SixPapaCharlie
May the force be with you
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2013
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Sixer
Everything you are about to read is 100% true and contains no exaggerations or embellishment in any shape form or fashion.
There I was at my hangar in North Dallas having just done a bit of panel work on my plane when I look over and see a tall slender man about the age of 50 working on a C-150 in the middle of the Taxi way.
"Can I help you with anything?" I bellowed.
"Nope just tinkering do you need me to move my plane so you can get out?" He asked.
"Take your time I have alot to do over here"
After a couple minutes I decided not to be a rude dude so I went over to him and this is when it got wierd the first time.
I says I'm Bryan and he says He's.. Let's just call him Bob (the only thing that will not be accurate)
Bob says he just bought this 150 and has .8 hours on it. I stated That's the most important .8 hours though, in your own plane. He says Well I mean I only have .8 total. I bought this plane to learn to fly. I notice he is wearing an American Eagle jacket (The airline not the teenie bopper shopping brand). He is under the cowl and says he is going to change the plugs but forgot the socket so I am not sure what he is doing. He tells me he has his A&P and wants to learn to fly.
Stay with me.
He looks over at my plane and says what type of plane is that a 172?
There is not a single high wing plane in our hangar row. I almost said "No, its a 182" but I just explained it is a Grumman and then I thought long and hard about how he said he was an A&P.
I asked which hangar was his and he said none, he lives in Florida and just wants to leave it in one of these until his CFI signs him off on his solo XC so he can fly it home to Florida.
I am going to say that again. He wants his CFI to send him from Dallas to Florida in a C-150 for his long XC so he can relocate his plane there and finish the training in Florida where he lives.
(I mentioned he lives in Florida right?)
He asks "So you ever take that Grumman on any long cross countries like that?
I said Yep, I flew it to Oshkosh last year.
He says "Oh in Florida?"
I explained, no the one in Wisconsin and then I thought long and hard about how he told me he lived in Florida.
I go back to my plane and start working again.
He (still in the taxi way) climbs into his plane and tries to start the engine about 20 times.
I look over (I swear to God I am not making this up) and his plane is on fire and he is still cranking away at it trying to get it started.
There is smoke everywhere, and I see fire in the cowl. Then the plane belches some fluid all over the ground and front tire which is now on fire.
I jump out of my plane screaming "STOP STOP!!!!!" I look around for a fire extinguisher and remember I don't have one because Gary from the Grumman Assn. says anyone w/ a fire extinguisher in their plane is a moron.
I run to my car and grab a bottle of water and sprint to his plane yelling (STOP! FIRE!)
I douse the front wheel in water and he stops cranking it. Smoke is billowing out of the cowl.
He hops out and doesn't seem phased at all. "Doesn't smell like wiring to you does it?"
"NO!! Wires aren't liquid!" I thought to myself.
He says well I guess I will call it a day then My mechanic is on this field.
And then again I thought long and hard about how he said he was an A&P.
I go back to my plane and just watch him now. He proceeds to back his plane in to 4 different hangars trying to find out which one is the perfect fit. I hear him cursing at hangar 3 and pull his plane back out to the taxi way.
He tries to push it into a 4th hangar and the wheel sinks in the mud.
Bob grabs the right wing tip and pushes it but the only thing that happens is the tail hits the ground. I stated "Probably you should push on the strut or pull on the propeller or tow bar"
He replies "The wing takes all that lift, it should be fine to push it but the tail just hits the ground"
And then again I thought long and hard about how he said he was an A&P.
I said do you need help? He says yes and I get out of my plane for a 3rd or 4th time I forget.
I push the strut forward and get him out of the mud.
He drags his plane around the corner to another row of hangers and I can hear and watch the tail as he test fits the plane in multiple hangars.
I like the guy. He seemed very nice and I am pulling for him but watching that unfold was painful.
