks. (i) If there are seat Hi Steve, rail cracks that exceed the crack criteria in figure 5, before One of our members is wondering if he has 40- or further flight, replace the seat rail.” Q50-gallon tanks. The airplane is a Cessna 172P Skyhawk As I read the illustration on Page 18, it appears to me to say in service with the Civil Air Patrol. The logbook mentions 50 replace the rail when: 1.) any portion of the web or lower flange gallons in places, but he feels the dipstick does not measure is cracked, 2.) if there’s a crack in the crown of the rail in any that capacity. Is there a way to look up the manufacturing info direction other than at a right angle to the length of the rail, on this plane? 3.) if there are five (exceeds four) or more cracks across the —Kent crown of the rail, or any two cracks are closer together than 1 inch. I take this to mean that cracks are acceptable only if the cracks are perpendicular to the length of the rail, unless there are five or more cracks across the crown, or if the cracks that are perpendicular are closer together than 1 inch. I hope this explanation helps, and the IA is willing to take another look at the verbiage with the diagram in the AD. Let me know how it turns out for you. Happy flying, —Steve

Hi Steve, I’m needing to repair or replace the gear fairing cover Qplate. I am wondering if I need to buy new bolts after removal. They are NAS bolts, and Cessna wants $50 apiece for them. This is on a 1978 Cessna 182Q Skylane. —Andrew

Hi Andrew, The part number of the bolt is NAS464P5LA30 or 33. AThis bolt has a tensile strength of 160–180 kpsi. According to the Genuine Aircraft Hardware book (your mechanic should have one—or check the link below in Resources), this bolt is a 5/16-inch diameter close-tolerance bolt with a diameter of 0.3117 inch. The P indicates it’s plated (Cad II); the L indicates a slightly longer thread length; the A indicates there’s no cotter pinhole. Fuel Tank Well Covers The 30 (and 33) indicates the number of 1/16th of an inch Installation increments in the length. So, the grip (distance measured from the underside of the head to the full cylindrical part of the shank) of the 30-bolt has 30 1/16th of an inch increments or 1 7/8 inches; the 33-bolt has a 2 1/16-inch grip. Hi Kent, I did not find these exact part number bolts at a better cost The Type Certificate Data Sheet cites the fuel capac- than you did. Aity of this Cessna 172P as 42 gallons with two 21.5-gallon However, NAS62 and NAS66 are also close-tolerance bolts tanks. The POH says the Cessna 172P can have three different with 160–180 kpsi tensile strength and are Cad II plated. fuel capacities: a 43-gallon capacity (40 usable), a 54-gallon The NAS62 series are what’s called medium thread length capacity (50 usable), and if integral tanks are in the wings, a while the NAS66 bolts are long thread length. 68-gallon capacity (62 usable). It appears as though a NAS6205-30 or -33; or a NAS6605-30 If the cover plate over the fuel tank (that the filler neck or -33 would be an equivalent bolt. Check with your mechanic projects through) is squarish, then you have the 43-gallon ca- before purchasing these bolts. Your ability to use these in place pacity system. If there is an extension off the outboard end of of the -30 or -33 bolts will depend entirely on whether your me- the square shape of the cover plate, the airplane has 54-gallon chanic approves the installation of this alternate part number. Continued on Page 78 

20 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 a16

Icom’s VHF Air Band Handheld

The A16 series is packed with practical features and designed to operate in harsh and loud environments. The ideal choice for beginner pilots as well as professional ground crews.

• 6 Watt (P.E.P.) 1.8W (Carrier) RF Output Power • 8.33/25 kHz Channel Spacing, and Class Leading 1500 mW Audio • Built-in Bluetooth® Version Available • Durable, Waterproof, IP67/IP54 and MIL-STD-810-G • Backlit Keypad

Visit Icom At Sun ‘n Fun® 2020 Booth: #D-028, D-029 March 31 – April 5, 2020

www.icomamerica.com/A16 2020 Icom America Inc. The Icom logo is a registered trademark of Icom Inc. All product names, trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners. 428412 March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 21 Cervical Support

Lateral Support Four Places

Lumbar Support

Thigh Support

Marked image of a taller seat showing the four important ergonomic seat features.

22 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Renovating an Interior Part Nine SEAT SLINGS AND SEAT FOAM Interior restoration expert DENNIS WOLTER discusses the importance of ergonomically correct seats, and describes how to build them from the seat frames on up.

icking up from last month, was learning in school and the there your seat frames new airplanes I was occasionally are—all fixed up, painted, flying. The instrumentation layout, and sitting on the work- noise level, ventilation, and seat Pbench. So, what’s next? In this comfort weren’t much better than installment, we will outline how the Ercoupe designed by a for- we re-structure and re-foam your ward-thinking gentleman back in seats (and next month, sew your the late 1930s. upholstery). Five years later and out of school, I took a job at the Univer- Ergonomics sity of Cincinnati Medical College, I think the two elements a working in the biomedical com- pilot relates to most in an airplane munication department. Of the are its instrument panel and its many things we were involved in, interior components. First, the in- producing medical training films strument panel obviously gives us was the most interesting. very important information about One project that really reso- location, aircraft condition, etc., nated with me as a pilot in love and we all know pilots are proud of with airplanes was a study being Canvas seat sling with reinforcement webbing. their fancy avionics! conducted using X-ray technology Second is the interior, the to observe people performing ev- environment in which we experi- Lunken Municipal Airport (KLUK), run eryday tasks (i.e., standing, sitting, ence the flight. The interior component by a benevolent character named Joe reaching, bending, etc.). most important to how we relate to that Babis. Of great interest were images of environment is the seat in which you sit. Joe was also a part-time Cessna people sitting on various types of seats. Ergonomic design is a big factor. salesman. On occasion, he would send The side view X-rays clearly showed how Before we start to build the new me south to Louisville, Kentucky, to fer- the spine, pelvis, and femur responded slings and foam on your seat, I would ry a new Cessna back to his hangar. to various seating situations. like to digress for a moment to tell you In 1964, I began my studies in the Staring me right in the face was the how I ended up in the aircraft renova- industrial design department at the reason that even new airplane seats tion business. I think you will better University of Cincinnati. The industrial were so uncomfortable! When I started understand our approach to interior design program at the University of Air Mod in 1973, I knew I had to in- renovation and seat design. Cincinnati is deeply invested in both clude in the renovation process, a seat Despite my limited piloting skills, I engineering and human factors studies designed to correctly support a person’s convinced a seasoned and rather trust- in an effort to enhance the relationship skeletal structure as they sat in that ing FAA examiner (with the help of a 75 between humans and the stuff we use in confined space for extended periods. hp Ercoupe) to issue me a private certif- our everyday lives. When one sits in a poorly designed icate in 1962. At the time, I was working What these studies showed me as a seat (think card table chair or wooden for an avionics shop at Cincinnati, Ohio’s newly minted private pilot was that there church pew), your brain subconsciously existed a great divide between what I

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 23 Top Left: Two-layer seat base foam with tapered Top Middle: Seat back with 1-inch base foam and Top Right: Correctly tapered headrest on a 1-inch thick thigh support bonded in place. cervical upper back support bonded in place. short seat back, contoured to create a cervical upper back support. Bottom Left: Cutting a teardrop-shaped lateral Bottom Middle: Seat back with lower back lum- Bottom Right: Seat base with thigh and lateral support. bar and lateral supports bonded in place. supports bonded in place. tells your muscles how to hold your skel- Better ventilation, reduced noise levels, renovated aircraft seats to correctly and etal structure in a comfortable position. ergonomically correct seats, state-of-the- comfortably support the human body. After 20 or more minutes, your muscles art instrument lighting, logical instrument The first issue to address when pre- get tired, and without thinking about it, panel design, and electrical system control paring a seat for upholstery is to install you shift your seating position to some- layout can all add up to a fatigue-reducing a new seat sling. In an effort to develop thing more comfortable. Twenty minutes later, muscle group No. 2 is tired, and you shift to a third It’s not uncommon to find a position, and so on. Pretty soon, all your muscles are tired, and you’re more than ready to get out of that seat. loose sling in a 40-year-old This discomfort is also a safety issue. Fatigue is often a contributing factor airplane that has sagged 2 in why pilots crash airplanes. Avoiding fatigue-related incidents is the reason inches or more. professional pilots must adhere to strict duty time limitations. flight environment that can have a positive a light and strong method to attach As private pilots, we have no require- effect on General Aviation safety. the seat foam cushion to the frame; ments to limit our time in the pilot seat. So, how does all this ethereal stuff the industry has employed a method For this reason, I believe anything that apply to your inspected, repaired, and of bonding a tightly stretched, coated can be done to reduce fatigue when ren- painted seat frames? It’s not very com- canvas material to the seat frame. ovating an aircraft’s interior is important plicated. What follows here is all about In time, the canvas material stretches, from a safety enhancement standpoint. how to shape the slings and foam in your the bonding adhesive lets go, and the sling

24 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 25 sags. It’s not uncommon to specific person, I believe find a loose sling in a 40-year- urethane foam is the best old airplane that has sagged choice. 2 inches or more. That, along Rough-cut lumbar support Before diving into the with degraded foam, is defi- 40-density foam. seat foaming process, I think nitely not comfortable. we should touch on the best methods for a do-it- Seat slings yourselfer to cut and glue Here’s how to build a this foam. A sharp electric comfortable and durable kitchen knife will do a pretty seat that is up to the job of good job of cutting the foam correctly supporting the 6” shapes needed to build your weight of a person. new seat cushions. Expect In 1973, we devel- the kitchen knife to cut oped a simple, durable, slowly, but it will do the job. non-sagging, two-part sling Practice first! system at Air Mod that has Now, let’s talk about 12” withstood the test of time. 1 1/2” gluing foam. Do not attempt 1 1/2” - 2” First, we tightly stretch two to apply contact cement to lengths of seat belt web- foam with a brush. The use bing, bonded and clamped of a brush will result in the in place to the seat base 4 1/2” application of too much glue, frame using contact cement the outcome of which is a and hog rings (available poor bond. At Air Mod, we at automotive upholstery Sketch of lumbar support foam. use a brushable and spray- supply companies). able contact adhesive sold We then stretch and under the name MC5 (which bond a drum-tight, heavy Dacron canvas ments for aircraft seat cushions. —Ed.) we buy from Miami Corporation). sling over the tightly secured seat belt This product can be applied with an webbing. The seatback gets only the Using these approved materials will inexpensive siphon type spray paint gun. drum-tight canvas sling. There is no make your new interior a major part of It won’t clog the nozzle when left in the need for webbing on the seatback as that the fire suppression system rather than gun for weeks. Use spray glue to bond area does not support the major portion a fire support system. If you plan to together different layers of seat foam. of an occupant’s weight. have your interior done professionally, Foam density (resistance to com- Having followed up with customers verify that the interior shop uses FAR pression) is identified by a numbering over the years, we know this seat sling 25.853a-approved materials. system. We typically use three densities system has served us well. We’re just now to build our seats; 70 is firm, 40 is mod- beginning to receive seats for repair or Seat foam erately firm, and 20 is quite soft. reupholstery that we originally renovated Over the years, the aviation industry in the 1970s and are happy to find that has experimented with many different Building up seat foam the seat slings are still as good as new. types of foam. Today there are two com- Seat base and back mon types used in our General Aviation Let’s start by building the base foam Fire retardant materials airplanes. The most common one is for the seat bottom. Using a spray gun, No discussion of interior renovation flame-retardant urethane foam. These apply a light, even coat of glue to both would be complete without discussing foams are light, durable, available in mul- the top surface of the seat sling and the the importance of using flame retar- tiple densities, and meet FAR 25.853a. bottom surface of a 1-inch thick piece dant materials to enhance safety. In the The second foam type in light aircraft of 70-density foam, cut to overhang the unlikely event of an in-flight cabin fire, use is thermal elastic memory foam, outer edge of the seat frame by 1 inch. these self-extinguishing materials pro- such as that marketed under the name Follow this with a 1-inch layer of hibit the spread of fire, giving you more Temper Foam. This foam is sensitive to 40-density foam cut to the same size as time to get the airplane on the ground. temperature and will mold to any shape the 70-density base foam. This combina- Flame retardant materials are avail- when pressure and body heat are applied. tion creates a durable and comfortable able at many local upholstery supply This temperature-sensitive foam is foundation on which to add the sculpting stores. When choosing vinyl, fabric, a great product when the seat cushion foams that will create the finished shape leather, foam, insulation, etc., check the must accommodate the weight and con- of the seat. specification charts usually located on tour of numerous people. The downside Next, it’s time to bond an oversized the back of the sample cards. Often list- of this foam is that it is heavier, more ex- 1-inch layer of 40-density foam to the ed with various flame specifications for pensive, and less durable than urethane seatback. The seatback doesn’t have to that material will be FAR 25.853a. (FAR foam. For owner-flown airplanes where support much body weight, so it does 25.853a spells out the flammability require- a seat structure can be built to suit a not require foam as thick as on the seat

26 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 AVIATION

A20 AVIATION HEADSET

Technology developed over 30 years. Appreciated in seconds.

The Bose A20 Aviation Headset offers the right combination of noise reduction, clear communication and comfort. With Bluetooth® streaming for audio and communication, auto-on*, auto-off, side swappable mic and FAA TSO and EASA E/TSO-C139 certification, the A20 is the choice of pilots the world over. Hear the A20 difference today. See and order yours at Bose.com/A20. Visit us at Bose.com/A20.

Connect with us @BoseAviation The Bluetooth® word mark is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such mark by Bose Corporation is under license. © 2020 Bose Corporation. All rights reserved. *In select models.

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 27

50634 Bose_A20 Tech_Environ_CessnaFlyer.indd 1 1/20/20 11:25 AM Client: BOSE - Aviation Ad Title: A20 Tech - Environmental Filepath: /Volumes/GoogleDrive/Shared drives/Bose 2019/_Aviation/50634 November 2019 A20 Tech Print Ad Updates/02 CREATIVE /04 FINAL FILES/A20 Tech Environmental/4c Ads/50634 Bose_A20 Tech_Environ_CessnaFlyer.indd Publication: Cessna Flyer - March Trim: 8.25” x 10.75” • Bleed: 8.75” x 11.25” • Live: 7.125” x 10” base. We build the seatback foam to ing together two 1-inch pieces of 40-den- achieve comfort but not so thick as to sity foam and use the electric knife to encroach upon the legroom between create the lumbar support following the the seat and the rudder pedals. dimensions on the sketch on Page XX. With foam on the base and back, Cut slowly, and don’t forget to practice we assemble the seat and install it in on a scrap piece of foam first. the airplane to determine where to add Now, it’s time to sit in the seat and some of the foam shapes that will cre- temporarily place the lumbar shape ate the ergonomic support necessary behind your lower back. Locate this for comfort and durability. piece vertically, lowering or raising it slightly, until the apex of the lumbar foam Support contours corresponds to the most inward point With all the following ergonom- of your lower back. Once comfortably ically shaped seat components, the located, think about how it feels against process is based on doing what works your back. for you. We fit all our customers to If necessary, try adding a 1/2-inch their seats using these techniques. thick piece of foam, or removing 1/2 If working on a club airplane, or one inch from the apex of the lumbar sup- flown by two pilots, we typically build the Fitting a customer in his seat in a cabin mock-up port piece until you achieve the most seat foam to dimensions known as “stan- at our office. comfortable thickness for your lower dard measure of man.” Using those specs back. Sometimes, it is good from the results in a seat that would be comfortable seat base to hold your legs in a comfort- start; otherwise, a little trial and error for 90% of our American population. able position. does the job. Most people seem comfort- There are three major support able with a 1 1/2-inch lumbar support. contours to build into the new seat: one, Lumbar support a proper lumbar support for the lower The first item on this list is to create a Cervical support back; two, a proper cervical support for lower back lumbar support, as shown in Now, we address the upper part of where your back and neck transition; the accompanying sketch. Start by bond- your back by creating a foam contour and three, a correct thigh support on the piece we call a cervical support. On taller

BE SEEN. LESS DRAG • LESS DRAW BE SAFE. with our built-in PULSE feature

• TSO approved Pulsar NS series, SunTail, and SunBeacon II • No Power Supply required • PMA and STC approved SunSpot 36 landing and taxi lights – replaces the 100-Watt GE4509 • SunSpot HX Series includes built-in WigWag or Pulse – draws half the power

PulsarNSP SunBeacon II SunSpot 36 HX AeroSun CX (sold as a pair) Strobing Beacon light Landing & (sold as a pair) Navigation, Strobe, Recognition light Landing, Taxi, & Position lights Recognition lights DESIGNED & MADE IN [email protected] www.AeroLEDs.com DESIGNED & MADE IN USA

28 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 by yourSHOCKED aircraft insurance bill?

