Some Random
Winter Writing
In the dead of the Canadian winter,
most G.A. pilots have covered or hangared their airplanes
for the long term. Let’s face it, recreational flying for
the most part, is a summertime activity. So what do you do
with all that spare time in winter? Many people become
“Snowbirds”. They head south to warmer climates. Those
that stay home become creative deciding how to pass the
time. I asked a friend how he’d spent last winter at his
home here on the west coast of Canada. “I read a lot of
books and burned a lot of wood,” he replied.

During the coldest months in
Canada, we can get accustomed to our climate and feel the
rest of the world comes to a freezing halt too. But tuning
in the Rose Bowl game on television reminds us that
perpetual summer is a reality in some places. Some things
just don’t stop. Aircraft owners have all made a trip to
the mail box to find another A.D. which applies to their
airplane that’s sitting in a frozen hangar. Someone,
somewhere, probably in a warm climate in the southwest U.S.,
has had an accident blamed on a faulty part on his plane,
the same make and model you happen to own. Now you need to
service, inspect or replace that part too. Maybe I’ve been
lucky, having dodged a lot of those “bullets”, as the A.D.’s
that showed up in my mailbox, almost always applied to
serial numbers far removed from mine.
The service bulletins and
A.D.’s also serve to add to our doubts about why we’re
aircraft owners in the first place. As if fuel, hangar and
maintenance costs weren’t enough, these mandatory repairs
can sometimes make the pilot decide to sell the airplane.
If you check around, there’s no shortage of airplanes to
buy, and many are at fire-sale prices these days. I believe
it’s the result of the economy in general, as well as the
fact that many of the older pilots are just fed up with the
constant barrage of mandatory costs. And it doesn’t seem to
matter that you bought a newer airplane with the hope of
minimizing the maintenance. In fact there is already a
Mandatory Service Bulletin out for the new Cessna 162
Skycatcher. This one is to beef up the wing structure and
requires the addition of a rib and other reinforcement at
the wing attach points. The good news about this particular
bulletin is that it affects only 228 airplanes.
One more thing while on
the subject. This might make you feel better. Consider the
maintenance the Commemorative Air Force does on its prized
WW11 B-29 Superfortress, FiFi. To keep it airworthy and
flying in the various displays and airshows around the
country costs them $10,000 and 100 hours of labor
(volunteer) for every hour it flies!
Danger Lurks in the Circuit.
A fellow pilot who owns a
Cessna 150, invited me along for a ride recently.
Attempting to set up a day when both of us had the time
proved easier said than done. And at this time of year, the
west coast weather pretty well shuts down VFR flying until
May or June. But eventually, everything came together, and
we managed to do it. His airplane had just had its annual
inspection. We all know that the first flight following a
repair or inspection is quite possibly the time when
something goes wrong. Many pilots will take off and stay
close to the airport. They will be listening extra
carefully for anything that’s not quite right. With all
that in his mind, my friend lined up for a few circuits. We
did one touch & go without incident, but on the second
take-off, there was a slight “cough” in the engine. Wisely,
he cut the circuit short, quickly landed, and taxied back in
the hangar.
Later when the mechanic
had a chance to check it out, he declared it airworthy. The
diagnosis was “possible carb ice,” which made sense given
the relatively cool temperature and high humidity the day of
our 12-minute flight. With the O-200 engine, you can’t be
too careful when monitoring for carb ice. It can surprise
you even while in cruise power. But the weather has again
closed in and it may be some time before that diagnosis can
be certain.
It wouldn’t hurt to take a
few more precautions to stay ahead of icing, especially with
the smaller aircraft engines. While on approach for
landing, keeping all the VASI or PAPI lights white, holding
off on the flaps until you’re sure you’ve made the runway,
and staying proficient with the forward slip, can minimize
the danger of coming up short if the engine were to lose
power or quit altogether. Most airports have more than
enough runway for small aircraft, so there’s no need to hit
the numbers on every landing. It’s something you might like
to think about if you’re flying during the winter months.
Plan Ahead for Summer Flying.
Winter provides us with
more time to take the ideas we’ve thought about all summer
and act on them. Often when I’m flying or just working
around airplanes, something will come to mind about
improvements I could make to equipment or accessories. It
might be a repair to the worn strap on my kneeboard. Or a
cup holder that might fit in a more convenient spot. The
night lights in the cockpit could be a little brighter. The
sun visor keeps slipping into the down position. But all
these things get pushed to a back burner during summer. One
item which I did a couple of years ago was to re-think my
flight bag. In the past, I carried a large brief case with
all the gear, charts and books in it. It went on every
flight with me. While on a week-long trip around Alberta
and B.C. one summer, I was caught in bad weather and forced
to walk over a mile in pouring rain from an unfamiliar
airport to a motel. The brief case became a boat anchor.
That night, I decided to make some changes to the way I
stored and transported the items necessary to have
on-board. So the following winter I invested in an
appropriate back pack, which was a huge improvement. It
could be carried hands-free, easily held the
airplane-related things a pilot needs, and it was big enough
to stuff a clean shirt, a rain poncho and toothbrush in. I
wondered why I hadn’t done the deed sooner!
Getting through
winter doesn’t mean total disconnection from flying. Now is
the time to be making those improvements and changes you’ve
considered for years. It’s also a time to visit your
library and find all the aviation books on the shelves.
Search the internet for flying adventures. And, if you’ve
not already done it, find yourself a flight simulator
program. Load it on the computer, and go flying.