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Minnesota Wing Aircrew Training: Tasks P-2016, P-2017, P-2018

Aircraft Familiarization– Aircraft Controls– Aircraft Instruments

Weight and Balance

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Aircraft Structure and Controls

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Aircraft Familiarization

Why do I need to know this stuff anyway? Terminology Structure Control surfaces Instrumentation Limitations

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The Airplane CAP typically uses C172 and C182.

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Aircraft TerminologyRight

Aileron

RightFlap

RightWing

NoseGear

Propeller

MainGear

Left Wing

LandingLight

LeftAileron

Left Flap

Elevator

Trim Tabs

Rudder

VerticalStabilizer

Empennage

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Ailerons provide roll control

Right Aileron UP

Left Aileron DOWN

Right wing goes down

Left wing goes up

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Elevators provide pitch control

Center of Gravity Center of Gravity

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The rudder controls yaw

RUDDERPEDAL

RIGHTRUDDERPEDAL

LEFT

CENTER ofGRAVITY

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Trim tabs neutralize control pressures

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Aircraft Instruments

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Instrument Panel

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Flight Instruments

Magnetic Compass– Primarily a backup– Doesn’t require any

power– Installation problems– Bank angles and

speed changes can cause a compass to show the wrong heading

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Flight Instruments Heading Indicator

(Directional Gyro)– Gyro-driven heading

indicator– Quick response to turns– Stable indications– Electrical or vacuum-

driven– Will drift, requires

periodic re-alignment

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Flight Instruments

Altimeter– Usually set to

show pressure altitude above Mean Sea Level (MSL)

– Accurate altitude is dependent on the altimeter setting.

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Flight Instruments

Turn Coordinator– Really two

instruments– Miniature aircraft

shows turn rate only - does not show bank angle

– Inclinometer shows quality of turn - Coordinated, slip, skid

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Flight Instruments

Attitude Indicator– Provides a horizon

reference– Hash marks

indicate bank angle

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Airspeed– Knots or MPH– Colored markings– Shows aircraft

performance

Flight Instruments

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Flight Instruments

Vertical Speed– Climb or descent

rate– Has a lag due to

design– Use with altimeter

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Engine Instruments

Tachometer– Markings — green

arc– Indicates power

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Other Engine Instruments Gauges

– Fuel (accurate at empty)– Oil Temperature and

Pressure– Vacuum and Generator– Exhaust Gas

Temperature– Instruments vary from

aircraft to aircraft

Scanner Course #2Comm, VOR and DME radios Navigation/Communication Radio

– Primary and Standby Frequencies

Communications Navigation

CommComm 11

CommComm 22

Nav 1Nav 1

NavNav 22

DMEDME

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Comm Antennas

– Normally mounted on top– One for each radio

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Nav Antennas

– “Cat whisker” style– One for each nav

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Navigation InstrumentsVOR ADF

VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR-DME, VORTAC)– Indicates direction to/from ground transmitter relative to

magnetic North Automatic Direction Finder (NDB)

– Direction toward ground transmitter relative to airplane nose

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Other AntennasLoop(directional)ADF

MarkerBeacon

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UHF Antenna

Blade type (may be spike)Transponder & DME[If mounted up front, may interfere with DF]

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Global Positioning System

Satellite based navigation– Apollo GX55 – Can provide search pattern course guidance and lat

and long of target

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GPS Antenna

Line of sight, so mounted at the very top Comm antennas can interfere with the weak signals, so they

are tested for interference

GPS

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Direction Finding Receiver

Used for electronic ELT searches

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CAP FM Transceiver

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Audio Panel

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Transponder

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Static “wicks”

– Mitigate buildup of static electricity (interferes with comm)– Wings, elevators, vertical stabilizer– Take care when walking around

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Weight and Balance and Operations

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Weight and Balance

The wings generate a limited amount of lift Maximum weight for an aircraft is set by the manufacturer Pitch stability is affected by the location of the center of gravity The pilot computes weight and balance and controls it by loading the aircraft

correctly -If incorrectly loaded:

– the pilot may not be able to raise the nose during take off or – the aircraft may be unstable and difficult or impossible to control in the air

L i f t

W e i g h t

F o r c e f r o m h o r i z o n t a lt a i l s u r f a c e

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Weight and Balance Excessive weight adversely impacts performance:

– Longer take off and landing distance– Reduced climb performance– Reduced ability to withstand turbulence and wind shear

forces Out of Forward C.G. limits can cause:

– Reduced up-elevator authority (ability to raise the nose)– Can eliminate the ability to flare for landing

Out of Rear C.G. limits can cause:– Reduced down-elevator authority (ability to lower the nose)– Can make stall recovery difficult or impossible

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Mission Aircraft Operations A CAPF84 or CAPF104 must be completed Altimeter settings will be from a source

within 50 NM or the closest source available and updated hourly.

Airspeed will be no lower than 1.3 times aircraft stall at zero flaps and 30 degrees of bank.

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Mission Aircraft Operations Search altitudes are limited to no lower

than 500 feet above the surface (except for counter drug vessel identification).

Search aircraft on missions over water must plan to be over a suitable airfield with at least 90 minutes of fuel on board at normal cruise speed.