Day 5

I learned a lot about fuel today.

I learned about avgas, about jet fuel, about detonation, preignition, volatility, and Reid vapor pressure. I learned that microorganisms can feed on hydrocarbon fuels and cause all kinds of nasty gunga to build up in your fuel tank and, consequently, your fuel system.

So be sure and lysol your gas tank.

I learned that reciprocal engines will not run on jet fuel, but that jets will run on just about anything, including diesel. Cars will run on avgas; it's a form of gasoline.

100LL avgas (the most common avgas) contains tetraethyl lead. Cars up until the 1970s used leaded fuels. I never really knew what the lead did for the fuel. Now I do. Leaded fuel is more stable and resistant to detonation. Adding tetraethyl lead to automotive fuel allowed manufacturers to increase octane (and heptane) levels in gas, making it more powerful and stable.

Then we figured out that burning lead all of the time, everywhere probably wasn't a good idea. (So now we just do in the sky... and sometimes the water...)

Of course, I learned about fueling and defueling aircraft, as well as the safety considerations involved with that.

I watched a video from the 1960s (no shit) wherein GM engineers were trying to figure out the complexities of mid-to-high grade octane fuels, figure out the complexities of detonation and preignition, and all of that other stuff we take for granted today.

I also learned that water slugs can be entrained. And no, that doesn't sound as neat as you'd think.

Day 4

We learned about Foreign Object Debris (and/or Damage), and Foreign Object Elimination today. FOD can apparently really ruin your day.

In addition to FOD and FOE, we discussed some basic ground operations, and types of fires and fire extinguishers,  jacking and hoisting aircraft and tiedown procedures for both fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

We spoke very briefly about taxiing procedures, and hand signals, which I'll be memorizing this weekend in preparation for a taxiing exercise we will be doing later in the month.

I believe this means "Time for Tacos"

I can't believe I'm going to get to start and taxi an aircraft. I get giddy thinking about it. It's like telling a dog it's time for a walk.



On a significantly more sobering note, today I saw pictures of a corpse.

This body used to be a man, but hist head got into the rotor plane of a helicopter.

The photographs were extremely graphic. So graphic I wondered if they could possibly be real. I was assured that they were.

That really drove home some of the dangers associated with this profession.

We also learned about birdstrikes, which, though dangerous, I find amusing.
When a dog gets run over, that sucks. I feel sorry for the dog.  The dog could only really go one of 4 directions.

But the bird has the advantage of being able to go up or down. I don't feel sorry for the bird. You've got all of everything to be flying around in, and you can't avoid the aircraft coming your way? Please.

Seriously.

Apparently this happens quite often, and is one of the main reasons AMTs and A&P students will be repairing airframes.