For Paul Nafziger --

Yeah, I thought you USAF jet jocks had to learn to fly all over again when
placed behind a propeller... <g>  (For those who don't know, Naf was a USAF
test pilot when I flew with him once as a backseater in 1980.  And he's not
the only USAF test pilot to build and fly a Lancair!)

But here's another thought.  Brent Regan wrote an interesting piece several
years ago about a climbout from Phoenix on a hot summer day, probably not
unlike what you find out there in Mojave all summer long as well.  He had
mucho heat related problems with avionics and, as I recall, fuel vaporization
problems (as in "bubbles in the fuel lines") until he climbed to altitude and
everything cooled off.

While you are fortunate enough to be able to park inside at Mojave until you
take off, envision your airplane parked out in the hot Mojave sun with the
fuel in your wings or header tank getting close to 150 degrees.  I think
extra fuel pressure (provided by the boost pump) might help avoid bubbles in
the fuel, vapor lock, etc.  I don't know this for sure, but if you have a
rough-running engine on a hot day, you might turn on the boost pump and see
if it goes away....

Anyone out there with experience in hot weather with boost pumps?

- Rob Wolf