74657 Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 Guys - Looking ahead at the weather I am at a crossroads as to when would be the best time to leave. I can shove tomorrow @ 4pm or keep the original plan and leave Friday @ 5-6am. Leaving in the afternoon puts us past the mountains before dark and leaving in the morning puts us on the mountains at daylight. Decisions, decisions. What would you do? I got married therefore I don't make decisions anymore. Now that I have one to make I need help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 What is your ETE - 6 hrs? Watch for spring like weather. There has been tornadic activity along your proposed route of flight. Avoiding thunderstorms would be a good idea. What are you seeing and what are you trying to avoid? Will you be making a comfort stop 1/2 way? Does your comfort stop have hotel and rental car available if you decide to stay longer... If you are unable to answer, have your wife PM my wife (just kidding). Check out precious metal at the av museum at KISM. The counter rotating prop is worth the price of admission.... Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74657 Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 We flew down last night. Total time was 4.5 hours. Awesome flight. I flew @ 9K ft, 20" (could have had 21) and 2350 RPM. Fuel flow was 15 GPH. TAS 180 KTS. Ground speed didn't go under 205 kts. until we crossed into Florida. I need to fly with someone who knows LOP because I would have gladly ran with full MP if I could get a lower fuel burn. 21" burned an extra gallon and a half an hour and 3KTS. I need to have my heater looked when we get back as I had a nasty headache when we got down. I don't know if it was 4.5 hours in the air or what but I barely cracked the heater and kept the vents open the entire time. I'm scared to death of carbon monoxide. We changed the oil before we left and I think some got into the heater box, we flew the plane for 30 minutes earlier this week buy maybe didn't burn it all out? I think I need to invest in a better CO detector because the one I have (sporty's) turns black within 30 seconds of starting the plane. My kids were PERFECT flyers. Nothing better than having your almost 3 year old stand up in the back and give you a kiss and say "I love you" at 9K ft!. Disney world today. Kissimmee Jet Center is awesome, I landed 15 minutes after closing and our car was sitting on the ramp ready for us. They booked my hotel for me and helped get our gear out of the plane and into the car. Highly recommend this place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 74657, Please consider getting yourself two new disposable CO detectors. Open one immediately and put it in your pocket. Wait to open the other, prior to flight in your plane. When the first one turns black, it will be side by side with the second one. Both in your plane. (if the first one turns black prior to the airplane, then there is something not right about the sensor). Headache + CO detector turning black is a strong hint that something may be amiss.... Heater muffs always smell. For me, it is difficult to tell the difference between exhaust and heater muff smell. If you are in good health to begin with, 9,000' should not give you a headache. Stress of flying a family cross country might, but I doubt that too... For reference, LOP in our 550G to KORL last week at 12,000' was burning 12 gph, with a GS of about 180kts (small tail wind). Fuel stop in SC was $4.80 per gal. Too bad our weeks in Florida didn't overlap. Dress warmly for the flight back. It may be chilly without heat..... Enjoy the MK... Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sreid Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Did anyone else have a headache? Seems like CO would have affected everyone, but dehydration wouldn't necessarily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74657 Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 My wife did but she always has a headache ..... The kids were fine. I think it was probably dehydration PLUS the fact that my wife, son and the rest of my extended family had the 24 hour flu earlier in the week. My wife worrying about the smell at first, her turning the damn cabin light on every 30 seconds checking on the kids, 4 hours of flying and the rapid atmospheric pressure change prolly had something to do with it too. I bought a pulse oximeter for the trip from Sportys and my O2 level never dropped below 96%. Would carbon monoxide show up on the oximeter as registering a low 02 percentage? I'm sure glad I don't live in Florida. 3 days here at Disney with expenses is going to set me back 3AMU's! So far I am 2 sets of $13 mickey ears and 3 Christmas ornaments deep. Don't know how much those were but if they deliver them to our room for free I can bet they weren't on sale. I have a brand new CO detector that I can try opening once in flight for the trip home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooneym20d Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 CO connects to the red blood cells, replacing the O2 which, in turn, shows up as lower pulse ox readings. As a paramedic who has responded to literally hundreds of these calls, I can tell you with some confidence that it probably was not CO. It does not discriminate and effects everyone in the vicinity. Children are usually effected first since they typically have higher heart rates, higher breathing rates and smaller lung capacities. The only possibility, if it was not CO, would be that it was not reaching the children in the rear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74657 Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Thanks for the insight M20D. I made sure that everyone had their vents open at least 1/3 of the way. Here is a good read, especially with the cold weather flying season upon us. http://www.avweb.com/news/aeromed/186016-1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooneym20d Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Great article! I'll be installing one of the suggested detectors before the family's next trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 74657, How many of the $3.50 bottles of water did you get at the park? I asked my family to each operate LOP, lean of pee. Water finally has gone beyond the price of av-gas.... Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74657 Posted November 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 I think we are about a 6 pack deep of the $3.50 water.... Leaving tomorrow for Marco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74657 Posted November 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2011 Vacation is over and we are safely home. We spent Sunday-Friday at Marco and took off this morning. After a refuel/potty stop for the kids @ KGVL we were back at it. Total flight time from KMKY-KGVL-KBEH was 5:15. Not bad for a 1000 mile trip! My brother in-law/sister in-law and nephew met us in Marco for the week and left this morning out of Ft. Lauderdale at NOON via Southwest. We took off from Marco at 10am. They landed in Milwaukee the same time we touched down. They left @ 7:30 this morning to get to the airport. We left for the airport at 9:30. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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