I bought a new plane…
six months ago.
Still haven’t seen it. sigh. It’s stuck in Minnisota, but it has no annual, so I can’t get it here on a ferry permit. I’ve had to sell it back to an American, then he is going to annual it, and then we can get it up here and start the import process.
It’s a Mooney and I really want to fly it to Oskosh 2011, but… time is ticking.
Well, at least I stil have the 172.
soon, very soon. 
l8r,
me
Oshkosh 2010 is behind me. Now all I have from this experience are some receipts and my memories. I came across some pictures, the other day. It was a melancholy moment.
My airplane is outside, recent freezing rain has encrusted it with a fine layer of ice in all the important places. The taxiway in front would be navigable if it were colder, but I’m pretty sure I would sink into the snow right now and get stuck.
So I have to content myself with flying flight sim and watching airplane shows.
I have a deal in the works to get a Mooney here from Minnesota, but there are a few issues with importing it. Maybe I’ll start blogging about it. It’s a long sad story, so far.
l8r,
me
Repairs complete!! Yesterday, by noon, we had a new generator in the plane and we gathered our belongings. The briefer told us that the weather was lifting, and if we could delay about 45 minutes, we would have good weather, the whole way. But, every leg is fraught with trouble. How frustrating. On the return flight, the artificial horizon started making noises. Grrr. It never failed, but it will have to be rebuilt or replaced.
The journey log
The log entries added up to a total time of 11 hours even. Even with a fairly annoying headwind all the way back, I was still faster than the old Cessna 150 I had before. Here’s the breakdown: from Lyncrest to Stevens Point: 4.9 hours.
From Stevens Point To Lyncrest: 6.1. Not quite so , more like 
, but not quite 
I’m sorry I didn’t take any pictures on the way back, we were overdue and trying to make up time on the ground. Plus there was not enough computer time available along the route, this time and in the air, we were both busy with the flight.
There was mild turbulence along the entire route, but it was the thermals that made for the most fun. Keeping a constant altitude was very difficult, due to the constant ups and downs. The biggest bump we hit was 700fpm (Feet Per Minute). Sure would have been a great day for a Glider Guider.
I am annoyed that I bounce the landing at Bemidji. The winds were gusty and wierd, but that’s no excuse! The landing at Piney (Pinecreek) was off center, so I’m mad at myself for that one too. I am amazed at how many farmers we could see along the way, who were harvesting their fields already. Some were even done and burning the stubble off. The fires contributed to the haze that gave us a visibility of only about 15 miles.
At Piney, we called CANPASS, and they told us we could go, and nobody from the station would visit us, but as I filed my flightplan with Winnipeg, two officers came out to the plane to visit with us. I find it amusing that entering the US, CBP is concerned with risks and at the Canadian border, all they want is our taxes.
Anyway, the lesson we learned is not to leave an attended border station without talking to an officer in person.
The last leg started to feel like a relief as our familiar landmarks slipped under our wings. We talked little, just concentrating on flying. Mr. S kept a close eye on the map, after our previous battery disaster.
Soon we made our calls into CJL5 and I greased the landing. Spot on in the center and in the first part of the first third of the runway. We taxied in, Mr. S unloaded while I refueled and then we taxied to the tiedowns.
Just to ice the cake, our ropes were not in the plane! Somehow, they didn’t get back on the plane at Stevens Point. Brand new ropes, too. I bought them just for the trip! Oh well. They did so much for us there, I can contribute some rope to flying community in STE.
So the odyssey is over. I’ll write a summary of the whole thing, for the next entry.
fly safe.
me
What a day! A great deal of time was spent today worrying over the electrical system of the 1957 Cessna 172. Circuits were tested, fuses were blown, bolts removed and replaced and all of it to no avail. Still we sit. Still we wait. My frustration is palpable.
Tomorrow we will find out if the generator is the problem. Our kind, hardworking AME, Wyatt, has taken it to a nearby town airport for testing and possible repair, if required. It seems that even the entire town of Stevens Point has no facility that can test a 1957 generator.
The weather looks like a possible for tomorrow, so in a perfect world, our AME arrives with the problem fixed, early in the day and we can get in the air promptly and bring to a conclusion this aviation odyssey!
I’d like to put up some photos, but there is nothing to show but the airplane with the cowling off and the engineers backside sticking out of the engine compartment!
Of course, I can’t say enough about the hospitality of the Stevens Point FBO. Joe and Lorne have both been going out of their way regularly, to assist us. If it’s not giving us a ride to town or arranging something or another to bringing us water they have both been a shining example of the value of the aviation community.
Aviators always help another aviator in trouble.
It’s like the law of the sea. I just hope that when it’s my turn to help someone, my wife understands why I’m doing it.
With any luck, my next post is from a point along our return route. Probably Bemidji.
Till then, fly safe.
me
We got to Stevens Point. Again. We have a broken airplane. Again.
Oshkosh is over and the thrill still lingers, but we need to get home. The plane is broken, but I am encouraged. The electical system is still not showing any charging, but we have discovered that at least one wire appears to have an open.
back at Stevens Point. The best FBO in the midwest!!
That’s a help, but there is still trouble somewhere. The mechanic is arriving in the morning, so we hope to get this fixed. Also, the tach is siezed. I picked up a backup in Oshkosh for 20$, but while it will get us home, it is not a fix. I will have to get my AME to look at that once we arrive at Lyncrest.
In the meantime, we are stuck in Stevens Point awaiting a nod to launch. Let me assure you, once the airplane proves good, and the weather is usable, we launch. I’m not going to rush this. The first priority is safety for us and for our fellow aviators.
We have had such a good level of support from the Stevens Point Municipal airport people that we are really impressed. This shows the quality of the poeple of the aviation comunnity. We have had a lot of problems, but everyone has pitched in so much to make everything easier and workable.
Aviators are a great group of people.
Hopefully tomorrow proves us flyable and on our way.
me
The show is winding down. The population in the campground is dwindling quickly. Saying goodby to friends, new and old. Wishing of well, and see you next year. All in all, it’s a melancholy time.
The blimp passes the "Worlds Busiest Control Tower"
But there is an anticipation as well. I have a long flight to make. I have news from Stevens Point. The aircraft is repaired!! We will be legal all the way home. We have also secured transport to Stevens Point so now we just need the weather to cooperate and we’re set.
Today is my shopping day. I want to try to get some end of show special-specials. Also I expect to see the V-22, which arrived yesterday, the C-5 and watch the night airshow. That will be a first for me.
This morning, it’s the SR71 forum at the EAA museum. So, off I go! See ya later.
me
You really cannot describe.
Oshkosh is such a fantastic experience. Today I have a lot less questions. I have a lot more knowledge.
and… a great steak. Well, that may have a lot to do with the group you are in. Pick good people.
enjoy the show.
me
