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Bringing N257SW Home

Don

Well Known Member
Life can change quickly, and sometimes for the better! At the beginning of September I figured I was 6 -12 months (or more) away from flying the 9A in my basement. Cousin Vlad came by to critique my slow progress and encourage me with stick time in his 9A and teasing about my very slow build. Somewhere during his visit he said, ?Sell your Cherokee, sell your RV project, and just buy a flying 9A.?

I couldn?t sell my beloved project but the rest of his crazy idea sounded good. The more I thought about it, the more rational it sounded. I could sell the Cherokee, buy a flying 9A (or any other flavor RV) and have more flying fun and flying options open to me while I finished MY nine. If I sold the ?temporary? 9A for what it cost me, I?d be flying for free - or that?s what I told myself. Wife even liked the idea of being able to go places, and see grandchildren. So, the search for an RV began. Wife is pretty darn special.

What an interesting education it was. The short version is I found what looked like (and has turned out to be) a primo RV-9A with just under 500 hours (now just over 500 hours) on an Aerosport O-320. Located in Mesa, AZ it looked like I?d have the added fun of bringing the plane home.

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The plane has a nice glass panel - neither too simple nor too elegant. The primary flight instrument is a Dynon D-100 with an analog ASI sitting just to the left. There a VM-1000 to the right of the radio stack and this digital wonder is a lot handier to have than I expected. On the flight back I started to understand ?lean of peak? and was delighted to see how easily I could control CHTs and fuel flow. A KMD-150 VFR GPS sat on top of an iCom A200 radio, and a KT76A transponder. A Digiflight II autopilot was located under the ASI, some type of ?Electric Power Distribution Buss? and a timer rounded out the panel.

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Who ever figured the panel layout for N257SW did a brilliant job, in my opinion. The work flow makes great sense, and the panel is one of the cleanest I?ve ever seen. I?m the third owner. I understand the second owner has passed away but I?m guessing the two builders are still around. If anyone knows the builders - Rex Smith and Roger Wolthuis, reportedly from the Seattle area, I?d love to have contact information to say thanks and maybe ask a question or two.

Continued....
 
Bringing N257SW Home - Part 2 of 3

I live near Richmond, VA and getting the plane from Mesa, AZ home looked like a fun challenge. Not being foolhardy, I ask a pilot friend (Tom Tyndall) to fly with me. He has more hours, more RV time, and more mountain flying experience than I, and it just seemed wise to have him there. He agreed to go and Friday morning we departed RIC at 4:30 am on a Delta flight to Phoenix. We arrived in Mesa around 11:00 am and talked to the mechanic who had done the pre-buy. He’d found a few SBs not completed - which were completed prior to purchase - including SB 12-08-14 - missing wing attach bolts. Tom is also an IA and a look under the cowl impressed us both with the cleanliness and attention to detail. We each took a quick test flight and loved the way the plane flew. When the paperwork was complete, the tanks topped off, and our baggage stowed, we departed Mesa.

The southern Rockies may not be as tall, or as intimidating as the granite further north, but even before taking off I was glad to have a competent pilot in the right seat. My mountain flying experience is mostly a day a spent 11 years ago flying the Cascade mountains in BC with a local pilot. It was great fun, educational, but it didn’t make me a competent mountain pilot. There’s only one way to get experience and that’s to fly. So after clearing Phoenix’s airspace, we climbed to 11,500’ and watched ‘four peaks’ go by to the left, and we watched remarkable landscapes unfold in front of us.

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As I recall, the surface winds at Mesa were 12 gusting to 17, which would have made flying the Cherokee bouncy and would require attention and corrections to keep on course. Compared to the Cherokee, the 9A is simply remarkably stable. I was expecting the winds to increase with altitude, and given the 40+ knot difference between air speed and ground speed, I expect they did increase. We didn’t encounter anything I’d even rate as light turbulence crossing the mountains. It wasn’t glass smooth air but it was smoother than most east coast summer days flying around 3,000’. The visibility is what was shocking. In nearly 14 years of flying around Virginia, I can count on one hand the number of days per year I have encountered 30-50 mile visibility. While I can’t prove it, I’d guess parts of the trip had 100 mile visibility. It was simply astounding to see that far. All I could think was, with an RV you have the best seats in the house!

