Your worst AOG situations

ArrowFlyer86

ArrowFlyer86

En-Route
PoA Supporter
Joined
Jul 17, 2019
Messages
3,285
Location
Around
Display Name
Flight
The worst I've had isn't bad. I was stuck overnight at KRZL in Indiana with a flat nose tire and a very friendly FBO that gave me the courtesy car and permission to overnight on the couch. I binge watched TV on my iPad and passed out. The guys at Excel air services were out the next morning (a Sunday!) before I even woke up and got me all fixed up.

But when I look at bush planes I frequently wonder about guys and gals flying out to remote grass strips, or small paved runways with nothing around, or like any Alaska pilots in general lol... If something goes wrong, what do you do when you're out in the middle of nowhere, maybe road accessible, maybe not. Do you fly a mechanic out? Fix it yourself? Risk it and fly with a problem (if the situation is real desperate). Do you guys carry big tool boxes, spare batteries or jump kits, etc? Do you all have at least basic mechanical knowledge to repair your stuff? Curious about some situations you all have found yourself in...
 
Last edited:
Punctured main tire at rural airport on a Sunday. Fortunately there was an old tube lying around, a few tools, a bottle jack and some concrete blocks.
 
Clip4 said:
Punctured main tire at rural airport on a Sunday. Fortunately there was an old tube lying around, a few tools, a bottle jack and some concrete blocks.
Click to expand...
Literally just a bottle jack lying around?
That is one hell of a nice coincidence!
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
The worst I've had isn't bad. I was stuck overnight at KRZL in Indiana with a nose tire and a very friendly FBO that gave me the courtesy car and permission to overnight on the couch. I binge watched TV on my iPad and passed out. The guys at Excel air services were out the next morning (a Sunday!) before I even woke up and got me all fixed up.

But when I look at bush planes I frequently wonder about guys and gals flying out to remote grass strips, or small paved runways with nothing around, or like any Alaska pilots in general lol... If something goes wrong, what do you do when you're out in the middle of nowhere, maybe road accessible, maybe not. Do you fly a mechanic out? Fix it yourself? Risk it and fly with a problem (if the situation is real desperate). Do you guys carry big tool boxes, spare batteries or jump kits, etc? Do you all have at least basic mechanical knowledge to repair your stuff? Curious about some situations you all have found yourself in...
Click to expand...
Years ago I read a book by an Alaskan Bush Pilot / A&P who did indeed fly out to broken airplanes wherever they might be. I wish I remembered the title.
 
Longest and most tedious repair was a suspected gearbox failure/divert to Luke AFB. After the chip light failed to clear on successive ground runs and high metal content was observed on the oil drain and flush, we wound up changing the aft gearbox/mix box on a CH-46. Several days just getting GSE and tools together before the new unit arrived via Air Force C-141.

As a pilot (rather than Navy enlisted aircrew) my worst AOG was my friend's RV-7A after an electrical failure combined with an inflight fuel leak. We were only across the sound, about 20 miles as the crow flies. But it was a PITA complete with sunburn and a @#$%^&* of an airport owner/manager.
 
wilkersk said:
Longest and most tedious repair was a suspected gearbox failure/divert to Luke AFB. After the chip light failed to clear on successive ground runs and high metal content was observed on the oil drain and flush, we wound up changing the aft gearbox/mix box on a CH-46. Several days just getting GSE and tools together before the new unit arrived via Air Force C-141.

As a pilot (rather than Navy enlisted aircrew) my worst AOG was my friend's RV-7A after an electrical failure combined with an inflight fuel leak. We were only across the sound, about 20 miles as the crow flies. But it was a PITA complete with sunburn and a @#$%^&* of an airport owner/manager.
Click to expand...
Electrical failure combined with a fuel leak... Were you flying a new bird home or something? Something that wasnt a known quantity? Just thinking on a good plane what are the odds those both happen at the same time!
 
I spent four months flying a C182 through Africa, with the SMA Diesel engine. That engine had some issues, one of which was that the high vibration kept causing the alternator wires to fatigue and snap.

Coming out of El Geneina in West Darfur (western Sudan) we lost the alternator yet again. We had no VHF contact with ATC so I relayed a message through a British Airways flight (on its way from Mauritius to London) to Khartoum to let them know we might arrive non-radio. They didn't tell me that they had declared an emergency on my behalf...

