Returning home from Gaston's thread.

Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

Diana said:
Just heard from Brook...they are in Texas somewhere and they are getting quite a light show. She said to check them out on FlightAware. Does anyone remember Felix's N number?
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flight_track_map.rvt

I'll bet they are getting a good light show!
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

Both sets of Whistmans are home via car... Julie made it to Kansas City about 7:00pm, we rolled into our driveway in Fort Worth just after 9:00pm (stopped for dinner). Had a blast!! See ya next year!

P.S.--I need an address for Nick Brennan so we can get that card to him. Somebody who has it,
please PM me his address or number?

EDIT: Nick PM'd it to me.
 
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Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

Im home. After Greg left Centerville I started walking towards town. After a few miles got a ride from a pastor that took me about 5 or so miles to his church. a few more miles of walking and a phone call from Matt Michael and I was in Albia, and Matt soon showed up to take me to Ames. It was awesome!

Gregs and I's flight up was pretty good. A couple hours after he left the storms rolled through the area, spawning a tornado warning to the northeast of Centerville. I was safe and sound in Matts car by then.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

Looke at Jeff Wright's Be95 in the hangar at Jefferson City. The Rt. Engine #2 cyl has a oil soaked ehaust and it's dripping out of the exhaust, but the cylinder still has compression!!.

Ideas?

Otherwise, we go the light show just north of my home field- but the dryline never moved south. Just got in from givin an hour of IR dual...
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

bbchien said:
Looke at Jeff Wright's Be95 in the hangar at Jefferson City. The Rt. Engine #2 cyl has a oil soaked ehaust and it's dripping out of the exhaust, but the cylinder still has compression!!.

Ideas?

Otherwise, we go the light show just north of my home field- but the dryline never moved south. Just got in from givin an hour of IR dual...
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When I first heard about the oil coming out the exhaust I was thinking hole in piston but obviously that's not the case if there's compression (BTW how do you know the oil is coming from #2 and not #4?). Seems like that leaves a valve guide that's passing a lot of oil or some weird cylinder head defect. Perhaps the valve stuck to the guide and the guide came loose in the head.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

I just wanted to publicly thank bruce & sue for the lift home this afternoon, it really saved the day.

also thanks to ed guthrie for putting a roof over my head friday night at gastons.

I too stopped at houston MO and managed to squeeze 76 gallons in. I sort of regretted that 20 mins later when I went down an engine with all that extra weight, but I guess the fuel savings will take a bite out of the upcoming engine work to get it home. At least that's my theory and I'm still feeling good about the whole weekend.

It was great to meet everyone in person and the hospitality and location were beyond expectation. I'm already working on my wife to get her down there next year.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

We're home. We had to divert to St Joseph as there was a line of thunderstorms in our path.

We decided that it just wasn't worth trying to get through and landed at KSTJ with the plan of waiting until the storm passed over. The FBO tied the airplane down and neither Jason and I were very comfortable with the quality / method of their tie downs. I ended up using the heavy-duty tie down straps I brought along instead.

We were watching the radar and finally decided that we should get the thing in the hangar. About ten minutes after the airplane was in the hangar the storm approached. An enormous amount of wind came out of it and we watched the tail tie down snap on a Baron and then watched it weathervane about 45 degrees into the wind. The front door on the FBO building snapped as well. We felt pretty good about putting the Cherokee in the hangar and felt even better about our choice to land and wait it out.

The storm took out the power at KSTJ and they had no way to get our Cherokee out of their hangar. We went to dinner while they worked with the power company. A couple hours later the weather was nice VFR to the northwest and the airplane was out of the hangar. Nice temperatures and smooth air the rest of the trip.

I had an amazing time and would write more but I need to readjust to the home life first.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

oh and btw Jeff - NICE JOB!!!
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

lancefisher said:
When I first heard about the oil coming out the exhaust I was thinking hole in piston but obviously that's not the case if there's compression (BTW how do you know the oil is coming from #2 and not #4?). Seems like that leaves a valve guide that's passing a lot of oil or some weird cylinder head defect. Perhaps the valve stuck to the guide and the guide came loose in the head.
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i was wondering about that, but i would have expected something to stick and bend a pushtube, and my pushtube shrouds are not wrinkled.

there was a loud bang and then it went dead on at least one jug, pretty bad vibration but not dangerously so.

it was killing me me to not take it apart and see, but a closed shop, no tools, not knowing policy on pilots doing their own work, etc. They went ahead and put me inside their maintenance hanger which i was grateful for, so i didn't want to push it.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

Got home without issue, but I was also glad that I departed fairly light and fueled at BPK.

