Blue Sky Aviation New Aircraft Checkout

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Blue Sky Aviation New Aircraft Checkout Dakota PA-28-236 A brief history: Piper has introduced so many variants of the original (1962) PA-28 design that it’s hard to keep track of which Cherokee is which. Our “PA-28” is actually the PA-28-236, or more commonly known as the Dakota. The Dakota was introduced in 1979 as a new model, but it was really the second generation of the PA-28-235 Pathfinder. In fact, the Dakota and Pathfinder were almost identical in every way but one: Piper decided that a new tapered wing would lessen induced drag when compared to the old “Hershey bar” wing. This new tapered wing design gave the Dakota a number of distinct advantages over its predecessor; it was faster, carried more fuel, and even had better climb performance too. Our Dakota is actually a first-year model but has been improved substantially since it flew off the factory line: a G3X, a GTN 750, and a GFC500 autopilot system. 1 Like previous checkouts, we have prepared an “open book” questionnaire as a way to help you get familiar with the Dakota. In addition to this document, you should know that all required documents, including both the POH and manuals, are on the Blue Sky website. Please bring this completed document to your checkout session with your CFI. Feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have during your checkout. Being prepared will expedite the checkout (read: more flying, less talking). Your first check out in the Dakota is for VFR purposes only so that we can facilitate getting everyone checked quickly. You will find the avionics quite similar to the Skylane. And you’ll find it a little heavier on the controls than the Archer. It will be up to you and your instructor to assess the need for any IFR training based on your currency and familiarity with the Dakota’s systems. The following set of questions is meant to be practical - all the information contained within is to help you be a better, safer pilot. New planes always present various challenges, and the Dakota is no different. Here’s to a great addition to our fleet!! Pilot______________________________ Date_____________ General: 1. Is the Dakota certified for IFR operations? YES/NO 2. Let’s say you want to get your CFI cert. and you need one hour of spin training. 3. Can you do that in the Dakota? YES/NO 4. What engine is in the Dakota? Lycoming O-540 and 235HP. 5. What is static RPM? 2400 RPM 6. Do you need a high-performance endorsement to fly a Dakota? YES. 7. How many quarts of oil does the engine take? 12 quarts 8. What is the minimum number of quarts of oil for normal use? 9 quarts 9. What is the minimum number of quarts in an O-540? 2.75 quarts! (Section 8.19) Note: That’s NOT the club minimum. 10. What is the maximum engine oil operating temperature? 245 degrees F. 11. Note: Don’t confuse this with CHT; this is OIL temp. 12. What is the normal engine oil pressure range? 25-100 PSI 13. What is the maximum cylinder head temperature (CHT) of the O-540? 500 F 14. What are considered good CHTs during most operations of the O-540? <= 400 F degrees Fuel System: 2 13. What is the normal fuel pressure range? 0.5-8 PSI 14. What kind of fuel does the Dakota take? 100LL 15. What color is the fuel normally? Blue 16. What is the total fuel capacity? 77 US Gallons 17. How much of that is usable? 72 US gallons 18. How much fuel per wing? 38.5 US gallons 19. How many fuel drains are there and where are they located? Three drains, two located in the inboard rear corner of the wing and another one from the cowling at the lower left front corner of the firewall. 20. How many gallons of fuel do you have per wing if you see fuel at the bottom of the indicator tab? 25 gallons (Section 7.15) 21. How many fuel pumps does the Dakota have? Two, one engine-driven and one electrically operated by a rocker switch on the switch panel. 22. Does the Dakota have a BOTH detent on the fuel selector? No, it has OFF, LEFT, and RIGHT. 23. When changing fuel tanks what should you do first? The fuel pump should be turned ON and fuel pressure should be verified before turning the fuel pump OFF. Electrical System: 24. What kind of battery does the Dakota have? 12-volt 25. What kind of alternator does it have? 14-volt, 60A 26. What does the ammeter display? The load placed on the alternator, or what the battery needs to stay charged. 27. What is the maximum continuous load? 30 amps (Section 7.17) 28. If the alternator dies in flight, do you immediately lose all electronics? No, the battery will be drained after a while (depending on load) and there are internal batteries for each G5 that last ~4 hours each. 29. If you see the ALT annunciation during flight, what is the first thing you should check? The ALT circuit breaker to see if it has tripped. Check battery voltage and load on ammeter. 30. If the ALT circuit breaker is tripped, what should you do? This is a high load breaker. It tripped for a reason. You should carefully evaluate whether it is required for continued flight before resetting. Landing Gear: 31. What kind of landing gear does the Dakota have? Tricycle fixed gear 32. What are proper tire pressures? The nose gear tire should take 29 PSI and the mains should be between 35-40 PSI for normal operation. (Section 8.23). 33. What is proper strut exposure? There should be 3.25 inches of clearance for the nose and 4.5 inches for the mains. 34. Can you put air in the tire as part of routine maintenance under Part 43? YES 35. Can you adjust the struts? NO, needs to be placed on jacks first. Flaps: 36. Does the Dakota have electrically controlled flaps? NO 37. How do you operate the flaps? There is a bar on the floor that you pull up which has a spring lock to keep it in place. 38. What flap positions can be selected? 10, 25, and 40 degrees 39. Can you use the flaps as a step? YES but they have to be in the full up position. The flaps will not support any kind of step load unless they are completely retracted. (Section 7.13)