Pilots!
Please join me in congratulating the newest US Private Pilot in the world, one RJ Z., who scored his wings yesterday with DPE Mark D in Cessna 739.
Nice work, RJ!
I know some things in maintenanceland:
61Q is cruising.
68U is under the microscope for an engine roughness we still have not fully cured.
739 is in the pit lanes for a 100hr inspection.
94M has had a repair to her carburetor air box.
63B is rocking her new cylinders.
17J's new engine is wrapping up. Just waiting on the airframe now.
...so about Julie...
Someone made an amusing comment about the cost of aviation repairs, and why some Pep Boys Bondo won't do the trick... check this work out -- we got an update from the sheet metal wizards at Tom's Aircraft, in Long Beach, CA, and literally, Julie is being remanufactured from the ground up. Any bent metal is unairworthy and discarded, to be replaced by new green zinc-chromated aluminum. When we say "airworthy", we're not messing around.
(the green zinc-chromate coating is corrosion-proofing -- sometimes it is a yellow-green color)
Here are some pics of what $120k in work looks like:
The little pins poking out from the sheet metal are called Cleco's -- little grabber claws that act like a temporary and removable rivet. Aircraft are genuinely hand-crafted and laboriously manufactured, to the point where every aluminum panel does not come with holes pre-drilled! The mechanic measures twice, drills, and holds the spot with a Cleco. After a few hundred clecos, the mechanic is ready to drive new, permanent rivets.
It's really one of the few major handcrafted products made in the USA still. If you ever get to Wichita, check out the tour at Independence, KS, it is simply amazing.
Julie rejoins us in a few weeks!
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We have a new staff member at the ranch! We have hired a legendary Maintenance Guru, Paul McCracken, who joins us from Dallas, TX. Paul has been our exclusive prepurchase inspection provider, and is a true piston-aircraft specialist, who jet sets all over the US, looking at aircraft, fixing them, and bringing them home.
Paul is also a Beechcraft Wizard of known repute, but works on all types of aircraft, and brings with him decades of aviation knowledge and lore. We have spent 3 years wooing Paul, and pouring him the Fly Corona! Kool-Aid, and he's onboard to level-up our maintenance facility! Paul joins us late this week or early next, depending on his packing arrangements and skills.
Paul's job number one will be to care and feed for our Flybabies like they were his own, as well as draw some fancier planes into Corona, and ultimately, our maintenance shop expansion to Chino Airport.
Welcome to the family, Paul!
We expect to have a welcome BBQ for Paul in a few weeks, and hope to see you there! Additionally, 5 points and a high-five from Paul if you can name the plane above without googling the N# :)
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Nice weather abounds... grab some sky!
Cheers,
- Mike