Arriving in Khartoum five hours later, I had conserved enough battery to use the radio. The airport had been closed down for us and emergency equipment lined the runways. We were told that we could not depart until a full investigation and incident report had been completed.

I spent the next couple of days with the proprietor of the only piston engine "shop" on the airport, a shed with a load of old crop dusters outside it. I wrote my own incident report, made it look nice in MS Word, and submitted it, and we were free to go!

1755567584186.png
 
Katamarino said:
I spent four months flying a C182 through Africa, with the SMA Diesel engine. That engine had some issues, one of which was that the high vibration kept causing the alternator wires to fatigue and snap.

Coming out of El Geneina in West Darfur (western Sudan) we lost the alternator yet again. We had no VHF contact with ATC so I relayed a message through a British Airways flight (on its way from Mauritius to London) to Khartoum to let them know we might arrive non-radio. They didn't tell me that they had declared an emergency on my behalf...

Arriving in Khartoum five hours later, I had conserved enough battery to use the radio. The airport had been closed down for us and emergency equipment lined the runways. We were told that we could not depart until a full investigation and incident report had been completed.

I spent the next couple of days with the proprietor of the only piston engine "shop" on the airport, a shed with a load of old crop dusters outside it. I wrote my own incident report, made it look nice in MS Word, and submitted it, and we were free to go!

View attachment 144224
Click to expand...
I mean ****.. if you're going to have an emergency story, I feel like that's the one you want to have! Probably not many people here have or will ever land in Khartoum.
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
Electrical failure combined with a fuel leak... Were you flying a new bird home or something? Something that wasnt a known quantity? Just thinking on a good plane what are the odds those both happen at the same time!
Click to expand...

It was a couple of months after my friend bought the EAB plane from its 2nd owner, who had aged out and wisely decided to let it go (but not before planting a couple of well hidden easter eggs).
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
The worst I've had isn't bad. I was stuck overnight at KRZL in Indiana with a nose tire and a very friendly FBO that gave me the courtesy car and permission to overnight on the couch. I binge watched TV on my iPad and passed out. The guys at Excel air services were out the next morning (a Sunday!) before I even woke up and got me all fixed up.

But when I look at bush planes I frequently wonder about guys and gals flying out to remote grass strips, or small paved runways with nothing around, or like any Alaska pilots in general lol... If something goes wrong, what do you do when you're out in the middle of nowhere, maybe road accessible, maybe not. Do you fly a mechanic out? Fix it yourself? Risk it and fly with a problem (if the situation is real desperate). Do you guys carry big tool boxes, spare batteries or jump kits, etc? Do you all have at least basic mechanical knowledge to repair your stuff? Curious about some situations you all have found yourself in...
Click to expand...
RZL is one of the best places to be AOG. Especially if you happen to be in a Grumman. John Sjaardema is a legend in the Grumman community.
 
donjohnston said:
RZL is one of the best places to be AOG. Especially if you happen to be in a Grumman. John Sjaardema is a legend in the Grumman community.
Click to expand...
I believe he was the guy I talked to on the phone when I called for assistance; Derek Dejong (an A&P) was the guy who showed up at the crack of dawn on his Sunday day off to get me moving again. He also gave me a tour of the facility and the planes they were working on. And they didn't even charge a call out fee or anything. I mean if that's not A+++ service, I don't know what is. I gave effusive thanks online and to the FBO letting them know they have a great op there.
 
Was nearly AOG in Tennessee. But the prop cable gave up the ghost during runup at the home drome.
 
Waited too long but flew out to close up the cabin. Weather turned. Rain to snow and dropping temps. Had to overnight. In the morning I had to break ice and slush for 7 miles in my smallest jon boat to get downriver to the plane. I was soaked. The plane was crusted and frozen solid. Tried to clear it as much as possible before making a shelter to dry out and sleep the night. I didn’t have anything but bare essential survival gear and it was going to get colder. Not a good situation being soaking wet. A neighbor from downstream heard me working on the plane and came to check on me. One look at me and he told me to get on his wheeler and crash on his couch for the night. That was a welcome offer. The next morning it was 7°F and clear skies. I had to wait for the sun to warm the plane to melt some ice but eventually I got out. Lesson learned. My “survival” gear changed a lot after that. If a guy can make a camp and be fairly warm through the night he’s less likely to push into bad weather. That lesson has served me well.

