Sunday, October 6, 2013

Waiting

Harry completed the annual with only a few minor discrepancies. A slight oil leak from the #2 valve cover appears to be a seal problem. Oil had bee dripping down on the exhaust pipe leaving a crusty residue. He cleaned it all up and now it looks like new. A small coolant leak from the upper radiator hose was also addressed. An hour or so of local flying devoted to testing the engine verified Sally was ready for our 1,100 mile trip. Just south of Allentown I found "Snoopy" making his way eastward, probably en-route to provide aerial views for a weekend sporting event. Sally and I went in for a closer look, but not too close. After a few orbits we departed for some landings at Quakertown.




Our route of flight is completely blocked by this cold front.

I planed for two days at about 6 hrs/day. Estimated departure was planned for an early Saturday morning launch. Unfortunately the weather didn't agree with me. We woke Saturday to see dense fog in the back yard. A quick weather check showed a blanket covering most of Pennsylvania extending down into West Virginia. I played with various options but ultimately decided "No Go". So, we waited.

Sunday morning was worse. It didn't take me long to decide that we weren't going to try to fly through a powerful cold front. Disappointed, we are still waiting.

Monday didn't have the fog but the line of storms was more intense. The front was passing over our first fuel stop. Heavy rain and gusty winds made the decision an easy one: Canc Wx.



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