This is Friday, right?
We spent a couple days in Walla Walla with family. It was lovely and the weather is perfect. But since we only have about a week before we start work on the plane again, yesterday morning after breakfast we gathered our things and headed East.
We avoided the interstate because we wanted the scenery. It was great! We went East to Lewiston Idaho where we had our oil changed. From there we took the scenic route to Coors Delane. The countryside is gorgeous! We stopped for Thai food and then proceeded on to Spokane. We have a friend here that we have not seen in years. So we will be here for a day or two. "Our friend" is a couple. Anh met him thru work years ago, but his wife is also a delightful lady. I felt guilty for having eaten. She was so frustrated that we were not hungry.
We are planning to visit Portland for a couple days when we leave here, but plans change quickly and easily.
Peace
Friday, August 31, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Mother's birthday
I have not written anything in several days. As I started to gather my thoughts and consume my first cup of coffee for the day, I checked to see what day of the week it is. It's Sunday, and the anniversary of my Mother's birth.
While I don't intend to get all emotional, it is with a great deal of affection that I bring her memory to the fore. I consider myself a very blessed man to have been her son. She left us in July of 2001 after struggling with cancer.
Nobody gets to pick their parents or their siblings. And since she is probably unknown to most of the people who read this, you will have to take my word for it; she really was special. Memory's of her kind and gentle ways are never far from recall. It is often one of these memorys that will cause me to be kind or gentle rather than acting out my brutish, self-centered instincts. Revulsion at the thought of disappointing her is still a force in my life.
So, Happy Birthday Mother! Rest in peace.
We are just a week away from our final installment of labor on the completion of the airplane. It has been a week since I was in Eugene working with the guys at Synergy Air. I'm told that the panel is done and tested. So, September 4th we will come together for another week (give or take) of work. We still have all the FAA paperwork to complete, and a two week visit to the painter. Then a final reassembly. After its done and inspected by the FAA and declared "air worthy" we still need to fly the plane for 40 hours of testing.
I'll be sure to post updates and pictures as we go along, so I hope you'll stay tuned.
While I don't intend to get all emotional, it is with a great deal of affection that I bring her memory to the fore. I consider myself a very blessed man to have been her son. She left us in July of 2001 after struggling with cancer.
Nobody gets to pick their parents or their siblings. And since she is probably unknown to most of the people who read this, you will have to take my word for it; she really was special. Memory's of her kind and gentle ways are never far from recall. It is often one of these memorys that will cause me to be kind or gentle rather than acting out my brutish, self-centered instincts. Revulsion at the thought of disappointing her is still a force in my life.
So, Happy Birthday Mother! Rest in peace.
We are just a week away from our final installment of labor on the completion of the airplane. It has been a week since I was in Eugene working with the guys at Synergy Air. I'm told that the panel is done and tested. So, September 4th we will come together for another week (give or take) of work. We still have all the FAA paperwork to complete, and a two week visit to the painter. Then a final reassembly. After its done and inspected by the FAA and declared "air worthy" we still need to fly the plane for 40 hours of testing.
I'll be sure to post updates and pictures as we go along, so I hope you'll stay tuned.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
So Tuesday afternoon, Wally says to me,"We're far enough along and reduced to waiting for parts; You could go home tomorrow if you want." This was exciting for me to hear, but there are still lots of details to wrap up. So Wednesday morning I packed up and checked out of my hotel. I was getting pretty excited at the thought of getting home and doing it in the daylight. So I gassed up the truck for the trip and drove out to the airport to say goodbye to the guys before I got on the freeway. So Wally says to me,"Hey, before you go why don't you do (list of tasks)?" No problem, but it was a surprise and I decided to work til lunch and then scoot.
I put the elevator fairings and Horizontal stabilizer fairings on with pro-seal and pop-rivets. It went pretty quick. Then I did some fiberglass work on the trailing edge of the wing tip fairings in anticipation of trimming them to match the elevators. I actually enjoy laying up fiberglass. It isn't itchy scratchy like the sanding is. The pro-seal is pretty messy stuff, but I think a guy could get good at it. The last thing I did was help Phil install the Angle of Attack (AOA) sensors. It consists of two sensors; one on top and one on the bottom of the wing. They need to be located parallel to the chord line of the wing.
Then we went to a free BBQ lunch hosted by the airport administration. It's the only thing I've gotten for free since I came to Eugene. I enjoyed visiting with the guys and meeting a couple of prospective employees. Apparently the young Joshua is moving on to another job.
Hit the road about 1300 and was feeling drowsy within about an hour so I pulled for a combat nap. After 15 minutes I was back in action and got to Olympia at 1700. Stopped for a drink at Big Toms and then topped off the tank and it was back on the freeway north. Traffic was crowded, but I rolled into Lynnwood about 1900. It's so nice to be cheerfully greeted by loved ones; hugs and kisses.
