Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By jamespearce
#1605913
So, all the holes in the cheese lineup. Its a great flying day, the grass apron outside the hangar will support an aeroplane, the destination airfield (Popham) is reporting firm conditions and I'm champing at the bit, I feel the need. Trouble is, it's been 100 days since I last flew and I am very conscious of the caution I should proceed with. Aeroplane has a layer of grime that needs cleaning off. This is a doubly good thing because it allows me the luxury of inspecting every square inch of the wings and fuselage during a wet cloth wipe of all the surfaces. The next, most important thing is the fuel. Co-ops finest has been lingering in my tanks during freezing and humid conditions for more than three months and it takes some twenty samples drained from the gascolator and lowest point before I get clear fuel samples. The samples were cloudy and milky before that.
I had a nest built in my engine compartment by an unknown animal, which I posted earlier, so a particularly careful inspection of the pipes and wires was undertaken to ensure no nibbling went on.
Close attention was paid to the preflight checks including a longer than usual engine run to make sure there would be no surprises on takeoff.
Then the magic moment, throttle to the wall and we are racing towards my raison d'etre.
It feels curiously strange and I can't quite immediately remember where the fuel gauges are and I'm a bit slow getting the flaps up. I take up my heading and I am slightly apprehensive about my call to Solent but it all worked out and I enjoyed a Bakewell tart and a cup of tea at Popham whilst having a bit of aviation related banter to a few good listeners.
And everything is good. When I got back to my home field, I even got my three landings in to make it legal to take my ever increasing list of friends flying. Welcome back sky. :thumright:
Last edited by jamespearce on Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
Morten, Matth1542, MikeB and 16 others liked this
#1605929
Glad you are back in the saddle and a lovely spring day it was for it. :thumleft:

Just a thought ( = OK, I'll bite...) - if fuel was suspect for that many samples samples I suggest it might have been better to have drained the lot and flushed right through with new, also to have had a darned good look at the gascolator innards and ( if I recall correctl the story re the nest being in a Rotax 9 series engine bay), popped the float bowls off for a check in there too.
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By jamespearce
#1605943
Charliesixtysix wrote:Glad you are back in the saddle and a lovely spring day it was for it. :thumleft:

Just a thought ( = OK, I'll bite...) - if fuel was suspect for that many samples samples I suggest it might have been better to have drained the lot and flushed right through with new, also to have had a darned good look at the gascolator innards and ( if I recall correctl the story re the nest being in a Rotax 9 series engine bay), popped the float bowls off for a check in there too.


I was getting close to your suggestion for draining and would certainly not have accepted anything but consistently clear samples which convinced me the remaining fuel was ok. I refueled after I had completed this purging process. I carried out a 10 minute high rpm engine run prior to my pre takeoff checks. I think I was prudent but I accept that these red lines aren't set in stone (ouch, sorry)
By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1605995
Mogas? I'd suggest the cloudy stuff was the ethanol content which had absorbed atmospheric moisture and sunk to the bottom......we discussed this before and I posted about a friend's water-wash process for his vintage motorbikes.

A much wiser and more knowledgeable Forumite pointed out that this could possibly affect the burning, knock-characteristics and power of the fuel.
Mate has had no trouble with his bikes and brass and copper fittings in the fuel-system are rot-free again. You did the right thing adding lots of fresh fuel. At over a fiver a gallon, I know only too well, the temptation to conserve and use every bit......but the lack of convenient lay-bys "up there" leads me to accept that sometimes discretion really is the better part of valour. :thumright:
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By Charles Hunt
#1606001
Glad all went well. I too would add caution re poor fuel samples. With a friend's AA5 that had been standing (outside) for some time, despite draining to clear samples, and rocking/shaking the wings several times and draining again, we still ended up with a few partial engine stoppages, plus two full stops, one on the taxiway, and one on the runway (both after landing).

My suspicion is that unless the a/c is perfectly level (and even then I'm not completely convinced) then all of the contaminated fuel may not come out via the fuel drain.
By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1606020
Charles Hunt wrote:Glad all went well. I too would add caution re poor fuel samples. With a friend's AA5 that had been standing (outside) for some time, despite draining to clear samples, and rocking/shaking the wings several times and draining again, we still ended up with a few partial engine stoppages, plus two full stops, one on the taxiway, and one on the runway (both after landing).

My suspicion is that unless the a/c is perfectly level (and even then I'm not completely convinced) then all of the contaminated fuel may not come out via the fuel drain.

Did you check both drains on each side? There are two each side on Cheetahs and Tigers, not 100% sure about Travelers.
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By jamespearce
#1606022
These cautions from others are welcome forage on a forum and I think if I had read this topic by another contributor I might well have been inclined to drain the tanks. I'm not generally a risk taker, always ready with some wise words for others, so it's the individuals perception of the level of risk that is the important go/no go trigger. That's where this forum can help. :thumright:

This post crossed mine :- Did you check both drains on each side? There are two each side on Cheetahs and Tigers, not 100% sure about Travelers. Having high wing tanks, the Foxbat has one low drain on the belly of the fuse and one on the gascolator on the firewall
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By Charles Hunt
#1606068
[/quote]
Did you check both drains on each side? There are two each side on Cheetahs and Tigers, not 100% sure about Travelers.[/quote]

Don't recall two per side. Not my aircraft.