We've got a Stick!

June 2, 2013

Because the Piper Dakota is a low wing aircraft, in order to check the amount of fuel in each wing tank you only have to look in. There is a tab inside that marks when the fuel is at 25 gallons and when the tank is full at 36 gallons. However when flying an air race it is pointless to fly with the excess weight of additional fuel if it is not needed, so Moe says "Heather, we need a stick." The stick simply being some kind of measuring device (like a ruler) to stick in the fuel tanks and read how much fuel is really in the tank. Heather say "Okay."

Two weeks go by, "Heather, we need a stick." "Okay"

Two more weeks go by after Heather tried to buy a stick to no avail. "Heather, we really need a stick."

So yesterday, Heather flew with her pilot husband Randy (a 10,000 hour CFII, ATP - knows what he's doing type of guy) and flew her airplane until one of the tanks RAN OUT OF GAS! We did this on purpose (while flying over the airport with gas in the other wing tank) because only then can you add fuel in increments and mark on a stick how much fuel is truly in the tanks. So we flew and we flew and we flew until the engine quit. And then we switched fuel tanks and we flew and we flew and we flew and made a Moe Stick!

All happy smiles....

Right Fuel tank is LESS than empty - not what you really want to see - EVER

Yeah - that wasn't so fun

June 1, 2013
A little more Class C airspace communications, this time with KRNO, Reno International, home base for Moe.  Heather taught Moe that some controllers say "Cherokee" when they really mean, "Piper".
Heather's daughter, Skylar, joined us and was a great sport!  It was particularly thoughtful of her not to pee her pants or throw up.
Moe discovered how to crack the plane's engine by supercooling.
Heather, "Uh, Moe, I've got the throttle", 2 miles out from landing.
Moe, "Uh, Heather, either you can control the throttle or you can give it back to me", 200 feet from landing.

May 27, 2013
Test flight to Mountain Home, Idaho.  Play nice with the Boise Class C airspace tenders and buzz the houses at 200 feet above the ground.
We both reach the conclusion that, yes, we can fly together.  So far, so good!

And thanks to Lynn Meadows for our first Air Race Classic t-shirts showing the first air race in 1929!

"The Check is in the Mail"

Our sponsors have started sending their checks!  Here is a memo off our first check received.  What will your check memo say?!?

TEST #3
Date:  Friday, May 3rd, 2013
Location:  A Marriott in Bakersfield, California
Event:  Southwest Section Meeting 99s
Heather and Moe share a hotel room for the first time. 
      Will the snoring take precedence over any flying experience?  Who will use the most towels?  Why do women have such heavy luggage?  (Because we can).
       Unfortunately, Heather and Moe will never be participants in a reality TV show with viral videos on YouTube for screaming hysterically at each other.  Heather somehow tolerated Moe's chatting about the meetings and Moe slept soundly through both pilot's snoring.  Ear plugs are a girl's best friend in a hotel room besides a feather-free pillow. 
TEST #3 Complete.  The aviatrixes can share a hotel room.
But the ultimate test will come next...can the 2 tom-girls shop together for matching outfits for the ARC banquet????

TEST #2
Date:  Saturday, April 27th, 2013
Location:  Northern Nevada somewhere between Winnemucca and Lovelock, 7,500 msl, 140+ knots
Setting:  Piper Dakota
Pilots:  Heather (left seat), Moe (right seat)

After a successful albeit not graceful landing at Lovelock (KLOL) by Moe, we find our pilots racing back to Winnnemucca attempting to simulate the cross country race.  Discussions ensued on how to divide the navigation and flying.  For the non-pilots in the audience this is called CRM - cockpit resource management, sometimes known as "how not to punch the pilot next to you".  The ladies had already agreed that they would split the PIC (pilot in command) duties.
   Heather, "Well, whoever is not flying will jot down our flight info and handle the radios, right?".  Moe, "Right.  Hey!  I get to be first officer when you're flying!".
   Heather, "Yeh, so that makes you Moe - First Officer.  HA!  Moe-FO!".  Fortunately, Moe had followed her mother's advice for all long trips and taken a rest room break before entering the vehicle.  Otherwise she might have peed her pants laughing.
  And that's how we end up with the ARC nicknames, HezMo and MoeFo.
TEST #2 complete.  Nicknames acquired.

(we fast forward now to catch our pilots in Winnemucca, Nevada)
TEST #1
Date:  Saturday, April 20th, 2013
Location:  Winnemucca Airport (KWMC)
Background:  Other than a short flight with an instructor in Moe's plane a year before, Heather and Moe have not flown together before.  Ever.
Setting:  After a short flight from Reno (KRNO), Moe has landed her Cessna 182.  As if assigned to the queen, Heather and her husband lead the procession with their Jeep to show Moe the way to their hangar.  After some brief hugs and howdy-dos, Moe's training in Heather's beautiful Piper Dakota begins.

     Imagine if you will, our intrepid pilots pile into the small plane.  Heather's husband will be the instructor (who the heck flies a plane from the left seat anyway?).  Heather takes a back seat (can't see out the front very well from here!).  Moe takes up position as the first officer in the right seat (this plane is so clean I'm afraid to use my pen on my kneeboard paper!).
     There was one serious problem with flying this small plane that was unlike any flying Moe had experienced before.
     Keep the pointy end forward and the dirty side down
Moe, "Um, guys, uh...there's no dirty side.  How do you fly this thing, anyway?"

     TEST #1 Complete.
Amazingly we all lived through the experience.  Heather's husband was a calm, thoughtful instructor, Heather did not scream unnecessarily and Moe did not leave any pen marks on the upholstery.  SUCCESS!