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So who bet on the Cherokee being down?
Who came up with the idea, anyways?
Does superstition mean anything?
So the Bendix starter assembly is snapped. Valerie, the mechanic and an IA at the airport, lent us her tools. Bill Hughes and Dan headed to a warehouse south of Memphis in the loaner car to pick another one up. 7 hours down, 17 to go. The bill's going to Joe Stubbelfield.
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Get another account, too -- see Janice's blog at http://dragonpilot.blogspot.com/
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OK, here is the NON-pilot's (Geoff) unvarnished truth (!!) about what really happened in Covington, TN, on the Cinqo de Mayo celebrat---er, on the tarmac at Covington regional airport and crop duster depot. WARNING!! Blood was drawn.
At about 10AM, the quiet routine of the local crop duster and kamikaze flying club was suddenly shattered by the horrific grinding of gears tortured beyond endurance. After numerous, sacred, certified mechanic and pilot-talk incantations (not normally repeatable in polite company), the Bendix assembly of the starter for the Piper Cherokee was pronounced dead at the scene. The starter body was eventually exhumed from the engine compartment for viewing upon the tarmac after much
grunting, incantations, and begging of tools from several local aircraft mechanics who evidently decided this was the best show they had seen in years.
After the high master priests (Hawkins and Hughes) of mysterious aircraft mechanisms had rendered last rites to the engine starter, Hughes and Dan Larson took off in the airport courtesy car, which was straight out of a Blues Brothers movie, to the Memphis area in search of a new starter and Elvis.
Meanwhile, the local denizens of Covington Regional Airport, realizing they had a captive audience of the remaining members of the C2C fly-in, pulled out all stops of hospitality and regaled us city-folk with their version of how to fly aircraft and do aircraft maintenance. This was no idle talk, as the local crop-duster put on a flying demonstration that was not for the faint of heart. This crop duster was continually flying in and out all day long. Landings were an aerobatic air show. The pilot, who was evidently afraid of heights, would approach the pattern at no more than 300 feet, crossing over the mid-section of the runway. The turns were executed with the left wing pointed straight down toward the
ground. The turn to final was a 180 with a turn radius about equal to the wing span. It was certainly interesting to watch.
Take-offs were a study in contrasts to the landings. With an apparent gross weight of several times maximum, the pilot used every last inch of a 5000 foot runway, struggling into the air at an absolutely negligible rate of climb, leveling-off after a minute at about --you guessed it--300 feet. This was repeated at intervals all day long. Certainly a different way to fly.
Meanwhile, during the removal of the dead starter, one of the local aircraft mechanics and her husband were tearing into various aircraft in their possession, looking for a suitable replacement starter for our use. No luck. Incidentally, the mechanic, Valerie, looked like she belonged on the cover of a glamor magazine. She prefers maintaining jets, not pistons, and they had their own jet plane under construction in the hanger, with a neat little jet engine tucked under a work bench awaiting installation. Cool.
Eventually, Hughes and Larson returned from a successful trip to the Graceland environs, with a confirmed Elvis sighting and even a new starter. The whole group of people could not have been more gracious; one of the other mechanics was about to give us the keys to his entire toolbox when Valerie walked in. The starter was installed with the obligatory incantations, a blood sacrifice, and tools borrowed from Valerie's immaculate shop--you could almost eat off the floor, and there were two aircraft under active construction in there. The timing could not have been better, as the 5pm witching hour was approaching, meaning it was close to time to close up the terminal building.
Maybe Covington does not enjoy so much excitement every day, but we sure discovered some fantastic, trusting, friendly people willing to help out in a jam. There are now a bunch of nice Covington people wearing Bucky hats.
That is my story and I am sticking to it.
Geoff
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Scott
non-member comment
HAD TO LEAVE EARLY
Good luck to the rest of Dragon Flight 2008. Dan, Bill Davis and I had to turn back to GAI/FDK due to weather for the rest of the week. We were blessed with a very good tail wind, home from BPK to FDK, wheels down at 1930 local. Thanks to all on the Dragon Flight for the fellowship and experience. We will continue to follow your progress and keep you in our prayers.