Log Book

Here's a place to let everybody else know what kind of flying you do or what you'd like to do in the future.

I soloed 32 years ago in a glider at Sugarbush, Vermont, competed for a while until I soloed power (in an L3...my instructor was Bonnie Tiburzi), got my private in a C170 and most of my commercial in a Navion. Most of this was in the backyard strip my folks had.

After school, I got all my ratings and started teaching in Vermont, moved into charter (Aztec/Baron/Navajo) then the local regional (Brockway/Piedmont Commuter flying SAAB 340s). Did time towing banners in San Diego (Stearman), 135 Chief Pilot (402/421), and Barnstorming the Midwest in my 1928 Travel Air.

Hooked up with a start-up (Reno Express) then on to Reno Air until American bought us and here I am... 18,000 hours later.

I've restored 7 airplanes now and have 4 in the shop under construction: 3 Pietenpols and a Hatz. Flown 126 different types and try to ferry a plane or two each year just for fun.

Always been active in the unions (ALPA and APA) and now spend a lot of time helping younger pilots get in the game.

Playing chess is a lot like flying sometimes: thinking ahead of the airplane, out-maneuvering weather, planning for the unexpected.

I started flying in 2000 at a small "paved" strip in Upstate New York.  I finished my private, instrument, and commercial-single before starting at Embry-Riddle in Daytona in the fall of 2004.  I received my CFI and CFII at Riddle, and also completed my commercial AMEL, AMES, ASES, and MEI at a smaller airport north of Daytona.  I graduated in 2007 and for the past year I had been flight instructing at Riddle and also instructing on the Twin Bee I got my seaplane ratings in.  Flying seaplanes is some of the most fun I've ever had in an airplane.  In October I started a job with Cape Air, a Cessna 402 operator based in Hyannis, MA and I love it.

I first learned to play chess when I was 7 or 8 and played until I was 15 when I stopped.  I started again last summer and have been studying and playing feverishly since then (the words "obsessed" and "addict" have been thrown around on more than one occasion).

Thanks DT: I get to BOS about once a month in the mighty MD-80 and park right next to you guys.

My first actual ILS was in to ACK: 20 kt tailwind to minimums in a C182! At night! We do dumb things when we haven't been scared a couple of times.

Hello,

A little about me, I am NOT a pilot but I was a pilot weather briefer for 17 years from 1986-2003(USAF and NWS).  Sadly there are fewer and fewer briefers, more centralized now. Cap has recruited me as your resident meteorologist, where ever there are pilots you will find a weather liar.

Guy

I am at the Air Force Academy, with hopes of becoming a pilot.  I flew with my grandfather in his ercoupe when I was younger... but i dont have my license

Your flying experience and restoration work on several airplanes is quite impressive! 

I like the comparison you made about a chess match being similar to flying in terms of thinking several steps ahead and accounting for the unexpected. There are so many situations in life that seem like a chess move where we have to decide what is the next best choice to make. 

19 years USAF but as an Aircraft Electrician...I fix'em so you can fly'em :)

CapCloud gave me permission to mingle with the flyers :)

-Kirk

Hey, I already have questions for you...

Now, wiring a dual ignition A7 switch for SF4RN mags, does the left pole get wired to the RIGHT mag or vice verse?

Mohr's Law of restrained involvement: 
Don't get any on you.

Cap, wire the left pole to the right mag and see what happens...

Soloed a chessboard at 8, a Luscombe at 18, and there went my chance at normal life.  

In the USAF (and out again), flew F84F, F86F/H, others, but those are funnest to remember from then.  I've got half the hours Cap has in the air and I suspect about a quarter of his flying skills.  Presently flying a Lake Amphibian, T-34B, Husky on amphibs and hope to be checking out soon in a Quicksilver on (little) amphibs. 

Still waiting to get bored with flying.  Probably happen same time I get tired of chess.

Thanks ZZ! Luscombe is a great little machine and the first plane I got lost in! That instructor hasn't let me forget it to this day.

Skill and experience are two different tools in the box we carry around with us each time we think about heading out to the field. I remind myself that Experience is what keeps me out of situations where I have to use my Skill :)

Today I flew back from Mexico. During the preflight, I noticed an unusually messy oil slick under the right engine. Quantity was a tad low and the logbook showed it was drinkning it up and four times the normal rate, but still within spec. I called the mechanic to find out there is a mechanic there six days a week: today was Day Seven apparently.

