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Random Griz Aviation Musings

Jim123

DD-214 in hand and I'm gonna party like it's 1998
pilot
There once, long ago, a time for such a thing.
Hey, a Burgess seaplane! I recognized the picture (and of course, I read the hand written caption).

Air & Space keeps re-running old articles lately, which I think is pretty neat. They ran an article on a guy named Starling Burgess just a few days ago:

 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
Ha, tough to maintain AOA when your power inputs aren't to stay on-speed but are for just catching up to the boat.
You laugh, but when all of your F-35 pilots are in POW camps because big navy doesn’t care about CSAR and HSC is busy hauling mail from boat to boat...it will dauntless citizens in their rifle-armed light-sport-aircraft that will be keeping you safe from the foreign hordes.

26964
 
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Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
The area weather has been shit here, especially in the afternoons. I was able to pop off an hour this morning, but was down to 900’ on the race back to the airfield! With the arrival of Isa-isa-see-ya or what ever the hurricane’s name is I will be lucky to get any flying at all this week.

26979
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Spent nearly four hours today in 110+ heat with no shade pulling out the ECU from an AH-1S. Fuselage has been stripped. Could hardly lean against it it was so hot. When I got down for a water break or to get guidance, had to gather up all my tools and put them in the shade or they would be too hot to use when I got back. Think I'd prefer racing a hurricane.
 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
Spent nearly four hours today in 110+ heat with no shade pulling out the ECU from an AH-1S. Fuselage has been stripped. Could hardly lean against it it was so hot. When I got down for a water break or to get guidance, had to gather up all my tools and put them in the shade or they would be too hot to use when I got back. Think I'd prefer racing a hurricane.
You need to arrange a special AW “ride day” for some of your groups birds! I’d be there.
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
The UH-1H should be up by September if some outside specialist vendors are on time. The flying Cobra will be down for engine deck delamination for some time. May not get it flying for another year. Big job. OH-6 is a basket case. Will fly in a couple years. Always keeping you guys in mind. Will be cool to have all three in a LZ where I am not the only Navy dude.
 

ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
The UH-1H should be up by September if some outside specialist vendors are on time. The flying Cobra will be down for engine deck delamination for some time. May not get it flying for another year. Big job. OH-6 is a basket case. Will fly in a couple years. Always keeping you guys in mind. Will be cool to have all three in a LZ where I am not the only Navy dude.
Everything operated as Experimental Category? Whats the biggest challenges getting these machines flying as you see it?
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Everything operated as Experimental Category? Whats the biggest challenges getting these machines flying as you see it?
We operate in the Experimental Category. We have a waiver to take "donations" for passenger living history flights. Same deal as CAF. The challenge varies depending on the aircraft. Some may be more rough than others. But the common thread is documentation and the FAA. Documents from the Army vary widely depending on where the aircraft came from. And sometimes strings come attached. The Cobra I removed the ECU from yesterday was flying for the Forest Service and had only been sitting outside for a year or so. But USDA made us sign a no flight contract. So we are pulling serviceable parts for our flying Cobra and restoring it in Desert Storm livery for loan to the local CAF museum. If the helo came straight from the government, then it never had an airworthiness certificate. That is a big hurdle. To even attempt it you need full government logs or the cost to validate everything, especially on a helo is too prohibitive, even if it landed without gripes 6 months prior.

Other than the FAA and documentation, one of the biggest labor costs is removing the old paint. The Army put it on thick and never stripped between paintings. Most of the ones I have seen have at least 5 coats of paint and primer. Removing it is a bitch. Have to use special expensive paint remover and nothing over 400 grit sand paper to stay within Army maintenance procedures. I hate it. When there is stripping to be done I chose to take on supervisory and administrative duties that day. Was thrilled to take out the ECU yesterday, notwithstanding the sun and heat.

Our Huey has great logs, but it hadn't flown in a long time. We had ADs and other inspections to do, Also found chipped engine turbine blades and the tranny required a rebuild. By time we are done with it, it will be like new. USB ports for charging, ADSB, overhauled fuel cells, new antennas, rebuilt transmission and tail rotor gear box, full engine tear down with turbine repairs and more. Painted in Vietnam Assault Helicopter Company livery.
 

wlawr005

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
This being the dedicated GA thread, I figured I'd post here. Took a student to KJKA today in a T-45. Tried to get as close to the Dragon splash down TFR as I could hoping to catch a glimpse of something. Every swinging dick that had a Piper, Mooney, or Bonanza had the same idea. Same as every boat owner and every single person on the beach.....it was busy.

It was also a great time flying into an uncontrolled airfield, talking to everyone on UNICOM, and clearing myself to land and taxi. Very challenging flying on a beautiful day on the gulf coast.

Oh, and we didn't see a damn thing.

26997
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
This being the dedicated GA thread, I figured I'd post here. Took a student to KJKA today in a T-45. Tried to get as close to the Dragon splash down TFR as I could hoping to catch a glimpse of something. Every swinging dick that had a Piper, Mooney, or Bonanza had the same idea. Same as every boat owner and every single person on the beach.....it was busy.

It was also a great time flying into an uncontrolled airfield, talking to everyone on UNICOM, and clearing myself to land and taxi. Very challenging flying on a beautiful day on the gulf coast.

Oh, and we didn't see a damn thing.

View attachment 26997
Is going to an uncontrolled field part of the syllabus? If not, good on ya for giving the stud a good experience.
 
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