Meet Betty

After my dog got killed at Christmas, I felt devastated.
A blogger friend said I should have a grieve and get another one at the shelter as there are millions of them who need somebody.
I did just that. Betty is as sweet a dog as anyone could want, but I think I have incorrectly named her. I should call her Spud.
She is a couch potato.

Buddy would do everything with me. Even go for an airplane ride! I know I can't replace Buddy, but I would hope that Betty can be a "man's best friend".

I certainly hope Betty comes around some. I don't expect her to ride in the plane, but I do expect her to be a companion.

It's funny as she lies on the couch because she does watch TV.

16 Lunches to go

At 4 lunch doodies per day, I have 16 more of them. I certainly won't miss all the little bastards that throw their trash under the tables or leave it as a mess. It's mostly the rich kids, not the poor kids.
I draw a map each day who leaves their table as a mess. Then the next day I go to them and shame them into cleaning up. Funny thing, it's never the kids there, it was someone else.
They have been getting away with that kind of crap for 10 years, and it's better now than ever, but only because I go around and deal with it.
It's unbelievable!
I'll have lunch doody at my new school, but it's a lot more reasonable there...

I quit my job

I am an Assistant Principal at a high school in North Carolina and I turned in my notice today. In 30 days I won't have to come to this job where I dread coming to each morning.
In 32 days, I get to go to a new high school in a different area which will be a much nicer place to work.
I am lucky to be able to do that. I was getting myself physically sick coming to work.

I still miss my dog unbearably sometimes.

Rest in Peace Buddy, you were my best friend.

Buddy was the best little dog I ever knew. He was rescued from the animal shelter a little over 2 years ago. He was a rat terrier / Labrador Retriever mix. He looked like a long legged Lab puppy although he was full grown. He was polite and a great companion.
On Saturday after Christmas, we put him in the back seat of the van and he jumped out to chase after a truck which ran over him. The piece of shit driver didn't even slow down, much less stop.
Buddy was never let outside without a leash on. When walking him at a large field near the house or over at the hangar, he was let loose to run all he wanted.
We are devasted and I can't quit crying over him. He should have had at least 10-12 more years with us.
Mark Twain said the dog is the only creature that will love you more than himself. This was so true with Buddy.
Why he jumped out and why he didn't have his leash on, I can't answer. It was all over in one second, but the pain will linger on for a long time.
I hope I can get to heaven to see him again.
Buddy, I am so very sorry. I love and miss you very much. I feel lost without you.

Back in the Air!!

Jabiru Australia is going to warranty my starter. I don't know if I will get on old style like I had, or the newest Nippon Denso starter, but at this point, I don't care. I get a new one. That will give me a chance to engineer a new style starter myself.

Even though I don't have my new starter, a friend from the American Sonex Association, John Davis has lent me the starter off his engine to use until mine comes. He put a different engine on his plane and his Jabiru was waiting to be installed on another plane. So, I'm back in the air. YAY!!

When it is really cold on the ground outside, it is much colder up in the air. Especially when the plane is somewhat drafty. My new heater just doesn't quite cut the mustard when it is really cold. Above freezing, however, it doesn't do too bad a job.
29 hours and counting.

Grounded!

My beautiful airplane will not start. The starter is toast after 40-50 starts. It is a nightmare to remove, but I finally got it out. Upon disassembling it, I realized there was a spacer that was left out and the front bearing slid back allowing the armature to wobble into the magnets on the case destroying the armature and magnets.
New starter? Close to $500. Which I find ridiculous for a starter that goes on a Toyota.
Of course this happens on a long holiday weekend so I can't get hold of anyone to find out if they will warranty it or even just ship me a new one.

Yesterday and today were perfect flying days. I have 13 hours to go on the test program, and I could have knocked out about 5 or 6 of that.

I am going stir crazy. It'll be raining tomorrow and Sunday. Joy.

