Near the throttle
alpinelakespilot2000 said:
There are a couple short, but pretty good threads about switch grouping already. I have a related question that is a little more specific. I'm currently in the final planning stages of my panel and think back to the very logical straight row of switches on the C182G I flew for a couple hundred hours. When I first transitioned to it, my instructor pointed out the natural flow I could follow. On start up or shut down, for example, I simply had to go from left to right or right to left, respectively. I like such logical simplicity.
Fuel Pump is a switch you use every takeoff, every landing, day or night, rain or shine. Put it in a convenient place that is near the throttles/mixture/prop.
Assume you have you left hand on stick and the right hand will manipulate the flap swithch and fuel boost pump, so put it to the center right of you seat. Make it stand alone slightly so you can flip is with out inadvertently hitting other switches, in other words not in the middle of 8 switches.
I group my switches as follows:
One time per flight important switches (ign L&R, master, avionics) far left in panel.
Light switches, landing L&R, wigwag, strobes, nav, panel, dimmer, grouped together front of pilot lower sub panel.
Flap & Fuel: center panel near throttle/mixture/prop to the center right of pilot low in the panel.
I would not put it on the stick for many reasons. I know some guys go crazy with Fighter grips with 10 switches, but it will make you life easier if you just put the PTT in the stick. There are 100's of variations and there is no right or wrong, like on RV-4's and RV-8's with a left hand throttle quadrant you can put flap/fuel/ptt in the throttle grip. The problem with the stick is it's right there and you can accidentally hit it. Also the wiring is more and you will need a relay, which is more stuff to break. Trust me there is little savings in going through significant effort in wiring the stick with the fuel pump switch.
WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER TO TURN THE FUEL PUMP OFF?
You WILL forget to turn the fuel pump on at some point or turn it off some times after takeoff, especially if you are use to the no fuel pump Cessna's. All I can say is use a check list, I use:
CIGAR- before take off
C -controls (free and correct)
I- instruments
G- gas level/pressure/
pump on
A-attitude (trim)
R-runup (check everything)
C-GUMPS- before landing
C- carb heat (on check and leave on or turn off as required)*
G- Gas: fullest tank/
pump on
U- Undercarriage (does not apply but I do and think about it)
M- Mixture rich
P- Prop to low pitch high RPM
S- safety: carb heat, seat belts
*Carb heat- Unlike Cessna, Pipers and RV's don't use carb heat as a normal procedure for landing. Why? Well you would have to ask Cessna / Piper. Lycoming does not set the procedure, the airframe manufacture does. RV's being experimental amateur build are what ever you want. However with a Lycomings in general and especially in tight hot cowl, carb ice is not quite as critical on RV's as say a Continental's in a Cessna 182. However if conditions are ripe for induction ice and you notice MAP drop, in the case of Fixed pitch RPM drop, don't hesitate to use carb heat and leave it on. However the normal procedure is turn it on for a short period, leave it on and notice if there is a change (RPM drop followed by a rise as if ice was melted). If no sign of carb ice turn it off and land with it off.