I haven’t been to the hangar for a few weeks. It has been hot and the AA buddy who was going to give me my flight review had to cancel so I can’t fly anyway. The pictures of the fine flying you guys have been doing, and going through lots of old photos of my youthful flying, made me want to just commune with the old girl, even if I couldn’t fly. So when Mrs Wink got up today at 0430 for Pilates before work, I shot down to the airport before it got too hot.
After pulling open the doors I went straight the Goodwill sourced CD player ampped by an old Pioneer receiver and started pumping
Cherry Poppin Daddies into the vintage KLH floor speakers hung high on the back wall. Proof of how long it has been since I was in the hangar is that I promptly hit my head on the wing strut walking under the wing. Really ran my bell and my neck still hurts.
The place must have had an eighth of an inch of dust covering everything. Couple monsoon preceding dust storms will do that in short order. Pushed out the Luscombe and cranked up the leaf blower. After making the place presentable, I lit off the Continental 65 and just listened to it for a bit. I decided to gas up so when I am able, I can launch without delay. Taxied to the fuel pumps, splashed 5 gal in each wing and taxied back. Aired up the tires and cleaned the bugs off her. The morning sun was coming through the open hangar and even at 0630 I had to move fast or the Simple Green spray would dry up. Not much chance to re-hydrate fossilized bugs. Working with McGuire’s Mirror Glaze on the windshield was a bit easier.
Traded out the
Daddies CD for the
Stray Cats and turned my attention to my airport wheels. When my kids were little, inspired by the squadron cars I remembered, we took an early 90s Honda 300EX quad and painted it low viz grey cammo, affixed a S-3 checklist to one fender and reproduction S-3A data plate to the other. It still needs the other markings, but I haven’t found decals that are the right proportion, and I am not talented enough to paint them. Without the kids motivating me, it remains a project. Still, it looks sweet and I run around the airport in style. I cleaned it up, and hooked up the battery charger. As the temp was thru 90 at 0700 I called it a day and got a beer from the fridge, took a seat in my ready room chair, (The real deal. If
@nittany03 can confirm the statute of limitations has run, maybe I’ll tell how I came about it.) and daydreamed about leading Griz’s GA Air Force downtown on an Alpha Strike of Pagastan.
I would much rather be out flying like you guys, but it was still a good day at the hangar.
