Morning flight woes.

pmanton

pmanton

En-Route
PoA Supporter
Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
4,714
Location
Indian Hills Airpark Salome, AZ
Display Name
Display name:
N1431A
Right off I need to mention I'm an old fart, pushing 84. When you get to be an old fart it ain't much fun. You're not strong anymore, you don't have much endurance, you hurt a lot, etc, etc,ad nauseam.
Well one morning I wake up at 5:00 AM feeling great. A fine time to do a chore I've been putting off before the AZ heat arrives.
I live on an airpark. We have 2 houses and 2 airplanes. One house is at the west end of the runway, the other at the east end. My plan is to fly the little Forney around the block a bit and take it to the other place. Put it in the hangar there, and bring the Tri-Pacer back in order to do the annual.
I pull the Forney out of the hangar and notice that the trickle charger got disconnected. I knew the battery was weak (gonna replace it at annual time) but I was able to start--barely. Off into the wild blue yonder. Blue my foot! Dirty gray more likely. The smoke from the fires makes for crummy visibility. In addition there is an inversion at 2.5K that shoots the OAT way up. I cut the flight short and land.
I think I mentioned I'm kinda old and weak. I finally struggle enough to get the Tri-Pacer out of the hangar after positioning the Forney on the small apron in front of the hanger. Guess what? The Piper's battery is deader than doornail. Back into the hangar it goes. I pull the Forney into position climb into it and press the starter button---click-- I hadn't flown it enough to charge up the weak battery.
I'm half a mile from home with a dead airplane and I'm pretty beat. It's heating up already. I call the wife and tell her to bring the big battery charger and a phillips screwdriver.
The charger leads are just long enough to reach the battery. I can start and taxi back home.
My wrinkled old butt is dragging. Ain't flying fun?
Get on the Web to Spruce. I need a Concord 25 and a 35. ( I don't do Gill) That oughta be around 425-500 for both. OMG I haven't bought batteries for a while. $670 for the batteries.
The wife isn't very impressed with this airplane stuff.
Am I stupid or what--at my age still playing with airplanes. Well the batteries will be here on the 31st. We're supposed to have a cool down--
 
pmanton said:
. . . Get on the Web to Spruce. I need a Concord 25 and a 35. ( I don't do Gill) That oughta be around 425-500 for both. OMG I haven't bought batteries for a while. $670 for the batteries. . .
Click to expand...
I recently had my Ford Excursion sound like it was cranking slower, so I threw the battery charger on the batteries and they were down near 55%. Started looking into replacing them and going to AGM batteries. $315/pc for Odyssey AGMs, so $630 + tax to swap 'em out. Luckily I tested the alternator and it turns out the batteries are fine, but the voltage regulator failed. So it was only a $450 hit to the pocket book for a new alternator. You have to pay to play I suppose!
 
Congrats on your membership in the UFOs. Most of my relatives were too busy pushing daisies at that age to do anything else. Makes for pretty easy retirement planning. I should mention that airplanes work way better when you keep the batteries fresh and everything in ship shape.
 