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Our first stop was St. Johns (KSJN). Being just under an hour from Mesa, we thought it wise to stop and check the plane over early in the trip since it was new to us. We also topped off with fuel. Everything was looking fine so we pressed on. We made it to Alexander Municipal field (E80 just south of Albuquerque right at at dusk. What a great FBO! They were closed but I called the number on the door, guessed to code to get inside, signed to crew car agreement, got the car keys, directions to local hotels, and the requested donation was $5. Truly, Hertz could learn something here! After a pizza and a couple of beers, it was time for bed. It had been 21 hours of going and doing and both of us were ready for a good night of rest.

The next morning, the cold front had come through and there was frost on the windshield and the temperature was in the 30s, according to the weather man. At the fuel pump I wondered not ‘if ‘ Ruskie cousin had been here before but ‘how many times’ cousin had been here. The VM-1000 made it easy to watch fuel flow, reset the fuel totalizer and know when the oil was warm enough to fly. That is one handy tool. The electronic ignition on the upper plugs made starting the engine a breeze. Taking off from 21 you faced a mountain off in the distance. It’s not a factor in terms of flying because of the distance, but it’s a view this ‘older kid’ from Virginia had never encountered before. We climbed out to 9,500’ and went around the south end of a range that ended just south of Belen, NM.

Our flexible route next went to Hereford, TX (KHRX), then to Sigler, OK (KGZL), and then to Union City, TN. Departing E80 Tom and I flew at 9,500’ most of the way to Sigler and then 7,500’ and 5,500’ the rest of the way. For the most of the second day the air was smooth as glass. At times we were burning 8.5 GPH and seeing 166-171 knots and other times we slowed to 130 knots and were see fuel flows around 6.7 GPH. I have a lot to figure out with this new flying machine but this trip was a great introduction. If nothing else, I know I need to record what I’m seeing both to check how reliable the numbers are, and to assist my memory.

We were pushing to try and beat Hurricane Sandy but we couldn’t beat her. We ran out of sunlight at Union City and called it a night. The weather man was pretty certain that overnight, Hurricane Sandy was going to catch up with the cold front moving east and halt our progress. At this point, we were under 5 hours from home.

The next morning the winds were predicted to pick up by 10 am with peak gusts of 25-35 knots depending on how far east we looked. The rain was about an hour east of us at RV speeds and getting over the mountains VFR was out of the question. At this point we were ready to secure the plane, rent a car, and drive home. Union City however, had no car rentals available on Sunday. Even getting back to the airport was a challenge (we couldn’t even find a cab!). Larry, a kind pilot we’d met the evening before at the airport, and who gave us a ride to our hotel, came back and picked us up at the hotel and drove us back to the airport. We were going to secure the plane but Larry suggested we might find a rental car in Paducah, KY. A quick call to Wife (have I mentioned yet how wonderful she is?) confirmed we could get a rental car there. The winds were looking good at Union City and the predicted 22 knot peak gusts at Paducah waited until after our arrival.

It was decision time at Paducah. Should we push on or park the plane and drive home? I’d located both a rental car and a hanger for the week at Paducah. With the trailing edge of the rain from the cold front near Lexington, KY and the Hurricane pushing north and west, Paducah was looking more and more like the best stopping point. The winds were predicted to be increasing and gusty if we headed east. With the uncertainty surrounding the weather, and not knowing if I could locate a hanger or a rental car at the next airport, we decided to stop flying, drive home, and wait out Hurricane Sandy.

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The remainder of the trip will take another 12 hours of driving to return to Paducah and 4.5 hours to fly home. With a bit of cooperation from the weather, I should have N257SW in her new hanger at KXSA on Thursday or Friday.

I'll post Part 3 when I get N257SW to her new home base in Tappahannock, VA (KXSA).
 
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You're 2/3rds trip report has me smiling! Congratulations on the new plane, the narration & pics, and the smart decisions!

Fly safe and long (an old Vulcan aviator's saying)
 
Congratulations!

Outstanding Don! My wife and I have discussed selling our Cessna and my beloved sports car and purchasing an RV to fly while I build our RV7. Your post may be just what helps us make the decision. I can't wait to read about your safe flight to Tappahannock.
 
