Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

1 Answers

Cowl flaps during commercial maneuvers

Asked by: 2794 views , , ,
Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor

How do you teach the use of cowl flaps during commercial maneuvers in something like a 182?

Would it be reasonable to simplify everything for the student and always allow them to leave cowl flaps open or closed?

Or would you require them to close cowl flaps for steep spirals, and open them from chandelles?  Any preference for lazy 8's and 8's on pylons?

My preference would be to simplify and have them closed the whole time since there are not prolonged low or high power settings, and closed would be consistent with where a cruise checklist would leave them configured.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Dan

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

1 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Apr 07, 2016

    Given the purpose of cowl flaps, you make a good point about whether they are needed. But if you are looking at the question from a “need” standpoint, doesn’t that itself go against your desire to simplify?

    I can easily see doing a chandelle in a 182 in the winter in North Dakota with cowl flaps closed throughout. Even better, I get to show off my systems knowledge (a commercial task) to the Examiner by saying, “It’s cold outside and engine temps are cool, so I am not going to worry about opening the cowl flaps.”

    I can just as easily see the exact opposite on a warm summer day in Florida.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.