Skip to main content

Running in place

I went out to the airport today to run the engine. It's been two weeks since the last time I ran it, which is also the last time I went flying, and I wanted to run it again this weekend if possible. With the Camguard in the oil, I could probably get by without running it for three or even four weeks, but it certainly never hurts to run it more frequently.

The runway resurfacing project is not yet done, so if I'd wanted to go flying I would still have had to use the grass runway. As it has been raining the past few days, I wasn't sure how soft the grass surface would be, so my plan was simply to run the engine until it was warm, and also to put fuel in the tanks. If the plane is going to sit for any length of time, it is better to have full tanks, as there is less air in the tanks from which water could condense. Since I've owned this plane, I've yet to see any water when I've sumped the tanks, but it's still definitely possible that someday there will be.

While I was out there, a couple of planes did take off from the grass. I think they were both rental planes, so it's likely they were students. I briefly considered actually going flying, but I didn't know how soft the surface was, and I didn't trust that my plane would be able to take off in the available distance unless the surface was dry and firm. So I followed my original plan, ran the engine for a while, then taxied over to get gas.

After I filled the tanks, I walked over to the FBO to wash my hands. I also went up to the front desk and chatted with them for a few minutes about the runway. The second and final layer of asphalt had been laid this past Friday, and the plan was to paint the markings this coming Tuesday, weather permitting. The current forecast for Tuesday is for showers in the afternoon and evening. Hopefully it will be nice enough for long enough to get the job done.

If all goes to plan, the new runway will be open for use next weekend. In addition to the new surface, they widened it by six feet which will make a noticeable difference. I was told that this is the first time they've fully repaved the runway since the 1940s. I'm really looking forward to using it when it's done.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Predicting the weather is hard

At least, it's hard for this region of the country. I like to say that predicting the weather for the Puget Sound region is far more an art than it is a science. Early last week, the weather forecast was for pretty much crappy weather for the foreseeable future. However, because of the chaotic nature of the atmosphere around here, especially at this time of year, the forecast is always subject to change. As it turns out, the weather was actually nice enough last Friday afternoon (December 17) that I was able to go up for about an hour and a half. One of the reasons I went up was because I had filled the tanks after the previous flight, and I wanted to burn off some fuel in case I was able to take my father flying while we visiting from Arizona. As I'm sure I've mentioned, the weight and balance of my plane is such that I'd be over maximum weight if I had a passenger in the front seat, the required ballast in the baggage compartment to stay within the forward CG limit, a...
1 comment
Read more

A digression, if I may...

The other night, after almost 50 years, the Saturn V was dethroned as the most powerful rocket ever successfully launched by humanity. I use the word "successfully" because the Soviet N1 rocket actually generated more thrust at liftoff, but all four launch attempts ended in failure. For the first time since Apollo 17, a true moon rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying a spacecraft capable of carrying humans back to the moon. This Artemis mission is a test flight, so no astronauts are on board the Orion spacecraft. Despite that, it was a spectacular launch. Because the SLS launch vehicle has a higher thrust-to-weight ratio than the Saturn V, it rose from the launch pad much more quickly than it's predecessor. I think it's a bit heavier than the Space Shuttle, but it has more thrust due to an additional RS-25 engine, and more powerful solid rocket boosters. Watching it rise into the night sky, I was excited, but also a bit melancholy. This was ...
1 comment
Read more

Approaching the annual

I know I haven't been posting much, but that's mainly because nothing much of note has been happening. I've been flying, but not really going anywhere in particular. The engine continues to run very well, and the plane is still solid. I was hoping to do more "destination" flying this year but, for whatever reason(s), it didn't really happen. Next year, hopefully.... On the horizon, though, is the annual inspection. It's already scheduled for mid-December, since the last annual is good to the end of that month. I've also arranged for it to be an owner-assisted annual. I'm told that every airplane owner should do this at least once and I can certainly understand why that is the case, even before I do it. I will be learning about my airplane in a way that nothing else will match and, incidentally, save some money at the same time. I'm looking forward to it. Leading up to the annual, I have been compiling a list of squawks that I want to take care ...
Post a Comment
Read more