Ned Gravel

Houman: I have looked at the weather as well, and was considering departing tomorrow to go via KRDM or KANJ (Sault Ste Marie, Michigan) to clear customs, but it is not certain that we could get all the way to Madison on Thursday. We would possibly overnight outside the system and try for Madison the next morning. However, that still puts me too close to the system which will be parked over Michigan from near midnight on Friday to about 5 or 6 pm. See attached weather forecast pics from the AOPA website. However, if we cross the border immediately and clear customs in Syracuse, then we can stay south of the system the entire way into Illinois and then turn north to Madison (just skirting Chicago airspace who do not like GA aircraft during EAA). See the attached proposed routing for this. For me, this involves 1 hr to Syracuse, 2 hrs and 40 mins to Fort Wayne (gas and lunch) and then 1 hr and 40 mins to Madison. Good flying day for Ute and I.

S'OK Cyril. I think he was just messing with you, the way he messes with me.

Anyone else worried about a repeat of Sloshkosh 2010?

Matt: Are you referring to the seal adhesive? I should tell you that there is lots of "black" magic going on in that shop. I am thoroughly convinced he used something "black" with whatever properties he deems appropriate to get at the problem of the seal. For example, after I had opened the avionics bay on my E model (it has a one piece windshield but not the J mod one) to get at the back of the JPI to find the where the ground wire was broken, I had to close it up using that particularly horrid black "gunk" that comes in strips and sticks to everything. Clarence insisted. It is supposed to prevent moisture from getting into the avionics bay, especially when flying in rain or IMC.

Inbound as part of the Caravan, and probably leaving Thursday morning. "Flanders" Kilo 2

Hello all: Done and back in business. When I drove into Clarence's shop this morning, the prop was already back on and the crankshaft seal removed, cleaned and reinstalled with a different adhesive. Another oil change. Then the ground run for leak check. No leaks but my JPI 700 was not powering up. Oops. Turns out the ground lead from the JPI (which goes through the firewall and is grounded at the engine probably because of the probes) was broken at the connection. Fixed that and another broken wire in the under-panel world that allows my STEC 50 to hold altitude. Lifted off at 2:45 and was home by 4:30. Since the engine break-in period is done, I did this at 9000' in the comfort of smooth air. See http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CFSWR/history/20150713/1845Z/CYKF/CYRO and the pic below. Now to find that bottle of either Glenkinchie 12 Year Old Lowland Single Malt or Tomatin 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt and I am ready to go to Madison for one last practice with my element.

Houman: Not at all. Same as me during my own training. It gets better with practice. But we are all perfectionists. Overcoming the urge to take control when we think it could be done better is the mark of someone who trusts you to learn instead of someone who will only let you do it when they think you will do it as well as they. I am in the first group. I run a training company. You will do just fine. Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

So the prop problem is not a prop problem. It is a seal problem at the main bearing. That we fix tomorrow and I fly her home again. Clarence took about 2 minutes to figure that out. In the meantime, I did get one more hour of formation time in, acting as Houman's safety pilot while Yves and I bring him up to speed. Is it just me, or does anyone else acting as safety pilot occasionally get the urge to just grab the controls and fix it yourself? Smaller movements. Anticipating the motion of lead in relation to our own aircraft. Feel the airplane - not fight it. I am really looking forward to the Caravan.

I am like Seth. My wife talked me into a three-time check for GUMPS. I do each one at the same stages of prep for landing as well. Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Did four more hours today. Varying between 75% and 65%. One more to go, but now we are facing a little challenge with the new prop hub. Clarence is on it. He will let me know what to do tomorrow.

Yup and I plan another four hours of break in flying tomorrow. Today's departure was planned to ensure no developing CBs enroute and before the front got to Waterloo. It turns out that I had a 60 minute window to make that happen. Relatively easy IFR all the way home with only a few ACC along the way. I had to turn down the original routing which took me north of Toronto into the system shown in the picture below. Instead they sent me out over the lake to stay out of the way of the heavy iron using Toronto Pearson. Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Clarence always chides me for referring to myself as a "Mooney driver." Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I am retired Army and we loved the Warthog. It went Downtown for us. Those guys were on our side. They helped us take on the bad guys a company at a time. Not like the guys flying at 20,000' conducting basic flight manoeuvres taking out bad guys one at a time. Last I heard the USAF was going to replace them with F16s. (??????)

Yah.. Okay.... Success!!! It is so very cheesy.

