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C5Engineer added a post in a topic Engine Swap 18 Nov 2009

I bought my Grey Head as a FWF package from a guy that upgraded his B model to a Jabiru. He had rebuilt it twice and it had just shy of 1200 hours total time and 360 SMOH and 6 yeas on it when I got it. I knew it was run out when I put it on but figured I could get some time in on my bird before I did something with it. The rotary valve seal starting leaking after I put 18 hours on it so I started looking at my options. I found a very low time blue head for less than what it would cost me to pay someone to rebuild mine. The guy I got the engine from was even nice enough to tear it down and put all new seals in it, check the crank, and put pistons and rings in it so it's essentially a zero time engine now. I'm sending my Greyhead back to him as a core. This way I'm only down for a week too while I do the swap not a month or longer had I sent it off somewhere.Check out Rotax Rick on Barnstormers...very experienced Aviator and has been building Rotaxs for years. Great guy to work with and always has engines and Rotax parts in stock. Oh ya and no one else I found out there could touch his prices. We'll see how my engine runs before I praise him too much but so far he's been awesome to work with.

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horsepower added a post in a topic Engine Swap 18 Nov 2009

Hi, How many hours did you put on your 582 before pulling it out?Are you rebuilding it or buying a new one? I was just curious if you were getting the new blue head style or rebuilding your old one.Its amazing how that little engine does what it does.I have a grayhead motor that Im putting in my Skyraider so hope it works out.Good Luck on your project. Randy

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akflyer added a post in a topic Avid Catalina 18 Nov 2009

Congrats! now that you can feel your left hand, your sex life just improved by 50%

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akflyer added a post in a topic March 2003 18 Nov 2009

I remember that year... holy hell we had some bad wind storms. Good thing that wind was not coming out of the east or you would have really got the shit kicked out of you flying over the arm!

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flattie45 added a topic in Close Call's and dumb stunts 18 Nov 2009

March 2003

I had purchased my Cessna 140 on Feb. 28, 2003. Previously I had been renting 152's and 172's and was quite happy to have my own aircraft. My girlfriend (marriage was still three years away) had ridden down to Soldotna with her sister to visit their parents and I was going to pick her up the next day. She had flown with me once before in a 152 and I was more than happy to put some hours on the plane. This was in mid March. Anybody from south-central Alaska remembers the weather we experienced in March of 2003. And guess who is going out flying!

I depart Merrill Field about nine in the morning and have a beautiful flight down. I have lunch with her family and everything is great. In the afternoon we notice the tree tops are moving around pretty good so I decide that we need to get going before it gets any worse. Her father drops us off at the airport. Of course the wind is anything but coming down the center-line. I make one of my ugliest take offs, but we are airborne and headed home. I can see the Anchorage bowl and it is just one giant dust cloud. Damn. It's not super bumpy at this point, just strong winds, making for slow going. Maybe twenty minutes after take off I am starting to think about heading back but I really don't want to land with that crosswind. Kenai's runway is pretty much inline with the wind, so I figure that if nothing else we'll divert there. But first I want to continue on and see if it gets better. It has to, right?

The 140 indicates 100 mph in cruise. At the time I did not have a GPS but we can't have been doing more than 60 mph across the ground. After what seems like forever we approach the southern shore of Turnagain Arm. I prefer to have 3000 ft of altitude crossing the water. As I started to climb it got bumpier and bumpier. Not just light little love pats on the airframe but rather solid feeling hits. I descend and cross the water at about 1800 feet. By now I have tuned in Merrill traffic. An Arctic Tern had departed Girdwood and made an attempt to land. He went around once and headed back to Girdwood, where he said it was not as bad. I didn't feel like flying along the Arm in such conditions, but Girdwood was an option. And I still had Kenai in my back pocket. It sure wouldn't take long to back track with such tailwinds.

We are now over south Anchorage following the Seward highway north and it is turbulent. About the time I approach the Polaris High School reporting point we have trash blowing past us. Trash bags, paper, all sorts of crap and we're at 1000 feet. My left hand is moving the yoke in, out, left, right, whatever it takes to stay somewhat straight and level. Meanwhile, Sarah is sitting there not saying a word. Later on, after getting safely on the ground, she said she looked over at me and I did not look scared and that was good enough for her.

