This is our second attempt to vacation in St. Simons Island Georgia. Actually it's strike two, we had previously scheduled a get-away and had to cancel due to wx and now what was looking to be a nice week suddenly is overshadowed by Hurricane Milton.
It's pretty crazy when you make friends with the Hertz car rental guy due to so many potential rentals and cancellations. Mary and I will give this destination another try, maybe in the spring. For now we'll make some plans for our November anniversary a bit farther south, maybe St. Augustine Florida. Maybe we should head south west and finally explore Galveston Texas. So many places we want to visit. Stay tuned!
We heard that the restaurant at Cambridge MD - KCGE has reopened. The new Carol's Kitchen opened on 9/11 so Mary and I decided to make the hop and try it out. Mary hasn't been in the plane since the Wilkes-Barre trip in June. I've been up in the air once more then my bride with a coastline tour in August.
We waited for the low clouds to lift then made our way to the airport. It's a longer process getting back into the preflight and getting things set up. My tail cam was dead, despite knowing I had recently charged it. I did a reset when I got home and it's once again working.
The flight west was fairly smooth, some bumps passing beneath the cloud layer. I made a nice landing into Cambridge and taxied for the ramp, the commander makes three.
The restaurant has changed, not much airplane memorabilia and now a bit more open seating. The register is gone and you now pay at your table, that works for me. The service is excellent the food was ok, scrapple was the best I've had since retiring to the eastern shore. Mary and I will return, its a half hour flight each way and I don't have to cross the Delaware Bay. Besides the eats it's worth the stop just for fuel. Here at Ocean City it's $6.50 a gallon, Cambridge is $5.88, I'll take the 68 cents a gallon savings anyday.
On the return to Ocean City flight we were enjoying the ride and conversation about the restaurant. I had just scanned for traffic and then glanced at the oil temps, pressure, CHT's and EGT's when I spotted a Bald Eagle heading right for us. I banked left the Eagle turned back away from us and went below the right wing. A real oh crap moment! Once we settled back down the remaining flight to OCMD was fine. We did get an alert on our downwind about a fox on the runway. I responded of course since we just missed a Bald Eagle departing Cambridge. Maybe Mr Eagle should meet Mr Fox. As we landed the fox was clearing the runway and running into the infield for cover.
I'm glad to knock out some fly time and I'm excited for vacation in St. Simons Island very soon.
My last flight was six weeks ago returning from annual. I have been really bad about just getting out there and knocking out some flight time. I won't go fly in the high humidity or crap weather just to buzz around locally. I miss having a mission, and my flying friends that live close by that want to get in the air.
Yesterday was perfect, but I had the computer scheduled for service and didn't feel like going out in the afternoon. We did eat dinner really early (4pm) at Higgins Crab House and then watched family Super 8 movies that were put on CD's. Great laughs with my sister Denise and her family. I enjoyed seeing my parents and all the Aunts, uncles and cousins. I really enjoyed all great cars from back in the day. My cousins 69 Roadrunner and another cousins Dodge Swinger, good memories.
I decided that with Mary having a few scheduled Womens club events this morning I would dash out to the airport and get some left seat time with 3 Tango Charlie. No humidity again today and a clear blue sky, that works for me.
I took my time completing my pre-flight, wanting to be very detailed since it has been so long. I had taken on fuel last week sometime so I did restick the tanks and sump. I had 48 on board so I was good to go for any play time in the air.
I did let the fuel pump run a tad longer then normal on prestart and then fired up 3 Tango Charlie. A few blades and she was purring along, obviously missing the fly time too. It was good to be sitting in the plane working through my checklists and pushing buttons.
It was a bit hazy today but overall a very nice day to fly with temps only hitting 70 at altitude. I followed the coast and made the loop around Cape Henlopen then pointed back for home. Just an hour round trip but it felt great to be back in the air.
I know for many years it was an annual event but lately It's been hit or miss. Today was too beautiful a day not to fly, so we loaded up some gardening tools and headed north.
We were at the airport early and headed out to runway two around 8am. I typically go through my emergency brief but with Mary on board decided to keep some of it with the inside voice, only because the thought hit me too late.
The run up was good to go and after waiting for a school cessna and a transient Mooney we were ready to go. I powered up and started my roll, but 3 Tango Charlie felt off, then a slight vibration from the right side. Abort Abort!! I went immediately on the brakes and taxied off. I returned to the hangar and shut down wanting to give everything a look. I could smell brakes on the right/co-pilot side and the new rotor looked like it got hot. Looked as in I saw a slight discoloration on the rotor compared to the right side. I took a bottle of water and poured it over the right side, it was hot. When the steam stopped I did the same to the left side, it was fine.
