Hey, at least you had help!
I would have roll the cherokee up a couple inches then take a look at
each tire to see if I can see the nipple through the damn little door on
our 1986 Cherokee 180. Then you have to do finger acrobats trying to
get the air hose connected to the nipple.

Those wheel pants on the cherokee are a love/hate relationship. You get
a little extra speed and they look better than no pants. But then
airing up the tires are a pain. And how many people have landed in a
muddy grassy strip and have the pants get clogged up causing the tires
to lock up.

As for the air leak. I think it is through osmosis. We only have to air
up the tires maybe a couple of time a year.

Jay, how about solid rubber tire! Of course you have to grease every
landing.

Nick
PA28-180 'D'



Jay Honeck wrote:

One of our least favorite jobs (thanks to our "Fancy Pants" with their
stupid, under-sized access doors) is airing up the tires on our Pathfinder.

I pull the plane back and forth while Mary fishes around for the stupid
nipple. If you want to hear a woman cuss like a sailor, just stop by the
hangar on tire-filling day!

It seems like we're having to fill the tires way too often. At least every
3 - 4 weeks, we notice that the plane has become a real bear to pull out of
the hangar, and that our take-off roll has become noticeably longer. Sure
enough, the tires will be down around 25%, from 40 to 30 lbs on the mains,
and from 30 to 23 lbs (or so) in the nosewheel.

This seems ridiculous. Is it a product of tubed tires, or do I have slow
leaks that should be fixed? Can you use "Fix-a-Flat" in aircraft tires?
(I'll bet not.)

How often do you guys have to fill your tires?