Another story, different plane. I had a rod break and blow a big hole in the case while in flight. Luckily it occurred over a glacial river, so there was a place to land. Unfortunately, glacial rivers rise and fall like crazy so I had to get the plane moved. The Insurance company said no helicopter so a friend and I rigged one jon boat between the float bows and another (mine) riding tether on the tail. We moved the plane about 20 miles to a clear water tributary, where it sat for 3 months waiting for a new engine. Three of us muscled the old motor off and lifted (by hand) the new one into place on a muddy riverbank. There are a couple of side stories that still make me smile. Good times in remote Alaska.
 
Last edited:
My only AOG so far was getting stuck in Pierre, SD with a dead alternator (for reference, Pierre is a 4 hour flight home). They were able to overnight a new one to me and the FBO got me going quickly. One challenge was getting a hotel room. It was pheasant season and I was told I got the last room in town.

This same story is what has made me hate Aircraft Spruce and never order from them again. Crooks.
 
nothing heinous, just annoying enough to temper further desire to do longer trips with family. Solo I wouldn't care really.

Mag died in Norman OK prior to the return leg. Surprisingly difficult to get anyone to come out, even given the metropolitan nature. Took two weeks, something in EAB would have taken two afternoons, but LeGaLiTiEs. Decided to play it cool given the proximity to the enemy stronghold. The 7 hour drives fro/to were the real annoyance.

The rest of them, well I've been able to shoehorn into recoveries before they became AOG.

The dead alternator one happened inflight so was able to backtrack stealth mode (conservation of battery power, for radios and gear back home) before it became a real AOG. Killed the weekend trip of course, with loss of hotels and the like.
 
Last edited:
I think everyone here knows my worst AOG story. I've had two others that resulted in changed plans: a mag failure that stranded the plane at SUS that resulted in driving a rental car home, and an alternator failure over AR. On that one i elected to land at BPK because I knew there was a shop, hotels, and transportation.

I've had a few flat tires, as well as a fuel pressure issue, all of which were handled by on-field shops. A couple of those shops didn't really do much piston work, but were happy to help out a transient.

I've found that any place I've wanted to travel had mechanic on field, or a mobile mechanic close by. Now, I don't go to the middle of nowhere to camp like @rwellner98 . Id like to hear about his AOG's, or ones he's seen in the back country. Of course, he might have an A&P stashed in between the starlink and the cook stove.
 
En route to the Bahamas for a January vacation with my wife who was 4 months pregnant at the time, we ended up AOG in Brunswick, GA. We had been experiencing a minor prop seal leak, but had been told independently by three separate A&Ps that it was not a big deal and to take care of it at annual (early February).

It turns out that the problem was exacerbated by oil viscosity and 7+flight hours toward the islands warmed up the oil to make that oil nice and runny!

At the first fuel stop, we had a slight oil streak, which was consistent with previous flights, so there was little reason for additional concern. However, in the middle of the second leg, I noticed a new problem. Tiny little specks of oil were now propagating on the windscreen. At first, this was minor annoyance, but I soon realized that this would cause a more significant issue as we nears our destination: forward visibility!

At this point, KBQK was our intended destination, but Savannah, GA was a viable alternative. On the one hand, Savannah, being a class C would likely have more emergency equipment if I messed something up, but on the flip side, I would cause a greater disruption to commercial air traffic. A brief search on Foreflight revealed that the maintenance shop at Brunswick had helped many AOG pilots and was very well regarded.

So, in spite of possibly fewer emergency vehicles and a smaller runway (still PLENTY big for the 172) I opted to continue to the intended destination. About 20 minutes out, I asked my (pregnant) wife to climb to the back and grab the roll of shop towels. I took one, opened the window and with all the stretch that my gangly arms could muster, reached forward toward the windscreen to wipe a spot clear. Let me tell you, the windscreen is further forward than you realize! I did manage to get about a 6” wide by 12” tall section wiped relatively clean, but 15 minutes later, on the final leg of the instrument approach, it had hazed up again. Rinse and repeat.

