Dave Siciliano
Final Approach
In the way of background, I took my P-Baron up to George and Tim’s at GAMI to get the plane tweaked. Wanted to get it up there sooner, but this was the first chance I had where they could fit it in and I could get up there. Didn’t bring any overnight stuff, thought it would be a quick deal. Turned out, there was more to it and I spent two nights. When finished, they worked some magic on the Baron; fuel flows were much closer when EGTs peaked and George gave me some great tips on how to run the plane.
Now, you have to be careful in working with these guys; I’ll give you guys a heads up. If you’re a normal anal protective owner worried about quality of work, pricing and the folks knowing what they’re doing; you won’t be comfortable here. You just won’t get to complain much. See, they’ll start ‘xplainin things to you. George is ‘specially good at this, but watch that Tim guy too—and even John Paul---and, and now that I think about it, that David guy! As they ‘xplain things more and more and you shake your head up and down thinking you understand everything they’re sayin, but, eventually your brain gets to where it just can’t hold any more—you start to worry about what else you’ll forget if they keep talking because something else must be getting lost to make room for all this new stuff!! You think you understand it all, but, later, if you try to ‘xplain it to someone else—it just gets all jumbled!! You think you know what they said, but it just won’t come out right.
George warned me about some kind of fuel balancer thingy getting fuel to the wrong place. That was one of the problems with this engine, and oh, yea, something about asymmetrical air flows. And something about critical masses of air to get proper fuel/air mixtures right at higher power settings.
You really got to watch George when he answers a question with a question. When you first talk to him, you think he’s asking because he doesn’t know the answer—don’t let ‘em fool you, it’s an old attorney trick. He only asks questions he already knows the answer to. Then, when you do answer, he asks another one. Pretty soon, your sinkin in quicksand trying to answer questions—thinkin you’re helping George—only to find out you’re completely out of your league; getting up to you’re neck; you gotta struggle to get back to solid ground some how. George kind of waits before he throws you a line; and sometime fidgets around a little while you sink. I think he’s makin sure you know how deep you are before he helps. He never let me sink completely, but I did have three fingers up once!
Tim was a great host; helped with just about anything I could ask for. Everyone there is very nice. They say hi to you by name even though they don’t know you. Several folks said high each day and I couldn’t remember who they were! This really isn’t fair. They only have to remember you—one guy; you’ve gotta try to remember all these people. Got so I’d go in the back way so they wouldn’t sneak up on me any more and say hi Dave, and I wouldn’t remember their name!!
Out in the big city of Ada, I noticed there were fewer people in lines, but it took the same amount of time to get through ‘em. See, here in Dallas, there would have been a long line and those in line would have been talking on their phone, reading something or fidgeting because they were all in a hurry. The line would have moved quickly, but no one would exchange pleasantries. In Ada one morning, there was only one guy in line, but because the clerk and he were so nice to each other, it took about the same amount of time to get to the front and get checked out as it would have taken in a long line in Dallas. By the time I did get through, the lady up front there knew all about my family, why I was there and even helped me remember the names of a couple GAMI guys (guess they said hi to her too.)
The newspaper is for the State, not just the city. Don’t know why they do that, but there seemed to almost be the same amount of news as is in the Dallas paper I normally read each day; so, it took about the same amount of time to read, but after I read it, I knew all about what was going on in the entire STATE! I felt much better informed.
The only crowded place I found was the Wal-Mart, and it was really crowded. One reason it was crowded was because everyone in line had so much room between them. The folks there seemed to be used to much more space between them than where I’m from. Heck, three times more folks could have fit in the same line if it was here in Dallas!! Guess they need to make the Wal-Marts bigger where people live that are used to more room—never thought of that before.
Interesting to drive around a little (Tim let me use his Sliverado truck). Driving down the main drag (where the hotel was) the biggest stores were Home Desperate and the Tractor store! Heck, I don’t know if there is a Tractor Store in Dallas—but the shear size of the one up there would make any Dallasite proud. Heck, as flat as it is up there, you’d think they wouldn’t need THAT many tractors!
Seemed they did have something to worry about, but I couldn’t figure out exactly what was going on. The Indians bought an armory and were fixin it up. Glad I got outta there before they were done!!
No problem finding a hotel room. I’d just call and say, can I get a room tonight; she’d answer; which one do you want?
No problem deciding where to eat. After only 2 1/2 days, some of the folks at the local restaurants recognized me as a regular! Got the best steak in the County one night (or so they said). Kinna funny that there was only one and that place had it! Wonder if all the places in the county rotate it around? I was sure lucky that night.
