[NSRCA-discussion] Notes To Self 7 The Return, Return?

[William C. Harden]

I like it!!  

 

Can't wait for the follow-up final practice report.  And then the contest
report!!!!

 

Bill

 

  _____  

From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of twtaylor
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 10:01 AM
To: nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org
Subject: [NSRCA-discussion] Notes To Self 7 The Return, Return?

 

Notes to Self 7

 

 

I dropped from the Pattern scene last year right after the Myrtle Beach

 Contest due to business problems. My Service Writer and best friend Bill

Had very bad Heart problems which required him to have a heart transplant.

So when he could no longer work I step in and did his job as well as mine

Which ate every spare minute I had. So there was no time for airplanes. 

Bill has now had his transplant and everything looks good, he nearly died

while waiting on the new  (Used?) part to arrive. 

Bill should be able to resume work late this summer which will free me up
for play time.

 

Now, onto our continuing saga.

 

Last time we visited our fearless leader he had just returned from his first
contest in over ten years. 

Seems his tail was firmly planted between his legs after what all transpired
at this contest.

Seems the "Great One" picked the only contest in the history of mankind to
be flown in 

40 to50 mph winds. Well 1/2 way through his first and only flight of the
contest he decided to bail as the

 Engine wouldn't pull the airplane anywhere near what he thought it should
have. 

On landing OFB found the engine had come loose from the mount and wouldn't
go to full throttle. 

As OFB and friends are standing around pondering this problem a wind gust
took his tent and 

Lifted it up and threw it across several cars. First car it hit was Don
Szczur's and it busted the windshield, 

Then Gary Harris's tail light, and finally Joey's truck door leaving a small
dent. Ok the pattern gods

Are not smiling on me this weekend so let's pack it in and try another day.

 

Speed forward one year.

 

We join our newly invigorated returning pattern king at the local flying
field unpacking the trailer for day's practice session .

 

 

OFB walks up and helps unload and get ready for the first practice session
in over a year. 

 

"You unpack the trailer while I put the airplane together OFB, turn the fan
on so we move some of the heat out of the trailer"

 

Old Flying Buddy does what he needs to as I put the airplane together. Man
I'm glad I have an OFB to go flying with.

 

OFB says" You better get some practice in there's a contest in 2 weeks in
Lake City", 

 

"Yeah I just heard about it so if I want to go I better at least try to get
some flying in" 

 

Ok our hapless crew gets everything already for flight and cranks up and
starts to taxi out to the runway and the engine quits.

 

"Dang it"

 

Ok restarts and as the throttle stick is pulled back to idle, the idle
doesn't come down then all of a sudden the idle comes down and the engine
quits.

 

"OK   (&^%(^#_*&#_&_#&_#& is wrong now?"

 

"Listen to the airplane something's making a buzzing noise every time I pull
the throttle back to idle"

 

We open the canopy and watch the throttle servo go through its movement the
throttle comes off idle then buzzes then drives the opposite way to the cut
off position.

 

"Ok OFB we need a new servo for the throttle, looks like a mini servo and I
have one in my flt box, oh darn it's the wrong one"

 

Well that ended our dynamic duo's weekend of practice. Call and over night a
new servo and install it on Tuesday and head to the field for some solid
practice.

 

I ordered a match maker as well and play with it and confirmed the throttle
servo is bad. (Neat little gadget btw)

 

"Ok OFB no excuses today everything looks good so let's burn some fuel
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

"Ok there pattern kind wannabe, Take off is first!", 

 

"No kidding there Dick Tracy wanna tell me what's next now?" 

 

"Ok I was kidding"  OFB calls the next few maneuvers out and I'm trying to
get the rust out of my fingers"

 

"Ok next is a stall turn with 1/2 rolls"

 

As the airplane pulls to vertical I throttle up and hear a BANG followed by
a weird fluttering noise"

 

"OFB I think we lost a glow plug", I land the air plane and notice the prop
is still turning and inspected the airplane and yup the glow plug is MIA.

 

"Ok OFB let's try this again with the glow plug tight this time"

 

So our fearless knee knocking knuckle dragging Pattern Pilot takes off and
flies two very bad rounds.

 

OFB  "Well you're a bit rusty"

 

"Well thank  master of the obvious!!!!"

 

 At this point I'm really starting to question my relationship with my OFB.

 

Round two!

 

"Ok there ole great one can you remember to take off?"

 

"Yes you minion I can remember that at least"  Take off is as good as I can
do and the flight goes pretty well considering everything.

 

Ok I'm convinced I need a new OFB

 

"There that flt didn't look so bad now did it?"

 

OBF  "That was a mistake flight, I bet you can't do it twice in a row"

 

Right about now I'm wondering what the law is on murder of smartasses. 

 

Naw I'll keep him around a while longer it can't get any worse can it? 

 

"Ok OFB that flight is looking good but  I'm crowding  the end maneuvers and
the centers on the slow and point rolls pretty badly.

 

"Well Mr. Dumas if you'd pull the throttle back from warp 9 you'd have a bit
more time"

 

"Now I'm really starting to hate you there OFB!"

 

"Ok let's try another flight with at least some throttle management
involved"

 

"Take off COMPLETE!,  about 1/2 way through the flight I hear that "POP"
again and the weird noise is back.

 

*&^#^)$*(#&%^!^$@# Glow Plug is gone again!

Ok time to order a new cyl head as the threads are stripped in the old one.

Over night a new cyl head and head out to the flying field with only one
more day to practice before we head to the contest

 

"Ok there OFB no fooling around, we have to get some decent practice flights
in today let's get this head on and burn some fuel."

 

I removed the chin cowl to replace the head and find the bolts missing from
the Hyde mount beams to the rubber part of the mount.

 

"Well no wonder this thing has been pulling every which way on pulls and
pushes, I thought it was just my rusty fingers"

 

OFB "Well you can blame it on that if you want to but I'm pretty sure it's
your fingers to brain link that's the problem"

 

"Shuddup Mr. Observant and get the call sheet and let's fly"

 

Ok we fly two flights of two patterns each and work on the pure mechanics of
doing the pattern and working on the throttle management a bit.

 

"See there OBF I told you it was the mount and NOT my fingers!" 

 

"Yeah maybe so but I didn't see anything in there I'd give you over a 6
for"!!!!!!!!

 

( Remind me at the end of this story to kill my OFB)

 

"Ok that's enough practice for today I have to be home by 7pm the wife has
some Honey-do's for me."

 

"Ok that only leaves one more day to practice before the contest and that's
Thursday better plan on a long day of practice"

 

"I'm really beginning to hate you OFB"

 

We fade to Black as our Dynamic Duo packs up the trailer and heads to the
barn. Wonder what the next and final practice session will bring?

 

Stay Tuned, it can't get any worse. Can it?

 

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