That clear corner didn’t allow me to see straight ahead, but by flying in a forward slip, I was able to stay on center line all the way down and just kicked it straight at the end. In spite of the less than ideal situation, we were safely on the ground. We taxied to the FBO and David Manning, one of the proprietors of Manning Aviation, came out to tie us down and fuel us up. Before I had even gotten out, he asked where we were going, and when I told him that we were headed to the Bahamas, he said m, “I wouldn’t fly it down there like this.”

It wasn’t until I got out and saw the extent of the oil down the side of the plane that I concurred. This was on a Saturday night, so no A&P was available until Monday morning. However, David used his personal connections to get us a room at the local hotel for $100 less per night than the standard rate!

On Monday morning, David’s brother, a mechanic of over 50 years arrived and within less than 30 mins had the cowl off, the prop off, had identified the issue with the prop seal and told me that if he had the right seal in stock, we would be in the air by the next morning (due to the curing time necessary for the sealant). He did in fact have that exact seal in stock and the next day, we departed for our island vacation.

Some notes about our experience:
1. This was literally the week after I got my commercial ticket, so I was confident enough in my abilities to make Brunswick instead of diverting to Savannah.
2. My wife is a paramedic and makes critical decisions under pressure nearly every shift, so she didn’t panic at all. She in fact was very helpful through it all and was down to continue our journey.
3. I’ve wrestled with whether an emergency declaration was warranted, but based on a number of factors, I determined that it was not necessary. In retrospect, I wouldn’t have been out of line to declare, but I am still ok with my decision not to.
4. I can’t possibly say enough good things about the entire Manning family and crew there at KBQK. They saved our vacation and prevented an AOG on foreign soil where it might have been a WAY bigger issue.

1755595513267.jpeg
 
Jim K said:
I think everyone here knows my worst AOG story. I've had two others that resulted in changed plans: a mag failure that stranded the plane at SUS that resulted in driving a rental car home, and an alternator failure over AR. I've found that any place I've wanted to travel had mechanic on field, or a mobile mechanic close by. Now, I don't go to the middle of nowhere to camp like @rwellner98 . Id like to hear about his AOG's, or ones he's seen in the back country. Of course, he might have an A&P stashed in between the starlink and the cook stove.
Click to expand...
"New from Ronco, the pocket A&P!"

I've been mostly lucky. I've toasted a couple alternators, but both were at base, so don't count.

In the field:

Was at Wilson Bar in Idaho and
. That was a hot and strenuous day. tl;dr some animals had dug a hole in the parking area. I borrowed a shovel from another pilot and spent a couple hours digging a ramp and then refilling the hole.

I was at North Fox Island when my mags decided to fail. I had been having hot start problems for a few weeks, but had also been having a battery issue, so I wasn't getting proper RPMs on start attempts. I was going to North Fox for a weekend and bringing the full kit, including a generator, so wasn't worried about the battery issue. I knew I could keep it topped off and be good to go. Was getting ready to go on Monday morning and couldn't get things started. Then it started to rain. All day I was tweaking things. Normal starts. Hot starts. Intentional flood. Dry everything out. No love. This went on for days. Tuesday I was messaging friends for advice. By Wednesday I was on starlink messaging friends for help. @Mtns2Skies gave some tips, but more importantly was willing to commit to coming up Friday with tools. So I kept messing around with things, but never had any luck. Friday morning he asked what else I needed. I was on day six of a three day trip, so had been low on food for a while, subsisting only on emergency provisions (e.g. mountain house). I replied "a f'ing salad!". He got there later with a family sized salad in a bag and a fork. Best meal I've ever had. I walked him through everything I was doing and for some reason it decided to catch and I was running. I sure as heck wasn't going to shut down again, so took off and circled the island up to about 10k before pointing toward shore.

Got back to my farm, unpacked and called my A&P to see when he could look at it. We agreed I would fly it over the next day. Of course, next day comes and it won't start again. So A&P comes out to the farm and, long story short, figures out that both mags were just EOL. We decided to send one in for a refurb and replaced the other with an emag. Love, love, love the emag! Plane hot starts now with no issues ever. Seems to get 3-5% better mileage also.

This spring a buddy touched a wing tip and we had to duct tape it back together. A few years ago another buddy got stuck at Soldier Bar for a few hours waiting until his engine was cold soaked because he had failed to hot start enough times that he couldn't risk continuing to try. Minor stuff like that.
 
Probably not my worst AOG, but somewhat entertaining.