Yes, Grant, your departure was interesting, and I am very glad you decided to depart light-ish as well. The shifting winds were not all that helpful, were they?

---

Folks, another great year. Let's raise a glass to Diana, our spiritual leader, shall we? :cheerswine:
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

Diana said:
Just heard from Brook...they are in Texas somewhere and they are getting quite a light show.
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I bet they're getting a light show! Am I reading this right? Tops to 73,000 north of their flight path?

rcm_sm_tops.gif


Looks like they just diverted into Tucumcari...
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

So, Pete... if you are reading this.... if you make it into MSN tomorrow perhaps you could help me with my car.

Kent & I finally made it via bus and taxi from Janesville to the South Ramp at KMSN where our cars were parked.

It has been raining cats and dogs here for a long time apparently. There is standing water everywhere including over some streets. My car is sitting in at least 6 inches of water and has no electrical power whatsoever. If it hasn't floated away by tomorrow, I hope I can figure out what is going on (maybe try a jump start) and make it out of here. I am at Kent's house tonight.

Speaking of MSN, Pete if you want to help retrieve N271G from Janesville, I can do some driving.

Hoping I can make the final leg of my journey (2 1/2 hour car ride to home) sometime tomorrow!

Edit: Pete I think your car is still high and dry if it's the one Kent thought it was!
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

tonycondon said:
Im home. After Greg left Centerville I started walking towards town. After a few miles got a ride from a pastor that took me about 5 or so miles to his church. a few more miles of walking and a phone call from Matt Michael and I was in Albia, and Matt soon showed up to take me to Ames. It was awesome!

Gregs and I's flight up was pretty good. A couple hours after he left the storms rolled through the area, spawning a tornado warning to the northeast of Centerville. I was safe and sound in Matts car by then.
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Yikes. That's quite a hike from the airport to town at Centerville. When we were spraying there, the job of going to town for lunch was like a mini-vacation because you were gone for so long. We could get at least 3 planes turned-around in the time it would take the go-fer to get back.

Did you knock on the trailer home door at the airport? The airport manager is usually there and I'm sure would have been willing to give you a ride to town.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

CJones said:
Yikes. That's quite a hike from the airport to town at Centerville. When we were spraying there, the job of going to town for lunch was like a mini-vacation because you were gone for so long. We could get at least 3 planes turned-around in the time it would take the go-fer to get back.

Did you knock on the trailer home door at the airport? The airport manager is usually there and I'm sure would have been willing to give you a ride to town.
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no after a weekend of 2 picnic tables packed with food, a great restaurant, and always full beer coolers, I was needing to do a little walking. I got almost all the way to town before someone picked me up. Its a trek.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

Gil and I are back. We had great tailwinds, but landed at one of our fuel stops after the FBO closed and had to hunt for self-serve in western Pennsylvania for a little while before getting on course to NY.

We departed FWQ VFR, but ended up picking up an IFR with ZOB (Cleveland Center) and dodged two big cells about 30 miles south of SLT before turning on course to DNY and then south on the NOBBI 5 arrival. It was quite a trip indeed, close to 20 hours round trip.

Other thoughts to come in another post in a different thread.
 
Diana said:
Where is Brook? :dunno: Didn't she leave with Felix? :dunno: Did Felix take the young lady from the restaurant flying? :dunno:
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Yes, Yes, and No :( I actually saw Kricket this afternoon (I think that was her name - feel free to correct me), but she said she was too tired and hungry after her 8 hour shift. Maybe my accent scared her off ;):confused:

-Felix
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

TangoWhiskey said:
I bet they're getting a light show! Am I reading this right? Tops to 73,000 north of their flight path?

Looks like they just diverted into Tucumcari...
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Yeah, and a good light show it was! Sadly, the headwinds put us behind schedule by about 20 minutes, so we couldn't make it to Santa Fe with enough fuel reserves. Tucumcari is interesting...no self serve though :( I had no idea that the Blue Swallow Motel was in the movie 'Cars'. It's a very surreal place....

-Felix
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

Dad and I made it home around 6:00 this evening. The line at Lambert's was too long and we didn't feel like waiting in the heat, so we took a raincheck (darn...we're gunna have to fly there!!)