15 hours to go

My testing phase has been going very well. I have about 25 hours on the plane completed out of the 40 hours of testing. Not bad for only 5 weeks.

I have a stupid little oil leak that is driving me crazy. It doesn't leak much, but you can spread 1/2 teaspoon of oil a long way....

I have done spins, loops and rolls for my aerobatic tests. Loops and rolls are non-events. Spins on the other hand are quite scary. They are slow to start, but spin like crazy once they get started. It is easy to overspeed (over 200mph) on exit if you aren't careful.

I need to finish making the heater. I had longjohns, wool socks, sweater, sweatshirt, jacket and ski gloves on the other day and I was still cold.

I'm a test pilot!!!

35 years ago in high school, I saw an article in Popular Mechanics . The cover said "Build this airplane for $750". I have been dreaming of that day ever since. To build that plane now, would cost at least $15,000 now, and it is made of plywood and fiberglass and has a VW engine.
I wanted an all metal airplane with an aircraft engine in it. I started on the project almost 8 years ago and put it on hold for 3 years while I got my masters degree, and quit working on it a couple of times because I was disgusted with myself for not making it perfect. It's pretty perfect though. I also needed to save money to buy more stuff. My Sonex is plans built and I should have saved my money and bought a kit. I would have been done years ago.

Saturday October 18th, I was ready!! The wind wasn't.
So at the crack of dawn Sunday I cranked up my plane and headed out to the runway…. I was not as nervous as I thought I'd be.

With the engine warm, I taxied into position on the runway and lowered the flaps to 10 degrees. I pushed the throttle forward and the plane wanted to turn left (It is supposed to, but I was not prepared for how much) I pushed right rudder, and more right rudder and then I was in the air.

It climbs like a rocket! Now I was a bit nervous. There are a lot of things that could go wrong the first time. Even though I have been over every nut, bolt, rivet, washer and cotter pin many times, I thought “What if I forgot something?”
I didn't.

When I got to the point of being able to turn around and land if the engine quit, I relaxed a bit. I turned out from the airport and climbed to 3000' and slowed the plane down. I needed to get the feel of it in slow flight to prepare for landing. I did some turns, accelerated, decelerated and did a stall (you slow the airplane to the point it won't fly anymore) it buffeted and ducked down just a bit. That was it! I could not ask for a better flying airplane.
I only stayed up about 20 minutes and the oil pressure and oil temperature were too high, so I throttled back and headed back down.
I gave it just a touch of throttle before touching down, and greased it on. Probably the best landing I ever made.
All the sweat, tears, cussing and blood are now worth it!
I have flown it nearly 4 hours now with few problems. I put an automotive oil pressure ga and oil temp ga in and taped them to the floor to check the engine monitor values. With my engine monitor, they were reading high, but the other gauges show the temp and pressure is what it should be. I'll get those bugs worked out, but I'm having a blast

Waiting for good weather and time

The FAA representative came and went last Saturday. I would have flown last weekend, but the wind was horrible....not anything you would want to do a first flight in anyway.

So I took the wings off the plane and trailered it to a nearby airport with a 5500 ft paved runway. This will be a much better location for a first flight.

I had a friend help me put the wings on last night, and when I finish hooking up the controls and wires, I'll put in a few more gallons of gas so I can go early Saturday morning providing the weather is good. It has been perfect weather all week so far.

Waiting on the FAA

I need to hook up my ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) and put the numbers on and wait on the inspector guy. Then it's test pilot time.

It is finally flyable!

I'm finished with the plane! I still have to go through a condition inspection before the FAA inspector comes to look at it, but other than fitting one switch and sticking the numbers on, the plane is essentially finished.

The plane is not painted, and I will have some things to do, such as add the gear leg fairings and wheel fairings, but those are pretty much cosmetic.

I have 1.2 hrs taxi and test time on the ground, and next weekend I'm going back to Crossville, TN for the Sonex fly-in so I can get a bit of flying time in a plane like mine.

After the inspection, I will be a test pilot.

