2023 Year in Review

 

By The Numbers:

Total Time     1561.2
ASEL 2023        55.2

Complex          52.0/284.7

Cross Country    42.1/984.7

IMC               2.6/43

New Airports: 

KAVL - Asheville Regional Airport

Flights of Note:

Vero Beach

It's vacation time and we're headed back to Vero Beach Florida. Mary and I really enjoyed our vacation in Vero last year. The beach was perfect, the restaurants provided quite the choice in cuisine, and it was quiet. This year we returned to the same beach front hotel, this time with an ocean view.

Charleston, SC

Mary and I have had Charleston on our list of places to visit and we finally crossed it off. We found plenty of good food, fun places to explore, interesting history, and enjoyed a horse drawn tour of the city.

The Biltmore Mansion

Mary and I decided on a quick hop just to get away for our 19th wedding anniversary. We have had Asheville NC, more specifically, the Biltmore estate on our bucket list for some time.

What’s in store for 2024?

We will be heading back to Vero Beach to enjoy some sun and quiet time in March. Reservations are complete.

Places on our short list for 2024 include A return to Waco Texas to check out all the new additions and the new Hotel 1928 by HGTV's Fixer Upper.  

While in Texas we just might couple destinations with a week in Galveston Texas. We have to feed the HGTV addiction and check out the HGTV Restoring Galveston properties. The beach looks good and there are plenty of Antique shops to investigate.

In the heat of the summer we'll point 3 Tango Charlie North - Northwest and head to Mackinac Island. This destination has been on my list for many years, it's time to cross it off.  While we visit the Island we'll plan to catch up with our long time friends Jeff and Lori.

In August we plan on going to Alaska with the group from The Parke, where we live. This will be the highlight of the year and I am going to try and arrange some flight time. 

Mary and I have also been talking about the Bahamas. Maybe in the fall we'll finally make the short hop and enjoy what the islands have to offer.

For now I am awaiting a new Concorde battery from SkyGeek, maybe shipping the first week of the new year. I'm also scheduling shop time at my previous annual location, Sussex Aero, to have my gear down lock switch replaced. That switch gave me fits and I found a broken wire at the switch itself. The hard protective shield caused the wires to repeatedly bend at a specific location causing them to break. I hope to be back in the air for my initial 2024 flight very soon.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of our readers and best wishes for a Happy New Year! 

To all of you that share our passion for flight we hope you enjoy the adventures that 2024 will offer.

Fly Safe!
Gary & Mary

Owner Maintenance

The holder of a pilot certificate issued under 14 CFR Part 61 may perform specified preventive maintenance on any aircraft owned or operated by that pilot, as long as the aircraft is not used under 14 CFR Part 121, 127, 129, or 135. 

Pilots need to understand that authorized preventive maintenance cannot involve complex assembly operations. As an owner/pilot one should carefully review 14 CFR Part 43, Appendix A, Subpart C (Preventive Maintenance), which provides a list of the authorized preventive maintenance work that an owner pilot may perform. As owner/pilots we should conduct a self-analysis as to whether you have the ability to perform the work satisfactorily and safely. 

Time to expand my owner maintenance activities. I fondly look back to work completed on my Sundowner when things were simple and straight forward. Since owning a complex aircraft there are more bits and pieces that need inspection and items that can cause headaches. 

Lets look at a simple battery replacement. my Sundowner required two screws to be removed in order to gain access behind the baggage compartment bulkhead. The battery box opened up with ease and even my broken body could squirm around to yank both batteries out. 

Commander Battery replacement requires two rear bulkhead panels to be removed which includes many screws and wiggling into positions this body can hardly perform. None the less the bulk head is opened up and now lets get to that box. Six screws, three a side, and having to reach behind the gear motor access panel. These fingers are no longer as nimble as they once were so extra care was taken not to fumble and kiss the screws goodbye as they disappear into the belly of the beast.

