about that solo...

[woodstock]

I'm sure you're all waiting with bated breath...





well, now the plane is down.

we went up this morning and had a great flight! flew to Winchester (crappy weather - a lot of rain - but not too bad once you got up there - enough to have the whole place to ourself!)

did some stalls, did some steep turns... 4 landings at OKV and then back home. good stuff.

the plane has some oil spew residue all over the cowling on both sides - not a tiny amount either (but not massive - kind of in between). both sides, coming from the cowling - can't tell if it's engine oil or something from the prop. it was streaming from all the available little gaps in the cowling, straight back...

we were just talking today about how the plane never eats oil and starts immediately despite being 35 yrs old... not sure what this is.

so, my regular CFI is still gone but may be back tomorrow... and now my plane is down. likely not a good idea to solo in a new plane, right??

sigh.

 

[jesse]

can't tell if it's engine oil or something from the prop.

I'm not a mechanic. Nor do I know as much as I probably should about this kind of thing. But since the airplane is probably a fixed pitch prop the only oil it could be would be from the engine.

likely not a good idea to solo in a new plane, right??

I don't see an issue as long as it is the same model. Maybe fly it with the CFI for a run around the pattern to make yourself comfortable. A switch or two might be in a different place but more than likely the only difference you'll have to make note of is the tail number.

 

[SkyHog]

If there is another plane of the same type and model - hell - go solo!

Other than that, then that does suck for ya, and I'm sorry. Good luck!

 

[woodstock]

it's the only old plane on the block. L model. the rest are R models or SPs.

not a huge deal, I know, but I'm also attached to this plane - it's been my constant companion for a while, I'd like to solo in it.

I've waited a few weeks for my CFI to get back so I guess I can wait this out one more week.

I'm hoping the oil is nothing...

given that it was raining pretty steadily - is there any chance this is just a lot of crud kicked up and the prop washed it all back or is that being naive or hopeful?

 

[JRitt]

maybe it like my plane. If you fill the oil to the full mark and do tough and goes it will blow out a quart. I always run it a quart low unless I am going on a long (3hr+)x-country

 

[wsuffa]

Hey, Beth, this is a really stupid question, but was the oil filler dipstick in and secure? More than one pilot has had a similar experience when the dipstick was not screwed in.....

Then again, it could be serious, when my engine block cracked, the symptoms were as you just described....

 

[woodstock]

ugh, I hope not. that means no solo in it and no checkride.

the school JUST raised the hourly rates too - 10 bucks per plane! (or so - depending on plane). and 5 bucks per CFI.

I'm now paying 109 an hour wet for a 35 yr old plane.

I'll be bummed if my little plane is busted!

 

[wsuffa]

Hence my question about the dipstick.

The clouds looked high enough, but there was a little spitting rain as I flew out of DCA in the back of the flying bus this morning. I was wondering if you were going to solo....

 

[woodstock]

I noticed that other folks tend to put it on way too tight - wonder if it ever got stripped.

this morning he checked the oil level, but I don't think he would have left it looser than normal.

when I saw the oil, he opened the side door (the old ones have a door on the side) and we saw nothing. dummy me didn't think to open the gas/oil door. good point.

we did go up - I coulda easily soloed today but after all this, I want my main guy there and my sub too. may as well have em all see me - they worked for this too!

 

[poadeleted20]

Sorry, Beth. The L-model is enough different from the R's and S's (different engine, for one -- FI vs carb'd) that I would not allow a Student Pilot to solo it without a bit of differences training, even if the FAA says it's legal.

Ron

 

[woodstock]

yeah, thought so. well, as my CFI says - this little old plane is "a part of me now" so I have to solo in it. I will likely check ride in it too.

what will suck is if this is a serious problem - then what???

 

[spiderweb]

so, my regular CFI is still gone but may be back tomorrow... and now my plane is down. likely not a good idea to solo in a new plane, right??

Ooh, you aren't going to like my opinion, but I would say, "no." Get some training in the new airplane (won't take too long for the transition), and then do it. On your first solo, you want everything to be as familiar as possible.

The more you fly, the easier transitions become, but the principle remains the same. For example, I checked out in the TB-20 in one two-hour flight. That included VFR and IFR (including emergencies for both). But I was not willing to take the airplane out into IMC at the time, because it was quite different from the Cessnas and Pipers I've flown. I'm busy enough in IMC, even with a good AP, so I don't want to have even a moment during which I can't find something.

 

[spiderweb]

what will suck is if this is a serious problem - then what???

Well if it does turn out to be a serious problem, THEN you get your transition training to the injected models. It shouldn't take but a few flights to get used to it. The control feel and flying characterisitics are quite similar. If this airplane is going to be a problem for you, maybe you should go with this plan, anyway.

 

[RotaryWingBob]

maybe it like my plane. If you fill the oil to the full mark and do tough and goes it will blow out a quart. I always run it a quart low unless I am going on a long (3hr+)x-country

Yeah, but when that happens it spits out the breather onto the belly, not onto the cowling. Good call, Elizabeth!

 

[Lawreston]

Well, your baby being an L Model, if you want to take a little vacation to the Northeast -- and bring your CFI -- my C-172L can be at your disposal. Barely 20 hours on what was a Zero time SMOH engine, now with Power Flow System tuned exhaust and other new goodies. And the guest room(s) are PoA available.

HR

 

[woodstock]

wow, awesome!

curious, how much would one in good shape like yours cost?

I love that little plane but it's been a trainer most of its life. it is in mostly good shape and is solid but it needs some TLC.

 

[Lawreston]

wow, awesome!

curious, how much would one in good shape like yours cost?

Well, prices are subjective; and this one has, also, had some TLC. As in, one new wing, other wing repaired with new parts, new windscreen, new side windscreens, Major OverHaul(new crankshaft), new propeller, other parts, and lots of labor; all because of a right crosswind which changed to a sharp right-1/4-ing tailwind while I was in the flare. And this is the 2nd time I've owned this bird. As you inferred, one doesn't forget the first Love, eh?

HR

 

[woodstock]

holy hell!

 

[flyingcheesehead]

given that it was raining pretty steadily - is there any chance this is just a lot of crud kicked up and the prop washed it all back or is that being naive or hopeful?

That is quite possible. Did you check the oil when you were finished? How did it compare with when you checked at the beginning? If the levels were the same, I'd suspect that you got a nice engine-washing as you describe.

Interesting flying in rain, isn't it?

I hope it's nothing.

 

[RogerT]

Harley ..

What i want to know is how do you keep your hangar so clean? Don't
you ever go in there?

RT

 

[woodstock]

That is quite possible. Did you check the oil when you were finished? How did it compare with when you checked at the beginning? If the levels were the same, I'd suspect that you got a nice engine-washing as you describe.

Interesting flying in rain, isn't it?

I hope it's nothing.

the plane was fine, by the way. what you described is what happened.

yesterday was crap weather - no flying. today is great but both CFIs are unavailable.

sigh.