Can only second everything Charlie said - Super Fly-in and a big thanks to
Bill & Linda Eslick for hosting it.
Sorry to hear of Chuck's engine problem & glad it ended with normal
landing. Laura tells me he has ordered an overhaul kit, will get it out
ASAP.
Added around 12 hours to the Hobbs, and converted around 78 gallons of fuel
to pure fun. Even with the cold OAT (as low as 12 F) and 30 mph head winds
I still look forward to climbing into the cockpit every time. Great trip
back with 30 - 40 MPH tail winds all the way. Averaged over 200 mph ground
speed burning 6 - 6.5 gph. Had to make two fuel stops and back track
30 miles because first one was closed on weekends (AOPA data was wrong. Note to
self, always call to verify). Return route took me over New Orleans,
still lots of blue tarps on roofs all along gulf coast.
Only other flaw on return flight was my most embarrassing departure
from Bill's home-drome at 0TX1. Later than planned departure due to
celebration after Jason's first engine start. Not too worried about time
because expected tail winds will get me home well before dark. Then
Laura calls and I can tell she is very worried about me replicating Finn's night
landing, so I'm worrying about Laura being worried : ). I gas
up from Bill's tank, say my good-bys and start taxi for
departure. Then I notice that my distance vision is fuzzy. Duh - I'm
wearing my reading glasses. Fumble around looking for sunglasses - can't
find them. Stop at end of runway, loosen seatbelt and open canopy to
look in back seat for them. No joy but my hat goes flying off in the prop
wash. Shut engine down so I can do better search. Another RV
enters pattern for landing so I scramble back into cockpit and move plane
off runway. Finally find glasses walk back and retrieve hat and strap in
again. Other RV just landing warns me on radio that there are some very
squirrelly cross winds. I thank him, start my engine, taxi to runway
and go through check list. All good except that now can't find one of
my gloves. More fumbling, no joy, Aaaarrrgh, decide I can't bear another
full search of cockpit even though OAT going to be 20 F.
Totally forget the crosswind warning and roll for takeoff. All normal
until tailwheel lifts off and plane wind-vanes violently into gust. Force
tail wheel back down to regain control and a second later the plane lifts off
and does a pretty good imitation of a butterfly caught in the draft of a
semi. Soon in control again but combination of low airspeed, P factor and
cross wind has plane pointed 45 degrees away from course down
runway. And of course, all in front of an audience
of die-hard rotor-heads who were still at Bill's place.
Sigh....
Tracy (adding glasses to preflight checklist)
----- Original Message -----
Subject: [FlyRotary] Miid-winter Rotary
Fest
Got home around 1:00 PM today after a great day with a bunch of
rotorheads at Bill & Linda Eslick's Rotary get-together. Lots of great
people, info, food, camaraderie & other things I can't remember at the
moment.
Informal fuel flow comparison on the way to Pecan
Plantation from
Slobovia: Tracy burned around 22.5 gal (he can give exact
figure); I
burned 21.8 in my 160 hp Lyc powered RV-4. Loose formation
flight, with
me sloppily flying wing. This was over 3.5 hrs, between cow
tipping &
5500ft altitudes varying due to conditions, at very low (for
an RV)
power settings. Note that I am not afraid to lean a Lyc, so many
Lyc
drivers might have burned more than Tracy on this flight. Hope to do
it
again sometime at 'normal' power levels & normal cruise
altitudes.
Got the bad news about Chuck's engine before breakfast this
morning. I'm
really sorry Chuck; let us know if we can help.
Got to
see 1st engine start of Jason (?)'s rotary RV-6A & we almost had
to
call the medics to patch up his face after the serious splitting from
the
combo RV & Rotary Grin.
Mark Stietle (sorry if I misspelled that,
Mark...) gave us a great demo
of a very discriminating, light, low power,
relatively cheap flame
detector that seems able to ignore all forms of
radiant energy & just
detect flame. Great idea for the engine
compartment.
Ed Anderson spoke about his fuel computer work & the
latest product, a
solid state angle of attack detector.
And of
course, Tracy updated everyone about advances to the EC-2. Most
impressive
were 2 modes allowing you to fire the injectors or the spark
plugs with
the engine off, to test wiring, connectors, etc.
Other stuff I'm too
tired to remember at the moment.
Bill & Linda, thanks for the great
event.
Presenters, thanks for the innovation & for sharing your
knowledge &
experience.
Damon & Donna, thanks for the
bed.
Gary, thanks for saving me a fuel stop.
Hope to see you all
again soon.
Charlie
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