Cyril Gibb

Indeed, it is I. Now that Covid is at least stabilised it's time to go beyond burning holes in local skies. I just stuck on my 2022 customs sticker.

Nope. Still around and still enjoying French Wine (and cheese). We've been so busy on our bike trips that I'm never thinking about flying unless we ride by a small airport. France is the epitome of cycle touring on the planet, and there are very few areas we haven't covered. This summer we're flying into Toulouse heading south and west to Tarbes/Pau/Lourdes and then looping up and around to fly out of Lyon. We're flying commercial. I've gone back and forth on the North Atlantic when I was a kid. After seeing that at sea level precludes ANY thought of single engine ocean crossing.

If you have a faulty or intermittent switch, test the other 3-wire bundle to see if it works correctly. The unit actually has two SPST microswitches inside, each with NO and NC connections. The NC is for the Sonalert and the NO for gear operation. If you swap the the connector wires to use the typically unused switch (for Hobbs Meters?) it will save you some $$. In the connector, swap red->green blue->yellow white-> black (reverse the colours)

Sounds interesting. Available somewhere?

I've used a cell switch to turn on an interior heater and the engine heater for years with no problem in the winter. I turned it on a few hours before heading off to fly. Several months ago, I decided to leave the heater on constantly in the interior to keep the gyros happy. It only took 2 weeks for mice to invade their new warm happy home. Chewed the pitot cover, cowl cover, kleenex box and paper towel roll. Will do a more through check in the spring. Several nests. I set up traps and warfarin everywhere and stopped using the permanent heater. I now seem to have caught or killed all the little buggers. Use caution.

Hangared in Kitchener. Many moons ago I had a tie down at the island airport downtown, within a walk from where I lived. Sadly, GA got pushed out years ago.

I usually try to follow a consistent pattern when putting away Gladys, including installing the pitot cover, even in winter. This is what I saw yesterday going for a flight: Mice? How would a mouse get to the pitot under the wing? the ribbon is well off the floor. Maybe a bird in the hangar? The only obvious thing would be aliens...

Probably, unfortunately good advice, except... If you’re going to pay for everything yourself, and don’t expect anything from the original shop, find a lawyer who will accept the case on a contingency basis. You have nothing to lose.

Liability insurance is required in Canada. Minimum amount varies according to MGW.

How did witnesses (plural?) know that less than 12 gallons was in each tank? How much is less than 12 gallons? 10 gallons... 2 gallons? Was fuel visible in each filler? Why were multiple people checking the fuel level in that aircraft just before that flight? That's a curious piece of information that begs for more detail.

Damn, I was in Clarence's shop when I picked up a new battery on Friday. I've just been flying here and there for something to do during this incredible spell of great weather. If I'd known you were headed back here, I would have picked you up....

I'm looking at options.

Further to my previous append.... \rant on It seems silly that I can just remove my backup VOR/ILS and still be legal, but not install a a non-approved backup VOR/ILS. Wouldn't a non-approved instrument be safer than no backup at all when the poo hits the fan? A similar argument is about the "certified" G5 being 1/2 again the price of an "experimental" G5. Don't they come off the same assembly line?

Yup, I looked, but it's not for certified aircraft. I'd install that in a New York minute if I could. Do you know if there's a way around that here in Canada?

Note to those with deeper pockets... No, I'm not considering replacing my entire panel "while I'm at it", so don't bother suggesting it. My backup VOR/ILS gave up the ghost. We went as far as testing directly into the unit to make sure it wasn't a splitter, antenna or coax problem. Anybody had a recent and positive experience with a shop repairing legacy avionics?

I think you're correct. My bad. The assumption that I had been making is based on "flight time", where takeoff/landing were from/to a stop. If the definition of takeoff/landing was based on "air time", then a series of touch and goes would be ok for currency. Since there isn't any specific definition for night currency then I'm wrong. Many of my landings involve a series of touch and goes. This could save me a lot of time come the fall when I need to get current again.

Night currency in Canada requires full stops. And for our US friends, night flying in Canada requires a "night endorsement" which includes 10 hours of instrument dual and night cross countries etc. PPL Instrument dual can be carried over.

Welcome to the heretic club. There are lots of members.

Yes, it has happened. Only took a few seconds of freezing drizzle to kill the engine.

A thorough engine run, probably a short flight would be needed to do a valid compression check. That should show some filter particles if the cam/lifters were really spalling enough to give a dial gage anomaly. The important point is that an engine sitting long enough to get a little rust on the cam has probably set the spalling process in motion before external checking will detect anything. Unfortunately, popping off cylinders is the only way to make reasonably sure. That, in itself can create maintenance induced failures. Purchase a plane that’s flown often to minimise, but not eliminate, cam issues. Otherwise, throw the dice.

I think checking the oil filter for metals will identify issues LONG before any reduction in lift will show, and would (should) should be part of any prebuy. Redundant.

This is for T6061 aluminum. I can't find the graph I saw before for aluminum cylinder heads. Anyone? It's reasonably alarming, particularly because Lycoming sets the redline temp at 500F. My personal redline is 400F, but even then only momentarily before taking dramatic action. Temp (degF) Tensile Strength (ksi) Yield Strength (ksi) 75 45 40 212 42 38 300 34 31 400 19 15 500 7.5 5

I was under the impression that all aircraft interior materials were supposed to be self extinguishing. Why did the entire passenger compartment burn so completely?

Ok all working now. Thanks

Thanks guys. Replaced a bad fuse on the transistor panel. It works now to find the fuse behind the breaker panel