Too Cautious?

T

TipTanks

Pre-takeoff checklist
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TipTanks
First time poster here SEL PPL with a Night and Multi Rating around 200 hours... I have a share in 3 Airplanes, was in a 172M last Friday. I have not flown much in the past few months, and in December bought into the share after a long hiatus from flying. Very low on recency, and confidence.I have been feeling very cautious when it comes to flying and looking for any reason not to go. Seems to be affecting my enjoyment, and I haven't flown much since deciding to get back into it. I was never so hesitant before, it seems I am much more risk averse now.

Anyways, on Friday I was completing the run up, engine was set to 1700 RPM. I noticed that at this power setting the engine would momentarily run rough then smooth. Intermittently. On the Mag check one of the mags had a larger than normal drop. Leaned out the engine, ran at 2000 RPM for two minutes to clear. Mags checked fine after this, but the engine continued to intermittently run rough then smooth. It wasn't very dramatic, and I couldn't see anything on the gauges, but I could hear it and feel it. I elected to scrap the flight. Was I being overly cautious? What would you do?I had images of the engine sputtering and quitting at 300 feet after takeoff... haven't gone since.

On a separate note, any advice to a returning pilot to help get over these nerves of getting up in the air?
 
TipTanks said:
On a separate note, any advice to a returning pilot to help get over these nerves of getting up in the air?
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A few flights with a CFI can't hurt. At least that way you've got someone with whom to discuss your concerns...maybe take on something like learning commercial maneuvers or instrument training.
 
I wonder if u were already leaned out a bit, hence the engine stumbling?
 
eman1200 said:
I wonder if u were already leaned out a bit, hence the engine stumbling?
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Run up was started full rich, when I first noticed the roughness. I have since asked them to have a mechanic check the airplane. Haven't heard if anything was found.
 
I think you made a good call. Props to you.
 
Your apprehensiveness may have elevated what were or are normal sounds of a run up. Then again maybe it's a bad mag, wires, or a plug. So you made the correct decision. Regardless if a mechanic finds nothing wrong you did the right thing.

It's normal to be very rusty and unsure when one hasn't flown in awhile. Especially so being you're a low time pilot. Either do some flying with another member to get comfortable again, or go up with an experienced CFI for a few hours. Hopefully that's all you need but don't hestitate doing what's necessary to get you proficient again. Good luck.
 
You haven’t been flying foe awhile,so what may have been normal engine noise,seemed dramatic to you. Go up with an instructor ,to knock the rust off,and get reacquainted with the sounds of flight.
 
Sometimes things fail in an unusual method. In my previous Tiger I had a couple of back to back long cross countries where after fueling and at the run-up things would get UGLY if I were delayed for takeoff. Would do the fouled plug run up and everything would correct and seem ok. A couple of weeks of this and then I get a completely dead right mag, it was heading south, but did it at the home field prior to a local flight.
 
It’s better to be too cautious, from another low time pilot. Over the winter I didn’t fly for 7 weeks, the first flight after the break was supposed to be with a pax, I took a cfi along. It went as smooth as it gets with great landings. However before I took the flight, I didn’t know that. I fly often, and 7 week break was too much for me, so carried a safety net


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Welcome TipTanks.
I have scrapped a flight before feeling a little uncomfortable. WannFly even had a recent thread about it. It happens.
Flying ain't much fun if you are worried about something, much less about the plane losing it's engine the whole time. I would have returned it also.
As others have mentioned, get with another pilot or CFI and bust out some time in the air.
You got 3 planes to fly lucky dog!
 
Agree with the others, you made the right call! I don't mess around with engine sounds

Also, the advice to get current again with a CFI is great. You'll start to recognize what are typical sounds and behaviors of a 50 year old engine design (and frame) vs what is a concerning
 
DesertNomad said:
A sticking valve might cause that roughness. Hard to say.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing...

I'd never consider rejecting a flight for potential engine or airframe problems to be the wrong choice. Some people are more comfortable flying with known problems than others, and some are far too accepting of problems. Think of the preflight and runup as the last chance to reject the airplane prior to the flight. Just be prepared for the "can't find anything wrong with it, go fly" response from the mechanic when they look it over.
 
To the OP: You definitely did the right thing. All too often the compunction to get in the air is so strong we're motivated to ignore little stuff. Lots of lives lost by planes being taken airborne that needed to stay on the ground.

In short, ya done good, kid!

DesertNomad said:
A sticking valve might cause that roughness. Hard to say.
Click to expand...

I had "morning sickness" in my Tiger on a cold morning in CT. I wrote it off to the plane not being used to cold weather and it smoothed out for the run-up.

A short time into the flight over Long Island Sound the engine got really rough, I declared and landed at the nearest airport.

What a stuck valve can look like from the outside:

12410663983_5214d9e2aa_z.jpg
 
No problem scrapping the flight, but first thing I'd do afterwards is confer with my partners who ( presumably) have been flying it recently to see if they've noticed the same thing.
 
Guess it depends on what you observed as “running rough?”. There could have been an actual operational issue, or it could have been something more akin to a harmonic vibration that you diagnosed as a problem. Either way, you didn’t feel comfortable taking off and scrubbed the flight. That’s good on you, because you listened to your intuition. If something didn’t feel right, no reason to press the issue.


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Welcome to POA. As for your choice to not fly, I've always felt the caution has saved a lot of lives and not only in aviation. You did good!!!

Now get a CFI or another pilot and go fly!!!
 
What’s a “Night Rating”?
 
TipTanks said:
First time poster here SEL PPL with a Night and Multi Rating around 200 hours... I have a share in 3 Airplanes, was in a 172M last Friday. I have not flown much in the past few months, and in December bought into the share after a long hiatus from flying. Very low on recency, and confidence.I have been feeling very cautious when it comes to flying and looking for any reason not to go. Seems to be affecting my enjoyment, and I haven't flown much since deciding to get back into it. I was never so hesitant before, it seems I am much more risk averse now.

Anyways, on Friday I was completing the run up, engine was set to 1700 RPM. I noticed that at this power setting the engine would momentarily run rough then smooth. Intermittently. On the Mag check one of the mags had a larger than normal drop. Leaned out the engine, ran at 2000 RPM for two minutes to clear. Mags checked fine after this, but the engine continued to intermittently run rough then smooth. It wasn't very dramatic, and I couldn't see anything on the gauges, but I could hear it and feel it. I elected to scrap the flight. Was I being overly cautious? What would you do?I had images of the engine sputtering and quitting at 300 feet after takeoff... haven't gone since.

On a separate note, any advice to a returning pilot to help get over these nerves of getting up in the air?
Click to expand...
The answer to the question of "am I being too cautious?" is always the same: no. I feel you aren't comfortable, it doesn't matter if someone else is or might be. Being too cautious never killed anyone. The same cannot be said of not being cautious enough.
 
There's a difference between "America" and "The Americas."

Some folks just can't help themselves...
 
Thanks for all the replies... I appreciate the advice. The airplane was inspected and all plugs were replaced. The mechanic said they were fouled beyond keeping them in. Haven't tried that airplane again since. As for my comfort getting back into flying,I can't seem to find a decent CFI around here, I may go up and fly the pattern until I am sick of it and work my way out from there. The one I have flown with is ok, but not low stress by any means and the rest are 19-year-old kids with as many hours as me!

As for the night rating "controversy", can you blame a guy from up north wanting advice and comments from the best GA forum on the net? Yes, I am on the west coast of Canada, and yes we need a separate rating to fly at night. Hope you all can put up with a Canuck around here.
 
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