I decided to do a high speed taxi and give it a test. Everything felt normal and I had good brakes. We agreed to give the take off another go. I was ready to abort if necessary but 3 Tango Charlie made great power and no vibration. The airspeed also looked great. We were in the air!
The flight north was smooth but I had to climb to remain clear of clouds as we made our way north. I climbed to 8.5 and rode along on top until Philly wanted to hand me off. I was VFR decided not to open the IFR flight plan. My choice was New York approach or Allentown but I would have to descend for the Allentown switch.
I took Allentown and descended to 4.5, now not a cloud in the sky. Allentown handed me off to Wilkes Barre Approach and then in turn over to the tower and vectors for runway four. I made a nice landing and taxied for the FBO, Aviation Technologies, Inc.
Mary secured the courtesy car/SUV and I monitored the fueling. The plan was to take the cross valley over to Forty Fort and take care of my parents cemetery plot. We could not find mulch anywhere so I used the remaining soil from the flowers since it was dark and had the fertilizer beads mixed in. Thankfully we remembered water, two gallons, and gave all the flowers a good drink, along with both aunt and uncles buried on either side of my parents.
The cemetery was a mess, branches down and grass topping my knees. Mary met a lady that had hired a husband and wife crew to cut the grass around all her family plots. I got a price and paid the couple to do the three graves that we attended to. I said hello to the lady that had mentioned to MAry she knew my cousin Dom, his parents are buried alongside my parents. I overheard her talking on her phone and she mentioned Louis, so I asked, are you Barbra? These two were sisters that lived just down the road from my cousin and they used to baby sit him. She could not believe it was me nor I her. When we left I gave her a hug and said how good it felt to meet someone from my past, it was heartwarming for sure. We traded numbers and then headed back to the airport.
I filed and opened my flight plan for the ride home. The flight was a bit bumpy until south of Allentown but CAVU all the way. When Allentown handed me off to Philly I got "vectors for traffic" which translated to bug smasher keep clear of my busy Bravo. I made a nice landing back home at Ocean City and tucked 3 Tango Charlie into the hangar.
I promised an update once the 90 degree AN fitting was cut open. Special shout out to Dave A for getting the fitting cut open to reveal the blockage. Thanks, Dave!
First, some explanation on what's blocking the air passage through the fitting. The AN fitting attached to the MP gauge has a restrictor built in to it to keep the flow and MP gauge needle swing dampened. As the restrictor failed it slowed the needle movement, and upon total failure it stuck the needle in place. A change of the fitting has the gauge working normal once again but this fitting does not have the restrictor. More research to find if it's really necessary or not.
Thanks to the Commander Owners Group (COG) for providing the info on the restricted fitting.
I headed up to New Garden this morning to have the shop give another look at my manifold p[ressure gauge. It absolutely stopped, frozen on lucky 13.
The flight north was smooth and pretty quiet. I road along with Dover approach and then Philly before canceling flight following. I made a nice landing and taxied to the shop.
I wanted this addressed at annual and ideed the shop found a crack in the line coming off the manifold. The line was replaced, all the remaining line checked and they even removed some blue gunk at the manifold AN fitting.
The plan was to disconnect the gauge, make a short line extension to then be hooked up to a known working gauge for a test. The gauge worked perfectly. My gauge was removed and the ninety degree AN fitting was removed, the only part of the system that was not checked. Somehow it clogged solid, it really looks like some piece of metal was stuck in there. The most bizzare thing I've seen, airplanes, go figure. With a new ninety put on my gauge it immediately registered the approximate barro setting, a good sign. The gauge was reinstalled and sure enough it worked like a charm.
Cody was upside down and under the panel getting all this squared away. Oh to be young and able to once again do that work and still climb out. I would have needed fire rescue to get me out.
With another run up complete I headed out to lunch and Cody buttoned things up. Charles G picked me up and we headed to Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza for some very good eats. We each had the two meatballs with sauce and ricotta and focaccia bread on the side.
The temps were now getting hot and the humidity was climbing too. I could hardly wait to get the fan turning. I launched for home with a perfectly active MP gauge!
The ride south was bumpy at times and there was a good bit of traffic on with Dover. It seems all of Del State planes were in the air today. I finished up with a nice landing on runway one-four and tucked 3 Tango Charlie in the hangar. I'll post some pics when the AN fitting is cut open and the block is revealed.
