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That sounds like EMI from magnetos or spark plugs. Another test you can do is listen to static noise on a radio while you operate the engine below and above 2500 RPM. Can you hear a difference in the radio noise? Yet if so, one would think EMI would affect both compasses. Maybe it is mechanical...

It may be true that old vintage biplanes had an enhanced effect, I don't know since I haven't flown one. But in "modern" aircraft (I use that term loosely, since many common trainers are 40+ years old) you can most definitely feel whether the airplane is coordinated. If many pilots don't...

At first I wondered why a single quart was so expensive ($17.21) while a case was so cheap ($87.34). Then I realized you need to add +1 quart to get free shipping. And no tax to WA state. Then it turns out to be the same price as from Amazon or Spruce, yet for 13 quarts instead of 12. Buy 12...

Yep, it's all relative. For example to return to straight & level flight from a constant rate coordinated turn to the L, you will apply R aileron and R rudder. Relatively speaking, it's similar to entering a R turn from level flight. Dihedral is part of the airplane's inherent stability: it...

If we define lift as normal to the Earth, in a turn, the wings don't have equal lift because due to dihedral, the inside wing is more horizontal than the outside wing, thus more of its lifting force is normal to the Earth. You can think of this as the inside wing holds you up and the outside...

@Crashnburn said: "Thanks for expanding on why to step on the high wing. I always heard "step on the ball" but they are functionally the same, and you don't need to have your head in the cockpit." Besides keeping your eyes out the window, another benefit to "step on the high wing" over "step on...

Simply put, "Step on the high wing".

Good suggestions. Another: while flying VFR in an airspace / area that doesn't require radios, mode C xponder or ADS-B out (> 30 nm from class B, etc.), turn off the airplane electrical system both battery & master.Then see how the compass responds. This is assuming you have a conventional...

I realize this is a theoretical question about the regs. And what is legal ain't necessarily safe or prudent, and vice versa. However, I can't help but think about it from a common sense perspective. Any pilot seeking the endorsement should know enough to ask the instructor providing the...

Exactly what kind of compass? A standard whisky compass (filled with kerosene) should not be affected by altitude. But there are other kinds of compasses.

I installed mine 8 years and about 1000 hours ago and it's still going strong, no problems. It's been more reliable than some of the certified instruments in my panel. I wouldn't trust my life to it, but there's no need to. How has yours been finicky? When I first built mine it had poor...

#1 is wrong, #2 is closer to right. Ailerons work by changing the AoA of the wings, increasing one side and reducing the other. All else equal, more AoA means more lift and more induced drag, and vice versa. So you get slightly more drag on the wing moving up and slightly less drag on the one...

To their credit, uAvionix is always improving/updating the firmware. In my 172 the speed/AoA difference between slow and fast cruise is not enough to need separate trim settings. I have the pitch trim set so that the AI reads dead center at normal cruise speed (about 120 kts).

One reason I use "skyhawk" instead of "cessna" on the radio is because a Cessna can cruise anywhere from 80 to over 400 kts. If you're gonna say "cessna" you might as well say, "airplane".

Congrats! What kind of panel - VOR/DME with panel GPS, or full glass panel? How long (calendar & hours) did it take?

Agreed, but that means one has to be able to fly the airplane. I get the impression that her training focused on operating the airplane automation systems, rather than flying the airplane with basic stick & rudder skills. I feel the same way and catch the same drift in many of the responses here.

This incident reminds me of the Ethiopian Air crash of the 737-max. The MCAS system failed and the pilots did not recognize the symptoms, fought it for several minutes as the airplane flew through big altitude excursions. When they finally disabled it, manual trim didn't work because they left...

Blancolirio covers this well: No question she lost control of this airplane. The big question is how/why? If it was the autopilot, why not turn it off or pull the fuse/breaker? Seems she had plenty of time to do that.

Indeed. When I got my complex endorsement, it was the first airplane I flew that had an autopilot. The CFI said "Let me show the most important thing to know about this autopilot. Here's how to turn it off. And here's the circuit breaker you can pull."

BTW, the AV-30C does have a built-in internal magnetometer (early units didn't but mine does, and it's a year old). Problem is, it's built into the unit, which puts it in the panel, which has plenty of electromagnetic fields from radios & such. That's why external ones are installed out in the...