The Joys of Aircraft Ownership 1,532 & 1,533

RST Engineering wrote:

1. Did you determine whether or not it was the starter itself or a low
battery that was giving you the grief?
snip

Jim, thanks. A mechanic flew in that Saturday morning from a nearby
airport with another battery. He had just enough time to check the cables
and swap batteries. With his volt meter, he concluded that the problem was
not the battery. Additionally, the starter was extremely hot to touch
after only two, very quick attempts.

When the mechanic was able to take the starter back to his shop on Monday,
he tested it and discovered that it was definitively source of the problem.
In fact, he found that a short in the starter actually caused the battery
to permanently short out, too. Have you ever heard of this?


2. It ain't easy, but it can be done. Did anybody ever show you how to
prop-start a bo?
snip

No one ever showed me, but the thought of prop-starting my two-bladed, six
cylinder Bo did cross my mind that day. I asked a few of the old-timers
that were there if they knew if it were possible, but they didn't know.
Also, a pilot with an A36 flew into the airport to refuel and knew his way
around Bonanzas, but didn't think it would be possible.

If there is a way then I will investigate it, starting with the American
Bonanza Society to see if they have any info. Thanks.

--
Peter

Marco Leon wrote:

Do you use the Bo to commute on Mondays and Thursdays? A coworker does
that on a similar schedule but he looks at the overnight delays as a
small price to pay for the increased freedom and convenience of flying
himself. Then again, he doesn't have a one-year old.

Yes, I use the aircraft to commute for work. I fly out Monday and return
Thursdays and have been doing this every week since late February 2005, or
about 73 weeks (save for one week when the aircraft was in annual and one
week where t-storms were way too foreboding on a Monday AM). This
translates to roughly 140 flights, or 140 perfect opportunities for this
mechanical failure.

The two airports between which I commute are both major, class C airports
with mechanics on duty 24 hours a day. The irony of sorts is that had the
starter failed at either end of these weekly commutes, the impact would
have been quite minimal. Instead, the unit $hit the bed at the most
inopportune time: Far from home and with no help on the field. Murphy's
Law at its best.

Sorry for the lament and sorry to the OP for hijacking his thread.

--
Peter

If there is a way then I will investigate it, starting with the American
Bonanza Society to see if they have any info. Thanks.

I do glider tow operations and taildraggers. We recommend NOT
hand-propping anything with more than 200 hp.

I've seen it done by mechanics, who then see me watching and
tell me not to do what they have done. I've hand-propped
sea-planes and the odd taildragger, and even my (former)
Piper Arrow (200hp). Never again. After 6,000 hours, I'll
leave that excitement to the professionals.

Best regards,

Jer/ "Flight instruction and mountain flying are my vocations!"
--
Jer/ (Slash) Eberhard, Mountain Flying Aviation, LTD, Ft Collins, CO
CELL 970 231-6325 EMAIL jeratfrii.com http://users.frii.com/jer/
C-206 N9513G, CFII Airplane&Glider FAA-DEN Aviation Safety Counselor
CAP-CO Mission&Aircraft CheckPilot BM218 HAM N0FZD 240 Young Eagles!

wrote:
I do glider tow operations and taildraggers. We recommend NOT
hand-propping anything with more than 200 hp.

Why?? Does it start too fast to get out of the way?

Marco

No, it is just a b1+ch to keep your balance and pull that much compression
through. I didn't say it was easy, and I didn't say I recommend it to
everybody, but imho you should at least consider it for anything you fly on
a regular basis.

The O-470 in my 182 falls into that category, and I only did it once with
proper training to prove to myself I knew how to do it. I can't see walking
out of east BF egypt airpatch because I stupidly left the master on and
there is no other way out.

Jim




"Marco Leon" wrote in message
oups.com...
wrote:
I do glider tow operations and taildraggers. We recommend NOT
hand-propping anything with more than 200 hp.

Why?? Does it start too fast to get out of the way?

Marco

"Brock Boss" wrote in message
oups.com...

That's easy enough to remove. I unclamp the line, drain it, and re-clamp.


Is that an allowable owner/pilot action?