Phase I flight testing–13.6 hours

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Aviation, Phase 1, Rans S-6ES CoyoteLeave a comment

Yesterday I check my flight controls to see if I could locate the source of the aileron bumping I’m experiencing.  I couldn’t find anything loose or interfering in the aileron controls.  I tightened up the aileron cables that go from the stick to the cockpit overhead bellcrank as a precaution.  I also checked the rigging of the ailerons themselves.  I found that the left aileron was set a little high so  I adjusted the aileron to the correct angle.  Weather was not the best yesterday so I elected not to do any flight testing.

This afternoon it was a little windy but I decided that the winds met my minimums.  I took off and it was definitely a wild ride for the first 1000 feet of altitude but everything smoothed out to within acceptable bumpage.  I flew northwest towards Farmington.  As I was flying along I noticed my tachometer was swinging between normal RPM indications of about 5200 RPM to well over 6500 RPM.  I could hear that the engine was not changing pitch so I knew it had to be the gauge.  As I was mulling which gauge to switch to in my mind I noticed that I could no longer see the display on the radio.  Also the GPS started displaying it’s loss of power countdown.  I also recalled that on my last flight another pilot reported my radio as scratchy.  Hmmm… That helped me narrow the problem down to my battery not having enough of a charge to excite the alternator.  I think.  The rotax engine is a different animal than I’m used to.

I got back to the airport and the winds were really gusting at that point.  I carefully checked for other traffic (since I couldn’t use the radio) and entered the pattern.  Everything went well until I actually tried to land.  Then I found that I had developed a new landing technique.  This technique involved letting the upwind main wheel touch down, and then pick it back up.  Then letting the downwind main wheel touch down, and pick it back up.  Then let both wheels touch simultaneously, and again pick them back up.  THEN drop and pick back up all 3 wheels in rapid succession all the while maintaining poor directional control.  The problem?  I was distracted by the loss of power and failed to adequately control the airplane.  Did I break or bend anything?  No.  It was just one of those landings that made me SO happy the airport was deserted.  God is indeed good!

So two things to address before my next flight: the battery charging system, and my wind minimums.   God bless and happy landings.

Weekend of Crime

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The Modesto Van family had a small crime wave hit it this weekend.  The first crime could have been averted had a son obeyed his father.  My son woke up at 4am and decided it would be a nice time to go for a bicycle ride.  He further decided to ride over to a park that while not particularly dangerous, is not some place I’d go after dark.  He was approached by a man who asked for his bike, assertively.  My son then had to walk home bikeless.  I am grateful to God that he was not hurt in any way.  I firmly believe this is God’s way of protecting my son from something much worse.  So for the foreseeable future — no bikes for my son.

The second crime happened this morning when someone charged over $1000 on my company credit card.  The last place I legitimately used my credit card was at Extreme Pizza in Modesto.  So if you go there you may want to pay cash.   Thankfully JP Morgan Chase was vigilant and called me to confirm I had made some purchases at a Wal-Mart in Bowling Green Kentucky, which of course I had not.  So, that card is cancelled and a new card is on it’s way.

Flap gremlin located

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I was able to locate the source of my flap malfunction.  The main cable that runs from my flap lever to where the cable splits into two is secured to a fitting on bulkhead behind the pilot’s seat.  The cable should have been safety wired to this fitting and was not.  This allowed the cable to slip out of the fitting.  I made sure the cable was securely seated into the fitting and then safety wired it in place.  This particular malfunction will NOT happen again.

Phase I flight testing – 11.2 hours

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Tonight I took advantage of a break in the weather to go for a quick late afternoon flight.  The conditions were perfect, a broken cloud layer at 7000 feet, mild temperatures, dappled sunlight shinning on the emerald green valley floor, and perfectly smooth air.  I practiced more take-offs and landings and just flew around the valley enjoying the scenery.  I should have been performing flight testing but I just couldn’t resist playing tourist instead.

I had a minor incident this evening as I was making the last landing of the day.  I was on short final, approximately 60 MPH and I pulled in the last notch of flaps.  About 5 seconds later I heard a loud noise, like a bang or pop, and then both flaps retracted themselves.  The flap lever was still in the fully deployed position in the last notch.  After I landed I was able to push the flap lever back down.  As I did so I heard some pops that sounded like metal threads slipping.  I examined the rod ends and everything looked okay.  I worked the flap handle again and everything seemed to work normally.  I fully deployed the flaps again and was not able to duplicate the problem by pushing up on the flaps manually.  I’m going to give the flap push-pull cables a more thorough examination tomorrow when the light is better.

I’ve got an email into the technical support folks at Rans to see if they have any ideas.

The Broken Heart

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith2 Comments

O Lord,

No day of my life has passed that has not proved me guilty in thy sight.  Prayers have been uttered from a prayerless heart; praise has been often praiseless sound; my best services are filthy rags.

Blessed Jesus, let me find a covert in thy appeasing wounds.  Though my sins rise to heaven thy merits soar above them; though unrighteousness weighs me down to hell, thy righteousness exalts me to thy throne.

All things in me call for my rejection, all things in thee plead my acceptance.  I appeal from the throne of perfect justice to thy throne of boundless grace.

