Basic Cessna questions

So for the most part peope who Sim with a Cessna could probably fly the plane, but there's two basic things I don't even know.

1) How do you start it? LOL I read in a book you turn the key to both? What is R and L for? I just press control + E in the Sim.

2) How do you talk on the radio? Is there a red PTT button on the yoke?

If you just turn the key to start in the real aircraft you'll never get it to start. There's always a checklist available, which you should use, but generally, after the preflight and getting your seatbelt on and doors closed, you turn on the master switch, push the mixture control to full rich, crack the throttle about 1/8 inch and, if the engine is cold you prime^* one or two shots, perhaps a third one if it's really cold, then turn the key (magneto switch) to start, releasing it as soon as the engine starts.

The L and R positions of the ignition switch stand for Left and Right magneto. Unlike a car (but much like some older lawn mowers) magnetos are used for the spark that feeds the spark plugs, rather than a distributor (older cars) or the more modern electronic equivalent. So during the runup^# (starting and runup are in the FSX lessons) you'll run the engine up to about 1800 RPM (depends on the vintage), lean the mixture (especially if you're at or above 3000 feet), then briefly turn the mag switch to left (see if it keeps running) and check for an RPM drop of no more than 150 RPM or so, then back to both, then to right (see if it keeps running) and check RPM, then back to both. It's to be certain that both magnetos are operating properly -- remember, you can't pull off to the side of the road if something goes wrong.

Operating the radio depends on how the aircraft is equipped, but the push to talk is usually either the button on a hand held microphone or something mounted on the yoke when wearing a headset. New aircraft may have a button built in to the yoke, but most of the older ones would need a button inline with the headset cord. For aircraft without one built in I have a portable intercom which can plug into the jacks on the panel, and my headset(s) plug into the intercom, with an additional jack on the intercom to plug in the push to talk cord (the button uses velcro to mount on the yoke). This is the intercom that I have.

Back when I started flying (1969) headsets and intercoms were expensive and scarce in general aviation, so it was almost always a handheld microphone, listening on the cabin speaker. I wore earplugs to protect my ears (still carry a pair in my pocket). Communication with a student was much more difficult then because you had to shout (with or without ear plugs) to be heard over the cabin noise.

* The engine primer is on the panel and is a plunger that you pull out, let rest a few moments to fill with fuel, then push back in to give one shot. It rotates to lock it in the stowed position when not in use.

# The runup is generally done after the engine is warmed up, usually near the end of the runway. Some fields have a pad there specifically for runup, but on most others when you get to the end of the taxiway just before getting on the runway, you'll turn the aircraft a little to direct your prop blast away from any aircraft behind you, then go through your pre-takeoff checklist, which is more extensive than I describe here -- check out the checklist for the default C172 in the sim.

Thanks for that bit of Info. Looks like it was more complicated than I thought, and since I cheat in the Sim using control + E I had no idea.

Does the lessons in the Sim cover this? I never bothered with any of that.

Thanks for that bit of Info. Looks like it was more complicated than I thought, and since I cheat in the Sim using control + E I had no idea.

 

Does the lessons in the Sim cover this? I never bothered with any of that.

Yes. And the different types of `start` for different aircraft types.