Had my tailwheel go flat when I stopped to fuel up before heading to a friend’s airstrip one evening in preparation to attend the fly-in breakfast the next morning at the airport I was at. Tried calling the friend several times, but they were outside (pre-cell phone) having a barbecue, waiting for us to show up.

We finally gave up and got a hotel room, and went across the street for supper. Halfway through supper, in walks said friend…they decided to come look for us, and apparently the buffet restaurant was the most likely location to look first. :lol:

Next morning, they put out word that we had a problem, and one friend had a tailwheel and tube out at his farm, so we borrowed a 170 from another friend and retrieved it…they were holding VFR to get into this pancake breakfast when we came back.

Changed out the tire, ultimately had a great time, and when I got home, I had my mechanic order me a spare tire and tube to keep in the airplane at the “suggestion” of the guy who had the one we used. Well, it wasn’t so much a suggestion as being called a damn idiot for not carrying one.:lol:

Carried a spare for over 15 more years and never needed it, but told my mechanic it was available if he ever had an AOG that needed it. I got it replaced when somebody needed it about every 2-3 years.
 
rwellner98 said:
I was at North Fox Island when my mags decided to fail. I had been having hot start problems for a few weeks, but had also been having a battery issue, so I wasn't getting proper RPMs on start attempts. I was going to North Fox for a weekend and bringing the full kit, including a generator, so wasn't worried about the battery issue. I knew I could keep it topped off and be good to go. Was getting ready to go on Monday morning and couldn't get things started. Then it started to rain. All day I was tweaking things. Normal starts. Hot starts. Intentional flood. Dry everything out. No love. This went on for days. Tuesday I was messaging friends for advice. By Wednesday I was on starlink messaging friends for help. @Mtns2Skies gave some tips, but more importantly was willing to commit to coming up Friday with tools. So I kept messing around with things, but never had any luck. Friday morning he asked what else I needed. I was on day six of a three day trip, so had been low on food for a while, subsisting only on emergency provisions (e.g. mountain house). I replied "a f'ing salad!". He got there later with a family sized salad in a bag and a fork. Best meal I've ever had. I walked him through everything I was doing and for some reason it decided to catch and I was running. I sure as heck wasn't going to shut down again, so took off and circled the island up to about 10k before pointing toward shore.
Click to expand...
The potential for being stuck AOG on North Fox island is the sole reason why I haven't visited there yet...
 
Yes! Beaver Isl. is as close as I'll get to that.....Bogert, tire and tube travel with me when I go "remote"....and it weighs a good bit too,..22 lbs (+ 11lbs for the tire, talc and tube).
 

Attachments

Last edited:
I've had 3.

2011. A Wednesday night in February I landed in Knoxville shortly after a fuel stop en route to St Augustine because I didn't feel like shooting an approach at night in the rain. Next morning, prop was slow to cycle. Looked over, and oil pressure was 0. Oil cooler had ruptured. Oil all over the ground. Took it to maintenance on the field got an oil cooler overnight and installed on Friday morning. Second oil cooler ruptured. Tossed em the keys, told em to call me when they found the issue, walked over to Enterprise, loaded all my stuff from the plane and drove home to Michigan. They called me on Monday. Oil filter lines had been installed A->B and B->A rather than A->A and B->B when the remote oil filter was originally installed. Dad flew me back down in his Cherokee the next weather break and I got the plane home after another oil cooler was installed.

2022
This little adventure

2023
(Some of it) happened again.
 
Had a thrust reverser hydraulic line blow on landing at FHB on a Friday drop off. The AOG truck came out on Saturday and replaced it. Since the pickup was scheduled for Sunday, we stayed the night and flew the passengers home as scheduled. Forced to spend the whole weekend on Amelia Island. It was horrible. :) :) :)
 
I've had to do impromptu repairs. One time when the alternator (well really the voltage regulator) crumped, I carried my battery out of the airport and took it to the gas station and had them charge it for me. I've changed tires in the field, too. It just takes two people to get under the wing and lift while someone else sticks a 4x4 or something similar under the gear leg.

Margy's flight instructor was flying cargo into Bagdad and they took small arms fire on approach. He says the great thing about the DC-8 is you can get shot at and not feel it. They did some improptu repairs and got out of there. The FAA dinged them for airworthiness concerns, but he told them that there was no way he was going to be grounded in a war zone.
 
