Today I made another perfect loaf. It’s so easy!

Rusty and I went bike riding today. He showed me some new trails overlook the harbor near the Yorktown. Overall, we road 16 miles today and my goal is 20 miles per ride.

This is the famous pineapple fountain at the Waterfront Park. Pineapples are a sign of good luck in Charleston and you’ll find them everywhere around city.

Later in the evening, I went to the RINK roast, which is an annual event hosted by the local retired officers (both active and reserves). It is a nice chance to have some great food and chat with old friends.

Today was my last flight for the next few weeks.

I flew the bird over to Bob’s airport (JZI). The plane started and seemed to be normal, but I still had a same vibration. Just after flying past Cooper River bridge, I test the ignitions, and the PMag was running rough. One cylinder seemed to be missing. CRAP. What now? All had been good with the PMag until this point, then shortly after that, the cylinder picked back up and all was fine. WTF? It ran well for the rest of the day. I might have had a fowled plug, but I have reached my limit, and am now going to send the PMag back to the company for testing to make sure it is working as it should. The plane is grounded again.

This is the bird at Bob’s hangar.

Bob’s SQ 2000. He wanted some technical suggestions on how to work his inlet ducts into the cowl. I was happy to help as I enjoy spending time around this great guy.

While traveling around the country, I stopped in Santa Fe.  Leaving in the morning I noticed a unusual sound/shake to the plane…  kind of freaked me out as the just engine purred until that point.   Sort of a low rumbly noise/shake/vibration that I couldn’t quite put a finger on other than the vibration increased/decreased with RPM.  Almost more of a feeling that an actually noise.   Those who fly a lot know when something just isn’t right with their bird.   On reflection I remembered it was cool in the morning (not that cold) and I didn’t warm the engine as per my normal procedure.  It was a short taxi to an intersection departure.

After returning, I replaced the engine mount (a small crack was found) and rubber mounts as I thought it might be the problem…   This seemed to be resolved when just doing a few test flights around town.   Plenty of power, no increase in oil usage, good compression.   On the trip to RR I noticed it again only worst.  After returning to base, I decided to ground the plane again to find out what is going on.  

I think/HOPE I have finally found the problem today.   #2 cylinder was ringed with deep scratches top to bottom and AL build up on the cylinder wall.  After taking the cylinder off I found deep scratches on the piston too.  I’ll have to replace the cylinder.

I have read all about the piston damage to the cylinder from going to full power when the engine is not fully heated but in all my flying years, this is a first for me.  The AL piston expands faster than the steel cylinder when rapidly heated from cold.   Apparently the cylinder was gouged by the piston skirt because I didn’t allow enough time for engine to heat up. .  

It wasn’t that cold out (maybe 55 f), not that it mattered to the engine.  Maybe it was the change from a low compression pistons to higher compression pistons (more power and heat) which tipped the scales?  Who knows.  What pisses me off is I KNOW about this issue.  I have a Reiff engine per-heat system (http://www.reiffpreheat.com)  installed on the plane which heats the oil and band heater on all my cylinders to eliminate this issue IF I am at home with 110v available.  I just wasn’t paying attention to the conditions at the time and I must of just had a brain fart.  

So, the take away for those flying in cold weather is to properly warm the engine.  Do the research, to decide on your personal limits for oil/cylinder temps prior to going to full power for taking off.

Sorry all to not have documented the rest of my Western trip before now.  I have finally gotten to the point where I could take a break and briefly catch you up and close the trip out.  After returning, I had major issues with my computer after the latest Apple upgrade,  days of work on my plane which is now grounded which resulted in an 11 hr drive to PA for my school reunion.  Lots going on just after I got back…..little time for the web.

More on the engine mount in the next post…..

The next flight of my trip was certainly the most beautiful of all the legs so far. I few from S72 (St Maries) to Oak Harbor (OKH) on Whidbey, Isl which is near Seattle (275 nm, 1.9 hrs).
The first 2/3 of the leg was over the “dry side” of the mountains which was flat with a lot of farming which looked like wheat.