Grant me to hear thy voice assuring me: that by thy stripes I am healed, that thou wast bruised for my iniquities, that thou hast been made sin for me that I might be righteous in thee, that my grievous sins, my manifold sins, are all forgiven, buried in the ocean of thy concealing blood.  I am guilty, but pardoned, lost but saved, wandering but found, sinning but cleansed. 

Give me perpetual broken-heartedness, keep me always clinging to thy cross, flood me every moment with descending grace, open to me the springs of divine knowledge, sparkling like crystal, flowing clear and unsullied through my wilderness of life.

The Valley of Vision

Be prepared

On By The Flying DutchmanIn OpinionLeave a comment

I received this from a cousin.  It’s good info to share so here you go.

I was reading an article about how the Japanese people are so wired (they
use cell phones more than we do), but this contributed to a problem during
their recent crisis.  People that are missing cannot call and tell anyone
they are safe because their cell phones ran out of power.  A specialist in
emergency management gave these suggestions, which I think are great in case
we were to ever experience something like an major earthquake, etc.

–Save all your contacts on your home computer, update them every few
months, and print a hardcopy of your contacts to keep in your car in case of
an emergency.

–Write down the toll-free numbers for your banks and utility companies. In
the event of a disaster, this will allow you to turn off your utilities,
reprint credit cards, and temporarily change your address.

–Designate a friend or family member who lives outside your area to be your
family’s emergency contact. In emergency situations, long-distance calls
have a better chance of getting through jammed phone lines because they only
require one connection to get through, while local calls require two
connections.

–If you are in a disaster area, and aren’t able to get a hold of family or
friends on your phone, change your voicemail to say the current time, your
location, and that you are safe. This will allow anyone trying to reach you
to know you’re alive and where rescuers can find you.

Phase II flight testing–10.1 hours

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Flew for 1.7 hours today.  It was a pretty bumpy day but I just hung in there and endured the jolts.  It was such a nice day here in central California it would be a crime not to fly.  There were no squawks on the airplane today other than a dead battery which I discovered a few days ago.  I didn’t do any maneuvers or testing, just flew for enjoyment.  I also made two of my best landing today.  The second landing was well short of the first turnoff.  I would guestimate my rollout at about 400 feet or so.  Still quite long by back country standards but hey, I’m still knocking the rust off.

Phase II flight testing–8.4 hours

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Flew for about an hour and a half today.  Mostly just pattern work.  I can’t believe how much the RV-4 spoiled me.  I have no problem with directional control, the problem is with the landing flare.  I keep flaring way too high.  Today I wore my old glasses and landings were much better.  These glasses will now live in the airplane.  I was able to make 10 landings, 9 of which were very good.  Still not landing at the top of my game but they are survivable.  I was going to continue until I started coming down with the flu (yeah, it came on quick) so I quit for the day.  On the bright side there were now squawks today.

Wing Tie-Downs

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I’ve been trying to find ways to attach a wing tie-down point ever since I forgot to build them in as I was building the plane.  I was browsing the Rans web site one day and I found a nice little solution. 

2011-02-26_09-27-44_799

Here is where the tie-down needs to go.  I couldn’t find a good way to pull the bolts out of the top of the fitting to attach a tie-down.  So here is Rans’ solution:

2011-02-26_09-27-00_733

It is a loop of tough nylon strapping that goes around the top of the strut.  The nuts help keep it from slipping down the strut and tension from the tie-down chain or rope cinches it in tight.  When not in use the loop is removed and the intersection fairing is slid back up in place.

Phase I testing – 5.3 hours and Mrs. Flying Deacon’s hospitalization

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith, Phase 1, Rans S-6ES Coyote2 Comments

I spent a few hours at the airport yesterday.  I went on the longest flight so far which is an hour.  No testing this time just flying.  I was set to fly some more when I found a voice mail left by my wife who wasn’t feeling well so I decided to call it quits and head home.

I was kind of grumpy about it when I called her back.  She said she was having some severe abdominal pains.  When I got home I found her doubled over on the couch in severe pain.  I was still not being as kind as I should have been, demanding to know if she had taken this or that, what she had eaten.  It wasn’t until she was returning from the other room and collapsed in the hallway that the seriousness of the situation became apparent to me.

I tried to help her to her feet while asking her what she was feeling.  She wasn’t responsive for about 15 seconds.  I laid her down on the floor and elevated her legs while trying to get an answer from her, she was finally able to slur some words to me.  I called 911 and had an ambulance and fire department dispatched.  She was still in severe pain when they loaded her up into the ambulance.  About 15 minutes later we were at the hospital.  By the time they had her settled into a bed, all the probes and monitors on her, and asked all the questions of both of us they could possibly ask, she began to feel better.

One blood panel and a few X rays later we were told that they could not find anything wrong with her.  So she was released.  I’m home today keeping an eye on her, at this point we’re hoping it was just something she ate or drank.

I am so grateful to the folks from my church who responded immediately when called to help.  Two women came from church to stay with our kids while we were gone.  Our pastor drove all the way to the hospital (a 45 minute trip one way) just to come pray with us.  In a way I feel bad that I had to impose on everyone this way, but in a bigger way I am so grateful to them and to God that they were there for us.  It’s so good to know that I need not worry in this life or the next because God has provided for us.  Thank you everyone, and thank You God!