My first lost comm experience...

I went out today to rent a 152 and get some flight time. First time up in two months. I planned to get up from the local field, fly to Grand Rapids for some pattern practice, then go to Muskegeon for more practice and then back home. There are very few rental aircraft to choose from here in western Michigan.

So I get to the FBO. Plane is not fueled. Is a quart and a half low on oil. The interior is a 1/10. But I am desperate to fly so I try to make the best of it after getting them to fuel and oil it.

I go to take off and on the take off roll there is a strong nosewheel shimmy. I fly on through it and start the list of things for them to repair when I get back. I get about 20 miles south of GRR and call in to approach. That goes ok but after getting radar contact the radio got garbled and intermittent. I seemed to hear GRR approach saying something like they are getting intermittent transponder contact. I try to respond and get nothing. Time for that 7600 transponder code (which I forgot and had to look it up on the kneeboard).

I notice the ammeter is showing a 60 amp charge. OK, time to whip out my handheld that I keep in my flight bag. It took five minutes of fumbling around to get it plugged into my headset and turned on and on the right frequency. I finally got on the GRR approach frequency but apparently they can't hear me from 20 miles out and 3000 feet up. So much for the handheld. Which is odd since I once took up a 2 meter (VHF) amateur radio handheld over the west suburbs of Chicago and was able to talk directly with other ham radio operators in their cars in Milwaukee. Apparently aircraft VHF radios have a suprisingly short range.

I tried cycling the master switch and the radio came back - sort of. I got through to approach and told them I was turning around to go home. I went back home and *tried* to self announce on the CTAF but didn't really know if anyone was hearing me. I landed and kept the nose up as much as possible to avoid that shimmy.

Last time for that FBO! This was the third time in a row that I found the airplanes in poor condition. And, I have reported problems in the past that never even got looked at. And, the CFI I went up with when I started with them? Well, he was flying one of the other rental planes three months back and had the engine seize up on take off - failed oil line - and he landed the Piper on the expressway.

Anyhow, I went home after checking the airplane back in and telling them about the problems. Did they take the airplane off the flight schedule? No. As of a few minutes ago, it is still available for rent (!) Oh, and yes, I had to pay $67 for the fun of not doing the flying I wanted to do.

I remember flying in San Jose where the flying clubs kept their airplanes in such good condition - if you reported a sqauwk the mechanics took it seriously, pulled the airplane off the flight line and got the airplane fixed. I miss California flying!

Moral of the story? If carrying a handheld as a backup radio, keep in mind just how much time and trouble it takes to switch over to it in flight - even if you have the frequencies preprogrammed. Remember to review how to use it too - I was fumbling around for a minute or two wondering why I couldn't key the transmit with the PTT switch on the side of the radio - needed to use the switch on my headset instead.

Hope your flying is better

John Babrick

John,
What airport do you fly out of? I was on flight following back to Riverview (08C) from Jackson this morning. GRR approach was having a hard time hearing someone and also couldn't see the mode C. Just wondering if that was you?

Gary
N715AB

Yep, that was me.

GaryK said:

John,
What airport do you fly out of? I was on flight following back to Riverview (08C) from Jackson this morning. GRR approach was having a hard time hearing someone and also couldn't see the mode C. Just wondering if that was you?

Gary
N715AB

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Yep, that would have been me. I was flying out of Allegan.

Is B&B still at Riverview?

--JCB

It's that kind of experience with rentals that gave me the building bug. I know exactly what my car, motorcycle and bicycle are supposed to sound/feel like, and notice right away if anything is out of the ordinary. With rentals you never know what you're getting and some FBO's play pretty fast and loose with maintenance.

Right after I got my ticket I took a friend for lunch about 1/2 hour away. When we were running up prior to the return flight, things just felt a bit rough. I couldn't say for sure if something was wrong because this particular airplane was new to me, but it just felt rougher than it should. I stood on the brakes and gave it full power to see what kind of RPM's I could get, and it wasn't much (I don't remember the number, but it seemed low). I called the FBO that owned this crate and asked what sort of static RPM I should get. They didn't really answer, but instead asked what I was getting. I told them and they said that was OK. I got off the phone and checked the POH (I think) and it directly contradicted what they told me. Long story short, I parked the plane and made em come and get us. I found out a few days later that one of the cylinders was toast (burned valve, as I recall) and the repairs had to be made there before the plane could be flown. As a brand new pilot, I was very close to simply taking their advice, and probably would have had I been alone. Looking back, I realize that I could have easily killed my best friend that day by taking the advice of someone on the ground who's primary concern was the bucks they would lose by having an aircraft stranded off-site. When I compare the types of lousy planes I've rented to the jewels that are being built and flown by the RV community, I find the use of the term "experimental" to be pretty ironic.

