Florida in 6.3 hours!

Whee-hoo, we made it to Deland, Flori-duh in just 6.3 flight hours last
Sunday, with a fuel stop in Tennessee! Nothing like CAVU and a nice
tailwind to make for an enjoyable flight.

When we left Iowa the temperature was a chilly 14 degrees... When we landed
in Florida, it was 80. Sure felt good...

A week of shopping for the upcoming "Apollo Suite" (at the Kennedy Space
Center, of course) and the requisite visit to Mickey World and Epcot,
ensued. Other than a day of solid rain (spent largely indoors at Epcot),
the weather was awesome.

Of course, due to inclement weather and a minor mechanical problem that
caused my first-ever emergency landing (which turned out to be fouled plugs,
thanks to running that awful 100 LL through Atlas' veins -- GOD I hate that
crap), it took us two full days (but just 9 hours of flight time) to get
home, but what the heck.... That's just part of the fun of flying your own
plane -- you're never quite sure where you'll be spending the night.

(Last night we were in Macon, Missouri. Never heard of it? Me, neither!
But the motel was the nicest -- and cheapest -- of the entire trip.)

It was a great trip, but it's good to be back -- and with "only" 142 emails
to answer!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

("Jay Honeck" wrote)
snips
When we left Iowa the temperature was a chilly 14 degrees... When we
landed in Florida, it was 80. Sure felt good...


Welcome back to March snowstorm land.

Of course, due to inclement weather and a minor mechanical problem that
caused my first-ever emergency landing (which turned out to be fouled
plugs, thanks to running that awful 100 LL through Atlas' veins -- GOD I
hate that crap), it took us two full days (but just 9 hours of flight
time) to get home, but what the heck.... That's just part of the fun of
flying your own plane -- you're never quite sure where you'll be spending
the night.


Is there a different power setting technique you could use when forced to
drink that stuff? Would it matter? If it's worked in the past, what do you
think was different this time?

Looking forward to the pics on your site - after you get through your
e-mails.


Montblack

Welcome back to March snowstorm land.

I must admit that we watched with glee as Minnesota and Northern Iowa were
crushed by a late-winter snow storm. I'm now convinced that Florida TV
stations make their living by showing endless footage of northerners
suffering in the cold, as this seemed to make up the lion's share of the
news while we were there.

Is there a different power setting technique you could use when forced to
drink that stuff? Would it matter? If it's worked in the past, what do you
think was different this time?

Yeah, with our engine you have to lean severely on the ground to make 100 LL
work, which we *thought* we were doing. Unfortunately we were trying to
depart on Friday while President Bush was in Orlando, which meant that in
Titusville (where we spent most of the week) we were 2 miles inside the
30-mile TFR. Thus, in order to depart we had to be under a VFR flight
plan, which somehow got "lost" in the system, which meant a long period of
"idling" while we waited for them to sort out the mess.

After 15 minutes running at the departure end of the runway, we were finally
assigned a squawk code, and cleared to depart. At about 500 feet the engine
started running roughly, and my JPI monitor showed #2 cylinder off the
bottom of the scale. I announced that I had to return to land, at which
point the controller asked if I wanted to declare an emergency. I told him
no, that I just needed to land because of a rough engine, and he cleared me
to land on any runway.

The landing was uneventful, but I couldn't get the engine to run right, no
matter how lean we ran it up. Eventually I found an A&P at the helicopter
place on the field (the largest helicopter school in the world, BTW. I've
never seen so many choppers in one place!) to help me, and he lent me the
tools to pull the plugs. Little BB's of lead fell out of a couple of them
as I pulled them, and after cleaning they all tested okay.

We re-installed them, and all was well the rest of the flight home -- but it
was certainly unnerving, not knowing if it would happen again.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote:
Little BB's of lead fell out of a couple of them as I pulled them, and
after cleaning they all tested okay.

My Lyc's plugs used to do that until I switched to hotter plugs. Also,
for taxi the mixture must be leaned almost to the point that the rpm
drops and taxiing must be done at no less than 1,000 rpm. All three of
these precautions are according to Lycoming's plug fouling bulletin. In
addition, before shutdown the engine should be run lean for 15-20
seconds at 1,800 rpm.

That gd LL is a mortal pain. Unfortunately, my O-360 is
high-compression; there's no STC for mogas.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

On 2005-03-21, Dan Luke wrote:
My Lyc's plugs used to do that until I switched to hotter plugs. Also,
for taxi the mixture must be leaned almost to the point that the rpm
drops and taxiing must be done at no less than 1,000 rpm.

I don't even push the mixture all the way in on start anymore. I have
an IO540 so the start happens with the throttle cracked and the mixture
full lean. I just push it in about an inch with my thumb when the
engine starts to catch.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/

"Jay Honeck" writes:

After 15 minutes running at the departure end of the runway, we were finally
assigned a squawk code, and cleared to depart. At about 500 feet the engine
started running roughly, and my JPI monitor showed #2 cylinder off the
bottom of the scale. I announced that I had to return to land, at which
point the controller asked if I wanted to declare an emergency. I told him
no, that I just needed to land because of a rough engine, and he cleared me
to land on any runway.

The landing was uneventful

Yeah...but was it a greaser or did this break your streak, Jay? :-)

Dan.

The landing was uneventful

Yeah...but was it a greaser or did this break your streak, Jay? :-)

Actually, it was pretty good. I had departed to the north, and then --
after being cleared to land on any runway -- I tried to swing it straight
around for Rwy 09, entering from the base leg.

