200hr

Pilots,

Some maintenance updates around the aerodrome:

Cessna 20U is down for 100hr, and we discovered low compression on one of her new engine's cylinders. We expect downtime through tuesday or wednesday while we order a replacement.

Cessna 1ES is down for 100hr. We hope to have her back online sometime today.

Cessna 04H is still restricted from night flights while we search for the source of an electrical short, and we anticipate full functionality soon.



The weather is nice again. Grab some air!

Blue Skies,

- Mike

41C !?

Pilots,

Some things even a misty mate cannot fix -- this is a nasty heatwave. Please stay cool, bring water on EVERY flight, and if possible, climb high or go west :)



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We are troubleshooting an electrical issue in Cessna 04H. She has been grounded from night flight until we pinpoint it.

Piper 85Y has her hobbs meter repaired. Sorry. :)

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Business as usual around the ranch otherwise. Blue Skies!

- Mike

Starting 1ES

Pilots,

I have seen numerous "failed attempts" to start Cessna 1ES, and to a lesser extent, the same problem applies to Cessna 17J and Piper 85Y - which is, fuel-injected lycoming engines use a weird approach to starting.

For warm weather (read: always), the procedure in the checklist will FLOOD THE ENGINE every time. Here is my procedure:

Master ON
Mixture to idle cut-off
Throttle in 1"
Engage Starter until engine "catches", no more than 10 seconds.
Mixture full

If the engine failed to catch, try the boost pump for 1-2 seconds and repeat.



That's it. Using the primer/fuel boost pump should ONLY be necessary when it is cold out, and even then, do not use the 5-seconds or the "until fuel pressure stabilizes" rule. That is for Continental engines. 1-2 seconds TOPS will suffice.

Starting with the mixture "full rich" like the carbureted planes (68U, 20U, 04H) is a recipe for flooding also.

Give it a shot -- if you have a particular "trick", I'd like to know. At $500 apiece, starters for 1ES are worth sparing. :)

Blue Skies,

- Mike