Thanks everyone for the great weekend! Pictures will be up in the afternoonish tomorrow, all 1200 of them. (Besides the unflattering ones, of course!)
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

All,
Carol and I had a great time, met a lot of fine folks and saw some old friends. A special thanks to Steve, Mary and Melissa See for their hospitality in putting up with us in their cabin, and Diane for her making the whole thing happen.
We took a short trip over to see my brother east of Memphis, and heading home to St. Pete on Monday.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

At this moment, I can only say that Jason and I made it home to HPN at midnight and OoooooooooHhhhhhhhhhh what a night! Right now is 7:25 am, I'm at the hospital and I have to start seeing patients after 3.5 hours of sleep and I lost count of how many hours of flying but, happier for doing it. More to follow later!
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

Well I am posting this from the Mountain Home FBO. Unfortunately the new Voltage Regulator I need won't be here until tomorrow :mad:. So I should be getting out of here hopefully mid morning tomorrow. In the mean time I'm going to see if I can borrow the Courtesy car and explore the Mountain Home area.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

skyflyer8 said:
So, Pete... if you are reading this.... if you make it into MSN tomorrow perhaps you could help me with my car.

My car is sitting in at least 6 inches of water and has no electrical power whatsoever. If it hasn't floated away by tomorrow, I hope I can figure out what is going on (maybe try a jump start) and make it out of here.
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Glad you both made it home, Kate. Maybe this (or something similar) is what's happening with your car?

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?p=234518#post234518
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

vontresc said:
Well I am posting this from the Mountain Home FBO. Unfortunately the new Voltage Regulator I need won't be here until tomorrow :mad:. So I should be getting out of here hopefully mid morning tomorrow. In the mean time I'm going to see if I can borrow the Courtesy car and explore the Mountain Home area.
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Go to the Visitors Center right by the dam after crossing the bridge from Gaston's. Ask Janice Denney, the Park Ranger for a tour of the center. They have a really impressive collection of White River fish specimens and a nice view of the Bull Shoals Lake.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

ok we are now in flagstaff. im going to miss my flight out of OAK so looks like I will be getting in to RDU sometime tomorrow morning.

More later.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

When good ol' dependable (not!)* Karen Nuvi told I'd get home at 12:30 I decided to try for making the trip in one shot. I would rather be tired than be tried and deal with checking in and toting and unpacking and herding a stubborn bulldog one more time.

I turn on NewsRadio and hear how there are thunderstorms and tornadoes west of me that I had to race home. I stopped when I got too tired and let them catch us. After a a quick 45 minute "nap" in the pounding rain, I went on. Toward home I could mostly make out which of the 6 yellow lines I was supposed to follow. :(

Since we stopped several times so the arrival was 1:50 AM.

Even though it took a while for the A/C to catch up, Pancho was very happy to be home. She went right back to eating normally. From the flashing clocks I can see that the power went off again. No flooding.

DISASTER! I can't find my computer glasses. :hairraise: (Update: Found them in the back of the car, right before I was going to call the motel.)


* The database had Gastons at the end of the road 1.5 miles out, I saved the spot on front of the lodge. Karen kept trying to tell me I could turn right at the end of the road to Gastons, even thought he sign said "No vehicles beyond this point." On the way in as I was hurying to meet for brunch, she said to turn down a road in Lakeview to get there. I was intrigued even though I shouldda knowed better. The road became gravel. The gravel road crossed one of those grids that blocks livestock. The gravel got sparser and bumpier. I threaded the car between two rows of cows. Even though the map on the Nuvi was sure the road wound on for 2 more miles, the road disappeared in a fenced-in plot of land and I was aimed at a farm house.
 
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Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

3.5 hrs to get TO Gaston's, 5.3 to get home! But, Jeremy in the C-150 made it to Huntsville (UTS) and the rest of us made it to PWG (near Waco) by 1730 yesterday.

I thought my departure would've gotten some honorable mention, if there were awards for such an experience (other than the 'Darwin Awards')! I had done the numbers, and had 10% cushion. When, as Dave noted above, the ASI just kind of "stuck" at 60 - and the runway was running out - Well, everyone in the plane just kinda closed their eyes... Sure glad I wasn't full on the fuel!

We stopped short of our planned fuel stop, due to low fuel and strong headwinds, and lo and behold, 100LL was 4.65 at the place to which we diverted (7M3)! And, there was a restaurant across the street! God just blesses me... Wish I could take the credit for planning that well. In flying, planning is better than luck!

