NAFI NOTAMs #23 |
Experiment: Low Oil Pressure~Guest Blogger Jon Kotwicki CFII/MEIWhen most pilots think about losing oil pressure in a piston engine; they envision the engine violently sputtering as the oil heats up, loses viscosity, and ultimately thins to the point where it can no longer provide adequate lubrication, leading to “metal on metal” contact, quickly seizing the engine and perhaps throwing a rod in the process.
Now, we are by no means recommending that you casually continue on to your destination if you lose oil pressure; but rather that you are aware of what loss of oil pressure can look like. If you do begin losing oil pressure, know that you’ll most likely have time. Time to think, time to climb, and just maybe, if there are many fields on the way back to the airport, time to make it home. On the other side of the spectrum, don’t think that just because your engine is running smoothly that it is your oil pressure or temperature gauge that is faulty. If something’s running high or low, it’s time to find a good place to land.
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John, thanks for reading/watching!!
Great test that I have never seen before...wow....subscribed...Thank you