The PS Engineering audio control panels
have many convenient features and offer
excellent intercom performance. One feature I use often and really love is the button
mounted on the control yoke that changes
the active transmitter from one radio to the
other without reaching over to press a button on the audio panel itself.
But, it’s possible to bump that transmitter
change button accidentally and not notice it.
The button is mounted on the inboard horn
of the control wheel, so it’s away from the
hand you normally use to fly so you’re not
likely to hit it while reaching for the push-to-talk button, or the trim switch, or even the
control wheel steering button many autopilots have. Those buttons are all on the
outboard control horn to be near the fingers
on the hand you normally use to fly.
So I’m not sure how I have mistakenly hit
the transmitter change button, but I have.
Maybe I hit it when reaching around the
cockpit to dial a frequency or enter new data
in the avionics. Or maybe I bumped it with a
chart resting on the control wheel. However
The weight of unneeded
fuel robs performance that
may be more important than
extra hours of fuel reserve.
it happens, it has, and it can be hard to notice,
particularly if the frequency is not busy.
I did it recently approaching Duluth.
There was little traffic so pretty long silences
on the frequency were the norm. My clear-
ance was direct to the airport, which took
me over several tall broadcast towers south
of the airport that required a minimum alti-
tude of 3, 100 feet, which is what I had been
cleared to. There was an annoying broken
layer of clouds at that level, so I was getting
only glimpses of the airport ahead but
thought once past the towers I would be
cleared to descend for the visual approach.
Sport pilots have more fun!
SAVE THE DATE!
January 19-22
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