pmanton said:
Right off I need to mention I'm an old fart, pushing 84. When you get to be an old fart it ain't much fun. You're not strong anymore, you don't have much endurance, you hurt a lot, etc, etc,ad nauseam.
Well one morning I wake up at 5:00 AM feeling great. A fine time to do a chore I've been putting off before the AZ heat arrives.
I live on an airpark. We have 2 houses and 2 airplanes. One house is at the west end of the runway, the other at the east end. My plan is to fly the little Forney around the block a bit and take it to the other place. Put it in the hangar there, and bring the Tri-Pacer back in order to do the annual.
I pull the Forney out of the hangar and notice that the trickle charger got disconnected. I knew the battery was weak (gonna replace it at annual time) but I was able to start--barely. Off into the wild blue yonder. Blue my foot! Dirty gray more likely. The smoke from the fires makes for crummy visibility. In addition there is an inversion at 2.5K that shoots the OAT way up. I cut the flight short and land.
I think I mentioned I'm kinda old and weak. I finally struggle enough to get the Tri-Pacer out of the hangar after positioning the Forney on the small apron in front of the hanger. Guess what? The Piper's battery is deader than doornail. Back into the hangar it goes. I pull the Forney into position climb into it and press the starter button---click-- I hadn't flown it enough to charge up the weak battery.
I'm half a mile from home with a dead airplane and I'm pretty beat. It's heating up already. I call the wife and tell her to bring the big battery charger and a phillips screwdriver.
The charger leads are just long enough to reach the battery. I can start and taxi back home.
My wrinkled old butt is dragging. Ain't flying fun?
Get on the Web to Spruce. I need a Concord 25 and a 35. ( I don't do Gill) That oughta be around 425-500 for both. OMG I haven't bought batteries for a while. $670 for the batteries.
The wife isn't very impressed with this airplane stuff.
Am I stupid or what--at my age still playing with airplanes. Well the batteries will be here on the 31st. We're supposed to have a cool down--
Click to expand...
pmanton said:
Right off I need to mention I'm an old fart, pushing 84. When you get to be an old fart it ain't much fun. You're not strong anymore, you don't have much endurance, you hurt a lot, etc, etc,ad nauseam.
Well one morning I wake up at 5:00 AM feeling great. A fine time to do a chore I've been putting off before the AZ heat arrives.
I live on an airpark. We have 2 houses and 2 airplanes. One house is at the west end of the runway, the other at the east end. My plan is to fly the little Forney around the block a bit and take it to the other place. Put it in the hangar there, and bring the Tri-Pacer back in order to do the annual.
I pull the Forney out of the hangar and notice that the trickle charger got disconnected. I knew the battery was weak (gonna replace it at annual time) but I was able to start--barely. Off into the wild blue yonder. Blue my foot! Dirty gray more likely. The smoke from the fires makes for crummy visibility. In addition there is an inversion at 2.5K that shoots the OAT way up. I cut the flight short and land.
I think I mentioned I'm kinda old and weak. I finally struggle enough to get the Tri-Pacer out of the hangar after positioning the Forney on the small apron in front of the hanger. Guess what? The Piper's battery is deader than doornail. Back into the hangar it goes. I pull the Forney into position climb into it and press the starter button---click-- I hadn't flown it enough to charge up the weak battery.
I'm half a mile from home with a dead airplane and I'm pretty beat. It's heating up already. I call the wife and tell her to bring the big battery charger and a phillips screwdriver.
The charger leads are just long enough to reach the battery. I can start and taxi back home.
My wrinkled old butt is dragging. Ain't flying fun?
Get on the Web to Spruce. I need a Concord 25 and a 35. ( I don't do Gill) That oughta be around 425-500 for both. OMG I haven't bought batteries for a while. $670 for the batteries.
The wife isn't very impressed with this airplane stuff.
Am I stupid or what--at my age still playing with airplanes. Well the batteries will be here on the 31st. We're supposed to have a cool down--
Click to expand...
You're fine. Just stretched a little thin. Pick a house and a plane.
 
Growing old ain’t for sissies. And the alternative ain’t so good. I’m a youngster at 64... hope I’m still flying at 84.
 
Rcmutz said:
Growing old ain’t for sissies. And the alternative ain’t so good. I’m a youngster at 64... hope I’m still flying at 84.
Click to expand...

Your first sentence sounds like something my m-i-l used to say (she passed away in 2003). She was a retired nurse (and during WWII landed on Omaha Beach on D+1) and was fond of saying that. Now that my wife and I are older I see the wisdom in her point.
 
Took a family member to the doc today and at the reception desk they asked the familiar questions about exposure or symptoms of C19. Well I had to admit that yes I had some signs that were on her lists i.e. body aches and shortness of breath ... because I'm getting older.

She laughed and said that wasn't what she was talking about. :)
 
Im 32 and have your same gripes. I went full on get off my lawn when I was 22, my favorite past time is complaining about my 12k property tax bill. I guess I got old fast. Another 50 years and I bet I'll be a hoot to be around... If I make it that far. I envy you sir.
 
Way to go! you are still active I only hope I can be doing what you are doing at 84, you and love flying still.
 
Sounds like you did a nice job taking care of it.

- The guy who had to change the battery *after* he'd loaded the airplane for Oshkosh and got a "click" result when he hit the starter switch. Luckily, I had a new battery in the hangar, having seen indications that the installed battery might be actin' up. Fastest battery change in the history of aviation.
 
Pmanton, I think you did great ! I am an old fart myself. Good call not to do the pink batteries that puke..I had to learn the hard way..twice !

Keep flying as long as you feel up to it ! :)
 
Every time I pull the plane over the hangar door rails, they seem to be a half inch higher than the last time and the slight slope up to the taxiway gets about a degree steeper.

Still it’s worth it:D Got to keep it up till I’m eligible for the UFO’s and beyond.

Cheers
 
For any Nascar fans, Ken Schrader was once asked when he'll quit racing. "when my friends get too old to pull me out of the car....then I'll get younger friends."

Get some younger friends to pull that towbar
 
I am 20 years younger and hope to have the energy you have when (if) I get to be your age. My hangar neighbor is 93, owns 2 planes, and piddles around an hour or so once a day out there.
 
pmanton said:
Right off I need to mention I'm an old fart, pushing 84. When you get to be an old fart it ain't much fun. You're not strong anymore, you don't have much endurance, you hurt a lot, etc, etc,ad nauseam.

