Did some hard work in editing here, enjoy this lesson. Leave me a comment if you like it!
To select the active radio for communication, you can listen and transmit. Alternatively you can select both but only able to transmit on either Comms 1 or 2. The benefits is enable you to listen to 2 frequencies. e.g. ATIS + Tower; Radar Control + Tower.. etc.
Nav. Selector:
Will activate the selected navigational aids identification sound. Morse code will be transmitted and for you to listen and identify the tuned in station i.e. VOR (VHF Omni-Directional Radio) or ILS (Instrument Landing System). On your navigation chart each VOR, ILS will have its unique Morse code for identification.
Radio Panel:
For you to tune in to the station frequency. Left side for Comms and Right side for Nav.
Comms frequency range from 118.00 - 132.00 MHz. Tuning frequency by rotating the knobs, big knob for last digit adjustment i.e. 11X.00. Small knob for decimal adjustment i.e. 118.xx. Increment with .25 or .50 MHz spacing
Nav frequency range from 108.00 -117.95MHz. Tuning frequency by rotating the knobs, big knob for last digit adjustment i.e. 10X.00. Small knob for decimal adjustment i.e. 108.xx. Increment with .25 or .50 MHz spacing
When you turn the knob will only adjust the standby frequency and will not change the active frequency. Therefore you have to click the switch <- -=""> to swap between the active and standby frequency.
ADF (Automatic Direction Finder) Panel:
For you to tune in to the NDB (Non-Directional Beacon) Transmitter. Once in range, the ADF instrument - An arrow (Not shown here) will point to the NDB Transmitter.
NDB is phasing out since it is not a very informative navigational aid comparing to VOR/DME. NDB only provide relative direction.
DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) Panel:
For you to readout the DME distance. You don't really need to tune the DME frequency as normally it is paired with the VOR frequency. Meaning you just need to tune your NAV frequency to the VOR and the DME will work together. Please note that not all VOR have DME together, there might be some station with VOR only. Check your map symbols.
Transponder:
This is for you to dial-in the squawk code assigned by ATC (Air Traffic Control), the squawk code will appear on the ATC radar and they use the code to identify you. And when they request you to IDENT yourself, simply push the IDENT button. With this action your aircraft will blink on the ATC Radar.
Auto-pilot Panel:
Most of the GA (General Aviation) will not have this. But with this you can set it to your desire altitude, climb / descend rate, heading and etc. And with a push of a button, you can fly hands-free.
Navigation / Communication Panel
Nav/Com Selectors:To select the active radio for communication, you can listen and transmit. Alternatively you can select both but only able to transmit on either Comms 1 or 2. The benefits is enable you to listen to 2 frequencies. e.g. ATIS + Tower; Radar Control + Tower.. etc.
Nav. Selector:
Will activate the selected navigational aids identification sound. Morse code will be transmitted and for you to listen and identify the tuned in station i.e. VOR (VHF Omni-Directional Radio) or ILS (Instrument Landing System). On your navigation chart each VOR, ILS will have its unique Morse code for identification.
Radio Panel:
For you to tune in to the station frequency. Left side for Comms and Right side for Nav.
Comms frequency range from 118.00 - 132.00 MHz. Tuning frequency by rotating the knobs, big knob for last digit adjustment i.e. 11X.00. Small knob for decimal adjustment i.e. 118.xx. Increment with .25 or .50 MHz spacing
Nav frequency range from 108.00 -117.95MHz. Tuning frequency by rotating the knobs, big knob for last digit adjustment i.e. 10X.00. Small knob for decimal adjustment i.e. 108.xx. Increment with .25 or .50 MHz spacing
When you turn the knob will only adjust the standby frequency and will not change the active frequency. Therefore you have to click the switch <- -=""> to swap between the active and standby frequency.
ADF (Automatic Direction Finder) Panel:
For you to tune in to the NDB (Non-Directional Beacon) Transmitter. Once in range, the ADF instrument - An arrow (Not shown here) will point to the NDB Transmitter.
NDB is phasing out since it is not a very informative navigational aid comparing to VOR/DME. NDB only provide relative direction.
DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) Panel:
For you to readout the DME distance. You don't really need to tune the DME frequency as normally it is paired with the VOR frequency. Meaning you just need to tune your NAV frequency to the VOR and the DME will work together. Please note that not all VOR have DME together, there might be some station with VOR only. Check your map symbols.
