Beaver Tips

[beaverbob]

No Lurch, its not part of a deviant life style.

[Lurch]

No Lurch, its not part of a deviant life style.

I have to get some time on a beaver, I have no clue what you guys are talking about half the time. I have no problems in all of the other threads, but on this beaver one.

I haven't been this confused in a while about what is being discussed.

Lurch

[Meatservo]

Ah, Lurch, it's just a simple, old aeroplane. One hour of circuits an you'd be up to speed, I'm sure. It has three gas tanks that are manually selected, if you don't switch tanks before the one you're using runs out, the engine will quit. Your heart jumps up and runs out the hole in your willy, then you switch tanks and it starts up again by itself with a little jogging of the manual pump handle, and you're off again... unless you were just taking off when it happened. Sort of Little-house-on-the-prairie technology.

[beaverbob]

You are right Meat man, It is just a simple old plane, not unlike its simple old pilot.(In my case)
On wheels and empty in a bit of wind it can get airborne in about twice its own length. And with the Baron STOL kit will sink at about 800 feet per minute held into a stall with your feet off the pedals and the wing "walks" from left to right to left to right, etc, about 10 degrees as each wing stalls and recovers on its own.
Bob

[xsbank]

And therein lies the problem with the Beav - she does things so easily and with such little fuss, anybody with a modicum of float skills can get in one and after a few circuits feel like an expert. A lot of pleasure in flying such an old clam crusher around, sitting up high for the first time....

That's why she's so dangerous and why people get killed in such a great airplane. Like I said before, if the Beav you fly has a wrinkled dashboard, it means somebody in a previous generation centre-punched it with his forehead; the wreckage was repaired and now she's all yours!

One of the nicest, most docile, 'manly' aircraft out there, just waiting for you to get complacent and comfortable enough so she can try and kill you.

By the way, in my day we used to say 1000 hours was the most dangerous time in a pilot's career. He thinks he knows it all, is getting pretty good in his aircraft handling skills, can dock in the most bizarre conditions, has survived some ..-running that will curl the hair of a chief pilot and is developing a confidence that emanates like a cheap cologne.

Seriously at risk of a catastrophe. If you are at this stage in your career PLEASE take a step back and evaluate yourself. This will probably save your life.

[trey kule]

Sorry XS, but I have to disagree with the self evaluation. I dont remember the exact figure, but it was somewhere around 85% of pilots surveyed considered themselves above average.

It is one of the chief pilots/training captains duties to make a note of a pilot coming around the 1000 mark and make sure they do a little evaluation ride with them. It is the pilot's duty to listen to the evaluation and learn. Follow-ups are important.

I am assuming, maybe incorrectly, that at this point in a pilot's career they are not flying around in the heavies, but, if that is the case, most companies have excellent recurrent training and line evaluation .

One of the key areas I have noticed is that a pilot new to type gets complacent and sloppy after about 100 hrs on type. Again, I am not sure any for of self evaluation is of value.

[xsbank]

The problem with rides and checkouts, you only get to see what the pilot wants you to see, not his attitude. What I am talking about is not a ride but an attitude adjustment and it is a rare chief pilot who can tune up an attitude. I'm talking about self-preservation and self-awareness to fight the tendency to feel bullet-proof, to recognize your vulnerability and to remind yourself that you have not arrived anywhere, you re still on your journey of life-long learning.

I think this is critical for any pilot, not just a bush/float/Beaver pilot, but the support and direction is harder to come by in the bush as the job is largely solo in its nature. Your support and learning usually comes from back-room BS sessions and bar ('safety meetings') talk. Or, if you are unlucky, you will be isolated, the only pilot and not even have that.

[xsbank]

Dead Beaver Subject?

[beaverbob]

Just resting.

[xsbank]

At least they piled the junk up neatly! Must be a Professional Pilot!

[beaverbob]

He had help from a truck.

[HS-748 2A]

Bob; you must have been some-kind-of-choked!

I hate seeing bent tin.

What happened there anyhow?

[beaverbob]

A fuel truck, A plane and a runway all in the same place at the same time.

Nobody hurt, lots of insurance, everything OK
Bob

[Castorero]

I just stumbled on this site, in the fog...It is just like going to the bar with the guys.
Unbelieavable amount of knowledge and experience dripping off the page on almost any topic.
As a newbie, this is bound to become my favorite stop on the web.

I am glad to have found you.

[Lost Lake]

Hey Castorero, believe half of what you hear on Avcanada and none of what you see. Most of the guys on here are armchair pilots who think flying flight sim 2008 is real flying.

