What is a Nose Gear Ratchet and is it necessary?
A Nose Gear Ratchet is designed to keep the nose gear up when it is up and down when it is down. During flight it is possible for the nose gear to jiggle it is way down, increasing drag. While taxiing, despite the fact that the nose gear “locks” over center, it is remotely possible for it to jiggle and vibrate itself into an “unlocked” position, resulting in possible damage to the gear mechanism. Therefore, some method of locking the nose-gear mechanism in place is highly recommended. The most commonly used method is with a nose gear ratchet which is nothing more than a modified Craftsman socket wrench.