As soon as I hit the mountains, ATC had me climb up to 11,000 ft which I thought was somewhat low for the mountains, but perfect for the viewing. The Cascades quickly rose up, and I was treated with views of snow capped mountains, Mt Rainer, and lush green ridges. Some appropriate music was selected for the Bose stereo headset and I relaxed to ride.

The Cascades quickly rose up, and I was treated with views of snow capped mountains, Mt Rainer, and lush green ridges. Some appropriate music was selected for the Bose stereo headset and I relaxed to ride.

Years ago, I remember driving from Spokane to Seattle across the North Cascades highway. It was amazing to travel from a almost desert environment to the top of the Cascades, then over the top to the “wet side” to be greeted to waterfalls, lakes and a lush forest in a matter of just a few hours. It is even more amazing to fly over the top of it and see the snow capped mountains from above. I would HIGHLY recommend flying this leg of the trip when you are in this area of the country.
Mike Collier met me at the airport??? which turned out to be a 25′ by 3000 ft strip of patched/cracked asphalt which was in desperate need of repaving. I had a hard time even seeing the strip because it was located just after a rugged cliff on the shore line, between trees and went down a hill. What fun. I am used to landing on a 200′ x 10,000′ runway in Charleston so this sort of strip is an exercise of “skill enhancement”.

Mike took me to a local park to look across the sound and see the mountains on the western side of Seattle. This is sure beautiful country!

Mike is building highly modified LongEZ?? if you can call it that now. It has Infintey retracs, Berkut style split canopies and a Berkut nose AND he wants to put a freaken rotary on it. It’s crazy that EVERY one I have met so far (except for Lee) wants to install a rotary. Naturally, after discussing the merits of the being a developmental leading edge test pilot for unproven engine technology in this application, he is now looking at a IO-360 for the EZ. It will certainly get him the air much quicker and safer.

On Saturday, it was off to the ferry to take a sight seeing trip to Friday Harbor which is about 15 NM NW of where I landed across the sound. The bridge at Deception Bay was a great place take some scenic pictures and it was off to the ferry for a 1 hr ride. Our first warning of problems was when we arrived at the terminal and found the ferry was going to an hour late due to a breakdown of another ferry on the route. Our ferry was going to take up the slack. After a beautiful 2 hr ride Mike and I arrived at Friday Harbor, had a great time driving around the island had some lunch.

After a great meal,

and headed back to the terminal to find the ferry was going to be 3 hrs late (9 pm instead of 6 pm). We actually boarded at 10:15 and arrived back at the house at 1:30 am (instead of 7 pm).

LOOK at the Zombies!

Overall, it was still a great trip. I felt like I was part Gilligan’s Island. What was supposed to be a 3 hour tour, turned out to be MUCH longer than expected, but still, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. I met some great people while I was waiting. Mike was really fun to visit and the area/climate/scenery was terrific.
When I leave, I’ll fly back over the islands in 8 minutes what it took us almost 8 hrs to return from via ferry. After taking a few pictures of the the island from the air it will be off to Portland to visit Bruce Smith and Al Wick.

When I did some planning today I put together a map of the trip…. roughly 7,500 NM with about 280 gal fuel. It turns out to be quite a tour of the country.

This morning started off early with a walk/run in the park a block from Lee’s house. I ran down hill and huffed and puffed up hill. This high altitude is a bit tough for a week or so as one’s body adjusts to the higher altitude.

I saw this weird plant pod and brought one back to the house for Lee to identify. It is a yucka plant. I just loved getting up in the morning to 64 f temps and crisp cool air with wonderful new smells.

On the way up the mountain to the visitor center, we stopped for lunch in Estes at Lee’s favorite indian resturant. While it is good, I still think the Charleston has the best indian resturant I have ever eaten at…”The Bomba Bazar”on Rivers Ave.

