oldShar
Cleared for Takeoff
Wulp, the day started blissfully and confusingly:
High thin clouds, no wind, mild temps --- all in anticipation of the sky falling late this afternoon and throughout the next 10 days.
Sew, I get to the Sunport and pick up the keys to my ride.
Derek walks in, a little bleary looking. But HEY! He's the proud Daddy to a Brand New Daughter!!!
That's to be congratulated!!!
But then, it's into the squawk sheet in the bird's flimsy.
Ruh, roh. Gear wouldn't retract (mains only) last week.
Doesn't sound favorable; but the A&P claims to have found the problem and squared it away.
Ok, so off to do the preflight.
Great Timing. Sandia Labs decides that it needs to do some storage rearranging and parks their danged truck right dagnab smack in front of my aircraft. No way for me to move it out of its parking slot, never mind taxi for departure!!
But the preflight isn't complete, so I'll hold off doing anything right yet.
OK, just finishing the preflight and Sandia decides to go off and play elsewhere. That's a relief. No time to get into spats over a traffic problem.
So, I go to start up. Hmmmm. Mixture control feels like the friction lock is on full. Next to impossible to move the danged thing. Need a crow-bar. But I wrestle with it, and the Lycoming comes to life! Gotta squawk that situation!
The radios come on -- crisp, clean, clear, wonderful. I guess they did get that old squawk fixed -- but give me an hour or so and we'll see if it's just a pipe-dream or some reality.
Ok, what's this? A medevac plane has PARKED in the middle of the danged taxiway. OK, I'll just go around.
"Taxi to 21 via Kilo, Golf, cross Charlie and Foxtrot. Hold short of 21"
OK, done that. Time for runup.
Danged mixture. OK, we will compromise: Here is where it is normally EXPECTED to be, so I'll just set it there!
Power to 2000RPM!!
Ok, throttle and prop work gloriously! Danged Mixture is rooted in concrete. (*&^)&.
OK, cycle prop. All good. Controls free and correct. Breakers all good, Mags all good.
Instruments -----
Danged AH is sitting over on its side!
WTF!!!!
Check vacuum gauge. Can you say, ZERO????
Run the range of RPM. Suction does NOT budge!
OK, alternative? Sky is glorious, Wind is Glorious, Radios are glorious. Haven't had a day like this in a LONG time. Gotta go.
What to do? Ignore 14CFR and claim that it broke when I land?
I mean, hey, its the BACKUP gauges that are dead. The Primaries work just hunky dory. Should I let a minor problem thwart the day? Well, the MEL prolly says it's illegal to continue even if practicality says that its probably a non-issue. But then, add in the "welded" mixture control, and the truck that WAS parked in front of me and the gear problem of the previous week ---- Capt Murphy is probably hiding in the baggage compartment waiting for me to leave the ground and spring all kinds of havoc all over me and my kin.
"OK, Ground, 492 is going back to Cutter with squawks."
"Ok, ma'am. turn off onto Charlie and let the Eclipse behind you taxi past, then you can return to Golf and then to Cutter via Kilo. Sorry for the missed opportunity. Good Day"
So here I sit, broken hearted .....
High thin clouds, no wind, mild temps --- all in anticipation of the sky falling late this afternoon and throughout the next 10 days.
Sew, I get to the Sunport and pick up the keys to my ride.
Derek walks in, a little bleary looking. But HEY! He's the proud Daddy to a Brand New Daughter!!!
That's to be congratulated!!!
But then, it's into the squawk sheet in the bird's flimsy.
Ruh, roh. Gear wouldn't retract (mains only) last week.
Doesn't sound favorable; but the A&P claims to have found the problem and squared it away.
Ok, so off to do the preflight.
Great Timing. Sandia Labs decides that it needs to do some storage rearranging and parks their danged truck right dagnab smack in front of my aircraft. No way for me to move it out of its parking slot, never mind taxi for departure!!
But the preflight isn't complete, so I'll hold off doing anything right yet.
OK, just finishing the preflight and Sandia decides to go off and play elsewhere. That's a relief. No time to get into spats over a traffic problem.
So, I go to start up. Hmmmm. Mixture control feels like the friction lock is on full. Next to impossible to move the danged thing. Need a crow-bar. But I wrestle with it, and the Lycoming comes to life! Gotta squawk that situation!
The radios come on -- crisp, clean, clear, wonderful. I guess they did get that old squawk fixed -- but give me an hour or so and we'll see if it's just a pipe-dream or some reality.
Ok, what's this? A medevac plane has PARKED in the middle of the danged taxiway. OK, I'll just go around.
"Taxi to 21 via Kilo, Golf, cross Charlie and Foxtrot. Hold short of 21"
OK, done that. Time for runup.
Danged mixture. OK, we will compromise: Here is where it is normally EXPECTED to be, so I'll just set it there!
Power to 2000RPM!!
Ok, throttle and prop work gloriously! Danged Mixture is rooted in concrete. (*&^)&.
OK, cycle prop. All good. Controls free and correct. Breakers all good, Mags all good.
Instruments -----
Danged AH is sitting over on its side!WTF!!!!
Check vacuum gauge. Can you say, ZERO????
Run the range of RPM. Suction does NOT budge!
OK, alternative? Sky is glorious, Wind is Glorious, Radios are glorious. Haven't had a day like this in a LONG time. Gotta go.
What to do? Ignore 14CFR and claim that it broke when I land?
I mean, hey, its the BACKUP gauges that are dead. The Primaries work just hunky dory. Should I let a minor problem thwart the day? Well, the MEL prolly says it's illegal to continue even if practicality says that its probably a non-issue. But then, add in the "welded" mixture control, and the truck that WAS parked in front of me and the gear problem of the previous week ---- Capt Murphy is probably hiding in the baggage compartment waiting for me to leave the ground and spring all kinds of havoc all over me and my kin.
"OK, Ground, 492 is going back to Cutter with squawks."
"Ok, ma'am. turn off onto Charlie and let the Eclipse behind you taxi past, then you can return to Golf and then to Cutter via Kilo. Sorry for the missed opportunity. Good Day"
So here I sit, broken hearted .....
