Jerry, great preflight, pretty much like the one I do on our '62 Skyknight. My 2 cents on preflight: I've had two emergencies in our 320 due to incomplete preflight, both as copilot in charge of the checklist, my fault. The first one not even qualifies as emergency but is a good example of bad and good airmanship. We were leaving Cartago airport (SKGO) in Colombia long time before the drug cartels even existed, the airport has a bad name, I was around 14 years old wanted to earn my place as a copilot for my dad. I thought I had studied thoroughly the POH and checklist but seems I missed a point. Immediately after take-off we felt a very strong vibration apparently coming from the left engine. My dad told me: both engines are giving full power and good instrument indications, he calmly steered left and after a steady traffic pattern landed the airplane safely. Once in ground the vibration disappeared. He proceeded to shut down the left engine leaving #2 on as he knew hot starts on the C320 can be tricky. He opened the glove compartment, handed me a screwdriver and told me: go check the battery cover plate (just outboard of the left engine). I found that someone overnight had been trying to steal our batteries, left 4 screws unsecured, the ones holding the forward part of the cover plate, the ones on the rear were still secured. That was the source of the terrible vibration. The airflow lifted the forward part of the battery cover acting as a powerful airbrake and vibration source. Once the Dzus fasteners were secured I returned to my seat, my dad started the engine again and we had a very normal flight from there on. I learned the lesson: DO NOT SKIP PREFLIGHT CHECK LIST POINTS. Second and hardest lesson (I missed another preflight check point again): This one happened years later, this time I had earned my place as copilot, had a single engine private pilot license and many years of twin engine experience. Our mechanic had been working on the cabin heater and we were going to test the heater in flight. We tool off as usual, POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB ---- LANDING GEAR: RETRACT (visual check using small convex mirror on the left engine cowling) and then wait for red light indicating gear up. The nose gear retracted partially and no red light turned on, we were in trouble, at least we were sure what was going on. Dad kept on climbing, I was doing the radio, told the control tower we had a landing gear malfunction and we were heading NE to a clear of traffic zone. We checked the circuit breaker, we reseted it, tried to lower the gear but the breaker tripped again, something was blocking the gear and overloading the electric motor, I remembered the work on the heater located in the nose of the aircraft, the mechanic most surely unsecured the nose gear doors and left them loose, that was blocking the nose gear movement. I told my dad: We should try manual gear extraction, he was flying as calmly as ever. I placed the gear switch handle in the mid off position, extended the handle under the pilot´s seat and started cranking the handle according to the POH. After few turns the handle became harder to turn, I decided to increase the force and suddenly after a thud the handle became very easy to turn. The nose gear in the mirror moved downward until the green light appeared and the handle cranked no more. The landing was normal and once we landed I checked the nose gear doors, the pins used to fasten them to the connecting rods had been removed. Another BIG MISS. Never skip a point from the preflight checklist.
Thanks for another great video Jerry! I love when we get to see 3318Q from the outside.... such a sexy gal she is! I've always loved the Cessna 310/20 look with the tip tanks, and your paint scheme is awesome. And your 70 Chevelle SS is awesome as well.. my kinda guy.. aviation and 70's muscle cars. You rock Jerry!
I noticed the landing light switches look identical and are in the same location as the md80 as described here at 4 minutes: th-cam.com/video/7R0CViDUBFs/w-d-xo.html
Does this airplane have the TSIO-540 Lycoming 350hp engines. Is this one of those rare Riley machines with STOL kit and counter rotating propellers? I have information - the most powerful of the Riley Rocket/Turbostream 310/320's had an initial climb rate of 3000 ft. per minute and cruise speed of 260 kts. I find that cruise speed hard to believe; I don't think the air-frame has thick enough sheet aluminum to permit that speed. The Piper Aerostar was built from the beginning for that kind of speed - using thick aluminum skin, thin wings in a mid-wind configuration. However, the drawback to the Aerostar is maneuverability and stall speed.
Jerry, great videos…infact too great, sold my Barron and bought a 320f…awesome plane…what do you use for a check list, I have the owners manual, but the information is minimal compared to a POH…another question…when do you use the low fuel pump setting…and are the main tank fuel pumps always on when the battery is on? Best, keep the video’s going..great resourse…Chuck (white94117@gmail.com)
Another great video. Really good idea about the fully open and fully closed doors, I'm defiantly going to adopt that from now on.
Thanks for this video, Jerry. I like how you said to do everything the same every time, good advice. Great looking plane.
Jerry, great preflight, pretty much like the one I do on our '62 Skyknight.