All kiddin aside, this was a great trip. This is the only place I go where the folks that work on my plane are more friends than vendors. For any of you that wind up there, hope this perspective gives you a head up on some of this stuff.
Best,
Dave
Now, you have to be careful in working with these guys; I’ll give you guys a heads up. If you’re a normal anal protective owner worried about quality of work, pricing and the folks knowing what they’re doing; you won’t be comfortable here. You just won’t get to complain much. See, they’ll start ‘xplainin things to you. George is ‘specially good at this, but watch that Tim guy too—and even John Paul---and, and now that I think about it, that David guy! As they ‘xplain things more and more and you shake your head up and down thinking you understand everything they’re sayin, but, eventually your brain gets to where it just can’t hold any more—you start to worry about what else you’ll forget if they keep talking because something else must be getting lost to make room for all this new stuff!! You think you understand it all, but, later, if you try to ‘xplain it to someone else—it just gets all jumbled!! You think you know what they said, but it just won’t come out right.
George warned me about some kind of fuel balancer thingy getting fuel to the wrong place. That was one of the problems with this engine, and oh, yea, something about asymmetrical air flows. And something about critical masses of air to get proper fuel/air mixtures right at higher power settings.
You really got to watch George when he answers a question with a question. When you first talk to him, you think he’s asking because he doesn’t know the answer—don’t let ‘em fool you, it’s an old attorney trick. He only asks questions he already knows the answer to. Then, when you do answer, he asks another one. Pretty soon, your sinkin in quicksand trying to answer questions—thinkin you’re helping George—only to find out you’re completely out of your league; getting up to you’re neck; you gotta struggle to get back to solid ground some how. George kind of waits before he throws you a line; and sometime fidgets around a little while you sink. I think he’s makin sure you know how deep you are before he helps. He never let me sink completely, but I did have three fingers up once!
Tim was a great host; helped with just about anything I could ask for. Everyone there is very nice. They say hi to you by name even though they don’t know you. Several folks said high each day and I couldn’t remember who they were! This really isn’t fair. They only have to remember you—one guy; you’ve gotta try to remember all these people. Got so I’d go in the back way so they wouldn’t sneak up on me any more and say hi Dave, and I wouldn’t remember their name!!
Out in the big city of Ada, I noticed there were fewer people in lines, but it took the same amount of time to get through ‘em. See, here in Dallas, there would have been a long line and those in line would have been talking on their phone, reading something or fidgeting because they were all in a hurry. The line would have moved quickly, but no one would exchange pleasantries. In Ada one morning, there was only one guy in line, but because the clerk and he were so nice to each other, it took about the same amount of time to get to the front and get checked out as it would have taken in a long line in Dallas. By the time I did get through, the lady up front there knew all about my family, why I was there and even helped me remember the names of a couple GAMI guys (guess they said hi to her too.)
The newspaper is for the State, not just the city. Don’t know why they do that, but there seemed to almost be the same amount of news as is in the Dallas paper I normally read each day; so, it took about the same amount of time to read, but after I read it, I knew all about what was going on in the entire STATE! I felt much better informed.
The only crowded place I found was the Wal-Mart, and it was really crowded. One reason it was crowded was because everyone in line had so much room between them. The folks there seemed to be used to much more space between them than where I’m from. Heck, three times more folks could have fit in the same line if it was here in Dallas!! Guess they need to make the Wal-Marts bigger where people live that are used to more room—never thought of that before.
Interesting to drive around a little (Tim let me use his Sliverado truck). Driving down the main drag (where the hotel was) the biggest stores were Home Desperate and the Tractor store! Heck, I don’t know if there is a Tractor Store in Dallas—but the shear size of the one up there would make any Dallasite proud. Heck, as flat as it is up there, you’d think they wouldn’t need THAT many tractors!
Seemed they did have something to worry about, but I couldn’t figure out exactly what was going on. The Indians bought an armory and were fixin it up. Glad I got outta there before they were done!!
No problem finding a hotel room. I’d just call and say, can I get a room tonight; she’d answer; which one do you want?
No problem deciding where to eat. After only 2 1/2 days, some of the folks at the local restaurants recognized me as a regular! Got the best steak in the County one night (or so they said). Kinna funny that there was only one and that place had it! Wonder if all the places in the county rotate it around? I was sure lucky that night.
All kiddin aside, this was a great trip. This is the only place I go where the folks that work on my plane are more friends than vendors. For any of you that wind up there, hope this perspective gives you a head up on some of this stuff.
Best,
Dave
