A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Soaring
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Best Yarn Spinner in Soaring?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old July 23rd 03, 04:31 AM
Papa3
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Best Yarn Spinner in Soaring?

There have been some amazing stories posted over the last couple of years
(the "Overspray on the Yuppie Farm" being a recent favorite). Who are some
of the other great yarn spinners in soaring? I for one vote Tony Benson
(P4) of Aero Club Albatross in Blairstown, NJ. Witness:

Years ago I had as a student Glen Wargo,a soft spoken, sweet heart of a guy.
We had just taken off and were two or three hundred feet in the air when the
canopy started to get splattered with oil. It turned out that this
particular L-19 was fitted with a quick drain oil valve that was designed to
drain the oil sump in seconds. I have no idea why someone would want to do
an oil change on an L-19 at pit stop speed, but that's what it was designed
to do and was at the moment doing.

I wasn't unduly concerned. I knew if Jessie [Blairstown towpilot] wanted us
off he would wag his wings then give us the rope, or do both simultaneously.
I had, on several occasions, had the tow plane lose power and settle, and
watched as the pilot reached up in the wing root and turn the fuel selector
valve to a tank that actually had gasoline in it. Jessie wagged us off.

I turned off to one side to give Jessie all the room he needed and happened
into a thermal. As we thermaled up Glen starts yelling.."he left the engine
running...he left the engine running". I explained that Jessie needed the
engine to make the 180 turn.

"But do you realize what happens to an engine without oil." I explained that
a 180 turn was a semi tricky thing and not infrequently gave a type of
accident known in the trade as non-survivable. Jessie needed the thrust
provided by the engine to safely make the turn.
"Do you know what no oil does to the bearings."

I explained that, after the crash, witnesses would describe the plane
disappearing behind the trees in an extreme nose down attitude. Then there
was a loud thump and a column of black smoke.

"The journals--the main and connecting rod journals"

When the wreckage cooled sufficiently, they would extract Jessie from the
wreak. At this point, Jessie would look like a cross between a car radiator
hose and an outsized charcoal briquette.

"Rocker arms can go an hour without oil ..."

I was in one of my Zen periods and asked Glen if he was familiar with the
statue of Justice, the blindfolded lady with a balance scale held in an
outstretched hand. Although by middle age you realize that Justice is
peeking out from beneath the blind fold. Glen said he was familiar with the
lady.

I suggested that if we took, and put on one side of the scale, a six
cylinder, air cooled, rreplaceable thing. Othe other side placed Jessie..
"But in an air cooled engine, the oil does sixty percent of the cooling"

I gave up, I even passed up the opportunity to ask why then wasn't it called
an oil cooled engine.

[Note: in fact, Jessie successfully landed the wounded towplane. The crash
sequence was merely to illustrate to the student what could happen if . .
.. ]


  #2  
Old July 23rd 03, 05:27 AM
Al
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I think George Thelans account of the Puchaz wreck at Minden was the
greatest work of fiction I have seen for a long time.


Al


  #3  
Old July 23rd 03, 05:43 AM
F.L. Whiteley
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:gRnTa.12868$Je.11949@fed1read04...
snip the fuel gage is even out there on top.

Not on a D model.


 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Soaring Society of America National Convention, Feb 10-12 Ontario,CA Jim Skydell Home Built 1 January 31st 05 05:33 AM
Soaring Society of America National Convention, Feb 10-12 Ontario,CA Jim Skydell Piloting 0 January 29th 05 08:57 PM
spinner fab Dick Home Built 5 April 23rd 04 02:26 AM
Advanced Soaring Seminar - Eastern PA B Lacovara Home Built 0 February 9th 04 02:55 AM
Advanced Soaring Seminar - Eastern PA B Lacovara Piloting 0 February 9th 04 02:54 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:30 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.