REFLECTOR: Door locks

[Dennis King]

I agree with all the recommendations so far to use the interlock on the passenger door. On my most recent test flight, the air was bumpy and my pilot door latch worked loose far enough to trip my warning light a couple of times. The passenger door stayed latched because it has the lock. The over-center springs supplied with my kit (1996) are very weak, so they don't hold the handle forward very well. I have installed stiffer springs that provide a little more than 10 lbs of preload in the latched position...haven't been able to test them in the air yet, but hopefully will soon. I don't know if the factory has changed the springs since my kit was shipped, but if not you might want to consider replacing them. I believe this was mentioned in one of the old Velocity Views newsletters. I believe they also suggested using an interlock system on the pilot door similar to the passenger side, but I'm still thinking about that. I'm not sure I would remember the extra step required to open the door in an emergency situation. In any event, make sure you have a door latch warning light that's easy to see, and activate it with one of the locking pins rather than the latching handle, so the light will be on if the passenger latches the door without it being fully closed. 


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