Jaybird180
Final Approach
You plan to take family on a 2 week vacation while your plane gets its annual. You want to try a new shop that came highly recommended for finding previously undiscovered problems just to get a second opinion. After all, the plane has never given any trouble whatsoever except inconsistent readings from the right fuel tank gauge. All the avionics work, are IFR certified and the engine has been a consistently strong performer and with your diligent care hardly burns oil, is miserly on fuel and you have been bragging to your friends about the compression readings and oil analysis results for several years.
After only 9 days the shop calls. The airplane is ready, the bill is only $400, and they found and fixed the loose wire to the fuel gauge for free. You're impressed by their level of service and attention to detail and will happily recommend them in the future, even though they are quite a ways away in your slow 4-seater airplane...but at least the airport where they're located is nice with its Jet type FBO and 5600 ft main runway with 2 crosswind runways with nearly 5000ft lengths.
The family doesn't want to end the vacation early, but you've been watching the weather and in about 2 days a really NASTY storm is coming and there are rumors of evacuation of the tourist town. So you decide that today is the last day of vacation and you promise to make it up after getting back home. You plan to depart the next morning.
After considering all the extra stuff the family buys, and the extra meals everyone ate, you weigh everything and everybody and plan your fuel load. The W&B is right in the middle of the range and exactly at gross with fuel + reserves, so no complaints- you've flown at gross several times before and the plane is usually aloft and climbing after 13-1500 ft of runway. You go to bed satisfied that all is ready for tomorrow's flight; you have even already checked the fuel load and verified that it is at the proper level, 19 gal of space remaining.
You awake early, settle all vacation bills and check the weather reports. The barometer is reading an inch higher but you discover that your 20kt tailwind is actually a 22kt headwind at your planned altitude and you will need to add another 100lbs of fuel to make the flight in one hop. In fact, the way the storm system has evolved, your previously planned midway possible fuel stop is no longer doable and you will have to take the long way around where there is no fuel.
A week later, you're at your home field telling this story. Everyone was listening attentively and despeartely wants to know what you did to make this a safe flight? Please tell...
After only 9 days the shop calls. The airplane is ready, the bill is only $400, and they found and fixed the loose wire to the fuel gauge for free. You're impressed by their level of service and attention to detail and will happily recommend them in the future, even though they are quite a ways away in your slow 4-seater airplane...but at least the airport where they're located is nice with its Jet type FBO and 5600 ft main runway with 2 crosswind runways with nearly 5000ft lengths.
The family doesn't want to end the vacation early, but you've been watching the weather and in about 2 days a really NASTY storm is coming and there are rumors of evacuation of the tourist town. So you decide that today is the last day of vacation and you promise to make it up after getting back home. You plan to depart the next morning.
After considering all the extra stuff the family buys, and the extra meals everyone ate, you weigh everything and everybody and plan your fuel load. The W&B is right in the middle of the range and exactly at gross with fuel + reserves, so no complaints- you've flown at gross several times before and the plane is usually aloft and climbing after 13-1500 ft of runway. You go to bed satisfied that all is ready for tomorrow's flight; you have even already checked the fuel load and verified that it is at the proper level, 19 gal of space remaining.
You awake early, settle all vacation bills and check the weather reports. The barometer is reading an inch higher but you discover that your 20kt tailwind is actually a 22kt headwind at your planned altitude and you will need to add another 100lbs of fuel to make the flight in one hop. In fact, the way the storm system has evolved, your previously planned midway possible fuel stop is no longer doable and you will have to take the long way around where there is no fuel.
A week later, you're at your home field telling this story. Everyone was listening attentively and despeartely wants to know what you did to make this a safe flight? Please tell...
