Flying in British Columbia in August 2022
One of the compressions felt low when we turned the propeller by
hand and so we did a short flight overhead.
Power was good, pressures and temperatures were good, but one was
low and blew through the exhaust.
It was a valve seat which needed a bit more work, (the engine had
just had a top overhaul).
A second flight was done on the 7th August to run the engine following lapping of the valve seat. All compressions were now very good but suddenly the new Garmin radio had a disconnect problem and so I talked to Langley Tower using a hand held radio; difficult in the noisy cockpit of the Volmer.All connections were looked at and found good, but it took a few positionings before the radio was reliable again.
To maintain your rating you need to do five
alightings on the water, and so I did mine on the river.
Splash, slow to displacement, checks, and go again.
On takeoff you need to hold the stick hard back until the
aeroplane is on the step, and then you don't release too much
back pressure until you are off the water.
This is different to being in a floatplane where after you've
risen up the wave you lower the nose until the floats are riding
on their steps.
We did several circuit sessions to polish the landings which are
not quite so easy as alighting on the water.
Best is to three point it with a touch of power... Wheeling does
not work well!
The Piper Warrior
I spent some time flying with people and doing a checkout in the
Warrior.
Flying to Squamish via Vancouver Harbour and Howe Sound.
I took my seat companions from the WestJet flight for a scenic
flight, 5th August.
Black Tusk is above Garibaldi Lake.
Due to Covid my former student Johnny was trapped in China for a
few years, and so the objective was to get him recurrent solo in
the Cessna 152.
You need height for upper airwork, so why not take some favourite
scenery in while you are at it?
The final exercise, especially for a student whose first language
is not English, was to fly though
the Harbour zone to Boundary Bay, and then through the Pitt
Meadows zone on the way back.