A stunning, gorgeous winter flight...

This is exactly why we love winter flying even without the comfort
and protection of a hangar ($78 tie-down vs. $450 hangar fee/month).

Augh! Your gorgeous new paint job is sitting out in this winter
weather? I would cringe every time I banged on the wing in order to
chip loose the ice and snow...

I hope you have a good cover to protect the plexiglass?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:


Augh! Your gorgeous new paint job is sitting out in this winter
weather? I would cringe every time I banged on the wing in order to
chip loose the ice and snow...

I hope you have a good cover to protect the plexiglass?
--

Jay,

We never bang the wings to get ice and snow off even with the old
paint. Hey if we did that, all the old paint chips would have fallen
off. We filled large garbage bags with hot water and dragged them over
the ice and snow.

Yes, we have a good cover for the glasses. I have been trying in
vain to order wings and stabilators cover from Alaska Tents and Tarp
with half a dozen of emails and two phone calls to Alaska (over the
course of a year). I will probably fire off a complaint letter to the
manager and order the stuffs from Kennon. I don't know how anyone can
stay in business by ignoring orders from customers!

I recalled reading somewhere that housing in our area is 40%
overvalued (due to proximity to NY city), this is why hangar cost is so
outrageous.

Hai Longworth

"Longworth" wrote

Yes, we have a good cover for the glasses. I have been trying in
vain to order wings and stabilators cover from Alaska Tents and Tarp
with half a dozen of emails and two phone calls to Alaska (over the
course of a year).

Try looking up a boat cover maker; usually around lakes and marinas. Give
them some dimensions and they could sew you up what you need, toot quick.
--
Jim in NC

We never bang the wings to get ice and snow off even with the old
paint. Hey if we did that, all the old paint chips would have fallen
off. We filled large garbage bags with hot water and dragged them over
the ice and snow.

How does that work? Doesn't the water re-freeze after you've poured it on
the ice? Or do you just lay the bag of warm water on top of the ice to melt
it?

I recalled reading somewhere that housing in our area is 40%
overvalued (due to proximity to NY city), this is why hangar cost is so
outrageous.

Hangars are $121 per month, including electricity, here in the Midwest...
And we complain about *that*... ;-)

When I was training (in East Troy, WI - 57C) before work each morning, the
plane was always tied down outside. The winter of '94-'95 wasn't too
terrible, as I recall, but I still remember having numb fingers and toes by
the time I got that danged thing de-iced every Monday/Wednesday/Friday.

And then the fun of setting up the little jet-engine preheater followed
*that*. What fun!

I can fully understand why people without hangars don't fly in the winter.
It easily adds 30 - 45 minutes before each flight, and is quite physically
demanding.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
How does that work? Doesn't the water re-freeze after you've poured it on
the ice? Or do you just lay the bag of warm water on top of the ice to melt
it?

It's a two-persons job. As soon as the ice/snow is melted, the
slush is pushed off the wings with a squeeze then mopped off with a big
towel.

I can fully understand why people without hangars don't fly in the winter.
It easily adds 30 - 45 minutes before each flight, and is quite physically
demanding.

In signing up for the tie-down area, we chose #1 spot to be close to
the electrical outlet anticipating the need to plug in the engine/oil
pan heater.

Ever since owning the plane, we have added flight prep to our
physical activity list. We usually pack our gym bags along with our
flight bags planning to go for a workout or a swim after flying but
very rarely being able to do both on the same day. Hey, if you think
of snow shoveling as a 'free' sport, it becomes less painful ;-)

Hai Longworth

Hey, if you think
of snow shoveling as a 'free' sport, it becomes less painful ;-)

That's EXACTLY the way I've been looking at it.

Having already had to shovel three real snow storms -- and it's not even
technically "winter" yet -- I suspect I'll be in GREAT shape by next
spring...

Nothing like shoveling 560 linear feet of balconies -- and each shovel-full
must be lifted up to railing height before it can be dumped... (Not to
mention trying not to hit guests and cars, below...)

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

"Jay Honeck" wrote

That's EXACTLY the way I've been looking at it.

Having already had to shovel three real snow storms -- and it's not even
technically "winter" yet -- I suspect I'll be in GREAT shape by next
spring...

Nothing like shoveling 560 linear feet of balconies -- and each
shovel-full
must be lifted up to railing height before it can be dumped... (Not to
mention trying not to hit guests and cars, below...)

Sound like you need to invest in a snow blower.

Snow shoveling is a major cause of heart attacks. Get your exercise a
different way.
--
Jim in NC

Snow shoveling is a major cause of heart attacks.

Any idea why? What is different about snow shoveling vs other kinds of
excercise?

Jose
--
You can choose whom to befriend, but you cannot choose whom to love.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Morgans wrote:

Sound like you need to invest in a snow blower.

I'd say he needs one of the things like the "power broom" type of blower. He'll
never get a full size snow blower up the stairs.

George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.