Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Home From 58M

I got a ride to 58M with Gary so I could fly 679er home from annual. I hung out in the shop while Gary picked up the log book. 679er was spoiled, she spent the last few nights tucked away in a warm hangar, I hope she wants to go home. The hangar doors opened and 679er was pulled out for my preflight. I found a few items the non-professionals (Gary and Gary) worked on that needed attention; the stabilator (The horizontal portion of the tail consists of two sections: the Elevator and the Horizontal Stabilizer, together sometimes called the Stabilator) had an ever so slight rub on the tail cone, and one of the seats needed to be connected to the left track.

Adjustments now completed it was time to start up. 679er started up and had a great sound to her, a good once over and she was feeling like new, which is better then my knees are feeling after a couple of days crawling around on concrete floors.

I taxied out and after multiple brake checks decide that my left side doesn't have the grab it should and I'm experiencing a slight pull to the right. I taxi back, shut down and trade info on unicom. I head back into the hangar so they can bleed the brakes in the warmth of the shop. We pop the top cowling and hook up a line to the "master cylinder" can hanging on the firewall, this design still weirds me out. Air bubble now passed it's time to give it another go, I'm starting to think 679 doesn't want to leave the warm hangar. I buckle in and flow through my checks again, this time adding a let's go home baby girl. 679er starts up and off we go with a short taxi to runway three one. While holding short for a Cessna that was ready to take off I completed my run up again. With the Cessna climbing out I back taxi and get set to depart. "Cecil County traffic Archer 28679er departing three one" and away we go climbing to pattern altitude.

The wind is kicking pretty good but it feels great to be back in the air. 679er feels and sounds rock solid, happy to be kicking her heels and running for home. Wilmington asks me to enter a left down wind runway one........huh? I give my position again inbound from the south west and get a traffic alert which I acknowledge contact. The tower now asks me to enter left base for one and I acknowledge. Base to final now with the winds 300 12G20 I find myself crabbing in with a hefty wind correction. Short final now still holding in the correction I cross the numbers kicking the right rudder and adding a left bank into the wind, I'm on center. Left wheel chirps, a short roll and the right side is down quickly followed by the nose wheel. Flaps retracted, adding pressure to the toe brakes 679 slows smoothly and straight. I taxi off and get to my tie down, home sweet home. I call up the school and cancel my IR lesson, I'm to sore from all the bumps and time spent on the concrete. I decide to just pick back up on Friday with the flight school.

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