Six Days Before takeoff to Orlando
It is almost 11:00 p.m. and I think I made it through the day without any curve balls. A few little oddities though, I booked Aviatrix’s airline ticket from Halifax to Vancouver and I haven’t received a confirmation. Also, I am waiting for my insurance quote.
A piece of good news though, I had another flying lesson today and I got the piece of paper that says I am qualified to get my student pilot’s license. This is a good day.
Five Days before Orlando
The plane manufacturer finally had time to take my bird up for a test flight. He recommends that I purchase brakes for my plane and says his assistant will give me a call with a quote. I guess brakes are another option.
I tested my personal locator beacon – SPOT and it works. The application is not working exactly how I thought it would in that it isn’t tracking me every ten minutes, rather it is only showing where I am when I activate the device and where I am when I deactivate the device.
Four Days before Orlando
The manufacturer calls. My brand new radio is fried. My only option is to buy a used radio from the manufacturer and have it installed in time for our flight home. My fried radio came with a 30-day money back guarantee but it has been over 30 days since the radio was shipped to the manufacturer. A call to the sales manager at Gulf Coast Avionics and an explanation as to why I am over the 30 days and I have an agreement from him to refund my money. Thank you Gulf Coast Avionics.
Three Days before Orlando
I must be living a dream – no plane curve balls today!
Two Days before Orlando
The manufacturer and I have been conversing on almost a daily basis. I am your typical PITA (pain in the a_ _) customer. However, we are coming down to the wire and I am confident that I am going to be happy with the end product. He reminds me that I am not buying a Cadillac but rather a Kit Plane. I understand – who buys Cadillacs?
Aviatrix had suggested that I carry some tools on board. Great idea I thought so asked the manufacturer what he would recommend. He gave me a list which included a monkey wrench and a box wrench. That evening, I headed out to Home Depot with my list in hand. I spoke to the salesperson in the tools department. This individual didn’t know what either a monkey wrench or box wrench was. Sure as sure I didn’t either. Until recently, I only had two things in my tool box – a check book and a pen. I got home from the store and explained my lack of progress to my husband. He suggested I google the items for a description. Tomorrow is a new day and after my visit to wiklepedia, I will be better prepared for my shopping expedition.
It is almost 11:00 p.m. and I think I made it through the day without any curve balls. A few little oddities though, I booked Aviatrix’s airline ticket from Halifax to Vancouver and I haven’t received a confirmation. Also, I am waiting for my insurance quote.
A piece of good news though, I had another flying lesson today and I got the piece of paper that says I am qualified to get my student pilot’s license. This is a good day.
Five Days before Orlando
The plane manufacturer finally had time to take my bird up for a test flight. He recommends that I purchase brakes for my plane and says his assistant will give me a call with a quote. I guess brakes are another option.
I tested my personal locator beacon – SPOT and it works. The application is not working exactly how I thought it would in that it isn’t tracking me every ten minutes, rather it is only showing where I am when I activate the device and where I am when I deactivate the device.
Four Days before Orlando
The manufacturer calls. My brand new radio is fried. My only option is to buy a used radio from the manufacturer and have it installed in time for our flight home. My fried radio came with a 30-day money back guarantee but it has been over 30 days since the radio was shipped to the manufacturer. A call to the sales manager at Gulf Coast Avionics and an explanation as to why I am over the 30 days and I have an agreement from him to refund my money. Thank you Gulf Coast Avionics.
Three Days before Orlando
I must be living a dream – no plane curve balls today!
Two Days before Orlando
The manufacturer and I have been conversing on almost a daily basis. I am your typical PITA (pain in the a_ _) customer. However, we are coming down to the wire and I am confident that I am going to be happy with the end product. He reminds me that I am not buying a Cadillac but rather a Kit Plane. I understand – who buys Cadillacs?
Aviatrix had suggested that I carry some tools on board. Great idea I thought so asked the manufacturer what he would recommend. He gave me a list which included a monkey wrench and a box wrench. That evening, I headed out to Home Depot with my list in hand. I spoke to the salesperson in the tools department. This individual didn’t know what either a monkey wrench or box wrench was. Sure as sure I didn’t either. Until recently, I only had two things in my tool box – a check book and a pen. I got home from the store and explained my lack of progress to my husband. He suggested I google the items for a description. Tomorrow is a new day and after my visit to wiklepedia, I will be better prepared for my shopping expedition.
3 comments:
Funny thing is, the airplane was mostly held together with bolts needing Allen keys. I can't think of anything that required a monkey wrench (a wrench adjustable to fit different sizes of nuts, to spare you from having to carry a whole set of different sized wrenches). I was hoping that the query to the manufacturer would result in a short list of what sizes of wrenches would be needed, so we could have a couple of good, correct size wrenches. Monkey wrenches are one-size-fits-nothing-well. I couldn't carry any tools myself because I was travelling with just a small carry on and my headset, and wrenches are airline cabin contraband these days.
"...a monkey wrench and a box wrench..."
That's a very odd pair of tools to suggest.
First, most people don't know what a monkey wrench is. Most who think they do are actually thinking of either a pipe wrench or the style of adjustable wrench for which the Crescent manufacturing company is famous.
And listing "a box wrench" is just weird, unless perhaps the idea is that it's a hammer substitute that can be hung easily on a hook.
If I were to make up a tool kit, the first thing I'd put in it would be a Leatherman-style "multi-tool".
Ha! sounds like you were conversing with a salesman!
I don't seriously think an engineer or the shop-floor foreman would suggest that stuff.
IMHO, in addition to WD40 and Duct Tape,-a set of pointy-nose genuine Vise-Grips,Allen keys in the appropriate sizes and a small cross-pein hammer (1Lb.)--the flat "chisel" end is good for creasing metal and is more versatile than a ball pein. perhaps a small range of "combination" (ring one end, open the other,) spanners to suit the engime/prop?
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