Many of us struggle with the techniques appropriate to starting our fuel-injected, big-block Lycomings and Continentals -especially when they're hot! Quite apart from the frustration and embarrassment, improper starting techniques can result in flooded engines, fires, cooked starter-motors, airframe and engine damage, flat batteries and even (potentially) personal injury or fatalities. Generally speaking, cold-starts are not an issue, whilst it appears that many of the difficulties associated with hot-starting these engines stem from the tendency of the fuel in the lines to vaporise due the residual heat in the engine. Cold Start: Master: ON Mags: ON Mixture: FULL RICH Throttle:…

A Cowboy’s Guide to the Cessna 185 These notes are just a collection of thoughts and observations on operating, handling, owning, maintaining and enjoying the Cessna 185. There is very little reference material available for newly-rated pilots or new owners to study on this aircraft, so the following may be of benefit! It is intended to be a useful guide (as opposed to an Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM), which today is written more by lawyers, for lawyers with the sole intention of avoiding legal liability), so may contain advice on some operations that you consider to be ill-advised or outside…