Choice: stay in Mexico (75F, sunny, great hotel by the ocean) or press on to Chicago (200 OVC 2SM -SN, 100@15+20, 30F). Of course I went with LAUNCH and off we went.

Climbing out of 6000', a friendly little RT OIL PRESS LOW light came on. Following procedure, reduced power, climbed out slowly on the left engine and leveled at FL250 to assess things. Oil pressure came back, but fuel temp was up 20C compared to the left engine.

Climb a little more, inventory nearby airports, press on.

At FL310, pressure was alittle low, fuel temp a little high, oil quantity down a quart. Press on (pull up ELP ATIS).

I determined our problem was likely a leak in the fuel/oil heat exchanger or the valve in the system wobbling around. Still plenty of oil to get home and plenty of options.

Landed on time down three quarts. Mechanics pulled the plane out of service nodding their heads sagely that I had probably nailed the diagnosis...but wondered why I'd leave Cabo San Lucas and a company paid stay at a resort on the beach!

This is the balancing act we play. Experience - skill - schedule - passengers.

This time, I was right to launch...so I guess I did good.

But you know all this.

And I wired it as you suggested and she works like a charm.

Hate to say it, with the Cabo waters sparkling and the tension of waiting five hours for the engine to blow up, but that was a good choice.  Some passenger made a connection that saved somebody's life, or something like that.

The mission does have an influence on the decision. Happily, i understand my machine very well after 8,000 hours in it. I've spent several hours flying it around on one engine and know what it can do. I know what I can do and generally know what my crew can do.

So we weigh all these factors and many more every time we go fly.

I have to assume that some of my passengers have important things like weddings and funerals and carrying life saving serum and body parts and (lately) ammunition and pets (there was a Jack Russell in cargo on this flight).

Safe arrival on the ground is the goal. When and where are secondary. Last year, I had two emergencies, eight diversions, and 10 outright cancellations due to mechanical or weather concerns: the equation was unbalanced. Not bad for the 800 hours of flying I did last year in jets.

For the 150 hours in small planes, I had one precautionary landing and one scrub. Both were during initial test flights of a newly built plane.

I wish my chess record was this good :)

>> Still plenty of oil to get home

Say cap, that MD-80 wouldn't have Ranger engines, would it?

I suppose a rough equivelant would be 140 200hp Rangers. They would've used 140 Rangers if they had 140 Aeromatic props available.

The Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 engines we use put out a combined thrust of 42,000 lbs at max and use about a quart of oil an hour...less than the Ranger :) 

Converting to horsepower from thrust is like converting the amount of apples it would take to make an animal that only eats oranges satisfied.

Measuring Work (hp) vs Power (thrust in lbs) doesn't translate perfectly.

Mid-morning, on the Ranger-powered MD-80:

"Ready to start Number 118."

"Clear Number 118."

"Number 118's clear."

"Starting Number 118."

"Oil pressure's comin' up..."

"Ready to start Number 119."

"Clear Number 119."

"Number 119's clear."

"Starting Number 119."

"Oil pressure's comin' up..."

"Ready to start Number 120."

"Clear Number 120."

"Number 120's clear."

"Starting Number 120."

"Oil pressure's comin' up..."

"Captain, the ground crew called -- Number 3's just quit."

"Idle's set too low, I wrote it up, but..."

"It'll be a hot start on Number 3."

"Number 3's clear."

"Starting Number 3."

"Good start.  Oil pressure's comin' up..."

"Captain, Number 94's idling a little rough."

"Yeah.  It's the plugs.  You want to lean the mixture on Number 94, please?"

"Yes, sir.  Leaning Number 94..."

"Ready to start Number 121."

"Clear Number 121."

"Number 121's clear."

"Starting Number 121."

"Oil pressure's comin' up..."

"Captain, the oil temp on Number 81's gettin' a little warm..."

Question:  Do you _log_ this time?

Silly me...disregard the question.  Of course you don't log it.  By the time you finished the runup, you'd have to taxi back, shut the engines down and take on a fresh crew.

I was thinking you'd have to overhaul #1 by the time #120 was running! Think what the throttle quadrant would look like! You'd need a 2x4 to run the throttles up and the genius isn't born yet to design the prop sync :)

At 3" per throttle, the 2x4 would need to be 35 feet long.  No wonder McDonnell/Douglas went with the forged-titanium hydraulic-boosted throttle-advance bar.  After that one prototype Ranger-80, I'll bet they were happy to find the JT8D.

Come to think of it, you wouldn't need a 2x4 at all: 30 flight engineers could push them all up at once.