[Lurch]

Hey Castorero, believe half of what you hear on Avcanada and none of what you see. Most of the guys on here are armchair pilots who think flying flight sim 2008 is real flying.

Hey I've got thousands of hours logged on MS and that should be enough.

I've been practicing so one day when the pilot becomes incapacitated and I have to land the A320, I even carry the licence I printed off in case they ask for my qualifications.



Lurch

[Castorero]

You guys are funny LOL

I have wondered how one would make out in such a situation... Pilot dies from cardiovascular event and copilot passed out for unrelated reasons...

Would there be a stampede to the front from armchair flyers? Probably not

Ever notice how long it takes to get a Doctor to respond to the "is there a doctor on board" call ?
All the young bucks jump forward immediately whereas the old guys sit and wait to see if an eager beaver is on board before slowly getting off their seat.

I imagine the call for "is there a pilot on board" might be a tad more dramatic...

It would be fun to try that in a real simulator

[Lurch]

You guys are funny LOL

I have wondered how one would make out in such a situation... Pilot dies from cardiovascular event and copilot passed out for unrelated reasons...

Would there be a stampede to the front from armchair flyers? Probably not

Ever notice how long it takes to get a Doctor to respond to the "is there a doctor on board" call ?
All the young bucks jump forward immediately whereas the old guys sit and wait to see if an eager beaver is on board before slowly getting off their seat.

I imagine the call for "is there a pilot on board" might be a tad more dramatic...

It would be fun to try that in a real simulator

Mythbusters did this and they died. They survived the second time but only when they were talked down by a experianced pilot.

Considering how many flights that have taken place in 100 years and not once have both crew members been incapacitated.

Keep dreaming guys but I doubt you'll ever be called upon to land the airplane.


Lurch

[beaverbob]

Whats this crap got to do with Beaver tips?

[Oldfartus]

How many Beavers have the clutch lever of a motorcycle connected to the up/down lever on the flapjack over there? I notice on a few different photo's of the throttle/pitch levers reversed on the throttle quadrant. Are there any early Beavers still equiped with the fuel valve with different positons for on/rear to the latter one's? Is there any conscious effort by operators of more than one Beaver to standardize cockpit controls?

[chesty]

We operate a beaver from 1948. It has the throttle in the middle, has different fuel selector positions(front,off,middle,rear) Flap indicator is up behind your left ear, and of course no rudder trim. I believe the different postioning of the throttle leaver and prop control are for civillan and millitary issued beavers.

[HS-748 2A]

We operate a beaver from 1948. It has the throttle in the middle, has different fuel selector positions(front,off,middle,rear) Flap indicator is up behind your left ear, and of course no rudder trim. I believe the different postioning of the throttle leaver and prop control are for civillan and millitary issued beavers.

So the reg' is either an "FH_", "OB_", "OC_" or "MA_".. Am I right?

As to your other question, there's some talk of it here: viewtopic.php?f=54&t=53114&p=530208&hil ... le#p530208

How many Beavers have the clutch lever of a motorcycle connected to the up/down lever on the flapjack over there?

I believe this was a Baron STC. Quite a good mod I think. Probably should be made an AD. I think leaving the selector to 'flaps-up' has likely killed a few people in the DHC-2 over the years.

[Oldfartus]

A bit different for a one man one Aircraft operation but for companies running more than one you would think it would make sense operationally and make it safer to configure all Aircraft the same. I have flown for companies who operate quite a few Aircraft and none of them were standardized especially fuel selector. All I have flown have had the throttle in the middle. The flap lever mod made less work flying AGwork with not much time spent straight and level in the cruise.

[bronson]

My tips: if it's windy taxi with the flaps UP, if it's really windy takeoff with the flaps up until you are established on the step. You'll be airborne with about 2 pumps on the flap handle. Some beavers love to turn left as you get on the step, use climb flap until you're on the step and the problem dissappears. Leave the throttle and your attitude alone after takeoff until you are back at climb flap instead of throttle back, nose down, climb flap.... if you are approaching a dock on 1 mag w/carb heat-lean it out as far as you can especially if you are "bumping" the mag, no backfiring and it will shut down on the mags or w/mixture without danger off running on or a late spin. If you can't get into a spot with T/O flap you probably can't get out of the same spot either.

[chesty]

When it's windy I taxiing downwind with lots of flap, controll cloumn full forward, it won't weather cock as easy.
Bronson why do you taxi with flaps up?