You may have already heard the buzz - aircraft insurance rates are on the rise and underwriting criteria is changing. The industry historically has been cyclical, and the market is now hardening; meaning aviation insurance carriers are tightening their requirements and becoming less competitive.

Are you concerned about your upcoming insurance renewal? Or are you looking to buy an aircraft and not sure if the present market will be compatible with your plans? The pilots and agents at Aviation Insurance Resources (AIR) shop all the major aviation insurance markets to provide the broadest coverage at the lowest available rates. One call. All markets. Best rates available.

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 29 seatbacks, we create this by cutting a Lateral support taper into the edge of a 1-inch thick piece We’re almost finished! One last detail of 40-density foam and bonding it to the that creates the feeling of sitting in a top of the seat so that the taper ends seat rather than just on it is the addition right where your cervical spine transi- of some subtle lateral support in both tions to your thoracic spine. Creating the back and base. For this detail, start this transition piece results in with two pieces of 70-density foam glued a concave shape near the top of the together to create a 4-inch-wide by seatback and contributes to the seat 2-inch-thick block of foam long enough vertically supporting your entire back. to make four teardrop-shaped foam If you have a lower seatback and a pieces. headrest, contour the headrest foam Using the electric knife, cut tear- so that it is 1 inch wider at the top than drop-shaped pieces of foam that are at the bottom, where it tapers to the subsequently glued to the lower part of same thickness as the top of the seat- the outer edges of the seatback and the back (see sketch on Page XX). forward part of the outer edges of the Top view of built-up seat base. seat base. These teardrop shapes create Thigh support a spanwise contour that gives the occu- It’s now time to create some thigh pant the comforting sensation of being to fit what is comfortable for you. support. Again, it’s pretty much a repeat held in the seat. This contour also helps A sharp edge at the front of a seat of the cervical/thorax idea, only dimen- give the seat an aesthetically appealing base can create a circulation problem for sionally a bit bigger. contour. your legs, and wrapping this foam piece We start with a 1-inch piece of forward prevents that; besides, this curve 40-density foam, cut to the width of the looks better. The purpose of this support Trimming and finishing seat, leaving it long enough to wrap over With the seat foam overhanging the is to lightly touch the back of your thigh the front edge of the seat and go back edges of the frames and contour shapes while you’re sitting in a comfortable cruise about a third of the dimension of the applied, it’s time to trim the edges of the position with your feet on the floor. seat base. You’ll need your electric knife to taper the forward and aft edges. Cut Continued on Page 76 

ENGINES LYCOMING O-235 to IO-540 Hard-to-find parts CONTINENTAL O-200 to IO-520 Complete engines with accessories aren’t hard to find here! and complete logs! Also Cylinders, Mags, Accessories

AIRFRAME WENTWORTH Wings, Cowlings, Interiors, Control Surfaces, Landing AIRCRAFT, INC. Gear, Tail Surfaces, Engine and Flight Instruments CESSNA | PIPER | HOMEBUILTS AV IONICS As the LARGEST Single-Engine Cessna King, Narco, ARC, Collins, Used Parts Dealer IN THE WORLD, Nav/Com, Transponder, we’ll help you find everything you need AME, DME, Autopilot Trays and complete harness included! ...with only ONE call! All units 100% satisfaction guaranteed Huge Volume | Fresh Stock | 80,000 Sq. Ft. of Indoor Storage | 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee Phone 763-231-8484 RFQs Online, Fax or Phone Fax 763-231-8482 Wentworth Aircraft Inc. • 6000 Douglas Drive N. • Crystal, MN 55429 Email [email protected]

30 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 AVIATIONA

P. PONK VIA 0-520 Super EagleEagle Engines 265 HP & 275 HP carbureted for Cessna 180s and Cessna 182 thru R The P. Ponk SUPER EAGLE engine conversion puts additional 35 to 45 horsepower under your cowl for about the same price as a factory rebuilt engine. Your aircraft will takeoff shorter, climb

faster, cruise faster and be less expen- TI O N sive to operate on a per mile basis. SHORTER TAKEOFF • INCREASED TBO • INCREASED RATE OF CLIMB LOWER PER MILE OPERATING COST • FASTER CRUISE SPEEDS Other Continental Engine Installation STCs for Cessnas IO-520-D (300 HP) 182H through P IO-550-D A185E and A185F McCauley Propellers for Cessnas 401 80” to 88” 3-blade 180 and 182 (with O-470-50 engines) 185 models (with IO-520-D and IO-550-D engines) 401 80” to 84” 3-blade 207, 207A, T207 and T207A 402 80” to 88” 3-blade 206, U206, U/TU206A-G, and P/TP206A-E mt-propellers for Cessnas 2- and 3-blade propellers available for all our conversions. Hartzell Blended Airfoil 82” or 84” 3-blade 180 and 182 (with stock or O-470-50 engines) FAA/PMA Approved Parts Cessna Model Landing Gear Attachment (Beef-Up) Kit 170, 180, 185, 305 Outboard Gear Box Brackets 170, 180, 185 Inboard Attach Angles 170, 180, 185 Corrosion Resistant Elevator and Rudder Bearings 180, 182, 185, 206

P. PONK AVIATION Web Site: www.pponk.com 1212 Moore Road #2 Email: [email protected] Camano Island WA 98282-8820 Specializing in Continental and Cessna Voice: 360-629-4812 • Fax: 360-629-4811 Maintenance, Overhauls and Modiﬁ cations Since 1970. March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 31 32 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Part One of a Two Part Series Tips & Tricks for Flying with the Garmin GFC 500 AFCS Autopilot

Author TROY WHISTMAN walks you through preparation for a flight with the state-of-the-art Garmin GFC 500 digital autopilot.

ith Garmin’s introduction of the GFC Where there are differences with the Garmin G3X 500 digital autopilot, more accurate- Touch, or GTN navigators, I’ll try to point them out. ly an Automatic Flight Control Sys- tem (AFCS), capabilities previously First things first: RTFM (read the Flight Manu- absent in small General Aviation als)! aircraft are now available for about While it’s tempting to just “hop in and go” when W$25,000 installed. new toys are installed in our airplanes, it’s critical Your vintage Cessna may have come from the that you have a solid understanding of the equip- factory with a single-axis Cessna Nav-o-matic that ment before your feet leave the ground. For the GFC could “kind of” hold a heading or scallop along 500, that means reading not only the generic Pilot’s a VOR course utilizing analog inputs, while you Guide but also the airframe-specific Airplane Flight managed altitude and trim settings. Newer digital Manual Supplement (AFMS), cover to cover. systems like the GFC 500 from Garmin, the DFC90 Get to know all the symbology, failure modes, and from Avidyne, or the S-TEC 3100 from Genesys how these are annunciated (as well as how to respond Aerosystems provide full two-axis pitch and roll con- to them). Both referenced documents are available for trol with amazing levels of accuracy and stability. free download from Garmin’s website. (“Annunciate” Full installations with all options can include is used in this article to indicate a lighted display. This automatic electric trim, allowing the autopilot to follows the usage in Garmin manuals. —Ed.) control your pitch trim; as well as yaw damper Also consider watching training/familiarization capability. The latter is an advanced feature previ- videos, such as Sporty’s excellent in-depth one-hour ously reserved for cabin-class twins, single-engine webinar featuring a Garmin training specialist, turboprops, and jet aircraft. which is available for free on YouTube. (Find a link A yaw damper (often abbreviated as YD) uses below in Resources. —Ed.) a dedicated servo to automatically provide just the Not much is more disconcerting than being in right amount of rudder to keep the ball centered the clouds, wondering, “Why is the autopilot doing in all phases of flight. Passengers in the back seat that?!” Which leads us to our first, and arguably the enjoy a smoother ride without the side-to-side yaw most important, topic… or Dutch roll that can occur without a yaw damper, and it makes the pilot’s job easier—and the autopi- Know how to kill the autopilot lot’s too. Whether the autopilot is misbehaving, or you This article will focus on how you can effectively need to make a course change right now to avoid utilize the features of the Garmin GFC 500 autopi- traffic, or it’s time for you to hand-fly at the end lot in VFR and IFR flight, including some tips and of an approach, you need to know every means tricks learned after flying behind the unit in both at your disposal to disconnect the autopilot and VFR and IFR conditions since last summer. return control to you, the human pilot. My installation was covered in the October 2019 With the GFC 500, there are four ways to cancel issue of Cessna Flyer, and utilizes dual G5s and a autopilot operation: Garmin GNS 430W. I’ve also flown from Oregon to 1.) The most common way to disconnect Texas in a friend’s dual G5/GFC 500/GTN 650 setup. the autopilot is to momentarily press and re-

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 33 electric pitch trim, then the autopilot is managing trim while it is engaged. If you subsequently use the trim switches, the autopilot is going to (metaphori- cally) say, “Fine buddy, you wanna fly? She’s yours,” then play the disconnect tone and relinquish the flight controls. When disconnecting the autopilot using this method, the yaw damper will stay engaged, so you can keep your feet flat on the floor while managing pitch and roll yourself. Do remember to disconnect the yaw damper before landing. You’ll want full control of the rudders!

TIP/TRICK: I’ve modified my GUMPS check- list to be GUMPSY, a reminder to verify the YD is disabled before landing.

3.) Press the “AP” key on the GMC 507 mode controller. This method will also leave the yaw Practice reaching lease the red “AP DISC/TRIM INT” button damper enabled, until the “YD” key on the mode for and positively (“Autopilot Disconnect/Trim Interrupt”), typically controller is pressed, or the red “AP DISC/TRIM identifying the auto- installed on the left horn of the pilot’s yoke. A dis- INT” button is pressed. pilot circuit breaker connect tone will sound, and an amber AP will be 4.) Pull the autopilot circuit breaker. Obvious- location by feel alone. annunciated on the G5 or G3X autopilot status box. ly, this is a final resort, but you should know in If the optional yaw damper is installed, press- advance where the breaker that provides power to ing this red button will also disconnect the yaw the system is located—commit it to memory. Pull- damper, and the amber YD will also annunciate to ing the breaker will remove power from all servos indicate this function is disabled. Since it disables and the GMC 507 control head. I had my breaker all modes, including the yaw damper, this is the installed at one end of the bottom left row on my preferred method to quickly disconnect all autopi- avionics subpanel so I could find and pull it without lot modes before landing. looking. In the Cessna TR182 Turbo Skylane RG I fly, that’s down by my left leg on the sidewall. TIP/TRICK: The disconnect tone is a series of three loud DOO-dah tones; pressing and TIP/TRICK: Talk with your avionics install- releasing the button quickly more than once er about selecting a location that is easily will cancel/mute additional tones, which identifiable by touch and feel. Being able to can be nice for passengers (and you). do this quickly (and “blind”) could save your life if you ever need it. 2.) Use the manual electric pitch trim switches. This makes sense! If you have the optional automatic One more note on regaining control from a mis-

The GMC 507 Vertical Mode Wheel

MY FIRST FEW FLIGHTS, I found myself struggling with that little wheel in the vertical mode section on the GMC 507 autopilot mode controller, because it seemed to behave differently in VS versus IAS mode, even though it’s labeled “DN” at the top, and “UP” at the bottom. Scrolling the wheel up would increase the value when The pitch trim wheel in IAS mode, but decrease the value when in VS mode. Exactly opposite each other! I never on the GMC 507 mode seemed to know in advance which direction to roll the wheel to get the value I wanted. controller. But it all made perfect sense when I started thinking of the little wheel as a trim wheel. If you’re trying to set a higher vertical speed (climb rate) with the standard manual trim wheel in your airplane, you’d trim the wheel toward nose up (wheel down), while that same movement of the aircraft’s trim wheel would create a lower indicated airspeed (fly slower). The opposite is also true. Rolling the wheel toward nose down (wheel up) would give you a lower vertical speed/higher indicated airspeed. Thus, if you think of the wheel on the GMC 507 as a trim wheel, you’ll always turn it the right direction, regardless of which mode (IAS or VS) you have selected.

