Thank you,
Larry
Greetings Larry,
It's not uncommon for the FBO to keep the maintenance records stored in some safe and secure place. You can probably imagine some of the horror stories told of lost maintenance records and the resulting effect on FBO commerce. It is uncommon, however, to find an FBO that refuses to let a pilot examine these logbooks.
According to the FAA and NTSB, the only way that you as pilot in command can be completely sure that the airplane has all the required inspections is to look at the aircraft's logbooks yourself. Yes, you can take someone's word for it, and we often do. But it's your empennage that's on the line. You will get very little sympathy from the FAA if you fly an airplane without a current annual inspection even though the owner or operator said the required maintenance was completed and logged. In fact, that same FAA is likely to invite you to a violations party, and you'll be the guest of honor (a pilot actually had his license suspended for 30 days in a similar scenario). Right or wrong, that's the way it is.
Given these facts, it's unlikely that any reasonable FBO would prohibit you from examining the aircraft logbooks before a flight (examine on the spot, not take home for study). That said, a little Dale Carnegie goes a long way in making this process more comfortable for everyone. The FBO will surely feel more comfortable showing the logbooks if you explain your concerns and are pleasant about the request. If you stomp your feet and demand to see the logbooks, you're more likely to hear someone say, "Tough taco, pal."
Finally, let's remember that no one forces us to fly an airplane if we are unable to see its maintenance logs. There are many wonderful FBOs out there that will gladly accommodate your polite request.
Theory Of Relativity
Dear Rod,
The concept of relative wind eludes me. I do believe this wind is called relative because it changes all the time, I just can't figure out what changes it. Or more important, how it changes. So Rod, could you please try and explain this to me?
Thanks,
Ranie
Greetings Ranie,
Think about the problem this way: There are two types of wind. One type blows as a result of a difference in pressure. The other type blows on an object as a result of that object's motion. Try this experiment.
Blow gently on your hand. The wind you feel results from a difference in pressure between the air in your mouth and the air outside of it. It's the same type of wind that blows leaves and papers into your yard.
OK, stop blowing. Now wave your hand from right to left. (But don't do Queen Elizabeth's wave. Looks good, but messes up the experiment.) The wind you feel blowing on your hand results from the motion of your hand relative to the air mass through which it's moving. No hand movement, no "wind." Move your hand up or down, right or left, and the wind that blows on it comes from a direction directly opposite your hand's movement. Move your hand slow or fast and the wind on it blows slow or fast. Wind that results from an object's motion is called relative wind. As far as the moving object is concerned, the relative wind blows directly opposite the direction the object moves, with a force equal to the speed at which the object moves. An airplane in motion also generates its own relative wind. This wind will, likewise, blow equal and directly opposite the airplane's motion. I hope this helps.
Small Airplane, Big Student
Rod,I am a private pilot with a good friend who is interested in flying. I took him for a flight the other day in a Cessna 172. He is six-feet, five-inches tall and weighs 330 pounds. With the seat all the way to the rear I could not get the lap belt around him, but the shoulder harness would connect. He now is interested in taking lessons. What do you do when someone is too large for the seatbelts?
Ron
Greetings Ron,
Since your friend wants to fly airplanes and not hot air balloons (they don't need seatbelts because they don't have seats), he'll need a seatbelt extension. These are the same devices that flight attendants use to demonstrate the buckle in case there are passengers aboard who haven't been in a car since the early 1960s.
Unfortunately, you can't roll your own. Any creative musings you've had about rope, bungie cord, or motorcycle chain should cease immediately. Seatbelt extensions must be FAA-approved, and we both know what that means, right? Be prepared to pay anywhere from $19.95 to more than $150 (this is what one person told me she paid) for an extension. Contact Cessna to see where you can purchase an extension.
On the other hand, a seatbelt extender isn't the only thing you should consider when flying with someone weighing 330 pounds. I ran a few weight and balance calculations on a typical C-172 and discovered that if you weigh more than 170 pounds, the airplane will exceed the forward center of gravity (CG) limit. On my CG chart you're right at the forward CG limit if you weigh 170 pounds.
I recall an instance years ago where an instructor had an equally large student in a C-172. He had to put someone in the back seat to keep the CG within limits. To solve the problem, you might place ballast in the baggage compartment or a considerate student in the rear seat (a considerate student is ballast that doesn't ask questions at the wrong time). You'll want to do another weight and balance with ballast added as well as ensuring that you remain within the CG limits as you burn fuel.
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