What to do with Oshkosh Inspiration?
You enjoyed the big show, visited with lots of old friends, made a slew of new friends, flew out of Oshkosh in IFR conditions, avoided some storms along the WI/IA border, and dodged clouds at 14,500 in the northern half of Texas. So, now what? What in the world do you do with the overwhelming inspiration?
Oshkosh 2010 ended with a full two day visit to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Oshkosh 2011 was to end with some more flying and riveting.
First of all, the morning after returning home, you get up bright and early before the heat hits and meet up with some other RVers. The sky is bright blue with puffy clouds and smooth air. It's time to put the plane and pilot through their paces in some 3-ship formation practice. Some turning maneuvers, a bunch of rejoins, close trail, extended trail, and everone swapping the lead position. Everyone was happy and having fun until the passenger announced no more extended trail as three sets of chasing airplanes around the sky had done a number on the tummy. Turns out, no one else needed any more of that either. Lead had to get to "real" work, so he peeled off for home and a nice overhead arranged with the tower and the rest of the flight was back on the ground.
We were still on Oshkosh vacation, so immediately back to the departure end of the runway to attack goal #2, turning me back into a current IFR pilot as I turned into a pumpkin a couple weeks ago. We were ready at the hold-short line and got a most interesting request from the tower. They asked us to take off about half way down the runway. Keep in mind that half way down the runway is 2500 feet, and we're usually well above the tower by that time. We have a new airport manager, and it seems she is doing her best to make some good improvements. This day it must have been to get some new airport photos as there was a camera set up about half way down the runway by the wind sock. So, a long run with the nosewheel just off the ground provided some good practice with controlling pitch on roll and rudder practice by staying on the center line. Hopefully we lifted off where desired and they got some good pictures.
OK, back to the real number 2 goal. Off to a nearby airport to shoot some VOR approaches. We coupled up with approach to make sure we practiced all the bits and pieces. 3 VOR approaches later, it was time to head home and shoot a GPS approach. An hour and a half under the hood makes for a tiring day. Stringing together 4 approaches with holds and course intercepts without a reprieve is so much more demanding than making an actual IFR flight.
Back to the airport and there is an amzing ruckus coming from the back of the plane when we moved the rudder. It was extremely loud even with our headsets and the engine running. Knowing that isn't a good thing, we shut down and investigated the noise. It wasn't hard to find. The bearings on the rudder were not functioning as desigined and it was screaming every time you dared to move it a fraction of an inch. Well, that's not good. Off comes the rudder, in the 100 degree hangar, and into the car to make its way to the shop. The planned riveting session would have to wait as I am not a happy camper when my airplane is broken.
Directly to the shop, do not pass go and do not collect two hundred dollars. Measure how far the bearings stick out the rudder and out they come. As luck would have it, there is an 8 project in the shop with perfectly sized bearings. We don't even have to wait for the hardware to be shipped. On goes the new hardware, adjust to match as close as possible to the original measurements, and it's off to dinner and time to shut down the shop. No riveting today. A little while later Scott gets an email from the other room with the specs of the hardware I stole from the 8 project. He just grins as he relates that story to frieds.
Saturday arrives and it is time to address the delayed riveting session(s). The fuselage is very close to being a flipped canoe and keeps clamoring for attention. We continued to work our way through various sections, some getting knocked out in short order and others taking lots of time and contortions. A few more hours, and it will be time to flip. The tools on the floor should tell the whole story about the difficulty level of the rivets we were shooting.
(Stein shirt in action after 5 years including holes, but it's about ready for the rag bin.)
So, we spent our well-earned Oshkosh 2011 Inspiration well. Time will tell what 2012 will bring.
You enjoyed the big show, visited with lots of old friends, made a slew of new friends, flew out of Oshkosh in IFR conditions, avoided some storms along the WI/IA border, and dodged clouds at 14,500 in the northern half of Texas. So, now what? What in the world do you do with the overwhelming inspiration?
Oshkosh 2010 ended with a full two day visit to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Oshkosh 2011 was to end with some more flying and riveting.
First of all, the morning after returning home, you get up bright and early before the heat hits and meet up with some other RVers. The sky is bright blue with puffy clouds and smooth air. It's time to put the plane and pilot through their paces in some 3-ship formation practice. Some turning maneuvers, a bunch of rejoins, close trail, extended trail, and everone swapping the lead position. Everyone was happy and having fun until the passenger announced no more extended trail as three sets of chasing airplanes around the sky had done a number on the tummy. Turns out, no one else needed any more of that either. Lead had to get to "real" work, so he peeled off for home and a nice overhead arranged with the tower and the rest of the flight was back on the ground.
We were still on Oshkosh vacation, so immediately back to the departure end of the runway to attack goal #2, turning me back into a current IFR pilot as I turned into a pumpkin a couple weeks ago. We were ready at the hold-short line and got a most interesting request from the tower. They asked us to take off about half way down the runway. Keep in mind that half way down the runway is 2500 feet, and we're usually well above the tower by that time. We have a new airport manager, and it seems she is doing her best to make some good improvements. This day it must have been to get some new airport photos as there was a camera set up about half way down the runway by the wind sock. So, a long run with the nosewheel just off the ground provided some good practice with controlling pitch on roll and rudder practice by staying on the center line. Hopefully we lifted off where desired and they got some good pictures.
OK, back to the real number 2 goal. Off to a nearby airport to shoot some VOR approaches. We coupled up with approach to make sure we practiced all the bits and pieces. 3 VOR approaches later, it was time to head home and shoot a GPS approach. An hour and a half under the hood makes for a tiring day. Stringing together 4 approaches with holds and course intercepts without a reprieve is so much more demanding than making an actual IFR flight.
Back to the airport and there is an amzing ruckus coming from the back of the plane when we moved the rudder. It was extremely loud even with our headsets and the engine running. Knowing that isn't a good thing, we shut down and investigated the noise. It wasn't hard to find. The bearings on the rudder were not functioning as desigined and it was screaming every time you dared to move it a fraction of an inch. Well, that's not good. Off comes the rudder, in the 100 degree hangar, and into the car to make its way to the shop. The planned riveting session would have to wait as I am not a happy camper when my airplane is broken.
Directly to the shop, do not pass go and do not collect two hundred dollars. Measure how far the bearings stick out the rudder and out they come. As luck would have it, there is an 8 project in the shop with perfectly sized bearings. We don't even have to wait for the hardware to be shipped. On goes the new hardware, adjust to match as close as possible to the original measurements, and it's off to dinner and time to shut down the shop. No riveting today. A little while later Scott gets an email from the other room with the specs of the hardware I stole from the 8 project. He just grins as he relates that story to frieds.
Saturday arrives and it is time to address the delayed riveting session(s). The fuselage is very close to being a flipped canoe and keeps clamoring for attention. We continued to work our way through various sections, some getting knocked out in short order and others taking lots of time and contortions. A few more hours, and it will be time to flip. The tools on the floor should tell the whole story about the difficulty level of the rivets we were shooting.
(Stein shirt in action after 5 years including holes, but it's about ready for the rag bin.)
So, we spent our well-earned Oshkosh 2011 Inspiration well. Time will tell what 2012 will bring.
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