34 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 35 The center section displays and selects autopilot status/modes. Enabling the autopilot (AP) will also enable the flight director (FD). The FD can also be enabled with the AP disabled, which is a cool mode where the GFC 500 will tell you how it would fly, but leave the flying up to you (see the “What About the Flight Director?” sidebar for more information). The yaw damper is enabled/disabled with the “YD” button, and then, of course, there’s the famous blue “LVL” (Level) button, which will recover you to straight and level flight. Autopilot annuncia- tions and modes are behaving autopilot: If the autopilot is engaged, don’t IMPORTANT: Read the Limitations section and divided into three try to overpower the GFC 500 without disengaging the Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP) functional areas. it first. The automatic electric trim will operate in details in the manuals to avoid surprises. The the direction opposite your overpowering force, blue “LVL” button, and basic autopilot engage- which could result in large out-of-trim forces when ment, is predicated on not being outside certain you finally do get smart and turn the autopilot off. limits of roll, pitch, and airspeed. Fly outside Always disengage the GFC 500 first, then hand those specified limits, and none of the modes fly. will engage. In an extreme errant autopilot behavior scenar- Finally, the rightmost section covers your verti- io, rather than pressing and releasing the red “AP cal navigation modes. A dedicated pitch trim/verti- DISC/TRIM INT” button as described above, press cal speed wheel and “Altitude Select” knob provide and hold the button instead, while you hand fly. for easy entry of desired values (see “The GMC 507 Pressing and holding the button will both Vertical Mode Wheel” sidebar for more information disconnect the autopilot and remove all power on intuitive use of the wheel). from the servos as long as the button is depressed, You can climb/descend in any of three modes: so they can’t fight against you. Then, reach down IAS (hold a specific airspeed), VS (hold a specific and pull that breaker (you know right where it is, vertical speed), VNAV (track a GPS-computed de- remember?) before you release the red button. scent profile; more on that next month). The “ALT” button enables altitude hold. Pushing the “ALT SEL” A quick tour: lateral on the left, status in the knob syncs the altitude bug to your current altitude. middle, vertical on the right White triangles illuminate above any selected A quick look at the G5’s autopilot status line and mode to positively identify active selections, which the GMC 507 control head reveals some conscious you should cross-check on the status line of your thought about functional layout; both are divided PFD to ensure the desired modes are activated. into three sections. Modes that are active are depicted by green The leftmost section displays (on the G5) and text on the PFD autopilot status line. Armed modes selects (on the GMC 507) your lateral navigation are depicted by white text. In the example depict- modes. You can track your heading bug (HDG) if ed at left above, where we see VS +500 in green, you have a GMU 11 magnetometer installed, a spe- and ALTS in white, it’s telling us the autopilot, and cific GPS track (TRK), a NAV course (GPS, VOR, or flight director are “actively” (green) set to climb the LOC), or an approach (APR) with vertical guidance, airplane at a vertical speed of 500 fpm up (+), and such as an ILS or GPS LPV approach. it’s “armed” (waiting) to capture the ALTS: the AL- You’ll find the dedicated “HDG/TRK” knob is eas- Titude you have pre-Selected with the altitude bug. White triangles mark ier to use for setting the heading bug on the G5 than active/selected using the knob on the G5 itself. Train yourself to make GOTCHA: While Garmin follows this “lateral modes on the GMC all heading (and altitude) selections on the GMC 507. on the left, status in the middle, vertical on the 507 mode controller. right” layout convention consistently across the G500, G600, and G5 product lines, the G3X Touch swaps two of these, breaking the convention. The AP mode is on the left, the lateral mode in the center, and the vertical mode on the right. It’s not a deal breaker, by any means, but something to be aware of for those flying the GFC 500 behind the G3X Touch.

Now that you know every possible way to dis- able the thing if you need to, and how the interface

36 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 is laid out, let’s go fly! (See article on Page 40 for caveats about disconnecting the autopilot —Ed.)

Setting things up before departure OK, you’re sitting in the runup area, ready to depart. The autopilot is disabled and will stay that way for a while, because you’ve RTFM and know that Section 2 (Limitations) of your AFMS specifically calls out 800 feet agl as the minimum altitude for autopilot engagement. Legally, you can’t use the autopilot below 800 The G3X Touch A white triangle will appear above the button, feet agl (except while on an approach, then you can displays autopilot confirming it was selected. At the same time, use it down to 200 feet agl). Note your field eleva- modes in a different you’ll see HDG appear in green as the active tion, add 800 feet: that’s the altitude at which you order than the G5/ armed lateral mode on your PFD. can enable the autopilot. However, you can preset GFC 500. • Astute pilots will notice that the FD (Flight some things to reduce your workload after depar- Director) mode has now become active, even ture, and you can use the Flight Director to guide though we didn’t press any buttons. Magen- you, even below 800 feet. ta-colored Flight Director command bars Using the GMC 507, let’s configure the autopi- will appear on your PFD, indicating the bank lot for the lateral and vertical modes we’ll want to angle required (left or right) to turn from engage after departure, and assume that you’ve your current heading to the selected heading. received the following departure instructions: You’ll also see a green PIT (pitch) vertical “After departure, fly heading 180, climb and mode armed, even though you haven’t select- maintain 3,000 feet.” ed a vertical mode, because that’s the default Step-by-step, here’s how you’d set that up: vertical mode. • Set the heading bug on your PFD and HSI to • Set the altitude bug on your PFD to 3,000 feet 180 degrees by turning the “HDG/TRK” knob msl by turning the “ALT SEL” knob on the on the GMC 507 mode controller. GMC 507 mode controller while viewing the • Press the “HDG” button to enable that mode. cyan altitude bug at the top of your PFD’s alti-

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 37 tude tape. When you stop turning the knob, you’ll see the A link to a video demonstration of this specific scenario is GFC 500 has armed ALTS mode, as indicated by white available in the resources for this article, if a picture is worth a text, and it still plans to get there by flying a specific thousand words to you. pitch (PIT is still in green). We covered a specific scenario above, but other options are • We want to climb at an indicated airspeed to 3,000 feet available to you as well to help you fly any departure clearance msl, so press the “IAS” button. PIT will be replaced by or route you might receive. Let’s talk about those while we’re green IAS 90 (or whatever Vy speed is defined in your here getting ready to depart. airplane’s STC), indicating the aircraft will climb at 90 knots, and ALTS will be in white text, indicating that Lateral modes it’s “armed” (waiting) to capture the ALTitude you have If you’re going to track a course, make sure the correct pre-selected with the altitude bug. flight plan is programmed in your GPS, or tuned and course

What About the Flight Director?

THE FLIGHT DIRECTOR capabilities of the GFC 500 are outstanding, providing you with a visual cue in the form of a magenta upside- down command bars or a set of vertical/horizontal command bars (depending on how your installer configured things). The flight director function utilizes the autopilot’s computer to determine the pitch and roll inputs required to achieve whatever modes you have selected (an altitude to climb to, or a course to track), and visually presents the pitch and roll that the autopilot would fly if it Attitude Indicator with Attitude Indicator with were enabled. All you must do is “fly” your yellow aircraft symbol so Flight Director (Single Flight Director (Double that it’s nestled in the magenta flight director command bars, and Cue). Cue). voila! You’re the autopilot! Nice to meet you, George!

TIP/TRICK: You want to fly a perfect hand-flown ILS approach, accounting for winds aloft and changing groundspeed? Just follow the flight director command bars, and you’ll fly it (almost) as smoothly as the enabled GFC 500 would.

Aviation Interior Reupholstery Experts Carpet Kits Floor Mats

Seat Covers 100

Glare Shield Vinyl 95 Foam Kits 75 and more...

25 Modern Upholstery STYLE - COMFORT - SECURITY Custom Designs 5

Made in the USA - We ship Worldwide 0 3814 Prosperity Rd | Duluth, MN 55811 | 218-728-1614 | www.scs-interiors.com | [email protected]

38 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020

2020 Cessna Flyer Piper Flyer2 Wednesday, December 11, 2019 8:46:27 AM selected if flying a VOR radial. Then, power decreases as you climb, for and is on the board of directors press the “NAV” mode button. pitch must increase to main- for Angel Flight South Central, and You might be flying a specific heading tain that vertical speed. Result? thinks flying kids for Challenge Air is to intercept that course, so it’s totally le- Airspeed drops off as you climb, some of the most rewarding flying he gitimate to press “HDG” and then press threatening a stall. To prevent this does. Send questions or comments to “NAV,” in which case HDG mode will be possibility from ever occurring, [email protected]. active (green), and NAV mode will be just set an IAS mode for all climbs, armed (white). The autopilot will fly the and reserve VS mode for descents. heading until the NAV course starts to Resources center and will smoothly intercept and OK, now that we have our GFC 500 CFA SUPPORTERS track it. configured to “fly heading 180, climb and Garmin maintain 3,000 feet,” we’re ready for garmin.com Vertical modes departure. Next month, I’ll cover the use I like to climb in indicated airspeed of the GFC 500 from takeoff to touch- FURTHER READING/USEFUL VIDEOS (IAS) mode and descend in vertical down, as well as more tips and tricks for Garmin GFC 500 manuals speed (VS) mode. If you’re climbing getting the most out of this incredible support.garmin.com/ out of an area with terrain concerns, digital autopilot. en-US/?partNumber=GFC-500AP- perhaps you’ll set Vx as your initial 00&tab=manuals speed instead of the default Vy speed.  TROY WHISTMAN is the father of You can adjust that speed using the little three grown daughters and has been Garmin VNAV tutorial wheel in the vertical modes section of married 30 years to his lovely redhead youtube.com/ the GMC 507 (again, see “The GMC 507 bride, affectionately called “Lady Red.” watch?v=GxM2k0gOqVU Vertical Mode Wheel” sidebar for how to Together, they base their airplane at effectively use the wheel). the Mid-Way Regional Airport (KJWY) Sporty’s GFC 500 webinar south of Dallas, Texas. Whistman holds youtube.com/watch?v=mZz_fb_otxc TIP/TRICK: You can’t stall the a commercial airplane SEL certificate airplane if you climb in IAS mode! with instrument airplane rating. When Configuring the GFC 500 for If you have a long climb at a fixed not flying for fun, he enjoys using his Departure vertical speed, and engine horse- toys as tools to help others: he flies youtu.be/tS5EdCHNAOI

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 39 SMITH AUTOPILOT

Pilot’s Guide to Autopilot Operations and Troubleshooting To get the most out of your autopilot, it’s imperative that you understand its features and limitations, as well as what to tell your avionics shop when things aren’t functioning as they should. By Dale Smith

so I’m old enough to remember when autopilots were pretty much regulated to IFR-equipped “business-type” aircraft. Sure, you might have run across a rudimentary—compared to to- OK,day’s units—wing-leveler system in a Cessna 182, but they were not the norm. In today’s fleet, that “norm” has pretty much flipped over. From homebuilts to hundred-million-dollar bizjets, it’s hard to find an airplane that doesn’t have George helping the pilot along. Oh, in case you’re wondering, autopilots got the nickname of “George” as a tribute to George DeBeeson, the recognized “father” of autopilot capabilities. Why have autopilots become so popular? There are a lot of reasons. In high-performance aircraft, they’re a requirement—especially if you fly single-pilot. Even the workload facing the typical VFR pilot is getting more complex. But you say, “I fly because I love the feel of the yoke in my hand and I get great satisfaction from being able to stay within 50 feet of an altitude and 5 degrees of a heading for a long time.” Good on you, my flying friend. Those are the very reasons that many of us learned to fly in the first place. With that being said, today’s cockpit is busier than ever. Flying in or around controlled airspace while flipping through your iPad looking at satellite weather, fuel, airport information, or whatever, all while needing to scan your instruments, and, oh yeah, look outside for traffic—that’s just an everyday VFR flight. And that’s all when things are working. What about those instances where you get an engine or landing gear anomaly? Or maybe, you’re IMC, ATC gets slammed, and you get a last-second deviation? All these are times when it’s nice to know that, with a touch of a button, you can have an experienced co-pilot like George take over the flying duties while your attention is somewhere else in the cockpit.

Getting to know you The biggest problem with the majority of General Aviation pilots’ infrequent use of their autopilots is that

40 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 most have never received any formal “I’d say that the majority of pilot/ training on the system’s operation. Let’s owners know that their autopilot is face it, at best, we may skim through the capable of certain operations, [but] they Engineered Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) or just don’t know enough to really use it to Flight Manual Supplement, but hands- its full extent during all phases of flight,” to Make Life on autopilot training is a rarity. Again, I stated Matt Schloss, technical sales am talking about non-professional pilots manager, Gulf Coast Avionics. “Owners here. aren’t good at asking for training on Easier. That leads us to the other, and most their systems.” popular method of autopilot training, An example of that lack of familiar- which is “learning by doing.” There’s ization, shared by the manager of a large The patent-pending nothing wrong with this method, provid- avionics shop, is of a pilot who com- “non-sticking” SPIN EZ™ aircraft ing you go about it correctly. Do it on a plained that whenever he put the autopi- engine oil fi lters by Tempest® are VFR day with a safety pilot on board. If lot in Vertical Speed mode, the airplane designed to come off easy. Heat, the right-seater has some experience in would pitch up and enter a stall. time and pressure can extrude your airplane type, so much the better. “After just a few questions, it was oil, grease, DC4® compound Of course, a better method is to easy to figure out that the owner had contact a local avionics shop, which sells no idea what the Vertical Speed mode or similar liquid lubricants or services your autopilot brand, and get actually did,” he said. “He was selecting from between a fi lter’s rubber one of their product experts to show you a vertical speed that was too high for the seal and the fi lter mount pad some operational tips. If you can do this airplane in that configuration, so when - leaving the fi lter seemingly in flight, all the better. Yes, you are going the autopilot tried to match the selected “bonded” to the engine’s mount to have to pay them for their time. (For speed, the nose pitched up into a stall. pad - and making it nearly various legal reasons, they may not want “The pilot was really lucky his misun- impossible to remove. Tempest’s to call it “training.”) derstanding of what the Vertical Speed proprietary SPIN EZ adhered While learning how to use your mode did, was only a bit embarrassing and solid seal lubricant stays where autopilot more efficiently and safely is didn’t lead to an accident,” Schloss said. it’s supposed to - between the obvious benefit to all of this, there is “Had the owner known how his system the seal and the mount pad’s another, and it’s one that can save you worked and how to use it, he would have surface. SPIN EZ solid lubricant money. Namely, if you know you’re oper- saved himself some time and money.” won’t extrude or squirt out from ating the unit properly, you will virtually It’s also imperative that when it under the seal. It prevents the eliminate the chance of paying your comes to autopilot operations and bond forming environment that avionics shop to troubleshoot a problem issues, you need to make sure you makes legacy fi lters stick. that doesn’t exist. and your technician are speaking the Time and again, operator error is same language. Or, at least, that you’re Tempest SPIN EZ oil fi lters - the reported as the No. 1 cause of autopilot describing the problem in terms that the fi lter that comes off without a “problems.” technician will clearly understand. fi ght! As the manager of a popular avionics “Vocabulary can be a big problem shop told me, “There are so many times when it comes to avionics issues,” The only thing stuck now is our when a customer says they have a prob- Schloss said. “If a pilot says his autopilot competition. lem [with the autopilot], when in fact, it’s has a pitch/porpoising problem—well, I operator error.” need quantifiable data. Is it pitching up “They will not have even read the and down slowly, or is it pitching hard? manual for their autopilot before trying Is it a 10-, 50-, or 100-foot variation? Has to use it. Then, when it doesn’t operate there been any maintenance done to the the way they expect, they think it’s mal- airplane recently? We have to under- functioning,” he said. stand the problem before we can find it.” “It happens all the time. The pilot goes to some phase of flight, and they Your autopilot’s health is the sum of want to initiate the autopilot, and they its parts simply select the wrong mode,” he add- One of the most confusing, and often ed. “Say they want to shoot an approach, frustrating, things about any “autopilot and instead of selecting ‘VNAV,’ they problem” is that, in many instances, the is- press ‘NAV’ or something simple like sue is not with the autopilot at all. Like any that. Then when it doesn’t capture the integrated system on your aircraft, the approach, they report a problem that autopilot—and for clarity’s sake, when we www.tempestplus.com doesn’t exist.” reference “autopilot,” we’re talking about 800.822.3200 Lack of familiarity with the functions the controller in the panel—the entire and capabilities of the autopilot system autopilot system is very complex, linked to are major contributors to reported a long list of electronic and non-electronic avionics problems. parts throughout the aircraft.

