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6 Answers

Why is mixture rich and fuel on both used in maneuvers for a C172RG?

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6 Answers



  1. Fly92020 on Feb 19, 2014

    Where are you seeing that? I looked in my POH for 1981 172RG and it doesn’t say anything about turning the Aux Fuel pump on, unless engine-driven pump pressure is < .5-PSI (you don't start, takeoff or land a 172RG with Aux Fuel pump on…). And of course, mixture in a carbureted engine is dependent on power setting & altitude. Is this something a CFI or Flight School is telling you to do (could be their policy)? If so, ask -them-.

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  2. psequeira on Feb 20, 2014

    Yes Fly2020 it’s just a practice they follow at my flying school, and they are no longer open. And I have a check ride coming up and I didn’t know as to why they do it. Appreciate you replying to me!

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  3. Mark Kolber on Feb 20, 2014

    Fly92020, where do you see Aux Fuel Pump on in the question? All I see is mixture rich and fuel set to both tanks.

    psequeira, fuel on both tanks is standard for takeoffs, landing, etc in the RG. There are times when you may want to use only the right tank or the left, such as when there is an imbalance or one tank tends to draw more rapidly than the other, but even then, it should only be in level cruise flight. For takeoff and landing and other maneuvers, you want to have the fuel on both. You can find this various places in the POH, including the limitations section (which refers to fuel-both being required takeoffs and landings) and the Section 7 description of systems (see pg 7-25 of the 1979 edition POH for example) which includes, “Operation from either LEFT or RIGHT tank is reserved for level cruising flight only”).

    Mixture rich simply suggests to me that you are flying in an area of generally low density altitude is standard for takeoff, landing, climbs and other maneuvers that may require application of full power below 3000′.

    I have to ask – is this a private or commercial checkride? If commercial, this really should have been covered in your training or your reading of the POH in preparation for the systems part of the oral.

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  4. Fly92020 on Feb 20, 2014

    I read it as “mixture rich and fuel on”…. both used in maneuvers, etc., and THAT’s where I inferred he meant Fuel (pump) On. I’ll just let you answer all these from now on as you seem to have vastly more knowledge and readin’ skilz than all the rest of us.

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  5. Mark Kolber on Feb 20, 2014

    Hardly. I’ve misread far more than my share of questions through the years. Heck, we still haven’t heard from psequeira whether I understood it correctly.

    I thought perhaps there was some ability for a questioner to edit a question and he originally said “fuel pump.”

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  6. Brian on Feb 22, 2014

    “fuel on”

    Hmm. As opposed to fuel off? 😉

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