Scanner Course #2

 Aircraft Familiarization
– Aircraft Controls
– Aircraft Instruments
 Weight and Balance

Minnesota Wing Aircrew Training:

Tasks P-2016, P-2017, P-2018
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Aircraft Structure and

Controls
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Aircraft Familiarization

 Why do I need to know this stuff anyway?

 Terminology
 Structure
 Control surfaces
 Instrumentation
 Limitations
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The Airplane
 CAP typically uses C172 and C182.
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Aircraft Terminology
Right Vertical
Aileron Stabilizer
Empennage
Right Rudder
Flap

Trim Tabs
Right
Wing Elevator

Left Flap

Left
Aileron
Propeller

Nose Main Landing

Gear Gear Light

Left Wing
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Ailerons provide roll control

Right wing goes down

Right Aileron UP

Left Aileron DOWN

Left wing goes up

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Elevators provide pitch control

Center of Gravity Center of Gravity

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The rudder controls yaw

CENTER of
GRAVITY
LEFT
RIGHT
RUDDER RUDDER
PEDAL PEDAL
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Trim tabs neutralize control

pressures
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Aircraft Instruments
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Instrument Panel
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Flight Instruments

 Magnetic Compass
– Primarily a backup
– Doesn’t require any
power
– Installation problems
– Bank angles and
speed changes can
cause a compass to
show the wrong
heading
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Flight Instruments
 Heading Indicator
(Directional Gyro)
– Gyro-driven heading
indicator
– Quick response to turns
– Stable indications
– Electrical or vacuum-
driven
– Will drift, requires
periodic re-alignment
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Flight Instruments

 Altimeter
– Usually set to
show pressure
altitude above
Mean Sea Level
(MSL)
– Accurate altitude
is dependent on
the altimeter
setting.
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Flight Instruments

 Turn Coordinator
– Really two
instruments
– Miniature aircraft
shows turn rate only -
does not show bank
angle
– Inclinometer shows
quality of turn -
Coordinated, slip,
skid
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Flight Instruments

 Attitude Indicator
– Provides a horizon
reference
– Hash marks
indicate bank angle
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Flight Instruments

 Airspeed
– Knots or MPH
– Colored markings
– Shows aircraft
performance
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Flight Instruments

 Vertical Speed
– Climb or descent
rate
– Has a lag due to
design
– Use with altimeter
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Engine Instruments

 Tachometer
– Markings — green
arc
– Indicates power
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Other Engine Instruments

 Gauges
– Fuel (accurate at empty)
– Oil Temperature and
Pressure
– Vacuum and Generator
– Exhaust Gas
Temperature
– Instruments vary from
aircraft to aircraft
Comm, VOR and DME radios Scanner Course #2

 Navigation/Communication Radio
– Primary and Standby Frequencies

DME

Comm 1 Nav 1
Communications Navigation

Comm 2
Nav 2
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Comm Antennas

– Normally mounted on top

– One for each radio
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Nav Antennas

– “Cat whisker” style

– One for each nav
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Navigation Instruments
VOR ADF

 VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR-DME, VORTAC)

– Indicates direction to/from ground transmitter relative to
magnetic North
 Automatic Direction Finder (NDB)
– Direction toward ground transmitter relative to airplane nose
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Other Antennas
Loop
(directional)
ADF

Marker
Beacon
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UHF Antenna

Blade type (may be spike)

Transponder & DME
[If mounted up front, may interfere
with DF]
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Global Positioning System

 Satellite based navigation

– Apollo GX55
– Can provide search pattern course guidance and lat
and long of target
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GPS Antenna

GPS

 Line of sight, so mounted at the very top

 Comm antennas can interfere with the weak signals, so they
are tested for interference
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Direction Finding Receiver

 Used for electronic ELT searches

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CAP FM Transceiver


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Audio Panel
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Transponder
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Static “wicks”

– Mitigate buildup of static electricity

(interferes with comm)
– Wings, elevators, vertical stabilizer
– Take care when walking around
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Weight and Balance

and Operations
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Weight and Balance

L ift

F o rc e fro m h o riz o n ta l
W e ig h t ta il s u rfa c e

 The wings generate a limited amount of lift

 Maximum weight for an aircraft is set by the manufacturer
 Pitch stability is affected by the location of the center of gravity
 The pilot computes weight and balance and controls it by loading the aircraft
correctly
 -If incorrectly loaded:
– the pilot may not be able to raise the nose during take off or
– the aircraft may be unstable and difficult or impossible to control in the air
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Weight and Balance

 Excessive weight adversely impacts performance:
– Longer take off and landing distance
– Reduced climb performance
– Reduced ability to withstand turbulence and wind shear
forces
 Out of Forward C.G. limits can cause:
– Reduced up-elevator authority (ability to raise the nose)
– Can eliminate the ability to flare for landing
 Out of Rear C.G. limits can cause:
– Reduced down-elevator authority (ability to lower the nose)
– Can make stall recovery difficult or impossible
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Mission Aircraft Operations

 A CAPF84 or CAPF104 must be completed
 Altimeter settings will be from a source
within 50 NM or the closest source
available and updated hourly.
 Airspeed will be no lower than 1.3 times
aircraft stall at zero flaps and 30 degrees of
bank.
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Mission Aircraft Operations

 Search altitudes are limited to no lower
than 500 feet above the surface (except
for counter drug vessel identification).
 Search aircraft on missions over water
must plan to be over a suitable airfield
with at least 90 minutes of fuel on board
at normal cruise speed.