More than one person has questioned the logic behind owning an
aircraft. Financially, it's a hard sell, and there are more than a few
times when owning a plane can be a real hassle.

But then there are days like Wednesday. The sun was shining brightly
(and warmly, for December -- almost 60 degrees) as I emptied out a few
boxes at the hangar.

First, and most importantly, was my new (to me) Narco CP-136 audio
panel -- with its pristine, unblemished faceplate. Jerry, a regular
"lurker" here, had mailed the unit to me out of the clear blue sky, and
refused to accept any money for it, "in thanks for reading my posts" on
these 'groups over the years.

I was thunderstruck. Ladies and gentlemen, it is stunning displays of
warmth and generosity like Jerry's that truly separate aviators from
the rest of mankind's mere mortals. I'd be lying if I said this sort
of thing happened to me every day, but Mary and I have been the
beneficiaries of this sort of behavior before, on many occasions,
exclusively at the hands of aviators.

Jerry easily could have pocketed $200+ on Ebay with this unit, and he
knew it -- but he chose, instead, to make our Christmas season brighter
with his fantastic gift. I still get all warm and fuzzy whenever I
think about it.

And what a change it has made! Having a disfigured faceplate on an
audio panel is like having a giant zit in the middle of your forehead.
No matter where you look, your eye is always drawn toward it, and you
simply can't help but be disappointed by it. Now, finally, after two
YEARS of looking, our panel is pristine once more, the ultimate in
cosmetic perfection.

To compliment this newfound beauty, I spent an hour detailing the
panel, since a gorgeous panel (with a new AirGizmo-docked 496 snuggled
into it) deserves better than encrusted dust and paint chips. It's
amazing what time spent cleaning and detailing with a black "Sharpie"
will do for your panel -- it really looks brand new!

Second, our new pair of LightSpeed Twenty 3Gs took its place alongside
its three counterparts in the plane, after receiving a new pair for a
(relatively) paltry $100. This was a deal I drove with the good folks
at Lightspeed, after giving them the choice between fixing (again!) my
two older pairs of 15s and 20XLs -- or trading them in on a new (much
more sturdy) model.

They saw the logic in permanently retiring the old pairs, both of which
had spent at least a month of their lives in transit, back and forth to
the factory -- so we are now blessed with four pair of truly
outstanding (and, most importantly, robust) sets of Lightspeed
headsets.

And then, finally, I stuck a new digital thermometer ($7 bucks at
Walmart) next to my avionics master, replacing the old, icky analog one
that I had installed years ago, giving the panel it's final coup de
grace. Panel nirvana has been achieved!

Now, if only fixing my fuel leak in the starboard wing was so easy...
It's always something!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"