Control Lock Aircraft

Control Lock Aircraft - As flight control locks prevent the movement of certain surfaces and controls, it is paramount that they are all either removed or disengaged before a flight is attempted. Without releasing each lock, pilots may lose control over rotation and will be unable to safely control the aircraft after takeoff.

To safely operate an aircraft, all locks should be removed before the engines are started, and the pilot should test for free flight control movement. Please note, Aircraft Spruce's personnel are not certified aircraft mechanics and can only provide general support and ideas, which should not be relied upon or implemented in lieu of consulting an A&P or other qualified technician.

Control Lock Aircraft

Aircraft Spruce assumes no responsibility or liability for any issue or problem which may arise from any repair, modification or other work done from this knowledge base. Any product eligibility information provided here is based on general application guidelines and we recommend always referring to your specific aircraft parts manual, the parts manufacturer or consulting with a qualified mechanic.

Strong Wind Damage Risk Mitigation

Aircraft Spruce needs to conduct serious work to improve the accuracy of their communications on their websites. There are two versions of this control lock device. This one is for the newer horn style yokes. The second version is for older bowtie style yokes.

The bowtie version will not fit the horn style yokes since the gap between the horn style yokes is slightly wider. I ended up wasting my money by having the wrong version sent to me. I rectified this by contacting the vendor directly and getting the correct version sent to me.

Be careful when ordering this product. Make sure it is suitable for your aircraft model. Information on Spruces website is not accurate and needs to be properly updated. I told them this when I returned the product I received for the correct product.

I had to contact the manufacturer for the correct information. For aircraft that are hydraulically powered and are much larger, the effects of strong gusts are not as damaging as compared to light aircraft. As such, many airliners may not have control locks and the pressure provided by the hydraulic system will be enough to retain positioning.

Direction Of Parking

If an aircraft is light enough to be damaged by strong gusts, however, the pilot should always ensure that the aircraft is oriented with its nose facing into the wind. This will ensure the maximum efficiency of control locking.

Some may also need to tie down their aircraft to prevent it from moving, and larger airliners may chock their landing gear to achieve similar results. Costs about 2x what it should, but I guess the inventor deserves to make some money for a great idea, and it is a small market.

It takes about 2 minutes to install, and it works perfectly. I have a much more complicated control lock, but I prefer this for traveling as the size and weight are negligible, and it doesn't lock the rudder, so the plane can still be towed if necessary.

Ideal for those times you are traveling and tied down on the ramp. For the most reliable and steadfast control lock components, look no further than Cogent Sourcing. Cogent Sourcing is a leading distributor of aviation tools, providing customers with everything they need for aircraft maintenance endeavors.

Control Locks Or Gust Locking/Damping?

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Super easy to install and works fantastically. My instructor has them on his Archer and Cherokee 140 and it works great on my newly acquired 1967 Cherokee 180D. It took only 5 minutes to install with a screw driver.

Although the strap works fine to lock the ailerons, I was unable to install the snap attachment to the throttle quadrant with the two screws. There is a bump in the quadrant on the piper Seneca that prevents the metal snap attachment from laying flat and able to be attached.

I'm rating this low only because I had to return it as it was the wrong type of control "lock" (Not for the bow tie yoke) and spruce didn't state that the one they sell is not for the aforementioned yoke.

How Flight Control Locks Works?

Source if you read this put a disclaimer on this lock that it cannot be used for the piper bow tie yoke. However, the risk to safe flight arises not from any damage which may be caused in this way but because there are some circumstances where such damage may not be obvious from the flight deck or detectable during a normal pre-flight external inspection.

If a Special Inspection by an engineer is not initiated in such cases, an aircraft may be released to service and get airborne without detection of damaged flight controls or their operating systems which can lead to partial or even complete loss of control as occurred to a Boeing

737-800 in Europe in 2011 after an overnight microburst. Toll Free. 877-477-7823 Customer Service: 800-861-3192 Fax: 800-329-3020 Fits & looks nice. Hopefully it will work as intended. Used Bungee Cords for decades hooked from the control yokes & Xd down to the seatbelt brackets on the tunnel.

Came back after a weekend visit out of state only to find that the wind had whipped the yokes to the point that the bungee cords came off. Don't believe that can happen with this design.

Aircraft Certification

I bought this control lock for my PA-28 a few weeks ago. It was extremely easy to install using the two screws that were already present on the left side of the throttle column. Works like a charm in keeping the control surfaces in place when the plane is not in use.

And no more stretching the left seatbelt to the max when leaving at the end of the day. "We Proudly Support Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund that serves United States Military Personnel experiencing the Invisible Wounds of War.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). Please visit website (www.fallenheroesfund.org) and help in their valiant effort". This control lock is easy to install and only requires about 5-10 minutes to: 1) Remove the gear status indication bulbs,

2) Remove two Phillips head screws on the pilot side throttle quadrant, 3) Align the adjustable control lock linkage to match the quadrant screw holes, 4) Reinstall the screws and bulbs. The nylon straps that slip over the control wheels are adjustable in length and fit perfectly on the ram horns.

