ASAP Axis Blog

Pilots, crewmen, and the cooperation of passengers contributes significantly to safe landing procedures, perhaps more than the flight’s takeoff or in-flight operations. This is because proper landing is crucial for aircraft and passenger safety, where any lapse in judgment or attention to detail can immediately manifest as a potentially fatal accident. Furthermore, cross-wind, gusty, or foggy weather conditions can pose additional landing hazards; hence, a predefined landing sequence for safe aircraft landing is always paramount. In the case of an aborted landing, the missed approach point (MAP) is the location at a civil airport at which a pilot must immediately climb away from if the landing requirements of FAR 91.175 (c) are not fulfilled. At this point, the missed approach procedure is also set in effect if desired visual references are invisible to the pilot for another attempt at landing. As aircraft can be affected by various phenomena upon descent for landing, other instructions for a safe landing in a missed approach scenario will be discussed throughout this blog.

When speaking about fasteners, many often discuss the various nuts, bolts, and screws that connect various parts together. Despite these components being extremely useful for assembling items, they often require supportive hardware known as washers for load distribution, surface protection, locking, and more. Depending on the assembly in question, the fasteners used, and environmental conditions, there are a number of washers that one may take advantage of. In this blog, we will discuss the Fender washer in particular, that of which is a fairly common option that is comparable to standard flat washers.

Relay sockets are used alongside electromechanical switches where the variation of current in one electric circuit controls the flow of electricity in another. They are made of metal or composite materials and are designed in a variety of shapes and sizes. Typically, they differ in terms of terminal type, which is a device that has the capacity to terminate a conductor. They also vary in the number of pins per blade and the socket receptacle style.

When utilizing a pneumatic system for power transfer, it is important to have ample control over the flow of air for executing various operations. The control of the volume flow of air within a pneumatic system is made possible through the use of flow control valve components. Flow control valves allow for actuator speeds to be adjusted as necessary, and they should not be confused with regulators or pressure controllers despite sharing similar attributes. In this blog, we will discuss flow control valves in more detail, allowing you to have a better understanding of such common components.

Hoses are a form of flexible, hollow tubing that allows for fluids to be transported with ease, and they are a common element of countless aircraft assemblies. With the implementation of hoses, aircraft fluid systems can operate with ease as fluids traverse distances with little impact as a result of vibration or moving parts. As aircraft hose components serve important roles in the basic functionality of aviation fluid systems, it can be beneficial to have a general understanding of their common designs and use.

Providing ease of access to various parts of an aircraft, step ladders assist individuals into, and around, aircraft. Used by engineers, pilots, crew members, and passengers alike, there are a variety of ladders available for use within the aviation industry. To best meet your requirements, aircraft ladders can be manufactured specifically as height adjustable ladders, maintenance ladders, mobile stepladders, and boarding steps. Each unique in their own applications, ladders utilized within the aviation industry must promote stability while meeting specific Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards for the prevention of falls. To ensure you find a ladder relevant to your needs, we will briefly review different types of aviation ladders used throughout the industry.

Used to connect pipe systems to other pieces of piping or equipment, flanges are the second most popular method of assembly behind welding. Adding flexibility to pipe systems by improving ease of disassembly, three items that commonly comprise a flange are pipe flanges, gaskets, and bolting. Of these three components, when building a typical flanged connection, the materials that comprise the bolt and gasket are often the same. Capable of also being connected with parts made of certified materials, flanges are most often manufactured out of stainless steel. Other common, but not as frequently used, flanges include Monel, Inconel, Chrome Moly, and other types depending on the application. To better understand flanges, we will go over their common types, their intended purpose, and how they can be used to best fit your applications.

An aircraft stall is a condition in which the angle of attack has reached a point where lift begins to decrease. Such instances are quite dangerous, requiring a pilot to quickly fix their angle before they begin to drop. In order to prevent such hazardous incidents from occurring, many aircraft utilize the Stall Warning System which is capable of giving the pilot advance notice of any potential stall conditions. As stalls are very dangerous, understanding the functionality of the Stall Warning System and how they may be used is crucial for safe flight operations.

As aircraft are equipped with such a wide array of different lights, it can quickly become difficult to understand which lights serve what purpose and when they should be used. Some of the lights found on aircraft include rotating beacons, anti-collision/strobe lights, position/navigation lights, landing/taxi lights, and logo lights. In this blog, we will discuss the times when pilots are required to use each of these types of lights. The requirements referenced in this blog are those listed by the United States Government’s Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

When dealing with fluid applications, leaking is something that always should be avoided for the safety of assemblies as well as the performance of the device itself. As gaskets and seals both provide the ability to prevent leaking, it can sometimes be difficult to discern which is the best fit for a particular application. While seals and gaskets both have similar functionalities, it is important to understand their differences to ensure that the right kind of component is chosen.