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 41 So, for example, a pitch/porpoising seeing. It can be a really big help when it issue may be caused by the autopilot con- There are so many comes to troubleshooting. troller, the altitude transducer, a problem “Let’s face it, some pilots just fly with the aircraft’s pitot-static system, times when a their autopilots differently than they’re binding in the control cables, or some- supposed to,” he said. “Maybe it’s not the thing else entirely. It can drive an avionics right way, and that’s causing the problem. technician to look for another career. customer says they Pilots aren’t great at reading manuals.” “People call and say their autopilot doesn’t want to follow the heading bug,” have a problem, If all else fails Schloss said. “We tell them to try the Fortunately, autopilots and their ‘NAV’ mode. If it works great, then they when in fact, it’s various components, are pretty reliable probably have a problem with their sorts. If you keep all the various me- directional gyro. That’s not an autopilot operator error. chanicals—linkages, cables, pullies, trim problem. We correct a lot more airplane controls, and the like, in good condition, problems than we do actual autopilot If that doesn’t work, then just turn the odds are you’ll fly your entire life with no problems. system off and fly the airplane home. serious problems. “Just by moving around and checking As mentioned earlier, detailed infor- But, you ask, “What if the odds do all the different operational modes gives mation is essential to the technician who’s turn against you and you encounter a you a better overall picture of what’s go- going to try to troubleshoot the problem, serious autopilot issue?” ing on with the autopilot,” he said. “You so write down the exact situation and “The autopilot Approved Flight Man- never just look at one thing, because phase of flight: airspeed, altitude, weath- ual Supplement will specifically describe most of the time, the problem is more er, trim settings—every little bit helps. what to do in particular emergencies,” than one thing.” “Everyone has a video camera on explained Chad Howard, field service en- When the pilot experiences an auto- their phone, so it’s a good idea to shoot a gineer/pilot, Genesys Aerosystems/S- pilot issue—for example, with a pitch/ video. If your cockpit workload permits, TEC. “Pilots should familiarize them- porpoise situation, there’s not a lot they shoot the entire panel in as much detail selves with the procedures found in the can do in the air. You can try hand-flying as you can, including the power settings manual for their autopilot and aircraft.” the airplane to the desired altitude and and instrument readings,” Schloss said. Keep in mind that unlike problems then set the “Altitude Hold” function. “Let the technician see what you were with other aircraft systems, you won’t

TSO-C80 FUEL CELLS All FFC fuel bladders are manufactured with REGISTERED TSO-C80 constructions... KNOW what you are installing. Quality products at competitive prices.

1-800-647-6148 • www.ffcfuelcells.com

42 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 have the autopilot to keep the airplane upright while you sort things out, so it’s best to know what you need to do without fumbling through the POH. Unlike many aircraft systems, sometimes the best course of action in an autopilot operational emergency is not to do the first thing that comes to mind, namely disconnecting the system. That’s why reading the instructions is extremely important. “Keep in mind that sometimes, just pressing the disconnect switch is not the immediate action you should take,” How- ard said. “There could be unusual loads on the flight controls that the pilot is not ready for. The usual first step is to firmly grasp the controls and be prepared for the worst case, especially if the autopilot system is not behaving as expected. “It’s also a good idea to glance at the aircraft’s trim indicators to verify that the controls are trimmed to a reasonable point for that flight condition,” Howard said. “Again, always take the time to familiarize yourself with the particular system in your aircraft.”

Whether you’re upgrading to a fancy new autopilot or familiarizing yourself with an older unit, make sure you understand how your George works, what to do if he misbehaves in flight, and how to keep him operating correctly. He can be your best friend when things get hectic in the cockpit.

 DALE SMITH has been an aviation journalist for 30 years. When he’s not writing aviation articles, Smith does commission aircraft illustrations specializing in seaplanes and flying boats. Smith has been a certificated pilot since 1974 and has flown 35 different types of General Aviation, business, and World War II vintage aircraft. Send questions or comments to [email protected]. Resources

CFA SUPPORTERS Autopilots Genesys Aerosystems/S-TEC genesys-aerosystems.com

OTHER RESOURCES Gulf Coast Avionics gulfcoastavionics.com

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 43 The Cessna 150G featured doors that curved out for greater arm and shoulder room.

44 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 No Fuss and No Frills: The Cessna 150 and 152 Years ago, these simple, economical, two-seat, tricycle-gear aircraft comprised the majority of the training fleet. Today, the 150 and 152 persevere and are still well-suited for either training or personal use.

you haven’t heard of or seen a Cessna 150 or its suc- cessor, the Cessna 152, you mark yourself as being IF very new to aviation. For more than three decades, it was the most popular trainer and the second most-produced aircraft in the world, second only to the Cessna 172. Over 31,000 of the Cessna 150/152 series aircraft were produced. In the General Aviation boom years of the ‘60s and ‘70s, they pretty much owned the trainer role as the mainstay of the Cessna Pilot Centers. Unfortunately, they are much less common in that role today, being largely displaced by the Cessna 172. With aviation fuel oscillating between $4 and $5 a gallon, the demise of the two-seat trainer elevates the barrier to entry for aspiring new pilots. The Cessna 150 was born of Cessna’s desire to have a replacement for the Cessna 140. The conventional gear (taildragger) 140 ended production in 1951. In the mid-1950s, Cessna began design work on what would become the Cessna 150. Type certification was granted in July 1958, with the production of the 1959 model year beginning late in 1958. The aircraft was certified under Part 3 of the 1956 version of the Civil Air

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 45 The Cessna 152 was certified March 16, 1977, with a Lycoming engine. Regulations, as were all subsequent flaps that can be extended up to 40 vertical fin. The 1964–1965 models variations, including the 152. degrees using the manual “Johnson Bar” received the “Omni-Vision” rear window, After 1985, Cessna stopped all on early models. Flaps became electri- which we are all familiar with, but kept production of its single-engine aircraft. cally actuated on later models. Full flaps the straight vertical fin. The 1966–1977 When it restarted in production in 1996, can be a real problem if not retracted models have the “Omni-Vision” rear the 152 was not brought back. Perhaps at on a go-around. At 100 hp, the 150 is window and the slanted vertical fin. that time Cessna felt that the market for not overpowered by any means. Loaded The first substantial change oc- a two-place trainer was too small. heavy on a warm day, it may not climb at curred with the 1964 Cessna 150D, when They seemed to rethink that with the all with the flaps fully extended. Cessna made a few structural changes Cessna 162 SkyCatcher, but for myriad The airplane has two wing tanks of and increased the gross weight to 1,600 reasons, that program didn’t work out 13 gallons each, which feed together by pounds. The new rear window configu- too well. (Read more about the story of the gravity and the engine-driven fuel pump. ration also resulted in a larger baggage Cessna 162 in the November and December In early models, 22.5 gallons were available area, and the baggage area load limit 2019 issues of Cessna Flyer. —Ed.) as usable fuel, and the fuel selector only increased from 80 pounds to 120 pounds. It is a pity that in this time of signif- had an “ON” or “OFF” position. The gross The next significant changes came icant pilot shortage, new Cessna 152s weight of early models is 1,500 pounds. with the 1966 model year, designated are not available, as they are certainly Initially, the Cessna 150 came in the Cessna 150F. The doors were made cheaper to operate than the larger air- three versions: the standard, the trainer, larger, as was the baggage compartment. craft in common use today. and the Commuter. The differences were The flaps changed from manual activa- largely in the option package. In 1960, a tion to electric activation. Cessna 150 models Patroller version was added, which in- 1966 was also the year that Reims in The Cessna 150 went through cluded plexiglass panels in the doors and France began producing the Cessna 150. relatively minor changes over its run extended-range tanks holding 38 gallons, (“Reims Aviation and the French Cessnas,” from 1959 through 1977. For all models, of which 35 gallons were usable. which appeared in Cessna Flyer in the engine remained the Continental The 1959 through 1963 models are September 2017, gives the history of the Re- O-200-A, rated for 100 hp. The O-200-A distinguishable by the “fastback” em- ims-Cessna partnership. —Ed.) I have yet was a simple and reliable engine. pennage, which carries aft from the wing to see one of these in the U.S., but any- The 150 has very effective Fowler in a smooth panel back to the straight one thinking of purchasing one should

46 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Early Cessna 150.

know that the Reims 150, designated the F150, is not part of the Type Certificate for the U.S.-built aircraft, so the various Supplemental Type Certificates for the U.S.-built aircraft are not usable on a French-built plane. The 1967 Cessna 150G model got doors that curved out a bit to give greater arm and shoulder room, which 1960 Cessna 150. was sorely needed, but still none too generous. Most average-sized people will still sit shoulder touching shoulder. In that year, Cessna also certified a floatplane version, though it would seem a bit underpowered for a floatplane unless a larger engine were to be installed under STC. 1969’s 150J model introduced the next big changes. The pull handle, which had heretofore activated the electric starter, was replaced by a key-start. Rocker switches were also introduced as the aircraft began to look more like a modern aircraft rather than a refugee from WWII. Cessna introduced a new model, the A150K “Aerobat” in 1970, which provided limited aerobatic capabilities. The Aerobat was certified to +6 Gs and -3 Gs. The cabin got a couple of sky- 1964 Cessna 150D featuring the Omni-Vision rear window.

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 47 Panel in a Cessna 150G. Cessna 152 models 100LL. The O-235 series also had issues lights to allow more visibility, and the Three major changes were made to with lead fouling, but not as bad. Putting doors could be jettisoned. the Cessna 150M to create the Cessna specialized plugs in the lower cylinders, Four-point harnesses were also 152. The engine changed from a 100 hp such as the UREM37BY plugs from provided. Over 600 of the Aerobat 150s Continental O-200-A to a Lycoming Tempest, helps with the lead fouling. were produced and were a common O-235-L2C rated at 110 hp. The gross Editor’s note (from our friends at sight on the flight lines. weight increased to 1,670 pounds, an Tempest): While many people use the The Cessna 150L model was intro- increase of 70 pounds. UREM37BY or fine-wire plugs on the duced in 1971 and continued in produc- Cessna was apparently motivated bottom cylinders to combat lead/oil fouling, tion through 1974. The only significant to change engines to better deal with it’s important to make sure that whatever change was replacing the leaf spring 100LL fuel, which was rapidly becoming plug they choose, they place the same part main gear with the tubular type, which the standard. The O-200-A was de- number on both top and bottom cylinders. was also extended further out to give a signed for 80/87 octane The reason for this is posi- wider track for better ground handling. and had trouble with the Cessna 150H with a taildragger tive and negative polarity. The 150L was the most produced model higher lead content in conversion. Aircraft use a shielded of any of the 150s. The Cessna 150M, introduced in 1975, was the last model of the 150. It was produced through 1977. The 150M model only offered a few minor improvements such as circuit breakers, inertia reel harnesses, and in the last year of production, the selectable flap control which has become the Cessna standard across the product line. The incremental improvements over the years had eaten into the aircraft’s useful load, which was probably one of the impetuses for the introduction of the Cessna 152.

48 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 ignition system which gives us positive/ negative polarity, and without rotating the plugs properly every 100 hours, you will begin to see uneven wear on your electrodes, decreasing the life of the spark plug. If you only use UREM37BY plugs on the bottom cylinders, you cannot rotate the plugs properly. The flaps were reduced to a maxi- mum of 30 degrees, likely as a response to the dangers of trying to perform a go- MOST RELIABLE PROPELLER FOR CESSNA AIRCRAFT around without retracting the flaps. The The Cessna name has always been synonymous with high quality, durability 150/152 were common training airplanes and reliability. and primarily designed as such. There were a number of crashes where a stu- The same can be said for Hartzell. dent initiated a go-around and forgot to With an investment in a Top Prop conversion for your single engine Cessna, you can retract the flaps to 20 degrees as called make an iconic aircraft even better. When you upgrade to a Hartzell Top Prop, you not for in the POH. As noted above, the 150 only increase performance and ramp appeal, you also gain peace of mind. really does not want to climb with flaps at 40 degrees. Our Top Prop program offers proven 2- and 3-blade propeller conversions featuring The Cessna 152 came in two ver- the latest in blended airfoil scimitar technology for all single engine Cessnas. sions. There was the standard, with From Skyhawks, Skylanes and Skylarks to different option packages, and there was Stationairs, Skywagons, Cardinals and the Aerobat version. Some aircraft are Cutlasses, check out our entire selection designated as the Cessna 152 II, which of Top Prop performance conversions. merely denotes an enhanced avionics package. Like the Cessna 150, the Cessna 152 had standard and long-range fuel tanks. Built on Honor for over 100 years, Hartzell propellers are backed by our HartzellProp.com/TopProp The standard tanks had the same 26 industry-leading, 6-year/2,400 hr. warranty. Contact us at 800-942-7767 gallons total, but the usable fuel was 24.5 gallons. The long-range tanks had a 39-gal- Better take-off and climb | Smooth operation and less noise | Peace of Mind

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 49 Cessna 150 Specs Ye a r 1959 1966 1977 Base Price $6,995 $6,995 $13,950 Top Speed 108 kts 109 kts 109 kts Rate of Climb 740 fpm 670 fpm 670 fpm Max Range 548 nm 491 nm 420 nm Service Ceiling 15,300 12,650 14,000 Gross Weight 1,500 1,600 1,600 Useful Load 538 540 471

Cessna 152 Specs Ye a r 1978 1981 1985 Base Price $14,950 $26,450 $40,900 Top Speed 110 kts 110 kts 109 kts Rate of Climb 715 fpm 715 fpm 715 fpm Max Range 415 nm 415 nm 370 nm Service Ceiling 14,700 14,700 14,700 Gross Weight 1,670 1,670 1,670 Useful Load 589 566 566 Courtesy of cessna150152club.org lon capacity, with 37.5 considered usable. common modification. installs higher-compression pistons and Other modifications include extend- a different prop to obtain 125 hp instead Modifications and STCs ed-range fuel tanks, gap seals, and other of the stock 110 hp. Over the years, numerous modifica- STOL-type conversions. There are also tions have been developed for the 150 dozens of STCs that fix common issues Maintenance issues and 152 aircraft. These include mod- with the airframe. One fairly common The Cessna 150/152 series aircraft ifications to convert the aircraft to a modification for the Lycoming O-235- have been reasonably trouble-free over taildragger, the installation of an O-320- L2C engine in the Cess- the years, with the kinds E2D Lycoming with 150 hp, and the auto na 152 is the Sparrow- The Cessna A150 Aerobat provided of issues that one might fuel STCs, which are perhaps the most hawk conversion, which limited aerobatic capabilities. expect from an airplane

50 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 most often used as a trainer. Wrinkled TM Bend over and wipe! firewalls from hard landings are relatively STRUTWIPE It’s Better Than a Rag common. Of course, any aircraft that has spent any significant time as a trainer LANDING GEAR STRUT CLEANING MADE EASY! needs a careful structural inspection before buying. – MIL-PRF-5606 infused 100% cotton wipe Cracks can develop in the spar of the – 100% satisfaction guaranteed horizontal stabilizer from people care- – A&P inspired-family owned 3 year shelf life lessly pushing down on the tail surface to – raise the nose to turn the aircraft around MADE IN TUCSON AZ on the ground. I have seen people do that by pushing down almost at the tip of the [email protected] | 520-975-7286 Come see us at stabilizer instead of being gentler and www.StrutWipe.com Copper State 2020! putting hands on the very inboard section or on the empennage itself. Cessna seat tracks are a commonly known issue. Cessna has gotten tagged for hundreds of millions of dollars due to crashes allegedly caused by defective seat locking mechanisms and rails. It is less of a problem on the 150s and 152s, as the seat can’t go back all that far anyway. Other Cessna singles have a greater potential for the seat sliding back far enough that if the pilot instinc- tually tries to catch him/herself by the yoke, the plane is likely to pull up and stall—not good on takeoff. AD 2011-10-09 applies to pretty much all Cessna high-wings except the very early ones like the 120 and 140. It requires 100-hour inspections of the seats and seat rails. As the AD involves removing the seats and taking a number of measurements, this is a procedure that is likely to take an hour or two of shop time to accomplish. (See Steve Ellis’s response on this topic in the Q&A on Page 18. —Ed.) AD 2009-10-09 requires that the aircraft be placarded against spins or other aerobatics, or alternatively, that a rudder stop kit from Cessna be installed.

