Depression after Washing

The result with our C140 was of course stunning, especially when the
plane was parked on a rural turf airfield, with the polished underside
and tail reflecting the green grass, trees and blue sky. But it was a
BIG commitment to keep it that way. On the plus side you really get to
know the skin of the plane well and each session of polishing is a
rather thorough inspection.

(Note: I've deleted .piloting from this reply. That group is gone, I'm
afraid.)

This is an asset of a cosmetically well-maintained plane that rarely gets
mentioned. The act of thoroughly cleaning/polishing/waxing an aircraft
gives you the opportunity to really inspect your plane, and lets you detect
problems early on.

For example, just the other day I was cleaning the 'Coupe when I bumped into
the exhaust pipe -- and it moved! Turns out a clamp was loose, and we were
able to simply tighten it up, rather than "discovering" it in flight when it
could have potentially become a serious problem.

Just another reason to look askance at planes with two summers' worth of
dead bugs on the struts...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
Ercoupe N94856
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"