Hector Posted December 30, 2013 Report Posted December 30, 2013 If you can find a nearby field with a compass rose it is really no big deal to do a compass swing. I had a buddy go with me and he stood in front of the airplane as I taxied through all the cardinal headings to help me line up properly. I was done in 20 minutes or less. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD Quote
cliffy Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 In reading arcane minutia again I find that a compass swing is detailed in AC 43.13-1B Section 3 Paragraph 12-37 http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/list/AC%2043.13-1B/$FILE/Chapter%2012-13.pdf It details exactly when a swing is required (you might be surprised as it is required after a hard landing or turbulence? !) and how to do it. As it is a "maintenance" function it falls under the auspices of an A&P to sign it off. Although because of Far 65.81 an A&P can no longer replace the rubber diaphragm on a wet compass and refill it as that is "repairing an instrument". Crap, We did for decades before! So if it leaks you technically have to bring it to an instrument shop for repair. FAR 23.1327 and Far 23.1547 should also be consulted for the compass card requirements. Now Mooneys are mostly CAR3 certified and not FAR 23 but I wouldn't want to argue the issue with an FAA Inspector by not following 23.1327 and 1547 as the "best methods and practices". If any electrical item when in operation throws off the swing by more than 10 degrees on any heading, a placard needs to be installed or a second swing needs to be done with a second compass card for the pilot to refer to. Try your landing light or heated pitot and see what happens with these heavy electrical loads. Hope this helps clarify any questions. If not, ask away and I'll try to look up more info. Quote
DonMuncy Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 I thought hangar elves were authorized to replace diaphrams and refill compasses. 2 Quote
jetdriven Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 They use odorless mineral spirits too. Quote
cliffy Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 Actually in the last 15 years I've not seen a leaking compass. i bought a diaphragm for one years ago but I don't know what happened to it Hmmm, odorless mineral spirits, I thought I had a can of that somewhere a long time ago also, I'll have to go look around for it in all my junk :-) 1 Quote
N201MKTurbo Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 You can get a can of compass fluid from aircraft spruce for about $10. It will last you forever. If the hanger fairies are going to do their thing they might as well do it right. Quote
jetdriven Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 That airpath compass fluid MSDS is CAS 68551-17-7 which is odorless mineral spirits. http://www.skygeek.com/airpath-ap1000-compass-fluid.html http://site.skygeek.com/MSDS/airpath-ap1000-compass-fluid.pdf http://www.chemnet.com/cas/en/68551-17-7/mineral-spirits.html Quote
Mooneymite Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 You can get a can of compass fluid from aircraft spruce for about $10. It will last you forever. If the hanger fairies are going to do their thing they might as well do it right. I heard that hangar fairies drink the stuff. Sometimes it only lasts 10-15 years. Quote
HRM Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 Transit-pelorus? Yeah, I caught some of that my last trip to Amsterdam. The doc gave me some salve. Quote
HRM Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 I thought hangar elves were authorized to replace diaphrams and refill compasses. I think mine did, but one never really knows about these things. I also think (they are magic after all) that they did it at my house. Left a mess in my shop and a huge can of kerosene. Quote
HRM Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 Thank you; I'll be sure to check my Garmin GPSMAP 295 and iPad Mini for their magnetic track capabilities. -- v/s, Bobby We used my GPSMAP 295 to swing the PAI-700 in my E. To do it right you need to have everything "on"—radios, xpndr, engine, etc. We took the plane over to the rose at KBPT, which is so faded that you need to know it is there, and then I just ran the plane back and forth with the 295 telling us track. We should have asked the tower to make a video, would have looked like one of those where a bee is telling the rest of the hive where the fresh flowers are! My vertical card aligned perfectly, now it is just a magnetic DG for me. Let us know how yours went. Quote
Guest Posted February 22, 2015 Report Posted February 22, 2015 Any Canadian shop will have a calibrated master compass used for annual compass calibration. Clarence Quote
ryoder Posted February 23, 2015 Report Posted February 23, 2015 My airport kzph has a compass rose probably for this purpose. Check it out on Google maps. It's right before you get to the $3.30 gas. Dropped Pin near 39444 South Ave, Zephyrhills, FL 33542 http://goo.gl/maps/XbHeV Quote
ryoder Posted February 23, 2015 Report Posted February 23, 2015 Not sure if that works. You need to go to satellite image. Quote
MB65E Posted February 23, 2015 Report Posted February 23, 2015 John Wayne KSNA actually has a rose with line up boards on it that are re-staked every few years... Yes it does change! You might be able to back track in the AFD to see how it's worded, then find an airport closer to you. -Matt Quote
ryoder Posted February 24, 2015 Report Posted February 24, 2015 Mine leaked on my throttle hand while climbing on my long IFR cross country with my instructor after owning the airplane for about a month. I put a new one in there and then replaced it with a resealed one recently as I needed a different mount. Actually in the last 15 years I've not seen a leaking compass. i bought a diaphragm for one years ago but I don't know what happened to it Hmmm, odorless mineral spirits, I thought I had a can of that somewhere a long time ago also, I'll have to go look around for it in all my junk :-) Quote
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