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Posted By:
Hal Brown
Date Posted:
Feb 25, 2007
Description:
At least she survived. I think she was even smiling at the end. That is a testament to her strong character.
I should have known better than to have taken her flying. When she showed up with her husband I should have just said “not today.” There is a basic problem with being an optimist, however, in that you always think things will get better. In reality, sometimes they get worse.
The day got off to a bad start. I had promised a Mooney guy a ride in the SeaRey. Dave is a cautious, by-the-book flyer. The SeaRey was going to be a stretch for him anyway. Then, just before he arrived, I managed to break a brake cable.
That wouldn’t be so bad, I figured, since we wouldn’t be landing at an airport anyway. The big problem was getting the airplane down the steep ramp and into the water with no brakes. I decided I’d just have to hand launch it.
Having had prior bad experience with hand launching, I attached a rope to the back of the airplane. When the airplane went streaking into the water, all I had to do is reach over and grab the rope.
The plan was going great until the rope let go. The wind promptly blew the airplane into the lakeside weeds. That was when the Mooney guy showed up. Since I knew he was also a sailor, I didn’t want him to know I’m a knot head when it comes to tying ropes. The only solution was to shuck my shoes and wade out into the cold, swampy water to capture the airplane.
We finally got the airplane along side the dock. That was when the phone rang. It was Kerry. A Canadian was supposed to get a demo flight but the factory plane went kaput (bad carbs). He wanted me to fly over and take the guy for a ride.
“No brakes,” I had to tell him. Not wanting to have anyone disappointed, I offered to have Kerry take him for a ride from my place. “Brakes don’t work in the water anyway.” My Mooney friend and I would follow them to lunch in the Maule.
That wouldn’t work, Kerry said, because of the wife. A quick mental calculation assured me there was plenty of room under the Maule’s Maximum Gross Weight for another passenger because it didn’t have much fuel in it. “Bring her over and she can go with us.”
I took the Mooney pilot on a short but scenic SeaRey flight. He couldn't believe how great the visibility was. I tried to downplay the fun factor, but every time he looked out of the cockpit he swooned.
When we got back I taxied up the ramp. Kerry showed up with Larry and Janet Wamback in tow. They live in Nova Scotia and were looking for something fun to do other than sail around all that water. The SeaRey could be just the thing.
It quickly came out, however, that Janet had not flown in a small airplane before. Well, other than a little wind, it seemed a perfectly pleasant day for her first flight in a seaplane.
Of course we had to launch the SeaRey again for Larry and Kerry. This time I had lots of help. I blame them. The SeaRey self-launched and I got pulled in for a swim with Chomp, the giant alligator. I got away from Chomp but my cell phone and wallet were thoroughly washed.
At least I had a towel in the hangar to cry on. After changing into old smelly workout clothes, I was ready to go. Kerry and Larry were long gone so I rushed to get the Maule launched. A quick check of the gauges confirmed there was enough fuel for a short local flight. That fit with my recollection of the time flown since the last top off.
The breeze had picked up, so I decided to try something different. I launched down the ramp with water rudders down. Big mistake. They hit the ramp with a bump and thump.
On the water I confirmed that the gas gages were showing 10 gallons. I figured it was a short hop to the gay Tiki Hut. “Thirty minutes flying with thirty minutes in reserve should work just fine.”
Wrong. On approach to Lake Minneola the engine almost flamed out. I kept it going by switching tanks and turning on the fuel boost. Fortunately the Mooney pilot didn't say anything and the first time passenger didn't know any better.
Lunch at the Tiki Hut was fine after we finally got a table. Unfortunately I was wired about the fuel situation. It just couldn't be right. I took a soda straw and went out to the airplane to sample the fuel tanks. The left tank was dry and the right had just a dribble in it. The dern gages showed five gallons left. “Fool me once….”
I took the SeaRey with bad brakes and flew back to the hangar. I grabbed a couple of gas cans and managed to launch without getting wet again.
Now I had to land at Orlando North with one brake to get fuel. Amazingly, that went fine. So did refueling the Maule (except trying to explain to the new passenger why this was just the way seaplanes operate).
The thump the water rudders made hitting the ramp jammed them. I now had to takeoff and land with the rudders down. I'm sure you know what John Brown would have to say about that! Fortunately I was able to fix them when I got back to home base.
