April 1993 - American Bonanza Society

them up for bench testing. They
checked OX However, they replaced
the brushes in both (one had short
brushes) and bench tested again.
Again OX
After replacing both alternators in
the plane, John stopped by. He was
nO( satisfied since nothing really specific
was found. He brought over a
voltage regulator to replace the # 1 on
the plane as a loaner.
r flew it home and everything
worked as it should-giving me a
whole lot better feeling when flying in
!Me WX. John said to fly it awhile to
see how it goes-then we can make a
decision on the other voltage regulator.
We paid for the voltage regulator,
(5125), John's time and two KFS technicians
plus Rich Coover's work on the
plane all day for 5252.41, including
ing for max alternator output (and
max. voltage-hence the trip voltage
of 32 ± 1 VDC is exceeded) so both
alternator warning lights come on.
-Bill Palm; ABS 22970, Kirkwood, Mo.
HELP WANTED
If you have learned something important
from your fiying experience, this is
your chance to share it. Just mail your
contributions to ABS Newsletter, P.O.
Box 12888, Wichita, KS 67277.
ABS member G reg Schindel is
in need of a copy of STC SA
153 EA for the 15 gallo n flight
extender tip tanks. Please call
Greg at 1-800-999-9485.
THIN AIR
(continlledjonll page 3204)
bucks. Cheap insurance against a
deadly intruder.
Now, let's think about that five hour
flight that culminated in a difficult
approach and night landing at Orlando.
An alternative would have been
to cruise at a lower altitude. That was
deemed unacceptable due to a stratus
layer below that contained ice.
Another alternative would have
been to use supplemental oxygen at
altitude. That was ruled out since the
Bonanza pilot, like a lot of other general
aviation pilots, had never used
supplemental oxygen equipment
before.
Supplemental oxygen equipment is
sim ple a nd easy to use. The equipmem
can be installed pennanently in
an airplane or it can be carried in a
portable package that includes an
oxygen bottle, an oxygen regulator
and one or more oxygen masks. I have
carried a portable package in my airplane
for years and it has made my
long-range flights at altitude comfortable
and safe.
Typically, these types of oxygen
systems are of the constant flow variety.
The oxygen mask is a mask with a
bag on it. Oxygen flow is set by a
regulator based on cruise altitude. The
system increases oxygen partial pressure
by increasing oxygen percentage
of the inspired air, i.e., when you
minor parts. Real professional help at a
very reasonable price.
When you have generator/ alternator/
voltage regulator charging problems,
call John Evans at Aerotech in
Louisville, Ky. He has an ad in Trade­
A-Plane and his phone is 1-800-634-
0190. Kentucky Flying Service also did
a great job on getting us in and out in
one day. T hey are a great team!
We really did not find the real culprit
until our annual when the batteries
were pulled and checked. (We had
disconnected the batteries before as
they were both new when we bought
the plane.) One banery had a bad cell
which explained why the alternator
kicked out on taxiing out.The alternators
were on max charge trying to
make a 12-volt banery out of a lO-volt
battery. The voltage regulator was callcruise
at 11,000 feet j
your mask air
mixture approaches 30 percent oxygen
instead of 20 percent oxygen at sea
level. At 18,000 feet, mask air mixture
approaches 40 percent oxygen. Bottle
duration is a function of cruising altinlde
and the number of masks in use.
Bottles are easy to service.
The use of supplemental oxygen
would have probably relieved the Bonanza
pilot of his hypoxic symptoms
during his descent into O rlando.
Remember, FAR 91.211 is manda-
(Ory. Tc is a minimurn standard. You
might want to consider using supplemental
oxygen a L lower altitudes when
flying long legs above 10,000 feet
during the day and above 5,000 feet at
night.
Any pilot flying high performance
ai rplanes over long distances at altitude
owes himself an altitude chamber
ride to experience hypoxia first ­
hand. Like a vertigo chair rid e, an
a ltitude chamber ride will make a
lasting impression.
-@.--
Some general suggestions which apply to young, healthy flyers:
1. Carry oxygen in your plane or don't fly above 12,500 feet. ~ bad
weather lies ahead, go around rt if you can't get over rt.
2. Use oxygen on evel)' flight above 12,500 feet. You'li probably
need it, and when you do, you might not realize it.
3. Use oxygen on protracted flights near 12,500 feet. It
won't hurt and you'll be a lot sharper pilot
4. Use oxygen on aI/ night flights above 5,000 feet. If )'Ou
want to give )'Our night vision the best protection, use oxygen
from the ground up.
5. Breathe nonnal ly when using oxygen. Rapid or extr