BACK 'ON'!! EARLY CHRISTMAS AT KLUX Saturday 12/05/2009

[Rellihan]

Please Note! The KLUX Early Christmas Fly-In is back 'on'. I had canceled it due to weather; but I was just called and told that three people or more, including two planes, have shown up at the airport regardless!


Hard to believe that Christmas at KLUX is only TWO WEEKS away! Here's hoping that we have decent weather, and that a bunch of BAC friends can make it into Laurens, SC for a day of fun and light airplane fix-up activities. It will probably be possible for a couple of members to change their own oil while they are here, weather conditions permitting. I will update this posting, when we get a bit closer to the event, to list the KLUX fuel price that will be available to participants.

If all goes well we will have a cook-out; but if it is too cold or too wet, we'll run down to someplace like Hickory Hills BBQ. If anyone has something they'd like to contribute to door prizes, feel free to bring it. We will have a few things here as well.

I don't currently show anything on the KLUX work schedule, but Chad may have someone coming in. If we don't have room in the hangar, we'll shift to the FBO building.

As usual, the event is free to BAC members and their guests. Gary B, I assume you'll let me know if there is anything else I need to get with you on, prior to this scheduled event.

Hope to see a bunch of you here!

 

[musesierra]

If my schedule holds true for now, I will be there. Looking forward to it.

Doug

 

[RandyBEC]

I'm in...

 

[mvanover]

If anyone will be passing by Jacksonville, Fl. enroute to KLUX, I'd share the gas cost if you stop an pick me up.

Marty Vanover
Phoenix, Az.

 

[CleoBen]

Planning to be there, and just at oil change time too! What a coinkydink!

CB

 

[Rellihan]

I am calling off the formal fly-in at KLUX tomorrow (Saturday December 05). The forecast is for rain starting tonight, turning to light snow on Saturday (no accumulation). There is weather showing up all around us right now, though it has not yet rained right here. There is sleet and snow SW of us, supposedly headed this way. I did not put up the Christmas decorations today, since I was canceling the event. I may put up a few in the FBO tomorrow anyway.

This makes two years in a row that we have had bad weather for this event, and Cote wasn't even coming. Lat year I left it on the BAC schedule anyway. We did have a couple of folks who drove in, and one who flew in to begin maintenance a couple of days prior to the event. But I see no point in allowing temptation to get someone stuck here, even if they did make it in by air.

If anyone wishes to drive in tomorrow anyway, they are certainly welcome; I'll be knocking around the hangar anyway. I'll buy lunch (rather than BAC) if anyone else makes it. I shipped out one nose gear this morning, and another one arrived this afternoon; so I have plenty of work to stay busy at the hangar. If anyone shows up tomorrow, they may find themselves taking apart a nose gear while we talk about their airplane!

I'm not sure yet about Monty, as he's been a bit under the weather; he and Jeanne have been exchanging some kind of virus for nearly a month. If he shows up at the airport, Monty may be continuing work to remove the engine, engine mount, and complete firewall from his Dad's plane (Jim Spencer). We have to get it out of the way for some corrosion repairs.

Chad definitely won't be here; he took Joe Serra back home to Crystal River at mid-day today, in my Sierra (Sunny Beech). He and Billy are now back in Cartersville for the weekend. On Monday AM Chad will be making the Christmas trip/Reindeer Run to the kids down in the Bahamas. I may be misremembering, but I think Ron Montgomery is flying down as well. Somewhere during his travels in Sunny Beech, I think Chad plans to stop by to visit Bill Manhein, to pick up some airframe parts needed at KLUX for some serious corrosion repairs on a couple of planes.

I doubt that there will be time to schedule a rain date at KLUX before Christmas. I had scheduled this one a week earlier than usual in the effort to get better weather; and to minimize the impact on folks preparing for the Christmas holidays. We already have the Easter Hop-In scheduled for 2010 (I think). I'll have to see whether there is any chance of a fly-in in early January; but the January temps and related weather would likely rule out much in the way of owner repair work at that time of year. I wouldn't be expecting much in the way of weather luck in January, when we can't seem to get it in early December.

 

[gribbled]

Wow Mike - the winter weather is better in Iowa than in South Carolina!!! We are expecting 35 and sunny, which is great for this time of year. We've had flurries today but nothing serious (or even IFR).

Have a Merry Christmas!

dave

 

[jeprescott]

Mike
Thanks for the update. It is LIFR in Darlington this morning. 300 ft OVC and not expected to start lifting until 3 or 4 PM.
I was planning to come see you and talk annual planning.
See you next Friday.

Jim

 

[Rellihan]

Well, looks like we are back 'on', despite the weather! The snow and weather has zipped by north and south of us, and some folks have already made it in. Reminds me of the Relly of better days, like the snow going into Dayton for BAC's first-ever Annual BAC-Fest. I am headed to the airport momentarily!

 

[mikehagans]

Sorry I missed it Mike - waiting for my oil cooler to come back from Pacific Oil Cooler Service. It was severe clear here today - didn't check the route since I don't have an oil cooler.
I'm thinking this may be the little leak that's been plaguing me for a while.

See you guys in March!

Mike Hagans
Super III based @ KHYI - San Marcos, TX

 

[Rellihan]

Decent turn-out, in light of circumstances. We had four arriving folks including three planes and one automobile, plus three local folks.

Tom Bragg, A23-24 Musketeer Super N24TD, is based at KVKX/Potomac Field, Friendly, MD. Tom arrived Friday night, spent two nights in the FBO on the couch, and is departing today (Sunday). Tom milked his visit for all it is worth, which we were able to accommodate due to the low aircraft count. He did his first oil and filter change;replaced his main gear tires and tubes, and inspected his brakes; cleaned, inspected, and re-packed his wheel bearings; and more. Tom won a pair of yoke emblems in the door prize drawing, and received a set of BAC decals for his baggage area windows. His PT Mile count is 349.9.

Jeff Barker, 1979 C24R Sierra N6628D, is based at KGSP/Greenville, SC. Jeff dropped by for the visit, then departed for points north. We did a walk-around on Jeff's plane, and he made a list of honey-do's. Jeff is hoping to get the Sierra into KLUX for a January Initial Annual. His PT Mile count is 26.9.

Randy Martin, 1981 C23 Sundowner N38058, is based at KFZG/Fitzgerald, GA. Randy picked up four refurbished fine-wire spark plugs for his lower four plug positions. Randy, too, won a pair of yoke emblems in the door prize drawing. His plane doesn't need any more BAC decals; it Queened in our hangar for a good while, early in the year, while it collected parts and decals. Randy's PT Mile count is 182.

Vincent Mastin, N3628Q, drove in from Chesnee, SC; another near-local member. Vincent won an LED flashlight in the door prize drawing, like those we use in the KLUX hangar.

Local participants included Monty Spencer, Jim White, and Mike Rellihan.

Gotta run to the hangar; we have a Super to get on its way home!

 

[CleoBen]

Many thanks to Mike, Monty, and Jim for the fine hospitality, technical expertise, and more "There-I-Was" stories than I've heard for a long time! The BBQ at Hickory Hills is as good as you've heard about, and I truly got my money's worth - er, that is, Mike's money's worth!

2 new shoes and socks for the SuperIII, 8 quarts of Shell's finest, and 32 gallons of 100LL, and I was out of there for a fine ride home. 26kt tailwinds at 11,500 feet, smooth as glass. (That's a new altitude record for me, BTW, and it wanted to keep climbing!)

Thanks again, and I'm already looking forward to Spring!

CB aka Tom Bragg