OldAndBold said:

Moral of the story? If carrying a handheld as a backup radio, keep in mind just how much time and trouble it takes to switch over to it in flight - even if you have the frequencies preprogrammed. Remember to review how to use it too - I was fumbling around for a minute or two wondering why I couldn't key the transmit with the PTT switch on the side of the radio - needed to use the switch on my headset instead.

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And the reason why I installed a second Comm antennna with a cable to connect to the hand-held.

But you're right. It's been so long since I've used the hand-held, that I had better get some practice!

szicree said:

It's that kind of experience with rentals that gave me the building bug.

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Oh, so true. I have some of the same stories, and feel the same way.

My first was in a rental 172 out of San Angelo (SJT), a real beater of an airplane that had a bad habit of munching alternators every few hundred hours due to cooling issues. I had my mom aboard, just a quick sightseeing trip over to my sisters place in Eldorado about 50 air miles away. Orbiting over the house waving at the kids, I happened to be looking at the ammeter when it flicked over to discharge. I leveled out, cycled the alternator and master, no luck. Ok, time to go home now, we're only about 25 minutes from landing and the battery should easily last that long, right?
As I'm climbing up away from the house and towards SJT, talking to approach and advising them of my situation, the battery croaks. 3, maybe 4 minutes - that's it. No radio, no lights, no transponder, nothing. This was shortly after I got my PPL, so I didn't have any battery-backup devices. I was flying in my "backyard" so nav was no issue, weather was beautiful, I flew a NORDO approach into SJT via tower lightgun to a no-flaps landing, no problem.

The next day I got to thinking more about it and realized that I was rather lucky to have that incident occur to me in good weather, familiar territory, and daylight, and that I might not be so lucky next time. I got on the computer and ordered a Garmin 196 and an ICOM transceiver. They now live in my flight bag along with a 2x supply of in-the-package Duracells, and I use both frequently just to make sure I still can. I love that GPS for cross-country, when it croaks I'm buying the next new model. You're right about the handheld transceiver, though - I find anything beyond 5 miles is pretty sketchy. It will work to get you into an approach, but I certainly would not continue a X-country with one.

I had rented a Diamond DA20 out of 52F about a year and a half ago headed for Plainview TX over on the western boarder of the state. I made it about half way there and the radio stack went dead. I tried cycling the power and it didn't help. Not knowing if this was the first of more problems to come I did a 180 and flew back to 52F. When I informed the FBO of the problem they immediately pulled it from the schedule and went on to tell me I didn't owe them anything due to the troubles. I put about 3-1/2 hours on the plane and didn't feel this was right. I know how hard it is to make a go of it at an FBO so I offered to pay half of the charge for the 3-1/2 hours. I think we both left pleased and I gained a lot of respect for the gentlemen running the place. Unfortunately they went under anyway and have since reopened under new ownership. It is a shame more places don't operate on the up and up like that. It certainly makes flying more enjoyable even when things do happen. (And things are going to happen....when I was ready to solo the starter locked up on a new 172 with only about 300 hours on her. The next day we decided to double up and I flew to DTO with a friend of mine who was also taking lessons and our instructor....he flew first and on his third landing he blew a main tire.) I had more than one tell me that these could be signs and maybe it wasn't in my cards to fly. I was undeterred and soloed the next day.

I carry a backup handheld as well.

Radio & other problems

I only have had one radio fail. Probably 20 years ago Indianapolis hosted the Pan-Am games. I was ferrying a C-175 back from an avionics upgrade for a friend. The avionics upgrade SHOULD have been a warning. There were TFR's all over the city and I was being vectored around when the radio started breaking up. The last thing I heard was "continue VFR." I thought I knew a route where there were no TFR's. Thankfully I was right, but I had to head in the wrong direction and circle the city. No fun, but it worked out.

