Hurry up and wait was the name of the game while flying at the air ambulance – hurry up to take the medical crew to where they’re going then wait while they do their thing.
Same thing on a different day.
This time we are waiting for weather. Even with the positive indications from the engine runs, the first flight after maintenance like Sis has had, needs to be given extra consideration. Good weather gives an added layer of safety to a possibly unpredictable situation.
Sis is a 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza model 35, one of the first 1000 off the assembly line. For all intents and purposes, she is my big sister as I have grown up flying with her and now am her caretaker.
So much so, the NTSB created a checklist to highlight areas in need of special attention after heavy maintenance in addition to a routine preflight.
So we waited, and prepared for her freedom flight.
The restorer has been working on the required logbook entries over the past week when time has allowed between travel for the holidays and our time at Sis’s hangar buttoning up the last little bits and her engine runs.
I’ve been re-familiarizing myself with checklists and the discussion about our weather needs; a division of labor has begun to take shape.
Watching the weather trend has been annoying – temperatures getting colder with winter becoming a reality.
With New Year’s Eve around the corner, it would be nice if the flight happened in 2023 but only time will tell. The forecast ceiling and visibility are not what we need for flight.
The aviation forecast (or TAF) for the upcoming days does not look promising. Words like low confidence and uncertain timing keep showing up in the forecast discussion which the weather service provides to give insight into the forecast.
The restorer has reminded me we need to be patient, which I agree but am not happy with. The weather will come around eventually.
The next day, New Year’s Eve, was definitely worse weather-wise with ceilings below 2000’ and forecasted to remain there for several days.
Our minimums for Sis’s first flight are:
- Good weather with a minimum ceiling of 3500’ and 5 miles visibility
- Daylight
- Light wind
- Temperatures above freezing
I renewed Sis’s database subscription at Oshkosh and finally activated it after the last engine run.
We discussed what we would do in the meantime, documentation of everything done until now for this has been spotty as I’ve been an active participant in the process under the restorer’s watchful eye and typing a few observations when able.
I am focusing on administrative tasks like notes for future pieces and a timeline for publication in addition to figuring out how to get the restorer’s logbook entries to appear correctly on labels for Sis’s logbook documentation.
Anything to feel productive while not knowing when we are going to fly.
At least the house is getting put back together after the marathon maintenance sessions over the past few months. I’m reminded how anything can be done, but not at the same time.
The restorer keeps telling me to be patient but some moments are better than others.
He has been down this road before; first flight protocols after heavy maintenance.
We cleaned up more of Sis’s hangar and brought items no longer needed back to the restorer’s hangar. There are still a few more trips, but it’s coming together.
After the last engine run, I’m convinced Sis wants to and is ready to fly but the weather isn’t where it should be yet.
I use the time to plan out healthy activities for the winter and look at other goals for the year.
I signed up for a steps challenge in addition to incorporating races and other activities along with fly in’s that we want to do through the year. Putting them into the calendar gives me needed balance along with focus allowing for accountability for personal health goals while staying the course on professional growth.
After being focused for so long on Sis, it felt odd to be able to shift my thoughts back to my personal goals once again. I reminded myself of the small, daily goals we had been striving towards before steps, healthy food, and rest.
Taking time away from airplane things allowed for a more productive time focusing on the flight plan and checklist modification afterwards.
Checklist and Route Planning
We began to discuss the checklist in detail referring to engine break-in procedures laid out by Beechcraft in the Pilots Operating Handbook and the engine manufacturer, things fell into place.
What power settings should we be looking for and how long should we fly for the break in?
The restorer said we should be in the air at least an hour at a high cruise setting for break-in. Longer flights at sustained higher temperatures would give the rings in the cylinders time to seat, establishing a proper wear pattern.
I mapped out a route of flight that would take an hour to align with the parameters spelled out and yet stay close to airports if we need to land for unforseen circumstances.
We also worked on updating the checklist and getting reacquainted with specifics for the aircraft.
The New Year arrived while waiting for the weather to improve.
The restorer joined me on a long New Years walk to get steps in for the winter steps challenge and otherwise enjoying the day’s peace.
As we got our minds back from the recent push, the house was finally looking like it should and things were returned to their normal place.
While weather conditions were forecasted to improve, temperatures were also forecasted to drop into the 30’s the next week, and the restorer voiced his concern about preheating Sis.
Something to focus on in preparation for flight!
In Sis’s current home, how can we push warmth into the cowling safely to heat the oil in the oil tank?
We head up to the restorer’s hangar to pick up an adapter for our heater to inject heat into Sis’s cowling under close supervision.
Another day closer to her freedom flight, we will be ready when the weather gives us a break.
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