The town is primarily a summer tourest destination. It has the renoun for being the first city in the world to have an all electric hotel built by Mr Stanley (of the stanley steamer fame). The Fall River flows though the center of town an there were 6 power plants (small hydro-electric) to tap the rivers power. The river is now beautifully landscaped with shops and restaurants in the center of town. .

This is a raptor sculpture right in the center of town. I guess I saw about 15 or so sculptures scattered around the town and park today mostly hidden away to be discovered by a intrepid visitors.

After leaving Estes, we proceed to a decommissioned early 1900s power generation plant (historic site) which displays the old generators which originally made this all electric town possible.

A 200 MW water generator….

The sights on the way up to the visitor center were stunning.

The visitor center is at 11,796 ft. Wow. In my plane I would be on O2 at this point as I like to stay focused flying and I find O2 helps. If I walked to fast or tried to do any climbing one gets quickly out of breath. The sight were stunning at the top and on the way back down the mountain.

Overall, I think I would like to visit Estes again. It is terrific little resort town that would warrant a return trip to spend days just driving around the park and hiking. There is so much to explore here. I have only shown a few of the 100 or so pictures and the sights were spectacular

After leaving Detroit (with my new vacuum pump installed), I headed over to KOSH at 10,000 ft (1.5 hrs, 262 nm) for the show. It was busier than ever.

I was told the number of planes attending is up 35% over the highest on record for the event. One of the car parking lots was even converted to home built camping. Unfortunately, I think they were mostly all RV’s as there was a ton of them there. Over 7000 are now flying. Most of the Lindy Awards for kit planes went to the RV crowd. I guess its because most kits completed now are RVs. Quite a few plans built awards went to canards which is a testament to our craftsmanship, ingenuity, perseverance, creativity and attention to detail.

The highlight of the event was actually seeing the canard aircraft and the excitement of being present when the Lindy award winner were announced.

From OSH website:

“Named after aviation hero Charles Lindbergh, the award acknowledges the tireless effort necessary to create an aircraft that’s truly best of show. The Grand Champion in each category is presented the Golden Lindy, while the Reserve Grand Champion nets the Silver Lindy.”

The winners definitely deserve their awards for their efforts. The planes were truly impressive.

Tim Andres, James Redmon (and his better half), Dennis Butler and Don Burton

Here is James Redmon’s beautiful Berkut (Lindy Winner) my overall personal favorite for paint design/fit finish

Tim Andres’s cozy is my favorite for interior design (Lindy Winner)

Finally, Dennis Butler (Grand Champion). A remarkably beautiful Cozy 4.

Besides attending the awards ceremony, the meeting builders/flyers at the dinner socials such as the the Cozy Girls spagetti bash (be careful of the Sangria!!) were the most memorable.

The Cozy dinner

Lastly, Saturday’s night airshow and firework display was a first for me. It was terrific.

During the show on Thursday, we had a incredibly powerful rain storm during Marc Zeitlin’s first cozy intro talk. It rained so hard we could hardly see the building next door.

After it cleared up, it was a short walk back to the tent

to check for damage when I passed this beautiful Thunder Mustang

which was damaged by a byplane recreation which was tossed on top of the Mustang. The canopy was crushed along with other damage.

Interestingly, the Thunder Mustang had already been judged and won a Grand Champion award for a new judging category called Historic Plane Recreations.

After having a leisurely breakfast and preflight Sunday morning, it off to Greeley, CO.

Lee and I found it surprising easy to get out of OSH around 9 AM as a flight of two. I had fears of a mad dash to leave as most years I left on Friday or Saturday morning to avoid the crush of planes leaving. I thought Sunday would be super CRAZY busy. Heck it on took less than 10 min to get air born after start up. I might have to do it again.

The flight to Greeley CO, 8000 ft (5.1 hrs, 744 nm) was relaxed with a surprising 5 kt tail wind. Lee and I flew together for the first leg (VFR) so I could guide him through a significant area of heavy weather in Iowa with the XM weather displayed on my 496. A large area of solid red and yellow cells with a small generally open E/W slot though the center. We only had a light dusting of rain. If you look closely, you can see Lee’s plane in the center of the picture. If you travel a lot XM is essential for your bird.