As to maintenance, a rented 172 had a dead mag at an AP about 30 miles from "home." The FBO there was the same company I had rented from, so I asked for another plane. After I had to firmly refuse to fly the original back, they gave me another plane. Later that day their ferry pilot made an emergency landing taking it back. I later learned several people had reported that plane not answering the mag check when the engine was hot. I quit renting there, even though their planes were nearly new and looked well maintained. You can't always tell by looking...

Bob Kelly

Three strikes.....

Three strikes for me -

1 - As a student pilot with my instructor in a Cessna 150. When we realized the radios were dead, my instructor said to continue inbound and enter the pattern maintaining pattern altitude. On our third circuit, we got a green light from the tower while we were on short final at 1000' agl. My instructor said, "I've got it." and the next thing I know we were in a tight, decending left 360. When we touched down, the radios started working again, just in time to hear the tower chewing us out for the 360.

2 - Still a student pilot in a Cessna 150. On my third solo, the tower says taxi into position and hold. I do and then wait, and wait, and wait. Finally, I call and get nothing back. My view of the tower is blocked by the wing. I move forward and turn a bit, and see a green light from the tower. They figured out I had a radio failure before I did. I took off, did one lap around the pattern and landed.

3 - During a biennial flight review, the transmitter failed, but we could receive. Squawked 7600 and the tower called us and had us reply to their questions using the transponder IDENT button, e.g. "If you intend on landing here, press IDENT." They worked us into the pattern using the IDENT button and asking us yes or no questions.

I bought a handheld after the third strike....

Flying clubs

OldAndBold said:

...

I remember flying in San Jose where the flying clubs kept their airplanes in such good condition - if you reported a sqauwk the mechanics took it seriously, pulled the airplane off the flight line and got the airplane fixed. I miss California flying!

...

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One man's misery is another's business opportunity!

If you don't have a good flying club in the area, why don't you start one? I'm a member of an outstanding flying club. We have five excellent aircraft, including a Bucker Jungmann.



The costs are very reasonable for this area, about $165/hour wet.

We tend to ground aircraft for serious issues like frayed stitching in the carpet.

OldAndBold said:

I went out today to rent a 152 and get some flight time.
...
Hope your flying is better.

John Babrick

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If I had to do it again, I would have bought a "cheap" plane while I was building. Cub, T-Craft, C140, etc. And sold it once the RV was flying. Come to thing of it, that's what I'm doing now, sort of.

Lost Comm

My worst experience with lost comm radios happened about 10 years ago. I was working on an Instrument rating and had been using a Warrior from the local FBO. My dad offered the use of his older 172 (a 1969 model) which had two nav/coms, ILS, ADF, DME and seemed quite capable. The rental "fee" of "just fuel and oil" seemed quite attractive compared to the Warrior. I had flown the airplane several times during the previous 5 or so years he had owned it so I felt it was maintained adequately.

During the first few lessons in the 172, we experienced occasional electrical problems like a stuck mike but with a little wiggling and button pushing the problems always went away. One afternoon, my instructor and I decided we should file and fly an IFR instructional flight from our home base (DCU) to Birmingham (BHM) about 70 nm away. We were in the clouds when all of a sudden we realized we could hear the approach controller but he couldn't hear us. We did some wiggling of wires and somehow got enough communication established to request an ASR (Airport Surveillance Radar) approach into BHM. Fortunately, the ceiling was not too low (about 1000 feet) and we landed just fine. However, we parked the plane and caught a ride home with another pilot.

When we got the airplane home in VFR weather and with a lot of mechanic work, we found that the rubber mounts for the radio stack had compressed over time and allowed the whole stack to sag and slightly move. This allowed some of the insulation to wear through at some of the corners...and VOILA! Intermittent comm transmissions!

I ordered an ICOM handheld the next day.

I also learned a lot from my instructor that day. I remember being nervous and my knees knocking when we got out of the plane. I asked him what we would have done in the clouds if we had lost all elelctrical power. He said one of his options would have been to fly to the west where he knew there was VMC. He had at least two backup options that I was not aware of. It was quite a learning experience.

Don