Market overview A quick review of the market for used 150s shows a range of prices from $20,000 to $70,000 and total times of 2,700 to 10,000 hours. For 152s, the prices seem to run from $30,000 to $95,000, with most of them north of 10,000 hours total time, and some up to 28,000 hours. It seems to me that the best value point is a Cessna 150M model, which is pretty much the same aircraft as a 152. It also appears much easier to find one without a ton of hours for a much more reasonable price than what the 152s command on the market. These little Cessnas are pretty good trainers. They are a bit cramped for a pair

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 51 Some 152s, like this 1979 F152 II, were produced in France by Reims Aviation Industries. of average-sized folks, or bigger, but for the length of a standard lesson, they are OK. These trainers have relatively light wing loading, so they tend to move about a bit in turbulence and will certainly teach the value of applying proper aileron positioning when taxiing in strong winds. But they are forgiving to land, which is a positive for a training airplane. My only real complaint about the 152 that I learned to fly in, lo these many years ago, is that it instilled in me a fear of stalls as I could never detect the buffet in the lumpy spring air, and then, all of a sudden, it would fall off on the left wing. Other aircraft introduced me to the heretofore theoretical concept of an aerodynamic buffet before the stall. For- tunately, this characteristic of the Cessna 152 did not hinder me from obtaining my private pilot certificate.

For someone looking for a fun little airplane to fly on a budget, or to teach a family member to fly in, the 150 is a good choice.

 KRISTIN WINTER has been an airport rat for over four decades. She holds an ATP- SE/ME rating and is a CFIAIM, AGI, IGI. In addition, Winter is an A&P/IA and reformed aviation defense attorney. She has over 9,000 hours in various GA aircraft. She flies professionally, instructs, and provides purchasing and operations consulting. She is currently based in Minnesota, which is where it all started. Send questions or comments to [email protected].

52 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 “Cessna 162 SkyCatcher: From Resources AirVenture Darling to Dashed Hopes” by Scott Kinney, November STC Holders for 150 hp upgrade 2019 Aero Upgrade LLC cessnaflyer.org/magazines/ aeroupgrade.com item/1382-november-2019-cessnaflyer-magazine.html DelAir 559-784-9494 “Cessna 162 SkyCatcher: Pilot’s Review” by Scott Kinney, SE792NW December 2019 Air Mods NW cessnaflyer.org/magazines/ 425-334-3031 item/1383-december-2019-cessnaflyer-magazine.html Further Reading AD 2009-10-09 “Reims Aviation and the French rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_ Cessnas” by Scott Kinney, Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/ September 2017 AOCADSearch/583392BB4F328C cessnaflyer.org/cessna-aircraft- 77862578F8004E1580?Open history-info/item/1280-reims- Document aviation-the-french-cessnas.html

AD 2011-10-09 “The Texas Taildragger” by Michael rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_ Leighton, September 2019 Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/ cessnaflyer.org/magazines/ AOCADSearch/144A3898BF71041A8 item/1376-september-2019-cessna- 625788F004B5DF2?OpenDocument flyer-magazine.html

Discover the next level 71080 LED BEACON in visibility.

ORION™ 650 LED WINGTIP LIGHTS

PARMETHEUS™ PRO

ORION™ 500 LED TAIL LIGHT

STC & TSO Approvals 5 Year Warranty LED & HID Products www.ﬂywat.com 860-574-8008

COME SEE US AT SUN ‘N FUN 2020 – HANGAR A BOOTH 71–72

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 53 Preventive Maintenance Update

An FAA legal opinion offers a more lenient, common-sense interpretation of what constitutes preventive maintenance tasks.

By Kristin Winter

his is an update to my article that appeared previously in Cessna Flyer on the scope of allowable preventive maintenance. (“Preventive Maintenance: Part One, Regulations and Requirements” September 2019—Ed.) In that article, I stated that preventive mainte- Tnance was limited to the listed items in FAR Part 43, Appendix A. That regulation expressly so states, notwithstanding the more general definition in FAR 1.1. The longstanding rule of statutory interpretation is that the specific overrides the general. I assumed that standard legal canons would apply. However, an FAA legal interpretation has come to my attention which turns that on its head and relies on the general and ignores the specific. This is good news. This started with a letter to the FAA from David Coleal, Vice President of Bombardier Learjet, requesting a clarification of whether the pilot of a Learjet Model 60 could check tire pressure. (See link in Resources. —Ed.) In a legal opinion, the FAA Office of Chief Counsel stated the general definition as provided in FAR Part 1, section 1.1, which is: “Preventive maintenance means simple or minor preservation operations and the replacement of small standard parts not involving complex assembly operations.”

54 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 55 It seems that Appendix A was meant more as examples, and not as a definitive list.

Then, the letter of interpretation ac- the conclusion that a pilot could change and one limitation. Simple or minor knowledges that FAR Part 43, Appendix A their own oil because changing the filter preservative operations are allowed as is specifically states that “[p]reventive main- was allowed, even though Appendix A the replacement of small standard parts. tenance is limited to the following work…” was silent about draining the oil and The limitation is that the complex However, the letter of interpreta- pouring in new oil. This legal opinion disassembly is not allowed. Presumably, tion goes on to say that “in view of the eliminates the need for creative inter- this is to prevent someone from claiming broader definition of preventive mainte- pretation and just directs us back to the that something like replacing a small, nance in section 1.1, we believe that such language of Part 1.1. standard crankshaft bearing would be limitation is not controlling.” I am gratified that the FAA’s Office preventive maintenance. Clearly, the limitation in Appendix A of Chief Counsel saw fit to allow us to Obviously, there are a lot of gray did render the general definition some- rely on the general definition: “Preven- areas. FAA Advisory Circular 43-12A what meaningless. tive maintenance means simple or minor has not been updated to reflect this legal With this legal opinion, it appears preservation operations and the replacement opinion or to give any better information that common sense might have pre- of small standard parts not involving complex for figuring out what is and what is not vailed. It seems that Appendix A was assembly operations.” I am not sure that an preventive maintenance. meant more as examples, and not as a actual judge would have come to the same I can only offer the following definitive list. conclusion, but the FAA is now bound by thoughts: If the part to be replaced This FAA legal opinion states that this interpretation until such time as it is has its own serial number, it probably the specific language of limitation in changed, or the regulation amended. doesn’t qualify as a “small standard Appendix A can be ignored. Without part.” Anything involving fabrication this interpretation, as I pointed out in Practical applications does not likely meet the definition of a a previous Cessna Flyer article, creative The general definition from Part 1.1 “small standard part.” interpretation was necessary to arrive at has two categories of what is allowed While an O-ring is a small standard

56 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 FAA Advisory Circular 43-12A has not been updated to reflect this legal opinion… part, disassembling a strut to replace it IMPORTANT: This article describes would likely run afoul of the limitation work that may need to be performed/ Further Reading AC 43-12A “Preventive that preventive maintenance not involve supervised by a certificated aviation Maintenance” maintenance technician. Know “complex assembly operations.” faa.gov/regulations_policies/ your FAR/AIM and check with your Thanks to this legal opinion, Appen- advisory_circulars/index.cfm/ mechanic before starting any work. dix A can now be looked at in a more go/document.information/ common-sense light. Previously, if we documentID/99859 were to take the limitation literally as  KRISTIN WINTER has been an the regulation is written, an owner could airport rat for over four decades. She Appendix A to Part 43— Major change a tire, but not the brake disk or holds an ATP-SE/ME rating and is a Alterations, Major Repairs, and the brake pads. In light of this interpre- CFIAIM, AGI, IGI. In addition, Winter Preventive Maintenance tation, changing both should be allowed. is an A&P/IA and reformed aviation ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text- Appendix A can still be a good guide, defense attorney. She has over 9,000 idx?c=ecfr&SID=41 as the closer an operation is to one that hours in various GA aircraft. She flies d989efcf60866e1c22ea66a is listed, the more likely that it would be professionally, instructs and provides 93204ab&rg considered preventive maintenance. purchasing and operations consulting. n=div5&view=text&node=14:1.0.1. She is currently based in Minnesota, 3.21& idno=14 Editor’s note: Check with your mechanic which is where it all started. Send and/or local FSDO and show them the FAA questions or comments to FAA Legal Interpretation Letter— letter before straying far from the Appendix [email protected]. Applicable Rules in 14 C.F.R. parts A list. There can be differences of opinion 43, 91, and 135 CessnaFlyer.org/ regarding the interpretation of regulations. forum under “Magazine Extras”

GET HOME. WHEREVER YOU ARE. You know the importance of getting home. Whether it’s deep in the backwoods or simply pond jumping the metro area, a starter failure is never an option. So, why risk the day because of a poor choice in a critical part? Sky-Tec starters are designed to be reliable and built to out-perform, not leave you out of luck.

THE SKY-TEC ADVANTAGE Flyweight design technology reduces weight No more investing in a spare starter Sure starts provide peace of mind

Homebound starts here. skytec.aero

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 57 Destination: San Antonio, Texas Fly Into The Past And See The Future ou already know all about San Antonio, from a plummeting asteroid in the film, “Arma- Texas. That is where John Wayne, along geddon.” Thornton’s Alamo movie was much like a with Richard Widmark and a very dreamy falling asteroid disaster in that it tanked and lost Frankie Avalon, fought Santa Ana at the over $115 million at the box office. Alamo back when it was a religious facility San Antonio, Texas, is known as the home of the andY not a rental car company. Wayne not only Alamo, but it is so much more than that. Located starred in this movie; it was his first time directing. at the headwaters of the San Antonio River on the The less aged among you may better remember Balcones Escarpment about 80 miles south of Aus- the Alamo movie that came out in 2004 starring tin, San Antonio is the second-most populous city Billy Bob Thornton just after he saved the world in Texas, second only to Houston. San Antonio has

58 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Historic Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas, commonly called The Alamo, was founded in the 18th century.

Fly Into The Past And See The Future a bigger population than Dallas. In addition to attracting rebel causes and invad- During my airline career, San Antonio was one ing armies, San Antonio is a naturally great place of my most favorite layover cities in the world. In to fly airplanes. So much so that the U.S. Army Air addition to flying subsonic people movers in and Service founded the nation’s first air base, Kelly out of San Antonio International Airport (KSAT), Field, there in 1917. Later, the famous Randolph Texas, I have been known to slip a surly or two in Field was built in 1926, northeast of the city. General Aviation spam cans that were bound for The Army was so impressed when Randolph the “River City.” I must have visited the town over opened that they changed their name from “The a hundred times and was not bored or disappointed U.S. Army Air Service,” to the much jauntier and once. sexier, “U.S. Army Air Corps” on the very same

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 59 The popular River Walk area features a network of walkways and attractions day. Randolph has a distinctive circular along the banks of the San Antonio River. and their aircraft. KSAT does have the shape, and you can’t help but see it when traffic of a big airport and the airlines you fly into the area, especially from the retirees that live there. there handle over 10 million passengers Northeast. a year, so unless you have pressing need The U.S. Air Force is not the only How to get there to go there, I suggest you try Stinson military presence in the area. San Anto- I have always enjoyed flying in and Municipal Airport (KSSF), Texas, San nio is known officially as “Military City, around Texas, and if you haven’t, I Antonio’s main General Aviation spot, USA.” The area is one giant military suggest that you take the time to aviate and the second oldest General Aviation base that, in addition to Randolph AFB, in the Longhorn State. The weather airport in the United States. contains Lackland AFB, Fort Sam Hous- depends on what time of year and what KSSF is on the south side with easy ton, and Camp Bullis. time of day you are flying. Everything access to downtown San Antonio and San Antonio has been a central loca- from snow to thunderstorms to dust is a much friendlier place for General tion for all things military since the year storms is possible, but most of the time, Aviation pilots. The fuel is at least a 1845. There are over 900 historic struc- flying in Texas is an enjoyable “breeze.” dollar per gallon cheaper, it lies under tures scattered around the bases. The San Antonio International Airport San Antonio’s Class C airspace, and you active military brings in over $49 billion (KSAT), Texas, is a big operation in won’t face the delays and hassle inherent a year for the economy, not including the Class C airspace, but the airport is very in flying from a mostly airline-oriented contribution of the over 50,000 military accessible to General Aviation pilots airport.

60 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 The Administration Building, referred to as the Taj Mahal, and the Missing Man Stinson Field’s newly opened “Brown of the World War II Monument at Randolph Air Force Base. right next to the Bag Sandwich Shop” serves excellent training boom. huge tourist, shop- deli fare and superb desserts (open ping, and dining Monday-Saturday, closed Sunday). The What to do and area, known as dining room provides a great view of the where to stay the “River Walk.” You can take a tour of runways and the ramp areas. If you are a fan of history like I am, the Alamo or just stroll the grounds. I KSSF has well-maintained runways, there is no end to the things you can see suggest you do both and plan to spend a a modern expanded terminal, spotless and explore in San Antonio. Spanish significant amount of time there to soak facilities, a full-service FBO with full- or explorers first came to the area in 1691, in the history and learn the facts about self-serve fuel, VOR and GPS approach- but they did not discover it; the Payaya this military outpost that outstrips any- es, friendly ATC tower controllers, and Indians were already living there. An thing that Hollywood could imagine. an on-field aviation museum. Rental official settlement was established in There are quite a few hotels in the cars are available, and its proximity to 1718 by the Spanish when they built the downtown area, but my favorite place to town makes other options, like Uber and Mission San Antonio de Valero, named stay is the Crockett Hotel, which is a his- taxis, economical. for St. Anthony of Padua that was later torical landmark in itself. Located across If Stinson isn’t your choice, there are called the Alamo (Spanish for “Cotton- the street from the Alamo and right next dozens of small General Aviation air- wood”). to the River Walk area, the Crockett is ports in the area. Texas, like Florida, is The Alamo is the most famous and over 110 years old. If you stay there, ask graced with numerous airfields courtesy prominent landmark in the city. It is the staff about the hotel’s history—you

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 61 SC-3, 30 JAN 2020 to 27 FEB SC-3, 30 JAN 2020 to 27 FEB

KSAT handles over 10 million passen- will be amazed. gers a year. is was signed to end My favorite the war in 1898. The layover bar in the bar’s association with world is just adjacent to the Crockett this famed group is something of which Hotel. The Menger Bar, located in the Menger Hotel employees are proud. Menger Hotel, is famous for its connec- tion to Teddy Roosevelt. A cool and interesting stroll You sit, enjoying your drink, and The River Walk, or “Paseo del Rio,” envision Roosevelt, sitting at one of the is not only a wonderfully cool place to two large round tables that still grace spend the day or night; it is the largest the space, recruiting the men of the urban ecosystem in the nation. Tucked First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, better quietly below street level, and a short known as the “Rough Riders.” walk from the Alamo, it delivers a pleas- This eclectic group rode with the ant way to navigate the city. future 26th President of the United Explore by foot along the river’s States in Cuba before the Treaty of Par- walking path or jump aboard a river

62 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Engine Monitoring & Flight Instruments Premium ANR Headsets

SC-3, 30 JAN 2020 to 27 FEB Lowest Prices on Radios Go LED & Be Brighter - In Stock SC-3, 30 JAN 2020 to 27 FEB Stratus 2S Garmin aera 660 ADS-B In GDL-39 In Stock

Garmin GTX ADS-B - In Stock

AUDIO PANELS Hear Them Clearly...