Effective Aircraft Inspection After High Wind Exposure

This is a well-built and well-designed product that protects the aircraft controls at a reasonable price. In the case of most large transport aircraft with power-assisted flying controls, the required protection is provided automatically by the gust damping function of the various actuators once the hydraulic systems are no longer powered.

No pilot action is required to activate this protection. Many smaller and some larger but older transport aircraft where the flight surfaces are primarily operated directly by cables use externally-fitted gust locks to effect absolute prevention of control surface movement when necessary.

Light aircraft types may use a mechanical control lock which is fitted directly to the control column and completely prevents movement of the column and thus the elevator/stabiliser and ailerons. Some high performance business aircraft which have hydraulically-assisted cable-operated flight control systems have control locks which are lever-selected in the flight deck.

A flight control lock, also known as a gust lock, is a device that can prevent erratic movements of control surfaces due to the forces of moving air. They can come in many forms, examples being guide control lock, valve control lock, and seat control lock components.

While numerous aircraft may feature some form of protection for limiting flight control surface movement, it is recommended that light aircraft owners utilize more informal methods of securing parts when wings are a concern. In such cases, operators may lock the aileron and elevator controls with a device such as a safety belt.

For control locking components that are already built onto the aircraft, such devices are often fitted externally. In such instances, the control lock will align the control surface to an adjacent surface. Otherwise, locking components may also be internally fitted to flight controls or be managed from the flight deck with a lever.

For light aircraft in particular, an elevator or aileron control lock may be present on one of the control columns and there may also be a similar method for securing the rudder pedal. If an aircraft does not feature a fully powered flight control system, there can be a means for locking the aircraft while it's parked which would be located inside the cockpit.

External control locking components are also beneficial for such aircraft when weather is a concern. Almost all aircraft types have some means of protecting the primary flight control surfaces - rudder, elevator/stabiliser and ailerons - from significant movement due to strong winds or exposure to jet efflux or prop wash which occur whilst the aircraft is parked out of service or taxiing.

. The way in which this is accomplished is related to the way in which the flight controls are operated. The objective is to prevent sudden movements of control surfaces which may impact the full travel position at speed and introduce the possibility of structural damage to the surfaces themselves or to the adjacent structure or actuation systems.

Product works great to keep the controls secure and looks clean. I could not use the suggested screw hole in the directions to install the provided snap. Clearance issue on my Cherokee. Found another hole just below the suggested location that worked.

This is for the older non-power quadrant Piper Cherokee panel. Please note, Pilotshop's personnel are not certified aircraft mechanics and can only provide general support and ideas, which should not be relied upon or implemented in lieu of consulting an A&P or other qualified technician.

Pilotshop assumes no responsibility or liability for any issue or problem which may arise from any repair, modification or other work done from this knowledge base. Any product eligibility information provided here is based on general application guidelines and we recommend always referring to your specific aircraft parts manual, the parts manufacturer or consulting with a qualified mechanic.

Great product However, I did not rate it the full five stars due to the description not mentioning that it will not work with bow-tie yokes. I have a 1969 PA-28-140B with the bow-tie yokes, and the PA28 1968-97 part number that I was shipped will not work on bow-tie yokes.

I plan to modify mine by cutting the right side loop and adding velcro to accommodate my yoke. Otherwise, a tad pricey, but a great item! When an aircraft is parked outside a gate or hanger, it is important that it has proper protection from the forces of wind and gusts.

Without a means to lock the aircraft in place and secure flight surfaces, random movements of wind, jet blasts, or propeller wash can cause damage or even move a light aircraft. Many flaps, slats, and other control surfaces are designed to be constrained to specific ranges of deployment, and wind blasts can cause them to overextend and become either damaged or disconnected.

To ensure that an aircraft is sufficiently protected from such hazards, components known as flight control locks should always be used. Aircraft certified under 14 CFR 25.415 or EASA CS 25.415 are required to be capable of exposure to wind speeds of 65 knots from any direction without sustaining damage while parked or taxiing.

This requirement assumes that unlocked controls will be subject to guarding by the pilots and that unattended controls will be locked. A previous version of the relevant requirements which referred to a lower wind speed of 52 knots may be the compliance condition for older aircraft or their newer variants due to grandfather rights, although in the latter case, aircraft manufacturers have often chosen to voluntarily design to the

latest standard as in the case of the Boeing NG family. The FAA has issued an AC 25.415-1 (2014) to provide guidance on compliance with 25.415. The nature of the inspection to be performed by an engineer should be detailed in the AMM as a 'Special Inspection' for the potential 'high load' event which unrestrained movement of flying control surfaces represents.

This will usually be described as 'Very High Wind Gust Inspection' or similar and, as after alI 'high load' events, is likely to follow a phased sequence of inspection procedures which continue only until the evidence suggests that airworthiness is assured.

General guidance for the development of such Special Inspections by aircraft manufacturers or for aircraft operators when adapting that guidance for their operation is provided in an AIA Guide. However, aircraft operators may find that not all manufacturers include procedures for high wind inspection in their published manuals and an ad hoc request for inspection guidance may be necessary.

Getting airborne with fitted or selectable flight control locks still on can also lead to loss of control. The final assurance that elevators and ailerons are not physically locked on any aircraft type requires that a 'full and free' movement check of both elevators and ailerons is mandated before take off.

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