My 2 cents on preflight: I've had two emergencies in our 320 due to incomplete preflight, both as copilot in charge of the checklist, my fault. The first one not even qualifies as emergency but is a good example of bad and good airmanship. We were leaving Cartago airport (SKGO) in Colombia long time before the drug cartels even existed, the airport has a bad name, I was around 14 years old wanted to earn my place as a copilot for my dad. I thought I had studied thoroughly the POH and checklist but seems I missed a point. Immediately after take-off we felt a very strong vibration apparently coming from the left engine. My dad told me: both engines are giving full power and good instrument indications, he calmly steered left and after a steady traffic pattern landed the airplane safely. Once in ground the vibration disappeared. He proceeded to shut down the left engine leaving #2 on as he knew hot starts on the C320 can be tricky. He opened the glove compartment, handed me a screwdriver and told me: go check the battery cover plate (just outboard of the left engine). I found that someone overnight had been trying to steal our batteries, left 4 screws unsecured, the ones holding the forward part of the cover plate, the ones on the rear were still secured. That was the source of the terrible vibration. The airflow lifted the forward part of the battery cover acting as a powerful airbrake and vibration source. Once the Dzus fasteners were secured I returned to my seat, my dad started the engine again and we had a very normal flight from there on. I learned the lesson: DO NOT SKIP PREFLIGHT CHECK LIST POINTS.
Second and hardest lesson (I missed another preflight check point again):
This one happened years later, this time I had earned my place as copilot, had a single engine private pilot license and many years of twin engine experience. Our mechanic had been working on the cabin heater and we were going to test the heater in flight. We tool off as usual, POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB ---- LANDING GEAR: RETRACT (visual check using small convex mirror on the left engine cowling) and then wait for red light indicating gear up. The nose gear retracted partially and no red light turned on, we were in trouble, at least we were sure what was going on. Dad kept on climbing, I was doing the radio, told the control tower we had a landing gear malfunction and we were heading NE to a clear of traffic zone. We checked the circuit breaker, we reseted it, tried to lower the gear but the breaker tripped again, something was blocking the gear and overloading the electric motor, I remembered the work on the heater located in the nose of the aircraft, the mechanic most surely unsecured the nose gear doors and left them loose, that was blocking the nose gear movement. I told my dad: We should try manual gear extraction, he was flying as calmly as ever. I placed the gear switch handle in the mid off position, extended the handle under the pilot´s seat and started cranking the handle according to the POH. After few turns the handle became harder to turn, I decided to increase the force and suddenly after a thud the handle became very easy to turn. The nose gear in the mirror moved downward until the green light appeared and the handle cranked no more. The landing was normal and once we landed I checked the nose gear doors, the pins used to fasten them to the connecting rods had been removed. Another BIG MISS.
Never skip a point from the preflight checklist.
thanks, Excellent examples
Thanks for another great video Jerry! I love when we get to see 3318Q from the outside.... such a sexy gal she is! I've always loved the Cessna 310/20 look with the tip tanks, and your paint scheme is awesome. And your 70 Chevelle SS is awesome as well.. my kinda guy.. aviation and 70's muscle cars. You rock Jerry!
Every movie you can learn something new :)
I noticed the landing light switches look identical and are in the same location as the md80 as described here at 4 minutes:
th-cam.com/video/7R0CViDUBFs/w-d-xo.html
+New State Journal Yes, looks like the same system, it appears I am in "good company"
Im curious to know. Is there, and if so where, is the ground power unit plug for this plane?
zombiekiller091 under left wing. Search my videos for dead battery to see in use
Thank you so much! I will check out more of your videos for information!
Does this airplane have the TSIO-540 Lycoming 350hp engines. Is this one of those rare Riley machines with STOL kit and counter rotating propellers?
I have information - the most powerful of the Riley Rocket/Turbostream 310/320's had an initial climb rate of 3000 ft. per minute and cruise speed of 260 kts.
I find that cruise speed hard to believe; I don't think the air-frame has thick enough sheet aluminum to permit that speed. The Piper Aerostar was built from the beginning for that kind of speed - using thick aluminum skin, thin wings in a mid-wind configuration. However, the drawback to the Aerostar is maneuverability and stall speed.
Factory TSIO-520B. 285 horsepower, Not counter rotating Props, the factory 285HP per side provides plenty of power and speed
Jerry, great videos…infact too great, sold my Barron and bought a 320f…awesome plane…what do you use for a check list, I have the owners manual, but the information is minimal compared to a POH…another question…when do you use the low fuel pump setting…and are the main tank fuel pumps always on when the battery is on? Best, keep the video’s going..great resourse…Chuck (white94117@gmail.com)
chuck White you have mail