I was surprised by the total desolation and isolation of Nebraska. It was incredible! Miles and miles of… well…. miles and miles. Nothing.

It surprised me how freaken hot and powerful the sun is here in the West. Even at 8.5 k ft, the sun was blistering and the OAT was 80f. Lots of water and some sort of shade in the plane is essential.

Greeley is on the eastern side of the Rocky’s and tomorrow Lee and I are going on a photo trip to Rocky Mountain National park.

On Wednesday, it is fast 2.5 hr to Ogden UT to visit Mike Irwin. Last year I flew N123LE in IFR conditions on the same route (Greeley to SLC) in early October and came very, very close to buying the farm due to unexpected extreme icing on the bird at 15,000 ft. Luckily, I just barely made it over the mountains into the SLC basin. As I descended into warmer air, sheets of ice from the canard flew into the prop as was landing. What a scary experience.

It will be interesting to see the terrain I flew over in VFR conditions. Cant wait!

I took a few more pictures of my car before it was sent to Columbia for “evaluation”. They are basically taking him to a junk yard where the damage assessment expert is. They are NOT going to get my car.

I decided the best way to explain what happened based on physical evidence from the crash site was to write up a report in an unbiased way. I found out after talking to the police officer (he would not change the accident report) and USAA, that the insurance company doesnt alway solely take the police report as final. They look at the witnesses and try to assess what happened to determine who is at fault and assign responsibility.

I felt a report will give them plenty of information to make an accurate determination of what really happened. Either way, Sherman will probably be declared a total loss due to repair cost (hell the hood alone being made out of aluminum cost $1800).

ACCIDENT REPORT ANALYSIS

Work has finally begun on the porch on the front of my house.  I have never like the original design, so it is time for an upgrade.   I have always liked the tapered columns and half walls of my home town, so the design decision was easy to make.

This is how it looked at the start of the project.

March 7th.   Iron work is gone!  The front looks MUCH better now.

I left Charleston as planned for the flight to PA. What a nice trip.

After the piston upgrade, the plane was flown 3 times for successively longer periods to make sure I had no oil leaks or issues.

I also balanced the engine with the new ACES dynamic balance I purchased at OSH this year. What a nice unit. It only took me one run to get the engine from 1.7 ips to .06 ips. It computes the angle and how much weight to put on the engine unlike the Dynavibe system which requires multiple runs and you must figure out how much weight to add. The cost is about the same for both units!

The trees are starting to turn up here.

Of coarse I was a bit nervous at the beginning of the flight with every engine hiccup (there were a few of them) but it might have just been my hyper sensitivity to the new installation. Tweedy ran smooth as can be (thanks ACES) and climb out is fantastic with the added HP. The old prop still gives me the same speed, but that will change when I replace it with the new Hertzler.

The new Bose A20 headsets are fantastic! I have flown with the Bose series 1, 2 and the 10 and the A20 gives a noticeable improvement in the noise reduction over the series 10. The sound quality is very good too, and the music sounds as good as the series 2 (my favorite for music) with nice deep bass and clear highs. It has blue tooth which makes calling ATC on the ground very convenient. Overall, you cant go wrong with the A20. Klaus suggested them to me (he wanted me to buy his old series 10) and he said that they allowed him to comfortably fly his extremely loud and outrageously fast 240 hp, 900 lb LongEZ he is now flying.

The trip to mom’s was fast and very pleasant with a nice tail wind. She was blown away when I showed up as it was a complete surprise to her. Everyone knew I was flying up except her… what fun.

Mom wanted to go to a all you could eat buffet in Lancaster. After an hour drive we arrived at the biggest buffet I have ever seen. It was like eating in a super walmart! It must have sat 1000 people. Nice idea, but the food was ….ok….

Mom and my sister Paulette enjoying a nice afternoon after desert.