So today it's Thursday and I have to get my schoolwork done ASAP. Today is sit at the computer and slam it out.
I put the elevator fairings and Horizontal stabilizer fairings on with pro-seal and pop-rivets. It went pretty quick. Then I did some fiberglass work on the trailing edge of the wing tip fairings in anticipation of trimming them to match the elevators. I actually enjoy laying up fiberglass. It isn't itchy scratchy like the sanding is. The pro-seal is pretty messy stuff, but I think a guy could get good at it. The last thing I did was help Phil install the Angle of Attack (AOA) sensors. It consists of two sensors; one on top and one on the bottom of the wing. They need to be located parallel to the chord line of the wing.
Then we went to a free BBQ lunch hosted by the airport administration. It's the only thing I've gotten for free since I came to Eugene. I enjoyed visiting with the guys and meeting a couple of prospective employees. Apparently the young Joshua is moving on to another job.
Hit the road about 1300 and was feeling drowsy within about an hour so I pulled for a combat nap. After 15 minutes I was back in action and got to Olympia at 1700. Stopped for a drink at Big Toms and then topped off the tank and it was back on the freeway north. Traffic was crowded, but I rolled into Lynnwood about 1900. It's so nice to be cheerfully greeted by loved ones; hugs and kisses.
So today it's Thursday and I have to get my schoolwork done ASAP. Today is sit at the computer and slam it out.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
I'm staying here in Eugene for another week because there is work I can do to move the project forward. I had expected that Saturday would be a day off, but Wally called and asked me if I wanted to work. So I spent the day working on the fiberglass parts.
As I mentioned in a previous post, fiberglass work is very messy and makes you itch a lot. The mess is all the dust that's generated in the sanding. This dust is fine like baby powder, but made up of kabillions of teenie weenie fiberglass shards are very irritating to the skin. I'm told that a preventative is to rub baby powder on your skin before you begin, but I haven't tried it. The fiberglass dust stays on and in your clothes and gets deposited on everything you touch. I tried shaking my clothing out and lots of the terrible dust was liberated, but there was still plenty that stayed with me. It's now in my truck and on the hotel bedspread.
The foam for the seats arrived yesterday. Friday Bob and I met with the folks that will be doing our interior; seat covers, carpet, cabin liner. They came prepared with samples and lots of ideas on how it should be. They seem very accommodating about giving us what we want. They have done airplanes before, so they have a track record and come recommended.
Pro-seal is a two part material that is used to create a seal. It is the, I think, the stickiest, most persistent thing I've had the misfortune to touch. I happened to get a little on my hand and didn't get it cleaned off quick enough. I may have to wait for the resurrection to get rid of it.
Today will be devoted to washing clothes and writing for my Autobiographical Writing class. I have much to do and a short time to get it done. When I signed up for this, I assumed I would have access to the internet, but that has not been the case. I'm looking forward to finishing the plane and the Summer quarter. Unfortunately, I'm missing out on what looks like the nicest Summer in a long time.
As I mentioned in a previous post, fiberglass work is very messy and makes you itch a lot. The mess is all the dust that's generated in the sanding. This dust is fine like baby powder, but made up of kabillions of teenie weenie fiberglass shards are very irritating to the skin. I'm told that a preventative is to rub baby powder on your skin before you begin, but I haven't tried it. The fiberglass dust stays on and in your clothes and gets deposited on everything you touch. I tried shaking my clothing out and lots of the terrible dust was liberated, but there was still plenty that stayed with me. It's now in my truck and on the hotel bedspread.
The foam for the seats arrived yesterday. Friday Bob and I met with the folks that will be doing our interior; seat covers, carpet, cabin liner. They came prepared with samples and lots of ideas on how it should be. They seem very accommodating about giving us what we want. They have done airplanes before, so they have a track record and come recommended.
Pro-seal is a two part material that is used to create a seal. It is the, I think, the stickiest, most persistent thing I've had the misfortune to touch. I happened to get a little on my hand and didn't get it cleaned off quick enough. I may have to wait for the resurrection to get rid of it.
Today will be devoted to washing clothes and writing for my Autobiographical Writing class. I have much to do and a short time to get it done. When I signed up for this, I assumed I would have access to the internet, but that has not been the case. I'm looking forward to finishing the plane and the Summer quarter. Unfortunately, I'm missing out on what looks like the nicest Summer in a long time.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Update on my last post. I returned to Eugene, gathered my things and checked out of the Bates Hotel and into a more safe and sane establishment.
Yesterday was mostly about fiberglass. We worked on the engine cowl, and the wheel pants. We also installed and tested the fuel level sensors in the wing tanks.
