Headset review
Staying aloft… Clive Davidson looks at how to manage a flight with only partial power…
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nce established in the cruise, straight and level and en route, the task of piloting is probably at its simplest. It is also possibly the most enjoyable as the scenery slips by on track, features coming up on time, radio chatter routinely straightforward, and the ‘housekeeping’ checks presenting a picture of total normality. But... what if this blissful situation is shattered by the engine suddenly starting to run rough! The old heart misses a beat or two for sure, but hopefully you quickly regain your composure, and keep flying the aeroplane. Is it slowing dramatically? If it is, then set it up in as gentle a descent as you can while you run through the checks – carb heat, mags, mixture, select an alternative fuel tank, all may provide
34 | LIGHT AVIATION | April 2021
Above All’s well with the world, it’s a great day, you’re in the cruise, running sweet and watching the world sail by... what could possibly go wrong!
an answer as to the cause – and with luck a remedy. The secondary checks of oil pressure and temperature, CHTs and EGTs, provided you have them available in the first place, really only add a suggestion of the cause, and little chance of setting things back on the road to the utter relief of normality. These actions take but moments to complete and, if they achieve no sign of improvement, then decision making very quickly raises its head – the engine is running rough and you must decide what your next move is going to be. So: 1. Do you have an engine problem that you can solve? If yes, then having sorted it, either continue as planned or, if not wholly satisfied that the problem has definitely been completely resolved or you are feeling a bit jittery, divert to settle yourself down back on terra