To the OP, here in Idaho we are lucky (or unlucky depending on the situation) to have radio repeaters around the backcountry and all the backcountry strips on the same freq. So, if you are stranded somewhere and have a radio that works, you can likely get in touch with someone flying around the backcountry to send help if really needed. I also carry overnight gear and a Garmin in-Reach. The Idaho Aviation Association provides a list of "stuck-n-stay" folks that will help you out at nearly every backcountry strip in Idaho as well - top notch organization!
 
Not a break down, but one time I was forced to land at Noorvik, AK due to weather. Visibility in Kotzebue, Class E, dropped to almost nothing due to snow, fog and mist. I was in a 207, VFR so no chance of getting a pop up or even a special VFR clearance. There was no place to plug in to keep the engine warm, (temps around -10f) so while the passengers went into town to stay warm, I stayed with the plane to start it every 30 minutes to keep the engine warm. 6 hours later the visibility went up to a mile, so I collected the passengers and off we went.

Another time I landed in Noatak, AK, unloaded passengers, bags and mail. Loaded up passengers and bags. I started the left engine, and when I hit the switch for the right engine, CRUNCHO.!! Goes the starter. Fortunately the airport had a remote communications outlet so I was able to call the FSS in Kotzebue and let them know the problem. FSS called the company on the land line, and through relay I was able to get a rescue going. It took 3 hours before the mechanic showed up, but fortunately this was in July so temps were comfortable, but skeeters were patrolling the area.

Then one time I went to Tucson, AZ in a 310 to transport a body to Zuni. I landed about 01:30am, the airport totally abandoned and the body was waiting for me. In a bag. So we loaded the body, I got in and started the left engine. Then I attempted to start the right engine. The starter spun but did not engage into the flywheel. I found a short piece of pipe and, uhhh, let's say I tapped lightly on the starter. No good, so I called the dispatcher and let him know what was going on. He called the boss, who called the chief pilot who called the on call mechanic, and 2 hours later they showed up to replace the starter. Fun part was while I was waiting, a Piper Seminole landed. 3 instructors inside building ME time. They came over to look at the 310, and asked if they could look inside. I said sure, just be careful of the cargo in back. One guy looked in the back and said, looks like a body. I said it is. They simultaneously took one step back... :lol:

The Zuni tribe believes that if a person dies in the daytime, then the body needs to be buried before sunset. If a person dies at night, they need to be buried before sunrise. So I was in a bit of a hurry to get to Zuni ASAP. I made it with plenty of time, and watched while they performed their ceremonial rituals for the deceased.
 
Alternator failure in Laurinburg, NC a few months after I bought the plane. It should not have been an AOG event, but an FAA inspector ramp checked me on a Saturday morning while I was jump starting and opined that I should not fly. That started a 4 day hotel stay while I got an alternator and voltage regulator shipped and found an itinerant A&P to help.

Knowing what I know now, I would have pulled the battery, bought a charger from Walmart, charged it overnight, and flown home in the morning. At the time I wasn't even sure where the battery was. :rofl:
 
Just about a year ago we were on our way home from BBG. Flew the 1st leg landed at FRH on a Saturday around 1pm for gas and a snack. Ate some pizza we had in the cooler made hotel reservations at IDI for the night jumped in the airplane prop swings a 1/4 of a turn and stops. I had noticed the starter dragging a couple days before, but only needed 3 more starts to get us home. Welp FRH has no services on the field besides gas, a crew car, and a couple of really cool dogs none of which could fix my airplane. Pulled the cowling found the exciter wire on the starter barely connected. Crew car to Autozone for some ring terminals. Super optimistic that was the problem. My optimism was quickly snapped back to reality with it not being the problem.
Airport manager was AWESOME and let us keep the crew car to get to the local Best Western (seemed like a good idea). No parts on Sunday so we watched a baseball tournament that was played based on the rules from the 1800's which was kind of neat. Called around Monday morning to find a starter within 200 miles which was the equivalent to pi$$ing in the wind. My A&P overnighted me one for Tuesday morning and we were off by 11am on Tuesday.
We did move to West Baden Springs Hotel Monday night. Definitely should have stayed there the other 2 nights as well.

