PUPES, PILOTS AND INSTRUCTORS lend me your ears. By far the most common reason for aeroplanes to ‘break down’ is because the pilots didn’t understand the fuel system.
There are at least twenty things that you have to know about your aircraft’s plumbing if you plan on a long and healthy future in aviation. I’ll tell you about them in a moment.
Now, let’s see how that compares with a car which has just three that are nice to know:
• Which side the filler is on
• How to open it while sitting in the car
• It’s still got some gas after it shows ‘E’
You don’t even need to know whether it’s petrol or diesel – the refuelling guy will tell you if you are interested.
And if you don’t get these things right in your car, the worst that can happen is that you have an unplanned stop while you phone the AA.
You really don’t have to understand cars, or your watch, because they just keep working despite your ignorance.
Okay cowboy – we are not talking about your boet’s E-type with triple SUs, and we won’t mention Land Rovers – we are thinking of normal little boxy cars that all look the same and don’t break down.
But aeroplanes are not that easy – and they DO give trouble, and phoning the AA won’t increase your life expectancy. So let’s look at those 20 things you need to understand in order to avoid a worrying silence ahead of the firewall.
1) Fuel Gauge
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2024 من SA Flyer Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2024 من SA Flyer Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
SACRIFICE
John continues his anecdotes about the sacrifices he has had to make in the course of his helicopter bush flying career.
KENYA - SAA PARTNERSHIP DELAY
KENYA AIRWAYS AND South African Airways announced the establishment of a highly anticipated Pan-African Airline Group three years ago.
TO PARIS FOR LUNCH
One morning I arrived back at Lanseria from a two day charter to a dreary Northern Cape iron mine. Entering the terminal, I removed my wings and epaulets, thrust them into my flight bag, and headed for the restaurant.
ASCA'S MPUMI MPOFU: READY FOR TAKE-OFF
Ms Mpumi Mpofu has occupied the hot seat as Chief Executive of ACSA, the Airports Company of South Africa for a tumultuous past four years.
HYDROGEN POWERED PLANE TESTED
WORLD’S LARGEST liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft, using a 1 MW fuel cell engine, has been tested.
CAMEROON - BLAMES BOEING
BOEING JUST CANNOT STAY out of trouble. It has become the whipping boy for endless absurd claims.
IRIS GOES TO SOMALIA
Having spent the last couple of years flying to a rota, I was thoroughly enjoying the freedom and randomness of flying charters at Sunbird Aviation.
TELEPORTATION
One of the best clients for whom I ever flew was BP, the British oil giant. I was with them in Algeria for about seven years, from the very start of their large gas projects, right in the heart of the Sahara Desert, near the small towns of In Amenas and In Salah.
FEBRUARY 2023
February has shown steady growth in the number of aircraft registered. Four fixed wing and one helicopter were added while the non-type certified (NTCA) register grew by seven.
RIGHT SEAT RULES NO. 16 FUEL SYSTEMS WHY SO COMPLICATED?
You know those aggranoying people who say, “Oh I wouldn't fly in one of those little things - you can't just pull over and fix it if something goes wrong\"? What makes this particularly irritating is that the bastards are right.
