Just got my Baby Belle out of its condition inspection, and had a couple of
hours on it doing tracking and balancing and general hover practice when the
local airfield had a special on fuel: Normally $4.60/ gal was $3.60 for the
day. I lit her off and half way there the MR chip lite came on blinking.
Normally when this occurs all I get is some black fuzz too small to see any
pieces so I continued to the fuel pit (less than three minute flight) fueled
up and lit off again and moved over to a parking spot to let it cool down
enough to get my hand in there and remove the chip detectector(quick
disconnect). Well the pieces weren't big enough to have part numbers, but I
could see them. I needed to get home, rig the trailer and come pick up my
bird. Lo and behold the lowered, not cheap but lowered, gas prices had
attracted a friend in his Bell 47. I got a ride to the house in his bird
and returned with the trailer to get my bird. Oops! ground handling wheels
not in trailer where they are supposed to be. Wife goes home and comes back
with the ground handling wheels but without the bar needed to raise the
wheels into position. Glad I didn't have an R-44 or the Bell 47. We lifted
the bird by hand enough to get the wheels down. Then the wireless remote
control of the winch failed and we had to jumper cable direct to the winch
to load the bird.
With all the "Murphy" activity going on I'm surprised I didn't have a flat
on the trailer or a sudden attack of diarhea. I guess it was a good day not
to fly. At least I did get some $3.60/gal gas.
Stu