So there I was...

Now you have a good reason to get that Sporty's electric AI.
Be glad you were in VFR when it happened.



"mbremer216" wrote in message
. ..
| On my way to visit relatives for X-mas. Flying from
Northwest Indiana to
| Savannah, GA in a Cherokee 180. Itching to put my
recently earned IFR
| ticket to work. Climbed out of my home field on Christmas
Eve after the
| risk of freezing fog had thawed. Up through a light cloud
level at 2500 for
| my first fuel stop at KLEX. Solid layer 2000 thick and an
ILS down to 900'
| and 5 miles - magic! Stop to fill the plane's tanks and
empty mine.
| Cleared through the layer and over the mountains. The
cloud layer slipped
| away behind me and nothing but clear sky and the mountains
ahead. ATC
| cleared to climb to 9000 for terrain and radar coverage.
|
| Passing through 7500. Southeast bound past the London
VOR. A whiff of oil
| smell in the cockpit that passed as quickly as it came.
Then, the suction
| needle drops from it's usual 5.0 to nothing at all. What
a revolting
| development! Being in VFR conditions, a diversion to KTRI
for help.
|
| Mechanic confirmed that the vac pump had given up the
ghost. Seized tighter
| than dicks hat band. By now it was getting toward dark so
continuing on
| with a replacement didn't seem very attractive. Got it
fixed the next day,
| but freezing conditions and nasty winds kept us holed up
in a motel room in
| Kingsport, TN for Christmas. Nothing like Doritos and
Snausages for
| Christmas dinner while I explained to my wife how it's not
the destination
| but the trip that counts.
|
| She said that I should enjoy my new vacuum pump for
Christmas!!!
|
| Mike
|
|