Sounds like a pretty cool way to get in the air while you are still building. It looks like you found a great plane too. When you get back to the plane, if you can take a few more shots of the panel, that would be great. I am trying to do a layout for my 9 without ever flying with a glass panel. It sounds like yours is laid out nice and I am in need of ideas!!

thanks and have a great time with your new plane.
 
Great report!

I am very happy for you Don. Isn't Hereford real Texas airport? By a cattle ranch and pretty lady in jeans and boots pump your fuel. Bring her (RV I mean)home, recover from the trip and throw a party. :D
 
I am very happy for you Don. Isn't Hereford real Texas airport? By a cattle ranch and pretty lady in jeans and boots pump your fuel. Bring her (RV I mean)home, recover from the trip and throw a party. :D

Cousin,

There's no doubt that Hereford is a real Texas airport. However, I didn't get a pretty lady in jeans. She must only come out for Russian fighter pilots. I had to pump my own gas....somehow that figures.

Hey, when Glen's field is above water again we need to invade and get a free lunch.
 
As noted to Tony's post, 53VG will most likely open well before the winds subside enough for sain pilots to visit. I'm on vacation all week and not going anywhere so if it works, I'd love to see the plane when it gets back (either here or there)!
 
Thanks Bill. You may see her on the ramp at 14A. My daughter, son-in-law, and grand daughter live nearby.
 
EXcellent trip report !

I'm hanging on every word, Don ... especially the parts about the"learning curve" in your new 9A. I have not quite 12hrs on mine now, and am constantly amazed at a) how much information is there, and b) how best to use it. I was living every mile of your trip to Paducah. :D
 
Great report and decision-making, Don. A trip to emulate for all of us. Stay safe on that last 1/3, too!

You will have one more advantage, although it might not be nearly as much help to you building a -9. We frequently wandered over to the flying planes in our hangar to see how problems had been solved when the -3B plans came up a bit short (which was almost the norm for that early kit). Nothing like a completed plane to study as you build on.

Enjoy!
 
Great report and decision-making, Don. A trip to emulate for all of us. Stay safe on that last 1/3, too!

You will have one more advantage, although it might not be nearly as much help to you building a -9. We frequently wandered over to the flying planes in our hangar to see how problems had been solved when the -3B plans came up a bit short (which was almost the norm for that early kit). Nothing like a completed plane to study as you build on.

Enjoy!
This is OH so true..................
 
Don is home

It is past 3 pm on Nov 2, 2012. Don and his new (to him) RV-9A are home. How was last leg? :)
 
Part 3: Getting all the way home.

On Friday morning, November 2, about 8 am, Tom and I returned to Midwest Aviation. Midwest is located on Barkley Field in Paducah, KY and it?s where I?d left N257SW after they offered a hanger at a very good rate. They treated us well. After returning the rental car, topping off the tank, and warming the engine up, I called the tower and was cleared to depart runway 04.

I am a firm believer in flight planning - and I don?t mean having just one plan. Usually, the primary flight plan works but in addition to a primary flight plan, I like to be aware of the weather patterns in the area, the terrain, and predicted weather for several hundred miles either side of the the intended route. Sometimes the weatherman is wrong and this give me options. I find it makes flying less stressful when I have options and don?t have to develop them under less than ideal conditions.

Our general plan was fly east, cross the Blue Ridge Mountains then turn generally northeast to Tappahannock, VA (KXSA). Thursday evening the tentative plan was to fly from Paducah, KY to Mountain Empire (KMKJ), refuel, and switch pilots and fly to KXSA. Friday morning the predicted low ceilings made KMKJ look less inviting. Higher ceilings were predicted further south so changed our stop from KMKJ to KUKF (Wilkes County, NC). The weather man predicted clear skies within a hundred miles of our flight path and that was our plan B.

The first part of the trip had us flying under blue skies and light haze. While the METARS we heard said 10 mile visibility, from 7,500? I?d estimate we could see at least 20 miles. The angle of the sun (we were flying into the sun) made forward visibility a bit worse than to the side, but by east coast standards, we had excellent weather; and we had a tail wind. We were seeing cruising speeds running 170-175 knots at 65% power, or maybe a bit less. Frankly, I wasn?t missing my Cherokee 140 a bit.