A Piper Navajo was making an approach into Merrill. I paid attention to the radio. Fuck, he had to go around. If a Piper twin was having trouble, what were my chances? Understand I had well under a hundred hours on my license. I've been around small aircraft for as long as I can remember, but that is not the same as PIC. The Navajo is on final again. I hear the controller tell him to exit the runway and I breathe a little easier. Still, the wind is howling and the difference between his plane and mine is more than a few thousand pounds and I'd bet he had at least a hundred hours PIC time.

I talk to the tower and I'm cleared for runway 33 (it's since changed to 34). The wind is better for the ski strip (runway 3). I tell the tower I'm going for runway 03. I'm on wheels but the runway is solid ice. Either way, the airport, any airport, is a beautiful thing.

Not thinking (pretty much par for the course), I touch down standard-style at the approach end of the runway. It was actually a pretty decent landing. Except I have about 1800 feet of icy runway in front of me before there is any sign of dry pavement. Landing was easy. Taxiing is a bitch. It took me fifteen minutes to get off the runway. It seemed like forever. I would slowly advance only to have the wind blow us towards the edge. I'd throttle up, face into the wind and move towards the other side. We ended up making a sawtooth path all the way up the runway. Finally we get off the runway and onto dry pavement. I start taxiing towards my parking spot. At first it's fine as we're pretty much facing into the wind. But I have to turn onto taxiway Quebec. Crosswind. I had not come this far to wreck my plane taxiing around. It was no fun. I'd be going down the taxiway and in an instant a strong gust would turn the plane 90 degrees. Nothing I could do to prevent it. I'd straighten out, make it 80 yards and again find myself looking into the wind. Then I see a wonderful sight. Two guys come running towards us. They bend down and come up with tie-down ropes. They wave me in. I taxi in between them as they tie down the plane. I swear these guys must have had halos and white wings. I shut down the engine. My airspeed indicator is still active. One of the saints gave Sarah a ride to the car. I sat in the plane and manned the controls until she returned. It is odd to have to fly your plane while it is tied down. I should have logged that time as well! When Sarah returns I notice an upside down aircraft. A Taylorcraft had a tie-down come undone and had flipped over. The two guys go over to see what they can do.

I secure the plane as best as possible and we return home. Waiting on the voice-mail is a message from my little brother: "Nathan, if you get this message, DO NOT FLY BACK TO ANCHORAGE! STAY IN SOLDOTNA! REPEAT, DO NOT COME HOME!"

The next day there is enough of a break to get back to my normal tie down, although it is still very windy. The next day I have to return to work. The wind storm lasts for a few days. My father spends most of one night with his car parked in front as a wind break. There were many aircraft damaged in that windstorm, but mine was just fine.

I still think about this flight and shake my head. I used my inferior judgment to put my inferior flying skills to use, to modify a popular expression.
On my boss's wall is a sign that reads:
Good judgment comes from experience
Experience comes from bad judgment
-Nate

1 reply
1,828 views

C5Engineer added a topic in Avidfoxflyers General Hangar 18 Nov 2009

Engine Swap

I got my old engine off and sitting on the workbench tonite. Was surprised quick it went. Got lots of cleaning up to do now. I was never really happy with my wiring. So glad I get to re-do it. I'm also replacing a bunch of line and rebuilding my fuel pump while it's apart. I'm going to bead blast the white paint off my E box before I tear it apart also. It looks decent in the picture but it's peeling in a bunch of spots and just looks like crap overall. I'm a stickler for details. Here is where I'm sitting right now.

33 replies
5,491 views

akflyerbob added a post in a topic Avid Catalina 18 Nov 2009

Popsick
I have one secret and you have to tell the world
Now with the cortozone injections and I can feel
both hands I can find the sticker you mentioned
and won't need the depends
Now Leni knows why I like to land on the beach so often

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akflyer added a topic in Jokes 18 Nov 2009

Careful what you ask for

After a relaxing bath Monica Lewinsky was looking at herself, nude in a mirror.
Her frustration over her lack of ability to lose weight, was depressing her.
In an act of desperation, she decided to call on God for help.
'Lord.... If you take away my love handles, I'll devote my life to you,'
she prayed.

And just like that... her ears fell off .

0 replies
798 views

Trackwelder added a post in a topic Parts Suppliers for Avid and Kitfox 17 Nov 2009

Brett at Airdale says he is quitting his job and going fulltime on Airdale Thanksgiving Parts should start becoming easier to get

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popslick added a post in a topic Avid Catalina 17 Nov 2009

Hey Bob

I found the pictures for your sister, how come you don't tell Lenny that you wear depends cause you don't like your sticker getting cold when you have to go outside!

