What did you fly this week

[DarkHelmet]

LoL demon, then I am a clown if I was inferring that I am a regular visiting pilot although i visit with a MUCH more dangerous mode of transport, my car!

[Morph]

I finally got 16.5 minutes in this morning. With travelling and the weather this is the first flying I have done this month

Anyway this morning the prediction was for Fresh South Easter, but there was no wind when I looked outside. Rushed to the airfield, installed my new starter motor, put the starter belt on, swung the motor, beautiful, swings the motor like a dream. :D Then SNAP, the old belt couldn't take a strength and speed of the new starter and said bye-bye.

Did the pre-flight and hand propped the plane. Finally got up in the air for a few circuits. The wind starting building quite quickly.

I was planning on going out over Altona so I landed to get more fuel. By the time the plane was fueled the wind was howling

BTW where can I get a belt with the following markings
463 Synchroflex 15/500

[Morph]

Aah yes. I found a belt yesterday for the starter at R60. 6am the wind was non-existent but after the quick shower it looked like it was picking up.

Once at the airfield the wind had dropped completely. I put the belt on, preflighted, cleaned a dirty fuel filter, and away for a blissfull 45 minutes. :D I heard Gert and Trygve in the air and spotted them at 2000 ft going past Morning Star.

Wonderful start to a day :D :D

[kb]

just done a 1.5 in the 22, was great, as always. Have a bit of a trip next week, durbs to grahamstown, (or as my lil sis calls it, G-Spot!!)

[Junkie]

Lost touch BM - are u done and dusted on the MPL yet! If not hope real soon ol bean... Hope your getting the hours in on the Gem.

[Microwave]

Sorry to have missed you guys 2day, but it sounds almost like desperation flying to me.

wfaidh flying

(what the ...am I doing here?)

[kb]

Did 3.9 hrs on sat, up to a game farm in zululand for brekkies. Radio packed up, (no tx, only rx), and with there being a bunch of us, I landed on a farm track, to radio the guys and say what heppened wiff radio. Then, tackled Empangeni ridge, low cloud, bar back, and hoping it didn't close in. Dodging CB's, and rain. Then, headed home. AVG Groundspeed there, was a miserable 35, and back was a great 90 mph.
To hung over sunday to fly, plus no comms.

[DarkHelmet]

Nothing!

[Wart]

Got to be a passenger in a lot of flights but have not managed to get back in the "driving seat" yet!

[Morph]

Got a good 56 minutes in this morning. The surface wind was constant albeit at about 10mph. At 1500 the wind picked up to 20Mph. I flew out over the wind generators and on to Wintervogel before heading to Altona. At Altona I did a number of touch and goes with a solid 90degree cross wind to hone the skills.

On the last take off the engine hesitated a few seconds before running up to full revs. I thought I had advanced the throttle too quickly. On landing at Morning Star (8 minutes later) the revs dropped very low and the engine died on the runway . I got out and pushed it clear of the runway. There was fuel leaking from the overflow on the rear carb. I opened the carb bowl and it was full.

I then remembered that I had been running the electric pump constantly and the pressure must have forced the fuel past the needle and seat.

I switched the pump off, restarted and the plane ran perfectly

Note to self, Don't forget to switch the pump aff after priming the system and use it only for take offs and in emergencies.

Question: Do you think that the needle and seat is damaged This happened after about 50 minutes of flying.

[Microwave]

Morph,

It could be that the carb bowl was not put on correctly. Have you recently opened it and checked for water or something???

It once happened to me years ago and it found that I had trapped the float somewhere and the needle and seat was therefore not functioning. I really doubt that it is the needle and seat.

Just be sure that you put the bowls on carefully in future and this should not happen.

[Morph]

Yeah, it's the first flight after a 25 hour service. I'll check it all again next time I am at the airfield to ensure that I am getting free movement of the float etc.

To all especially the newbies This is why it is vitally important that you always have a landing spot in sight when you fly.

Have fun, be safe and never never skimp on the preflight. :D

[CloudBase]

Did an anti-clockwise jaunt around the highways and suburbs of Jo'burg on my bicycle on Sunday. Joints are just about recoved ...

[DarkHelmet]

Had 1.5 hours Klip - Heidelberg - Klip!

Wind was howling but it was a smooth wind! Feel better now!

[Morph]

Morph,

It could be that the carb bowl was not put on correctly. Have you recently opened it and checked for water or something???

It once happened to me years ago and it found that I had trapped the float somewhere and the needle and seat was therefore not functioning. I really doubt that it is the needle and seat.

Just be sure that you put the bowls on carefully in future and this should not happen.

Well I checked it all out, fuel levels in the bowls are fine. I took the bowls off and ran the pump and fuel flows freely. I then lifted the lever and both needles block off the flow completely at the same point. No leakage there. I did some ground runs and checked bowl levels again, no problem. Could have been some dirt preventing the needle from closing and thus flooding the bowl.

Tomorrow looks good for a flip. :D