Well, on takeoff, we are now FULL of fuel, and they had some pretty tall trees at the end of their RWY24; and needless to say, that's TWO too many interesting take-offs! Had to do that - get the nose down, build airspeed, and hard pull-up to get over the trees - thing. Chel said "You know that's annoying." I didn't have the guts to tell her it was necessary...

All is well after all!
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

vontresc said:
Well I am posting this from the Mountain Home FBO. Unfortunately the new Voltage Regulator I need won't be here until tomorrow :mad:. So I should be getting out of here hopefully mid morning tomorrow. In the mean time I'm going to see if I can borrow the Courtesy car and explore the Mountain Home area.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry you didn't get back Pete. Thought you had everything well in hand when I left Sunday. Keep us up-to-date. We hate to see things like this happen at the fly in.

Best,

Dave
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

Dr. Bill said:
I had done the numbers, and had 10% cushion. When, as Dave noted above, the ASI just kind of "stuck" at 60 - and the runway was running out -
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Out of idle curiosity, how did you estimate the wind?
 
I guessed a 5 kt tailwind, based on the flag by the pool. The windsock rarely ever moved.
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

vontresc said:
Well I am posting this from the Mountain Home FBO. Unfortunately the new Voltage Regulator I need won't be here until tomorrow :mad:. So I should be getting out of here hopefully mid morning tomorrow. In the mean time I'm going to see if I can borrow the Courtesy car and explore the Mountain Home area.
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Pete, I hope you get this fixed tomorrow. Maybe we should have flown down to Tulsa afterall! Good luck.

-Felix
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

Dave Siciliano said:
I'm sorry you didn't get back Pete. Thought you had everything well in hand when I left Sunday. Keep us up-to-date. We hate to see things like this happen at the fly in.

Best,

Dave
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Yea, loosing a simple regulator can be a pain, especially if one is hard to find. I've often thought of having a good discussion on spare parts to have....

Dave, suspect you had a great ride home, but some headwind. Carol and I finished off our trip with an arrival in KPIE at 2pm, and got home just in time to see the west coast of FL dump on us with a huge line of TRWs.

This was one of the rare trips that I made entirely VFR, without any weather. The hardest part was the downwind takeoff at Gastons.....exciting.
 
Ok I am finally back home. I missed my flight out of OAK yesterday since we had to divert for weather and stay in Tucumcari, but it was worth it.

Had a pretty cool light show on the flight from LAX to ATL somewhere over OK or TX.

Now...back to reality. :(
 
Re: Returnign home from Gaston's thread.

JHW said:
i was wondering about that, but i would have expected something to stick and bend a pushtube, and my pushtube shrouds are not wrinkled.

there was a loud bang and then it went dead on at least one jug, pretty bad vibration but not dangerously so.

it was killing me me to not take it apart and see, but a closed shop, no tools, not knowing policy on pilots doing their own work, etc. They went ahead and put me inside their maintenance hanger which i was grateful for, so i didn't want to push it.
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If the guide came loose the pushrod wouldn't have to bend. A piston problem still seems more likely though. Either way I can't see how you'd have good compression on all four cyls.
 
tonycondon said:
really sucks, doesnt it?
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That first 24 hours was a bear; I was wore out from flying all morning at Gaston's, then the heat of flying low across the state of Texas against a mean ole headwind. Finally a storm-dodge at destination; the strong upper level winds blew the top of a west Texas supercell over 150 miles downwind from the Davis Mountains giving me blissful shade but concerns about hail.

Didn't help that we went to bed after 2am then up at 6am the night before!
Nothing a few naps couldn't cure. :)
 
Well the part is in, Donny (same guy who fixed Felix's V35) is putting her back together. I should finally be out of here within the hour. Thanks again to all who helped out. Dave for giving me his extra voltage regulator, which unfortunately didn't fit. Felix for flying me back to Gastons. Will, Robert, and Brook for hanging out at the restaurant. The awesome folks at BPK who let me have their crew car for the day yesterday. And Especially for Les at Ozark Airworks who got me up and running again.

It has been an adventure, and it will be a great story at work explaining why I am 2 days late ;-) Well the silver lining to this is that I got to have some phenomenal BBQ at KT's In Gassville (highly recommended by the local charter pilot)

I will Post when I get home, and I'll see all y'alls (is that the correct plural????) next year.
 
vontresc said:
all y'alls (is that the correct plural????) next year.
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I think that all y'all's is the southern plural, possessive Pete!
all y'all probably would cover it in this case.
Glad to hear of progress, and that the delay has not been devastating to a job, or relationship!
 
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