Section 7
Columbia 400 (LC41-550FG)
Description of the Airplane and Systems
Initial Issue of Manual: November 10, 2004
RC050002
Latest Revision Level/Date: A/12-01-2004
7-133
Audio Alerts –
A female voice will alert the pilot in the following situations:
•
“Leaving Altitude” – when the altitude monitor is active and the altitude deviation is
exceeded.
•
“Traffic” – when a TIS traffic alert is received
•
“Timer Expired” – when the Count Down timer expires.
•
“Traffic Not Available” – when TIS service is not available or out of range of an operating
TIS Mode S site.
TRANS-CAL SSD 120 BLIND ENCODER/DIGITIZER
General
– The Trans-Cal SSD 120 encoder is a self-contained, solid-state electronic device that
determines the pressure altitude of the airplane. The device samples atmospheric pressure from
the airplane’s static system with the barometric scale of the encoder set to 29.92 inches of Hg.
The pressure altitude of the airplane is then converted to a digital equivalent or is encoded. When
the encoder is connected to the airplane’s transponder in Mode C operations and receives an
interrogation from an air traffic control entity, the unit will transmit the encoded pressure altitude
to the ground station. The ground station corrects the encoded pressure altitude for local pressure
variations before the altitude of the airplane is displayed on the ground-based system.
Depressing the altitude (ALT) button on the GTX 327 or GTX 330 transponder will activate the
encoder. If the solid-state pressure sensor has had sufficient time to warm up and stabilize, it will
reply to Mode C altitude interrogations. It is important to realize that changing settings in the
Kollsman window of the airplane’s altimeter does not affect the blind encoder. However, an
incorrect altimeter setting will cause the airplane to fly at an altitude different from the assigned
altitude, and the incorrect or unassigned flight altitude will be displayed on the ground-based
radar. When ATC indicates that the altitude readout is invalid, the first thing the pilot should
check is the airplane’s altimeter setting.
Altitude Range and Accuracy
– The encoder is designed to provide reliable altitude
information from a pressure altitude of -1,000 feet to a pressure altitude of 30,000 feet. Within
this range of operating pressure altitudes, the encoder is accurate to ± 50 feet.
CONTROL STICK SWITCHES AND HEADSET PLUG POSITIONS
As discussed on page 7-10, there
is a hat switch on the top portion of the pilot’s and copilot’s
control stick for operation of the trim tabs. In addition, both sticks have a Push-to-talk (PTT)
microphone transmitter switch and the pilot’s stick has an autopilot function switch (AFS).
Please see Figure 7 - 51 for a drawing of the pilot’s control stick grip.
Autopilot Disconnect Switch (ADS) –
The ADS is a spring-loaded rocker switch on the top left
side of the pilot’s control stick and is normally operated with the thumb of the left hand. Pressing
the bottom or top portion of the rocker switch will disengage the autopilot. The top and bottom
of the switch is engraved with the letters DISC. (Note: Operating the elevator trim switch will
also disconnect the autopilot; however, the elevator trim switch should not be used in lieu of
disconnecting the autopilot with the ADS.)
Push-to-Talk (PTT) Switch
–
The PTT is a trigger switch on the forward side of the grip and,
on the pilot’s side, is engaged with the index fingertip of the left hand. There is a PTT switch on
the copilot’s stick that is normally operated with the index fingertip of the right hand. The PTT