You might not notice, but the plane is suspended off the floor. This is so that we can configure the wheel pants for best performance in flight. The picture makes it look like the plane is balanced on a saw horse.
Working with fiberglass is itchy. The dust is actually itty bitty little shards of glass that poke into your skin and make you uncomfortable. Here I'm connecting the two halves of the engine cowl (temporarily) so that they don't move. Then I fit the rings in place and prepare for mounting them. This set me up for a day of itching and scratching because of all the fiberglass dust that I liberated from the cowl.
This is looking inside the cowl after we had laid up the rings and fiber glassed them in place. Today we need to take the two halves of the cowl apart. Hopefully, we will have a perfectly mated surface for the rings to mount to.
The process of installing the fuel level sensors was not difficult, but very messy. We put pro-seal on both sides of the gaskets and dipped each screw in pros-seal as well. Pro-seal is a two part poly sulfite goopy sticky compound that won't come out of clothing. It requires harsh chemicals to get it off of tools. No matter how careful one is, this stuff will find a way to get where it isn't wanted.
The sensors are electronic and have a variable resistance based on the position of the mechanical float. When the float is high (full tank), the ohms meter read about 30. When the float is low (empty tank) the ohms meter read about 250. This resistance is translated by electronic wizardry to tell us at a glance whether we can keep going or if we need to look for fuel.
After a full day of work on the plane, I'm happy but pooped. I stopped by a supply store for some material we need and then came back to my little peaceful hotel room. Shower, dinner, and sleep.
It just occurred to me that this sounds like this is all about me. But I am just one of the people working on this. There were four others beside me working yesterday. Bob is such a hard working detail oriented guy. He worked on the latch that will open the canopy. A large part of the job was locating all the parts. Building at Synergy is nothing like it was at home. There we could (and did) discuss things at length. At Synergy we are all about getting it done and Wally is the leader. No need for lengthy discussions. As a result, we get a lot done, but we have lost some of the social aspect of building. We all sit in the sun and eat our lunches together, but that is about as social as it gets. If this seems egocentric, remember that this blog is part of my summer quarter at the college.
It just occurred to me that this sounds like this is all about me. But I am just one of the people working on this. There were four others beside me working yesterday. Bob is such a hard working detail oriented guy. He worked on the latch that will open the canopy. A large part of the job was locating all the parts. Building at Synergy is nothing like it was at home. There we could (and did) discuss things at length. At Synergy we are all about getting it done and Wally is the leader. No need for lengthy discussions. As a result, we get a lot done, but we have lost some of the social aspect of building. We all sit in the sun and eat our lunches together, but that is about as social as it gets. If this seems egocentric, remember that this blog is part of my summer quarter at the college.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
A lot has happened since the last time I posted to this blog. The transient lifestyle has meant for me that I am largely detached from my Internet connection. I hadn't realized how much I am online until it became unavailable. Last night I stayed with my lifetime friend Boyd and his wife Pam. They put me up for the night and will be depositing me on the train this afternoon to Eugene. He fixed breakfast this morning; scrambled eggs, sausage links, fried potatoes, toast and jam. I think I wanna move in now.
We started work on the plane in Eugene on the 30th of July. So far, there have been only five days of work, but so much has been accomplished. Here are some highlights of major accomplishments:
Working with the guys at Synergy is kind of like paddling in a raft that's flowing down a fast moving river. So much is happening that it's hard to know how much I'm really adding to the process. If I were not there, it wouldn't stop them. Never the less, Bob and I are totally involved and loving it. The Synergy guys know what to do and don't have to waste time standing around talking about it. They dive in and before you know it the work is done. Even while they teach us in the process.
My solution to housing was to rent a room I found on Craigslist. How could I have known I was dealing with a troubled individual? My landlord struck me as quirky when we first met. She seemed paranoid about the air quality and 'Chemtrails' as though someone is out to get her. She has the house up for sale, but set the price at what she wants rather than what the market would indicate. The first few days were okay. I tried to keep a very small footprint in the house. I cleaned my dishes and put them in the dish washer. I keep my personal items within the confines of my room rather than taking over the bathroom. I removed my shoes at the door to keep her floors clean. I tried to negotiate her permission to bring my wife to stay with me, but she said, "NO". I figured we could handle the one month separation because I could go home for the weekends.
Last Wednesday I noticed that the dishwasher was full, so that evening I put soap in it an ran the dishwasher. The next morning I removed the dishes and put them away. I thought I was just being a good housemate, but she instructed me that I should let her do the dishes. She said, "Just put your dishes in the sink". So (while it struck me a little odd) I put my dishes in the sink the next morning as instructed. I went of to the airport for a day of working on the plane. We had a very full day, and I came home with a big headache and exhausted. I went straight to my room and fell asleep.