My Concorde RG35 AXC was last replaced eight years ago this month. I noticed the last two times starting it moved the prop with an I'm not happy grunt and then nothing, same result after another try. On the third attempt it came to life. 

Not my battery minder, just a sample of what was represented

I also noticed once the cold temps hit my battery minder was showing full charge and yet I saw a glow of barely a charge at the same time. Strange indeed. I decided it was time to update and ordered a new battery. Wow! The Concorde was listed at $499 with $24 for shipping and $30 in tax. $554 shipped to my door. I'm glad that they last so long. 

I have also had a gear down and locked indication issue. I can clearly hear the three gear clunk into position but I would feel much better with a consistent "three green". My last few flights I have used the tail camera Bluetooth to visually confirm what I heard.

My Investigation

I pushed the protective shield up the wires to expose where I saw a change in the shape of the insulation. Sure enough with a slight tug the one wire fell apart and the other two look ready for the same fate. I believe the protective plastic shield became brittle and the wires would bend or kink just enough to wear them out in the last three years, since I last had that switch replaced. This year I am going to have the shop wrap the wires with a flexible wrap.

Teflon spiral wrap

1ES1 Switch

JE-5 Lever and roller

The switch is a Honeywell 1ES1 that I will have replaced and if you look closely the Honeywell JE-5 articulating arm and roller are looking pretty rough so I am going to replace that combo too.

I ordered the parts and will make an appointment once my new battery is installed. Sussex Aero is just a ten minute hop or I'll head north to New Garden, about forty-five minutes. Either flight will be gear down situation, not wanting to mess with the broken wire. 

Local Flight and Approach

The weather here in Ocean City was perfect! I decided to fly and work on my stick and rudder skills, no autopilot today. I taxied out for runway two and completed my run up while listening to the buzz of traffic. Ocean city was indeed busy with school planes and transients coming in to enjoy a beautiful day at the beach.

The plan was to point towards Delaware Coastal and shoot one approach, then come home. I set up for the RNAV GPS 4 approach, picking up the weather and setting the mental picture of all the traffic, and it was busy. I completed the procedure turn and flew the approach to minimums.

I made a low approach to minimums and then went missed. It's always good to practice the missed approach procedures of the five C's. I did not fly the full missed, instead I opted to clear the area as soon as possible and head back south east for home. 

Birthday Flight

I made plans to fly on my birthday and the weather was going to cooperate. Mary let me know that people we met through the American Mastiff Facebook page were going to be in town and that we would meet up Saturday. One add on was the husband is very interested in flying and I was going to take him up for a short hop, a discovery flight of sorts. The best part is Mary and I would get to hug all over an American Mastiff like our Ziva girl. So plan B is skip my Friday birthday flight and instead fly Saturday. 

Saturday  12.9

The couple we were going to meet with canceled because their Mastiff was having white blood cell count issues. We wish Bear a speedy recovery, we would have loved hugging on him.

I turned the preheats on remotely at 5 am and made it to the airport by noon. I completed my preflight and sump prior to opening the hangar door. When it was time to get the fan turning 3 Tango Charlie wouldn’t even turn a full blade. I tried a few more times and then she came to life. I have no clue since the battery minder was showing full charge and the JPI confirmed 13.9 volts. 

I taxied out for runway two-zero and launched into a beautiful day.  The plan is to fly up the coast, enjoy the view and then turn around over Cape Henlopen and come home, maybe shoot a practice approach before landing. 

The flight was great and I set up for the RNAV GPS 14 approach into Ocean City. There was plenty of activity today. I even had one plane coming head on , same altitude, while shooting the practice approach. ADS-B is a real life saver.

I ended up breaking the approach off and point south to fall in behind two other aircraft that were also inbound to land on two-zero. I was now number three even though the aircraft that was number two offered me a chance to enter ahead of him. I respond no thanks I am just enjoying the sunshine, his reply, he was too. I made a nice landing and taxied for the hangar. Once 3 TC was tucked away. I made the lunch run pick up then headed home.