Vacuum Failure Enroute to Florida

[carusoam]

I added SVT to WingX for $1 or something like that.

That's quite a price difference.

I like my certified stuff.  Some stuff is on my not affordable yet list...

Best regards,

-a-

[mike_elliott]

2 hours ago, carusoam said:

I added SVT to WingX for $1 or something like that.

That's quite a price difference.

I like my certified stuff.  Some stuff is on my not affordable yet list...

Best regards,

-a-

 its included with FlyQ, and I *think* I have it also with wingx, but (hide your eyes, Peter) the SV on the Aspen (included as a promo) is as feature rich as the garmin, less the highway in the sky Green boxes to fly thru. Where the G1000 shines over a tablet, Aspen, Garmin pilot etc is in it's sheer size for displaying the SV in your normal scan. Where it doesn't is in its 10K option price. I have flown behind a G500 with SV also, but like the Aspen, and any IPAD SV (garmin pilot, wingx, Flyq and foreflight are the ones I have seen), I don't find them as nice as the G1000. YMMV, and unless mooney flight instructing starts to pay 2K/hr, a G1000 with SV isn't in my future other than the wonderful new Mooney's I have had the fortune to be in lately 

[LANCECASPER]

On 12/1/2015, 11:13:23, Seth said:

If Garmin came out with a portable display unit like the Aera 500/560 that also had Independence AHRS, now you've got something to go along with an Ipad.  An avaition product made by an aviation company - not certified for the panel of course, but if not "permanently" mounted, it could be a great emergency instrument.

-Seth

The Aera 796 linked to a GDL39 3D has AHRS.

[201er]

Ok, so here's the rest of the story.

Vac pump failed enroute to Florida in night VMC/VFR. Continued 3.5 hours in the dark with no AP/AI. Mostly flew above a lower cloud layer and got below it near Jacksonville. Arrived in Kissimmee no problem. I must say though, even though this was my fastest flight to Florida (only 5.5 hours), it was one of the most exhausting flights of all time. Between the late in the day departure, night flying, 8,500ft quasi-hypoxia, no AP, and 3.5 hours hand flying partial panel, I was just knocked out after the flight. It was harder than some of the nearly twice as long flights I have done.

Being Thanksgiving and all, even if I could find a mech to look at it, he wouldn't be able to get the parts till the next week. Furthermore, wx forecasts for next days were getting worse. I had the choice of leaving sooner without AI in VFR or wait a few days, get a new vac pump, and then quite likely be IFR or waiting much longer. I opted to stick with what I already have and went VFR on Saturday.

It was all clear VMC till Dover. The rest of the way into NJ was deteriorating VFR. I kept descending to stay under the ceiling and visibility was becoming less and less. Before long, I was in marginal VFR. The only thing keeping me going was the familiarity with the area as I was getting closer to home. I actually had to zigzag and follow the clearest paths rather than just flying direct. I followed a chain of airports so that every few miles, if visibility got too low, I could turn back to the last seen airport. I was tuning AWOS frequencies from one to the next making sure they were still VFR. Visibility went from unrestricted to 10 to 7 to 5. It probably never went below 5 but it sure looks murky with no distinct horizon and no IFR option.

Luckily I had activated my Precise Flight standby vac system in the descent. I could not use it the whole route because I was WOT. But once the throttle came back, I activated the standby and the AI came to life. Before visibility got back, I rocked the wings and did some maneuvers to make sure the AI was running properly. As I got to Monmouth, visibility was just awful and it began to rain again. I could not see far and AWOS from Linden (my home airport) was down to 1200ft ceilings. I was getting worn out from all this nervous flying and things weren't getting better so I landed at Monmouth to explore my options.

Conditions kept fluctuating to better or worse. But no matter what happened, the other airport would be the opposite. So if Monmouth got better, Linden would get worse. Or when Linden improved, Monmouth was IFR. Stayed for hours at the FBO but just was not getting weather I'd be comfortable flying after a tiring trip. So we had to arrange a ride and leave the bird just one airport shy of our home field. Came back in 2 days and flew the bird to my mech for maintenance. Alan gave me a flight back.

 

 

[kmyfm20s]

Not sure what autopilot you have but when my AI went out in my J I put my KAP 150 in heading mode. Then I offset the heading bug enough in the opposite direction of the AI to hold the course I wanted. To my surprise it worked! I was pretty happy because it was a 4:15hrs remaining after it went out.

[Marauder]

Ok, so here's the rest of the story.

Vac pump failed enroute to Florida in night VMC/VFR. Continued 3.5 hours in the dark with no AP/AI. Mostly flew above a lower cloud layer and got below it near Jacksonville. Arrived in Kissimmee no problem. I must say though, even though this was my fastest flight to Florida (only 5.5 hours), it was one of the most exhausting flights of all time. Between the late in the day departure, night flying, 8,500ft quasi-hypoxia, no AP, and 3.5 hours hand flying partial panel, I was just knocked out after the flight. It was harder than some of the nearly twice as long flights I have done.

Being Thanksgiving and all, even if I could find a mech to look at it, he wouldn't be able to get the parts till the next week. Furthermore, wx forecasts for next days were getting worse. I had the choice of leaving sooner without AI in VFR or wait a few days, get a new vac pump, and then quite likely be IFR or waiting much longer. I opted to stick with what I already have and went VFR on Saturday.

It was all clear VMC till Dover. The rest of the way into NJ was deteriorating VFR. I kept descending to stay under the ceiling and visibility was becoming less and less. Before long, I was in marginal VFR. The only thing keeping me going was the familiarity with the area as I was getting closer to home. I actually had to zigzag and follow the clearest paths rather than just flying direct. I followed a chain of airports so that every few miles, if visibility got too low, I could turn back to the last seen airport. I was tuning AWOS frequencies from one to the next making sure they were still VFR. Visibility went from unrestricted to 10 to 7 to 5. It probably never went below 5 but it sure looks murky with no distinct horizon and no IFR option.

Luckily I had activated my Precise Flight standby vac system in the descent. I could not use it the whole route because I was WOT. But once the throttle came back, I activated the standby and the AI came to life. Before visibility got back, I rocked the wings and did some maneuvers to make sure the AI was running properly. As I got to Monmouth, visibility was just awful and it began to rain again. I could not see far and AWOS from Linden (my home airport) was down to 1200ft ceilings. I was getting worn out from all this nervous flying and things weren't getting better so I landed at Monmouth to explore my options.

Conditions kept fluctuating to better or worse. But no matter what happened, the other airport would be the opposite. So if Monmouth got better, Linden would get worse. Or when Linden improved, Monmouth was IFR. Stayed for hours at the FBO but just was not getting weather I'd be comfortable flying after a tiring trip. So we had to arrange a ride and leave the bird just one airport shy of our home field. Came back in 2 days and flew the bird to my mech for maintenance. Alan gave me a flight back.

 

 

I think it is time for a backup AI Mike! I flew for years with just the one vacuum pump and the Precise Flight standby vacuum system based on manifold differential. Never had to use it, but there was some comfort in knowing it was there to help shoot an approach.

What are you going to do? Considering the type of long distance flying you do, have you considered an electronic backup (a certified unit)? If you were using ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot and went with a FlightStream 200, would that give you a legit AHRS backup?

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