I was telling my wife on final this would be our last time at FRH because it's always bumpy as he!!, and I hate pumping my own gas (I know a low wing would make it easier but I would still hate it)

Overall Matt the manager at FRH was awesome went above and beyond by letting us keep the crew car the whole time we were there, and offering to help anyway he could.

We'll see what kind of adventure this years trip to BBG holds T minus 15 days
 
Zeldman said:
There was no place to plug in to keep the engine warm, (temps around -10f) so while the passengers went into town to stay warm, I stayed with the plane to start it every 30 minutes to keep the engine warm.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a normal trip for me. ;) We had one charter customer who was notoriously late. I was scheduled to pick him up at 2200 at a soon-to-be-decommissioned airport in MN in January. Arrived at 2130, probably the same -10F, and no place to get inside. Started one engine and ran the heater for 10 minutes every half hour or so until hie showed up about 0130.
 
Oh, boy. There have been a few, mostly minor issues. Bad mag coil in Jacksonville when on our way to Deland. Overnighted in St. Augustine. Surrounded by CBs in Greensboro on our way back home to Central NY. Stayed overnight and flew out the next morning at the crack of dawn. It was fun to taxi out with all the commercial jets during the morning rush. We got sent ahead for an intersection takeoff. (Woo-hoo.) On another long trip back from Mobile to Central NY I found I had lost an exhaust stud nut somewhere over PA. Arrived too late to have someone work on it that night, so we left the next AM after spending 50 cents on a nut and washer (and a careful check of exhaust riser torques). The affected cylinder had been replaced about 10 hours prior. Got stuck overnight in Poukeepsie while visiting family. About to head home on a Sunday evening and found a puddle of brake fluid under the right brake. Cracked brake line fitting. Another cheap fix and on our way the next day. On a trip to Maine, the weather was atrocious for our departure: fog and zero visibility, followed by downpours later in the day. Not even good for IFR. We decided to go shopping at L.L. Bean (dangerous!) for the day and stop at a microbrewery for dinner. Departed the next day into horrific headwinds behind a cold front, but otherwise nice weather.

It seems like a lot of long trips shake, rattle, and roll something loose. And weather can always be a factor. Time to spare, go by air!
 
RV10 flown to Erie PA. Stayed a few days, returned rental to FBO. Winds were not favoring the open runway, I recall 10g20 but it's been a bit. That would have been mostly x wind. Waited til primary runway was open, had to taxi 8000 ft with wind at my back. Turned onto the runway, smelled burnt rubber, lost brakes. Told tower, asked for a tow, was in the grass. Saw smoke, my bride was with me. Quick talk to tower, shut down, got out. Saw fire, expedited my brides egress. Got far away, then further. Emergency truck took way too long, but time was funny. It did not go boom! PoPo gave us a ride back to FBO. Plane was towable. Staff told me they would need to notify the FAA, I assume because of runway shutdown. FBO said they would add me to work list, several weeks long, after FAA released plane.

Rental car reclaimed thanks to backline comms between Enterprise and the FBO. Drove home with deeply burnt out fight or flight responses.

Talked to maintenance staff who relayed FAA found "some problems", suggested it might have been completely disconnected rudder control system. I spent a nearly sleepless night waiting for FAA to call me, called them the next day. Wrote up a statement. FAA guy wasn't buying my explanation that RV10 rudder lacks tension unless pressure applied to pedals, said he had been an airworthiness inspector in prior life. Discussion was polite, factual, but stressful for me. 30 min after statement sent in NTSB and FAA released the plane, but said footnote of the rudder stuff would be in the report. They said they tested it visually outside the plane looking at the rudder pedals.

Busy airport, experimental, FAA/NTSB involvement likely contributed to work not being performed on the plane fast enough for OSH 25. I hired a guy that said he knew the model well to fly in and fix. FBO gave him space.

Side note: RV10 brake issues (now to me) well known for stock. They had put out a SB suggesting higher temp O rings and fluids which had not been done yet.

Hired guy would not put my O rings and fluids in the plane, acted all certifiedish needing to follow manuals from manufacturer. Plane got airworthy though. Right brake cleaned and working.