Am I stupid or what--at my age still playing with airplanes. Well the batteries will be here on the 31st. We're supposed to have a cool down--
Click to expand...

I'm not as old as you, but getting there.
I love flying, especially when it upsets people who think I'm too old to fly.
Same with riding the motorcycles.
So I still do both.

Keep going until it isn't fun anymore, or you're dead.
Or both.
That's my plan, and I'm sticking to it.
 
pmanton said:
Right off I need to mention I'm an old fart, pushing 84. When you get to be an old fart it ain't much fun. You're not strong anymore, you don't have much endurance, you hurt a lot, etc, etc,ad nauseam.
Well one morning I wake up at 5:00 AM feeling great. A fine time to do a chore I've been putting off before the AZ heat arrives.
I live on an airpark. We have 2 houses and 2 airplanes. One house is at the west end of the runway, the other at the east end. My plan is to fly the little Forney around the block a bit and take it to the other place. Put it in the hangar there, and bring the Tri-Pacer back in order to do the annual.
I pull the Forney out of the hangar and notice that the trickle charger got disconnected. I knew the battery was weak (gonna replace it at annual time) but I was able to start--barely. Off into the wild blue yonder. Blue my foot! Dirty gray more likely. The smoke from the fires makes for crummy visibility. In addition there is an inversion at 2.5K that shoots the OAT way up. I cut the flight short and land.
I think I mentioned I'm kinda old and weak. I finally struggle enough to get the Tri-Pacer out of the hangar after positioning the Forney on the small apron in front of the hanger. Guess what? The Piper's battery is deader than doornail. Back into the hangar it goes. I pull the Forney into position climb into it and press the starter button---click-- I hadn't flown it enough to charge up the weak battery.
I'm half a mile from home with a dead airplane and I'm pretty beat. It's heating up already. I call the wife and tell her to bring the big battery charger and a phillips screwdriver.
The charger leads are just long enough to reach the battery. I can start and taxi back home.
My wrinkled old butt is dragging. Ain't flying fun?
Get on the Web to Spruce. I need a Concord 25 and a 35. ( I don't do Gill) That oughta be around 425-500 for both. OMG I haven't bought batteries for a while. $670 for the batteries.
The wife isn't very impressed with this airplane stuff.
Am I stupid or what--at my age still playing with airplanes. Well the batteries will be here on the 31st. We're supposed to have a cool down--
Click to expand...

Life requires that we keep changing, no matter what our age. Keep moving when you can, fly when you can, and frankly, it's good to aggravate the misses once in a while. Otherwise they'll start taking you for granted!
 
pmanton said:
Right off I need to mention I'm an old fart, pushing 84.
***DELETIA***
Click to expand...

Congrats, sir, on both belonging to the Old Phart Society, and pushing 84. Behind you by 19 years...I hope to be doing the same when/if I reach your age.

And, I agree...getting older is not for whimps. We've earned the right to yell at kids on our lawn.
 
Rcmutz said:
hope I’m still flying at 84.
Click to expand...

Hope I am still alive at 84...

I have talked to my wife about this. Once I become useless and a burden to other folks, it will be time to move on. As long as I have a reason to wake up in the mornings then carry on.

Thank goodness I still have my hair...
 
This is what really stinks about being old. Here's how I see myself. :DPaul - himself007.jpg

And here's how others see me.:eek: UFO small.jpg
I plan on at least another 2 years. Then we'll see.
We might have painted ourselves into a corner by settling on an airpark. It's 55+ miles to the nearest Walmart or Safeway.
We're so used to peace and quiet at night that city living would be tough to get used to.
Thanks for the kind comments.
 
I'm 67. I figure if I can get ten or twelve more I'll have been flying for sixty-four years and that should be enough. I just retired so now I have time and enough energy left to get the Luscombe project done and fly it to Oshkosh, maybe 2022 or 2023. After that maybe I'll restore the Champ and then sell everything so some younger guy or gal can keep the history alive. I've seen too many old geezers just hang on and let the airplane rot away in a hangar or even worse on a tie-down. I understand the sentimentality and that they didn't plan on it turning out like that but old age has a way of just sneaking up on you. One minute you're not and then you are.
 
pmanton said:
This is what really stinks about being old. Here's how I see myself. :DView attachment 99547

And here's how others see me.:eek: View attachment 99548
I plan on at least another 2 years. Then we'll see.
We might have painted ourselves into a corner by settling on an airpark. It's 55+ miles to the nearest Walmart or Safeway.
We're so used to peace and quiet at night that city living would be tough to get used to.
Thanks for the kind comments.
Click to expand...

See, the guberment can’t fool us. There ARE UFO’s flying around our country! LOL
 
Perhaps the decision to take the initial flight with a nearly dead battery wasn't so good?
 
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