So I guess everyone already knows. Yves flew me into Clarence's shop on Sunday where we planned the next steps to get C-FSWR back into the air. She was in the local avionics shop for the 24 month Pitot-Static check (apparently failed the pitot side of that too), but we had it back in Clarence's shop by 10 am and started filling in the logs. The journey log was good enough for me to do the 40 minutes over the airport at 3000' AGL (4000' ASL) followed by the 90 minutes airport to airport fly by running it at 2500 - 24" for the 75% power (first hour) and then alternatively at 2500 - 22" for the 65% power / 75% power run for the next hour per the Lycoming break in procedure. See the pics below (not very good, but showing the actual conditions). I used the iPhone App to determine the settings for 75% and 65% at given altitudes. Then the oil change. No issue. Back in the air for another hour. I looks like CBs here tomorrow morning, but later in the day, they may clear out enough for me to fly home. All told I should get another three or four hours of break in, bringing my total to 6 or 7 hours. The last three hours will be from Ottawa the next day and then she is good to go for formation practice with Yves and Houman. If Andrew and his team are not available on the Saturday, one of us will fly formation with Houman, while the other can act as safety pilot for him, if he wishes. If not, we will be doing three ship formation flying on Saturday next. Stand by for the pics and vids from that effort.

C-FSWR Lives!!!!!! Clarence tells me we are almost done. After this run up he was letting it cool down before the next run and de bugging of EGT issues. Hoping the new oil cooler arrives tomorrow. He has to remove the test prop and install my new one. Then the new governor and the cowl. Ron (the engine builder from http://www.reliablehorsepower.com/) advises he would like first oil change after 2 hours of break in flying to get the molybdenum disulphide (that came with the new cam) out of the engine . However, no formation flying until break in is complete, nor circuits/bump-and-go's. Finish the straight and level for break in first. If all goes well tomorrow, Yves and I will probably head to Waterloo on the weekend to pick it up. Two hours local for the oil change, then two hours low and hot back to Ottawa. Hope to fly six more break in hours before the end of Tuesday. That gives me 10 days to get a couple more practice hours with Yves before flying to Madison. I would say: Wish me luck, but none of this is about luck (defined as the happy confluence of preparedness and opportunity). Hard work, technical competence, planning, and some carpe diem. I fully intend to celebrate behind some scotch in the Mooney Caravan tent on Sunday evening of our arrival. Thank you Clarence. Thank you Yves. Thank you Ron. C-FSWR post install runup.mov

I am with you, as my recent similar experience will testify. Gittin' 'er done while on the ground is way better than trying to solve the problem at 3000' in IMC over suburbia. And we made the decision that it is worth the expense. My wife says flying is part of my smile.

Carl: When you feel ready, sign up for a Caravan clinic. It will make your first time to Oshkosh something other than absolute gripping fear - watching sixty aircraft bimble their way through the Fisk arrival with you hoping that the ones closest to you actually see you as you enter whatever pattern the pink shirted crew have assigned you praying that none of them are trying to put theirs down on the same dot as you. In the Caravan, you will get to fly with 35 or so of your newest bestest friends, all going in the exact same direction and with a demonstrated level of skill in getting there proven to avoid bumping into anyone else in the doing of it. And the photo is cool too!

Yves: Maybe it is just me, but if two Mooney drivers at Gatineau are looking for just one partner, would it not make sense to .....? Well you know..... Just join up? Les' do the math. Lessee, two guys, two airplanes. Both guys want partners. 2 ÷ 2 = 1. So, maybe one of you buys into the other's airplane, and sells their own? What am I missing here?

Thanks Clarence: Looks good. Looks like Ron did a good job.

Update: It continues. We were at the 10 year mark for the prop so it went in for overhaul and the blades failed. I was buying an overhauled hub from the ones let go by the Katana factory anyway, so overhauled blades complete that piece of it. No more Eddy Current Inspection. In purging all contaminated oil from the engine parts to prevent it acting like sandpaper on everything, we found out that it would cost some outrageous amount to overhaul the governor. So, we are buying a new PCU drop in replacement for a fraction to overhaul the old one. Engine will be back from the shop this week, and propeller within a few days. I will have C-FSWR back in my hands by the middle of next week (hopefully). Looks like I will be running low and hot for the first 10 hours or so in order to burn the rings in. Then it is into the air for Yves and I to practice a couple more times, hopefully with Houman as well, including element take-offs and landings at Gatineau airport. Bucko called me yesterday and he is our Kilo Element Lead for the Caravan. Looking for a replay of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NhiKj4sCWs.

George: The mooney caravan tent is located when we arrive. It has been (for the last three years) on Whitman road, south of 09-27 and close to the threshold of 09.

Clarence: I am with you on this one. I posted a "hold the moral high ground" piece on their Facebook page. Not certain it will embarrass them enough to rescind their dumb move, but....

+1, but my current financial impediment is a new camshaft.

Such good wishes are always welcome. No need to be sorry. We did cross the continent this year in my bird. That was a win in my book. Eyes wide open. We all know what the chances are. So far, I am good. Les' just see how it plays out. Got some really good people on the team. Y'all know some of them. Ned Gravel Lucky steward of C-FSWR, a '65 E model at Rockcliffe, Ontario, (CYRO) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk