Angel Flight Mission #5

Today was my fifth Angel Flight Mission and for this flight I was to pick up some coolers of blood from the Elma airport (4W8) and deliver the coolers to Boeing Field. I ended up taking one of the 182 partners along, so I assumed CFI duties and let him fly all three legs since he wanted some short field practice into Elma and to get some experience flying into Boeing Field.

First Flight Review as a CFI

Today I started the flight review process for one of the partners in the 182. He hadn't flown in the 182 for about six months so we started off with him getting re-acquainted with the airplane. After a few touch and goes, we headed North for some simulated emergencies and some air work. We still need to do the ground portion of the review and we're planning on at least one more flight before I sign him off.

Trip to the Oregon Zoo

The nice weather finally arrived for the Memorial Weekend so we loaded up the airplane and flew down to Portland (KHIO). From there we hopped on the Max for the 25-minute ride to Washington Park. The plan was to spend the day at the zoo and see how much energy everyone had at the end of the day, before deciding on whether or not to fly back or spend the night. We ended up staying until the Zoo closed so I called the local Holiday Inn Express and booked a room. The Hotel is just two train exits from the airport, so it is really convenient. I would have rather stayed downtown, but for $89/night you can't beat it.

First 1.8 Hours Dual Given

Yesterday I had the opportunity to fly for the first time as a CFI for hire. One of my friends was adding an additional pilot to his C172 insurance and he asked me to fly with the new pilot. My student was a newly minted private pilot and my task was to evaluate short/soft/normal takeoffs/landings, simulated engine failures and teach prop/throttle operation. It was nice to be sitting in the right seat and getting paid (and being able to log the time) as well as watching my student go through the ups and downs of learning the operation of an unfamiliar airplane. I witnessed pilot overload, reaching a learning plateau, and some of the other things that are called out in the FAA's fundamentals of instruction text.

Annual

The 182 went in this week for it's annual inspection. The mechanics are doing a very thorough job and found a few non-conforming parts on the mixture control. It's interesting how non-aviation fittings and assemblies end up in an airplane. It baffles one's mind how a trained A&P can use a part from a hardware store or something that looks like it will fit, instead of using an FAA approved part. In any case, the correct parts are now in place. Most of the maintenance items are minor but a couple of note were a damaged gascolator which was letting some unfiltered fuel into the system and some corrosion where the nose gear strut attaches to the firewall. The gascolator is being replaced and the strut attachment is being re-enforced with new screws.

I also learned about FAA form 337 and STC certificates that have to be accounted for each modification. I spent an hour or so sorting through a box of airplane documents looking for relevent maintenance papers. After this annual, all paperwork will be in a easily accessable binder, which will make the paper trail portion of future inspections mush easier.

$100 Pizza

Last night, there was a fly-in to Orcas Island (KORS) for pizza. The event was organized by one of the flight schools at Boeing Field. I didn't count all the planes, but there must have been at least six and probably 15-20 people by the time everyone got situated at the restaurant. The restaraunt was just a short walk from the airport, and the view from the deck was a typical beautiful evening San Juan Island view. I knew most of the folks there and I dined with another pilot and his friends that he brought along for the adventure. Coming back was a picture perfect night with a half moon and the emerald city glowing. I had a chance to work on my night IFR skills and was able to log 1.1 hours of night pic.

http://portofinopizzeria.com/