Anybody use their parking brake

Davepar · #1 05-25-2005, 09:10 AM

I've noticed some people install a parking brake and some don't. For those people that are flying with a parking brake, do you actually use it? For those without, did you ever wish you had one?

Thanks,
Dave

Mel · #2 05-25-2005, 09:32 AM

I did not install a parking brake because I don't like to leave pressure on the brake system parked for long periods. A very few times I have wished I had, but not very often. My wife is always with me and one of us can hold the brakes until the other one chocks the plane.
Mel...DAR

dan · #3 05-25-2005, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davepar

I've noticed some people install a parking brake and some don't. For those people that are flying with a parking brake, do you actually use it? For those without, did you ever wish you had one?

Thanks,
Dave

I use mine about once or twice a month. Glad I have it.

Last time I used it was up at Mojove. The wind was blowing so bad the plane was rolling the second I hopped out. Used the parking brake to stabilize the plane while I tied it down.

Also have used it on various sloped ramps while I get out and chock the wheels.

I considered not putting it in, but I'm glad I did. It's trivially light weight-wise, and the cost isn't bad (about $100 if I recall).

)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D
http://www.rvproject.com

gmcjetpilot · #4 05-25-2005, 06:59 PM

There are all kinds of things you can put in a RV. They all tend to add weight, complexity, build time and cost. These nice to have options sometimes can be a source of maintenance problems and extra failure points. Dan's been flying his RV about 500 hours and used it once. I can only remember once in 20 years of flying that I was worried about parking due to winds, where the parking brake helped. The idea is if you are going to leave your airplane it should be tied down, blocked or in a hanger. I will not be adding this option to my new RV.

Keep it light and simple and pick the options carefully. George

szicree · #5 05-25-2005, 07:03 PM

The Decath I rent had a student try to open the air vent in flight and set the parking brake by mistake. Upon touchdown the plane did a big ol' face plant! Seems like a dumb mistake but...I'll stick with wheel chocks.

Steve Zicree

N941WR · #6 05-25-2005, 07:21 PM

Back when I was flying my '41 T-Craft the parking spots where never level and tie down's weren't always available. It did have a factory parking brake which I used a LOT.

There were times when I couldn't get out of the plane fast enough to to keep it from rolling away on an uneven ramp when I didn't set the brake.

Yes, my -9 will have a parking brake.

(For those you who were wondering, T-Craft parking brakes were a thing of simplicity. There was a T-handle on the panel that pulled a single cable that ran down behind the heal brakes. It transitioned to a "Y" with each end connected to one of the heal brakes. I wonder if you could do something like that on an RV. No leaks, easier installation, etc.)

Jamie · #7 05-26-2005, 05:32 AM

I had the honor of riding down to Sun-n-Fun this year with a bunch of RV'ers. On the trip home we stopped at Griffin, GA (6A2) to refuel. The plane I was in had a parking brake, the others didn't. The ramp at the fuel pump was sloped toward the pump!

We set our parking brake (the other three airplanes didn't have one) and jumped out and we didn't have enough big wooden chocks for everyone and we were afraid the small improvised chocks made of angle aluminum would not hold the planes. Needless to say, it was a bit of a pain just trying to get everyone's airplane to the pump. I don't know what a pilot would do if he showed up there solo without a parking brake. It would not be fun.

I'm really not aware of the complexity involved in installing a parking brake, but if it's not that big of a deal I'm definately going to be putting one in.

Mel · #8 05-26-2005, 06:09 AM

The reason your T-Craft had no leaks was that it had mechanical brakes. Nothing to leak. RVs have hydraulic brakes. Slightly different scenario. (My first airplane was a '41 T-Craft.)
BTW my RV-6 has been flying 12 years without a parking brake.
Mel...DAR

N941WR · #9 05-26-2005, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mel

The reason your T-Craft had no leaks was that it had mechanical brakes. Nothing to leak. RVs have hydraulic brakes. Slightly different scenario. (My first airplane was a '41 T-Craft.)
BTW my RV-6 has been flying 12 years without a parking brake.
Mel...DAR

Very true, that old T-Craft had a brake by wire system.

In fact, it had a fly by wire system as well, unlike the RV's.

RV10Man · #10 05-26-2005, 02:40 PM

I fly a C-150 at the moment, while building an RV10.

I live on an airpark, my driveway is rather steep (by airplane standards). I never use the parking brake becauce it's too much of a pain to release it.

I usually park 90 deg. to the slope, get out & spin it on the mains then chock it. My brother has a
-9A, keeps it at my house/hanger.

He does his the same way. The parking brake on the RV's seem to be a lot of unnecessary build time for no more than you would actually use it. I don't think I'll be putting one on the
-10.

Marshall Alexander
RV10
wings