A Man and His Airplane

About a week ago I opened the website for the overhaul shop that has my engine and... there was no website. I was presented with a simple dialog asking for a username and password. Normally, when I see something like this, it's usually caused by something getting messed up in the website configuration. Maybe they're using software such as Wordpress, attempted to install an update, and it got screwed up somehow. A few days later, I checked again and the same thing occurred. I became a bit concerned; another possibility is that they suddenly went out of business, in which case I needed to find out quick so I could get my engine back and make other arrangements. So I called them up to see what was going on. It turns out all is well. From what I could gather, after over thirty years in business, they've decided to transition the business to a parts supply shop. They'll finish up the work they already have scheduled, of course. As part of this, they decided to rebrand, and t...

While the engine is off, we're going to do a few other things that are a lot easier without the engine in the way or that just make sense to do along with the engine work. The biggest one is probably taking off the engine mount, cleaning it off (probably via sandblasting) and painting it. The large bushings that the engine attaches to will also be replaced but that would be done regardless. They will also overhaul the alternator and oil cooler at Snohomish Flying Service, while the carburetor and magnetos will be overhauled at the shop in California. I'm also going to get a quote on a Surefly Ignition Module. For those unfamiliar with it, the Surefly SIM is an electronic ignition module that replaces one of the magnetos. It provides several benefits including lower maintenance and improved fuel efficiency. The reason only one magneto is replaced is that, being an electronic ignition system, it requires power from the airplane's electrical system. Should the alternator fail,...

I just got the news that the shop at Harvey Field is bringing my plane in to begin removal of the engine. It's finally happening. I don't know how much longer it will be before it's back in the air; that will depend mainly on how long it takes the overhaul shop to get to it. But at least progress is finally happening.