Page 12 - Volume 20 Number 9

Twin Proficiency:
Three Oshkosh
EAA AirVenture is the world’s largest gathering of pilots and the aviation industry. If you have never attended, make plans for next year ... and prepare to be awed by the sheer scope of the event. Not only will you be blown away by the numbers and varieties of aircraft and exhibitors, you’ll also have an unparalleled opportunity to meet pilots of all experience levels and discuss flying technique.
This year, three topics each came up multiple times in my discussions
Topics
and presentations, conducted at this year’s EAA AirVenture:
First, there’s frequent discussion of managing fuel by using every drop from a tank. Running a fuel tank dry, then immediately switching to a tank containing fuel, should result in the engine continuing to run. This is a time- tested technique for getting the absolute, greatest range from an airplane. But should we be pushing our fuel so close to the limit? Is causing the engine to momentarily
quit – to intentionally cause engine failure – a good idea?
If the engine would relight immediately 100% of the time, it might be. But the record shows that’s not always the case. Seemingly weekly, an off-airport landing appears to be fuel starvation, when a tank ran dry and, although fuel was available on the airplane, switching to the fueled tank wasn’t successful. A study I conducted of one airplane type shows running a tank dry is a common contributor to off-airport
by Thomas P. Turner
10 • TWIN & TURBINE
SEPTEMBER 2016