Bob Weber
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2019
- Messages
- 193
- Display Name
Display name:
Autopilot Whisperer
I'm working thru an issue with a client that reminded me of a similar situation and felt compelled to share the determination, and solution, as I was told.
An old but younger colleague approached me a while back with a Citation (I think Bravo).
Mooney Mike had an aircraft that had less than ten hours since new and would, as we later determined, begin to skid, pulling to the right, when climbing thru 30,000'.
By the time we would reach 31,000' there was a noticeable offset in heading track in the autopilot, this was what I was tasked to remedy.
He filed for KGRR direct to the "Soo", ANJ, and back. I was hoping for a good look at a big bridge.
At the time Mike was representing a bevy of these birds residing in a much larger flock.
Watching it while crouched just behind the pilots, a rather familiar position, I observed the HDG offset develop.
After a couple of more repeats I thought I felt a yaw component, and could see a very slight deflection in the inclinometers.
Once we saw this, I went to the rear most seat and repeated the test multiple times. I could easily feel the yaw component being that far back of the pivot point.
At this point we continued the test and I settled upon what I believed to be the RH flap deploying an eight of an inch or so as we climbed past 30,800', dragging the right wing, and dropping the left wing to hold the HDG, a couple degrees off now.
We became comfortable with this determination about the time we got the turn to return to KGRR, once back on a south heading I was looking for the bridge and could not spot it, I asked Mike, he said "do you really want to ask for a 360° turn after all of that?
Once we returned to GRR I found myself on speakerphone with Cessna. After repeating my observations a couple of times to a nerve wrackingly silent and unknown group of engineers, they said "Mike, we need to see the aircraft".
Weeks later Mike came to see me and remarked "You Nailed It, and they were wondering who you are".
There is now a little ridge along the trailing edge of the flap on those aircraft (I like to call it Bob), I merely suggested they check for an air bubble in the hydraulics.
An old but younger colleague approached me a while back with a Citation (I think Bravo).
Mooney Mike had an aircraft that had less than ten hours since new and would, as we later determined, begin to skid, pulling to the right, when climbing thru 30,000'.
By the time we would reach 31,000' there was a noticeable offset in heading track in the autopilot, this was what I was tasked to remedy.
He filed for KGRR direct to the "Soo", ANJ, and back. I was hoping for a good look at a big bridge.
At the time Mike was representing a bevy of these birds residing in a much larger flock.
Watching it while crouched just behind the pilots, a rather familiar position, I observed the HDG offset develop.
After a couple of more repeats I thought I felt a yaw component, and could see a very slight deflection in the inclinometers.
Once we saw this, I went to the rear most seat and repeated the test multiple times. I could easily feel the yaw component being that far back of the pivot point.
At this point we continued the test and I settled upon what I believed to be the RH flap deploying an eight of an inch or so as we climbed past 30,800', dragging the right wing, and dropping the left wing to hold the HDG, a couple degrees off now.
We became comfortable with this determination about the time we got the turn to return to KGRR, once back on a south heading I was looking for the bridge and could not spot it, I asked Mike, he said "do you really want to ask for a 360° turn after all of that?
Once we returned to GRR I found myself on speakerphone with Cessna. After repeating my observations a couple of times to a nerve wrackingly silent and unknown group of engineers, they said "Mike, we need to see the aircraft".
Weeks later Mike came to see me and remarked "You Nailed It, and they were wondering who you are".
There is now a little ridge along the trailing edge of the flap on those aircraft (I like to call it Bob), I merely suggested they check for an air bubble in the hydraulics.