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akflyerbob added a post in a topic Avid Catalina 17 Nov 2009

Boat hull repair complete

Fuse upsidedown, cleaning complete, all glue removed
ready to cover when landing gear mods complete
O and by the way I just got home from picking the floats
from Jack and having Alcohol injected into my neck so I
wouldn't have to drink it.
No really it was Cotrozone so I could feel my hands.

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C5Engineer added a post in a topic Video 17 Nov 2009

Check out the Mountain Flying Bible by Sparky Imeson... Some great reading

http://www.mountainflying.com/

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Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Video 17 Nov 2009

Thanks for the info, Leni. You (or any of our other members) wouldn't happen to know of any good books on the subject of bush flying, would you?

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akflyer added a topic in Jokes 16 Nov 2009

New Patriot ID tag

Patriot Micro Chip!!!

THE PATRIOT MICRO CHIP is intended to be implanted in terrorists.

The implant is specifically designed to be installed in the forehead.

When properly installed it will allow the implantee to speak to God. It comes in various sizes:

The exact size of the implant will be selected by a well-trained and highly-skilled
technician.

The implant may or may not be painless.

Side effects, like headaches and nausea, are temporary.

Some bleeding or swelling may occur at the injection site.

Please enjoy the security we provide for you.

Best regards,

THE UNITED STATES MILITARY

0 replies
836 views

akflyer added a topic in Jokes 16 Nov 2009

Alaskan Diaries

HER DIARY

Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a bar to have a drink. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no
comment on it.

Conversation wasn't flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed, but he didn't say much. I asked him what was wrong. He said, 'Nothing.' I asked him if it was my fault that he was
upset. He said he wasn't upset, that it had nothing to do with me, and not to worry about it.

On the way home, I told him that I loved him. He smiled slightly, and kept driving. I can't explain his behavior. I don't know why he didn't say, 'I love you, too.' When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely,
as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there quietly, and watched TV. He continued to seem distant and absent.

Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later, he came to bed. To my surprise, he responded to my caress, and we made love. But I still felt that he was distracted, and his thoughts
were somewhere else. He fell asleep -I cried. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.

HIS DIARY

My airplane wouldn't start today, but at least I got laid.

0 replies
947 views

akflyer added a post in a topic Video 16 Nov 2009

1050, hell yeah! give you lots of room!

on the set up.... I used to use a suction cup mic that I got at radio shack for recording phone conversations. I would put that on the earmuff on the head set and plug it into the recorder. No engine noise, but I could talk and you would hear that clear as can be. All radio conversations were recorded as well.

I have a pre-order in for the HD hero cam. Very small package, and is affordable as well as water proof. It was developed for motor sports so they worked hard to cut out all the wind noise etc. You can do an ebay search for HD helmet cam and they will show up.

As far as learning the bush stuff... The best thing you can do it get in your plane and go to altitude, then get VERY comfortable flying it around at minimum controllable speed with the nose high and lots of power. Once you are comfortable at altitude, and you know how your bird will handle at low speeds in steep turns etc, you can start working on the landings. Pick a spot on the runway that gives you room to set up a good approach and start working on hitting that spot. You are not going to be able to pull the power at altitude and land on the numbers everytime. You will have to use power to keep the elevation and sink rate under control, and elevator to regulate speed. If you keep at it, and make every landing a purposeful event, you will get it in no time. You need to be able to make decisions in an instant. When going into a one way strip, you have one shot at getting it right. If you can see that you approach is not right (even if you still have 3000' of runway in front of you) and that you will not be able to hit at your predetermined spot, power up and go around. You cant push a bad approach into a spot landing! Going full power and going around has to be the first thing that your hands will automatically do when you brain sees that you wont be able to hit the intended spot! Dont do anything you are not comfortable with! Work into it slowly at a pace that is OK with you.

I was very fortunate that my first instructor is an old grizzled AK bush pilot from way back. He has known me and flew our family around for a lot of years prior to me starting to fly. His approach was "the FAA says I have to teach you XY and Z... BULLSHIT, that may work for pavement pounders, but I know what you like to do and how you will be flying" From day one, he was pushing me to pick the lift off spot on the runway that was my decision length.. if I was not off by then, get on the binders, and shut her down before you hit the "pretend" trees on a 7000' long runway (ATC loved us) Same with landing. Those tires better leave marks on or before the numbers or he would firewall it (was allways fun when I was concentrating on getting this biatch on the ground in one spot and all of a sudden the dick weed in the back seat shoves the throttle to the wall)

Take off I like to give it full down. Get the tail wheel off the ground and out of the weeds as fast as possible as it will slow you down with drag. As the tail starts coming up, I ease in the up elevator to keep the wheel off the ground, but low enough to get maximum angle of attack. As soon as the wings are making enough lift she will fly.

