Sonex 815 - Continuing the Kitlog - 11
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8/4/10 - Flight 153
0.5 flight time, 7 ldg. Indicating ~8.5 gallons on shut down. Tried 4 landings per the NZ mountain flying presentation at Oshkosh - power on landing to allow adjusting to a precise spot. 2 more power off, then 1 full stop w/ power modulation. Went around for the 7th time to not delay a Baron that was ready to go (he didn't stop in the runup area). Calm wind, clear skies, 86F at 630am. Did a better job getting Tim's plane in the right spot today. Yesterday the planes were real close together in the center of the hangar.
8/5/10 - Flight 154
0.4 flight time, 1 landing. Dawn patrol. Start up by 5:50, back by 6:15. Flew southwest to over the Ultralight Field, then north to the Glider Field, then to I-10 halfway between KAVQ and Pinal, then to the Cement Plant and back in. Clear skies, calm winds, nice sunrise. Indicating ~8.5 gallons on start up, ~7 gallons on shut down.
8/8/10 - Flight 155
0.5 flight time, 1 ldg. Over to the I-10 project with the better camera for more photos. Those westbound ramps are really coming along. Then headed out west by the Ultralight Field to maybe do some rolls, but it was quite bumpy. Saw one other plane below - it can be a fairly busy practice area for the trainers out of KRYN. Then headed back. Some wind up there today - didn't check too close, but indicating maybe 145 w/ groundspeed of 135 out, and indicating 160 (on descent) with groundspeed close to 180 on the way back. Got busy at the airport. 2 experimentals calling NW of the cement plant, that funky twin-diesel Katana calling NW on approach, a Mooney was ahead of me to the cement plant, I fell in behind him, then the C-172 on takeoff fell in behind me. The Sukhoi made a quick hop out to the aerobatic box and turned back - must have seen something he didn't like. He likes to land halfway down the runway, and turn off at Bravo - so he turns base about the numbers, about where the C-172 was. I almost pulled out at the turn-around circle to see what would happen, but the C-172 was on upwind as the Sukhoi was rolling off, and I crossed on A in front of him. Oh, and the Remos was calling cement plant inbound. Good weather for pancake runs after last weekend being mostly rained out and yesterday looking pretty lousy early in the morning.
Looking South.
Looking Southwest.
Looking Northwest.
Looking North northeast.
8/14/10 - Flight 156
0.6 flight time, 1 ldg. Dawn patrol - over to the I-10 project, back SW to the ultralight field, up to the Lightning west completion center (dirt strip), the glider field, then across back to I-10 south of Pinal, then back in. Someone else called about my position inbound, and was FAST. Sounded like "Cessna", but turns out it was a Swift. Someone practicing solo patterns when I departed, with the instructor standing at the intersection A3 sign with a handheld. Such low power, I never heard what he said, but could hear the plane answer.
8/15/10 - Flight 157
0.5 flight time, 1 ldg. Took my wife's cousin Megan for a ride. She's USCG, in town for annual leave, based out of Hawaii. Thought there was rain on the radar this morning, it wasn't hitting the ground, and had disippated by the time we took off. Went around by the ultralight field, the Lightning west completion center (private strip), the glider field, then back east between KAVQ and Pinal, over to I-10, the cement plant and back. Threw in some lazy-8's along the way. Megan thought that was great.
8/18/10 - Xpdr recert
Called the FBO for the xpdr recertification. They got my hangar key from the office and got it done, no sweat on my part. I was ready to make an appointment, taxi it over to them, watch the test, and taxi it back. Boy, that was easy.
8/21/10 - Flight 158
0.6 flight time, 1 ldg. Went over to the I-10 project. They are laying the asphalt on the westbound ramps, so almost done. And the new stoplights in my neighborhood went from flashing yellow last week to full cycling this week, so it's getting really close to being open. Then headed out west and did 2 rolls to the left, smooth as can be. About 2.5g on the pull up, 1.0 over the top, so not even feeling light in the seat at all. Was getting close to time for the EAA meeting, so headed back and taxied over to the other side of the field for the meeting. On preflight found the LH gear leg fairing top bracket (my design) had cracked through, so I pulled the fairing off. Will have to rethink that connection.