I was awakened by her shouting, "You need to get out right now". I came out and asked if everything was okay. She said,"Have you read your email?" "No", I replied "I have been working on the plane all day and haven't even noticed that I had email." She wouldn't talk to me, but instead told me to read my mail. So I read my mail. She had left me three messages; each growing increasingly weirder than the last. She was very upset that I had left my dishes in the sink. You can imagine my confusion. She was madder than a wet hen. So I took the blame for the 'misunderstanding' and tried to calm her down. I thought that this would be the end of the matter; WRONG.
I came home this last weekend because there was going to be a delay in our work until Wednesday and I wanted to spend the time with family. You can imagine my surprise when I received another email telling me that I need to move out RIGHT NOW. Okay, I give up. So I arranged to stay in a hotel and let her know that I'll be moving out Tuesday evening when I return to town. I thought she'd be happy. Now she's decided to verbally attack my character via email. I can't wait to be out of there. I am so thankful that my brother will be coming with me to get my stuff. I have this mental picture of my land lady that disturbs me.
Just to add to the drama, she (Mrs Bates) decided to throw all my stuff in a bag even though I asked her to leave my things alone.. Then she emails me to tell me about it. Yike!
We started work on the plane in Eugene on the 30th of July. So far, there have been only five days of work, but so much has been accomplished. Here are some highlights of major accomplishments:
- Wings on and angle of incidence set
- Horizontal stabilizer on
- Vertical Stabilizer on
- Elevators on
- Rudder on
- Wing tanks prosealed and final skins riveted
- Control rods all properly set and installed
- Landing gear assembled and installed
- Engine mounted and all sensors installed
- Vetterman exhaust installed
- Propeller installed, torqued and safety wired
- Engine baffling in progress
- Engine Cowl in progress
We are waiting for the new panel and other parts to arrive, but Wally assures us that two more weeks of work and we should be done and ready for the painter. One big unknown is how long it will take for the FAA to finish with their paper work.
Working with the guys at Synergy is kind of like paddling in a raft that's flowing down a fast moving river. So much is happening that it's hard to know how much I'm really adding to the process. If I were not there, it wouldn't stop them. Never the less, Bob and I are totally involved and loving it. The Synergy guys know what to do and don't have to waste time standing around talking about it. They dive in and before you know it the work is done. Even while they teach us in the process.
My solution to housing was to rent a room I found on Craigslist. How could I have known I was dealing with a troubled individual? My landlord struck me as quirky when we first met. She seemed paranoid about the air quality and 'Chemtrails' as though someone is out to get her. She has the house up for sale, but set the price at what she wants rather than what the market would indicate. The first few days were okay. I tried to keep a very small footprint in the house. I cleaned my dishes and put them in the dish washer. I keep my personal items within the confines of my room rather than taking over the bathroom. I removed my shoes at the door to keep her floors clean. I tried to negotiate her permission to bring my wife to stay with me, but she said, "NO". I figured we could handle the one month separation because I could go home for the weekends.
Last Wednesday I noticed that the dishwasher was full, so that evening I put soap in it an ran the dishwasher. The next morning I removed the dishes and put them away. I thought I was just being a good housemate, but she instructed me that I should let her do the dishes. She said, "Just put your dishes in the sink". So (while it struck me a little odd) I put my dishes in the sink the next morning as instructed. I went of to the airport for a day of working on the plane. We had a very full day, and I came home with a big headache and exhausted. I went straight to my room and fell asleep.
I was awakened by her shouting, "You need to get out right now". I came out and asked if everything was okay. She said,"Have you read your email?" "No", I replied "I have been working on the plane all day and haven't even noticed that I had email." She wouldn't talk to me, but instead told me to read my mail. So I read my mail. She had left me three messages; each growing increasingly weirder than the last. She was very upset that I had left my dishes in the sink. You can imagine my confusion. She was madder than a wet hen. So I took the blame for the 'misunderstanding' and tried to calm her down. I thought that this would be the end of the matter; WRONG. I came home this last weekend because there was going to be a delay in our work until Wednesday and I wanted to spend the time with family. You can imagine my surprise when I received another email telling me that I need to move out RIGHT NOW. Okay, I give up. So I arranged to stay in a hotel and let her know that I'll be moving out Tuesday evening when I return to town. I thought she'd be happy. Now she's decided to verbally attack my character via email. I can't wait to be out of there. I am so thankful that my brother will be coming with me to get my stuff. I have this mental picture of my land lady that disturbs me.
Just to add to the drama, she (Mrs Bates) decided to throw all my stuff in a bag even though I asked her to leave my things alone.. Then she emails me to tell me about it. Yike!
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