Attention Dudley H. Real world flying question.

[CAPFlyer]

Thanks for that. The C1 I was flying was a 2002 model and like I said, only was marked as a Katana. Have flown a couple of A1s as well. The 14:1 glide ratio is nice, but makes it hell to get down to flap speed when you're flying in the thin air of Colorado. Even with the C1 it can be tricky.

[N990WY]

I could be wrong, but it could also be a problem with the wheel tread. As a tail-wheel pilot, I could relate to this. Over time the tread gets worn down and if you touch down slightly off center, it will shimmy; hate when that happens, ruins your landing.

Happy flying!
-Ted

[thunderstreak]

I think the manufacturer put the tailwheel on the wrong end of the Katana

[pjc747]

I think the manufacturer put the tailwheel on the wrong end of the Katana

Is the Katana tail-heavy, or is the nosewheel not connected to the rudder?

[CAPFlyer]

The Katana I flew was pretty nose heavy TBH, but the source of the issue is that the nosewheel is free castoring - i.e. not linked to anything. All steering is accomplished by differential braking with a little rudder finesse if you're lucky.

[Icarus1976]

Hey guys,

I've got a really stupid beginners question. I couldn't find anything on this matter in the search so it must be obvious to everybody, ...except me.
What exactly is a squawk code and what does QNH mean? What do I need them for in FSX anyway? I suppose I should know such things sooner or later if I'm going to fly online someday. Hopefully.
Still got a lot to learn however. (My landings are getting better and better at least. I'm doing about 5 touch and goes a day. As far as my job allows me to, that is. )


Icarus

[Killratio]

Hey guys,

I've got a really stupid beginners question. I couldn't find anything on this matter in the search so it must be obvious to everybody, ...except me.
What exactly is a squawk code and what does QNH mean? What do I need them for in FSX anyway? I suppose I should know such things sooner or later if I'm going to fly online someday. Hopefully.
Still got a lot to learn however. (My landings are getting better and better at least. I'm doing about 5 touch and goes a day. As far as my job allows me to, that is. )


Icarus

Squawk Code is the setting for the Transponder to identify you on the ATC screens. So a controller will tell you "squawk 7345" and you dial that into your transponder...then you can be positively identified on the ATC radar amongst all the other blips. If flying VFR you may still need to squawk a certain "standard" number in some areas which will identify you as "one of" the VFR flights on their screens. There are also standard emergency codes that can be used to indicate a problem.

QNH is the barometric setting which will make your Alt read the mean height above sea level in an area. So inbound you will check the "Area QNH" for the airport you are heading to and set the altimeter to that ...neatly avoiding smacking into a runway whilst your altimeter still reads 500 AGL because the pressure has changed from when you last set the instrument. The altimeter is, of course, a pressure instrument and so the reading will vary as barometric pressure varies. In most of the world QNH is stated in hPa but in the US they use inches of mercury, repective alt settings being 1013 and 29.92.

Another way to set it on the ground is to dial the pressure until the alt reads the known airfield height.


Darryl

[Killratio]

Which, as an aside, reminds me of the old (and almost certainly apocryphal) tale of the exchange between an American aviator and ATC at Perth International:

YPPH "American XXXX descend and maintain 5,000ft, QNH 1018"

Buck Rogers "Say, Perth, could I have that in inches please?"

YPPH "Most certainly sir. American XXXX, descend and maintain 60,000 inches, QNH 1018!"

[Phantom of the Ruhr]

That joke's been around since Pontius was a pilot

It also leaves you the unenviable task of having to explain it don't forget to use Hector Pascals

[Killratio]

That joke's been around since Pontius was a pilot

It also leaves you the unenviable task of having to explain it don't forget to use Hector Pascals

Hector who??

[Icarus1976]

QNH is the barometric setting which will make your Alt read the mean height above sea level in an area. So inbound you will check the "Area QNH" for the airport you are heading to and set the altimeter to that ...neatly avoiding smacking into a runway whilst your altimeter still reads 500 AGL because the pressure has changed from when you last set the instrument. The altimeter is, of course, a pressure instrument and so the reading will vary as barometric pressure varies. In most of the world QNH is stated in hPa but in the US they use inches of mercury, repective alt settings being 1013 and 29.92.

Another way to set it on the ground is to dial the pressure until the alt reads the known airfield height.


