September 23rd

After getting some work done, I went out and bought some metric hardware at Orchard Supply because they're having a going out of business sale, then went over to the airport.  I had intended to get some work done on the plane, but ended up just flying it for a bit then going home to get some work done.

September 22nd

I got up early and got some work done (I was on call) before waving yo Vic (off to her mother's for the weekend) and headed over to the airport.  I put gas in the plane before going and working on the EAA hangar doors.  We were putting in insulation, but wanted the weatherstripping on the bottom done first.  I did the weatherstripping on the North door while others started cutting the foam sheets, then went to fly Randy's 9 year old daughter in the gyro while they got that door done.  Randy doesn't have his gyro endorsement yet, but has bought Don's old Magni, and doesn't want his daughter to have to wait to try flying in a gyro.  We waited a stupid length of time for everybody to sort themselves out so we could get on the runway, then went out in a large circle, with turns and slow flying and stuff.  She was a little worried about doing steep turns at first, but we worked up to that and she really enjoyed them.  We got back just before Randy was due to go out for his flying lesson, so he could see I hadn't killed her, but Don was running a little late.  We were chatting when Scott came and asked me to come and talk to the scholarship committee about putting stuff on the web.  Done.  When that was over, we went back to the hangar, where the first door wasn't finished yet, so I sorted out the weatherstripping on the South door, then helped with the projector screen mount.  Eventually we got to the South door, and got that all finished up.  I chatted to Chris about his gyro for a little bit, then headed home to get some work done.

September 20th

I went and lifted the tank on the DRZ (which means removing the seat and radiator side panels... jeez) and found the vacuum hose that had come off the carb.  The end was all stretched out, so it wasn't likely it'd stay when put back on, so I trimmed it off a little bit and reinstalled it.  Here's hoping it stays there, but with the larger Clarke tank, the tap is lower than stock, meaning the hose is possibly a little tighter than it should be.  Still, it's been like that for ~10 years, so meh.

September 19th

So I set off for the EAA meeting on the motorcycle, as Vic had the van to carry stuff for her employee picnic.  After stopping for gas, I got on the freeway, and shortly ended up on the hard shoulder, as it felt like it had run out of gas.  I fiddled with the choke, the gas cap and the gas tap (turn it to "reserve"), and got it started again.  It then stopped again, and I applied my massive intellect to the problem and decided the vacuum hose that opens the gas tap when the engine's running was split or something.  Sure enough, it started and ran on "prime", and I got to the airfield.  When I got there, I found the vacuum hose was completely missing.  Well, that'd be it.

I cooked about 40 burgers, and we had an interesting presentation on the RQ-4 drone that they fly out of Beale.  I was sitting by John Tate, who used to fly them too - he had to stop when he couldn't pass the USAF medical (to fly a drone with a mouse and keyboard), so he retired to fly 787s for United.

September 18th

We watched "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom".  It was a movie.

September 16th

Yesterday I'd been talking to Tom, an EAA member, at the pancake breakfast, and his 79 year old mother-in law who's visiting from Scotland.  She was very interested in the gyro, and I said I'd be happy to take her up before she goes home early next month.  So I called them this morning and suggested we meet at Lincoln.  I pulled the plane out, we had a quick pre-flight briefing, then went out and flew over Tom's house, over to the West to go over the crashed airplane sculpture, then back to Lincoln - just short of an hour, all told.  She was really impressed.  She's walking the Great Wall of China next year for her 80th birthday :o)

I took the gyro over to Marysville and back, but the wind seemed to be getting gustier, so I called it a day at that.

September 15th

I started the day helping cook breakfast for 31 visitors at the display day.  After I put the plane away, Tom, John and I took John's Bonanza down to Livermore to take part in a formation flypast at a veterans event.