Mmmmh, just missed you @Mooney_Driver, nevertheless, welcome!
Severe CAVOK, but up to 40kts westerlies in the mountains today, as can be seen here, on the Pic of the Day.
North of the Tödi 11’854ft (or Toedi, not sure the special accents show on all screens)
I tried doing that last time, all PAPI turned red and my FI said I would likely fail if I did that during the PPL test :(
If there’s a PAPI chances are it’s aligned with a landing zone (“piano keys”) 1000 feet down the runway. Great for flying jets but not so great for short landings.
My ex-military acro instructor wanted me on the numbers, every time. Before was OK too. Only way to do that is to aim for the grass. The PAPI was of course always all-red.
Though there was one time when after we landed he said t me “You were looking to see if the runway end lights go right across the runway, weren’t you?”
I nodded.
“That’s a sign you’re too low.”
I went for a short flight with a C172 from ENVA to ENMO. The weather did not clear as early as predicted so we barely had time to say hi to the owner of the field and take some picture before starting back and landing just before the end of VFR day. It’s time I get my night VFR, which is planned for this winter.
This was on the way to ENMO
This is on the runway, the owner had cleared the snow the day before, but not the parking, so we stopped on the runway (I know it’s not how it should be done, but one is supposed to do a runway inspection before landing and there had not been any other airplane there for the last 24 hours).
And that’s where training for short landings can be handy, the runway is 590m long (plenty really) grass. It’s only 13m wide with some very nice snow covered trees all around, beautiful! Ok, it was chilly, -15°C…
Naaaice @WingsWaterAndWheels !! Brings fond memories!
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Tight fit. After 12 years finally in the dry.
Must have been a great feeling! Congrats on what is obviously quite the achievement. Baby-like sleep tonight!
Dan wrote:
Mmmmh, just missed you @Mooney_Driver, nevertheless, welcome!
Thank you! Well, as “neighbours” I reckon that we’ll see more of each other. And I am looking forward to that very much.
Antonio wrote:
Baby-like sleep tonight!
Definitly better than other nights, apart that I will work a 4am early shift tomorrow.
Since the accident it has been a nightmare maintenance wise but I think we now have done a major step in the right direction. What remains are optics (Paint and interior) but at least we now know we have a sound airplane again.
I made a short flight this morning and the plane got pretty muddy. Right as I touched down my phone vibrated: the LAA emailed to say I can fit the new Whirlwind propeller, so my original plan of going back to the office was scuppered.
I couldn’t resist to taking off the old cricket bat propeller and changing the crankshaft plug configuration around for constant speed.
It looks good, need to fit the spinner next and arrange the governor and propeller control lever/cable. Since the strip isn’t going to dry out any time soon I’ve decided to ground the plane and start all the big work I have planned to it, so hopefully it’ll be ready to go again in February or so.
IO390 wrote:
I couldn’t resist to taking off the old cricket bat propeller and changing the crankshaft plug configuration around for constant speed.
Nice job ! Assembling your own CS propeller control cables sounds very scary (I’d definitely not feel confortable flying it after doing that), tell us how it goes and when it works !
@maxbc the control is super simple, just a cable and an extra lever added to the existing quadrant. Personally I’m happier flying something I’ve done myself than what someone else has done, at least you know if you’ve messed it up. But the things you learn along the way are invaluable and you end up with an understanding for the system in question.
To test run the prop and make sure it cycles, we went for a super simple prop control, a piece of string.
