The RV6 has been out of commission, due to a crack in the canopy since early October, so we decided as a group to do the annual and some accumulated ‘fixes’ at the same time (a few smoking rivets and the like).
Now as a group, we are fortunate enough to have a licensed aircraft engineer as a group member who is the person that formed the group originally. So what happens is that he does most of the work (with help when available from other group members) and charges the group a sensible rate which is offset against his own payments due to the group. Of course we also have all of the work signed off at the appropriate stages by an approved LAA inspector.
But what this does mean is that as Manuel is part time, the annual take longer in elapsed time and is still going on to date.
Manuel and another group member were in the hangar on Sunday working on the plane, so I thought I would wander over prior to my checkride and see where we were.
The bottom line is that the crack has nearly been repaired and all work has been completed and signed off, it is ‘just’ a case of putting it all back together (fin, spats, cowling, seats etc. – so non-trivial) and giving the engine a test run and a test flight. So it may be that G-GDRV is available again before the end of the year.
I was under the impression that the group were working on the plane on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, not Sunday. I felt bad that I couldn’t volunteer to help while I was there (not that I am mechanically minded or capable) as I only had a two and a half hour slot negotiated with the wife and she doesn’t like me spontaneously overstaying at the airport (the famous ‘what if you are dead in a field somewhere?’ argument).
While I was there, a chap appeared and started talking to Manuel. It was clear from the conversation that he was the pilot of the lovely RV7 that we currently share a hangar with that is going to be used in 2009 to challenge the long standing Alex Henshaw ‘Mew Gull’ record for a solo return trip to South Africa. I introduced myself and wished him the best of luck. I do hope he publicises the date in advance to I can turn up at the airfield to see him off. This will be a hell of a challenge and he will get very little sleep.
But back to the annual, even once ready, all of the group will have to arrange and undergo checkrides before disappearing into the wild blue yonder as group rules say no P1 unless you have flown the RV6 in the last 30 days. So the usual logistics problem of getting the yourself, the aircraft, a suitable instructor and the weather all in the same place at the same time, all given very short hours of daylight and virtually no ability to take time off during the week – hey ho, I may be doing full rental in parallel for a few more weeks yet!
