In the rush to get your bird ready, don=99t cut corners, have a
safe flight or drive and bring your shopping list.
See you all on or about Sunday afternoon.
I was looking at the weather and did my flight planning. I=99m
ready to go... Well sort of. I went for a confidence flight today
(which didn=99t raise my confidence) in preparation for leaving on
Thursday to visit my Mom on the way up. Over the last three months 12AY
has been flying great. In preparation for the Thursday departure I
changed the oil, and put in a new battery yesterday, however, my
confidence flight went poorly today as 12AY wouldn=99t start at
all (starter now removed as it is spinning at only 250 rpm on crank,
unless charged to 13 volts, and on disassembly one nut was found
stripped and the armature was coated with baked on grease due to a worn
front seal (only 400 hours). I had a poor mag check (350 drop initially
and 300 after running it up) so I pulled the right carb to get to the
starter anyway, and found a leaking right carb bowl, I hope I have the
=9CO=9D ring. I could smell gas in the cockpit and noted I
developed a small fuel leak at the vent hose fitting (I tightened the
clamp and it seemed to work). The climb and cruise checks to 10,000
went well but the fuel low light came on at 17 gallons (I hope all I
need to do is reset parameters on my fuel totalizer). Worse yet my wife
says I have to buy some new clothes with her tomorrow evening. So it
will be a long, long, day tomorrow, but I am really looking forward to
seeing you all. If the plane cannot be repaired and operate at 100% by
tomorrow on its confidence flight, I=99ll drive up in the car.
I=99m heeding my own advice to be safe and not cut corners.
See you all there!
Bud Yerly
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