I've been dreaming of this for decades. Sometimes I can't sleep because I'm too exited.

We will not forget!

I pray for all of us who lost a lot that day.

My Bucket List

1. Finish building my airplane.
1a. Fly the airplane I built.
1b. Fly the airplane I built coast to coast (USA).
2. See Stonehenge.
3. See Ayers Rock.


I can probably add more as I see fit, but I've been wanting to do the above since I was in high school.

I've been able to go places and do things that most people never get to do, so my list is small, but if I make it to 1a, that'll be pretty good.

I have a new job

A buddy of mine in Australia says I'm too late to party with him and his mates. "We're all grown up and sensible these days".
So? My new job is a High School Assistant Principal at the end of July!!!

WTF?

I used to run sound for Rock and Roll bands in the 70's. I worked on racing teams from late 70's for almost 10 yrs. I worked in the Bahamas for the Naval Undersea Weapons Center. (Best job in the world I might add. Until I had a head on collision with a drunk driver who died in the crash and almost killed me.) I built a Hot Rod out of a 1937 Chevrolet coupe for Dave Hope, the former bass player of Kansas. There are a number of things I can't post at this time, but when I tell people stories of my life, most people think I make them up. Some are so bizarre that I shake my head and laugh. Sometimes I can't believe I'm still alive.

I have a job that requires me to be sensible and I'm grown up now, but I can still hold my own with the best of 'em.

I'm scrambling to get the plane off the ground in a few weeks because as soon as school starts, I'll have to get up at 5:15 - 5:30 AM to be at work at 7:15... (I live 60 miles from my new job). I've certainly seen 5:15 more times from the night before than I have from getting up that early.

This is all part of my plan to boost my retirement. I hope to retire in 10 yrs and hope that my retirement is enough to live on since I didn't plan too well for it.

The plane will be going to the hangar this weekend I hope. Then it's installing the wings and tail and hooking up the controls and wait for the inspection.

Of all the things I've done, places I've seen, and what I've survived, I just hope I survive this new job. I've been at my old one for almost 9 yrs and am pretty comfortable here. The unknown can be scary.

Fedoras and Tommy guns

Last weekend I left work at 2 and drove to Lowe's Motor Speedway to meet up with some friends and watch the NASCAR Truck race. It was exciting there at the end and I left for home around 10:30. Got up Saturday and first thing a friend is having trouble with the hatch on her van. Spent most of the morning rounding up a part and a special tool to remove the broken one, then left for the track again for the All Star race.

Left the track at 11PM and spent over an hour and 20 minutes completely stopped without moving. I was steamed. Finally arrived home at 2AM, took a shower and changed clothes. Went to my buddies house and crawled in the back seat of his truck. Left at 3AM and drove to upstate New York (900 miles away) to pick up his new 1930 Model A Ford Town Car. We arrive there around 7PM, drove the car around, did the transaction, loaded up and headed back. At about midnight we stopped for the night. Got up the next morning and headed back on the final leg and arrived home about 8PM Monday.

Reminds me of the time many years ago when a bunch of us kids were at Santa Cruz beach and someone said "lets go get a coke" so we drove to LA and got one. LA was about 400 miles away.

Can anyone Say Road trip? I'm in, even though it takes a bit longer to recuperate.

Warning Labels

If you are a contact lens wearer and suffer from seasonal allergies, you have probably been tempted to try some allergy eye drops to alleviate some of the irritation to your eyes.
A couple of days ago I was looking for some drops that would be ok for contact lenses. I have used some regular eye drops in the past but was still reading the warnings.
Most, but not all, of the allergy eye drops tell you to remove contact lenses before use. Fortunately, I found a brand that did not have this warning on it.

Soon after I got home I tried it. It stung just a bit, but it didn't take too long to realize my lenses were really dry. It was at this time I decided to remove them. Right eye...no problem. Left eye...lens didn't want to come out. I put a couple drops of regular solution and took it out.