First Time, KSSF is San Antonio’s main General Every Time barge for a ride and Aviation spot. head further south, The Parts to Start guided tour. The boat you can immerse Everytime In Stock tour is something I yourself in history highly recommend. at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the River Walk runs through the heart San Antonio Missions, along the Mission of downtown, giving you easy access Reach. to attractions like the Alamo, the King There are many great restaurants William Historic District, and more. in the River Walk area, but if you want If your goal for the visit is to shop, to get away from the tourist area to you can peruse local shops and stores enjoy an authentic Tex-Mex meal, I along the river’s Museum Reach, a suggest you walk away from the “Walk” 1.33-mile addition to River Walk which and explore areas of the city where the FREE Shipping on Most opened in 2009. While there, stop at residents live and eat. Ask the concierge Orders Over $500 the historic Pearl District. At Pearl, at your hotel. He or she will have dozens treat yourself and dine al fresco at their of suggestions. TOLL FREE ORDERS local food hall, The Bottling Dept. If you You could easily spend your entire 1-800-447-3408 WWW.CHIEFAIRCRAFT.COM March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 63 64 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 River Walk is a city park complete with bridges, restaurants, shopping, and plenty of walking paths. visit exploring and enjoying the River Walk, but if you did, you would miss these attractions: protects the city’s drinking water. You can also camp, attend a program • The San Antonio Zoo has more or guided hike, geocache, picnic, take than 8,500 animals on 56 acres. The nature photos, and look for birds and Zoo was first established with a other wildlife. donation from George W. Bracken- ridge in the 1800s. Two of the first Touring the South by aircraft would cageless exhibits in the U.S. opened not be complete without at least a few here in 1929, and the bird collection days to visit San Antonio. The city is one of the world’s largest. It is combines tourism, history, and fun in a located in the northeast quarter of clean-cut and efficient way. You owe it to the city. I am a sucker for a good yourself to saddle-up your airplane and zoo, and this one is comparable to hit the trail to the San Antonio River the one in San Diego. along with its namesake city.

• San Antonio Missions Historical  KEVIN GARRISON’S aviation career Park is a National Park located began at age 15 as a lineboy in in a beautiful area of the city that Lakeland, Florida. He came up stretches 9 miles and contains four through General Aviation, retired as important 18th-century missions. a 767 captain in 2006, and retired from instructing airline pilots in 2017. • Government Canyon State Natural Garrison’s professional writing career Area is available if you are in the has spanned three decades. Send mood for some hiking and getting questions or comments to a recharge from nature. This park [email protected]. offers more than 40 miles of trails. It lies on the north side of San Antonio and is a 12,000-acre wilderness that

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 65 Resources

The Alamo thealamo.org

The Bottling Dept bottlingdept.com

The Crockett Hotel crocketthotel.com

Government Canyon State Natural Area tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ government-canyon

King William Historic District visitsanantonio.com/king-william- southtown-flores

Menger Hotel & Bar mengerhotel.com

Military City USA visitsanantonio.com/military-city-usa

66 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 CONCORDE BATTERY & CESSNA PILOTS EXPERTS IN AVIATION Concorde Batteries feature superior starting and sustained power for all seasons.

RG24-16 | 24 Volt, 13.6 Ah

Weekends come alive with Mexican RG24-15M | 24 Volt, 13.6 Ah culture, live music, shopping, and food at the historic Market Square.

Mission Reach sariverfoundation.org/art-along-the- river/explore-mission-reach

RG-35AXC | 24 Volt, 33 Ah Museum Reach sariverfoundation.org/art-along-the- river/explore-museum-reach

Pearl District tclf.org/pearl-district

River Walk thesanantonioriverwalk.com

San Antonio International Airport RG24-20, (KSAT) 24 Volt, 19Ah sanantonio.gov/SAT

San Antonio Missions Historical RG-25XC, Park 12 Volt, 33Ah nps.gov/saan/index.htm

San Antonio Zoo sazoo.org

Stinson Municipal Airport (KSSF) CONCORDE BATTERY CORPORATION sanantonio.gov/SSF 626.813.1234 | ISO 9001 + AS9100 www.ConcordeBattery.com

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 67 *Compiled from press releases

REVOLUTIONARY CITATION LONGITUDE ENTERS THE NETJETS FLEET

WICHITA, Kan., Jan. 6, 2020—Textron on board, from takeoff to Aviation Inc. recently announced landing, the innovations that Net Jets, a Berkshire Hathaway of the Citation Longitude company, accepted its first make it the most enjoyable delivery of the new Cessna Citation flight imaginable,” said Longitude super-midsize business Adam Johnson, chairman & jet on Dec. 31, 2019. This delivery CEO of NetJets. represents a significant milestone for The new Citation both NetJets and Textron Aviation as Longitude incorporates they bring this revolutionary aircraft the latest technologies to passengers. NetJets anticipates throughout the aircraft, like that its Longitude will enter service for integrated autopilot and 1984. In addition to the Citation NetJets Owners in early 2020. autothrottle systems with emergency Longitude aircraft order, NetJets has “We are pleased to have the new descent mode (EDM). The aircraft taken delivery of more than 100 Cessna Citation Longitude enter the NetJets is equally designed around the pilot Citation Latitude aircraft. Owner fleet and continue to strengthen a experience, passenger comfort, and demand has ranked the Latitude relationship that goes back decades,” overall performance, delivering an as the best-selling aircraft in the said Ron Draper, president and CEO, aircraft that lives up to its designation NetJets portfolio, further establishing Textron Aviation. “The Longitude, with as the flagship of the Citation family of the aircraft as Textron Aviation’s class-leading performance, efficiency, business jets. The Citation Longitude best-selling mid-size jet, outselling and an unrivaled cabin experience, is gained FAA certification in September its nearest competitor four to one, already redefining its category and 2019, and Textron Aviation began according to the company. will join the Citation Latitude as fleet customer deliveries soon after. favorites for NetJets Owners.” NetJets has operated a fleet of For more information, please visit “No matter the reason for being nearly 500 Cessna Citations since txtav.com and textron.com.

AIR PLAINS SERVICES LAUNCHES ONLINE STORE FOR STC AND PMA PARTS WELLINGTON, Kan., more parts to the web store, models. built Reims Cessna F182s. Feb. 3, 2020—Air Plains as well as apparel and other More recently, the compa- In addition to the new Services, a world leader in supplies.” ny added STCs for a 260 hp PMA airboxes, Air Plains General Aviation engine The STC parts support upgrade for Cessna 182 S and also offers standard, like-new, and avionics upgrades, has the company’s popular 180, T model aircraft, a 260 hp repaired airboxes for Cessna launched an online store for 260, and 300 horsepower upgrade for Cessna RG182s, 172s, 180s, and 182s, usually in many of its STC and PMA engine upgrades for Cessna and another 180 hp upgrade stock for immediate ship- parts including its recently 172, 180, and 182 aircraft for Cessna 172R models. ment. Air Plains offers other PMA-certified airboxes for which can be installed by Air In January, Air Plains replacement PMA parts not Cessna 180-series aircraft. Plains or shipped worldwide. announced PMA approval only for its XP upgrade kits, “We love talking with our The XP line of upgrades from the FAA to manufacture but for a variety of aircraft. customers and we’ll always consists of a 300 hp upgrade airboxes for Cessna 180s Visit the new online store be available to chat, but for Cessna 182 H through produced since 1960 (C thru at shopairplains.com. For many already know exactly R model aircraft, a 300 hp K), Cessna 182s produced more information about parts what they need and want upgrade for Cessna 180s, a from 1959 thru 1986 (B thru not listed at the online store, an easy way to order from 300 hp upgrade for Cessna R), and Cessna 188s produced call 800-752-8481 or 620- us,” said Katie Church, head retractable gear models R182, from 1966 thru 1975 (thru B). 326-8904, or email sales@ of marketing for Air Plains. and a 180 hp upgrade for a This airbox is also eligible for airplains.com. “We’ll be adding more and large number of Cessna 172 installation on the French-

68 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 GARMIN REIMAGINES AIRCRAFT FLIGHT INSTRUMENTATION GI 275 electronic flight instrument can modernize thousands of aging cockpits

OLATHE, Kan., Jan. 15, 2020—Garmin International, president of aviation sales and marketing. “With the Inc. recently announced the arrival of the GI GI 275, pilots can take an economical and scalable 275, a powerful electronic flight instrument that approach to their avionics upgrade, while saving directly replaces legacy primary flight instruments on the installation labor and cost. The capabilities in the cockpit. The GI 275 is suitable as a direct of the GI 275 are amazing—it can provide ADAHRS, replacement for a variety of instruments, including an autopilot interface, and replace ADI, HSI, standby attitude indicator, attitude directional indicator (ADI), and EIS indicators, along with 60 minutes of battery course deviation indicator (CDI), horizontal situation back-up for primary or standby applications, or it can indicator (HSI), and engine indication system (EIS). just be the coolest ever CDI. If it’s round and in their Capable of serving as a 4-in-1 flight instrument, panel, pilots can likely replace it with the GI 275 to the GI 275 can also be installed as a standby to a receive modern flight display features and benefits number of glass flight displays, and is available with a in a powerful, yet compact touchscreen flight 60-minute back-up battery. instrument.” Lightweight and compact, the GI 275 is Suitable as a replacement to many aging flight intentionally designed to take advantage of the instruments and gyro-based attitude indicators on common 3.125-inch flight instrument size, reducing the market, the GI 275 gives aircraft owners the installation time and preserving the existing aircraft benefits of a modern and reliable flight instrument. panel. It’s also compatible with a variety of third- It boasts a standard 3.125-inch form factor and rear- party autopilots, and does not require a separate mount design that minimizes panel modification. interface adapter, further reducing installation labor. The bright, high-resolution touchscreen display The GI 275 has received FAA approval and is available and wide viewing angle offers superior readability immediately for installation in over 1,000 single- in the cockpit. A dual concentric knob allows pilots engine and multi-engine aircraft models. to access a variety of key functions within the flight Several variants of the GI 275 are available to instrument, such as adjustments to the baro setting meet the needs of over 1,000 business and General or the airspeed bug. Highly scalable, aircraft owners Aviation aircraft models. Features beyond the can start with a single GI 275 and add up to a total of traditional display of attitude, airspeed, and altitude six in a single panel, paving the way for incremental include the option to display CDI, HSI, and engine upgrades and an array of individualized panel information. The GI 275 is also capable of displaying configurations. multifunction display-like features, such as traffic, The GI 275 is available immediately and is weather, terrain, SafeTaxi® airport diagrams, optional approved for installation in over 1,000 single-engine Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT™), and more. and multi-engine aircraft models. Select Class IV “As constant innovators within the avionics aircraft are also approved. industry, we’re redefining the aircraft cockpit with the introduction of the GI 275,” said Carl Wolf, vice For more information, visit garmin.com/GI275.

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 69 FERRY FERRY GARMIN UNVEILS THE Fast to fit TANKSTANKS FOURTH GENERATION Re-Use GPS/NAV/COMM OLATHE, Kan., Jan. 8, 2020—Garmin International, Inc. recently announced the arrival of the GTN 650Xi and GTN 750Xi, the next generation of in-flight navigation technology. Designed as a Collapsible!Collapsible! direct slide-in upgrade to the previous generation GTN 650/750, pilots can UniqueUnique Design!Design! preserve their panel and modernize the cockpit with the new GTN 650Xi Tough!Tough! and GTN 750Xi. The all-in-one GPS/NAV/COMM boasts a feature-rich multifunction display and can integrate with new or existing remote-mount equipment, such as a transponder or audio panel. Dual-core processors and modern hardware also prepare the GTN Xi series for advanced capabilities in the U.S. Toll Free: 1 866 310 2992 future. The GTN 650Xi and GTN 750Xi www.turtlepac.com have received FAA approval, and are available immediately for fixed-wing single-engine and multi-engine piston,  turbine, and experimental aircraft, with helicopter and business aircraft approvals soon to follow. “After decades of innovation and We’ve been manufacturing affordably priced, high-quality pioneering the GPS/NAV/COMM, FAA-PMA approved components for over 30 years! we’re excited to bring the fourth generation GTN 650Xi and GTN Seat release cables for the re-start Cessnas 750Xi to the market,” said Carl Wolf, Tired of your cheapy seat control cable? NEW vice president of aviation sales and • Anodized aluminum - not plastic Save on marketing. “Garmin was the first to • Redesigned to last McFarlane parts • Larger Cable plus same day shipping! introduce the all-in-one navigator with • Repairable the iconic GNS 430/530. Over time, FREE Shipping on AeroLEDs! the GNS WAAS and the industry-first Receive free shipping on your whole GTN 650/750 touchscreen navigators order when purchasing AeroLEDs! were added to the line-up, along with See website for more information state-of-the-art features such as voice control, wireless connectivity, and Trim Tab Screw Assemblies more. As the leader in GPS cockpit Greatly improved design! • No rust alumabronze barrel navigation, we have brought the most • Nitride hardened stainless screw widely adopted navigators to the Low cost repair or exchange services industry, and with the GTN 650Xi and coming soon! GTN 750Xi, we’re excited to add one A Division of more to the family.” Modern processing power and World’s Largest MT Composite state-of-the-art hardware within Propeller Distributor! the GTN 650Xi/750Xi supports Designing Solutions faster map rendering and smoother panning throughout the touchscreen FAA-PMA Manufacturer of Quality Parts navigator. It boasts a large, ultra-high- resolution display and wide viewing 816.988.4994 | www.mcfarlaneaviation.com/CF