I rented a car, carried all my OSH stuff with me to fly in early. Wednesday before OSH wx dicey, Thursday I was going to fly over Lake Erie and Michigan and stay the whole week camping and learning good stuff for the plane I am building. Texted my wife that I was about to start up, after turning in the rental. Put my feet on the brakes, hand on key, right brake super soft. Puddle of fluid on the ground. Fitting came apart right near the brake, a real bummer because the AOG guy had had new hoses on site. No OSH for me 25. AOG guy came back (my 2nd expense) put on new lines. I'd taken my super small cramped car and driven home with my OSH tent and supplies...really wanting a good cry.

I hired a ferry pilot to get the plane home.

Once home I spent a couple days getting 5606 out of the system, putting on the Viton high temp Orings, and getting lots of brake fluid sopped up in rags. Now back flying and better brakes on order. I'm signed up for a LSRM class early 2026 and really want to stop relying on others for help.

My read of the FARs is that brake and tire troubles are not reportable to the FAA, the FAA guy said what happened was though. Reportedly he went back to the hangar and saw someone demonstrate rudder continuity!

My bride still flies with me!
 
I originally had an electrical system (Vertical Power VP-200) that had electronic CB's in a centrally mounted power distribution unit that was controlled by a dedicated switch panel and display unit similar to an MFD. This thing controlled everything from power to individual LRUs, flaps, and ignition. We were completing a flight from Virgina to Pompano Beach Fl. I was on an RNAV approach but in VMC when the Display unit went dark. Everything that was already on was still functioning otherwise, but I couldn't see what menu I was in which drives the function of the soft keys on the display. Bottom line was I couldn't turn anything on or off individually. An annoyance in the air at the time but the trouble came after an uneventful landing and shutdown. I had no way to turn everything back on for the flight home. I did some trouble shooting the next day but it was apparent the screen was dead. Worse, it was an orphaned system no longer supported by the manufacturer so no chance for a repair or even a loaner to get me home. My next move was to put out an AOG post on VAF and got an immediate response from another builder with the same system who happened to have a spare display unit and he immediately shipped it to me FEDEX. I swapped out the units and was able to head back home on-time at the end of our stay.

Epilogue. Another poster in Canada saw my issue and thought he knew what the problem was and could fix it. So I shipped him the bad unit and retuned the loaner to other builder. Turns out the backlight had gone bad, but then UPS lost the shipment on the return and it was never found. Ugh. I ended up having to rip out everything and install a frankenpanel electrical system including a trim controller, a flap controller, analog switches, and circuit protection. I had intended this to be a very temp solution just to get me back flying as I wanted to re-do my entire panel (replace my legacy non-Touch G3X with a Touch system, etc). Unfortunately, 7 years later I'm still flying with this setup as it seems just when I'm ready to pull the trigger on the upgrade something important comes up and the money goes poof.
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
The potential for being stuck AOG on North Fox island is the sole reason why I haven't visited there yet...
Click to expand...
Unless you are going to refuse to go to any airport that doesn't have an A&P then North Fox is fine. It's no worse than being stuck anywhere else without an A&P. In some ways, it's better because there are a couple airports in the neighborhood with sympathetic mechanics, a phone number for one in the airport log and a nice beach to hang out on while you wait for help.
 
flyingron said:
Margy's flight instructor was flying cargo into Bagdad and they took small arms fire on approach. He says the great thing about the DC-8 is you can get shot at and not feel it. They did some improptu repairs and got out of there. The FAA dinged them for airworthiness concerns, but he told them that there was no way he was going to be grounded in a war zone.
Click to expand...

Ah, the infamous "emergency take-off" scenario we've discussed in various threads over the years.

Knock on wood! I've not experienced an aircraft maintenance issue that left me stranded away from home, just various breakdowns that kept me home.

I did have a transmission fail on a truck hours from home. While waiting on assistance I managed to lock my keys in the truck, in my jacket pocket, as the sun was going down and it was getting cold. Wonderful times.
 
I still only have the one really.

If you are going to relocate the #6 connecting rod to the top of the #4 jug while in flight, Taos NM is not the correct place to do so. No mx, no cars, and the only "uber" around is some dude who scribbled his name on the FBO front desk who will pick you up for a large fee if he's not too stoned.


1755660260022.png

1755660392023.png

1 star experience. Can not recommend.
 
Mag
Alternator wire
gear microswitch
Brake failure
(Gear) hydraulic pump
Tire
Fuel filter bypass
Busted crank (in flight)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top