Well, most of it came out. About 1/3 of it was still stuck to my eyeball! After about 40 minutes of rinsing, touching, blinking and finally scraping with my fingernail. I got what was left of it out.

That's the last time I will do that. The redness is gone, but I'm not happy about the whole ordeal. I thought I'd have to go to the emergency room.

Sunday was "Ripper" and I'm very "Chuffed"!!

For those of you who don't speak Australian or South African, ripper is another term for GREAT!! and chuffed is I'M EXTREMELY HAPPY!! I started the plane for the first time. It cranked up with only 2 prop turns and surprised me that it started so easily. It is going to take some carburetor tuning, which will be a pain as it is difficult to get to, but it sounds so good! I'll fit the cowling, then make the cooling baffles, then bolt the tail on. I'll have to take it over to my friends hangar as it won't fit very well in my garage with the tail on. Then it's just putting everything back together. Yesterday was an exciting day, even though I didn't tighten one of the fuel fittings and ran gas all over the carpet. We'll see if contact cement is fuel proof. It dried out pretty quickly, but it'll be a while before the smell is gone. Oh well.

Chuffed, I am!!

Mexico Conquers California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Texas

I haven't had much to say these days as I have been working on the plane pretty feverishly. I think I'll be able to start it up next weekend!! I'm really looking forward to that! Then I have to fit the cowling and make the engine baffles. From there I'll make the wing tips and rig the controls. Then it's off to the airport for final assembly and waiting for the FAA inspection....YAY!


So that all being said....
I'd like to know what is up with Absolut, but I'm not going to buy their products any more.
This is pretty disgusting with all the illegal immigration and border issues going on here now.



Hey Absolut SUCK THIS and CRAM IT!!! _!_

Early to Rise

I finally remembered to bring the camera for my flight to work. It is going to be a perfect day. Sorry they are so grainy, but in low light the camera doesn't work too well. It was so nice that I don't mind getting up 20 minutes early to be able to fly.

This is shortly after takeoff and everyone is just starting their day.

The next picture shows that you can see where the river goes. When it's cool, the fog stays near the water. As you can see, the sun is just starting to come up.

It's great to be able to look down on the cars and trucks that usually pass me on the way to work. I drive slow so I can keep my highway mileage around 80 mpg...that's right 80mpg! I have a Honda Insight and by driving 55 mph, I can get that kind of mileage. It's necessary as I drive 50 miles each way to work.

Well, the sun is coming up and I'm ready to land. Gotta put the camera away and pay attention to what I'm doing.

Hope your day is as good as mine started.

Wiring Woes

I've been up to my neck in wiring the plane way too long. It's been weeks of a lot of staring and getting not much done.
I finally made enough progress to have the intercom and radio working. This has been way too much trouble, and I let myself get away with the KISS principle. Keep It Simple Stupid!
Well, it's not simple, it's too fucking complicated for my simple mind, but it's too late to simplify it. I wanted a cool looking panel to go with my cool looking leather interior, and I will have to admit, It is very cool! To make it simpler, it would cost another $3000-4000, which I don't have, but I'm spending money like it's going out of style anyway on it....
This is the last plane I plan to build and I'll keep it until I can't fly anymore, so what's the big deal? I'm getting cheap on myself.
If I can just get the intercom to work right, and I think it's an internal problem, I can make some headway. I'll order another one (this one was used and sounds good for a few seconds, then sounds like shit) and keep on wiring.
Imagine a plate of spaghetti without sauce on it. Each end of a noodle is like the end of a wire that has to be hooked to something. Hook them all up and then make it look nice and tidy. Yeah right.
Oh well, if I get it done soon, then I can install the fuel system (Much more my kind of task) and then I'll be able to crank 'er up! Maybe next week. Then the first flight will only be a month or two away!

The reflections on the panel make it look funny, but it's real carbon fiber (well veneer anyway). this pic is missing a couple of switches, but sexy, no?