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Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:22:49 -0400
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Subject: Reno -- the good, the bad and the ugly
In-Reply-To: <list-2335119@logan.com>
Thread-Topic: Reno -- the good, the bad and the ugly
Thread-Index: Acf5Eaz5BQm3iTs2QwyjEXS60WjHmwANWHJQ
From: "Halle, John" <JJHALLE@stoel.com>

The ugly:

Landed at Stead Friday morning feeling great about making it in before
the 8:00 deadline and ready for a relaxing three days spectating.
Unfortunately, no right brake.  Nursed the thing gently to a taxiway
(thankfully to the left) and got it onto it.  Right move -- shut down
right there and tow in.  What I did -- asked my copilot to see if she
had any [right] brake.  (Her version is without the word in parens and
she may be right.)  She hit both so we took off across the gravel corner
between the taxiway and the ramp.  Had we not hit a taxiway light (one
blade just nicked the plastic cover) everything would have been fine
but, by the time we shut down, I had a nicked tip.  A quick inspection
of the brake revealed that the pads were gone!  Visions of trying to get
airline tickets out on Sunday (good luck!) and a huge repair bill loomed
large.

The good:

Towed into the Lancair display area.  Tim Ong was there and, instead of
comiserating with me, directed me to a tent down the ramp manned by
Ameritech Industries of Redding, CA.  They do engines and props.  I
walked down there and asked if there was anything that could be done
about the prop.  Long story short, a couple hours later, two of them
showed up with a bunch of files and sandpaper strips.  Another two hours
later, both tips were a bit shorter but real smooth.  They then rustled
up Steve (didn't get his last name but he is a rep for a prop balancing
equipment company.)  Tim Ong scoured the area for washers for balancing
and we all headed for the ramp to see whether the thing could be
balanced.  Turned out it was well within tolerance without any balancing
so we left it like that.  That left the brakes.  Tim scrounged some pads
and rivets and the Cleaveland rep showed up several times with helpful
advice, I walked down to an FBO and bought three O rings and the other
Lancair Tim and I managed to get the pads reinstalled.  The next day I
bought a bottle of hydraulic fluid and Tim and I got the system bled.  A
quick after hours taxi to break in the pads, one high speed run and a
ten minute flight confirmed all systems go.  The flight back to RDM was
about as normal as it gets.

Total cost:  $3 for the O rings and $9 for the hydraulic fluid.
Couldn't talk the Ameritech people or the balancing guy into charging
me.  Both Tims spent valuable time (Reno tends to be a busy place for
Lancair) and provided parts.  I scrounged some Evolution hats for the
Ameritech guys and Lancair wouldn't even charge me for the hats.  It
takes something like this to realize what a family this community is.  I
got into experimental aviation because I wanted to fly but I got a lot
more out of it than just the flying and the above is one of those
things.  My heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.

The bad:

You already read about it.  Fly safe!