Is it that time already?
Santa Ana winds have crept into the area, with a blustery runway 7 the active, and some amusing landings to enjoy... fun!
If the winds are out of the east, please pay particular attention to the tiedown chains when you secure the aircraft, making them snug, and chained on all 3 points, and please let us know if the fuel tanks are less than half full. Keeping the planes heavy with fuel helps keep them on the ground.
We'd prefer not to repeat the 72F incident of 2007...
(Doh!) -- 72F was actually chained on all 3 points and was having a new engine mounted, but she was completely empty of fuel... which means her stall speed was likely in the high 30kt range... and when the Santa Anas blow, they frequently gust to 50kts or more.
72F uprooted the tiedown cables (the 1/4" thick steel cables that the chains attach to), and snapped them like a spaghetti strand. Yikes! Even a 150 is strong like bull under the right circumstances.
Some maintenance tales:
Cessna 630 has some tuning done on her oil pump. Please keep an eye on oil pressure, particularly at startup. If it does not register within 10 seconds, something is amiss. We'd like to keep oil running through the motor if at all possible.
Cessna 68U has finally gotten a crack at the hangar.
Cessna 20U is out cruising around.
Cessna 739 may emerge this weekend from her annual with new plastics on the panel, and a slug of refinements.
Cessna 1ES will be going in for 100hr here shortly.
Cessna 17J just came out of her 100hr.
Cessna 25R will be going in for 100hr next week or the week after.
Hot hot hot! Grab a water from the fridge! Climb High, Fly West, pour the water on your head! Whatever it takes to not bake out there!
Blue Skies,
- Mike
