Planning...

Got my birthday present last week, the radiator and engine mount. One day...

Gone West, Clair "Toby" Dunlap. UAL, retired.

I did back to back trips to Chengdu in January over the Lunar New Year, and in those 14 days saw the whole thing start, making the final flight from Mainland China to the US for my company.

On March 31 our airport community at Skagit lost one to the COVID-19 virus, Clair "Toby" Dunlap. UAL, retired. He and his son own an orange Stinson 108-3 he kept at Skagit with his son, Mark, Captain Dunlap was always a gracious gentleman the times I spoke with him.


Godspeed.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?n=clair-dunlap&pid=195950378&fhid=5809

Bundle up!

When the hangars on the north side were destroyed last year it gave me a chance to do a bit of salvaging (with the permission of the Port of Skagit). I was hoping these were Baklite enameled metal, but it's only cardboard. Still a cool souviner of the old days when Skagit was Bayview Airport, and some simple rules to live by. 

I've been using the hangar door as a place ot hang notes, with the weather getting better I need to find another method.

I found a made-to-order battery mount for my 680 on eBay, I was still a bit nervous of the strength of the bulkhead, but they all disappeared one I got it mounted. That thing is SOLID.

As usual, it was one of those things I did twice. Mounted it on the front first, then switched it to the back after a d'oh! moment. The stater solenoid will go to the left of the Master solenoid. 

One thing that's frustrated me is telling wires apart, I wish we had used black wires for grounds. Syd loaned me a tool he has that you put a Sharpie in one end and run the wire through the other, marking the wire.

Good in theory, but I found it just as easy to mark it freehand. 

Next project has been to separate each group of wires into section related bundles, so if I need to replace a bad switch or connection, I don't have to pull the entire bundle of wires down.

We're also separating wires for the right side of the panel from those on the left. Should save a couple pounds, and make it easier to repair in the future. Again, tricks learned from decades working on military planes, and electronics since Syd was a kid.

Syd has to work harder when he plays Stump the Chump, but sometimes I know he's pulling his punches.