8/28/10 - Flights 159, 160
To Casa Grande for the monthly pancake breakfast. 0.6 up, 0.6 return. Tried this last month, but weather was in the way. Met a Hummel pilot who tole me about an engine he was building and an electric car he had built. Got gas - added 10 gallons at KCGZ, 5 gallons indicated on landing. Flew "over" some Cubs both ways - they took off just before me going up, and I had parked, tied down, got my food and was eating before they landed. Then they took off quite a bit before me on the way back - I was still pumping gas. Finished that, the LONG taxi from there to the departure end, flew back and was rolling out when I heard them call something north of the airport to enter the pattern. Even in 49 nm, low and SLOW is SLOW. But they did a formation takeoff for me leaving KAVQ - about 4 seconds of ground roll, tails up as soon as the throttle was forward, maybe 200 feet of roll. Legend Cubs. I think those are 3300-powered. Heard someone call a flat tire on the taxiway when I departed KAVQ - turns out it was Tom in the RV-3 (shares the back wall of my hangar). After the flight I went over to his hangar and lent him my "jack" sawhorse to get his wheel off the ground. A Remos had crashed on RWY 3 not long before I got back. Someone's first flight with the FBO's instructor. Bummer. Not sure how they made out, but people were describing it as a power problem, stretching the glide, and he stalled it out just above the runway. It was between the runway and the taxiway (in the swale) all broken up, but didn't look like any fire - fuel exhaustion? Anyway, I flew today w/ the LH gear leg fairing removed - ball was off center to the right, so I rode my foot on the pedal the whole time, both ways.
The Cubs that I "lapped" both ways.
He did a nice low pass prior to landing.
Part of the Stearman formation.
9/3/10 - Repair landing gear fairing bracket
The little gear strut fairing bracket I made to secure the top of the fairing to the fuselage cracked across the lug attaching to the fuselage. Why? To secure it, I added a nutplate inside the fuselage bottom skin. And held that nutplate on with protruding-head rivets. Then socked my little bracket down between those p-head rivets. So of course, these rivets drive stress into the bracket and crack it across. Solution? Same bracket, but put a washer between it and the bottom skin to space it off the p-head rivets. Didn't take very long to make another one.
The bracket that broke.
9/4/10 - Flight 161
0.3 flight time, 1 ldg. Re-installed the gear leg fairing with a washer under the bracket. Looks good. While sitting under there, looked up into the old gasco hole in the bottom of the cowling and saw a wire hanging down. Pulled the cowling - it was what I thought - the instrument ground for the EIS (to the engine). Cable tied it to the other wires so it wouldn't go anywhere and put the cowling back on (after checking my tool box and parts box for another crimp on terminal, which were at home in the garage). Rolled it out for a quick flight. Wind was favoring 30 when I drove up, and a 172 was doing the runup there (very close to my hangar), so I taxied that way and did a quick run-up. While I'm sitting there, 2 other planes call inbound, and I'm sure they want 12. So I took off from 30 and headed east. I saw one of the planes pass overhead, circle around and I guess join the downwind for 12. Didn't see the other one. Went over to the I-10 project and took some photos. Was considering going out west for some rolls, but Carol had to meet someone at 8am this morning, so I turned right back into the downwind for 12 and landed. Quick flight, but taking off 30 and landing 12, it was much less taxi time than usual. The engine monitor didn't seem to notice the ground was missing, but I'll put it back just to be sure the outputs stay accurate.
Looking Southwest.
Looking West.
Looking Northwest.
Looking Northeast.
9/5/10 - Flight 162
0.5 flight time, 1 ldg. Dawn patrol. Temperature inversion today, so low 80's on the ground, up to almost 90 @ 4000 AGL. Bummer. Out past the UL field for a few rolls, then back past the Lightning completion center (private strip), the Glider Field, then back east between Pinal and KAVQ. Descending over I-10, one plane in the pattern. Turn inbound by the cement plant and enter downwind just as he's rolling. Do a power off approach. Calm wind on the ground.
Airliners in storage at Pinal.
Home field, KAVQ.
