{"id":2743,"date":"2019-01-20T17:04:13","date_gmt":"2019-01-20T23:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.texas-flyer.com\/newblog\/?p=2743"},"modified":"2019-05-10T11:29:08","modified_gmt":"2019-05-10T17:29:08","slug":"my-first-annual","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.texas-flyer.com\/newblog\/?p=2743","title":{"rendered":"My first annual"},"content":{"rendered":"

December 17, 2018 – January 20, 2019<\/span><\/p>\n

My first gyroplane was a Gyrobee home-built ultralight.\u00a0 Inasmuch as there are few rules about maintaining an ultral\"\"<\/a>ight, I was totally responsible for its upkeep.\u00a0 Of course, being small and not very complex, there was little to take care of beyond the engine and the rotor.\u00a0 That doesn’t mean I was sloppy: my life might depend on how well I kept things in good condition.\u00a0 But being as simple as it was, everything was easy to access so keeping things ship-shape wasn’t too difficult.\u00a0 I never had any issues with anything on the Gyrobee, and not once had an engine-out.<\/p>\n

That was then.\u00a0 This is now.\u00a0 My Cavalon is far, far more complex and with a monocoque shell covering most everything, just seeing things is a lot more \"\"<\/a>difficult, much less working on them.\u00a0 More telling, I didn’t build this gyroplane so I’m required to have an A&P do the annual condition inspection.\u00a0 (That doesn’t mean I can’t check things out and do routine maintenance… I do all of that, including lubing the rotor routinely and changing the oil.)\u00a0 Yet if there is something that potentially may affect the airworthiness of the aircraft, an A&P either needs to do the work or sign off on the work I’ve done.<\/p>\n

Being mid-December, I was quickly coming up on my first-year anniversary of owning the Cavalon and its last inspection.\u00a0 I cast around to some gyro-friends as to who might be a good A&P in the SE Texas area, and subsequently found Mr. Wayne Lohmeyer of Custom Aviation Services.\u00a0 \u00a0It seems that Wayne gets a lot of gyroplane business and, even better, that includes Cavalon’s.\u00a0 Having an A&P who already knows your aircraft is almost priceless.\u00a0 After a few conversations over the phone, I was convinced he was the one to do my first annual.<\/p>\n

When I was to bring it to him was variable due to weather, of course, but eventually I set the date of December 17.\u00a0 He is located at Fair Weather Field (TX42), an airport I wasn’t familiar with.\u00a0 It was on the west side of Houston while my home airport is on the east side.\u00a0 My planning software said it was 72nm away and would require 6.4 gallons (give or take, depending on head\/tail-winds).\u00a0 For me and the Cavalon, this wasn’t very far and most of the trip would be over territory I’ve covered many times, including flying through The Corridor.<\/p>\n

The flight to TX42<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here is the flight plan, starting at Anahuac (on the right side) and flying through The Corridor and then slight WNW to TX42 (on the left side):<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If you look closely, there is a cyan-colored line that is close to, or overwritten by, the purple-colored flight-plan-line.\u00a0 That cyan-colored line is my actual path, so I pretty much stayed true to plan.\u00a0 (Deviations are usually due to 1) other planes coming too close, 2) avoiding an airport or obstruction, or 3) I simply saw something interesting and wanted to get closer!\u00a0 In this case, the northerly deviation when I got west of The Corridor was due to Weiser Airpark being right on my path.)<\/p>\n

\"Looking <\/a>
Looking back at my home airport: Chambers County – Anahuac (T00) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Now <\/a>
Now I’m high enough to notice an obvious inversion layer, keeping smog close to the ground. <\/div> <\/div>
\"This <\/a>
This shot of my panel shows that I’m over Baytown, flying at 80 knots, at 2300 feet. Baytown airport should be off my port bow. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Familiar <\/a>
Familiar landmarks are much harder to pick out in this muck… here is the San Jacinto Monument <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Barges <\/a>
Barges getting filled from the LyondellBasel plant (I think) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Downtown <\/a>
Downtown in the muck <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"This <\/a>
This one and the next, I’m directly north of downtown and the angle of light makes it a bit more visible. <\/div> <\/div>
\"4N1A5271\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Now <\/a>
Now exiting the Corridor, I look south towards the Williams Tower and the Galleria area. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The camera is pointed SW, this is Beltway 8 West on it’s north-south direction <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Way <\/a>
Way in the distance (about 5 miles) is West Houston Airport <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"An <\/a>
An interesting compound of a lake and homes <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Another <\/a>
Another shot of my panel, showing I’m about 12 miles out, at 1600 feet with an airspeed of 83 knots. <\/div> <\/div>
\"Event <\/a>
Event location for Mexican themed events, called Lienzo Charro Espuelas De Plata <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Sand <\/a>
Sand mining <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"This <\/a>
This is a tiny private airstrip call Pfeffer… very hard to pick out <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Two <\/a>
Two miles out I get this nice, wide shot. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"As <\/a>
As I cross over for the teardrop downwind, I get a better look. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Wayne's <\/a>
Wayne’s hangar is the one furthest NW. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"I <\/a>
I can even see another gyro on his apron. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Finally, <\/a>
Finally, I’m down and the Cavalon is snuggled into the hangar. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

As I always say, there’s usually something new to see or, at least, a new angle on something I’ve seen before.\u00a0 And since the atmosphere looks different most days, the view changes too.\u00a0 On this day, it was smoggy and hazy, but not too bad.\u00a0 Even though this was just ferrying my plane, it was still a fun flight!<\/p>\n

The Annual<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to the condition inspection, I wanted Wayne to see if he could successfully evacuate all the air bubbles in my brake lines.\u00a0 I’ve had trouble stayed firmly braked in some situations, so I was sure it needed bleeding, at the least.\u00a0 Later he discovered that the master cylinder was not working, so he replaced it.<\/p>\n

The inspection itself included:\u00a0 “Gap and install new spark plugs and re-install. Perform compression test on all cylinders, Inspect tires, bearings and brakes and repack bearings on landing gear. Cleaned all fuel screens. Lube control surface hing points and grease all zerks. Research, verify and\/or inspect as required the FAA AD’s for Airframe, accessories, engine and propeller and complete logbook entries and Service Bulletin log report.”<\/p>\n

Other issues included:<\/p>\n