70 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 angle that offers superior readability in the cockpit. The displays initialize within seconds of start-up, providing immediate access to frequencies and flight plan information, saving valuable time in the aircraft. Preserving the same form factor as the previous generation GTN 650/750, the 6-inch- tall GTN 750Xi and the 2.65-inch- tall GTN 650Xi offer an intuitive touchscreen design with a dedicated direct-to button and dual concentric knob that provide added convenience when interfacing with the display. Retaining all the features of the GTN 650/750, the GTN Xi series adds a vibrant display and vivid colors that enhance the contemporary look of the new navigators. When installed alongside a G500 TXi or G600 TXi flight display, the GTN Xi series brings a new level of modernization to the cockpit. Highly complementary, the GTN Xi and the TXi flight displays share similarities in display, appearance, and hardware qualities. For example, both products feature an angular bezel so the pilot has Concerned about having the reserve capacity a near-seamless experience when transitioning between the touchscreen to handle modern aviation electronics? flight display and the navigator. The GTN 650Xi/750Xi offer Introducing the New King advanced navigation functions, including ILS and LPV instrument SUPER CAPACITY approach procedures, as well as Gill LT 12V Sealed VRLA Aircraft battery* visual approach guidance. Based on a published glide path angle or a three- degree glideslope from the threshold of the runway, visual approaches also take into account terrain and obstacle clearance to assist pilots in flying a 7025-24 stabilized approach to the runway AVAILABLE NOW, in visual flight conditions. Approach AT DISTRIBUTORS types that incorporate radius-to-fix (RF) leg types are also supported 7035-34 by the GTN Xi series. Additional AVAILABLE NOW, capabilities include the option to AT DISTRIBUTORS add a published or custom holding procedure, VNAV, graphical flight plan FAA-PMA approved for over 162 Aircraft Models editing on the moving map, and more. FAA-PMA Approved The GTN 650Xi and GTN 750Xi for over 242 Aircraft Models have received FAA STC and are available immediately through Long live the King! Garmin authorized dealers. For more information about Garmin’s full line of avionics, go to garmin.com/aviation. | 909.793.3131 | GILLBATTERIES.COM

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 71 CHARLIE WIPLINGER NAMED CEO OF WIPAIRE

SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 1, 2020—Wipaire recently announced Bob “Wip” Wiplinger entered semi- retirement, and his son, Charlie Wiplinger, is now the CEO, becoming the third generation to lead the company. Bob served as president since 1979 when he purchased the company from his father and founder, Ben Wiplinger. He will continue to serve as chairman of the company. Charlie (above) has held the title of president since 2011

EAA YOUNG EAGLES PROGRAM REACHES MILESTONE OF 2.2 MILLION KIDS FLOWN

OSHKOSH, Jan. 31, 2020—The biggest youth aviation education program ever created reached another milestone this week, as EAA’s Young Eagles program surpassed 2.2 million kids flown since the first program’s flights took place at the 1992 EAA Fly-in Convention at Oshkosh. “As we reach each of these mile- stones, it’s a further credit to the dedication of the EAA-member pilots and volunteers who have committed their time and aircraft to bringing young people into aviation,” said Jack Pelton, EAA CEO and chairman of the board. “The success of Young Eagles means thousands of today’s under-40 pilots can trace their personal journeys back to that first flight with a Young Eagles pilot.” More than 50,000 EAA-member pilots have donated their time, aircraft, and fuel to fly kids over the past 27 years, with an equal number of ground volunteers assisting the program. Flights have taken place on every conti- nent except Antarctica, and in aircraft ranging from hot air balloons to corporate jets. Young Eagles began in 1992 in response to a survey of EAA members

72 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 and will now be president & CEO. “My son represents the AT APPROVED TURBO COMPONENTS, INC third generation WE ARE MORE THAN JUST A BOX WITH A PART of leadership. NUMBER ON IT. WE PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL He’s been here his CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH EVERY whole life, and I know the company OVERHAUL OR EXCHANGE! will continue to grow under his guidance. But, don’t worry, I’ll still be here, focusing on engineering and TURBOS TESTED offering advice to the next generation, @ 100,000 RPM ON whenever somebody with gray hair can be helpful,” said Bob (above) with VSR MACHINE a smile. Charlie’s first role at Wipaire began in line service at the age of 16. After 2 FACILITIES TO BETTER SERVE YOU! college graduation in 2003, he worked as an engineer until assuming the role 800-523-4809 1545 E. ACEQUIA AVE. • VISALIA, CA 93292 of vice president of services, which FAA #07TR210O EASA.145.6055 he held until becoming president in 663 2ND LANE • VERO BEACH, FL 32962 2011. For more information about the 800-626-0367 company, visit wipaire.com. FAA #U5AR184Y EASA.145.5482 CALL US... WE'RE HERE TO HELP! who overwhelmingly replied that getting TURBOCHARGERS - WASTEGATES - CONTROLLERS & PRV'S young people involved in aviation was OVERHAUL OR EXCHANGE the most important issue to ensure the future of recreational flight. www.approvedturbo.com Young Eagles has also been the foundation of EAA’s more recent efforts to encourage and engage young people in aviation. That includes Sporty’s online Learn to Fly course, available to all Young Eagles, and now approaching 75,000 enrollees. It also set the stage for last year’s inaugural group of Ray Aviation Scholarship recipients, as more than 100 young people earned full flight training scholarships in conjunction with local EAA chapters. Dozens of aviation companies also support Young Eagles, including Phillips 66, the program’s presenting sponsor. Oth- er supporting sponsors include Garmin, Lightspeed, WACO Aircraft, the Acad- emy of Model Aeronautics, and Global Aerospace, as well as Young Eagles Flight Plan sponsors Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Sporty’s Pilot Shop. “To every pilot and ground volunteer who has been part of Young Eagles, the aviation community thanks you,” Pelton said. “If you haven’t flown a Young Eagle yet, we enthusiastically invite you to do so. You will have a more impactful influence on the future of flight than you’ll ever know.” More information for pilots, parents, and young people is available at eaa.org/ youngeagles.

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 73 HARTZELL ENGINE TECHNOLOGIES ANNOUNCES COMPLETE KITS FOR FIELD OVERHAULS OF AEROFORCE TURBOCHARGERS

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Jan. 20, 2020— Hartzell Engine Technologies (HET) recently announced that the company will only sell turbocharger overhaul kits that will include 100% of the mandatory replacement parts needed to complete a field overhaul of an AeroForce turbocharger. HET will make available to MROs complete kits that include all the mandatory replacement parts, and no longer sell individual piece parts for field overhauls. “Based on analysis and inspections as a result of recent field incidents involving turbocharger overhauls that did not meet HET’s overhaul manual requirements for replacement of critical parts, we have decided to sell only complete kits,” stated HET President Keith Bagley. “Our goal is to support safety for our customers, and we think the best way to do that is by ensuring that they receive all mandatory replacement hardware for the overhaul of AeroForce turbocharger products.” Bagley explained that the foundation of HET’s turbocharger maintenance and overhaul instructions come from decades of experience and engineering data from the Garrett turbocharger lineage. “As it is clearly stated in our instructions, when a turbocharger is being rebuilt, the shop may inspect all the original ‘reusable’ parts, and if they are within the permitted tolerances, use them in the rebuild,” he said. “But, for all critical parts, such as the highly stressed turbine wheel assemblies, bolts, lock plates and nuts, piston rings, thrust bearings, seal rings, and retaining nuts, they must be replaced 100% of the time. “By selling complete overhaul kits, we are doing what we can to eliminate any instances where these critical parts are not replaced,” said Bagley. “Ensuring that our AeroForce turbochargers deliver the highest degree of safety, reliability, and performance is our number one priority.”

For further information about Hartzell Engine Technologies, visit hartzell.aero.

74 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 FAA CERTIFICATION APPROVES HEAVY-DUTY SEALED LEAD ACID CONCORDE BATTERIES FOR CESSNA CITATION CJ4

WEST COVINA, Calif., Jan. 20, 2020— Concorde Battery Corporation presents FAA STC SA00944DE for installation of higher capacity sealed lead acid batteries, the RG-380E/60L (24V,48Ah) or RG- 380E/53L (24V, 53Ah), in place of the original equipment lead acid or nickel cadmium battery on Textron Aviation’s Cessna 525C. Taking you to places you Concorde developed STC SA00944DE specifically for Cessna Citation CJ4 opera- used to only dream of going... tors based on reports of higher ITT (Inter- stage Turbine Temperature) on start than experienced on other Cessna CJ models. These heavy-duty battery options provide increased reserve capacity and improved outrush current at start. Starting power and efficiency is increased by 20-40% over the original equipment batteries, which has effectively reduced ITT on start. Additionally, the higher capacity options reduce the depth of discharge, which in turn increases overall battery life. Concorde’s sealed lead acid batteries are the economical solution with a lower cost of acquisition, reduced ...And getting you out of places maintenance requirements, and hazmat exempt shipping. Concorde batteries others could not! never require water replenishment, and there is no threat of thermal runaway. • Super TOUGH - Kevlar and Nickel-Cobalt • Less Weight - up to 30 lbs lighter At the end of life, the lead acid battery is • Turbine SMOOTH Operation • Powerful!! = More THRUST!! 100% recyclable. For more information, visit concorde- MT Composite battery.com to find a nearby distributor. Propeller Upgrades A Division of Concorde batteries are available through Call or go online for the authorized distributor network. 866-717-1117 a FREE quote www.Flight-Resource.com

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 75 The High & The Writey  Continued from Page 16

• Two D-cell flashlights.

I will tell you the truth: I was more proud of my airline getup than my red plaid pants. My uniform jacket still hangs smugly in the hall closet along with other jackets from my “thin days.” I will never wear it again, but I will never get rid of it.

Don’t embarrass your mother If you are like me, you probably don’t spend a lot of time planning or thinking about what you wear when you fly. Performance Promised; Renovating an Interior Performance Delivered!  Continued from Page 30 • Smoother engine operation • Increases power foam. Begin by using the seat frame to • Better fuel efficiency • Reduces maintenance costs locate a centerline fore to aft on the base and up the back. Factory Support: 248-674-3433 Then, with the frame as your guide, run the cutting knife smoothly along electroair.net | Sales 281-728-8732 the sides to evenly trim all layers of the foam to the desired contour of the new seat. With one side trimmed, use your centerline to plot guide marks for the other side. The result is a symmetrical Air Capitol Dial If your cockpit panel components are seat cushion ready for upholstery. Specialists in Repair and Refurbishing This level of work takes expertise, faded, need repairs or just need some as well as quite a bit of time, and is defi- touch-up, we’re ready to serve you. nitely not for everyone. Some of you may We’re an FAA Certified Repair Station. want to turn this part of your project over to a professional shop. Others may want to take part in the Call us, upgrade process without committing to we’ll take care of you. all the fine detail work. Purchasing a kit from Airtex, complete with the neces- Air Capitol Dial 877-269-2483 sary foam and pre-sewn finish upholstery, would be a good option. And for those of you ambitious enough to foam and sew your own seats, stay tuned. Next month, we will start the actual sewing process. Until then, fly safe!

 Industrial designer and aviation enthusiast DENNIS WOLTER is well- known for giving countless seminars and contributing his expertise about all phases of aircraft renovation in various publications. Wolter founded Air Mod in 1973 in order to offer private aircraft owners the www.aircapitoldial.com same professional, high-quality [email protected] work then only offered to corporate

76 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Today, I go for practicality when I can. I always dress for the outside weather anticipating an off-airport landing. I don’t wear my sunglasses on my belt anymore, but I do carry an extra pair of glasses in my pocket recognizing the undeniable fact that I am no longer the 20/20, eagle-eyed pilot I once was.

Finally, based on the advice of my sainted mother, I always wear clean underwear when I go flying—in case I get into an accident.

jet operators. Send questions or comments to [email protected]. Resources (239) 405-6117 CFA Supporters Seat Foam Suppliers Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. aircraftspruce.com A Aviation Creations aviationscreations.com BO SSES C. SCS Interiors scs-interiors.com e ill Hel rblest r Sstem Other Resources eacin Sbect At AA Enrse Events Seat Upholstery Kits Airtex airtexinteriors.com BOCHAES ESSE EE AES OEHA ECHAE ASEAES BOCHAES Foam Adhesive Suppliers BAACED COOES E B COES A OEAOA SEEDS O O Miami Corporation/MC5 S ES ACHE miamicorp.com isit Or eb Site t See te S n Actin Further Reading “ A family operated business since 1988, including a FAR 25.853-1 faa.gov/regulations_policies/ licensed A & P mechanic and commercial pilot” advisory_circulars/index.cfm/ go/document.information/ documentid/22673 a A A “Sensitive to your needs” am m S n ri www.mainturbo.com “Sensitive to your needs” [email protected]

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 77 Questions & Answers  Continued from Page 20 tanks. If there is no cover plate, it has integral tanks with a 68-gallon capacity. The cover plate for the fuel tanks is easy to identify; it is held in place by screws along each edge. Happy flying, —Steve

IMPORTANT: This article describes work that may need to be performed/ supervised by a certificated aviation maintenance technician. Know your FAR/AIM and check with your mechanic before starting any work.

 STEVE ELLS has been an A&P/IA for 45 years. He is a commercial pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings and loves utility and bush- style airplanes and operations. Ells was a tech rep and editor for Cessna Pilots Association and associate editor for AOPA Pilot. He owns Ells Aviation (EllsAviation.com) and lives in Templeton, California. Send questions and comments to editor@ cessnaflyer.org. RESOURCES CFA SUPPORTERS NAS bolts AIRCRAFT SPRUCE aircraftspruce.com

CHIEF AIRCRAFT chiefaircraft.com

Seat rails MCFARLANE AVIATION mcfarlaneaviation.com

Further reading FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO) FERRY PERMIT faa.gov/about/office_org/field_ offices/fsdo/phl/local_more/media/ ferry_permit.pdf

GENUINE AIRCRAFT HARDWARE BOOK gen-aircraft-hardware.com

78 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Letters to the Editor  Continued from Page 8 Things You Can Do in a 182 By Kevin Garrison February 2020

To Cessna Flyer, I love what you have done with the magazine! Beautiful production quality, great articles! I love the cover photo for the “Things You Can Do in a 182” article. Is there any possibility that I can buy a large (20-by-30) copy for my wall? —Eckhard Konkel

Renovating an Interior, Part Eight: Cleaning and Repairing Seats By Dennis Wolter February 2020

Hi Jen, I just finished reading the article on seat cleaning and repair in your Febru- ary 2020 edition. I was pleased to see the reference to a “free” (really? In aviation?) part to add a secondary seat stop to my 1958 Cessna 175. I was able to research and find the Service Bulletin SEB07-5R06, but so far, nothing on how the part can be claimed at no charge. Is it possible for my maintenance facility to order the part and install it? Unfortunately, nothing in the SB seems to address the process. Thanks! —Norm Isler

Reply: Hi Norm, I spoke with Dennis Wolter and he suggested you contact your local Cess- na Service Center for help obtaining the kit. Here’s a link to those Service Centers: Airbags Save Lives! support.cessna.com/docs/custsupt/ onlineDirectory/sc/dom.html SOARS • Universal Airbag System for Part 23 Please let me know how it works out State of the Art Restraint System Aircraft for you. If for any reason the Service • 2- and 3-Point Configuration Center can’t help you, we’ll do some $2,580 • Installed by Local A&P Mechanic further research. www.AmSafe.com • System covers Pilot & Co-Pilot Seat Best, —Jennifer Dellenbusch

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 79 Aircraft Safety Alerts

McFarlane Aviation, Inc. 696 East 1700 Road Baldwin City, KS 66006 (785) 594-2741 Fax: (785) 594-3922 www.mcfarlaneaviation.com 1-800-544-8594 [email protected]

Service Bulletin SB-10, Revision A Procedures specified in this service bulletin must be accomplished in accordance with accepted methods of aircraft maintenance and applicable government regulations. Appropriate log book entries must be made.

