What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Lesson Learned

Taildrgr

Well Known Member
Never leave an airplane part on the floor of the garage. Even if its just for a minute.
I learned a valuable lesson today that cost me a month's worth of work.

My wife left to go shopping so I took advantage of having extra space in the garage to lay out my nearly completed tipup canopy frame on the floor of the garage because it was too big to fit on my workbench. I had just finished drilling the frame brace. I got my camera to document the completion and found the batteries were dead. I went in the house to put in new batteries. Only took a few minutes.

When I went back to the garage, my wife had come home from shopping and pulled the car into the garage. She never saw the canopy frame on the floor.

So, after a short period of disbelief at what I had just done, I called Van's and ordered $300 of new parts. The only salvageable piece was the side rails.

I learned a lesson today. When your wife says she will be gone shopping for several hours, I usually think that is a minimum. Never assume anything and never ever leave a part on the floor.

Hope the second build time goes a little quicker.
 
Ow! I know the pain. Somewhere on here is a thread where I left my recently finished aileron on the roof of my 4-Runner for the exact reason as you....not enough room. Needless to say it didn't stay on the roof of 4-Runner very long after my wife left the house. I was able to salvage one end rib from what came home.
 
Sometimes ...

Sometimes these events are an opportunity to get rid of your practice parts that you learned on and create a perfect part or assembly and sometimes it is just a character building experience with an opportunity to show your life partner how well you can handle set backs without loosing your appreciation for the most important things in life.

Bob Axsom
 
This doesn't make any sense at all. Why would anyone try to put a car into a garage in the first place? :rolleyes:


(sorry for your frustrations)
 
You're right on Bob. Some things are more important than a piece of aluminum. I think my wife is more upset than me. I will take her to dinner tonight.

I didn't like the fit anyway. The second one will be much better.

VAF is a great support group to put things in the right perspective.
 
off topic but...

speaking of the girlfriend running over it...

The difference between complete and finished as explained at a linguistic conference:

"When you marry the right woman you are complete but when you marry the wrong woman you are finished. And if the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are COMPLETELY FINISHED!":D:D:D
 
Maybe that is a good solution for parts I don't really like but keep and move on. Leave it on the garage floor. Let nature take it course :D

Honestly, I don't know if it is possible to be satisfied with a tip up fit. Every time it is perfect, I add some parts and it changes. Bend and repeat. I fully expect that I will be shrinking/stretching after it is fully completed.

At least the second one will go so fast and easy. (fingers crossed)
 
Ouch!

Ouch ... this is really painful!

Here's a tip that I've found useful: I have bike racks on my car, and the last thing you want to do (after not running over airplane parts) is pulling into the garage with your bike on the roof. I use a big, orange road cone (or the equivalent, orange pillar with a heavy rubber foot) placed just inside the garage door, so when I open the garage, I seen the cone and don't drive in!

Now that the plane is in there, there's no room for the car, so my bike problem is solved ...
 
Pictures?

Ok, so back to the story, you got the new batteries for the camera. Where's the pictures?
 
Ok, so back to the story, you got the new batteries for the camera. Where's the pictures?

I actually had to go check my camera to see if I took any pictures. I must have been in shock because I couldn't remember if I did. Turns out I didn't take any. I should have. But its all drilled apart now and in the scrap pile. I actually tried to straighten it out, but it was wasted effort. New parts on order.

I ended up taking my wife to the movies. Back to working on the plane today.

The suggestion about the orange cones is a great idea. I will do that next time for sure.

Thanks for all the replies.
 
Ouch!!! sorry to hear that. Once you are flying you will have a good time telling this story. I know that for now it is very painfull.
 
That is a painful to read story. I feel for both of you. Sounds like you handled it with excellence and I anticipate your new part will be better than the last one.
The second time to build a part is about 50% time savings from the first one.

Pat Garboden
RV9A N942PT
Certified on Good Friday but not flown yet
Dues paid 2013
Katy, TX
 
The shipping on my slider was nearly as expensive as the frame. Hope your shipping is reasonable.
 
.....so, the lesson? Murphy rules!

I think I've done my own version of that....a dozen times! :rolleyes:

Slowly I am becoming a pessimist...I mostly catch other people leaving things 'out...just for a minute', I'm not nearly as good at catching myself.

Now I try to play the sesame street game " what happens next!?!?"
...if I leave my table saw outside, I unplug it in the garage...so there's no way a kid can come up and turn it on.
If something is left on the garage floor ( project #235 in progress) I try to remember to unplug the garage door opener motor, so NO-ONE can get in!

some of you industrial machinists and mechanics probably do WCB required lockouts all the time, but it's sure hard to remember at home, or even on the field, when you're working on the plane yourself, right?

be safe. parts can be replaced. Wives, much more difficult!:D
 
other posts

There have been several posts on this subject! Same old, Same old! It's not the first time it has happened and won't be the last!
 
Back
Top