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Useless aviation knowledges/Helo NATOPS Potpourri for $200 Alex

fc2spyguy

loving my warm and comfy 214 blanket
pilot
Contributor
One thing that is ever present in aviation regardless of what level you’re at. That is useless information that has nothing to do with the safe operation of the aircraft.

So, list your least favorite bit of information here.

Mine has to be specific thrust rating, shp or any other number that says how powerful an engine is. Outside of the whole standard day on a test bench your engine is not operating at that number. It’s either giving you enough, or it isn’t. You have charts that say it should, but there’s nothing saying you’re getting said power.

Also, the odv on a 60.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
You have charts that say it should, but there’s nothing saying you’re getting said power.

Max Power check? Even an incomplete MPC due to Ng limiting is showing you that the engine is making more than it was originally designed for at a given altitude.

My answer: engine oil temperatures and pressures (and by extention, tranny temp), especially on the -60. Oh wait, that's right, that's the only place I've had to memorize them for some dumb reason.
 

RobLyman

- hawk Pilot
pilot
None
Any number associated a green/yellow/red marking. Why some people insist on knowing these is beyond me.

I agree, as long as the aircraft can accurately depict the proper color based on the limit. For instance, our aircraft has torque limits based on airspeed (< 80kts or > 80 kts) and whether we are single or dual engine. The tapes don't change with airspeed and only change based on the other engine being below 50% Ng. During a max power check/limiter check if we let the other engine go below 50% Ng, TGT limits change on the engine still at fly and the limiter check will fail because the engine was programmed to go to a higher secondary limit. Flown at 130+ kts, 135% is the single engine max continuous torque allowed during this task, even though the display indicate limits based on dual engine < 80 kts conditions. The displays are not capable of changing based on the conditions that dictate the transmission torque limits. So in some cases numbers, at least for an MTP, must be memorized even when a tape color is available, because it is not correctly correlated with the limit.

Excepting scenarios like I mentioned above, memorizing a number that correlates with the change of a color marking on a gauge/display is useless.
 

DanMa1156

Is it baseball season yet?
pilot
Contributor
The fact that Ng limits changed 3 times in 4 years and the software never updated to reflect it while I flew the 60 make me start to think it couldn't be all that important of a limit... In reality, I understand it is, but perhaps the fidelity of the absolute right number that changed that many times couldn't have been very high.

I was once asked in the FRS during a brief what some random shaft spun at. When I couldn't come up with the answer was told "it's definitely in NATOPS. You need to know this. This is day one stuff man. Let me step out and see what this means for today." (Insinuating I am going to Ready Room Unsat the event...)

Comes back 3-4 minutes later...

"Ok, I swear it used to be in NATOPS. The answer is XX,XXX RPM."

There was a note during engine water washes I think about avoiding going over some limit, which I never understood how it could happen if you followed the procedure. I can't remember what it was, never remembered hearing about anyone breaking the limit, but I remember being confused when it got added to NATOPS, and then subsequently dudes getting caught on IMDS having broken that limit.

I know there's more!
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
The fact that Ng limits changed 3 times in 4 years and the software never updated to reflect it while I flew the 60 make me start to think it couldn't be all that important of a limit... In reality, I understand it is, but perhaps the fidelity of the absolute right number that changed that many times couldn't have been very high.

I was once asked in the FRS during a brief what some random shaft spun at. When I couldn't come up with the answer was told "it's definitely in NATOPS. You need to know this. This is day one stuff man. Let me step out and see what this means for today." (Insinuating I am going to Ready Room Unsat the event...)

Comes back 3-4 minutes later...

"Ok, I swear it used to be in NATOPS. The answer is XX,XXX RPM."

I know there's more!
The best answer to how fast turbine x spins? 100%! There's no gauge for actual RPMs so who cares?

How about the 18 (more now?) functions of the DECU? Who cares, it's a magic box that makes the engines work, keeps you from blowing them up, and displays the pretty colors in the cockpit. I'm sure my car has all sorts of complex engine control functions but none of them matter because all I know is my car starts when I turn the key.

I think most of this can be summed up as useless insight in to how the watch works when all the pilot cares about is telling time. Who cares if it's quartz, automatic, or a tiny hamster; you still tell time the same way. If it's not something you can control or see from the cockpit none of it matters.
 

DanMa1156

Is it baseball season yet?
pilot
Contributor
also, I bet that big RPM number was power turbine RPM, which WAS listed... in the 57 NATOPS...

Indeed it was; I think it has since been relegated to the systems workbook. NATOPS guys a few years back did a great scrub getting rid of a lot of useless knowledge(s?) that were mostly used to harass students and not teach them what was important in NATOPS.
 
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