Transponder:
This is for you to dial-in the squawk code assigned by ATC (Air Traffic Control), the squawk code will appear on the ATC radar and they use the code to identify you. And when they request you to IDENT yourself, simply push the IDENT button. With this action your aircraft will blink on the ATC Radar.
Auto-pilot Panel:
Most of the GA (General Aviation) will not have this. But with this you can set it to your desire altitude, climb / descend rate, heading and etc. And with a push of a button, you can fly hands-free.
BASIC SIX
Air Speed Indicator:
To show your current airspeed, the source is from the pitot tube located outside of the aircraft. (Read my Aircraft Components - Exterior Post)
There are different color bands to indicate different limits. There is a red line at the end of the dial, that's your maximum speed of your aircraft and you shall not exceed it in any case.
White Arc - Flaps operational range
Green Arc - Normal operational range
Yellow Arc - Caution range (Only can operate during smooth air)
Turn Coordinator:
This helps you on your turn, when you are flying a coordinated turn, you are flying a perfect arc there is no slip or skid. (Think about it on car drafting, under-steer or over-steer)
The ideal turn is bank your aircraft to touch the left/right 2nd white line and keep the ball in the center of the 2 bars. (My instructor taught me "Keep the bad guy in jail")
Attitude Indicator:
We call it artificial horizon, it shows you the real time attitude of the aircraft. The Bank and Pitch angles. It is utmost important when you fly IFR (Instrument Flight Rule) since you can reference yourself to the actual horizon.
Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI):
It is your primary compass and it integrates VOR direction. We will talk more during our aircraft navigation course.
Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI):
By using the input source Pitot-Static, it can display the current rate of ascend and descend in feet per minute. Normal landing vertical speed is within -300 ft/min to preserve the landing gears.
Altimeter:
The important instrument to tell you how high you are relative to mean sea level (QNH - Mean sea level air pressure) or to the airport elevation (QFE - airport air pressure). Your tower controller or ATIS will have this QNH/QFE value, once you have this value you can adjust your altimeter and it will show the correct altitude.
Swithces
Electrical:
Your aircraft needs electricity for both instruments, radios, lighting, and your iPad/iPhone. Therefore we have battery on-board. For large aircraft, batteries are only for emergency use, normally they will use engine power to power the generators.
Anti-Ice:
Switch it on to prevent icing formation on critical parts of the aircraft. e.g. Wings, pitot tubes, static ports, engine inlets and etc.
Magneto:
Is the spark plugs for your engines. (Does not exist in larger or jet engines) There are 2 circuits, so in case 1 failed you still have another. The circuits separated to Left and Right, during normal operations will be using both. When turn to start, it will crank the engine to start.
Lighting:
To switch on different exterior and interior lights.
Air-Con:
For non-pressurized aircraft, this is just like an air-con for car. For pressurized aircraft, you might have to adjust the setting to get the optimum cabin pressure. Will talk about it during cruising lesson in future.
Throttle quadrant:
Throttle:
To adjust the speed of the propeller.
Propeller pitch lever:
To adjust the pitch angle of the propeller so that you can achieve better fuel cruise performance.
Fuel Mixture lever:
To adjust the air to fuel mixture proportion, we call it leaning. As you climb higher, the air get thinner and you need to adjust fuel mixture to give you a longer range cruise. But if the fuel is significantly less than air, the engine will flame out or the engine will be running very hot (Fuel can cool the engine). So need some fine touch on that.
Flight Control:
Yoke / Yoke Stick:
Depends on the aircraft manufacturer, you can have either Side Stick / Yoke / Yoke Stick (Cessna 162) / Motorcycle Bar (Embraer). When you turn the yoke to left / right, it translates it to roll and bank by activating the ailerons. When you push or pull the yoke, it translate to nose down or nose up by activating the elevator.
Rudder Pedals:
You use your leg to control, one leg one pedal (different from car). When you extend your left leg and push the left rudder pedal, the right rudder pedal will travel in opposite direction. Therefore only on pedal can be pushed or pull at any one time.
The left pedal will yaw left and right pedal will yaw right. Simple! And to keep the bad guy in jail, kick the left pedal when the bad guy goes left. Right pedal when the bad guy goes right. Hahah...
Flaps:
To extend and retract the flaps.
Landing Gear Lever:
To extend or retract the landing gears. There are 3 green lights next to it to indicate the status of the landing gears. When it is down and locked, 3 greens will illuminate. Otherwise, the 3 greens are extinguished.
No comments:
Post a Comment