Ed_Wischmeyer
Well Known Member
The -9A is just out of the shop from its condition inspection. The only surprise was that the brake pads needed replacement.
The right fuel tank burps a tablespoon of gas through the vent onto the hangar floor, and I had them check the vent line. No fault found. No idea why it burps.
And sometimes in flight with the vents closed, it feels like hot air is leaking through the heater, even with it turned off. Again, no fault found.
The belly strobe burned out some time back, but it's far enough back in the tail cone to be virtually inaccessible -- but not for small, female A&Ps. I had suggested that the shop abandon the old strobe and use the existing wiring for a new strobe, more accessible, but she was able to replace the old strobe, even though the new one requires a slightly bigger cutout. I'm impressed.
Associated with the shop is a detailing company, so why not? I don't have the energy nor the flexibility to detail the -9A, so we'll let them do it. Hopefully the plane will look like new, except for where the paint is chipped.
The detailers will start with the interior today so I can get back in the air sooner. They'll have full access to the plane today as there is an interesting storm right off the coast, and we're on the fringes of it. The radar signature looks much like a small tropical storm, but with winds forecast 18G28 and barometric pressure only 29.92", it's apparent that this storm dropped out of hurricane school in the 6th grade.
What's spectacular about this storm is that winds at 3,000' are out of the north at 50 knots (!). This would be a chance for duplicate membership in the 200 knot club, except that 800' broken isn't all that great for first flight out of the shop, and you've got to know that the turbulence will be horrendous.
So the "plan" is to reload the interior (fuel tank dipstick, plastic containers for miscellany used in flight and another for on the ground, headphone batteries and mic muff in the side pocket) on Sunday, then do the test flight on Monday.
I'll also try a new camera setup and make a video of ADS-B traffic with two separate windows on the right side screen. I often use one of those windows for traffic, so this should not be a distraction from the test flight.
Happy memorial day, y'all!
The right fuel tank burps a tablespoon of gas through the vent onto the hangar floor, and I had them check the vent line. No fault found. No idea why it burps.
And sometimes in flight with the vents closed, it feels like hot air is leaking through the heater, even with it turned off. Again, no fault found.
The belly strobe burned out some time back, but it's far enough back in the tail cone to be virtually inaccessible -- but not for small, female A&Ps. I had suggested that the shop abandon the old strobe and use the existing wiring for a new strobe, more accessible, but she was able to replace the old strobe, even though the new one requires a slightly bigger cutout. I'm impressed.
Associated with the shop is a detailing company, so why not? I don't have the energy nor the flexibility to detail the -9A, so we'll let them do it. Hopefully the plane will look like new, except for where the paint is chipped.
The detailers will start with the interior today so I can get back in the air sooner. They'll have full access to the plane today as there is an interesting storm right off the coast, and we're on the fringes of it. The radar signature looks much like a small tropical storm, but with winds forecast 18G28 and barometric pressure only 29.92", it's apparent that this storm dropped out of hurricane school in the 6th grade.
What's spectacular about this storm is that winds at 3,000' are out of the north at 50 knots (!). This would be a chance for duplicate membership in the 200 knot club, except that 800' broken isn't all that great for first flight out of the shop, and you've got to know that the turbulence will be horrendous.
So the "plan" is to reload the interior (fuel tank dipstick, plastic containers for miscellany used in flight and another for on the ground, headphone batteries and mic muff in the side pocket) on Sunday, then do the test flight on Monday.
I'll also try a new camera setup and make a video of ADS-B traffic with two separate windows on the right side screen. I often use one of those windows for traffic, so this should not be a distraction from the test flight.
Happy memorial day, y'all!
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