Post by Joe on Nov 26, 2012 22:18:31 GMT -5
It was beautiful yesterday so I decided to go see my commercial pilot friend Mike.
Although it wasn't cold, the airplane (172) wouldn't start and Jerry had to go get the tractor he uses for mowing to jump the airplane. It sure seemed like it was cranking over OK, but it started right up with the jump.
I wasn't sure I was transmitting and decided to proceed and troubleshoot in the air. I figured I'd land at Lamar if I needed to. Jerry came on the radio and asked if I was having trouble transmitting, he heard clicks but not my voice-- click twice if so, and I did. I moved switches, tried COM2, tried the mic, etc. Nothing was working. It dawned on me that if I landed at Lamar and then the engine wouldn't start back up again, there was no one there to help me at all-- it's completely unattended and you even have to call the local police to activate the fuel pumps for you. Joplin's Class D was beyond Lamar. I could avoid it, but really wanted a radio even if only in the neighborhood.
I turned around.
Jerry walked out to the airplane and opened the passenger door. He scanned for about 45 seconds than a look came over his face. "Did you move this?" he asked. He was pointing to the cable that went out from the intercom. It had been moved from the jack on the pilot side to the jack on the co-pilot/passenger side. I said, "No. Why would anyone move that?" (And, esp. not put it back) I had been all over the radios and that intercom and it never dawned on me that cable had been moved. I felt like an idiot.
Problem solved, off I went. The radio seemed "staticky". I thought there was an intercom problem. I was a little ticked because it had only been worked on a couple years ago. Maybe that's why the previous pilot had moved the cable over. The noise would disappear if I hit an air-pocket, but was mostly steady.
I had lunch with Mike. He told me to try messing with the squelch control. I assured him it wasn't the squelch, I wasn't an idiot, it was an intercom problem. After a pleasant visit, I was off again. Of course, it was indeed the squelch.
I neared Joplin and got transition clearance and it turned out Joplin was about 10 times busier than I'd ever seen it. I actually got vectored on a simple transition; several planes had to wait while others landed, a Citation was ordered to do a couple 360's, etc. I was really happy I had the radio working.
It was a really neat flight back to home base. I put up the plane and got my flight bag, and dug around in the end pocket for my car keys, only to pull out a crisp, folded twenty dollar bill. The last thing I "learned" that day was that some time in the past, I'd tucked away some emergency money and forgotten all about it.
Although it wasn't cold, the airplane (172) wouldn't start and Jerry had to go get the tractor he uses for mowing to jump the airplane. It sure seemed like it was cranking over OK, but it started right up with the jump.
I wasn't sure I was transmitting and decided to proceed and troubleshoot in the air. I figured I'd land at Lamar if I needed to. Jerry came on the radio and asked if I was having trouble transmitting, he heard clicks but not my voice-- click twice if so, and I did. I moved switches, tried COM2, tried the mic, etc. Nothing was working. It dawned on me that if I landed at Lamar and then the engine wouldn't start back up again, there was no one there to help me at all-- it's completely unattended and you even have to call the local police to activate the fuel pumps for you. Joplin's Class D was beyond Lamar. I could avoid it, but really wanted a radio even if only in the neighborhood.
I turned around.
Jerry walked out to the airplane and opened the passenger door. He scanned for about 45 seconds than a look came over his face. "Did you move this?" he asked. He was pointing to the cable that went out from the intercom. It had been moved from the jack on the pilot side to the jack on the co-pilot/passenger side. I said, "No. Why would anyone move that?" (And, esp. not put it back) I had been all over the radios and that intercom and it never dawned on me that cable had been moved. I felt like an idiot.
Problem solved, off I went. The radio seemed "staticky". I thought there was an intercom problem. I was a little ticked because it had only been worked on a couple years ago. Maybe that's why the previous pilot had moved the cable over. The noise would disappear if I hit an air-pocket, but was mostly steady.
I had lunch with Mike. He told me to try messing with the squelch control. I assured him it wasn't the squelch, I wasn't an idiot, it was an intercom problem. After a pleasant visit, I was off again. Of course, it was indeed the squelch.
I neared Joplin and got transition clearance and it turned out Joplin was about 10 times busier than I'd ever seen it. I actually got vectored on a simple transition; several planes had to wait while others landed, a Citation was ordered to do a couple 360's, etc. I was really happy I had the radio working.
It was a really neat flight back to home base. I put up the plane and got my flight bag, and dug around in the end pocket for my car keys, only to pull out a crisp, folded twenty dollar bill. The last thing I "learned" that day was that some time in the past, I'd tucked away some emergency money and forgotten all about it.