Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net> (Marvin Kaye)
To: lml
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 01:22:31 -0400
Message-ID: <redirect-1241624@logan.com>
From: Sky2high@aol.com
Subject: The Flight of Two Madmen - Reno 2001 - Part 4
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Day 7 - Saturday, 9/15/01 - Departure TRK->OGD

Got up to a beautiful day of sunshine.  The Saturday/Sunday weather forecast=
=20
was great for our trip home as long as we stayed to the North.  We filed our=
=20
IFR plan to Ogden, UT with a 10 am departure time.  On Friday, the EAA=20
chapter found a member to provide us with a copy of the OGD plates - a fello=
w=20
Lancair builder no less.  Back out to TRK, I got rid of the car and noticed=20
that no one else made it to the EAA fly in.  Arnie, with the faster Lancair,=
=20
would go first - the controllers would not allow an IFR flight of two, even=20
though VMC existed.=20

We taxied out to the runway, stopping and shutting down behind two ordinary=20
aircraft (Cessna, I think).  Since there was an RCO nearby, Arnie got in=20
contact with Reno departure so we could get in line.  Reno would only handle=
=20
one IFR flight into or out of our "zone" at a time.  This meant that 4=20
flights got into South Lake Tahoe before anyone got cleared out of Truckee.=20=
=20
Finally, after over two hours, Arnie got his clearance and departed.

By this time you probably got the idea that I had no problem hearing=20
clearance delivery - true, but they could not hear me.  So, being reasonably=
=20
smart, I pulled out my cell phone and called FSS - you know 1-800-WX-BRIEF.=20=
=20
Remember that Truckee in is California and Reno is in Nevada.  The FAA=20
automatic call router gave me to an FSS in the bowels of CA because of the=20
area code (IL) transmitted by my phone.  For some reason, they could not giv=
e=20
me a direct dial number for an FSS in NV and they didn't know the number for=
=20
Reno clearance.  Ok, I taxied back to the main terminal and used the direct=20
land line phone for FSS - they could not give me the clearance because of=20
circumstances, but they could give me the direct dial number for clearance=20
delivery - of course, I was on a phone that could not be dialed.  Saved by m=
y=20
cell phone, I finally got a clearance with a void time.  Arnie was long gone=
.=20
 So long gone that I did not hear any center communications with him once I=20
was airborne.

Lesson #12 - Have all your ducks in a row, including any ATC phone numbers=20
you might need.  Trust nothing to Chance; she can be a foul tempered lady.

The flight to OGD was pleasant and uneventful.  There were so few planes wer=
e=20
in the air, it seemed as though I had my own personal controller.  Several=20
times I received vectors to avoid restricted areas by quite a wide margin,=20
much wider than that indicated on the GPS.  I guess they were worried about=20
sloppy F-16 pilotage.

Arnie got to the right airport first this time (under radar guidance, heh=20
heh) and, when I landed, we discussed staying for the night since we got suc=
h=20
a late start and lost an hour in the time zone change.  A weather check agai=
n=20
showed no problem for the two-legged finishing flight on Sunday.  Probably=20
OGD to ANW (Ainsworth, NE) and then on to home.

We did not notice any security at OGD, the gate was open and people wandered=
=20
out from the restaurant to inquire about our planes.  There were many=20
businesses on the field with easy access from the street.  However, Hill AFB=
=20
is 5 NM to the South and there were regular flights of F-16 pairs in and out=
=20
of Hill.  They were slick looking and it was nice to see them flying cover=20
for us.  Luckily, one of the folks that stopped by offered to take us to the=
=20
hotel (Marriott, I think), one with a nice bar.  Note that Utah is not dry=20
and we were.

Day 8 - Sunday, 9/16/01 - OGD->ANW, or so it would seem.

Back at the airport, the weather was checked, IFR plan filed, Arnie fires up=
=20
since he's going first again and I listen in as he received his clearance. =20
Arnie doesn't believe it since we were told that the usual departure is 240=20
degrees with a circling climb over the Salt Lake, then on course over those=20
mountains east of Ogden.  The clearance was something like fly the runway=20
heading, then fly the 005 degree SLC VOR radial, 62 NM, then on course, etc.=
 =20
Note that this sends you North into the mountains rather than west of Salt=20
Lake City.  They probably thought we were terrorists from Wisconsin.  Anyway=
,=20
I benefited from hearing the clearance repeated several times so I was ready=
=20
when it was my turn.

Lesson #12 - Let the other guy go first so you can look like a brilliant=20
professional pilot.  Eavesdrop on anything that could help improve someone's=
=20
first impression of your fa=E7ade.

Lesson #13 - Confused terrorists should always reject a complicated clearanc=
e=20
and request radar vectors.

Ready, I tune in the tower for release and what do I hear, Arnie is coming=20
back!  OK, I cancel everything (delays or retries were not allowed, we would=
=20
have to re-file) and taxi back, beating Arnie once again.  Arnie pulls up=20
along side and deplanes.  He said, "I could not get the #@%&# pump to run up=
=20
my gear!"  "It works for down and locked though."  Just my "cup of tea" and=20
the investigation began.

Having opened the dump valve, the pump would still not run "up".  We borrowe=
d=20
a continuity tester from the local Cessna maintenance shop (remember, shops=20
are open on Saturday and Sunday) and the isolated pressure switch was found=20
to be inoperative.  We found and called Don G. for advice on how we could ge=
t=20
a pressure switch and he said, "Just get two wires and twist'm together unti=
l=20
the gear sounds like it's up, then pull'm apart."  Clever, I thought, and=20
KISS too.  Well, liking a more sophisticated solution, I asked the mechanic=20
to sell us some wire and a switch.  "Nothing doing", he said as he gave us=20
wire, connectors and a discarded Cessna rocker switch.  You run into the=20
nicest people when you fly a Lancair and know how to whine.

After installing the pilot operated gear control, the pump would still not=20
run!  Uh oh!  Further testing indicated that the "up" relay was dead too.  N=
o=20
problem, back to the wrench - "Any 12 volt intermittent relays?"   "None=20
available." He replies, "But there's an auto store in Ogden".  No Problem. =20
We borrow the courtesy car and head for Auto Zone.  There, we find an old gu=
y=20
who used to fly Luscombes.  He knew exactly what we needed, an old Ford=20
starter relay - $13 I think. =20

Lesson #14, Trust old guys, they know stuff.  Beware of whippersnappers.

Back to the airport, I jury-rigged it in since we would otherwise have had t=
o=20
remove the whole pump/relay mount to replace just the relay.  Now, the pump=20
ran (with the dump valve opened) but he was not allowed to flight test it=20
(IFR only).  Well, what the heck, he could test it tomorrow, when the weathe=
r=20
was going to be ugly.  "Let's go back to the hotel so we can practice=20
unpacking our bags again and visit the bar", I thirstily said.  "Forget the=20
unpacking", Arnie added.

To Be Continued.

Grayhawk