Merlinspop
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2016
- Messages
- 135
- Reaction score
- 40
Had an interesting flight with my instructor this afternoon. Sorry this is long, but I thought I’d share.
I needed to do some pattern work to finish up my first Flight Review in a dozen years. I should add that I’m brand new to the Arrow (the Archer is in annual, so I flew the Arrow the other day and today). So on our first trip around the pattern, the gear lights didn’t illuminate. The gear unsafe light was off. I ran my fingers across the breakers expecting that she pulled it, but no. I asked if she did anything to make the lights do that and she said, “nooooooo, I did not”. So I keyed the mike and told tower we had a gear indication problem and were heading to the practice area to troubleshoot.
On the way out there, I told her that since she knew the aircraft better than I did, that I’ll fly the plane and watch for traffic while she pulled out the poh and troubleshot. I recalled reading in the poh that the gear lights would be dim if the nav lights were on, so we tried that. Nope. Then she cycled the alternator. Nope. Then she pulled a light, and the other two came on. Hey, that’s something. I pulled the other two in turn and each time the remaining lights came on, but all went out when all three bulbs were inserted.
Feeling confident enough that the gear were in fact all down, we headed back to the airport, initially thinking that we’d do a flyby to confirm. Then she moved the panel dimmer switch and all three lights illuminated brightly. I wouldn’t have thought they were tied into the panel light dimmer. I guess it just wasn’t letting enough power through to light all three at once. We both learned something. And I checked off the boxes for emergency management and CRM. Did a few T&G which she found acceptable (one was, IMO).
She signed off my FR, but I have a few more things to hit before signing me off for the full checkout in the Arrow. Which is fine; while the worst of the rust is off, I have a lot more polishing to do before I think I’m ready for solo flight or with trusting passengers.
Anyway, it feels good that I’m flying again and that I handled that little curveball okay. And I know to check the dimmer.
I needed to do some pattern work to finish up my first Flight Review in a dozen years. I should add that I’m brand new to the Arrow (the Archer is in annual, so I flew the Arrow the other day and today). So on our first trip around the pattern, the gear lights didn’t illuminate. The gear unsafe light was off. I ran my fingers across the breakers expecting that she pulled it, but no. I asked if she did anything to make the lights do that and she said, “nooooooo, I did not”. So I keyed the mike and told tower we had a gear indication problem and were heading to the practice area to troubleshoot.
On the way out there, I told her that since she knew the aircraft better than I did, that I’ll fly the plane and watch for traffic while she pulled out the poh and troubleshot. I recalled reading in the poh that the gear lights would be dim if the nav lights were on, so we tried that. Nope. Then she cycled the alternator. Nope. Then she pulled a light, and the other two came on. Hey, that’s something. I pulled the other two in turn and each time the remaining lights came on, but all went out when all three bulbs were inserted.
Feeling confident enough that the gear were in fact all down, we headed back to the airport, initially thinking that we’d do a flyby to confirm. Then she moved the panel dimmer switch and all three lights illuminated brightly. I wouldn’t have thought they were tied into the panel light dimmer. I guess it just wasn’t letting enough power through to light all three at once. We both learned something. And I checked off the boxes for emergency management and CRM. Did a few T&G which she found acceptable (one was, IMO).
She signed off my FR, but I have a few more things to hit before signing me off for the full checkout in the Arrow. Which is fine; while the worst of the rust is off, I have a lot more polishing to do before I think I’m ready for solo flight or with trusting passengers.
Anyway, it feels good that I’m flying again and that I handled that little curveball okay. And I know to check the dimmer.