Darryl

Thanks for the insight Darryl,

wouldn't it make more sense if on the ground I set the altimeter to exactly zero? What if I am 10,000ft AGL and the airport is, lets say 1822ft ASL? Do I simply add or subtract the height of the airport? How does this work?

There must be some literature about such things somewhere available for download. Does anyone know a link by any chance?

Thanks again for your help,

Icarus

[Killratio]

OK, I think I see where you are coming from...it is hard to think from a "non pilot" perspective after so many years.

Correct me if I'm wrong..but from what you write I think you are looking for the altimeter to be showing you AGL? That is not how it works in flying. The altimeter is set to show 0 at sea level at the current barometric pressure. Therefore it will not tell you how far AGL you are..you have to know what height the ground (or airport) is above sea level.

So to use your example:

Current height of aircraft 10,000ft above sea level.

Airport is at 1,822ft ASL.

If you are now directly over the airport AND the altimeter is set correctly, it will read 10,000ft..NOT 8,178ft. The pilot must know that ground level in the area is 1,822ft and therefore know that he is 8178ft above that. In, say, mountainous terrain this becomes vital and you MUST know your MSA (minimum safe altitude). If you are in cloud, in a valley that is 5,000ft ASL and the mountains rise another 2,000ft either side, you MUST know that, the altimeter will not tell you and obviously if you try to turn out towards a mountain it will not end well!

So set correctly, an altimeter will show 10,000ft when you are 10,000ft above the ocean, 10,000ft when you are at 2,000ft above a central plain that is 8,000ft ASL and will show 10,000ft as you fly straight into a mountain that is 15,000ft ASL.

The only reason the altimeter has an adjustable sub scale is to allow you to adjust for pressure variations away from 1 standard atmosphere at sea level. Unless you do that, you may be flying at 9,500ft ASL in EACH of the above examples but the alt will show 10,000ft OR you may be flying at 11,000ft in each of them..depending on that day's barometric pressure.

I have a real altimeter in my F-16 sim, my house is 50ft ASL. That altimeter on any given day will read from 100ft BELOW sea level to 300-400ft above during the year. I can correct it in one of two ways...set the pressure back to the QNH on the forecast (which will make the altimeter read 50ft OR I can set it to 50ft and THAT will show me (on the subscale) what the current baro pressure is.

Yesterday I set it at 50ft and the pressure was 29.87. I've just looked at it now..........it read -30ft. Adjusting back to 50ft I can tell you that the current pressure is somewhere around 30.02 (it is an old altimeter and has a bit of slck in the adjustment!)

Darryl


Today

[Icarus1976]

Wow! You sure know your stuff.

I still have a lot to learn about aviation, but as long as I'm having fun it's all good.
So how do I set altimeter for a certain QNH? In the Spitfire for example (it's the plane I'm using the most).

Sorry for asking so many questions, but I have no other way to learn these things.


Many thanks again,

Icarus

[CAPFlyer]

Correct me if I'm wrong..but from what you write I think you are looking for the altimeter to be showing you AGL? That is not how it works in flying.

Only problem is that's how it works in Russia and most of the former Soviet countries. They use QFE, which sets the altimeter to 0 at the airport. Many European airports report QFE as well as QNH in their METAR reports for whatever reason although I've never heard of QFE being used outside of the former Eastern Bloc.

I've heard stories from PanAm pilots who flew into the Eastern Bloc back during the Cold War and the adjustment that using QFE required and the interesting approaches that were common use back then. They said it was amazing more planes didn't skip off mountains and canyon walls because there were more than a few approaches that left less than 200 feet to each side of the airplane as they descended down a valley or canyon to reach an airport. At night or in bad weather, it spooked the pilots.

[Killratio]

Thanks Chris,

I was vaguely aware of that but hope I never have to fly it!! It doesn't make sense to me to put a "base" figure at a value which varies (different airports) far more logical to use a "base" that doesn't (SL) and adjust for terrain in your planning....but perhaps that is just me..I love "constants".

Darryl


Ok, on the Spitfire Altimeter there is a small knob which adjusts the subscale...that will move the main needle as it does.

No need to apologise for asking questions to which the answers are not readily available, or at least not easy to understand for a layman...I ask plenty, I assure you!

Just for interests sake, this morning my F-16 altimeter read 100ft (without touching it since last night) current Baro therefore (reset to 50ft and read off) is about 29.95. You can see how much the pressure varies, even in a fairly stable summer pattern that we have here now.

Darryl