Flyers,



This is just a quick flying story some might be interested it.



My plane ('71 Cardinal RG) just came out of annual with a newly over-hauled
prop and hub. The mechanic and I test flew the plane around the pattern.
The goal was to check the gear horn because it was going off constantly even
with full throttle just prior to the annual.



Everything was fine and the gear horn went off appropriately at about 14 or
15 inches MP. We put the gear down and landed. All was normal and I
congratulated him for a job well done. Not only for the annual and gear
horn, but because he also fixed a very bad main gear shimmy that we've had
since we purchased the plane in 2002 [but I digress and I'll discuss this in
separate post]



The first flight after that I took the plane to Cape May, NJ (WWD) for
dinner with my wife. After take-off I leveled the plane and as I reduced
the MP past 25 inches the gear horn sounded. I applied full throttle and it
continued it's serenade for the next 30 minutes despite all attempts to
quell its false protest.



On approach I lowered the gear thankful that at last I would silence that
gear horn's annoying, useless barking. I noticed that after a respectable
amount of time the gear horn did not silence and upon inspection I observed
the following:



1) I had no Green Light

2) The gear light bulb tested good

3) The pilot-side main gear looked fully extended

4) My wife stated that her gear looked to be in the normal position

5) The amp meter was pegged to the left showing a discharge

6) I did not recall the usual "CLICK / SNAP / THUMP" I am used to hearing
and feeling in the floor boards just prior the green light coming on



I went around, put the gear up, climbed out to 3000 feet and set the
autopilot. I cycled the gear twice and no joy. I tried to hand pump it
down and nothing. I slowed the plane to near stall and tried to lower the
gear, but the horn remained vocally upset and the green light rebellious.



I asked my wife if she could see the nose wheel in the gear mirror. She
said, "Yea, I see it."



I asked if it looked fully extended and slightly pointed toward the front
and she said, "No...it looks like it's bent back toward the rear."



[hair on neck stands up]



I called down to the Unicom at Cape May's Big Sky Aviation and asked if I
could do a fly-by "because I don't have a gear down light".



On the fly-by I realized that whoever was watching the approach didn't fully
understand what I was asking for and what my problem was. He radios me and
states, "Yea you're right. I don't see a light on your gear either." I
guess I got exactly what I asked for there.



I shook my head and asked if my nose gear look to be down and straight. He
gave a tentative, "Ah, yea it looked down."



I came back around and did all my pre-landing checks. The gear horn was
going off and I still didn't have a green gear light. I cinched up my belts
and I told me wife to do the same and to crack her door. I couldn't
believe how calm she was. She showed no signs of nervousness or hesitancy.
She trusted me completely.hmmm.well anyway she's a keeper!



I put in full flaps, did a power on landing and set down as soft, slow and
careful as I could. The mains indeed touched down tenderly and I kept the
nose wheel off as long as possible. It wasn't until this point that I
suddenly remembered that I have a newly over-hauled prop on it's maiden
voyage. How ironic! For a moment I entertained the idea of shutting down
the engine to protect it and engine and quickly realized that that would do
no good at all...or at least it wouldn't halt a tear down inspection (3
blade prop).



I swear it took a lifetime as the nose lowered and I remained keenly aware
of every inch it dropped. I continually repeated, "come on, come on, come
on, come on!" I begged for that satisfying "falump" of the nose gear
solidly touching down.



I also was comparing in my memory what was a normal nose attitude at touch
down and at what point it would become painfully obvious that the nose was
too low and a prop strike was unavoidable.



Just as the nose wheel touched down the gear horn muted, the green gear
light came on and the amp meter was back to showing a healthy charge.



[BIG SIGH . WIPE SWEAT OFF MY FOREHEAD AND WALLET]



I couldn't reach my mechanic all night and after dinner I was telling my
wife that we should get a hotel for the night until I could talk to my A&P
or the mechanics at Big Sky Aviation. She just looked at me stoically and
asked, "Why don't we just fly home with the gear down?"



[face turns red]



"Ah...yea...I was just about to recommend that."



Kobra