My guess is that Larry will never be allowed to buy an airplane. The Mooney guy thinks all seaplane pilots are crazy. I suppose Kerry has learned not to ask me for an airplane to do a demo in.
So, there you have it: another glorious day of seaplane flying.
Sorry about that, Janet.
Date Taken:
Feb 25, 2007
Place Taken:
Howey in the Hills, FL
Owner:
Dan Nickens
File Name:
First_Flight_Fright.jpg - Photo HTML
Full size - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZVG30000h">
Medium - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZVG30000m">
Thumbnail - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZVG30000s">
Category:
10, Just Fun Seaplanes
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Click on photo to view the original size. |
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Read what others had to say:
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Philip Mendelson - Feb 25,2007
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Good Job Dan! I feel better already, 'someone else has Airplane issues!'
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Terry Mac Neill - Feb 25,2007
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Dan,<br /><br />Sounded like a Chinese fire drill, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.<br /><br />You also had Murphy riding with you.
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Dan Nickens - Feb 25,2007
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Aha! So we were over gross!
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Charles Pickett - Feb 25,2007
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DAN So where is the problem?
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Dan Nickens - Feb 25,2007
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Which one, Charlie?
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Kenneth Leonard - Feb 25,2007
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Glad it turned out OK Dan. I guess if you can fess up to that, I should admit to a couple of my own errors. John Spratt witnessed one but was very generous about it. When we were taxiing out to take off from the Suwannee, I slid my canopy closed and it popped out of the top track. This is the canopy I was writing about a couple of days before because I had just replaced it and was so happy with how it came out - it came out all right! I had drilled the holes for the rivets, but Kenny jr. had chosen that time to ask to work on his Pinewood Derby car (boy scouts) and I failed get back and place those 3 rivets in the top rail. Fortunately, my flying toolbox included a hand drill and rivet puller so we made a temp repair on the riverbank. Unfortunately, the possible consequenses of my oversight spoiled my stomach for my flight home. Luckily, the canopy didn't go thru the prop so I'll live and learn. I learned another thing on that trip - never leave a toolbox on the passenger side floor where it can slide back on takeoff and lock the stick. Took several agonizing seconds to figure out why my elevator was locked. Used electric trim to stabilize until I could reach down and shove it forward - then landed and stowed it properly. There is a reason for those first 40 hours being without passengers!
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Dan Nickens - Feb 25,2007
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Yep, Ken, I'm thinking the air was just full of bad Juju last week!
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Jeff Arnold - Feb 26,2007
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You fly with a drill and rivit puller ken? Don't you know you could have accomplished this repair and so much more with roll of duct tape which weighs much less? Now who flies without Duct tape? The amazing 'fix anything' tool.
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Kenneth Leonard - Feb 26,2007
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Jeff - I considered the duct tape, but it leaves a sticky mess on my new canopy. I carry all that crap with me because I need the ballast! I figure 25 lbs of tools or 25 lbs of water? The tools proved more usefull but are less flexible than water. John Spratt teased me about all the tools I had with me too, but it came thru this time.
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Dennis Scearce - Feb 25,2007
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Sounds like a normal flying day to me. My wife thinks we are all crazy.
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Dan Nickens - Feb 25,2007
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Maybe you could get her to call Janet and explain that, Dennis.
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Larry Woods - Feb 26,2007
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Hi Dan:<br /><br />Never mind all the difficulties with the flying...... just be more careful with the photos! <br /><br /> It has snowed a bunch up here and every day, we Canucks are out there with the snow blowers and shovels, just trying to get to the street! Having finished this chore, what do I spot in your photos...... ORANGES.... real ones at that....... and not in a box but right there on the trees!! This has to be a indictable crime, ....posting such things on the net. (g)<br /><br />Best,<br />Larry
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Dan Nickens - Feb 26,2007
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I'm told the citrus tastes pretty good too, Larry, but I don't eat the stuff. I'd rather have a snow cone. I'll bet you've got some of those in your yard.
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Steve Gromak - Feb 26,2007
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Dan, I think many of us have had days like that and you're man enough to admit it. Thanks for sharing...it was pretty funny.
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