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Compass Requirements for FAA Inspection

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nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:00 am Post subject: Compass Requirements for FAA Inspection

At 09:51 PM 11/25/2007 -0700, you wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  



I hesitate to get involved in a "discussion" with George 

(gmcjetpilot).  He is correct about type certified aircraft needing a 

"nonstabilized magnetic compass" but homebuilts only needing a "Magnetic 

Direction Indicator"  But his statement  "you can fly without a compass at 

all in an experimental for VFR day. However for VFR night/IFR you do need 

a compass" is in error.



AOPA always advises in their CFI refresher clinics to reply to any FAR 

question with "I don't know.  Let's read what they say."


	


    The vast majority of unhappy events in airplanes

    happen because somebody did something careless

    or stupid.



    The survival of the agencies that craft

    virtual libraries of "rules to make us safe"

    hinges upon the ignorance of both agency

    foot soldiers AND citizen subjects. Ignorance

    of all parties in the discussion obscures

    the great rules to make us safe hoax.



    The "real" problem is that like most no-

    value-added activities that government

    bestows upon the great numbers of ignorant

    and unwashed among us is that members of

    these august organizations are products of

    the same schools and lifestyles to which

    we subject our children today.



    When a group of individuals like those who

    choose to become competent builders and operators

    of airplanes begin to examine "the rules",

    they are confounded by the lack of clarity

    for what the rules are intended to accomplish

    exacerbated by lack of understanding and

    practical authority on the part of agency

    foot soldiers.



    The inevitable result of discussions intended

    to clarify the unclear is not unlike the

    Presbyterians debating the Baptists

    as to which of them is going to hell because

    he/she is not correctly interpreting and

    observing the "true and proper rule."



    Not once in my admittedly limited flying

    career have I found it necessary or even

    useful to refer to the magnetic heading

    indicator hanging from the windshield other

    than to set the DG before takeoff . . . and

    knowing the runway alignment gets one in

    the ballpark for DG settings anyhow.



    I fly with dual, hand-held, battery powered

    GPS as sole source of really useful navigation

    information. This makes stuff on the panel

    my multiply redundant backup for the hand-helds

    which (if blessed with well considered management

    of batteries) have never failed to offer

    data needed for competent navigation. Data

    with stability and quality that far exceeds

    anything the cork bobbling in the bottle

    or stuff on the panel can offer.



    But like TSA folks who "make us safe" from

    terrorism my frisking old ladies and babies

    for box cutters, crusaders against

    stupid behavior are obligated to enforce

    their (or their supervisor's) interpretation

    of the rules. Like the Presbyterians and Baptists,

    no matter how the discussion resolves,

    the participants remain just just as vulnerable to

    acts of stupid behavior as if the rules

    had never existed.



    If someone with the power to make your

    life miserable says "you gotta have a compass"

    then the really smart people click their

    heals, salute and say "SIR, YES SIR!"

    Once that little piece of paper is signed

    assuring one and all that stupid behavior

    is hereby and forever banished from your

    airplane's cockpit, take the thing out.



    Your successful recipe for mitigating risk

    has more to do with understanding design

    goals that go to assuring a long and prosperous

    life than will dutiful observance of "rules

    against stupid behavior".



    Yeah, there's always risk of crossing

    paths with the dreaded and sometimes dangerous

    predators known as ramp-checkers. Tell

    them the compass was pulled to go

    into a shop for re-juicing and a health

    checkup . . . then ask if you can buy

    them a cup of coffee. But try to

    avoid further debate about which of

    you is going to hell for failure to

    observe any particular rule.



    I am observing a slow but inexorable climb

    in "warranty expense" to manufacturers who

    have embraced the great "rules against

    stupid behavior" hoax (ISO9000 among others).

    The rise in cost of ownership for a contemporary

    production airplane continues to outpace inflation.

    Return on investment for both manufacturer

    and owner keeps getting worse because a

    penchant for crafting and enforcing rules

    has replaced the need for understanding

    and individual pride of competent craftsmanship.



    You folks here on the List may be among the

    last communities in aviation where relative

    safety happens because you're more focused on

    doing a competent job than upon "dancing to the

    music of the rule books."



    Bob . . .

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fstringham

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 87

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:27 am Post subject: Compass Requirements for FAA Inspection

Bob

  

 Thanks for stating my sentiments.........now back to fending off those that believe the letter of law (always) trumps common sense.

  

 Frank (at) SGU  RV7A  96% done 90% to go.....Z13/8

  [quote][b]

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nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:58 am Post subject: Compass Requirements for FAA Inspection

At 11:02 AM 11/26/2007 -0600, you wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  



          The cost of a Whisky compass compared to other instruments most 

 experimental builders purchase is rather moot. Why not just install one 

 that can be removed and installed in seconds. If ramp checked one could 

 just reach to the readilly available compass and slide it into place. I 

 don't think there is anything stated in the FAR's requiring the compass 

 to be permanently mounted. If ramp checked one could use an excuse 

 something like "I dismounted it for better visability while landing". 

 This is what I plan to do. Hopefully it will keep everyone happy.


	


    Sounds good to me. Cuts way down on the

    need for "A glass of Jack and an aspirin

    sandwich."



    Bob . . .

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AirMike

Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Posts: 514
Location: Nevada

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:02 pm Post subject: Compass Requirements for FAA Inspection

While I agree with a lot of what you say, I must say that I once has a total electrical failure and my PAI vertical card compass sure came in handy to fly the reciprocal backs to Carson City from the middle of the Nevada desert

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_________________
See you OSH '18
Q/B - sold.

nuckolls.bob(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 7:53 am Post subject: Compass Requirements for FAA Inspection

At 11:02 PM 11/27/2007 -0800, you wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  



While I agree with a lot of what you say, I must say that I once has a 

total electrical failure and my PAI vertical card compass sure came in 

handy to fly the reciprocal backs to Carson City from the middle of the 

Nevada desert


	


    That's why I fly with dual, $100 hand-held

    GPS receivers that do not depend on power

    from the ship's electrical system.



http://www.aeroelectric.com/Pictures/Misc/Failure_Tolerance.pdf

        Bob . . .



        ----------------------------------------)

        ( . . .  a long habit of not thinking   )

        ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial )

        ( appearance of being right . . .       )

        (                                       )

        (                  -Thomas Paine 1776-  )

        ----------------------------------------

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