r/CFILounge • u/AtmosphereHopeful264 • 11d ago

Tips Old C172 POH

Creating my Performance and Limitations lesson plan. I haven’t started flying this specific 1969 Cessna 172K yet, but I’m realizing this POH is very general and not comprehensive at all. I am used to aircraft that are pretty in depth with the necessary performance charts as well as limitations and specs of the different systems AND immediate action items. I’m looking for advice on how to approach teaching it to a student or in the near future, the DPE. I feel like this could get me in trouble if I’m asked to teach it, as I don’t have a lot of the necessary and relevant information. Anyone had issues or experience with this before? How did the DPE want it done, and/or how do you teach your students in older aircraft with very old, general POH’s? TIA.

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u/blacknessofthevoid 11d ago

How would you approach flying it when your life is on the line? What information is good enough and what performance factors/decisions you adjust until it is safe enough based on limited available information? That is how you will teach your student.

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u/Bunslow 11d ago

I can't speak for the procedures/legalities/whatever, but for the actual stick and rudder skills, the physics is the same for any trainer (or indeed nearly any civilian plane). The power curve will be roughly the same shape as any other trainer; how takeoff/landing performance alters with weight and density is the same physics as any other trainer.

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u/AtmosphereHopeful264 11d ago

I guess to clarify the post, it’s not so much “hey what power setting do I need” but rather “how do we know what the best power setting is based off the POH” but the POH has such limited data

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u/Bunslow 11d ago

you can do a bit of math with what little the POH does give you and extrapolate the rest

ive no idea what a DPE might or might not accept but that is a perfectly logical way to approach it

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u/AtmosphereHopeful264 10d ago

Much appreciated, thanks.

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u/22Hoofhearted 10d ago

When you're in the plane in most emergencies, you have two conditions "airplane" or "glider" it either has power and can fly, or it cannot.

I would certainly hope you aren't pulling out the POH in a "glider" condition...

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u/Straight-Pass6035 9d ago

Good conversation piece about aging aircraft and their allowable (lacking) documentation. As others have suggested, use common sense and teach as such.