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Airplane Saga
#1
This has absolutely nothing to do with Hazeron. I felt like telling a story about my airplane. I fly a 1968 Piper Cherokee Six that I have owned since 2000. 

I was flying to Sioux City Iowa last July to get a routine semiannual avionics inspection done. I just got up to my cruising altitude of 5500ft MSL when there was a never-heard-before clunk from the engine. Engine RPMs spun way up past the red line. Propeller pitch control stopped responding, had no effect. It took some adjustments to get the engine RPMs under control enough to return to the airfield, which was about fifteen miles away.

I told the Sioux City approach controllers what was going on. There was an airport just a mile away but the airplane was holding altitude. Weather was great. If the airplane was going to be grounded, I wanted it to be at home with my own mechanic.

After landing I taxied straight over to the shop. What I thought was a propeller hub failure turned out to be much worse. The mechanics at the shop could not imagine what guardian angel kept my propeller spinning. The engine RPMs went up because the propeller drive shaft had sheared clean off, relieving the engine of its load.

The loud clunk turned out to be an oh shit moment. That was the sound of the sheared-off drive shaft smacking against the engine case hard enough to crack it in a high-stress place that could not be repaired.

The airplane has a 540 cubic inch six cylinder aircraft engine. This is an air cooled engine so the cylinder jugs are bolted onto the sides of it, kind of like a Harley Davidson engine. A new engine case from the factory is over $30k and there is a two year lead time to buy one. 

By some miracle, the engine shop had a used one that was serviceable that they sold me for a fraction of the price of a new engine case. They cleaned it down to shiny metal, scanned it, painted it, rebuilt the entire engine with new cylinders (another miracle as they are getting hard to find) and other parts, ran it on their test stand for hours, and gave it their blessing.

It was time for the annual inspection so the local mechanics did that while the engine was in the shop. The propeller was getting pretty long in the tooth and it was due for an overhaul. More bad news. The propeller hub was shot. It was a standard two blade propeller and nobody wants them anymore so nobody makes parts for them anymore. It was less expensive to buy a new three blade prop than a new two blade prop. I had misgivings about this because Hartzell's own web site says three blades isn't any better than two; they're just heavier.

A few weeks ago they finally finished working on the airplane. It had to wait its turn and winter is super crunch time for the local airplane mechanics. The shop on our field is inundated all winter long with spray planes getting their annual inspections done; they work on spray planes from all the surrounding states, not just Nebraska.

My wife thought the new prop and chrome spinner looked hot. The old straight two blades were replaced by three modern curved scimitar blades.

The first thing I noticed was the old familiar whup whup whup of the prop at low idle and when taxiing is gone. It sounds more like a lawn mower now, one continuous growl.

The power while taxiing felt ridiculous. I couldn't help but laugh. I'm quite accustomed to that airplane after twenty four years and I could tell this was no small change.

The takeoff roll smashed me back into my seat. This airplane has never smashed me back into my seat. Ever.

I was off the ground in probably the shortest takeoff distance ever. The airplane didn't stop there either; it just kept on climbing vigorously. As I climbed away from the runway I called the shop on the radio but all I could do was laugh maniacally.

I kept that test flight short and close to the field.

Now I am planning that trip to Sioux City once again. Will probably do it within the next week or so, whenever they can get me in. They are the only avionics shop in a wide area so they stay pretty busy.

Then I have to break in the new engine. That requires a good 12 hours of run time, preferably flying at altitude and at a good operating temperature, not frozen winter air. I am planning a flight to Florida and back to get that done. I have some personal business to attend to there so this would be an opportunity to do that. It's that or dinner in New Orleans. The runway at their general aviation airport sticks out into Lake Pontchartrain like a boat dock; I thought the landing was fun but my wife didn't agree.

People speculate that it must be cheap to travel when you own your own airplane. I always tell them it would be cheaper to fly first class everywhere you go for the rest of your life than it is to own an airplane. Buses are cheaper than cars to ride but I don't tend to ride them; I like the freedom that comes with owning a car, and an airplane.
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#2
(02-21-2024, 05:18 PM)Haxus Wrote: <Epic Story>

I'm glad your alright Haxus! 

Amazing it ran that long with the hidden issues. I'm glad everything worked out in the end including the fact that you were able to get that engine replaced so quickly!
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#3
Tomorrow morning I fly to Sioux City for that avionics inspection. Hoping for an uninteresting trip.
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#4
My dad has a Piper Comanche (though he only got it 3 years ago, a year or two after me and my brother finally both got out of the house). They are a good company.
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#5
(02-29-2024, 03:02 PM)Haxus Wrote: Hoping for an uninteresting trip.

When you have a thing to compare… Big Grin
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#6
The flight to Sioux City was uneventful. I forgot to latch the door on takeoff so the cabin was screaming loud until I circled around to land so I could latch it. I’ve gotten it latched in flight before but you have to stall the plane to do it.

Altimeter check is good for two years. They had to make a minor adjustment but all was fine otherwise.

Now the airplane is ready for that long burn-in on the engine.
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#7
I remember hearing these stories back in the day when I was a kid, serendipitously I moved near an airport. Maybe I should try at getting a pilots license  Big Grin
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#8
Quote:Maybe I should try at getting a pilots license

I was at a computer store in 1999 looking at the latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

I had played through the lessons in a previous version of the Flight Simulator. As I looked at the box, I thought of going through all the lessons again just to see a pretty good picture of what it might be like to fly an airplane. I put the box back on the shelf.

I drove straight to the local airport. A flight instructor there offered to take me up. The first lesson would be free.

To my surprise he had me sit in the pilot's seat and perform the takeoff. It was a blast.

After a few months I had a private pilot's license. My dad, who was also a private pilot, called it a "license to learn".

I bought an airplane then, the Cherokee Six that I fly today.

A few months later I had my instrument rating. This is a must if you are serious about flying, not just doing it for the fun of it.

One of the biggest surprises to me was that flying an airplane is not physically demanding at all. However it is very mentally demanding. At first, a few hours of flying leaves you feeling quite exhausted.

Pilots are in high demand. The training isn't very expensive compared to the college courses required for other professions. It's a great career choice if you have what it takes. One of the most important traits you must possess is extreme self confidence.
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