This proved impossible, as in my haste to get back on the ground I had
turned in extremely tightly, which turned out to be too tight for a safe
landing on 09. So I just kept it coming around into a downwind for 36, and
landed without difficulty.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Smithville, TN? Stopped there today for some $2.45 fuel. From
Edwardsville, IL to Chattanooga with a great tailwind. Made a work
related stop at CHA and then on to Gadsden, AL where I'm working this
week.
--
Gene Seibel
Gene & Sue's Aeroplanes - http://pad39a.com/gene/planes.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.






Jay Honeck wrote:
Whee-hoo, we made it to Deland, Flori-duh in just 6.3 flight hours
last
Sunday, with a fuel stop in Tennessee! Nothing like CAVU and a nice

tailwind to make for an enjoyable flight.

When we left Iowa the temperature was a chilly 14 degrees... When we
landed
in Florida, it was 80. Sure felt good...

A week of shopping for the upcoming "Apollo Suite" (at the Kennedy
Space
Center, of course) and the requisite visit to Mickey World and Epcot,

ensued. Other than a day of solid rain (spent largely indoors at
Epcot),
the weather was awesome.

Of course, due to inclement weather and a minor mechanical problem
that
caused my first-ever emergency landing (which turned out to be fouled
plugs,
thanks to running that awful 100 LL through Atlas' veins -- GOD I
hate that
crap), it took us two full days (but just 9 hours of flight time) to
get
home, but what the heck.... That's just part of the fun of flying
your own
plane -- you're never quite sure where you'll be spending the night.

(Last night we were in Macon, Missouri. Never heard of it? Me,
neither!
But the motel was the nicest -- and cheapest -- of the entire trip.)

It was a great trip, but it's good to be back -- and with "only" 142
emails
to answer!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Isn't GA great Jay??!!
I've got a weekend trip to rival yours... Thursday night - Sunday afternoon
1425 nm

Stevens Point Wi - Louisville, KY - Nashville, TN - Lawrenceville, GA -
Adams, WI - Stevens Point, WI

Depart Stevens Point WI Thursday night at 10pm to get out of Dodge before
getting 10 inches of snow
Flew through/over the storm as it was dumping on Madison, departures
from MSN halted due to heavy snowfall
Arrive Louisville, KY at 12:30am
Spend Friday morning visiting customer in Louisville
Depart Louisville Friday noon
Arrive Smyrna, TN 1pm
Spend Friday night and Saturday night at Opreyland Nashville
Depart Nashville Sunday morning
Arrive Lawrenceville, GA (Atlanta area) one hour later
Pick up 2 seats for the Aztec
Depart Lawrenceville, 11:00 central time
135 knot ground speed, 47knots right on the nose at 8000 ft.... MEA of
7000... winds worse up above... once we got into lower country we had a
scattered layer at 6000....
We pulled the power back, leaned it out, and settled in for a long ride
home.
Arrive Adams, WI 1600 central time, 5 hours in the air, 120 gallons of fuel
20 minutes back to KSTE and we were home.

Tip for the plug fouling, maybe you already do, but it really helps... lean
it for all ground operations... although ours are injected 540's, when we
start we go from idle cut off to full rich as the engine starts, then set
throttles to 1000 rpms... then we bring the mixtures back until we get max
rpms for the throttle setting... usually a rise of 3-500rpms.... then we
reduce throttles back to 1000 rpms.

Jim


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
newsAm%d.90177$Ze3.11501@attbi_s51...
Whee-hoo, we made it to Deland, Flori-duh in just 6.3 flight hours last
Sunday, with a fuel stop in Tennessee! Nothing like CAVU and a nice
tailwind to make for an enjoyable flight.

When we left Iowa the temperature was a chilly 14 degrees... When we
landed
in Florida, it was 80. Sure felt good...

A week of shopping for the upcoming "Apollo Suite" (at the Kennedy Space
Center, of course) and the requisite visit to Mickey World and Epcot,
ensued. Other than a day of solid rain (spent largely indoors at Epcot),
the weather was awesome.

Of course, due to inclement weather and a minor mechanical problem that
caused my first-ever emergency landing (which turned out to be fouled
plugs,
thanks to running that awful 100 LL through Atlas' veins -- GOD I hate
that
crap), it took us two full days (but just 9 hours of flight time) to get
home, but what the heck.... That's just part of the fun of flying your
own
plane -- you're never quite sure where you'll be spending the night.

(Last night we were in Macon, Missouri. Never heard of it? Me, neither!
But the motel was the nicest -- and cheapest -- of the entire trip.)

It was a great trip, but it's good to be back -- and with "only" 142
emails
to answer!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Flew through/over the storm as it was dumping on Madison, departures
from MSN halted due to heavy snowfall

Yuck. It makes me shiver just to think about a flight into a major winter
snow storm, at night...

Spend Friday night and Saturday night at Opreyland Nashville

You talking about the Opryland Hotel? Man, that is one neat hotel.
Outrageously priced, but cool nonetheless.

Pick up 2 seats for the Aztec

You needed two more seats?

Arrive Adams, WI 1600 central time, 5 hours in the air, 120 gallons of
fuel

Ouch. I tell you what, it hurt buying avgas 65 gallons of that blue crap at
a time on this trip -- I can't imagine 120! I've gotten very spoiled with
mogas, and the sticker shock of buying $200 worth of gas at every stop made
me realize how lucky I am to have that auto gas STC.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"