BETA Range

[English]

classic...

 

[avbug]

While I wouldn't do it, I know folks descending after dropping jumpers in King air's that use beta on the way down. I've been known to use beta just above the flare at the runway threshold on short fields in a King Air 200. There are those who decry running over the gate with the nosewheel in the air too, to which I disagree. On ice perhaps...but not on dry cement.

Coming past the gate to plant the airplane can be done gently, and is a similiar short field technique to bringing up the flaps in the flare to accomplish the same purpose. At high speeds and/or reversing, no...but low speeds down low, yes; operational technique.

 

[91100 100 set]

Occasionally, when you see a Dash taxing around with an engine feathered, it could be because the engine ECU is inop. With the ECU working normally, it keeps the prop out of the prohibited range (500-780 prpm if I recall correctly), without the ECU, the unfeathered prop will run rightin the middle of that range unless you push the power lever up a fair bit (too much thrust to taxi around with). So you must run it in feather until you're ready to push it up for takeoff, and then feather it again clearing the runway. At ALG, we could dispatch like this (with one engine ECU inop), but not if the runways had ANY contamination, or any surface had any FROZEN contamination (again, if I remember correctly) because you'd essentially be taxiing around single engine. In five years, I think I only saw 2 or 3 inop ECU's, and it was kind of a hassle, but more so inflight, especially on approach, because the power levers would end up being split quite a bit, and each engine would respond to power lever movements differently, so the approach was very often a little crooked (but not enough to notice unless you were actually flying).

Other times, it's just common practice to save a little fuel. The fuel flow difference is negligable in my opinion.

 

[LearLove]

Occasionally, when you see a Dash taxing around with an engine feathered, it could be because the engine ECU is inop. With the ECU working normally, it keeps the prop out of the prohibited range (500-780 prpm if I recall correctly), without the ECU, the unfeathered prop will run rightin the middle of that range unless you push the power lever up a fair bit (too much thrust to taxi around with). So you must run it in feather until you're ready to push it up for takeoff, and then feather it again clearing the runway. At ALG, we could dispatch like this (with one engine ECU inop), but not if the runways had ANY contamination, or any surface had any FROZEN contamination (again, if I remember correctly) because you'd essentially be taxiing around single engine. In five years, I think I only saw 2 or 3 inop ECU's, and it was kind of a hassle, but more so inflight, especially on approach, because the power levers would end up being split quite a bit, and each engine would respond to power lever movements differently, so the approach was very often a little crooked (but not enough to notice unless you were actually flying).

Other times, it's just common practice to save a little fuel. The fuel flow difference is negligable in my opinion.

Gotta love that Allegheny Dash 8 space shuttle training program. I couldn't really tell you the first thing about the E-170. I still don't completely understand even the E-170 "power up" checklist, but I could take a checkride/type ride in the Dash 8 right now and pass because that crap is burned into my head.

 

[Donsa320]

Seems I recall a CASA accident at DTW wherein the left prop got into BETA on final to runway 21R and the airplane ended up in the terminal gates with fatalities.

As I recall the captain had a history of doing that.

 

[pilotyip]

Yea at DTW he arrived at the gate upside down, lots of people killed.

 

[atrdriver]

Other times, it's just common practice to save a little fuel. The fuel flow difference is negligable in my opinion.

On the ATR the fuel flow at ground idle is about 600 lbs/hour, while it is about 400 lbs/hour in feather. We normally taxi with #1 shut down though to save the gas. If we end up having to wait out a storm or other very long delay you will sometimes see us feather #2 to save the extra 200 lbs/hour, especially if we are tight on min fuel.