Three things happened as we approached the mountains. First, the haze increased, but not enough to stop us. Second, the weather to the south of our track to Wilkes County looked worse than predicted, so heading further south to clear skies seemed to be ruled out. The weather to the north though looked better than predicted. Third, and perhaps most important, we were getting anomalous fuel remaining readings on the VM1000C. For most of the trip, the fuel readings showed 14 or 18 gallons after fueling. The number would seem to change back and forth. When it dropped below 14 gallons, the reading accurately reflected what was in the tank. That was odd, probably due to operator error, but not disconcerting. About 45 minutes after leaving Paducah, it *appeared* that fuel was being used from both tanks and fuel pressure had dropped from 4-5 psi to 3 psi.

We initially decided to keep on heading to Wilkes County. The engine was running fine and even with the declining readings there would have been fuel to make it. We did however decide that we?d land when we got down to 6 gallons per side. I like having a decision point in advance rather than continuing to evaluate and possibly running out of options. As we pressed on it became questionable if we?d make Wilkes with our predetermined reserve so we decided to find a convenient airport, land, check the fuel situation out, update our weather, and make a decision about continuing.

We picked Williamsburg-Whitley (KBYL) field in southwestern Kentucky to land. It was a bit north of our route and well short of Wilkes County. Topping the tanks off took 12.5 gallons of fuel, which seemed about right for a 1.7 hour flight. Clearly the VM1000c was giving us erroneous fuel remaining values. The only anomaly we could find was a slow drip on the fuel drain on the right wing, which might have amounted to a few ounces of lost fuel (if that). It was easy to stop the drip by just pressing the valve a time or two. After refueling, I reset the fuel totalizer and we checked the weather again. It appeared we could head home on a reasonably direct route, diverting from a straight line by just a few miles to cross where the mountains were the lowest. There was no obscuration of the mountain tops but we wanted to maintain 2,000? or more over the mountains.

Tom flew this leg and it was likely the most challenging of the day. After departing Kentucky we initially flew southeast into Tennessee. This gave us the best clearance over the mountains, we then turned north past Kingsport, TN and up to Roanoke, VA, and then on to KXSA. Visibility, while reported as 10 miles, was far from what I?d call good. It was hazy and while we could always see two ridges away, and sometimes even three ridges, it was difficult to see much detail in the distance beyond just seeing the ridge tops. In terms of ceilings, at times there was only 2,500? between the mountain tops and the cloud base.

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We would always fly as high over the mountains as we legally could and cross the ridges at a 45 degree angle, so we could turn back if necessary. Most of the flight was in light turbulence with occasional stronger bumps. We didn?t encounter anything to stop us so we continued on. The shoulder harnesses kept my head (and maybe Tom?s too) from hitting the canopy. I?m sure they also stopped a lot of smaller head knocks but the one ?bump? was memorable. After the flight, when I reached in my back pocket for my comb, I discovered it was broken. That was a first for me but of all the things that could brake, a comb is inconsequential. The plane was readily controllable, handled everything grace and without damage. The bumpy ride was simply a matter of comfort, not safety.

After filling the tanks with Tappahannock's "cheap" fuel I moved my Cherokee to the ramp and tucked N257SW into her new home; hanger 18, KXSA. After doing a "real" cross country flight in a really sweet flying and economical plane, my RV grin went from ear-to-ear.

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I took her out for a ride today - my first solo RV time and introduced her to Tidewater Virginia, but that?s another story.
 
Delighted to read the Happy Ending ...

Congrats on being back home with your new 9A!

Aside: sounds like your fuel indication "issue" is typical for RVs. The shape of the tanks and the dihedral make for odd float characteristics. Generally, the float is at max'd out (up) when 9/9A tanks have less than 15 gal - sometimes as little as 12gal. In my case, after the EFIS is reset to indicate full tanks, the fuel gauges read 18 till I use more than 4 gals ... then they suddenly drop to 14, but give me accurate readings from there to empty.
 
Don's Tidewater Tour

Don dropped by CPK with his new 9A for a short visit on Sunday afternoon. What a beautiful bird! I had a chance to look it over well and man the fit and finish is perfect. The Wx was not very nice and forecast to get worst so we didn't have a chance to commit aviation together but if it flies half as well as it looks it must be a treat to fly.
 
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