Gentlemen,
I don't want to add to controversy, but...
I have independently come to the conclusion of using pip pins... actually t
he little red spring loaded ones from the Andair fuel selectors.
Loosing a door in flight is Bad - Bad - Bad!
External Placcards describing how to open the door, and glider window vents
allow access to the internal locking mechanism when on the ground.- Glid
ers don't have external door handles... there is no reason our Europas need
external door handles either.
Dave Conrad
A078, Monowheel
914, short and long wings
Building
--- On Wed, 11/18/09, Raimo Toivio <raimo.toivio@rwm.fi> wrote:
From: Raimo Toivio <raimo.toivio@rwm.fi>
Subject: Europa-List: Door locked inflight by pip-pins.
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 5:20 AM
=0A=0A =0A#yiv442352437 hmmessage P {=0APADDING-RIGHT:0px;PADDING-LEFT:0px;
PADDING-BOTTOM:0px;MARGIN:0px;PADDING-TOP:0px;}=0A#yiv442352437 {=0AFONT-SI
ZE:10pt;FONT-FAMILY:Verdana;}=0A=0A=0A"Are you serious ? In an accident, ho
w would a potential rescuer get the =0Adoors open ?"
=0AKarl,=0A-=0AI understand your point but I have thought it very =0Acare
fully and I am very serious and happy with my always locked doors when =0Ai
nflight (I have pip-pins both side)!=0A-=0AThe risks of the unlocked door
s-when =0Ainflight-are heavier than the risks of the pip-pin locked doo
rs when crash =0Alanded.=0A-=0AConsider this:=0A-=0A1)-An unthinking
passenger-can easily lift the =0Alever and ask "what is this?". Shit happ
ens, really.=0AThe pip pin prevents accidents like this --a =0Apilot-ha
s more time to react and say no no no.=0AThe function of the pip-pin is in
this case to be a =0Aretarder!=0A-=0A2) Pilots=B4s or co-pilot=B4s sleeve
could easily lift the =0Alever by accident - pip pin prevents this.=0AThe
guard alone is good but not 100% guaranteed. The =0Afunction of the pip-pin
is in this case to be a safety catch.=0A-=0A3) Passenger side=B4s pip-pi
n is a good, simple and =0Aeffective door lock when grounded.=0AThe functio
n of the pip-pin is in this case to be just a =0Alock.=0A-=0A4) I have in
my POH: before emergency landing remove =0Adoor pip-pins.=0A-=0A5) In th
e case of emergency landing and the doors are =0Astill locked: do you reall
y think it is difficult to open the door? Just kick =0Athe window and it is
gone, surely! For "potential rescuer" it is not a problem =0Aat all! It is
the smallest worry in this case! Those pip-pins are clearly =0Avisible and
understandable.=0A-=0ABTW-both of the C172=B4s--doors-are =0Ainf
light lockable. I know some people-lock them and some do not. I locked
=0Athem always when flying but that was for personal comfort only. When loc
ked the =0Alever was levelled and the armrest was usable. I am not sure wha
t do they say in =0ACessnas POH - my guess is "do open the door locks befor
e landing".=0A-=0AKarl, do you accept my (serious) points? =0A-=0AWould
you like to see the pick of my pip-pin equipped =0Adoor lever guards?=0A
=0A=0A=0A
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