http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php In the Eye of the Beholder en steven777400@myrealbox.com Copyright 2009 2009-01-06T03:18:22 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php?p=2233&c=1 2009-01-04T11:37:50 Steve (mailto:steven777400@myrealbox.com) Merely Amusing 2233@http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php ]]> http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php?p=2232&c=1 2009-01-03T17:56:39 Steve (mailto:steven777400@myrealbox.com) How Bizarre, How Bizarre 2232@http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php Today Lisa and I went to the Pacific Science Center to see the Lucy exhibit, about a very old well preserved skeleton of a human ancestor. It was very interesting. We also went to some other places in the center, including the butterfly room where a large butterfly ... all photos). Afterwards, we went across town to an Ethiopian restaurant and had traditional Ethiopian cuisine. In this culture, the food is served on a central platter, and instead of utensils, you break off chunks of bread and use the bread to scoop the food.







]]> http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php?p=2231&c=1 2009-01-02T13:47:45 Steve (mailto:steven777400@myrealbox.com) Flight 2231@http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php The sky was clear this morning so I decided to cancel my original plan (go to work) and head to the airport instead. I found the plane available, but covered in a thin layer of ice. Planes don't fly with even a small amount of ice because it ...
No problem, the manager says, we’ll put it in the hanger, turn on the heater, and you can brush the ice off with a broom. Sounds like a great plan. So at about 9:45am we wheel the plane into the hanger, close the door, and turn on the big overhead heaters.

I then proceed through the preflight while the ice melts. Slowly. I finish the preflight. Still icy. I get the broom. Some ice comes off, some doesn’t. So patience is called for.

At around 11:00am, the plane is still icy but the ice is starting to come off. We move the plane out of the hanger because a plane behind it needs to get out too. That plane, of course, had been parked in the hanger all night and had no ice on it.

So they are getting going and I’m still scrubbing away with the broom trying to get all the ice off the wings and tail and everything. I’m also glancing at my watch because the next guy has the plane at 1pm and I would cry if I spent so many hours de-icing it just to run out of time and have to hand it to the next guy.

I notice that the plane hasn’t flown in over two weeks due to the weather... I check the oil and it comes out like sludge. Hmm. So finally I’m ready to go. I go through the normal procedure, hit the starter, and the prop spins slowly as the starter whir-whir-whirs it around. I try for a bit longer, and then pull out the book and find “Cold Weather Starting”, which is what I should have done all along.

Of course, the first line item is a warning about how the plane is much more likely to catch fire during a cold weather start, and that a lineperson with a fire extinguisher should be standing at ready. Nice. I follow the procedures and after a significant amount of coaxing and the engine roughly coughs to a semblence of life.

I let it sit grinding away and praying that the oil will loosen up fast enough so there is no damage. I think back to when I asked Steve if they used pre-heaters, and he told me that these old Cessnas don’t really need them. I guess “need” and “want” are different categories.

Well of course as the engine starts to warm it smooths out a bit. From that point, taxi and runup, takeoff and climb are all normal.

Part of the runup is to check the flight controls, which I did and found them all working normally.

So I arrive at 3,500 ft and decide to level off. First I gently release the yoke. Nothing. Then I push forward on the yoke. Nothing. It’s stuck. There’s no real panic or even concern in my mind, just a “that’s interesting...” So I push more firmly. Clunk. Something comes loose and the plane noses down somewhat abruptly.

And with that, normal elevator operation is restored.

So I fly around a bit, practice some manuevers, do really poorly on S-turns (due to the wind, yeah, that’s the ticket). Make an evasive turn to avoid an airplane near and heading straight toward me. About five seconds later, the tower called and told me to watch for the traffic. Nice.

Five landings; first was rough, pretty bad, with a little bounce. After that, quite smooth, with one nearly perfect. A strong headwind helped me land short, which is always nice. Good times, and glad to be “back in the saddle”.]]> http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php?p=2230&c=1 2009-01-01T14:42:12 Steve (mailto:steven777400@myrealbox.com) The Usual 2230@http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php Lisa made a special raspberry pear and pancake brunch. The hound used the wood-pile as a pillow.


The hound used the wood-pile as a pillow.

]]> http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php?p=2229&c=1 2009-01-01T09:43:55 Steve (mailto:steven777400@myrealbox.com) Dance Revolution! 2229@http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php Last night we went up to John and Katy's and hung out with them and some friends for a few hours. Left before midnight to avoid the drunk drivers; made it home just after the year changed.
]]> http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php?p=2228&c=1 2008-12-31T10:32:17 Steve (mailto:steven777400@myrealbox.com) Merely Amusing 2228@http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php ]]> http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php?p=2227&c=1 2008-12-31T10:10:40 Steve (mailto:steven777400@myrealbox.com) Dance Revolution! 2227@http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1999. Wait, what? http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php?p=2226&c=1 2008-12-29T17:20:13 Steve (mailto:steven777400@myrealbox.com) Merely Amusing 2226@http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php ]]> http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php?p=2225&c=1 2008-12-27T09:37:12 Steve (mailto:steven777400@myrealbox.com) Merely Amusing 2225@http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php ]]> http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php?p=2224&c=1 2008-12-25T17:01:26 Steve (mailto:steven777400@myrealbox.com) Dance Revolution! 2224@http://www.kolls.net/b2//index.php My parents came to pick us up and we joined them for Christmas. It was a good time with gifts, good food, and some calls to California to check on some folks there. Weird weather all over the place, but we were able to make it. No ...