Climbing Rate Turn
Initial phase
AI
Power phase
Airspeed-primary

Stabilized phase
VSI - primary for pitch
Airspeed - primary for power
RPM - support for power
Turn coordinator - primary for bank
AI supporting for bank and pitch

A climb is not as sensitive to pitch as to power and airspeed. Once speed and power are set, pitch is locked by use of trim. Leveling off is more difficult. 

Scan Instruction for Level
Scan begins and ends with AI. Lower nose to AI horizon while avoiding any roll input. Major trim adjustment. Check VSI. Check AI. Listen for acceleration to speed desired. Altitude check. Set power. Minor trim adjustments. AI check.

Scan Instruction for Cockpit Operations
Go from heading to attitude indicator to altimeter. Always include AI as a scan segment between every part of writing, changing frequencies or any cockpit operation.

Scan Instruction for Airspeed Adjustment
Airspeed set but VSI high or altitude low. Raise pitch and add power. Anytime airspeed is constant any change in pitch requires an opposite hand movement to change power. Practice the vertical S in which each cycle decreases by 100'

Detecting Instrument Failure
Instrument failure is not always accompanied with a warning flag. As a part of your pre-approach briefing you should cross-check all informational sources to assure proper operation of primary information sources. Failure to make a verbal approach briefing makes such a cross-check essentially impossible. |

Bank is compared with the AI (vacuum), TC (electric). Turn is compared by adding HI to the Compare the pitch information of the AI (vacuum) and the VSI (static). The AI and the VSI can fail independently as can the airspeed (ice) or power. However, the airspeed and altimeter (using alternate air) can check the AI and the VSI reliability. An HSI and TC can fail together since both are electric.

When in doubt let go of the controls and sort things out. Compass is used to check AI and TC for wings level or direction of turn. HI is unreliable for this check because it uses same vacuum as AI. HSI and TC are electric and can be checked against AI. You know that AI has a set angle for standard rate turns for every airspeed. Knowing this, it is possible to cross check the operation of the AI against the HI and turn coordinator for failure.

Having the airspeed indicator fail at night or in actual IFR conditions is perhaps the most confusing instrument failure that can occur. Such failures are not common but they do happen and nearly half of them result in accidents. Failure usually results from pitot system blockages with ice the usual culprit. The very improbability of airspeed failure makes it so that pilots trust airspeed before they trust gyros.

The pilot's first recourse with airspeed failure is immediate reference to the attitude indicator and the VSI. By knowing the power settings for level cruise, descent, approach speed you can get these speeds by setting the aircraft attitude. This would be a worthwhile partial panel exercise for proficiency training.

The Silent Emergency
Pneumatic (suction) system failures are emergencies. If you do not have a backup system declare an emergency and request a vector to the nearest VFR. All to many accidents occur after the pilot has flown up to an hour of cruise partial panel and loses it because of the higher skill demands of the approach.

Pneumatic systems can fail suddenly or slowly. A complete failure shows immediately on the gauge followed by a failure of gyros. You do include the suction gauge in your scan? An initial lack of recognition of pneumatic system failure gives a conflict between instrument indications and interpretation. A pilot must scan all instruments when there is a conflict of information. A decision must be made of what to ignore and to cover that instrument.

Aircraft can be flown safely with pneumatic system failure. If you know the weather behind a 180 may be the best maneuver. Disconnect the autopilot since its information may come from the pneumatic inputs.

The Other Instruments Scan
---VFR they should be specifically checked at every checkpoint of your flight route.
---IFR They should be checked more often.
---Other instruments are oil pressure, oil temperature, (fuel pressure), (cylinder head temperature), exhaust gas temperature and ammeter.
---Deciding if an instrument is faulty or the airplane is faulty is the pilot's decision.
---Temperatures are the first indicators of problems
---Air cooled engines are very dependent on the cooling properties of oil.
---Excessive heat is very damaging to an engine.
---Aircraft with fuel pumps are very dependent on the fuel pressure gauge reading
---Every make and model of gauge has its distinctive failure mode.
---Better scan of the ‘other' instruments is the hallmark of a superior pilot.

Scan During System Failure
The prelude to an accident is when everything seems to be going right. The cross-check scan to the second and third level instruments is more important when you have time because everything appears to be going right. Instruments are much like politicians and lawyers; they can be lying any time or all the time.

The triad of pitch instruments are,
one, the vertical speed indicator (VSI) powered by static air,
two, the attitude indicator whose gyro is vacuum driven and a poor choice for
three between airspeed and altimeter. Airspeed and altimeter are also parts of the pitot/static power system.
Airspeed and its changes can be determined independently by sound.
Summary:
A. Change of attitude: Lock AI for attitude, set power and trim.
B. Scan AI, TC, VSI for trend. If wrong redo A. If O.K. go to C.
C. Scan the numbers. If wrong redo A and B. If O.K. go to D.
D. Fine trim for rudder only flight and go to basic scan.

Failures on Approach
--If a major navigation instrument fails on approach, execute the missed approach procedure.
--Stop the descent, proceed on heading until the time runs out before turning.
--Don't get involved with trying to salvage an approach.

Primary and Supporting Instruments
The FAA system of instrument use and interpretation requires that the student acquire knowledge as to what instruments are primary and supporting. For each part of a maneuver there is a primary and support instruments.. The basic rule is that the instrument with the numbers is primary and others are supporting. ATC assigns numbers. Numbers are primary instruments. This method requires pilot to have knowledge of operation and interpretation of all instruments. There are three groupings of instruments related to every control function and aircraft performance. This material is NOT the FAA system you are required to explain on the PTS.

When a gyro dies a primary instrument dies. Support instruments then become primary. (See other material which indicates the FAA primary is really the third and final level of performance ...more) Use the attitude indicator to set attitude. Use power instruments to confirm power settings. The performance instruments show how well you have set the attitude and power.

Scan Priority
Heading Heading indicator and course as reflected by a navigation instrument
Altitude Level as assigned or mental note of altitude climbing or descending to
Looking Ahead
--Looking for a mental prompt to note next intersection, time, or action point.
--You are never looking for just an altitude you may be looking for more than one thing.
--You could be looking for an intersection, DME fix, time set for approach.
--On an ILS you are looking for an altitude endpoint.

Continue To Next Page