I. SUBJECT This service bulletin addresses material defects found in some of the extruded material used in McFarlane Aviation, Inc (McFarlane). aileron hinge assembly, P/N: MC0523816-1. An inspection method to identify the defective material and the corrective actions are given in this document. The affected aileron hinge is used in Cessna aircraft models 150, 152, 170, 172, 175, 180, 182, 185, 205, and 210. These hinges were released by McFar- WilcoWe keep you safe and comfortable lane between February 22, 2019 and B.A.S. Inc. P.O. Box 190 January 3, 2020. Eatonville, WA 98328 RESTRAINT WITHOUT II. BACKGROUND RESTRICTION McFarlane PMA aileron hinge assem- Wilco holds the Concorde Battery STC for Cessna bly, P/N: MC0523816-1 is used at three lo- Singles, Twins, Conquests and Citations. Also holds the A four-point inertia cations along each aileron control surface STC to install Whelen lights on Cessna singles built in shoulder harness/ 1972 and after, up to the restarts (but we have lap belt system that to attach it to the aircraft wing replacement LED lights for them too). We also distribute is FAA-STC and The McFarlane aileron hinge for Lamar, LP Aero, PM Research, and Rapco. Large PMA approved for in ventory for all of the above. Same day shipping in most most Cessnas. assembly is created from three subcom- cases. ponents, two unique hinge halves and a Visit our website hinge pin. During production the three Vent Replacement Systems for a complete For Model 210 Operators Wemac listing of available components are matched-fit with pins of direction controlled and aircraft models and various diameters. This reduces the gap closable vents. pricing for Cessna, Piper, Beechcraft between components and thus increases Mention this Ad and purchase for & Luscombe. $1195.00 the life of the hinge assembly. Due to this RETRACTABLE PULL HANDLES design attribute the subcomponents are FOR TAILDRAGGERS not interchangeable. Landing Gear Inspection Mirror STC approved for all Cessna Each hinge half is machined from single engine retractable. extruded aluminum hinge stock. For Mention this ad and purchase for the purpose of inspection, the hinge half $74.95 features are defined as follows:

www.basinc-aeromod.com III. AFFECTED AIRCRAFT Toll Free 1-888-255-6566 (Pacific Time) The McFarlane hinge, P/N: [email protected] (360) 832-6566 • Fax (360) 832-6466

80 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 MC0523816-1, is eligible for installation on the following Aircraft:

IV. AFFECTED PARTS Affected McFarlane aileron hinges are P/N: MC0523816-1, shipped between February 22, 2019 and January 3, 2020. The production lots for these parts are JO55493, JO55519, JO56823, JO57775, & JO60003.

V. IDENTIFICATION METHODS Aircraft service records for aircraft listed in Section III of this document must be reviewed to determine if a McFarlane aileron hinge from the affected part list has been installed. If the affected aileron hinges have been installed, the hinges must be inspected per section VII instructions. If aircraft service records show the aileron hinges have not been installed or purchased between the dates of February 22, 2019 and January , 2020, or were replaced with non-McFarlane parts, this service bulletin is not applicable. This service bulletin is applicable to all hinges purchased between February 22, 2019 and January 3, 2020. When buying from one of our Note: In an unpainted state, McFarlane aileron hinges are anodized and appear advertisers, tell them you saw their gold in color. Further, the aileron hinge marking most likely appears on the riveted half of the hinge and will be obscured when ad in Cessna Flyer magazine installed. In most cases, the aircraft service records will be needed to determine if an affected aileron hinge has been previously installed. This service bulletin must be considered applicable to any hinges purchased between February 22, 2019 and January 3, 2020 and not installed.

VI. COMPLIANCE Disassembly and inspection of the McFarlane aileron hinge is mandatory and must be completed within the next 25 hours time-in-service (TIS) after February 7, 2020 or within the next 6 months after February 7, 2020, which- ever comes first if the aileron hinge is one of the lots listed in section IV of this service bulletin. If the inspection identifies extrusion cracks or delamination of the hinge bulb,

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 81 TAKE A SEAT Aircraft Safety Alerts

immediate replacement of the hinge is required prior to further flight. The requirements of Section VII are one time only. There are no recurring requirements. Uninstalled aileron hinges from the affected lots must be returned to Impeccable, www.AviationsCreations.com McFarlane. innovative designs 480-998-1752 mobile 480-980-0639 VII. ACCOMPLISHMENT INSTRUCTIONS A. Disassembly 1. The hinge halves must be separat- Is your Cessna safe and secure? ed for proper inspection. 2. Remove the three attachment screws that lock the hinge pins into place. 3. Remove the hinge pins. Be sure not to mix the aileron hinge pins as they are select fit for each hinge. 4. Carefully support the aileron for inspection. 5. Inspect the affected hinges per Section VII B. CessnaWindowLock.com B. Inspection 1. Ensure that you can view each end of each of the aileron hinge tabs. This may require removal of paint from around each tab area to ensure full PJ2 visibility. 2. Clean the hinge tab with appro- COM RADIO priate solvent or detergent to expose Backup radio with the ends and body of the tab. All end built-in headset jacks surfaces must be clean and clear for inspection.

3. Using 10X magnifier, carefully inspect the ends of each hinge tab of each hinge half (surface and wing hinge half), for internal cracks and/ • Standard GA or delamination in the bulb around headset jacks the pin bore. Cracks and delamina- • Oversized screen tion defects appear as small lines Freedom Aviation is a • Large keypad Cessna and Beechcraa that can extend from the pin bore to Single and Multi-Engine • Last frequency the outside surface of the tab or lines Parts/Service Center. button traveling around the pin bore. Refer to • 20 scannable Figure 4 for examples of known defects. memory channels

#1812A $199.00 4. Inspect the visible hinge flat jmoorefield@flyfreedom.com surface with a 10X magnifier. Inspect the flat side of each hinge tab for external cracks that extend the length of the hinge tab. Refer to Figure 5 for SPORTYS.COM examples of possible defects. www.flyfreedom.com 82 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020

Cessna Flyer Classified_PJ2.indd 1 1/3/20 10:23 AM Parts avionics EnginEs ProPs 5. If any cracks or defects are #1 for Aircraft Parts Support detected in either hinge half, remove Since 1984 and replace the hinge assembly per Same-Day Worldwide OverOver 55 MilliMilliOOnn the instructions of aircraft service Shipping manual. We Price Match! iin-Stn-StOOckck PartPartSS!! C. Reassembly and Return to Search our Parts for Free 24/7 Service 1. Reinstall the ailerons in the oppo- DoDSon.coM cAll uS toDAy At 785-878-8000 site manner as they were removed. 2. Using the service manual complete all required checks to return the aircraft Looking for some Contact us today for a FREE to service (really... it’s free!) 20-page booklet 3. Make appropriate aircraft mainte- and ? “How to Soundproof Light Aircraft” nance record entry for compliance with peaceReduce yourquiet cabin noise and this service bulletin you’ll enjoy flying even more. (888) 942-7723 VIII. MATERIAL PRICE AND AVAIL- To get your copy, ABILITY by mail... send your name and address to us! Part number MC0523816-1 aileron by email... [email protected] hinges are available from McFarlane by internet: Free download at soundproofing.org/infopages/soundprf.htm soundproofing.org IX. CREDIT INFORMATION McFarlane will issue a credit of $50.00 per aileron inspected from Super Soundproofing Co. | 455 East Carmel Street | San Marcos, CA 92078 the affected lots (see Section IV). In addition, McFarlane will issue a credit of $40.00 per aileron hinge replaced from the affected lots. Part Credit and a ground freight allowance will be 1.800.653.5112 provided upon return of any defective parts. To receive credit for compliance ALPHAAVIATION.com with this service bulletin the aircraft SHOULDER HARNESS & LAP BELT

Add New or Replace Your Older Restraints N-number, model, and serial num- from (1 seat) ber along with a copy of the aircraft Replacements $439. STC Kits from $999. (2 front seats) - FAA/PMA maintenance record entry showing 2-Point Lap Belts from $119. (1 seat) AmSafe® compliance with this service bulletin Cessna 150/152 tso-c114 & tso-c22g will need to be provided. Cessna 100 Series Cessna 177*/177A*/177B/177RG Cessna 200 Series* X. DISTRIBUTION *Install Harnesses by Minor Change from $15 per seat + restraint This service bulletin has been LARGEST SELECTION of STOCK RESTRAINTS distributed to all customers for whom AIRCRAFT JACKS - Since 1995 McFarlane has sales records indicat- · Purpose Built Cylinder ing the purchase of affected parts. All · Machined Concave Top McFarlane service bulletins may also be · Clears Gear Doors found at www.mcfarlaneaviation.com. · Tilt’n’Go Wheels · Double Action Pump Please forward this urgent information · Versatile - One Model Fits Multiple Aircraft to the current owner or operator of the · Oversized 1-1/4” Ram affected aircraft. For further informa- · Heavy Gauge Steel tion or questions call (800) 544-8594 · Laser Cut / Robotic Welded · Powder Painted or (785) 594-2741. All persons are free · Easy Assembly to copy this bulletin if it is copied in its · Ships Ground entirety with no alterations or additions. Low Wing Line $359 - $399 (For tables and diagrams, go to cessnaflyer.org/ High Wing Line $459 - $599 knowledge-base/latest-news/item/1388-ser- Pro Line $529 - $649 vice-bulletin-sb-10-revision-a.html) Tailweight / Post $269 - $349 100’s In Stock for Quick Shipment March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 83 Advertiser Index Advertise with Cessna Flyer Call Kent Dellenbusch 626. 844.0125

Acorn Welding Ltd. acornwelding.com 72 IceShield iceshield.com 02 Aero LEDs aeroleds.com 28 Icom icomamerica.com/A16 21 Aerostop Seat Locks aerostop.net 78 Insight Instrument Corp. insightavionics.com 87, 88 Aerox aerox.com 77 J.P. Instruments jpinstruments.com 05 Air Capitol Dial aircapitoldial.com 76 John Jewell Aircraft johnjewellaircraft.com 81 Air Mod airmod.com 37 Knots 2 U knots2u.com 73 Air Plains Services airplains.com/cessna172 19 Main Turbo Systems mainturbo.com 77 Aircraft Door Seals aircraftdoorseals.com 79 McFarlane Aviation mcfarlaneaviation.com/cf 70 Aircraft Spruce & aircraftspruce.com 03 MH Oxygen Systems mhoxygen.com 72 Specialty Mt. View Aviation mtnviewaviation.com 81 Airforms airforms.biz 53 Micro AeroDynamics microaero.com 74 Airmark Overhaul Inc. airmarkoverhaul.com 16 Omaha Airplane Supply omahaairplanesupply.com 51 Alpha Aviation alphaaviation.com 83 P Ponk Aviation pponk.com 31 AmSafe amsafe.com 79 Parker Hannifin Corp. parker.com 52 Approved Turbo approvedturbo.com 73 Components Poplar Grove Airmotive poplargroveairmotive.com 74 AssuredPartners ap-aerospace.com 04 Preferred Airparts preferredairparts.com 65 Aerospace Rocky Mountain Propellers rockyprop.com 52 AVBLEND avblend.com 66 SCS Interiors scs-interiors.com 38 Aviation Creations aviationscreations.com 82 Selkirk Aviation selkirk-aviation.com 49 Aviation Insurance air-pros.com 29 Resources Sky-Tec skytec.aero 57 B.A.S. Inc. basinc-aeromod.com 80 Sporty’s sportys.com 82 Bose Corporation bose.com/A20 27 Stene Aviation steneaviation.com 83 Bruce’s Custom Covers aircraftcovers.com 56 Strutwipe strutwipe.com 51 C J Aviation Inc. cjaviation.com 25 Super Soundproofing soundproofing.org 83 Cessna Window Lock cessnawindowlock.com 82 Superior Air Parts superiorairparts.com 11 Chief Aircraft chiefaircraft.com 63 Teledyne Battery Products gillbatteries.com 71 CiES ciescorp.com 71 Tempest Aero Group tempestaero.com 09, 41 Concorde Battery concordebattery.com 67 Corporation Texas Skyways txskyways.com 15 David Clark Company davidclark.com 13 TKM Avionics tkmavionics.com 75 Desser desser.com 35 Turbine Conversions Ltd. turbineconversions.com 80 Dodson International dodson.com 83 Turtle Pac turtlepac.com 70 Parts, Inc. Univair Aircraft univair.com 39 Eagle Fuel Cells eaglefuelcells.com 67 Corporation Electroair electroair.net 76 Van Bortel Aircraft vanbortel.com 17 Flight Resource flight-resource.com 75 Vantage Plane Plastics planeplastics.com 10 Flint Aero, Inc. flintaero.com 62 Wag-Aero wagaero.com 66 Floats & Fuel Cells ffcfuelcells.com 42 Wentworth Aircraft Inc. wentworthaircraft.com 30 Freedom Aviation flyfreedom.com 82 Whelen Aerospace flywat.com 53 Technologies Genesys Aerosystems stec3100.genesys- 43 aerosystems.com/ Wilco Inc. wilcoaircraftparts.com 80 cessnaflyer/ Wing XStol wingxstol.com 12 glapinc.com 78 Great Lakes Aero Products Wipaire Inc. wipaire.com 07 Hartzell Propeller hartzellprop.com/topprop 49

84 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Directory

Mailing and contact Information for Cessna Flyer Association

CESSNA FLYER ASSOCIATION Cessna Flyer Association Parts Locating, Technical Support 1042 Mountain Ave. Ste. B #337 Upland, CA 91786 member event & Vendor Discounts 626-844-0125 EMAIL [email protected] EMAIL [email protected] REGISTER: thegatheringatwaupaca. simpletix.com/ We have contacts everywhere in the Benefits industry and we’ll assist in finding you Cessna Flyer and Piper Flyer that part or getting an answer to your Cessna Flyer magazine Association members fly in to question. That’s what we’re here for. beautiful Waupaca (KPCZ) for a EMAIL Saturday night cocktail reception, Many vendors offer discounts to [email protected] with full slate of informative seminars on members. Call or email Kent for more questions, comments, or concerns Sunday and Sunday evening banquet information or ask our vendors when about the content of the magazine. at the Waupaca Ale House, and then contacting them directly. Remember enjoy the air-conditioned motor to tell them you are a Cessna Flyer EMAIL [email protected] coach to EAA AirVenture on Monday, Association member. for damaged or missing issues. Tuesday, and Wednesday with an optional night bus on Wednesday to accommodate viewing the night Website – CessnaFlyer.org airshow. Fabulous raffle prizes at our Sunday drawing! EMAIL [email protected] for concerns regarding the website or with problems logging in.

CessnaFlyer.org contains an archive of our magazine articles, a listing of Service Bulletins, Airworthiness Directives, and safety alerts, a product directory called the Cessna Yellow Pages, plus an events calendar, knowledge base, our library of member photographs and videos— and our forums (see next item).

Online Forums CessnaFlyer.org/forum

Our online forum, located within the association website, is a great source for question-and-answer interaction and an excellent way to converse with other members, the CFA staff, and Cessna Flyer’s contributing editor, longtime A&P/IA, Steve Ells.

March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 85 Vintage Cessna Advertising and Marketing

1968 Cessna ad A no-frills advertisement for Cessna electronics.

Instrument Corporation 86 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020 Instrument Corporation March 2020 / Cessna Flyer • 87 88 • Cessna Flyer / March 2020