Damn my fingers are sore now

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Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Video 16 Nov 2009

There is no sound on the camera itself. Pity.

There's a guy out there called Taildrgfun, he mounted the camera on his gear leg, then strung a small mic into his headset, so that there is some engine sound, yet still allows for some narration through the intercom. I'd like to copy this setup. (Someday...)

The "Strip" that isn't there (yet) is 1050' from the corner of the field to the driveway. I think it is do-able. I do need some more stick-time before I'd try it. However, I need to get the dead soybeans off it and a strip made and planted, first...

Leni-- What you mention about the techniques of short landing are something that I really want to learn. I'm trying to find a source of information to teach me about these aspects of the art of bush-flying. Any suggestions?

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akflyer added a post in a topic Video 16 Nov 2009

Do you not have sound on the camera, or are you editing it out? I would not say they are boring, but hearing that engine scream does add a bit of entertainment to it

I would have a strip in front of that house in a newyork second! How long is that run? Looks to be close to 900 or 1000' twice what ya really need as soon as you start nailing the approach speeds and dragging it in on power.

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Av8r3400 added a post in a topic Video 16 Nov 2009

My Videos

I put up a couple more videos from this weekend. Be honest, without sound are these just boring?

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akflyer added a post in a topic Need walked through removing and reinstalling an E-box 16 Nov 2009

I figured out what you were tlaking about when I was home last time... there was a "flywheel" on my C box, but I never installed it as I put the clutch on before I put the gear box on. I have the flywheel and hardy disc at the house still in the box.

I do remember pulling the flywheel on Bobs engine when I put the clutch on it. You can use a steering wheel puller to pop it off. No real vodo magic to pull it.

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C5Engineer added a post in a topic Flight testing 16 Nov 2009

Got my bird home and into the garage today. Going to pull my engine this week. My Zero time Blue Head should be here on Friday. Hoping to be ready to fly again by next Sunday. I'll be posting pics of the swap.

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C5Engineer added a post in a topic Need walked through removing and reinstalling an E-box 16 Nov 2009

My new engine is coming with a bare crank that's why I have to swap the fly wheels. Thanks for the info. The E box is quite a bit different from the others.

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akflyer added a post in a topic If you could have anything done to your 582 15 Nov 2009

I have the Arctic Sparrow mixture on mine (which you cant get anymore that I know of as the number and email I had for Bud Gish no longer works). I find myself playing with those Fn knobs way too much. I set them on the ground when on wheels as the instructions say to do, but on floats of skis it is kinda hard to sometimes so I do a rolling run up / mixture adjust. Even when adjusted per the instructions on the ground, when in the air and I pull the power back to say 3500 for a decent she will run a bit rough so I tweak them a little till it smooths out. If I go back to cruise, I have to richen them up a turn or two to keep EGTs under control.

Using the flow meter, I can loose or gain almost 1 GPH in cruise by tweaking the needles. On a 4 stroke this is cool, or on 2 stroke with fixed pitch it is OK as you know you have the load set right. With the IFA prop, I can change EGTS drastically with pitch alone, and with the needles... the hard part is getting them both set right so the compliment each other, and not lean it way out, then load the hell out of the engine to bring the EGTs back down. I have many times thought about trading my inflight adjustable tops and barrels off to someone who could really use them down south, and I will just go with normal carbs here. I take off at sea level (or within a couple hundred feet) and rarely go over 5000'. Some of you gus that need to go to 10,000 + to clear mountain ranges would get alot more use out of the adjustable carb than I will. 99% of the time I am under 1000' enroute to someplace, and am on the deck if terrain allows.

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skysailor added a post in a topic If you could have anything done to your 582 15 Nov 2009

Alternatively, I have the HacMan mixture control sold by Green Sky Adventures and it works great for controlling the mixture for altitude and seasonal changes (from the cockpit). You can make it up yourself for about $30 bucks or so in parts and materials. Good luck and cheers!

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akflyer added a post in a topic New member 15 Nov 2009

it's off the yentna. One creek above lake creek. There are a series of connected lakes on fish creek and he is on the furthest lake north on the system.

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