ISSUE 820 - August 8, 2023 • Over 7,000 Total Ads Listed • 1,000+ NEW Ads Per Week
This eFlyer Has Been Sent To Over 150,000 Subscribers |
| Welcome to the Family, Piper Tri-Pacer |
| Dana Brejakova, Contributing Writer & Photographer |
|
Just when I thought our squadron of airplanes could not get any bigger, BAM! a Piper PA-22 found her home in our T-hangars.
Super-stoked friend of ours went halfsies with Jimmy the Squirrel on the purchase and when the deal was sealed, he flew her to her new home. The minute she was pushed into the hangar, the welcome ceremony began. First, a nosy and detailed inspection by the rest of us took place only to prepare the grounds for the Godfather of the T-hangar Mafia (as we like to call him) - Jimmy the Squirrel. Jimmy circled the bird several times and after flying it, he decided to perform a little makeover. For the record, no airplane escapes Jimmy's tweaking when she ends up in our hangars. Before we all could even blink, Jimmy the Squirrel gutted the bird as his hawk eye and sixth sense of the aerospace engineer urged him to perform helpful upgrades. Old school meets modern technology once again. Hang in there, little bird, when Jimmy is finished with you, you will be better than factory-new.
|
|
| "Let's go, fly her!", Jimmy the Squirrel suggested. I was happy to join even though I had no idea what to expect. |
|
| In the air and happily roaring. What a difference sitting on the right seat next to Jimmy! I am so used to tandem seating, this seemed unnatural and weird to me. Very different feel when one sits on one side of the aircraft versus sitting right at the center of the airplane. However, I liked the white cockpit and the yokes instead of sticks. |
|
| After I got more comfortable, I pulled my camera out and started my usual hunt for picturesque shots. |
|
| This trip was all about alfalfa rounded fields that kept changing in colors and texture. Agriculture from a bird's perspective can be pretty mesmerizing, would not you agree? |
|
After we spent a few hours in the air and were on our way back to KELP, we encountered some turbulence and went through short-couple induced wobbles. As one wisdom says, "A calm ocean never made a sailor."
|
|
| On the ground and getting ready to gut the bird. Do not worry, little one, Jimmy is one of the best. Before the hangar became restricted area, I managed to snap a few detailed shots. I am a sucker for stickers so this Short Wing themed rounded one could not be missed. |
|
| Peeking in while suspecting the panel was being worked on as I could spot an exposed wire and the beautiful white panel mask was no longer at its place. |
|
| I love love love those red "Remove before flight" tags in all forms and sizes. I must admit this Tri-Pacer has a gorgeous one! |
|
| The colors of our hangar door reflected on the bird's tail which gave the Piper insignia a nice texture. |
|
| I opened the door and went in. Yup, Jimmy the Squirrel was here, the panel was gutted. |
|
| Repurposed little containers that encapsulated a delicious desert we ate during a hot afternoon became screws and bolts holders. Airplanes and sweets? Yes, please! |
|
| Jimmy's organized work space looked suspiciously colorful and neat. That needed to have its own photograph. |
|
| Here we had some spaghetti fun as I like to refer to the wire management. |
|
| Another work space ambiance shot during an early morning. Jimmy does not waste time around here. |
|
| More spaghetti fun! One could never believe how much wiring goes into a panel. |
|
| Work place is not a real work place if a box of "schlock" is missing. Luckily for Jimmy, his work place was very real. |
|
| Look who came to visit and check the unusual activity in the hangar. A model of a biplane on straight floats landed on the corner of the table sticking her spinner into Jimmy's work, getting all jealous, "Wait a minute! So, this new bird has been here only for a week and gets a fancy makeover while I have been waiting to be dusted off for months!" |
|
| There it was! I found the beautiful white panel I was admiring during our test flight. Well, it will take some time until it is placed back. In the meantime, on the wall you go. |
|
| I have said it many times, and here it goes one more time: "There is something charming about the old school steam gauge instruments." Even though they look clunky and outdated when compared to the modern glass panel avionics, I still love them. But no more vacuum system for the bird. When Jimmy gutted the panel of the Tri-Pacer, this directional gyro was one of the two instruments that came out. |
|
| Karnish Instruments 1962. This instrument is 61 years old! Simply beautiful attitude indicator was the second instrument that went out and I must say - it makes some serious bad ass decoration in our hangar. |
|
Perhaps it was only my projection but after I was done photo-shooting these two bad boys, suddenly they started looking a bit broken-hearted to me. As if they were looking at me with those big sad clock faces saying, "Why aren't we in the panel? You do not want us anymore? Why? We were such great help all those years!" Do not worry, guys, no one is getting rid of you. You are still with us in the hangar. Maybe it is not going to be what you were used to but we guarantee a lot of fun when we all gather and share stories here.
You will love your new spot, I promise. |
|
And just like these two old steam gauge instruments found their new home on the shelf in our hangar, our new Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer was getting some TLC from Jimmy. Effortlessly, the new bird became a part of the usual buzz around the T-hangars that I love so much: airplanes taking off and landing, static noise from the radio communication broadcasted through my ATC app, and Super Guppy watching us from the distance under beautiful Southwestern sky. Good times.
|
| By Dana Brejakova, Contributing Writer & Photographer
|
|
| |
|