So that happened. Exactly like that. I feel bad for the guy but I want to say maybe don't be doing this stuff w/o your CFI around. I dunno what to think.
There I was at my hangar in North Dallas having just done a bit of panel work on my plane when I look over and see a tall slender man about the age of 50 working on a C-150 in the middle of the Taxi way.
"Can I help you with anything?" I bellowed.
"Nope just tinkering do you need me to move my plane so you can get out?" He asked.
"Take your time I have alot to do over here"
After a couple minutes I decided not to be a rude dude so I went over to him and this is when it got wierd the first time.
I says I'm Bryan and he says He's.. Let's just call him Bob (the only thing that will not be accurate)
Bob says he just bought this 150 and has .8 hours on it. I stated That's the most important .8 hours though, in your own plane. He says Well I mean I only have .8 total. I bought this plane to learn to fly. I notice he is wearing an American Eagle jacket (The airline not the teenie bopper shopping brand). He is under the cowl and says he is going to change the plugs but forgot the socket so I am not sure what he is doing. He tells me he has his A&P and wants to learn to fly.
Stay with me.
He looks over at my plane and says what type of plane is that a 172?
There is not a single high wing plane in our hangar row. I almost said "No, its a 182" but I just explained it is a Grumman and then I thought long and hard about how he said he was an A&P.
I asked which hangar was his and he said none, he lives in Florida and just wants to leave it in one of these until his CFI signs him off on his solo XC so he can fly it home to Florida.
I am going to say that again. He wants his CFI to send him from Dallas to Florida in a C-150 for his long XC so he can relocate his plane there and finish the training in Florida where he lives.
(I mentioned he lives in Florida right?)
He asks "So you ever take that Grumman on any long cross countries like that?
I said Yep, I flew it to Oshkosh last year.
He says "Oh in Florida?"
I explained, no the one in Wisconsin and then I thought long and hard about how he told me he lived in Florida.
I go back to my plane and start working again.
He (still in the taxi way) climbs into his plane and tries to start the engine about 20 times.
I look over (I swear to God I am not making this up) and his plane is on fire and he is still cranking away at it trying to get it started.
There is smoke everywhere, and I see fire in the cowl. Then the plane belches some fluid all over the ground and front tire which is now on fire.
I jump out of my plane screaming "STOP STOP!!!!!" I look around for a fire extinguisher and remember I don't have one because Gary from the Grumman Assn. says anyone w/ a fire extinguisher in their plane is a moron.
I run to my car and grab a bottle of water and sprint to his plane yelling (STOP! FIRE!)
I douse the front wheel in water and he stops cranking it. Smoke is billowing out of the cowl.
He hops out and doesn't seem phased at all. "Doesn't smell like wiring to you does it?"
"NO!! Wires aren't liquid!" I thought to myself.
He says well I guess I will call it a day then My mechanic is on this field.
And then again I thought long and hard about how he said he was an A&P.
I go back to my plane and just watch him now. He proceeds to back his plane in to 4 different hangars trying to find out which one is the perfect fit. I hear him cursing at hangar 3 and pull his plane back out to the taxi way.
He tries to push it into a 4th hangar and the wheel sinks in the mud.
Bob grabs the right wing tip and pushes it but the only thing that happens is the tail hits the ground. I stated "Probably you should push on the strut or pull on the propeller or tow bar"
He replies "The wing takes all that lift, it should be fine to push it but the tail just hits the ground"
And then again I thought long and hard about how he said he was an A&P.
I said do you need help? He says yes and I get out of my plane for a 3rd or 4th time I forget.
I push the strut forward and get him out of the mud.
He drags his plane around the corner to another row of hangers and I can hear and watch the tail as he test fits the plane in multiple hangars.
I like the guy. He seemed very nice and I am pulling for him but watching that unfold was painful.
So that happened. Exactly like that. I feel bad for the guy but I want to say maybe don't be doing this stuff w/o your CFI around. I dunno what to think.
